Covid News Live: Apple employees won’t need Covid test before coming to office

UN forecasts fall in global economic growth to 1.9 per cent in 2023

French foreign minister arrives in Odesa to assess Ukraine’s needs

The French foreign minister on Thursday arrived in Odesa, the strategic port city on Ukraine’s Black Sea coast, as part of France’s efforts to boost its relationship with Ukraine and discuss its needs in the coming months. UNESCO, the U.N.’s cultural agency, on Wednesday designated the city’s historic centre a “World Heritage in Danger” site. The visit by Catherine Colonna aims to send a message to Moscow amid Western fears that Russia, almost a year after invading Ukraine, may still want to launch an attack on the city to deprive Ukraine of its key maritime outlet for grain products.

Apple employees won’t need Covid test before coming to office

Apple will stop mandating its employees from having to take a Covid test before coming to the office starting from February. The tech giant will also roll back its sick leave policy, which allowed workers to take unlimited leaves while experiencing Covid symptoms. Platformer’s Zoe Schiffer shared the information on Twitter, in which he wrote: “Apple is making changes to its Covid-19 policy, and will stop mandating employees test before coming into the office. It’s also rolling back its special sick leave policy, which previously allowed for unlimited sick leave for workers experiencing Covid symptoms.”

Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh launch Bharat Biotech’s nasal Covid vaccine iNCOVACC

Mission 2047: India’s march to become third-largest economy

With a V-shaped recovery following the pandemic shocks, India’s run of success continues and her economy is anticipated to repeat a similar growth trajectory in 2023. The World Bank’s revision of Indian GDP growth projections from 6.4 per cent to 6.9 per cent in the current fiscal year is one among the many affirmations Indian policies and reforms have received in recent times. The World Bank’s India Country Director, Auguste Tano Kouame, credited India’s strong macroeconomic fundamentals for the “remarkably resilient” economy.

Cold wave to hit central, eastern China

A cold front will hit central and eastern China from Thursday to Saturday, bringing low temperatures and strong winds, the National Meteorological Centre said. It will lead to temperature drops above 8 degrees Celsius in some regions, Xinhua news agency quoted the Centre as saying. But temperatures rebounded on Thursday morning remarkably as the previous cold wave ended, which reduced it in some regions lower than levels in previous years by up to 10 degrees Celsius.

Fire breaks out in Anis Compound of Sakinaka in Andheri East. 4 engines are present at the spot. No injuries reported yet. Details awaited.

Gulmarg reels under extreme cold as snowfall continues in south Kashmir

Snowfall continued in several parts of Kashmir while a cloud cover over the Valley led to an increase in minimum temperatures, Met officials here said on Thursday. The resort town of Gulmarg, however, continued to reel under sub-zero temperatures. Light to moderate snowfall was recorded at several places of Kashmir — especially in the southern districts. The intensity of precipitation is likely to increase towards the end of the day while dry weather is expected on Friday, the weather office has predicted.

One dead, two injured in Russian missile attack on Kyiv: mayor

The mayor of Ukraine’s capital Kyiv said one person had been killed and two more were wounded on Thursday after Russia launched more than a dozen missiles in its latest large-scale aerial offensive. “As a result of a rocket hitting a non-residential building in the Golosiivsky district, there is information that one person is dead and two wounded,” Kyiv’s mayor Vitali Klitschko said in a statement on social media. The Kyiv city military administration said the death was due to parts of a missile falling.

Death toll from Israel West Bank raid rises to 8: Palestinian ministry

An Israeli raid on the occupied West Bank’s Jenin refugee camp on Thursday killed eight Palestinians including an elderly woman, Palestinian officials said in an updated toll. The Palestinian health ministry, which gave the new death toll, has also reported more than a dozen injuries and accused Israeli forces of firing tear gas into the children’s ward of a Jenin hospital.

Sirens across Ukraine as authorities report Russian attacks

Ukrainian officials said on Thursday that Russia has launched a wave of missile and self-exploding drone attacks on the country. Air raid sirens wailed nationwide, but there were no immediate reports of injuries or of the missiles and drones striking targets.

Kyiv’s administration: 15 Russian cruise missiles have been shot down

The head of Kyiv’s administration says 15 Russian cruise missiles have been shot down.

Dozens of Covid protesters still behind bars in China: Human Rights Watch

Dozens of demonstrators are still detained in China after taking part in widespread protests against the government last year, Human Rights Watch said Thursday, adding that the whereabouts of some remain unknown. Protesters gathered in cities across the country in November to call for an end to China’s hardline zero-Covid restrictions, in some cases also demanding greater political freedoms. The ruling Communist Party abolished its virus containment strategy the following month, after which a wave of infections caused a spike in hospitalisations and deaths.

PM greets people on Basant Panchami, Saraswati Puja

Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted people on the occasion of Basant Panchami and Saraswati Puja on Thursday. “May this auspicious occasion of Basant Panchami and Saraswati Puja infuse new energy and enthusiasm in everyone’s life,” he said in a tweet in Hindi. “Best wishes to all of you on this auspicious festival associated with the worship of ‘Maa Vidyadayini’,” the prime minister said

Russia launches ‘more than 30 missiles’ at Ukraine: Kyiv

Ukraine said on Thursday that Russian forces had fired more than 30 missiles at targets across the country, in the latest wave of attacks that have put pressure on Ukraine’s air defence systems. “We expect more than 30 missiles, which have already started to appear in various territories. Air defence systems are working,” Yuriy Ignat, a Ukrainian military spokesman, told local media.

8 dead, including 6 Chinese nationals, after ship sinks near Japan

Eight people are dead, including six Chinese nationals, after a ship sank in waters off the coast of Japan, a Chinese diplomat told state media Thursday. The Jin Tian sent a distress signal on Tuesday evening from a position around 110 kilometres (68 miles) west of the remote and uninhabited Danjo Islands in far southwestern Japan. Multiple vessels and aircraft from Japan’s coast guard and military, as well as the South Korean coast guard and private ships, have been involved in the search operation and retrieved 13 crew.

Air raid sirens heard across Ukraine as authorities report Russian attacks in several locations, reports AP.

Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel announces allowance for unemployed youth in state from next financial year.

Victims of mass shooting at California’s Half Moon Bay identified

The seven farmworkers killed in mass shootings in Half Moon Bay, Northern California, have been identified, authorities said. They are Jose Perez; Martinez Jimenez, 50; Qizhong Cheng, 66; Jingzhi Lu, 64; Zhishen Liu, 73; Aixiang Zhang, 74; and Yetao Bing, 43, reports Xinhua news agency. Perez’s age was not yet known. An eighth person injured was Pedro Romero Perez, the brother of Jose Perez. Both are Mexican nationals.

‘Well done champ’: Yuvraj Singh gives big cheer to Sania Mirza for Australian Open final berth

Former Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh extended his congratulatory wishes to tennis star Sania Mirza for reaching the Australian Open mixed doubles final in her last major. Sania and partner Rohan Bopanna soared into the final of the Australian Open mixed doubles event on Wednesday, beating reigning Wimbledon champions third seed American-British pair Desirae Krawczyk and Neal Skupski in the semifinals.

Dell acquires Cloud services startup Cloudify for ‘$100 mn’

Dell Technologies has acquired Israeli startup Cloudify that is known for cloud orchestration and infrastructure automation. According to reports, Dell spent close to $100 million in buying the startup to boost its its cloud services business, specifically its offerings in DevOps. A company spokesperson told TechCrunch that Dell Technologies “has completed the acquisition of Cloudify. “This transaction allows Dell to continue to innovate our edge offerings,” said the spokesperson.

Germany agrees to send tanks to Ukraine once the US agrees to do the same

The U.S. decision followed Germany’s agreement to send 14 Leopard 2 A6 tanks from its own stocks. Germany had refused to send the Leopards unless the U.S. put its Abrams on the table, not wanting to incur Russia’s wrath without the U.S. making a similar commitment.

US to send 31 M1 Abrams tanks to aid Ukraine war effort

American President Joe Biden said the U.S. will send 31 M1 Abrams tanks, reversing months of persistent arguments by Washington that they were too difficult for Ukrainian troops to operate and maintain.

US, Germany to send advanced tanks to aid Ukraine war effort

Germany and the United States announced on Wednesday that they will send advanced battle tanks to Ukraine, offering what one expert called an “armored punching force” to help Kyiv break combat stalemates as the Russian invasion enters its 12th month. The announcement marked the first stage of a coordinated effort by the West to provide dozens of the heavy weapons, which Ukrainian military commanders said would enable counter-offensives, reduce casualties and help restore dwindling ammunition supplies.

Maha: 8 persons detained in Dhule for immolation bid to get land papers in their names

Police detained eight persons after they tried to set themselves ablaze to press for the demand for getting their house land title documents in their names in Maharashtra’s Dhule district on Thursday, police said. The incident took place near Dhule district collector’s office after the national flag was unfurled on the occasion of the Republic Day, an official said. The police seized kerosene bottles from the agitators and detained them, he said.

Adani Group says evaluating taking action against Hindenburg Research

Adani Group said on Thursday it is evaluating relevant provisions under U.S. and Indian laws for “remedial and punitive action” against Hindenburg Research, which accused the conglomerate of improper use of offshore tax havens and flagged concerns about high debt.

Pakistan seeks US help to soften IMF terms

Pakistan has turned to US authorities asking them to use their diplomatic influence for convincing the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to soften loan conditions as the country is passing through a critical phase both economically and politically. This request was made by Federal Finance Minister Ishaq Dar in his meeting with the visiting Deputy Assistant Secretary of the US Department of the Treasury for Asia, Robert Kaproth, Geo News reported. The loan programme is stalled since months and the Shehbaz Sharif government is finding it hard to implement the lender’s conditions amid a tense political environment in the country with elections due in months.

India a ‘bright spot’ in world economy right now: top UN economist

India is a “bright spot” in the world economy currently and is on a “strong footing”, projected to grow at 6.7 per cent next year, a very high growth rate relative to other G20 member countries, a top UN economist said. These remarks were made by the Chief of the Global Economic Monitoring Branch, Economic Analysis and Policy Division, UN-Department of Economic and Social Affairs Hamid Rashid. “I think India is a bright spot in the world economy right now,” Rashid said at a press conference here Wednesday at the launch of the World Economic Situation and Prospects 2023 report.

Ukrainian military says destroyed 24 Russian drones, warns of more attacks

Russian forces launched an unsuccessful overnight drone attack on Ukraine on Thursday, mainly targeting central regions and the capital Kyiv, the Ukrainian military said. Anti-aircraft defences downed all 24 drones, country’s military command said in a morning report. “There’s a major danger of further aviation and missile attack across the entire territory (of Ukraine),” it said in a statement. Kyiv’s regional administration said that 15 out of 24 drones have been downed around the Ukrainian capital and that there were no damages. It also warned people about the possibility of more missile attacks during the day.

UNGA president’s visit to India with ‘main focus’ on science

UN General Assembly President Csaba Korosi will begin a three-day visit to India on Sunday that will uniquely focus on the connection between science and the work of the Assembly besides the usual meetings with officials, according to his spokesperson Paulina Kubiak. “A main focus of the visit is on making connections between the General Assembly and science, particularly on the issue of water, ahead of the UN Water Conference in March,” Kubiak said on Wednesday. In New Delhi, he will discuss India’s water conservation projects with senior officials and experts at the NITI Aayog and visit Bengaluru, the nation’s centre of science, for meetings with scientists at the Indian Institute of Science and visit a water project, she said.

China’s luxury shoppers free to travel, but many buy locally

China’s scrapping of travel curbs this month is expected to revive demand in the global luxury retail market, but many consumers see more reasons to do their high-end shopping locally on the tax-free island of Hainan. On Wednesday, thousands of travelers in Hainan’s Sanya city packed the CDF Mall, a shopping centre dedicated to duty free stores, where they stocked up on cosmetics and handbags while on break for the Lunar New Year Holiday.

Boeing to be arraigned in court over two Max jet crashes

Boeing representatives and relatives of some of the passengers killed in two crashes of Boeing 737 Max jets will meet face-to-face in a Texas courtroom Thursday, where the aerospace giant will be arraigned on a criminal charge that it thought it had settled two years ago. In a brief filed Wednesday, lawyers for the families accused Boeing of committing “the deadliest corporate crime in U.S. history.”

Union Minister Gadkari meets Japanese delegation over sustainable infrastructure development

Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari held a meeting with the Japanese delegation led by Masafumi Mori, Special Advisor to the Prime Minister of Japan, and discussed plans on road transport and logistics service-related road infrastructure. The meeting was also attended by the co-chairman of the Joint Committee Meeting for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad National High-Speed Rail Project, in the presence of Hiroshi Suzuki, Ambassador of Japan to India, in New Delhi on Wednesday evening, a statement from the ministry of road transport and highways said.

India reports 132 new Covid cases, active cases decline to 1,906

India saw a single-day rise of 132 new coronavirus infections, while active cases declined to 1,906, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Thursday. The total tally of Covid cases was recorded at 4,46,82,338. The death toll stood at 5,30,738 with one previous death reconciled by Kerala, the data updated at 8 am stated. The daily positivity rate was recorded at 0.08 per cent and the weekly positivity rate at 0.08 per cent.

IBM to cut 3,900 jobs as it reorganizes business

IBM will slash some 3,900 jobs, slightly more than one percent of its workforce, related to businesses it has divested, a source close to the matter told AFP on Wednesday. The computing company based in New York state did not talk of job cuts in its quarterly earnings report published Wednesday, however, nor in a call with analysts to discuss the financial results. IBM said it would take a one-time $300 million charge in its first quarter this year, which the source said was related to the layoffs.

Goa: Indian Coast Guard rescues three fishermen from distressed boat

Indian Coast Guard (ICG) Ship ‘Apoorva’ successfully rescued three fishermen who had wandered due to flooding off Goa on Thursday, it said in a release. The three Indian fishermen were rescued from the fishing boat Sea Queen in distress due to flooding off Goa, it added. According to the statement, the fishermen were provided first aid and handed over to the fisheries department. Further details are awaited.

Businessman shot at by miscreants in Assam’s Sonitpur

A businessman was injured after being shot at by unidentified miscreants in Assam’s Sonitpur district, the police said on Thursday. The firing incident took place in the Dhekiajuli Mitham area on Wednesday night. The injured person has been identified as Nirbhas Karmakar. He was rushed to Tezpur Medical College and Hospital, officials said. According to police, the injured person is the owner of a jewellery shop.

Myanmar opium cultivation surges 33% amid violence

The production of opium in Myanmar has flourished since the military’s seizure of power, with the cultivation of poppies up by a third in the past year as eradication efforts have dropped off and the faltering economy has led more people toward the drug trade, according to a United Nations report released on Thursday. In 2022, in the first full growing season since the military wrested control of the country from the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021, Myanmar saw a 33% increase in cultivation area to 40,100 hectares (99,090 acres), according to the report by the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime.

Japan’s top finance diplomat calls Ukraine responses G7 top priority

Japan, as this year’s G7 chair, expects Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to dominate talks this year among the world’s major advanced economies, its top finance diplomat, Masato Kanda, told Reuters. “Sanctions against Russia and support for Ukraine will be a top priority at G7 finance track under Japan’s chair,” Kanda, who will oversee deputy-level negotiations on economic policy among the Group of Seven (G7) nations this year, said in an interview.

Donald Trump to be allowed back on Facebook after 2-year ban

Facebook parent Meta said Wednesday it will restore former President Donald Trump ‘s personal account in the coming weeks, ending a two-year suspension it imposed in the wake of the Jan. 6 insurrection. The company said in a blog post it is adding “new guardrails” to ensure there are no “repeat offenders” who violate its rules, even if they are political candidates or world leaders. “The public should be able to hear what their politicians are saying — the good, the bad and the ugly — so that they can make informed choices at the ballot box,” wrote Nick Clegg, Meta’s vice president of global affairs.

Tata Motors back in black after 7 quarters, posts Rs 3,043 in profit

Tata Motors has posted Rs 3,043 as net profit for the quarter ended December 2022. The automobile firm had been incurring loss for seven consecutive quarters, it has been learnt. Its revenue went up 22.5 per cent to Rs 88,500 crore, the company said, adding that earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (Ebitda) was 11.1 per cent whereas its Ebit was 4.4 per cent. The company in a statement shared with exchanges said Tata Motors’ consumer vehicle business’ revenue grew 22.5 per cent to Rs 16,900 crore whereas its Ebitda was at 8.4 per cent. It also said its passenger vehicle business’ revenue jumped 37.4 per cent to Rs 11,700 crore whereas its Ebitda was 6.9 per cent.

US, Germany announce tanks for Ukraine as battle intensifies

The United States and Germany on Wednesday announced deliveries of top-of-the-line tanks to Ukraine, sweeping aside their longstanding misgivings and signaling a new surge of Western support for an expected counteroffensive against the Russian invasion. In a televised address, President Joe Biden promised 31 Abrams tanks, one of the most powerful and sophisticated weapons in the US army. Shortly before, Chancellor Olaf Scholz gave the green light to Germany sending 14 Leopard 2 tanks, a decision that opens the floodgates to several other European countries armed with Leopards to send their own contributions.

Minimum temperature settles above normal in city

Delhiites woke up to a foggy morning on Thursday, even as the minimum temperature settled at 12.8 degrees Celsius, four notches above the season’s average. The maximum temperature is expected to hover around 19 degrees Celsius, an Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) bulletin said. According to the data by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) at 9 am stood at 278 (poor category).