Hospital cleaning worker Manish Kumar became the first person in India to be vaccinated against COVID-19 on Saturday, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched one of the world's largest immunisation campaigns to bring the pandemic under control.
Russian authorities said on Saturday that flights between Moscow and the capitals of Finland, Vietnam, India and Qatar, suspended since the early weeks of the pandemic, would restart from Jan 27, after certain epidemiological criteria were met.
A heavy downpour frustrated Australia on day two of the fourth test decider in Brisbane on Saturday, with play abandoned after tea and India spared from resuming on 62 for two in reply to the home side's first innings 369.
India's central bank is likely to propose tightening rules on "shadow banks" in a bid to strengthen solvency and sustainability of a sector that has been showing signs of stress in recent years, two sources said.
Play was abandoned on day two of the fourth test in Brisbane due to rain, with India 62 for two in reply to Australia's first innings 369 in the series-decider at the Gabba.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the "world's largest" vaccination campaign on Saturday as the populous nation tries to bring the COVID-19 pandemic under control starting with two locally-manufactured shots.
The United States has told India it is unlikely to get a waiver on its planned acquisition of Russian S-400 air defence systems, raising the risk of sanctions similar to those imposed on Turkey for buying that equipment, people aware of the matter said.
A ninth round of talks between the Indian government and protesting farmers over three new contentious farm laws made no headway on Friday, but a government minister and union leaders said they would resume discussions on Tuesday.
India's trade deficit in goods widened to $15.44 billion in December as imports rose to $42.59 billion, pushed by a surge in gold imports, while merchandise exports were up marginally, revised data released by the government on Friday showed.
India's benchmark bond yield saw its biggest weekly rise in four months following the Reserve Bank of India's decision to restore normal liquidity operations, while absence of a special open market operation announcement for next week also hurt.
Nepal on Friday granted approval for AstraZeneca's COVISHIELD vaccine against the coronavirus, the government said, following a meeting with neighbouring India, a major manufacturer of the shot.