With nearly 61,000 new cases reported in the last 24 hours, India's COVID-19 count on Wednesday crossed the 23.29 lakh-mark, while the death toll has crossed the 46,000-mark as well.

At 9:30 AM on this day, the COVID-19 tally in the country has reached 23,29,639 cases, which include 6,43,948 active cases; 16,39,600 cured, discharged, or migrated patients, and 46,091 deaths.

Former President Pranab Mukherjee is in critical condition and continues to remain critical on ventilatory support post-surgery for a brain clot, the Army's Research and Referral (R&R) Hospital said on Tuesday.

He underwent emergency life-saving surgery for a brain clot on Monday.

The former President, 84, was admitted to the military hospital on Monday afternoon and was tested COVID-19 positive.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Tuesday banned the use of wide-body aircraft at the Kozhikode airport during the monsoon season out of abundant caution following the Air India Express flight tragedy earlier last week that resulted in the deaths of 18 people, along with the two pilots of the aircraft. The DGCA has also said that a special audit of airports that receive heavy rains will be conducted.

Russia on Tuesday announced the arrival of a COVID-19 vaccine, an announcement that has raised alarms in the scientific community as global health experts are finding it hard to trust the claims in the absence of full trial data.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said the vaccine was registered on Tuesday and declared it safe.

In a development that is bound to raise a few eyebrows, Chinese nationals have been found to be involved in money laundering and hawala transactions in India.

India's tax department conducted searches in 21 locations in Delhi, Ghaziabad, and Gurugram after getting credible information of the Chinese involvement in money laundering.

At least two people died and 110 were arrested in the aftermath of the violence that broke out in Bengaluru near the Congress leaders' house over an alleged derogatory social media post by his relative.

Angry mobs attacked the house of Pulakeshinagar MLA Akhanda Srinivas, and in DJ Halli and KG Halli police station areas of Bengaluru.

The angry mobs pelted stones on police officers guarding the MLA's residence.

Shares of ICICI Bank gained as much as 3 per cent to Rs 374.15 on the BSE on Tuesday after the private lender launched its qualified institutional placement (QIP), setting the floor price at Rs 351.36 per share.

The bank plans to raise up to Rs 15,000 crore to support business growth and create a buffer to absorb any shock from the economic disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Private sector lender Axis Bank on Tuesday said it has raised Rs 10,000 crore through allotment of equity shares to qualified institutional buyers (QIB).

Last week, Axis Bank had set a floor price of Rs 442.19 per equity share for its proposed Rs 15,000-crore qualified institutional placement (QIP).

JSW Steel, the flagship business of 12 billion dollar JSW Group, on Tuesday reported crude steel production of 12.46 lakh tonnes in July, up 9 per cent from 11.44 lakh tonnes in the previous month.

In July last year, however, it had recorded crude steel production of 13.17 lakh tonnes, it said in a statement. The average capacity utilisation was 83 per cent as against 76 per cent in June.

Hyundai Creta's sales number has touched 5,00,000-mark in the domestic market, the company announced on Tuesday.

Hyundai Creta has been the blockbuster model in the Indian Automobile industry ever since its launch in 2015. Redefining the SUV landscape in India, Creta’s supremacy transpires from Hyundai’s technological prowess and innovation, outperforming the industry benchmarks in all aspects, said Tarun Garg, Director (Sales, Marketing & Service), Hyundai Motor India Ltd.

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