Google on Tuesday announced several initiatives for Indian news industry under its Google News Initiative (GNI), including the launch of Google News Showcase, a programme to train 50,000 journalists in digital skills, and training 800 small and mid sized news organisations grow their digital ad revenue.

The Google New Showcase, launched late last year, and currently active in several other countries, will show content from Indian publisher partners in English and Hindi in dedicated News Showcase panels in Google News and on Discover.

The Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) on Tuesday said that all possible measures in coordination with ODAG (Offshore Defence Advisory Group) and MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre) are being taken to ensure the safety of personnel and vessels in the aftermath of cyclone Tauktae.

After Tauktae hit the Arabian Sea off the coast of Mumbai in the early hours of Monday where ONGC's major production installations and drilling rigs are located many unfortunate incidences have occurred involving three construction barges of M/s Afcons working on a project of ONGC in Western Offshore fields in the Arabian Sea and one drilling rig of ONGC deployed for exploration purpose.

DTH service provider Dish TV on Tuesday said lenders have invoked 5.11 crore pledged promoters' shares, following which the shareholding of the promoter group firm Direct Media Distribution Ventures Pvt Ltd has come down by 2.78 per cent.

In a regulatory filing Dish TV India said 5,11,97,105 shares have been invoked by the trustee(s) on behalf of lenders to whom shares of Dish have been pledged.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has said that once the devastating COVID-19 outbreak in India recedes, the Serum Institute of India will need to get back on track and catch up on its delivery commitments to COVAX, the global initiative to supply coronavirus vaccines to nations around the world.

During a daily virtual press briefing on Monday, the World Health Organisation Director-General said that the surge in COVID-19 cases around the world has compromised the global vaccine supply and there is already a shortfall of 190 million doses to COVAX by the end of June.

With 4,329 deaths in last 24 hours, India on Tuesday recorded highest fatalities from Covid infection, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said.

However, there was a bright side as well, as 2,63,533 new cases reported i the same duration -- were the lowest in 26 days. On Monday, the number of Covid cases has come down below the three-lakh- mark for the first time since April 21.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Tuesday (May 18) said that the eye of cyclonic storm Tauktae, which had hit the Gujarat coast in Saurashtra has ended and the eye of Cyclone Tauktae is disorganizing.

As the Indian Navy and NDRF continue to remain vigilant and carry out rescue operations along the Western coast, the IMD tweeted, The VSCS 'TAUKTAE' lay centred at 0430 HRS IST of 18TH MAY 2021 over SAURASHTRA, near LAT. 21.40°N AND LONG. 71.20°E, about 85 KM north-northeast of Diu and 20 KM south of AMRELI. The cyclone continues to show weakening trend. Eye is disorganising, wall cloud is weakening.

Digital transformation consulting firm Synechron on Monday announced plans to hire up to 2,000 professionals to specifically boost its India operations in Pune, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Chennai.

Additionally, the company said it will look at fulfilling open positions across the US, Europe, Middle East and the APAC regions.

Shares of State Bank of India (SBI), on Monday, hit an eight-week high of Rs 377.30 after rising 5 per cent on the BSE in intra-day trade on the back of heavy volumes. The state-owned lender's stock was trading at its highest level since March 23, 2021, when it touched 377.7 in intra-day trade. It hit a record high of Rs 426 on February 18, 2021.

At 11:37 am, SBI was the top gainer among the S&P BSE Sensex stocks. A combined 43.11 million equity shares were changing hands on the NSE and BSE. In comparison, the benchmark index was up 1.1 per cent at 49,225 points.

China is vaccinating almost 14 million people a day, the fastest pace in the world, as the country races to protect its Covid-19 advantage in the face of major Western nations reopening their economies.

The ramp up in shots is being helped by a flareup of cases in the eastern province of Anhui and northeastern region of Liaoning. Videos on social media showed citizens rushing to get their vaccines, with long queues at inoculation sites despite heavy rain.

Drug firm Shilpa Medicare on Monday said its arm has entered into a definitive agreement with Dr Reddy's Laboratories for manufacturing of Russian COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik V.

The company, via its wholly owned subsidiary Shilpa Biologicals Pvt Ltd (SBPL), has entered into a three year definitive agreement with Dr Reddy's Laboratories for production-supply of the Sputnik V vaccine from its integrated biologics R&D cum manufacturing center at Dharwad, Karnataka, Shilpa Medicare said in a regulatory filing.

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