India reported 1,32,364 new coronavirus infections taking the country's total tally of COVID-19 cases to 2,85,74,350, while the recovery rate crossed 93 per cent, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Friday.

The COVID-19 death toll climbed to 3,40,702 with 2,713 fresh deaths, while the active cases were recorded below 20 lakh for the fourth consecutive day, the data updated at 8 am showed.

Singapore Red Cross (SRC) is sending nearly SGD 7 million (approx Rs 38 crore) to its counterpart in India for distribution to hospitals and medical institutions fighting the country's worst health crisis, its secretary general and CEO Benjamin Williams has said.

Williams received a SGD1 million cheque of donations collected by the Singapore Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (SICCI) and the Little Indian Shopkeepers and Heritage Association (LISHA).

Farmers protesting against the Central farm laws at the borders of the national capital will not leave Delhi at any cost, said Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait.

While speaking at a gathering of farmers on Thursday, Tikait also alleged that the Centre wants to relocate the ongoing farmers' agitation from the Delhi border to Haryana.

Price for 22 carat gold on Friday remained unchanged at Rs 48,230 for 10 gm after increasing by Rs 1,330 a day ago, according to the Good Returns website. Silver was this morning up by a slight margin at Rs 72,000 per kg.

Gold jewellery price varies across India, the second-largest consumer of the metal, due to excise duty, state taxes, and making changes.

Shares of Larsen & Toubro (L&T) were up 2 per cent at Rs 1,538 on the BSE in intra-day trade on Friday in an otherwise range-bound market. The stock of the construction & engineering major was trading at its highest level since March 12, 2021. It was hovering close to its all-time high level of Rs 1,593 touched on February 2, 2021. The S&P BSE Sensex was up 0.10 per cent at 52,282 points at 09:25 am.

L&T has outperformed the market by surging 15 per cent in the past one month on expectations of healthy orders from both domestic and international markets.

US researchers have started a clinical trial to test what happens when adults who have been fully vaccinated with one type of Covid-19 vaccine receive booster doses of a different Covid-19 vaccine.

The trial aims to determine the safety and immunogenicity of mixed boosted regimens, according to the US National Institutes of Health (NIH), Xinhua reported.

A day after his government decided to cancel the CBSE Class 12 board exams this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday that the decision was taken after an extensive consultative process, and that this was the best and most student-friendly move.

The central government received several inputs from across the country that were insightful, enabling it to take a student-friendly decision, he said.

A surrendered militant, who shot at and injured a constable inside a police camp in the Tral area of Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district, was killed in a gunbattle with security forces in the early hours of Thursday, officials said.

Mohammad Amin Malik was shot dead by the security forces following an overnight encounter, a police official said.

The Indian envoy in the US is having an intense engagement with the CEOs of top American companies, particularly from the pharma sector, to help India get the necessary medical equipment and drugs to successfully combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

Spoke today afternoon with Medtronic CEO Geoff Martha on their support in India's fight against the pandemic including through supply of ventilators along with other partners, India's Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu tweeted after the meeting on Wednesday.

India’s biggest bank is caught between Larry Fink and Narendra Modi.

State Bank of India needs to finance coal projects to meet the Indian leader’s push to electrify more homes, yet it wants to back renewable projects to appease investors like BlackRock Inc. For now it’s doing a bit of both.

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