Breaking news: 66 Delta plus patients found in Maharashtra so far

People willing to visit Himachal Pradesh will now have to provide an RT-PCR report of a minimum of 72 hours old as the government on Friday made Covid-19 negative certificate mandatory for anyone who wants to enter the state.

The Maharashtra health department said on Friday that as many as 66 people have been infected with the Delta plus variant of Covid-19 in the state so far, adding five of them have died.  

More than 535 million Covid-19 vaccine doses have been administered in India as of August 13, under the country's immunisation program, the Union ministry of health and family welfare said.

The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation building in Mumbai were illuminated in the Indian Tricolour ahead of the Independence Day celebrations.

The West Bengal government has extended the Covid-19 curfew in the state till August 31, reports ANI.

Twitter India head Manish Maheshwari has been moved to a new US-based role, VP of Twitter JAPAC said in a tweet.

The Taliban have captured a provincial capital in Afghanistan just 50kms south of Kabul, reports AFP citing a local official.

One person died and 12 more are injured following a blast in an iron factory at Mandi Govindgarh. Five among the injured are in serious condition.

The Nato envoys are scheduled to meet on Friday to discuss about Afghanistan, reports AFP citing sources.

Karnataka revenue minister R Ashoka said that the state government might impose stricter Covid-19 restrictions after August 15 as chief minister Basavaraj Bommai is scheduled to meet experts regarding the pandemic situation on Saturday, reports ANI. 

German chancellor Angela Merkel is scheduled to visit Moscow next Friday (August 20), news agency AFP reported citing a spokesperson.

Terrorists threw grenades at security forces near SBI Bank in Sopore, Baramulla in Jammu and Kashmir. No injuries were reported, reports ANI.

Russia reports record virus deaths second day in a row: Official tall, reports AFP.

"All arrangements are in place. We've deployed additional 12 platoons. Over 70 officers will be deployed in & around the parade ground," says SK Priyadarshi, Police Commissioner, Bhubaneswar-Cuttack.

Delhi High Court adjourns the hearing to August 20 on the plea filed by former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, challenging the vires of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The matter was adjourned as the concerned bench didn't assemble.

Torrential rain pounding southwestern Japan triggered a mudslide early Friday that swallowed four people and was threatening to cause flooding and more landslides in the region.

A landslide occurred near Nalda village of Lahaul and Spiti district, affecting the flow of Chenab river. No loss of life or property reported so far.

Hundreds more defence personnel will deploy next week to Sydney to help enforce the city's lockdown after authorities on Friday reported the biggest daily rise in Covid-19 cases from the outbreak which is spreading beyond Australia's largest city.

China has fully vaccinated over 777 million people against Covid-19 as of Aug. 12, the National Health Commission (NHC) said on Friday.

Two people were killed when a car rammed into a stationary truck parked on a road in Akaripur village in Dhammaur area here, police said on Friday.

Kandahar, the southern city which fell to the Taliban on Thursday, is Afghanistan's second largest city, a major economic hub and one of the keys to overall control of the country.

A grenade found outside a house in Amritsar's residential area, Ranjit Avenue. Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad is present at the spot.

As many as 543 children and teenagers in 0-19 years of the age group tested positive for Covid-19 from August 1 to August 11, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) informed on Friday. However, no deaths were reported in this age group during this period.

One death reported in Raigad district due to Delta Plus variant. The deceased was a 69-year-old man in Nagothane area of the district: Raigad Collector Nidhi Chaudhary.

Flash floods which have swept through towns in the Turkish Black Sea region have killed 27 people, the country's emergency management agency said on Friday, in the second natural disaster to strike Turkey this month.