Breaking news highlights: Chhattisgarh adds 8 new Covid cases, no deaths

Chhattisgarh on Wednesday added eight new Covid-19 cases which pushed the tally to 11,52,181. No fresh deaths were seen and the toll remain unchanged at 14,034. 

The dates of JEE Mains have been rescheduled to June and July after candidates requested for the same.

Maharashtra government's Covid-19 task force member Dr Shashank Joshi asked citizens not to panic and follow “Covid-appropriate behaviour” in the aftermath of XE variant of the virus being detected in Mumbai earlier today. This is the first case of the new variant found in India. Read more.

Denouncing the Common University Entrance Examination (CUET) for central universities, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Wednesday dubbed the proposed exam as ‘regressive’ and ‘undesirable’ and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to withdraw the move to hold the national level test.

An earthquake of magnitude 4.4 jolted northeast of Campbell Bay on Wednesday, the National Center for Seismology (NCS) informed.

INSACOG is conducting a genomic analysis of a case after a follow-up declared XE positive case of Covid-19 in Mumbai, news agency ANI reported.

Budget session of Parliament to be adjourned sine die tomorrow, news agency ANI reported.

One case each of new highly transmissible Covid-19 variants XE and Kappa were found in Mumbai on Wednesday.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday registered a preliminary inquiry against the president of the Indian Olympic Association, Narinder Batra, and some unknown officials of Hockey India.

Pakistan President Arif Alvi told the country's election commission Wednesday to fix a date for a new national ballot, as the supreme court adjourned a hearing into the legality of political manoeuvres that led to parliament being dissolved, AFP reported. 

A government bus caught fire, which spread and burnt down a few shops in southwest Delhi on Wednesday, officials said.

Sharad Pawar, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi on Wednesday.

Sri Lanka's President Gotabaya Rajapaksa will not resign, a minister said on Wednesday, despite demonstrations against his handling of the country's worst economic crisis in decades and as doctors held street protests over a shortage of medicine.

Food delivery apps Zomato and Swiggy are reportedly down in many parts of the country. Read more 

India is strongly against the conflict in Ukraine escalating, union minister for external affairs, S Jaishankar told the Lok Sabha on Wednesday in reply to a debate over the ongoing war. Read More

CBI takes former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh in custody from Mumbai’s Arthur Road Jail, reports news agency PTI citing sources.

Sri Lanka's President Gotabaya Rajapaksa will not resign despite widespread protests against his handling of the country's economic crisis, a minister told parliament on Wednesday.

"May I remind you that 6.9 million people voted for the president," Chief Government Whip and Highways Minister Johnston Fernando said in response to opposition criticism.

"As a government, we are clearly saying the president will not resign under any circumstances. We will face this."

China reported 20,472 new daily Covid cases for Tuesday, driven by surging infections in Shanghai where local officials are building the world’s largest makeshift isolation facility to help contain the outbreak there.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is addressing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers, marking its 42nd foundation day.

The BSE benchmark Sensex on Wednesday tumbled over 480 points in opening trade and fell below the 60,000-level, dragged down by banking and financial stocks, amid weak global trends. Read More

US defence major Boeing will be sending two F-18 Super Hornet fighters next month for the Indian Navy to conduct flight trials at INS Hansa’s shore-based test facility in Goa for consideration as the main weapon on India’s new aircraft carrier INS Vikrant. Read More

India’s daily Covid cases rise to 1,086 after two straight days of less than 1,000 fresh infections.