Highlights: 110 nations recognise Covishield and Covaxin, says government official

President Joe Biden plans to skip January’s World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, a gathering of global political and economic elites that many of his predecessors also chose not to attend, according to a Bloomberg report.

As many as 110 countries now recognise Covid-19 vaccines Covishield and Covaxin, ANI reported citing a government official.

A two-and-half-year-old boy, who died of Covid-19 in Rajasthan, has become the first patient to succumb to the infection in the state after three months. 

Srinagar Mayor Junaid Azim Mattu took to Twitter on Thursday to say that the bodies of civilians Altaf Ahmed and Mudasir Gul, who were killed in Hyderpora encounter on Monday, have been exhumed at Handwara for last rites and burial by families. “his is the first step towards ensuring justice is done in this case. I also hope the magisterial probe is now changed into a judicial probe,” Mattu's Twitter post added. Locals have also confirmed the both Ahmed and Gul's bodies have been exhumed.

Bengaluru DC J Manjunath said that schools from classes 1 to 10, Anganvadis, and play homes will remain closed tomorrow in Bengaluru Urban district owing to heavy rainfall, ANI reported.

Schools in Puducherry, and Karaikal (also in Puducherry) will be closed tomorrow owing to heavy rainfall in the Union territory (UT).

BJP leader Anirban Ganguly has sent a legal notice to Bengali filmmaker Aparna Sen, demanding unconditional apology for allegedly calling BSF personnel "murderers" and "rapists", ANI reported.

Pfizer has said that the company will sell 10 million Covid-19 pills to the United States for $5.3 billion, AFP reported on Thursday.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) today conducted searches at a total of 14 locations in seven districts of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana in CPI Maoist encounter case of Bastar, Chattishgarh, ANI reported citing a statement by the central agency.

The Allahabad High Court on Thursday granted police protection to a same-sex couple after noting that it is is not against live-in relationships.

According to a latest update by news agency ANI, Srinagar additional district magistrate Khurshid Ahmad Shah has been appointed to investigate the Hyderpora encounter on Monday. He has issued a notice asking people to record their statements and give information related to the incident in which two civilians, who J&K Police have hailed as “overground workers” of terrorists, were killed.

A clothing company in Hong Kong, which supported democracy with colourful, tongue-in-cheek cartoon designs announced on Thursday that it will close its shops in 2022 citing "unprecedented harassment" from officials and political opponents.

Chinese MNC Alibaba says its profit has dropped by 81 per cent, AFP reported.

Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi has announced free buses in the state for pilgrims visiting the Kartarpur Gurdwara. He also urged the governments of both India and Pakistan to simplify the procedure of getting the permission for the pilgrimage.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that the global trust earned by the Indian healthcare sector has resulted in the country being called the “Pharmacy of the world”. He is participating at the first Global Innovation Summit of Pharmaceuticals sector via video conferencing.

A Mohali court on Thursday sent Congress leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira to judicial custody in money laundering case, following a seven-day Enforcement Directorate (ED) remand. The next date of hearing has been fixed for December 2, 2021.

Union I&B minister announced on Thursday that Hema Malini and Prasoon Joshi will be awarded Indian personalities of this year at the International Film Festival of India. The event will be held this month in Goa.

The Delhi Assembly committee on Thursday asked Facebook India to provide records of users' reports (complaints) on posts shared on the platform one month before and two months after the Delhi riots in February 2020, news agency PTI reported.

The Bombay High Court on Thursday took on record the additional documents submitted by Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik such as school leaving certificate and admission certificate, and also the documents submitted by NCB Mumbai zonal director Sameer Wankhede's father Dyandev Wankhede (birth certificate and caste certificate) in connection with the defamation suit filed by Dyandev. The court will pass order on the suit on November 22 at 5.30pm.

On the eve of the 552nd birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, the Indian World Forum in coordination with the Indian government and the assistance from Sobti Foundation has evacuated Satvir Singh and Sorjit Singh from war-torn Afghanistan earlier in the day. The duo will be arriving tomorrow at 10.10pm at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport on Thursday.

The Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP's) chief ministerial candidate for the upcoming Uttarakhand assembly elections Colonel Ajay Kothiyal (retd) will contest from the Gangotri seat in Uttarkashi district, party leader and Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia said on Thursday.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Dilip Ghosh on Thursday hit out at the West Bengal government for moving a privilege motion in the Assembly against two senior officers of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Read more

The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed a petition by former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh for a direction to the CBI to adduce the records of the preliminary inquiry against and for constitution of a SIT to probe alleged corruption and money laundering charges.

The Jammu and Kashmir government on Thursday ordered a magisterial probe into the Hyderpora encounter.

Shakir Nazar, the terror outfit Hizbul Mujahideen's district commander, was killed in an encounter in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam on Wednesday. Nazar had been active in the valley since 2018.