The West Bengal government said on Thursday it is suspending all direct flights from the UK and those emanating from other high-risk countries from January 3, amid growing scare over the rise in number of Covid cases of the omicron variant.

The national capital on Saturday recorded 86 fresh COVID-19 cases in a day, the highest in over five months, and zero death as the positivity rate stood at 0.13 per cent, according to data shared by the city's health department.

Dutch border police said Sunday they arrested a couple on a plane after they fled a quarantine hotel where Covid-positive passengers from South African flights were staying.

India reported a single-day rise of 13,451 new COVID-19 cases with which the country's active caseload stands at 1,62,661, according to the Union Health Ministry's data updated this morning.

Britain's medical regulator on Friday approved Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine for use, the health ministry said, adding that it had agreed to purchase an additional 10 million doses of the shot as it eyed a spring rollout of the shot.

Hyundai Motor Co reported a smaller-than-expected drop in profit on high-margin domestic sales and said, while demand should pick up soon, the pace of recovery will be slow due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Actor Taapsee Pannu who recently shared a hard-hitting video titled Pravaasi on the plight on migrants joined the #RebuildingLives telethon and spoke about the impact of Coronavirus pandemic on migrant workers

More than a million Australians rushed to download an app designed to help medical workers and state governments trace close contacts of COVID-19 patients, as Prime Minister Scott Morrison's approval rating soared on his pandemic response.

Airline stocks took a beating after the government said no clearance had been given to begin booking tickets for journeys from May 4, a day after the lockdown is due to end.