LIVE News Updates: Earthquake of magnitude 4.4 hit 63 km northeast of Campbell Bay, Andaman and Nicobar island

An earthquake of magnitude 4.4 hit 63 km northeast of Campbell Bay, Andaman and Nicobar island, today: National Center for Seismology

UGC has again written to all Central Universities to use CUET scores alone for admission in all UG programs except for some activity-oriented programs such as performing arts.

The CUET application process has started today.

India's first case of coronavirus variant XE reported from Mumbai, NDTV reported

The first case of XE, a more transmissible COVID-19 variant, was detected in Mumbai on Wednesday, a civic health official said.

A case of the Kappa variant was also detected during a sero survey, the official said, adding the results came in genome sequencing of 376 samples, the 11th batch of testing in the local genome sequencing lab.

As per the survey, Omicron variant was found in 228 out of 230 samples (99.13 per cent cases) from Mumbai, he said.

The genome sequencing of 376 samples was conducted at the municipal Kasturba Hospital's Genome Sequencing Lab.

The condition of the patients infected with the new strains of the virus was not serious, the official said.

Mumbai on Tuesday reported 56 COVID-19 cases, which is a three-fold rise from the addition to the tally a day earlier, taking the infection count here 10,58,185, a civic official said.

The death toll remained unchanged at 19,559, while the recovery count rose by 36 to touch 10,38,356, leaving the metropolis with 270 active cases.

The official said the XE mutant appears to be 10 per cent more transmissible than the BA.2 sub-variant of Omicron. So far, BA.2 was deemed to be the most contagious of all the COVID-19 variants.

The XE variant is a mutation of the BA.1 and BA.2 Omicron strains, referred to as a "recombinant .

As per the initial studies, the XE variant has a growth rate of 9.8 percent over that of BA.2, also known as the stealth variant because of its ability to evade detection.

The World Health Organization has said the latest mutant may be more transmissible than the previous ones.

Supreme Court adjourned till tomorrow the hearing on the "unconstitutional" ruling by National Assembly Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri to impede the vote of no-confidence against PM Imran Khan: Pakistan's Geo News

Sensex tanks 566.09 points to close at 59,610.41; Nifty declines 149.75 points to 17,807.65, PTI reported

Zomato, Swiggy apps down for some users, NDTV reported

Russia is interested in Zelensky agreeing to conditions put forward at negotiations, through them we want to end military operation, reports Russian media RT quoting Kremlin

ED summons AMMK leader T T V Dhinakaran for questioning in a money laundering case linked to alleged bribing of Election Commission officials to get the AIADMK's 'two leaves' symbol for the VK Sasikala faction, officials say, PTI reported

CBI takes former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh in custody from Mumbai’s Arthur Road Jail, PTI reported

SC orders resumption of arbitration proceedings over Future Retail's merger deal with Reliance Retail, PTI reported

Bombay HC refuses to hear plea of Maharashtra's ex-HM Anil Deshmukh. Justice Dere directs that the plea be placed before another bench. Deshmukh challenged Spl CBI court’s order that allowed CBI’s application seeking his custody in connection with alleged corruption case