Want to discuss? Please read our first.AdvertisementClose XAAAt least 22 patients died on Wednesday in a hospital in western after a disruption to their oxygen supply caused by a leaking tank, the health minister said, as a nationwide surge in cases soaks up supplies of the crucial gas.The incident in the city of Nashik, one of India’s worst-hit areas, happened after the tank of gas leaked, said Rajesh Tope, the health minister of Maharashtra, the richest state, where the city is located.“Patients who were on ventilators at the hospital in Nashik have died,” Tope said in televised...…Want to discuss? Please read our first.AdvertisementClose XAAAt least 22 patients died on Wednesday in a hospital in western after a disruption to their oxygen supply caused by a leaking tank, the health minister said, as a nationwide surge in cases soaks up supplies of the crucial gas.The incident in the city of Nashik, one of India’s worst-hit areas, happened after the tank of gas leaked, said Rajesh Tope, the health minister of Maharashtra, the richest state, where the city is located.“Patients who were on ventilators at the hospital in Nashik have died,” Tope said in televised...WW…

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comNEW DELHI, April 21 (Reuters) - At least 24 COVID-19 patients in western India died on Wednesday when the oxygen supply to their ventilators ran out, amid a nationwide shortage of the gas and a surge in infections.Maharashtra State Health Minister Rajesh Tope confirmed the deaths at a hospital in Nashik city and said the hospital's oxygen supply ran out because a tanker refilling it suffered a leak. Oxygen was running scarce throughout the country."The leakage was spotted at the tank supplying oxygen for these patients. The interrupted...…Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comNEW DELHI, April 21 (Reuters) - At least 24 COVID-19 patients in western India died on Wednesday when the oxygen supply to their ventilators ran out, amid a nationwide shortage of the gas and a surge in infections.Maharashtra State Health Minister Rajesh Tope confirmed the deaths at a hospital in Nashik city and said the hospital's oxygen supply ran out because a tanker refilling it suffered a leak. Oxygen was running scarce throughout the country."The leakage was spotted at the tank supplying oxygen for these patients. The interrupted...WW…

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comNEW DELHI, April 12 (Reuters) - Hundreds of thousands of Hindu devotees flocked on Monday to take a holy bath in India's Ganges river, even as the nation racked up the world's highest tally of new daily coronavirus infections.With 168,912 new cases, India accounts for one in six of all new infections globally, although the figure is still well below the U.S. peak of nearly 300,000 new cases on Jan. 8.In the northern city of Haridwar, nearly a million devotees thronged the banks of the Ganges, a river many Hindus consider holy, to...…Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comNEW DELHI, April 12 (Reuters) - Hundreds of thousands of Hindu devotees flocked on Monday to take a holy bath in India's Ganges river, even as the nation racked up the world's highest tally of new daily coronavirus infections.With 168,912 new cases, India accounts for one in six of all new infections globally, although the figure is still well below the U.S. peak of nearly 300,000 new cases on Jan. 8.In the northern city of Haridwar, nearly a million devotees thronged the banks of the Ganges, a river many Hindus consider holy, to...WW…

By , Slideshow NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Authorities ordered people indoors in some towns in western India as the number of new coronavirus infections hit 53,476 infections overnight, the highest in five months, data showed on Thursday.Cases have surged across several states in since late February, following a near-full reopening of the economy and flouting of safety measures such as the wearing of face masks and social distancing, health officials say.More than half the new infections were reported from western Maharashtra state, home to financial capital Mumbai, where millions have returned...…By , Slideshow NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Authorities ordered people indoors in some towns in western India as the number of new coronavirus infections hit 53,476 infections overnight, the highest in five months, data showed on Thursday.Cases have surged across several states in since late February, following a near-full reopening of the economy and flouting of safety measures such as the wearing of face masks and social distancing, health officials say.More than half the new infections were reported from western Maharashtra state, home to financial capital Mumbai, where millions have returned...WW…

By MUMBAI (Reuters) - India plans to introduce a law to ban private cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin and put in place a framework for an official digital currency to be issued by the central bank, according to a legislative agenda listed by the government.The law will “create a facilitative framework for creation of the official digital currency to be issued by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI),” said the agenda, published on the lower house website on Friday.The legislation, listed for debate in the current parliamentary session, seeks “to prohibit all private cryptocurrencies in India,...…By MUMBAI (Reuters) - India plans to introduce a law to ban private cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin and put in place a framework for an official digital currency to be issued by the central bank, according to a legislative agenda listed by the government.The law will “create a facilitative framework for creation of the official digital currency to be issued by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI),” said the agenda, published on the lower house website on Friday.The legislation, listed for debate in the current parliamentary session, seeks “to prohibit all private cryptocurrencies in India,...WW…

By MUMBAI (Reuters) - India plans to introduce a law to ban private cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin and put in place a framework for an official digital currency to be issued by the central bank, according to a legislative agenda listed by the government.The law will “create a facilitative framework for creation of the official digital currency to be issued by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI),” said the agenda, published on the lower house website on Friday.The legislation, listed for debate in the current parliamentary session, seeks “to prohibit all private cryptocurrencies in India,...…By MUMBAI (Reuters) - India plans to introduce a law to ban private cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin and put in place a framework for an official digital currency to be issued by the central bank, according to a legislative agenda listed by the government.The law will “create a facilitative framework for creation of the official digital currency to be issued by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI),” said the agenda, published on the lower house website on Friday.The legislation, listed for debate in the current parliamentary session, seeks “to prohibit all private cryptocurrencies in India,...WW…

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comMUMBAI/TOKYO, Jan 14 (Reuters) - Asia's chicken farmers are confronting the region's worst bird flu outbreak in years, with the deadly virus affecting farms stretching from Japan to India, roiling some poultry prices and showing no signs of easing.More than 20 million chickens have been destroyed in South Korea and Japan since November. The highly pathogenic H5N8 virus last week reached India, the world's No. 6 producer, and has already been reported in 10 states. While bird flu is common in Asia at this time of year due to migratory bird...…Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comMUMBAI/TOKYO, Jan 14 (Reuters) - Asia's chicken farmers are confronting the region's worst bird flu outbreak in years, with the deadly virus affecting farms stretching from Japan to India, roiling some poultry prices and showing no signs of easing.More than 20 million chickens have been destroyed in South Korea and Japan since November. The highly pathogenic H5N8 virus last week reached India, the world's No. 6 producer, and has already been reported in 10 states. While bird flu is common in Asia at this time of year due to migratory bird...WW…

By , NEW DELHI/MUMBAI (Reuters) - Manish Mehra, owner of Washex Hospitality, an industrial laundry service, recently flew from Delhi to Jodhpur, a city in north-western India, to win a contract to service a large, government-run hospital - a move essential to kickstarting his business.“For a new relationship it is essential to know each other before you can establish the trust and confidence to work online and that need is higher in case of government departments,” said Mehra, who had to stay for a week in a Jodhpur hotel.Increased demand for air travel and hotel stays by small business...…By , NEW DELHI/MUMBAI (Reuters) - Manish Mehra, owner of Washex Hospitality, an industrial laundry service, recently flew from Delhi to Jodhpur, a city in north-western India, to win a contract to service a large, government-run hospital - a move essential to kickstarting his business.“For a new relationship it is essential to know each other before you can establish the trust and confidence to work online and that need is higher in case of government departments,” said Mehra, who had to stay for a week in a Jodhpur hotel.Increased demand for air travel and hotel stays by small business...WW…

By MUMBAI (Reuters) - India said on Sunday it was considering granting an emergency authorisation for a COVID-19 vaccine, particularly for the elderly and people in high-risk workplaces, as the country’s number of reported infections passed 4.75 million.India, which has consistently reported over 1,000 COVID-19 deaths daily this month, has now recorded 78,586 fatalities from the disease. It lags only the United States globally in overall number of infections, but it has been adding more daily cases than the United States since mid-August.“India is considering emergency authorisation of a...…By MUMBAI (Reuters) - India said on Sunday it was considering granting an emergency authorisation for a COVID-19 vaccine, particularly for the elderly and people in high-risk workplaces, as the country’s number of reported infections passed 4.75 million.India, which has consistently reported over 1,000 COVID-19 deaths daily this month, has now recorded 78,586 fatalities from the disease. It lags only the United States globally in overall number of infections, but it has been adding more daily cases than the United States since mid-August.“India is considering emergency authorisation of a...WW…

By MUMBAI (Reuters) - Indian police have registered a case against a top television news anchor for inciting religious discord after he criticised opposition leader Sonia Gandhi during a show about a vigilante attack in which Hindu holy men were killed.Arnab Goswami, who is editor of the fiercely nationalist Republic Bharat TV and is known for shouting at guests on his nightly show, has been accused of promoting hatred between religious groups, according to the police complaint filed late on Wednesday.Goswami did not respond to a request for comment.In a tweet he said he had filed a police...…By MUMBAI (Reuters) - Indian police have registered a case against a top television news anchor for inciting religious discord after he criticised opposition leader Sonia Gandhi during a show about a vigilante attack in which Hindu holy men were killed.Arnab Goswami, who is editor of the fiercely nationalist Republic Bharat TV and is known for shouting at guests on his nightly show, has been accused of promoting hatred between religious groups, according to the police complaint filed late on Wednesday.Goswami did not respond to a request for comment.In a tweet he said he had filed a police...WW…