News18 Evening Digest: Serum Institute Pauses India Trials of Covid-19 Vaccine and Other Top Stories

Serum Institute Pauses India Trials of Covid-19 Vaccine Even as AstraZeneca Says Year-End Launch Still Possible

The Serum Institute of India on Thursday paused clinical trials of AstraZeneca-Oxford’s Covid-19 vaccine candidate in the country until the British drugmaker restarts them. “We are reviewing the situation and pausing India trials,” Serum Institute, the world’s biggest vaccine manufacturer by volume, said in a statement. AstraZeneca said it had paused trials of its experimental vaccine following an unexplained illness in a study participant. READ MORE

Huge Fire Erupts at Beirut Port’s Duty-Free Zone Month After Massive Blast Destroyed Lebanese Capital

A huge fire raged in Beirut port on Thursday, sparking alarm among Lebanese still reeling from a deadly dockside explosion that disfigured the capital last month. Thick black columns of smoke rose into the sky, as the army said it had engulfed a warehouse storing engine oil and vehicle tyres. It was not immediately clear what caused the fire at the facility, which was decimated by the August 4 explosion. READ MORE

Sandalwood Drugs Case: Accused Had Knowledge of Probe 2 Months in Advance, Police Tell Court

Police investigating the drugs syndicate within the Kannada film industry (often labelled ‘Sandalwood’) have told a magistrate court in Bengaluru that those involved in the drugs racket seem to have got a whiff of the fact that police were after them. In documents submitted to the court while seeking actor Ragini Dwivedi’s custody, the police recount conversations on WhatsApp between two of the accused – conversations in which they show they are wise to the police probe on them as early as June 2020. READ MORE

‘Nothing to do With Us’: Pakistanis are Mocking Kangana Ranaut for Comparing Mumbai to Pakistan

Kangana Ranaut recently kicked up a row with the Maharashtra government after she referred to Mumbai as Pakistan and PoK. But other than Sena workers and Mumbaikars , several Pakistanis also seem to have taken issue with her statements. Even as Ranaut received backlash for her post with, the BJP also distancing itself from her “Pakistan” comment, Pakistani Twitter was lit with jokes at the expense of Ranaut. READ MORE

‘Family Problems’ Were the Leading Cause of Suicide for Indians in 2019, Shows NCRB Data

India has one of the world’s highest rates of suicide. In 2019 alone, almost 1.5 lakh Indians died by suicide. Recently released National Crime Records Bureau data shows that a total 1,39,123 suicides were recorded in 2019. ‘Family Problems’ was the top ’cause’ for suicide in 2019, accounting for 32.4 percent of all suicides in 2019. The next major cause was ‘Illness’ which accounted for 17.1 percent. READ MORE

Paresh Rawal Appointed New Chairman of National School of Drama

Bollywood actor Paresh Rawal has been appointed as the new Chairman of National School of Drama by President Ram Nath Kovind. Sharing the news on Twitter Culture Minister Prahlad Singh Patel congratulated Rawal on the feat and said artists and students of the country will benefit from his talent. READ MORE