NEW DELHI: The Indian government’s COVID-19 vaccinations hit 2 billion on Sunday, with booster doses underway for all adults, as daily infections hit four-month high, official data showed.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi extolled the vaccination milestone, celebrating the world’s largest and longest-running inoculation campaign, which began last year.
“India creates history again!” Modi said in a tweet. The prime minister has faced allegations from the opposition of mishandling the pandemic that experts claim killed millions. The government rejects the claims.
Health ministry data shows the COVID death toll at 525,709, with 49 deaths recorded overnight.
New cases rose 20,528 over the past 24 hours, the highest since Feb. 20, according to data compiled by Reuters.
The country of 1.35 billion people has lifted most COVID-related restrictions, and international travel has recovered robustly.
Some 80 percent of the inoculations have been the AstraZeneca vaccine made domestically, called Covishield. Others include domestically developed Covaxin and Corbevax, and Russia’s Sputnik V.
The federal government has been accelerating its booster campaign to avert the spread of infections, edging higher in the eastern states of Assam, West Bengal and Karnataka in the south.
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India’s COVID-19 vaccinations hit 2 bln, new cases at four-month high
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India’s COVID-19 vaccinations hit 2 bln, new cases at four-month high
- New cases rose 20,528 over the past 24 hours, the highest since Feb. 20
Ukraine says ex-minister named in corruption scandal arrested as tried to leave country
KYIV: Ukraine’s NABU anti-corruption force said Sunday it arrested the country’s former energy minister German Galushchenko — who resigned last year during a massive corruption scandal — as he tried to cross Ukraine’s border.
“Today, while crossing the state border, NABU detectives have detained the former Minister of Energy as part of the ‘Midas’ case,” the NABU said in a statement, referring to a giant corruption scandal in the country’s energy sector that rocked Ukraine last year.
It did not name Galushchenko in its statement, but he served as the country’s energy minister last year and resigned in November.
“Initial investigative proceedings are ongoing, carried out in accordance with the requirements of the law and court sanctions. Details to follow,” the NABU added.
Galushchenko was one of several ministers who resigned in 2025 as the NABU unveiled a massive money-laundering conspiracy in the country’s energy sector that investigators believe was orchestrated by an ally of President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The NABU said plotters orchestrated a $100-million kickback scheme to syphon off funds, triggering public anger at a time of widespread power outages caused by Russian attacks.
Investigators said Galushchenko received “personal benefits” as a result.
Ukraine has long been plagued by corruption and cracking down on graft is seen as a key requirement of its bid to join the European Union.
“Today, while crossing the state border, NABU detectives have detained the former Minister of Energy as part of the ‘Midas’ case,” the NABU said in a statement, referring to a giant corruption scandal in the country’s energy sector that rocked Ukraine last year.
It did not name Galushchenko in its statement, but he served as the country’s energy minister last year and resigned in November.
“Initial investigative proceedings are ongoing, carried out in accordance with the requirements of the law and court sanctions. Details to follow,” the NABU added.
Galushchenko was one of several ministers who resigned in 2025 as the NABU unveiled a massive money-laundering conspiracy in the country’s energy sector that investigators believe was orchestrated by an ally of President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The NABU said plotters orchestrated a $100-million kickback scheme to syphon off funds, triggering public anger at a time of widespread power outages caused by Russian attacks.
Investigators said Galushchenko received “personal benefits” as a result.
Ukraine has long been plagued by corruption and cracking down on graft is seen as a key requirement of its bid to join the European Union.
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