# American companies Johnson & Johnson and Novavax have applied to the Indian regulator for an emergency use authorisation (EUA) of their respective Covid-19 vaccines. Both have India partners.
Read more: J&J, Novavax seek emergency nod for Covid jabs in India
# India fell six spots to the 32nd place in the global coronavirus innovation rankings for countries, said a report by StartupBlink and Health Innovation Exchange, UNAIDS. The report features the top-ranked 40 countries and 100 cities in the world based on innovative solutions developed to face the pandemic.
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# Tamil Nadu is planning to re-open schools for class 9-12 students from September 1 with 50 per cent capacity even as the Covid-19 lockdown in the State has been extended by another two weeks till 6 am on August 23.
Read more: TN schools to reopen for classes 9-12 from Sept 1
# In the Asian neighbourhood, Singapore's Health Minister Ong Ye Kung has warned that more people will come down with Covid-19 as the trade and financial hub opens up its economy and moves towards treating the virus as an endemic.Singapore will soon be embarking on the first stage of this four-step reopening, dubbed the "preparatory stage.
Read more: Singapore minister warns of more Covid-19 cases as economy opens up
# And as anxious students and parents wait, Senators have urged the US government to expedite the process of issuing visas to international students. There are 100,000 plus Indian students in the US.
Read more: Expedite process of issuing visas to international students: Senators to US govt