Seven more states will be administering the indigenously-developed Covaxin from next week, the health ministry said on Saturday.

  

The Drugs Controller General of India had earlier this month approved Oxford COVID-19 vaccine Covishield, manufactured by the Serum Institute of India, and indigenously developed Covaxin of Bharat Biotech for restricted emergency use in the country, paving the way for a massive inoculation drive.  

Addressing a media briefing, Additional Secretary in the Union health ministry Manohar Agnani said that as on January 23, a total of 15,37,190 beneficiaries have been vaccinated for COVID-19 in 27,776 sessions.

The inoculation drive was launched on January 16 with over three crore healthcare and frontline workers prioritised to get the jabs initially.

  

In addition to the 12 states currently using Covaxin, seven new states -- Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and West Bengal -- will be administering the vaccine from next week, Agnani said.  

"The orientation of all programme managers of these seven states was conducted today by the Indian Council of Medical Research and the health ministry covering all aspects of implementation protocols," he said.

Giving updates on the ongoing COVID-19 vaccination drive, he said that "1,46,598 beneficiaries were vaccinated till 6 pm today and 123 adverse event following immunisation were reported till 6 pm on the eighth day of the vaccination drive."

Megastar Amitabh Bachchan's comments praising Gita Gopinath's beauty during a recent episode of "Kaun Banega Crorepati" may have floored the International Monetary Fund chief economist but many on social media took offence to the remark.

On Friday, Gopinath took to Twitter and shared a clip from the aforementioned game show, in which Bachchan asked the candidate on the hot seat to identify the person shown on the screen.

"The economist seen in this image has been the chief economist of which organisation since 2019," the veteran actor asked as Gopinath's image was displayed on the screen.

He then said, "Her face is so beautiful that no one can relate her to the economy", before listing out the four options to the contestant.

An elated Gopinath said in her post that she has been a fan of Bachchan for a very long time and the video will always remain special to her.

"Ok, I don't think I will ever get over this. As a HUGE fan of Big B  @SrBachchan, the Greatest of All Time, this is special!," she posted.

However, not many were impressed by Bachchan's remark during the episode as they found it to be "sexist" and one that links beauty with brains.

"'Her face is so beautiful that nobody would associate her with the economy' says Amitabh Bachchan on Gita Gopinath. Gita Gopinath should've returned the compliment by saying, 'His brain is so small that nobody would associate him with intelligence'," tweeted one user.

Indian Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal R K S Bhadauria on Saturday said that India was ready to match Chinas aggression in the eastern Ladakh theatre, where the two countries have been locked in a border row since May 2020.

If they (China) can get aggressive, we will also get aggressive. We have full preparations (to meet any eventuality,) the IAF chief said during a media interaction at Jodhpur, where India and France are carrying out joint air force drills.

Bhadaurias comments came on the eve of the ninth round of military talks with China to defuse border tensions in Ladakh. The corps commander-level talks between the Indian Army and the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army will be held at Moldo on the Chinese side of the Line of Actual Control on Sunday, said officials familiar with the development.

Last month, the IAF chief said the likely reasons for Chinese actions could include a planned escalation and an attempt to establish border claim lines and start border talks on the new positions, military signalling, domination efforts with escalation control and deployment and training of their Western Theatre forces in real war-like scenarios wherein the Galwan Valley incident was an overreach.

Farmers protesting the central government's new agricultural laws will be allowed to hold a tractor parade in Delhi on Republic Day, the Delhi Police said on Saturday, setting aside the initial resistance from authorities for the demonstration.

The announcement came a day after farmers rejected an offer by the government to defer the three reforms for one-and-half years, warning they would step up protests as they seek a repeal of the laws and a guarantee on minimum crop prices.

Farm leaders had said hundreds of thousands of farmers from neighbouring states including Haryana, Punjab and western Uttar Pradesh plan to drive tractors through New Delhi on January 26, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi will join a parade of the armed forces.

Larry King, the award-winning TV and radio host who became a household name with his long-running CNN show Larry King Live, died on Saturday at the age of 87.

With profound sadness, Ora Media announces the death of our co-founder, host, and friend Larry King, who passed away this morning at age 87 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, Kings official Twitter announced Saturday. 

No cause of death was provided, but Kings death came weeks after it was revealed that the 87-year-old host was battling coronavirus.

For 63 years and across the platforms of radio, television and digital media, Larrys many thousands of interviews, awards, and global acclaim stand as a testament to his unique and lasting talent as a broadcaster. Additionally, while it was his name appearing in the shows titles, Larry always viewed his interview subjects as the true stars of his programs, and himself as merely an unbiased conduit between the guest and audience. Whether he was interviewing a U.S. president, foreign leader, celebrity, scandal-ridden personage, or an everyman, Larry liked to ask short, direct, and uncomplicated questions. He believed concise questions usually provided the best answers, and he was not wrong in that belief.

King has battled other health problems over the years, including prostate cancer and type-two diabetes. In 1987, he suffered a heart attack that required quintuple-bypass surgery, and in 2017 he underwent surgery to remove a malignant tumor in his lung.

Newly sworn in US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill were were held up outside the White House briefly before making their first official entry into the Presidential residence. 

The incident, which was photographed as the first family stood waiting to be ushered in, was reportedly the outcome of one final act of resentment by the outgoing President Donald Trump.

Videos showed the Bidens waving and hugging in front of the cameras for over a minute waiting for the North Portico doors to open. This shortcoming on part of the staff was described as a "big protocol breach" by a veteran White House social expert in National Journal. The doors are usually opened by the Marine guards.

The report quoted sources as saying that Donald and Melania Trump sent White House butlers and ushers home so that the Bidens would be left to fend for themselves. "So petty," the sources said.

Sources also dismissed reports that the Bidens fired chief usher Timothy Harleth, stating that it was the Trumps who relieved him of his duties before leaving instead. The chief usher is responsible for managing the White House and oversees residence staff including construction, maintenance, remodeling, food, as well as the administrative, fiscal, and personnel functions.

Harleth was a former executive of the Trump Hotels hired by Melania. The Journal continued to quote the source as explaining that the Harleth's absence could be blamed for the incident. "You couldnt expect the Biden staff to know to do that. Doors are opened and closed by ushers. There are rules about all these things and everyone has their job," the source was quoted.

Another White House official stated that it was a "staff mistake". A member of Biden's staff should have alerted ushers on the other side of the door to open it.

Timothy Harleth, widely considered a Trump loyalist, had expressed to his associates that he wished to continue his employment at the White House under the new regime. Harleth had last November already fired some long-serving staffers of the residence.

The misstep, although lasting only seconds, came in the midst of a chaotic handover of the Presidential residence which had to be deep cleaned due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

While tweeting a video of the incident at Victoria Memorial in Kolkata on Saturday, Trinamool Congress MP Derek O'Brien said, "You cant teach dignity. Nor can you teach lumpens to be dignified."

A number of Trinamool Congress leaders took to social media on Saturday to condemn the developments at the event in Kolkata. "I strongly condemn shouting of political and religious slogans at Government Functions to celebrate legacy of Freedom Fighter Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose on his 125th birth anniversary celebrations," TMC MP Nusrat Jahan Ruhi said in a tweet.

Earlier, Mamata Banerjee refused to speak at the event being organised at the Victoria Memorial. She was angered after a section of the crowd started making noise as she was called on the stage to address the gathering.

"I think there should be some dignity when a government programme is being held. This is not the programme of a political party. This is a programme of all parties and people," she said.

Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee erupted in fury at Kolkata's Victoria Memorial on Saturday evening - at an event to honour legendary freedom fighter Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose on his 124th birth anniversary - after she was faced with chants of "Jai Shri Ram".

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bengal governor Jagdeep Dhankhar were also on stage for the shocking treatment of the Bengal CM - one of the few times that the Prime Minister and Banerjee have shared a platform.

"Don't insult me after calling me here. This is not a political programme. If you invite someone to a government programme, you should not insult them," a visibly angry and upset Banerjee admonished the crowd before cutting short her speech.

A seemingly unperturbed Prime Minister Modi spoke shortly afterwards and began by referring to the Chief Minister as "behen (sister) Mamata".

The heckling and chanting, particularly of "Jai Shri Ram", that greeted Banerjee this evening were a sobering reminder of the shrill and vicious election rhetoric that has dominated Bengal politics since the 2019 Lok Sabha election - when the above chant was unleashed.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi releases memorial postal stamp on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Kolkata on Saturday afternoon where he will address the Parakram Diwas celebrations to commemorate the 125th birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.

Before Modi's arrival, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee fired a series of salvos at the BJP, saying the party claimed to idolise Bose but had scrapped the Planning Commission that was conceptualised by him.

A cattle herder from Gujarat's Kutch district, who had inadvertently crossed over

to Pakistan in 2008 and was arrested there on charges of spying, has finally returned to India after languishing in the neighbouring country's jails, officials said.

Ismael Sama, 60, from Nana Dinara village in Kutch, located some 60 kms from the Pakistan border, had mistakenly crossed over to Pakistan while grazing his cattle.

He was arrested and kept in the jails of that country before he was released two days back following the Islamabad high court's order on a plea moved by the Indian High

Commission there.

Sama reached Amritsar after crossing over to the Indian territory through Wagah-Attari international border on Friday, officials at Attari said.

Some of his family members also reached Amritsar to receive him, sources said.

The authorities in Amritsar are completing some formalities, including Sama's medical examination, after which he would be handed over to his family, the officials said.

'Halwa Ceremony' was held at the finance ministry to mark the beginning of printing of documents relating to Union Budget 2021-22. 

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Union Minister of State for Finance & Corporate Affairs Anurag Thakur are present.

The Indian dessert is prepared in a big kadhai and served to the entire staff involved in budget preparation. The significance of serving Halwa to the officials is to mark the secrecy of the whole project.

It also intends to laud the efforts of the staff involved in the budget-making process.Soon after the halwa ceremony, the officials who are involved in making the Union Budget have to stay at the North Block, cut off from their families till the presentation of the Budget in the Lok Sabha.

On Tuesday, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said the first part of the Budget Session will start on January 29 and continue till February 15, and the second part of the session will be from March 8 to April 8.

Birla said Rajya Sabha will function from 9 am to 2 pm and Lok Sabha from 4 pm to 9 pm with Zero Hour and Question Hour.

The number of people who have tested positive for the UK variant of COVID-19 in India has climbed to 150, the Union Health Ministry said on Saturday.

  

All of them have been kept in single room isolation in designated health care facilities by the respective state governments, the ministry had said earlier.

Their close contacts have also been put under quarantine. Comprehensive contact tracing has been initiated for co-travellers, family contacts and others.

Genome sequencing on other specimens is going on, the ministry said.

The situation is under careful watch and regular advice is being provided to the states for enhanced surveillance, containment, testing and dispatch of samples to INSACOG (Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium) labs.

"The total number of persons found infected with the UK strain of COVID-19 is 150," the ministry said.

The presence of the new UK variant has already been reported by several countries, including Denmark, the Netherlands, Australia, Italy, Sweden, France, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, Canada, Japan, Lebanon and Singapore.

In what comes as a recent development, the Reserve Bank of India is planning to withdraw the old currency notes of Rs 100, 10 and Rs 5. The notes will reportedly go out of circulation by the end of March or April as the top bank is planning to withdraw them permanently. 

As reported by several media publications, Assistant General Manager of the Reserve Bank of India B Mahesh while speaking at the District Level Security Committee and District Level Currency Management Committee meeting, stated that the old currency notes of Rs 100, Rs 10 and Rs 5 will eventually go out of circulation as RBI plans to withdraw them by March-April. 

It is to be noted that the new notes of Rs 100, 10 and 5 have already come into circulation in exchange for the old notes.

Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh today announced that Yerawada Jail located in Pune will be thrown open to the general public as part of its new "Jail Tourism" policy.

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray along with Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar is expected to launch the scheme on 26 January, 2021 celebrated as Republic Day. While this is the first phase of the policy, the second one will involve the opening up of the Nagpur Central Jail. Subsequently, it could extend to other prisons in the state.

The World Health Organisation has thanked India for "continued support" in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. India has been sending vaccines to countries in the South Asian neighbourhood and to others like Brazil and Morocco. South Africa will also get the vaccine soon.

"Thank you #India and Prime Minister @narendramodi for your continued support to the global #COVID19 response. Only if we #ACTogether, including sharing of knowledge, can we stop this virus and save lives and livelihoods," WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus tweeted.

The WHO chief's tweet comes hours after a similar tweet by Brazilian President Jair M Bolsonaro, who thanked India for the vaccines. "Namaskar, Prime Minister @narendramodi Brazil feels honoured to have a great partner to overcome a global obstacle by joining efforts. Thank you for assisting us with the vaccines exports from India to Brazil. Dhanyavaad!" Mr Bolsonaro tweeted.

India dispatched two million doses of Covishield vaccines to Brazil on Friday. Covishield has been developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University and is being manufactured by the Serum Institute of India.

The Border Security Force on Saturday detected another underground tunnel, constructed by Pakistan at the International Border to facilitate infiltration of terrorists into Jammu and Kashmir, in Kathua district during the past 10 days, a spokesperson of the border guarding force said.

 

The secret tunnel was detected during an anti-tunnelling operation in the border outpost Pansar area of Hiranagar sector, he said.

This is the second underground tunnel detected by BSF personnel in Hiranagar sector during the past 10 days, fourth in the past six months along the IB in Samba and Kathua districts and 10th in the past decade.

On January 13, a 150-metre-long tunnel was detected in Bobiyaan village in the same sector.

A BSF officer said the latest tunnel is believed to be 150-metre-long originating from the Pakistan side with a depth of about 30 feet and three feet diameter.

The whole area has been cordoned off and further details are awaited, he said. 

Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Yadav will be shifted to AIIMS in Delhi on Saturday for treatment after his health deteriorated. Lalu is currently undergoing treatment for lung infection at a hospital in Ranchi where he is serving a sentence after being convicted in the Bihar fodder scam.

The decision was taken by the Board of doctors at the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences who informed the jail officials about the RJD leaders worsening health. Preparations for his transfer to Delhi began as soon as the hospital got a go ahead from the jail officials.

Lalu had complained of congestion in chest on Thursday evening. On Friday, Lalus son Tejashwi Yadav had said that the his condition is critical and he will meet Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren to speak with him about his fathers health.

"We want better treatment for him, but it is for doctors to analyse what treatment can be provided here, after all the test reports come. His situation is serious. I will meet the Chief Minister on Saturday," Tejashwi Yadav told reporters in Ranchi on Friday.

Nearly 14 lakh beneficiaries have been vaccinated for COVID-19 in the country, including 3,47,058 in the last 24 hours, the health ministry said on Saturday.

  

According to data released by the ministry, the highest number of 1,84,699 vaccinations in the country has been reported from Karnataka, followed by Andhra Pradesh (1,33,298), Odisha (1,30,007) and Uttar Pradesh (1,23,761).

As many as 1,10,031 beneficiaries were inoculated in Telangana, 74,960 in Maharashtra, 63,620 in Bihar, 62,142 in Haryana, 47,293 in Kerala and 38,278 in Madhya Pradesh, according to the data.

In a statement, the ministry said in the last 24 hours, 3,47,058 people were vaccinated in 6,241 sessions and 24,408 such sessions have been conducted across the country so far.

"As on January 23, 2021, till 8 AM, nearly 14 lakh (13,90,592) beneficiaries have received the vaccination under the countrywide COVID19 vaccination exercise," it said.

India's active COVID-19 caseload continued to manifest a downward movement and dropped to 1,85,662 on Saturday.

NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Saturday visited the city-based Serum Institute of India, where a major fire had broken out two days ago, killing five persons.

Sources in the SII said, Pawar visited the affected building around noon and took stock of the situation.

Serum's CEO, Adar Poonwalla, accompanied Pawar.

In a tweet, Pawar later said, "Visited the Serum Institute in Pune along with @adarpoonawalla and reviewed the present situation there, after the unfortunate fire incident."

Five men died in the fire that broke out in a five-storey building in the SII's Manjaripremises on Thursday.

The Manjari facility is where Covishield, the SII vaccine against COVID-19, which is being used in the nationwide inoculation drive against the infection, is made.

The building where fire broke out is one km from the Covishield vaccine manufacturing unit.

On Friday, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had paid a visit to the SII to inspect the fire site.

On Saturday morning, hours before Prime Minister Narendra Modi is due in Kolkata to take part in a series of cultural events to honour Netaji's memory, Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee took a swipe at the Centre over its decision to call the day 'Parakram Diwas'; the Bengal government wanted the label 'DeshnayakDiwas' - a nod to the Rabindranath Tagore connection.

"I don't understand the word 'parakram'... I understand his (Netaji's) 'desh prem'. Netaji is a philosophy... an emotion... he believed in the unity of religions," Banerjee said at the start of a six-km march through the city, adding, "Why have we declared today 'Deshnayak Diwas'? Because Tagore gave him the title... because Netaji gave Tagore's song recognition as anthem."

Banerjee then went for a two-for-one jab, saying that she, unlike those who came before "just before elections", was "happy to be with the family of (Netaji Subhash Chandra) Bose".

"I am always in touch... not just before elections," she said, reiterating, "Netaji is an emotion."

Banerjee's march will also be a show of strength and an effort to showcase the Trinamool's efforts to portray itself as a home-grown party, as opposed to "outsiders" - her standard dig at the BJP, whom she accuses of flying in to ask for votes and then flying out again.

Communication intercepts by Indian intelligence agencies from across the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh reveal heightened activity of the Peoples Liberation Army own intelligence all along the undefined border with India in an attempt to get information on Indian Army movements and the on-going border infrastructure upgrade being carried out by India.

While the South Block is tight-lipped about the issue, intelligence agencies have been able to spot movement of entities in the Daulet Beg Oldi sector near Karakoram, the contested points on banks of Pangong Tso and across the LAC in Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh. The movement of these entities identified on the basis of communication intercepts has been conveyed to Indian Army brass and the national security establishment at the apex level.

With a promise to help people get "recognition" for their land, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today distributed land allotment papers to indigenous people in Assam, where election will be held this year. 

"It is a matter of sadness that even after so many years since Independence, there are those in Assam who have not got recognition for their land," PM Modi said. 

Later, he will fly to Kolkata to inaugurate a permanent museum dedicated to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on the freedom fighter's 125th birth anniversary. 

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will also address an event in Kolkata on the 125th birth anniversary of Netaji. The election to the legislative assembly in West Bengal is just months away.

India and China will hold ninth round of corps commander level military talks tomorrow to address the ongoing military standoff in Eastern Ladakh. 

The talks would be held in Moldo opposite the Chushul sector in India. 

India and China are in a standoff in Eastern Ladakh as a result of actions by the Chinese army.

In the last Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination meeting held on December 18, both sides agreed to maintain close consultations at the diplomatic and military levels. 

The customary halwa ceremony, which marks the process of printing documents for the Union Budget 2021, will be hosted by the finance ministry on Saturday at 3.30 pm ahead of the presentation of the Union Budget on February 1.

The event will be attended by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of State for Finance Anurag Thakur, Secretaries of Finance Ministry, and other officials.

As per sources, the halwa making ceremony is held every year by the government to kick off the budget session, following which those officials involved in the budget-making are shifted to the basement of the North Block for a period of 10 days.

On Tuesday, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said the first part of the Budget Session will start on January 29 and continue till February 15, and the second part of the session will be held from March 8 to April 8.

Chief Medical Advisor to the US President, Anthony Fauci said that the lack of truthfulness from the previous US President Donald Trump's administration pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic "very likely" cost American lives.

"Particularly when you're in the situation of almost being in a crisis with the number of cases and hospitalizations and deaths that we have -- when you start talking about things that make no sense medically and no sense scientifically, that clearly is not helpful," Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases said in an interview to CNN. 

When asked if the lack of candour over the last year and lack of facts, in some cases, lead to over 400,000 people dead from COVID-19, Fauci said, "You know, it very likely did."

Fauci said that it's "not helpful" when "you're starting to go down paths that are not based on any science at all," adding that he doesn't wish to rehash the ways in which the Trump administration steered away from science.

The Biden administration's approach to handling the Covid-19 pandemic will be "completely transparent, open and honest" with the American people, said Fauci.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday will begin his three-day visit to Tamil Nadu, which is slated to go to polls later this year.

Taking to Twitter, the former Congress chief said that he is delighted to be back in Tamil Nadu.

Gandhi further said that he along with his party will defend and preserve the unique culture of the Tamils against the attacks by the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Central government.

"I am delighted to be back in Tamil Nadu today to spend time with my Tamilian brothers and sisters in the Kongu belt. Together, we will defend & preserve the unique culture of the Tamils against the attacks by Modi govt," Gandhi tweeted.

This is the second visit of the Congress leader to the state in a month. -- ANI

With 14,256 fresh cases, India's COVID-19 tally climbed to 1,06,39,684 on Saturday, while 1,03,00,838 patients have recuperated so far in the country, pushing the national recovery rate to 96.81 per cent, according to the health ministry.

 

There are 1,85,662 active cases of the coronavirus infection in the country currently, which accounts for only 1.78 per cent of the total caseload, according to data released by the ministry.

The COVID-19 caseload has mounted to 1,06,39,684 and the death toll due to the disease has climbed to 1,53,184, with the novel coronavirus claiming 152 more lives in the country in a span of 24 hours, the data updated at 8 am showed.

The COVID-19 case fatality rate stood at 1.44 per cent.

According to the Indian Council of Medical Research, a total of 19,09,85,119 samples have so far been tested for the viral disease in the country, including 8,37,095 on Friday. -- PTI  

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for providing two million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to fight the deadly coronavirus infection in his country, one of the worst-hit nations by the pandemic.

   

India, one of the world's biggest drugmakers, on Friday began commercial exports and sent two million doses of Covishield, developed by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford, to Brazil.

 

India has undertaken contractual supplies of coronavirus vaccines to Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Brazil, Morocco, Bangladesh and Myanmar, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in New Delhi on Friday.

 

"Namaskar, Prime Minister @narendramodi. Brazil is honoured to have a great partner to overcome a global obstacle. Thank you for helping us with vaccine exports from India to Brazil. Dhanyavaad!," Bolsonaro tweeted on Friday.

 

He also tweeted a picture of Lord Hanuman carrying a vaccine from India to Brazil.

 

Brazil's government has received 2 million doses of coronavirus vaccine from India.

 

Brazil's health ministry announced that the vaccine landed in Sao Paulo on Friday before being flown to Rio de Janeiro, where Brazil's state-run Fiocruz Institute is based, the Associated Press reported.

 

Fiocruz has an agreement to produce and distribute the vaccine, the report said. In April, India also provided the Latin American country raw materials for the production of anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid homage to freedom fighter Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on his birth anniversary on Saturday and said a grateful nation will always remember his sacrifice and dedication for its independence.

 

Modi will be in West Bengal on Saturday to address "Parakram Diwas" celebrations in Kolkata to commemorate Bose's birth anniversary.

"Tributes to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, a great freedom fighter and a true son of Mother India, on his birth anniversary," the prime minister said in a tweet in Hindi.

"A grateful nation will always remember his sacrifice and dedication for the independence of the country," he said. 

The government has decided to observe January 23 as "Parakram Diwas" to commemorate the birth anniversary of Bose, who was born on this day in 1897. -- PTI 

Due to COVID-19 safety norms gravity-defying stunts by motorcycle-borne men, a major attraction for the crowd at Republic Day celebrations on the Rajpath, will be missing this year, while the spectator size too has been reduced to 25,000, officials said on Friday.

Besides this, the parade of gallantry awardees and children who have earned bravery awards will also not be there at the 72nd Republic Day event, on account of social distancing, they said.

Also, there will be no chief guest at the event this year.

"This year's Republic Day is very different as it is happening amid the coronavirus pandemic. Like in Independence Day, all chairs in enclosures will be placed following social distancing norms. So the crowd size has come down to 25,000 this time from around 1.25 lakh last year or some of the previous years.

"The number of enclosures has also been halved to just 19," said a senior official who is privy to the arrangements.

Due to the same reason, the popular motorcycle stunts performed by army or paramilitary personnel, which draw loud cheers from the crowd every year, will not be happening this year, he said.

"These decisions have been taken because it is not possible to maintain social distancing while performing group stunts or awardees riding a jeep together during the parade," the official said.

The number of mediapersons invited to the ceremonial event has also been reduced, he added.

A total of 32 tableaux -- 17 of various states and UTs, nine of ministries and six from defence arm -- will roll down Rajpath. The contingents will stop at National Stadium this year instead of following the regular route all the way to the Red Fort, officials said.

"Also, the size of marching contingents has been reduced from regular 144 to 96 so that they can maintain social distancing," the senior official said.

Members of the tableaux contingents from various states, ministries and government departments underwent COVID-19 test at a cultural camp in Delhi Cantonment on Friday, officials said.

COVID-19 safety norms will be strictly in place throughout the event.

A military band from the Bangladesh Army will also take part in the parade. This year, Bangladesh marks the 50th anniversary of its Independence.

Tableau from a total of 17 states and UTs, including, Gujarat, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Punjab, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Ladakh and Delhi will be part of the parade. -- PTI

The United State Senate has confirmed the nomination of General (retired) Lloyd Austin to serve as secretary of the defence department, making him the first ever African American to occupy the top Pentagon position.

The nomination was confirmed in an overwhelming 93-2 vote.

Soon he was sworn in by Tom Muir, acting director of Washington Headquarters Services. Thereafter, Austin received an intelligence briefing.  

Vice President Kamala Harris would administer the ceremonial oath to Austin next week.

President Joe Biden thanked the senate for confirming Austin and working to get his cabinet in place.  

 

"It's an honour and a privilege to serve as our country's 28th secretary of defence, and I'm especially proud to be the first African American to hold the position. Let's get to work," Austin tweeted.  

 

A day earlier, the House of Representatives voted 326-78 to pass a waiver exempting Austin from the seven-year 'cooling off period' for retired generals taking over as defence secretary. The senate approved the waiver by 69-27 votes. 

This is the third time that Congress has given such a waiver to a retired general. The previous one being of General (retired) James Matin who was appointed as defence secretary by former President Donald Trump in January 2017 and George Marshall in 1947. 

Austin had retired as a four-star Army general in 2016.

"I am honoured to have this chance to serve again and to do so alongside you and your families. My wife, Charlene, and I know all too well the sacrifices you make to keep this country safe. That safety is job one, and I promise to work as hard as you do at it," Austin said in his message to the defence forces soon thereafter.

 

According to new Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby, the president called Austin in the afternoon, shortly after his arrival at the pentagon.

"The president congratulated the secretary on his swift confirmation and thanked the secretary for agreeing to serve the country again. Secretary Austin expressed his gratitude to the president for his trust and confidence and for his support during the confirmation process, Kirby said.

 

Later in the day, Austin spoke to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg over phone. 

The call was his first to a foreign leader as the defence secretary, and reinforces the importance of the NATO alliance to the US, Kirby said. -- PTI

As the first-ever treaty to ban nuclear weapons entered into force, India said on Friday that it does not support the treaty and shall not be bound by any of the obligations that may arise from it.

 

 The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons was approved by the United Nations General Assembly in 2017, but none of the nine countries known or believed to possess nuclear weapons supported it and neither did the NATO alliance. 

The treaty came into force on Friday.

 

In a statement, the ministry of external affairs said India continues to attach high priority and remains committed to universal, non-discriminatory and verifiable nuclear disarmament.

 

"As far as the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons is concerned, India did not participate in the negotiations on the TPNW and has consistently made it clear that it will not become a party to the Treaty," the MEA said.

India does not support the treaty and shall not be bound by any of the obligations that may arise from it, it said.

 

India believes that the treaty does not constitute or contribute to the development of customary international law, nor does it set any new standards or norms, the statement said.

 

The MEA stated that India reiterates its commitment to the goal of a nuclear-weapon-free world.

 

India believes that this goal can be achieved through a step-by-step process underwritten by a universal commitment, and an agreed global and non-discriminatory multilateral framework, as outlined in the country's working paper titled 'Nuclear Disarmament', submitted to the UN General Assembly and the Conference on Disarmament.

 

In this regard, India supports the commencement of negotiations on a comprehensive Nuclear Weapons Convention in the Conference on Disarmament, which is the world's single multilateral disarmament negotiating forum working on the basis of consensus, the MEA said.

 

India stands ready to work with all UN member states towards the objective of a world free of nuclear weapons, it said. -- PTI

Protesting farmer leaders on Friday alleged that a conspiracy has been hatched to kill four of them and create disturbance during their proposed tractor rally on January 26.

At a late night press conference at the Singhu border, the farmer leaders presented a person who claimed that his accomplices were allegedly asked to pose as policemen and baton charge the crowd during the proposed tractor rally.

The farmer leaders claimed that they had caught the man from the protest site at the Singhu border.

He was later handed over to the Haryana Police.

Farmer leader Kulwant Singh Sandhu alleged that attempts are being made to disrupt the ongoing agitation against the three farm laws.

The man, who had his face covered with a scarf, claimed at the press conference that a plan has been hatched to shoot four farmer leaders, who are known faces in the media, at the stage on January 23.

"On January 26, there was a plan to create disturbance during the tractor rally by opening fire on Delhi Police personnel, which would prompt them to retaliate on the protesting farmers in a strong manner," the man alleged at the press conference.

Thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been camping at several Delhi border points since November 28, demanding a repeal of three farm laws and a legal guarantee on minimum support price for their crops.

Enacted in September last year, the three laws have been projected by the Centre as major reforms in the agriculture sector that will remove middlemen and allow farmers to sell their produce anywhere in the country.

However, the protesting farmers have expressed their apprehension that the new laws would pave the way for eliminating the safety cushion of MSP (minimum support price) and do away with the "mandi" (wholesale market) system, leaving them at the mercy of big corporates. -- PTI 

The United States Senate would begin the impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump on February 8, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said.

 

"The January 6th insurrection at the Capitol, incited by Donald J Trump was a day none of us will ever forget. We all want to put this awful chapter in our nation's history behind us. But healing and unity will only come if there is truth and accountability. And that is what this trial will provide," Schumer said on the senate floor.

 

Both the Republican and the Democratic Party now have 50 seats each in the 100 member Senate. 

However, the crucial vote of Vice President Kamala Harris in her capacity as the chairman of the senate gives the Democrats a majority in the upper chambers of the Congress.

 

Giving details of the impeachment process, Schumer said the house managers will come to read the article of impeachment at 7 pm on Monday. Members will then be sworn in the next day.

After that, both the house managers and the defense will have a period of time to draft their legal briefs, just as they did in previous trials, he said.

"During that period, the senate will continue to do other business for the American people, such as cabinet nominations and the COVID-relief bill, which would provide relief for millions of Americans who are suffering during this pandemic. Then, once the briefs are drafted, presentations by the parties will commence in the week of February 8th," Schumer said.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said that the impeachment began with an unprecedentedly fast and minimal process in the house. 

The sequel cannot be an insufficient senate process that denies former president Trump his due process or damages the senate or the presidency itself, he said.

 

"Senate Republicans strongly believe we need a full and fair process where the former president can mount a defense and the senate can properly consider the factual, legal, and constitutional questions at stake," he said. 

 

The Republican leader suggested that the impeachment trial begin on February 11. 

 

"That timeline would have provided the Senate some more floor time before we step fully into the unknown of a trial," he said. 

 

The ruling Democrats did not agree to his timeline.

 

Earlier in the day, House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that article of impeachment for incitement of insurrection by Trump will be delivered to the senate on Monday. 

The lead house managers for this would be Congressman Jamie Raskin, along with lawmakers Diana DeGette, David Cicilline, Joaquin Castro, Eric Swalwell, Ted Lieu, Stacey Plaskett, Madeleine Dean and Joe Neguse.

 

"We are respectful of the senate's constitutional power over the trial and always attentive to the fairness of the process, noting that the former president will have had the same amount of time to prepare for trial as our managers. Our managers are ready to begin to make their case to 100 senate jurors through the trial process," she said. -- PTI 

The rescheduled Tokyo Games may have to be held behind closed doors if they are to go ahead in Japan this year, athletics chief Lord Coe has admitted.

The World Athletics president remained confident the Olympics and Paralympics would take place despite a Times report suggesting they would be cancelled.

"I would love to have fans, noisy and passionate," Coe told the BBC.

"But if the only way we're able to deliver it is behind closed doors, I think everybody is accepting of that."

Coe, who headed the London 2012 organising committee and is also an International Olympic Committee member, said, in the event of a cancellation, it was "not a realistic solution" to push back Paris 2024 and Los Angeles 2028 in order for Tokyo to host the Olympics in three years' time.

Last March, organisers decided to postpone the 2020 Games for a year because of the Covid-19 pandemic. However, doubts over whether they would happen at all increased in recent weeks following a rise in cases in some countries, including Japan where a state of emergency was declared in Tokyo.