Republic Top 10 Headlines: Hijab controversy grows, UP election, Akalis vs Kejriwal & more

Karnataka Govt Opposes Wearing Of Hijab In Classrooms Amid Protests

Students cannot be allowed to wear Hijab inside classrooms, the Karnataka government argued in an affidavit accessed by Republic TV on Wednesday. This affidavit was filed by the Basavaraj Bommai-led government before the Karnataka High Court on February 7 in response to the plea filed by 5 students of Government P.U. College for Girls, Udupi. They sought permission to attend classes while wearing a Hijab citing fundamental rights and a direction to the effect that it is an "essential practice" of Islam.

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Assembly Polls 2022: Countdown To UP Elections Phase 1 Begins, BJP Steps Up Campaign

Elections are set to commence in 5 states - Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa, Manipur, and Punjab. Results for all elections will be declared on March 10. 58 seats across 11 districts will go to the polls in the first phase of the UP election on February 10.

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Punjab Elections: Akali Dal Fumes At Kejriwal's Appeal To Its Voters; Demands EC Action

In a big development on Tuesday, Shiromani Akali Dal petitioned Punjab's Chief Electoral Officer demanding action against AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal. The Sukhbir Singh Badal-led party expressed strong objection to Kejriwal's video appeal to SAD voters on the eve of the Punjab elections. In a letter addressed to the Punjab CEO, SAD spokesperson Arshdeep Singh Kler claimed that the Delhi CM was trying to mislead the people of the state. Contending that AAP had violated the Model Code of Conduct, he urged the EC to ban the video and ensure its deletion from social media platforms. 

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Navjot Sidhu Insults Ex-Punjab CM Capt Amarinder; Gloats 'I Kicked Him Out Of Congress'

Punjab Congress President Navjot Singh Sidhu, while campaigning in the state on Tuesday belittled former Congress leader and Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh and gloated that ‘he had successfully kicked him out of Congress’. Navjot Singh Sidhu had yet again stirred a controversy by making inappropriate comments against the former Chief Minister of Punjab. Sidhu’s denunciation of Captain Amarinder Singh has not been hidden from anyone, but this time around, the PPCC chief made derogatory remarks while lambasting him.

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India Reports 71,365 Fresh COVID-19 Cases, 1,217 Deaths

India recorded a single-day rise of 71,365 new coronavirus infections, raising its tally to 4,24,10,976, while the active cases fell below 10 lakh after around 27 days, the Union Health Ministry said on Tuesday. The death toll has climbed to 5,05,279 with 1,217 fresh fatalities, data updated by the ministry at 8 am stated. India's COVID-19 vaccination coverage has crossed 1,70,87,06,705 as well.

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Blinken Heads To Asia Amid China’s Assertiveness In Indo-Pacific Region, Ukraine Crisis

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday headed for Asia-Pacific to reinforce Washington's continued focus against China's expansive policies and reassess the mounting crisis in Ukraine. Taking to Twitter, Blinken informed that his trip is aimed to shore up regional partnerships in the face of compounded issues in the eastern and western Asian flanks. The meeting will also include discussions on the trilateral AUKUS pact, which confirmed the purchase of 8 nuclear-powered submarines by Australia.

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Canada: Truckers Protesting COVID Vax Rule Find New Crowdfunding Site After GoFundMe Snub

Canadian truckers protesting against the COVID-19 vaccine mandate turned to a Christian crowdfunding website and has already raised millions of dollars after being removed from GoFundMe. The crowdfunding page for ‘Freedom Convoy’ was removed from the official website of GoFundMe over the weekend and it triggered a debate over how the online platforms should moderate campaigns. Prior to the GoFundMe sunb, Ottawa mayor Jim Watson had declared a state of emergency due to the week-long demonstration led by the truck drivers over COVID-19 mandates in the country. Now, the demonstrators have turned to GiveSendGo.

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Freedom Convoy: Ottawa Police Arrests 23, Issues 1,300 Tickets For Anti-govt Protests

The municipal police service of Canada has informed that they have arrested around 23 people and issued more than 1,300 tickets related to protests against the government and its COVID-19 vaccine mandate in the capital city, Ottawa. In a press release, the Ottawa Police Service (OPS) stated that the arrests have been made in relation to “criminal charges”. It added that the charges include mischief, resisting arrest, breach of probation among other infractions. 

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Japan's Parliament Adopts Resolution On Ukraine, Condemns Potential Russian Invasion

Japan's lower house on Tuesday adopted a resolution amid escalating tensions between Ukraine and Russia, saying Tokyo is "gravely concerned" over Moscow's potential attempt to change the status quo "by force." Calling on the countries involved in the crisis for immediate restoration of peace and stability, Japan's Parliament reiterated international appeals for diplomacy "as soon as possible." The resolution by Parliament's lower chambers comes as Russia continues its hostile military exercises in the eastern European borders of Donbas in Ukraine. 

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WHO Says COVID Still 'dangerous' As Death Toll Surpasses 500,000 Since Omicron Detection

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday said that 500,000 COVID-19 deaths had been registered since the Omicron variant was discovered. Calling it “beyond tragic”, WHO incident manager Abdi Mahamud said that around 130 million coronavirus infections and half a million deaths had been recorded across the globe since the Omicron (B.1.1.529) was declared as a variant of concern by the United Nations (UN) health agency. 

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