Top 10 Headlines: Washington Sundar tests positive for COVID; AFSPA extended in Manipur

PM Modi To Inaugurate 11 Medical Colleges; Central Institute Of Classical Tamil In Chennai

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate 11 new medical colleges across Tamil Nadu on Wednesday, January 12. Amid the rising COVID-19 cases in the country, the Centre is taking significant measures to ramp up the health infrastructure. The new campus of the Central Institute of Classical Tamil in Chennai will be inaugurated by PM Modi on January 12 around 4 pm. The new medical health infrastructure is being established in several districts that include, Virudhunagar, Namakkal, The Nilgiris, Tiruppur, Thiruvallur, Nagapattinam, Dindigul, Kallakurichi, Ariyalur, Ramanathapuram, and Krishnagiri. 

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India Successfully Test-fires BrahMos Supersonic Cruise Missile Off Western Coast

India on Tuesday conducted a successful testfire of BrahMos supersonic cruise missile from Indian Navy destroyer Indian Navy Ship (INS) Vishakhapatnam. The sea to sea variant of the missile was testfired at the maximum range and hit the target ship with utmost accuracy, informed Indian Navy sources. The latest testfire of BrahMos supersonic cruise missile comes a month after the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) informed in December of successful testing of an air version of BrahMos supersonic cruise missile.

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Sharad Pawar Announces NCP-SP Alliance For UP Elections; Claims '13 More BJP MLAs To Quit'

In the run-up to the UP Elections, NCP Supremo Sharad Pawar on Tuesday made a massive claim saying that 13 more MLAs were going to follow UP Minister Swami Prasad Maurya and quit the BJP. Addressing a press conference on the political developments in the state, Pawar said that 'change was coming' and that the Samajwadi Party would induct many faces of the BJP in the coming days. Confirming the NCP's alliance with SP, he stated that in Uttar Pradesh, his party was going to contest elections with Akhilesh Yadav and other smaller parties. 

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AFSPA Extended In Manipur For One Year Amid Demand For Repeal; Capital Imphal Excluded

Amid the growing demand to repeal Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in the Northeast region, Manipur Government has extended the act in the state for one year. In a notification issued by the Government of Manipur, it is said that the act has been imposed in the entire State excluding the caption city of Imphal. Earlier, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had hinted at the partial withdrawal of the AFSPA in the state which was wholeheartedly welcomed by the Congress party. 

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French Arms Company Thales Rejects Claims Made By Sanjay Bhandari; 'never Signed Contract'

Fugitive arms dealer and Robert Vadra's close-aide Sanjay Bhandari has sued a French arms company in a French court over €11m (Rs 92 crore) that he claimed was never paid to him in relation to a defence deal inked in India in 2011. The claims against Thales that supplies avionics equipment for Dassault Aviation's Rafale jet, could imperil a much-needed French defence deal to India.

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Swami Prasad Maurya Scoffs At BJP After Joining SP Ahead Of Polls; 'They Neglected OBCs'

Massive Political turmoil was witnessed in Uttar Pradesh ahead of polls as prominent OBC leader Swami Prasad Maurya resigned from the Yogi Cabinet and joined Samajwadi Party on Tuesday. While speaking exclusively to Republic, SP Maurya stated that by tendering resignation, he has sounded an alarm. Stating differences in the ideology as the reason behind his resignation, Maurya claimed that the current BJP government in the state is neglecting the youths and backward classes. He further added that the decision of the 2022 Uttar Pradesh election will tell who is the real Swami Prasad Maurya.

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Param Bir Singh's Bid To Move SC To Halt Dept Probes Fails; CBI States 'cover-up' Fear

In a setback to ex-Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh, the Supreme Court refused to put an end to the departmental inquiries against him. An SC bench comprising Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and MM Sundresh was hearing Param Bir's appeal against the Bombay High Court's order dated September 16 dismissing his plea against the two preliminary enquiries initiated by the Maharashtra government besides seeking the transfer of cases filed against him to the CBI. Appearing for the Uddhav Thackeray-led government, senior advocate Darius Khambata opposed the CBI probe. 

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Washington Sundar Tests Positive For COVID-19, In Doubt For ODI Series In South Africa

India all-rounder Washington Sundar has tested positive for COVID-19 and is doubtful for the three-match ODI series against South Africa starting January 19. The 22-year old Tamil Nadu player tested positive for the virus in Bengaluru and has not yet joined the other white-ball cricketers in Mumbai, who are scheduled to leave for South Africa in a day or two. "Washington has tested positive for COVID-19 and is yet to join the other white ball specialists in Mumbai. He was in Bengaluru (at the National Cricket Academy) when he tested positive," BCCI sources said.

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IPL 2022: Tata Group To Replace Chinese Phone Maker Vivo As Title Sponsor This Year

Chinese mobile manufacturing company Vivo has pulled out as the official title sponsor of the Indian Premier League (IPL) as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has replaced it with the Tata Group. As reported by PTI, IPL Chairman Brijest Patel said on Tuesday that Tata Group will replace Vivo as the IPL sponsor after the decision was taken at the Governing Council meeting of the IPL. The council approved the Chinese handset company, Vivo’s request to transfer its title rights to Tata, although they have a couple of years left in their sponsorship deal, while Tata continues to be the main title sponsor during this period.

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WTO General Council Discusses India's Call For Ministerial Meeting On Pandemic Response

On Monday, January 10, the World Trade Organisation's General Council discussed India's request for a virtual ministerial meeting on the WTO's response to the Coronavirus pandemic. On December 23, 2021, India wrote to the General Council Chair urging for a virtual ministerial meeting on its response to the pandemic, including a proposal to exempt some provisions of the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) agreement for COVID-19-related vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics. The WTO said in a statement that Ambassador Dacio Castillo (Honduras), Chair of the General Council, held a meeting to address the organization's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, news agency PTI reported. 

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Image: Republic World