The major news headlines of the day, and more.
Farmers’ protests | Two unions withdraw from agitation citing Republic Day violence
Bharatiya Kisan Union (Bhanu) president Thakur Bhanu Pratap Singh said he was deeply pained by whatever happened during the tractor parade in the national capital, adding that his union was ending its protest. V.M. Singh of All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee said that it is withdrawing from the ongoing agitation as they cannot carry forward a protest with someone “whose direction is something else”.
Farmers’ protests | Republic Day violence a result of conspiracy, says Samyukt Kisan Morcha
Farmer unions have blamed the violence on a conspiracy hatched with the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee and with “anti-social elements such as Deep Sidhu”, as the Centre had been shaken by the agitation.
Farmers’ protests | Delhi Police detain 200 in connection with Republic Day violence
Security forces (back) stand guard as a police officer moves a barricade at the Singhu border in New Delhi on January 27, 2021. | Photo Credit: AFP
The Delhi Police have registered 22 FIRs so far in connection with the violence that left more than 300 policemen injured, officials said.
Sasikala released from prison after serving 4-year term
Prison officials announced her release at Victoria Hospital, where she is being treated for COVID-19.
Coronavirus | Covaxin vaccine effective against the U.K. variant, says study
Researchers from ICMR and Bharat Biotech post results on bioRxiv pre-print server. Pre-prints are yet to be peer-reviewed and published in medical journals.
Supreme Court stays Bombay High Court order on ‘skin-to-skin’ contact for sexual assault under POCSO Act
A Bench led by Chief Justice of India Sharad A. Bobde took cognisance instantaneously after Attorney General K.K. Venugopal made a special mention in court, saying the High Court decision would set a “very dangerous precedent” and cripple the intention of POCSO to punish sexual offenders.
Sourav Ganguly hospitalised again with discomfort in chest, parameters stable
The 48-year-old, who underwent angioplasty earlier this month after he was diagnosed with three blocked coronary arteries, felt “dizzy and slight discomfort in the chest” as he was rushed to a private hospital in the Salt Lake area near Kolkata for further diagnosis, a family source said.
Two happenings in my last week in office tended to cause offence in some quarters, says Hamid Ansari
The first was an address to the 25th Convocation of the National Law School of India University, Bengaluru, where his theme was “Two Obligatory Isms: Why Pluralism and Secularism Are Essential for our Democracy”. The second was an “unscripted interview to Karan Thapar on Rajya Sabha TV on 9 August 2017, which covered all aspects of the work of the Vice-President. Mr. Ansari makes these comments in his latest book By Many a Happy Accident: Recollections of a Life.
Supreme Court declines to pass order to protect Tandav makers, artists from arrest
A three-judge Bench led by Justice Ashok Bhushan asked them to approach lower courts concerned for interim relief, including bail. The court also rejected their plea to quash the FIRs.
Antony Blinken sworn in U.S. Secretary of State
After his 78 to 22 confirmation at the Senate, new U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken had an administrative swearing-in at the State Department, after which he got to work and spoke to his counterparts from Japan, South Korea, Canada, and Mexico on the phone.
Almost all Republicans vote to dismiss Trump impeachment trial, suggesting conviction is unlikely
All but five of the U.S. Senate’s 50 Republicans unsuccessfully attempted to block the impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump from progressing, in a vote on the constitutionality of impeaching a former President.
Twitter grants academics full access to public data, but not for suspended accounts
Twitter said academic researchers will be able to tap into all the tools released to date on a new API platform, which will enable them to listen to and analyse public conversations.
Facebook to provide data on targeted political ads to researchers
Both Facebook and Google have currently paused political ads after the U.S. presidential election as part of measures to police misinformation and other abuses.
Coronavirus | Confusion over AstraZeneca-EU talks on COVID-19 vaccine delay
An EU official said that AstraZeneca had abruptly pulled out of the meeting — the third called for this week — in what was seen as an escalation in the contractual row over the deliveries. But shortly afterwards AstraZeneca issued a statement saying: “We can confirm we have not pulled out, we will be attending the meeting with EU officials later today (January 27).”
ICC ODI rankings | Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma retain top two spots for batsmen
Jasprit Bumrah stays at the third spot in the bowler’s list.
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