The big news: India’s Covid-19 vaccination drive to kickstart next week, and nine other top stories
Other headlines: An Indonesian plane is feared to have crashed with 62 people aboard, and a Chinese soldier was apprehended in India amid tensions at LAC.
A look at the headlines right now:
- India to start coronavirus vaccination drive from January 16, announces health ministry: PM Modi said the country is ready to save humanity with two ‘made in India’ coronavirus vaccines.
- Indonesian plane feared to have crashed with 62 aboard after losing contact with air control, says report: Rescuers said they have found debris in waters north of Jakarta, where the plane took off from.
- Chinese soldier apprehended by India across Line of Actual Control in Ladakh: The Indian Army said the soldier has been held from early on Friday, and that established protocols are being followed.
- 10 infants die in fire at Maharashtra district hospital, PM calls it a ‘heart-wrenching tragedy’: The fire broke out at the Sick Newborn Care Unit of the district hospital in Bhandara.
- Twitter permanently suspends Donald Trump’s account, cites ‘risk of further incitement of violence’: BJP leader Tejasvi Surya said the ban is a ‘wake up call for democracies’ and that this can happen to anyone.
- AIADMK endorses Palaniswami as CM candidate for Tamil Nadu elections, silent on alliance with BJP: The party’s general council empowered the chief minister and his deputy to finalise election alliances, seat-sharing strategy and candidate selection process.
- 23 Indian sailors stranded in Chinese waters for months to return next week, says minister: However, it is not clear when 16 other Indian seafarers on board MV Anastasia will return home.
- Three men allegedly gangrape, brutally injure 50-year-old woman in Jharkhand: The police have arrested two of the accused.
- ‘Aurangzeb was not secular,’ says Maharashtra CM as row with Congress over Aurangabad name continues: The Shiv Sena has renewed its old demand of changing the name of Aurangabad to Sambhajinagar in the run up to the civic elections.
- Air India’s all-women crew to operate longest non-stop flight from San Francisco to Bengaluru: The flight, operated on a Boeing 777-200LR aircraft, will last more than 17 hours.