Agitating farmer unions on Sunday remained firm on holding a tractor rally on Republic Day and vowed to continue their stir till the agri laws are repealed, even as Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar urged them to discuss alternatives to scrapping the legislation at the next meeting scheduled for January 19.

Farmers will carry out a tractor parade along Delhi's Outer Ring Road on Republic Day, announced Swaraj India leader Yogendra Yadav on Sunday, asserting that the parade will be conducted peacefully with the national flag.

Ahead of the upcoming West Bengal Assembly election, the Shiv Sena party on Sunday announced a major decision on the state assembly election. Maharashtra Chief Minister Udhhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena party has decided to contest the West Bengal Assembly Elections, party MP Sanjay Raut announced on Sunday.

Raut said the decision was taken after discussions with Maharashtra Chief Minister and Sena president Uddhav Thackeray.

A total of 447 Adverse Events Following Immunisation (AEFI) have been reported in the last two days of the massive inoculation drive against Covid-19 that is now underway in the country. Of them, three cases were serious in nature and required hospitalisation, the Union Health Ministry said on Sunday.

The three cases occurred at different hospitals cum vaccination centres, the ministry added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that India's coronavirus drive is based on humanitarian and very important principles and also laid emphasis on maintaining social distancing and the use of masks.

Speaking at the launch of the nationwide vaccination drive against the novel coronavirus via video conferencing, PM Modi said: India's coronavirus drive is based on humanitarian and very important principles. Those who need the vaccine the most will get the dose first. Those who are at high risk will get the vaccine shot at first. Doctors, nurses, sanitation staff at hospitals, medical and para-medical staff are the most deserving to get the vaccine dose first.

Samples of dead hens found in two villages in Parbhani and Beed districts, both in Marathwada region, of Maharashtra have tested positive for bird flu, following which culling of over 2,000 birds is being carried out on Saturday, officials said.

These samples were taken from Kupta village in Selu tehsil of Parbhani district and from Lokhandi Sawargaon village in Beed district.

The overall global coronavirus caseload has topped 93.7 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 2 million, according to the Johns Hopkins University.

In its latest update on Saturday morning, the University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed that the current global caseload and death toll stood at 93,787,372 and 2,006,987, respectively.

T Natarajan and Washington Sundar impressed on debut by taking three wickets and they were well supported by Shardul Thakur as India bowled Australia out for 369 at lunch on day 2 of the Brisbane Test. However, India would be slightly disappointed that they could not bowl Australia out quickly as the tail wagged again. Apart from Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon struck a brisk cameo in his 100th Test while Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood frustrated India into taking the extra half an hour to get the final wicket as Australia ended on a total that they would be reasonably pleased with on a wicket that is offering some movement to the pacers.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday launched India's vaccination drive against the novel coronavirus via video conferencing.

Billed as the world's largest vaccination program, covering the entire length and breadth of the country, the drive aims to first inoculate millions of its healthcare and frontline workers and reach an estimated 3 crore people by the end of its first phase.

Domestic air traffic slip­ped to a seven-year low in 2020 as a result of two-month lockdown. In 2013, airlines had flown 61.4 million.

In calendar year 2020, domestic airlines flew 63 million passengers, compared to 144.1 million in the previous year.

Diversified Mahindra Group on Friday said it has registered interest to seek COVID-19 vaccines for its employees, as per priorities and sequence to be specified by the government.

The farm equipment-to-aerospace conglomerate said it would take the responsibility for the inoculation of its employees rather than have the government subsidise them.

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