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India reports 14 fresh cases of new coronavirus strain, UK flight ban extended till January 7

The Union Health Ministry on Wednesday said 14 fresh cases of new coronavirus mutant strain have been registered in the country, taking the total number of cases to 20.

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The Union Health Ministry on Wednesday said 14 fresh cases of new coronavirus mutant strain have been registered in the country, taking the total number of cases to 20. The government has extended the suspension of flights to and from the UK till January 7 over the highly contagious coronavirus strain.

The aviation minister Hardeep Singh Puri tweeted that decision has been taken to extend the suspension of flights to the UK till January 7,2021. thereafter strictly regulated resumption will take place for which details would be announced soon.

The new UK variant genome of Sars-Co-V-2 has reached 20 based on the results of genome sequencing of positive samples released by the Indian Sars-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium labs. Of the total cases, seven cases have been recorded by Bengaluru lab, nine registered by Delhi labs, two in a Hyderabad lab, one in Pune lab and one in Kolkata lab.

The government has become alert as the new Covid-19 strain numbers are likely to surge. In wake of the new strain, all the flights to the UK have been earlier banned till December 31 and all the returnees arrived before the ban were being actively tested. However, the doctors have said that it is not confirmed whether the new mutant virus is more lethal or will be controlled by a vaccine.

On Tuesday, the government said six UK returnees were tested positive for the mutant virus. The health ministry had released a statement, saying that all the infected people have been isolated and kept at designated health care facilities by respective state governments.Their fellow travellers and close contacts have been also traced and quarantined, said the Union ministry adding that the genome sequencing on the other samples were currently carried out.

Last week, about 33,000 passengers were disembarked at various Indian airports from November 25 to midnight December 23. Each of them were being tracked and subjected by states to RT-PCR tests. The authorities have designated 10 Insacog labs namely CCS Pune, CCMB Hyderabad, CDFD Hyderabad, NIMHANS Bengaluru, IGI Delhi, NIBMG Kolkata,  NCDC Delhi, ILS Bhubaneshwar, NIV Pune and InSTEM Bengaluru. 

The health ministry earlier said that the situation was under careful watch and regular advice was being provided to the states authority for enhanced testing, surveillance, containment, and dispatch of samples to Insacog labs.

Also Read: Former Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah lashes out at BJP over anti-cow slaughter law

First detected in London in September, the UK authorities identified it as a matter of concern on December 14. The new strain is believed to be more infectious and transmissible and has been spreading fast across the world. So far, the presence of the new UK variant has already been reported by France, Netherlands, Australia, Denmark, Italy, Sweden, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, Canada, Lebanon, Japan and Singapore among others.

India News

PM Modi thanks voters of West Bengal, hails Syama Prasad Mookerjee dream

PM Narendra Modi welcomes BJP crossing majority in West Bengal, calling it a historic mandate by the people.

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PM Narendra Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi credited the BJP’s victory in the elections to the West Bengal Assembly elections 2026 to the people of the state and each and every party worker who has suffered in promoting the party and disseminating its message over the last 30-odd years. He thanked the people of Assam for re-electing the party.

Addressing party workers at the BJP headquarters, Modi invoked Jana Sangh found Syama Prasad Mookerjee, who worked for the purpose of a united Bengal, and Sri Aurobindo and said their spirits will be at peace at last. Paying paeans to the vision of Tagore, he recounted that the Nobel laureate had wished for a country where one can hold one’s head high without fear.
The PM said the people of Bengal have chosen the governance model of the party. He promised jobs for the youth, increased safety for women. He said the first cabinet meeting will implement Ayushman Bharat in the state. In the same breath, he promised to act against infiltrators decisively.
Pointing to the violence-less election this time, he said not one citizen has been hurt or killed while it many have died in previous polls.
He appealed to the workers of other parties to end the cycle of violence that had plagued the state for all this time and instead serve Bengal and its people.
The problems posed by the war in Iran found place in the PM’s speech. He noted that the whole country is at a disadvantage but people are soldiering on to achieve Viksit Bharat.
Referring to the importance of nari shakti in the development of India, he took potshots at the Congress and other opposition parties for opposing the women’s reservation bill. Modi reminded the audience that he had warned the Congress, Trinamool Congress and DMK for opposing it and they have been taught a lesson. Referring to Kerala, he said the BJP will see gains in the future. He mocked the Communist Party of India (Marxist) for not having any government left in the country after the loss of the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Left Democratic Front in Kerala.
Attacking the Congress, he said it has become the hub of urban naxals and said the people have thrown out communist thought in the country. The Congress has no understanding of the aspirations of the people. The BJP will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of Tamil Nadu and Kerala as well, he said.

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India News

BJP crosses majority in West Bengal, PM Narendra Modi says lotus blooms in first reaction

PM Modi hails BJP’s majority in West Bengal, calling it a historic mandate and thanking voters across the state.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday welcomed the Bharatiya Janata Party’s strong performance in the West Bengal Assembly elections 2026, saying the “lotus has bloomed” in the state as the party crossed the majority mark in early results.

In a post on X, Modi thanked the people of West Bengal and described the outcome as a reflection of public trust. He said he bows to every voter for their support, adding that the mandate reflects faith in governance and development-focused politics.

The BJP’s surge in the 294-seat assembly marks a significant political shift in the state, where the party has not previously formed a government. The results indicate a major challenge to the long-standing dominance of the Trinamool Congress.

The election is part of a broader round of state polls across India, where the BJP has shown strong momentum. The party’s performance in West Bengal is being seen as one of the most significant developments in this election cycle.

With counting trends favouring the BJP, focus now turns to final results and the formation of the new government in the state.

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Stalin loses Kolathur seat in Tamil Nadu results 2026 as TVK’s VS Babu scores upset

Media reports suggest MK Stalin has lost his Kolathur stronghold to TVK’s VS Babu in Tamil Nadu election results 2026.

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MK Stalin

In a significant political development in the Tamil Nadu Assembly election results 2026, Chief Minister M. K. Stalin is reported to have lost the Kolathur constituency, according to media reports based on counting data.

As per these reports, Stalin was defeated by V. S. Babu of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), marking a notable upset in a seat long regarded as a stronghold of the DMK leader.

Kolathur, located in Chennai, has been closely associated with Stalin for years, making the reported outcome particularly significant in the current election cycle. Earlier counting trends had indicated a tight contest, with Stalin trailing before the result was reported.

The development comes amid a strong showing by actor-turned-politician Vijay’s party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, which has performed competitively across several constituencies in the state, according to media reports.

While the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has been leading in multiple seats, the reported loss in Kolathur is being viewed as a key moment in the party’s overall performance.

Final results across Tamil Nadu are still being compiled as counting continues.

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