Top 10 Headlines: Death toll rises to 16 in Vaishno Devi incident; Raids at WazirX & More

Death toll rises to 16; MoS PMO arrives at Katra

As many as 16 people were killed and 13 others injured after a stampede occurred at Mata Vaishno Devi shrine on Saturday morning, Jammu and Kashmir's Director General of Police, Dilbag Singh said. "16 dead, 13 injured in the stampede at Mata Vaishno Devi Bhawan in Katra. The incident occurred around 2:45 am, and as per initial reports, an argument broke out which resulted in people pushing each other, followed by the stampede," Singh said. Union Minister Jitendra Singh inspects Vaishno Devi Bhawan stampede site with DGP Dilbag Singh in Katra.

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Omicron scare in Maharashtra: '10 ministers, 20 MLAs test COVID positive', says Ajit Pawar

Amid an alarming Omicron caseload of 454 and continuous rise in cases, on January 1 Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar stated that 10 ministers and over 20 Members of Legislative Assembly have tested COVID-19 positive in the state. On December 29, Tribal Development Minister KC Padavi and School Education Minister Varsha Gaikwad had confirmed that they had tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 and were under isolation. 

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Haridwar hate speech row: 2 more Hindu leaders booked including Yati Narasinghanand

Amid the furore over the hate speech spewed at the Haridwar Dharam Sansad, Uttarakhand DGP Ashok Kumar on Saturday named controversial Hindu leaders Sagar Sindhu Maharaj & Yati Narsinghanand Giri in the FIR. Apart from these two, Wasim Rizvi aka Jitendra Tyagi, Dharm Das and Annapurna have been named in the FIR. A Dharam Sansad was held in Haridwar last week where communal remarks were made against the Muslim community, ex-PM Manmohan Singh, Mahatma Gandhi.

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DGGI raids cryptocurrency firms WazirX, CoinSwitch over Tax Evasion; Rs 70 Cr seized

Cracking down on Cryptocurrency firms for tax evasion, the Directorate General of GST Intelligence on Saturday, conducted raids on half a dozen offices of Cryptocurrency exchange firms across India. According to sources, around Rs 70 crore worth of tax evasion has been detected during the crackdown on Cryptocurrency trade by Mumbai CGST and DGGI. The agency has also raided multiple firms in Uttar Pradesh linked to political parties over tax evasion.

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Abdullah & Mufti claim to be put under house arrest as NC-PDP cadres protest delimitation

Miffed at the delimitation process, the People's Alliance of Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) staged a protest in Srinagar on Saturday. Ahead of the protest, ex-CMs Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti claimed that they had been put under house arrest by the J&K administration. Both J&K NC and PDP leaders took to the streets and clashed with J&K police while protesting the Centre's move. 

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Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma unveils roadmap for 2022, makes key announcements on New Year

Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday interacted with the Editors and senior journalists at the State Guest House in Koinadhora. Many expected it to be an informal interaction, however, surprisingly, the Chief Minister came up with some major announcements on the first day of the year.

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UK's health agency finds booster dose reduces hospitalisation in Omicron cases by 88%

A new study conducted by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) found that vaccine booster dose reduces the possibility of hospitalisation by 88%. Although, according to the data, those who have taken both doses of the AstraZeneca, Pfizer or Moderna vaccines offer little protection against the new COVID variant, Omicron. Notably, in India, the majority of the population has had the Covishield vaccine-- which is manufactured by AstraZeneca. However, the researchers noted that the booster dose offers enough protection against hospitalisation.

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In Afghanistan, Taliban orders to 'behead female mannequins' citing Sharia law

The Taliban has again passed a contentious ruling wherein it ordered the clothing shops in Afghanistan's Herat province will have to "behead" female mannequins, reported Raha Press. According to a report by a local media organisation, the Directorate of Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (DPVPV) has ordered to behad female mannequins, as it violates contentious "Sharia" law.

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From T20 World Cup to marquee clash Vs Pakistan, a look at Team India's 2022 schedule

The Men in Blue head into 2022 with a 1-0 lead over the Proteas in the ongoing three-match Test series, being played as a part of India’s tour of South Africa 2021/2022. Having ended 2021 on a strong note by registering win at Centurion for the first time, Team India has many exciting home and away assignments scheduled for the year standing ahead. After the conclusion of the India vs South Africa Test series, both teams will lock horns in a three-match ODI series starting with the first ODI from January 19 at Paarl.

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Sushant Singh Rajput's sister Shweta extends New Year wishes; 'bhai will always live on'

With the onset of New Year, people have been looking back at some of the moments that they will cherish for lifetime. While there were reasons to rejoice the entire year, there had been certain casualties that created an impact in the hearts of many. Late actor Sushant Singh Rajput who passed away in 2020, was remembered by his sister Shweta Singh Kirti who penned a special note. 

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(Image: Republic)