Top 10 headlines: Raksha Mantri's Parl statement on IAF helicopter crash, Omicron and more

Raksha Mantri's Parliament Statement On CDS Gen Rawat's Demise At 11 AM In Lok Sabha

Following the tragic demise of Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will brief both houses of the Parliament on the chopper crash today, December 9. The Defence Minister will address the two houses and provide a statement on the chopper crash that took place in Tamil Nadu's Nilgiris district and claimed the lives of Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, his wife Dr Madhulika Rawat, and 11 members of his staff.

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CDS Bipin Rawat No More: UN Secy-General Guterres Mourns Death Of Top Indian Army Officer

In the aftermath of the tragic helicopter crash in the Coonoor district of Tamil Nadu, United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres mourned the demise of India's first Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat on Wednesday. Antonio Guterres' spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters in New York that Guterres expresses his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families of the deceased, to the people and the Government of India. 

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COVID-19: Maharashtra's 1st Omicron Patient Tests Negative, 'perfectly Fit' Says Official

In a slight relief to the ongoing concerns regarding the COVID-19 new variant, Maharashtra's Omicron patient has been discharged from the hospital after testing negative on Wednesday. The patient, a 33-year-old marine engineer who hails from Kalyan Dombivli municipal area, had arrived at the Delhi airport from South Africa via Dubai in the last week of November. The officials also informed that the man was not vaccinated against COVID-19. 

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Canada Announces Diplomatic Boycott Of 2022 Beijing Olympics After US, Australia & UK

Becoming the latest in Beijing’s 2020 Olympic Games’ diplomatic boycott, Canada on Wednesday made an official announcement that no ministers from the country will attend in defiance to China’s alleged human rights abuses in Xinjiang province against the minority Uyghur community. The ally of the US followed in the footsteps of the US, Australia and the UK after each announced a similar decision to boycott China.

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IAF Finds Black Box Of Mi-17V5 Helicopter That Crashed Killing Gen Bipin Rawat & 12 Others

In a major development, the black box of the Indian Air Force helicopter that crashed killing Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, his wife Dr Madhulika Rawat, and eleven members of his staff, has now been found. The security officials had earlier ramped up the search for the black box or the flight data recorder of the ill-fated Mi-17V5 helicopter. The helicopter had crashed near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday taking the lives of 13 persons present in it and leaving one other critically injured.

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From UN To North-East & Surgical Strike To CDS, Gen Rawat's Career Transcended Boundaries

India’s first-ever Chief Defense of Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat passed away on Wednesday after a helicopter carrying him, his wife Madhulika, his top-most military advisor and 10 others crashed in a heavily forested area in western Tamil Nadu. A four-star military general, he took the CDS office on December 31, 2019, after serving his three-year term as the Army Chief. A decorated and brave officer, he had played a pivotal role in many important missions of the Indian Armed Forces. 

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IAF Helicopter Crash: Agra Mourns Two-fold Tragedy After Wing Cdr Prithvi Singh's Demise

The incident of the IAF Mi-17V5 helicopter crash has shaken the entire country as the nation lost its first Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat, his wife and other brave officials. Meanwhile, Agra is mourning a two-fold tragedy as Wing Commander Prithvi Singh Chauhan who was flying the chopper also lost his life. The Wing Commander, 42, was posted at the Indian Air Force Station in Coimbatore but he was born and raised in Agra. His parents still reside in the Saran Nagar area of Agra.

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CDS Gen Rawat's Demise: Army Staff's Vice Chief Shortens Qatar Visit To Rush Back To Delhi

In the aftermath of the tragic demise of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat on Wednesday, Vice Chief of Army Staff (VCOAS) Lieutenant General Chandi Prasad Mohanty cut short his visit to Qatar to head back to Delhi. The Ministry of Defence informed that the Army Vice Chief had proceeded on his two-day visit to the GCC nation on December 8.

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Emmanuel Macron Berates EU's New Language Rules; Claims It Doesn't Defend Europe's Culture

French President Emmanuel Macron has criticised the European Commission for language rules which includes telling people as to what words they can use and what they cannot. He called on the EU to work on recovery and power and further added that he is not willing to follow the 'people can and can't use' rule implemented by European Commission, reported The Daily Mail. The statement of Macron came a week after the EU withdrew its guidelines for inclusive communication.

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New COVID-19 Strain Omicron Responsible For Less Than 1% Infections In US, Says CDC Chief

The chief of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated on Wednesday that even though more than 40 persons in the United States have been diagnosed with the novel COVID-19 omicron strain, yet, all of them were only mildly ill. Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the head of CDC told The Associated Press during an interview that the information is limited and the agency is currently focusing on a more extensive investigation to know more about the new mutant version and what it may mean for the United States. 

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