Top 10 Headlines: WHO approves Covaxin; PM Modi likely to visit LoC on Diwali & more

PM Modi Likely To Visit LoC For Diwali Celebrations With Army Jawans: Sources

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will likely celebrate Diwali with Indian Army soldiers deployed on the Line of Control (LoC), thereby keeping the tradition alive. According to Republic sources, the Prime Minister is expected to visit the Western border and celebrate Diwali in Rajouri in Jammu and Kashmir. Last year, PM Modi had visited the border areas in Rajasthan for Diwali celebrations with soldiers. In addition, the Prime Minister will also likely review the Indian Army's preparedness on the border. During his visit to Longewala in Jaisalmer last year, PM Modi hailed the jawans and said that the country is proud of the strength and bravery of the soldiers. 

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UP polls: Akhilesh Yadav Announces Intent To Ally With Uncle's Party; Ready To Give Him 'respect'

In a key development on Wednesday, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav announced his intention to forge an alliance with his uncle Shivpal Yadav's Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia) for the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls. At present, Shivpal Yadav is the MLA from the Jaswantnagar Assembly constituency from where he has been winning since 1996. Since leaving SP, he has been heading the PSP(L)- a party that he formed on August 29, 2018. The SP president's desire to tie up with regional parties comes even as he has exuded confidence in winning 400 seats. 

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WHO Approves Bharat Biotech's Covaxin COVID Vaccine For Emergency Use

In a big development, the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) on Wednesday recommended Emergency Use Listing (EUL) status for Bharat Biotech COVID-19 vaccine Covaxin to the World Health Organisation (WHO). The WHO has subsequently approved Covaxin for emergency use.

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Sameer Wankhede's Supporters Gather Outside NCB Office Amid Nawab Malik's Constant Attacks

Amid the ongoing controversy surrounding Maharashtra Minister Nawab Malik's extortion allegations, Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede arrived at the NCB office in Mumbai on Wednesday. Wankhede was welcomed by supporters here amid political attacks against him continues. Sameer Wankhede and his family members have been facing political attacks for some time now.

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Review meeting with districts: PM Modi Warns Against Laxity In Vaccination Drive; Encourages DMs To Use Innovation

Chairing a review meeting with District Magistrates of 45 districts having low vaccine coverage on Wednesday, PM Modi cautioned against any laxity in the inoculation drive. As these districts pan across Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Haryana, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tamil Nadu, the CMs of these states also participated in this interaction. The PM encouraged the DMs to adopt innovative methods and micro-level strategies to boost vaccination in their respective districts. 

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Kangana Ranaut Backs Sadhguru & Firecrackers; Says 'Perfect Answer To Diwali Activists'

Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut recently took to her verified Instagram handle and backed Isha Foundation founder and mystic Sadhguru over his argument on not banning firecrackers. The actor reposted the video by Sadhguru and praised him for planting millions of trees. She also stated that Sadhguru's explanation is a 'perfect answer' to all the Diwali environment activists. 

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Covaxin's Shelf Life Extended By CDSCO To 12 Months; Bharat Biotech Issues Statement

In a key development, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) on Wednesday approved the extension of the shelf life of Bharat Biotech's Covaxin up to 12 months from the date of manufacturing. In a statement issued by Bharat Biotech, the Indian vaccine manufacturer stated that the approval has been granted on the basis of the availability of the additional stability data, which was earlier submitted with CDSCO. With the submission of the additional stability data, the company had sought approval for the extension of the shelf-life of its vaccine to 24 months. 

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NIA Arrests Suspected JMB Terrorist From South 24 Parganas In West Bengal

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested a Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) terrorist from West Bengal on Tuesday. According to the NIA, the agency sleuths arrested the terrorist from West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district after acting on a tip-off. The NIA further revealed that its personnel conducted a search operation in Subhasgram area on Tuesday and apprehended the Bangladeshi national.

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Nokia Claims Top 5G Speed Of 9.85 Gbps On Vi Network During Trials

Telecom gear maker Nokia India on Wednesday claimed to have recorded a top speed of 9.85 Gigabit per second on Vodafone Idea network during the ongoing 5G trials. The company has achieved the top speed in back end data transmission, which means connecting mobile base stations network, during the trials in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. "Together with Vi, we achieved 9.85 Gbps of backhaul capacity using E-band microwave in 80 GHz spectrum, unlocking the potential of deploying 5G," Nokia India said in a tweet. The high frequency zone of E band is proposed to be used to connect mobile networks in the back end and data speed in these bands are expected to match the transmission levels of optical fibers.

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Bihar Bypolls: Campaigning By Lalu Yadav Backfired For RJD, Claims Union Minister Paras

After JD(U) swept the Bihar bypolls, Union Minister Pashupati Kumat Paras on Tuesday contended that the campaigning by Lalu Yadav had backfired for RJD. The younger brother of the late Ram Vilas Paswan, Paras currently heads one of the LJP factions- Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party. Thanking the people of Bihar, he mentioned that his party had put in a lot of effort in both Kusheshwar Asthan as well as Tarapur. According to him, Yadav who returned to Bihar after three years had a negative impact on voters as they relived memories of his party's infamous 15-year tenure in power. 

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