Here are the top 5 stories of December 8, 2020:
The 'Bharat Bandh' called by various farmer groups today, protesting at border points of Delhi against the new farm laws, did not largely affect the normal lives of people across the country. At some places trains were cancelled, shops and commercial establishments were closed, roads were blocked and traffic disrupted due to the protests. In Rajasthan's Jaipur, there were reports of clashes between workers of the state's ruling Congress and the BJP. However, apart from noisy demonstrations, the protests as part of the Bharat Bandh were mostly peaceful.
Meanwhile, a day before the sixth round of talks between the protesting farmers and the Central government, farmer leaders have been invited to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Notably, after the fifth round of talks remained inconclusive, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar has called another meeting on December 9.
Leaders from different Opposition parties are likely to meet President Ram Nath Kovind on Wednesday evening over the ongoing farmers’ protest, raise their concerns about the three farm laws enacted by the Centre in September and seek their repeal.
NCP President Sharad Pawar on Tuesday said leaders from different political parties will discuss and take a collective stand on the contentious Farm Laws before meeting President Ram Nath Kovind.
Besides Pawar, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, CPI general secretary D Raja and DMK's TKS Elangovan will meet the President. Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi is also likely to join but there is no official confirmation yet.
The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Delhi today morning claimed that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had been put under house arrest, a day after he visited farmers protesting at the Singhu border. "BJP's Delhi Police has put Hon'ble CM Shri @ArvindKejriwal under house arrest ever since he visited farmers at Singhu Border yesterday. No one has been permitted to leave or enter his residence," AAP tweeted.
However, hours after the party's claim the Delhi Police rubbished it and said that there's absolutely no restriction whatsoever on his movement. "This claim of CM Delhi being put on house arrest is incorrect. He exercises his right to free movement within the law of the land," Delhi Police replied on Twitter. "The deployment which is being seen outside the residence of Chief Minister Kejriwal is the regular deployment for the security of the CM. We are coordinating with the CM's residence. Anyone whom they say they want to allow inside, we will allow," said DCP North, Delhi Police.
A 90-year-old woman named Margaret Keenan today became the first person in the world to receive Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine as part of the mass vaccination programme being rolled out across the UK. After being vaccinated, Maggie who turns 91 next week said, "I feel so privileged to be the first person vaccinated against COVID-19, it's the best early birthday present I could wish for because it means I can finally look forward to spending time with my family and friends in the New Year after being on my own for most of the year."
Meanwhile, the second person in the UK to receive COVID-19 vaccination today was an 81-year-old man from Warwickshire named William Shakespeare.
Australian bowlers held their nerves to come up trumps against the genius of Virat Kohli, stalling an Indian clean-sweep with a 12-run victory in the third and final T20 International in Sydney on Tuesday.
While India won the shortest format 2-1, it was overall an even result for the two teams which won three white-ball games each. Today's loss ended the visitors' 10-match winning streak in the format.
Kohli got as many as four reprieves and cashed in well enough to smash his way to 85 off 61 balls but India could only reach as far as 174/7 in their pursuit of 187 in 20 overs.
(With input from agencies)
