Republic top 10 headlines: Surat chemical tanker leak kills 5, Kazakhstan crisis & more

Maharashtra Congress Chief Sparks Row; Avers 'Punjab Farmers Showed PM Modi His Place'

Stoking a controversy on Wednesday, Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole made light of PM Modi's security breach in Punjab by dubbing it a "drama". Addressing the media, he asserted that the PM had deliberately created this situation to divert attention from the lack of crowds at his Ferozepur rally. Justifying the road blockade which potentially put PM Modi's life in danger, Patole contended that farmers had shown the latter his place. Moreover, the Congress leader alleged that the PM had himself flouted the SPG protocol. 

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Novak Djokovic To Be Deported From Australia Before 21st Grand Slam Bid In Anti-vax Row

Australia has cancelled the visa of Men's Tennis World number 1 Novak Djokovic who had secured a medical exemption from the country's government in order to participate in the Australian Open despite allegedly being unvaccinated and admittedly unwilling, Australian media reported early on Thursday. Djokovic has in the past stated his opinion against vaccines and is said to have remained tight-lipped on his vaccination status. 

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Covishield & Covaxin To Be Used For Booster Dose; People To Get Same Vaccine As 1st 2 Jabs

In a big development ahead of the booster dose rollout phase, the Union Health Ministry announced that the precautionary dose will be of the same vaccine as the first two jabs. Briefing the media on Wednesday, NITI Aayog Member (Health) Dr. VK Paul stated that those who have been administered Covishield and Covaxin will receive the third dose of the same vaccine.

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Rahul Gandhi Likely To Return From 'personal Visit' To Italy In 2nd Week Of January

Cutting it very close to 5 state polls, ex-Congress chief Rahul Gandhi will most likely return to India from Italy from the second week of January, reported ANI sources on Wednesday. Gandhi, who has flown abroad to ring in the New year, faces unprecedented infighting in his party. Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa and Manipur go to polls in February 2022.

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Surat Chemical Tanker Leak Kills 5, Injures 25 Others; Gujarat CM Condoles Incident

Five workers of a dyeing factory died and over a dozen others were hospitalised after they inhaled toxic fumes emanating from a chemical tanker parked nearby in Surat district of Gujarat on Thursday, officials said. The workers were sleeping inside the factory, they said. The workers were sleeping inside the factory, they said.

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Grammy Awards Postponed Due To Surge In Omicron Variant Cases Of COVID In US

Amidst the news about the cancellation of several award ceremonies and events, another shocking news just arrived the fans' way. It was recently announced that the prestigious Grammy awards 2022 will not be held in Los Angeles due to a sudden surge in Omicron cases around the world. The organisers issued an official statement and revealed that they have postponed the 64th Annual Grammy Awards show and also mentioned that the health and safety of those in the music community will remain their top priority. 

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BSF Suspends Public Entry To Attari-Wagah Border Beating Retreat Ceremony Amid COVID Woes

Amid concern over the rise in COVID-19 cases, the Border Security Force (BSF) on Wednesday informed that the public entry to the daily flag-lowering retreat ceremony along the India-Pakistan border in Attari will be stopped. The BSF in a statement said that the action will be practised with “immediate effect”. Earlier, the ceremony was suspended for over a year since the first COVID induced lockdown on March 7, 2020.

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UN Urges For Peace & Conversation Amid Widespread Demonstrations In Kazakhstan Over Fuel price Hike

As the unrest in Kazakhstan has led to huge protests due to fuel price surges, The United Nations has voiced concerns about the turmoil in the nation and has called for restraint. UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said, "We are obviously following with concern and are monitoring the situation in Kazakhstan," Xinhua reported.

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India's First Crypto Index IC15 Launched: List Of Top 15 Cryptocurrencies In IC15 Index

Cryptocurrency app Cryptowire has now launched a crypto index in India to monitor the 15 most traded cryptocurrencies in the world. The cryptocurrency index known as IC15 will analyse and monitor the performance of the top coins listed on leading exchanges in the world. According to a press release from the company, the launch of the index is intended to escalate awareness and knowledge around the crypto and blockchain ecosystem among fresh investors.

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BJP Blames Congress For Attack On Party Worker & Sabotaging PM Modi's Rally In Firozpur

Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat visits Moga Hospital and inquires about the condition of a Modi supporter who has been injured. The Congress's rage is definitely obvious, according to the Union Minister. Devpriya Tyagi, who was on the way to the Ferozepur protest, was allegedly assaulted by Congress goons, according to Shekhawat. Similarly, individuals who came to hear PM Modi speak at the gathering were exposed to violence in numerous areas.

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