Republic Top 10 Headlines: PM Modi to chair COVID review meet, India-UK FTA talks & more

Karnataka Congress Suspends Super Spreader Padyatra Amid Huge Outrage, Pins Blame On BJP

After nearly three Congress leaders including Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge who inaugurated and participated in Mekedatu Padyatra tested positive, the event has been temporarily called off. The announcement was made by the state's opposition leader, Siddaramaiah. Moreover, the event might get rescheduled once the cases are reduced. Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai had also written a letter to Opposition Party Leader Siddaramaiah and KPCC President DK Shivakumar requesting then to withdraw the protest. 

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PM Modi to chairs COVID-19 review meeting with CMs of all state at 4:30pm

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will interact with Chief Ministers of all states on Thursday, January 13, to discuss the current COVID-19 related situation. The interaction will take place virtually between PM Modi and the CMs at 4:30 PM. PM Modi had last chaired a meeting to review the COVID-19 situation on January 9. The meeting was attended virtually by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, the Aviation Secretary, Home Secretary, Cabinet Secretary, Chairman of the Railway Board, and other senior officials.

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Arvind Kejriwal Reveals 'asked Bhagwant Mann To Be AAP's Punjab CM Face',seeks Public View

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National convener Arvind Kejriwal has now said that the party will be taking opinions from the public to pick the CM candidate in Punjab. Speaking at a press conference in Chandigarh, Arvind Kejriwal said that the name of the Chief Minister face for Punjab from his party will be announced in consensus with the public. The Delhi CM announced a phone number that the people of Punjab can use to inform their choice in the party’s CM candidate. The AAP leader also hinted that party leader Bhagwant Mann remains a favourite for the post.

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India-UK To Discuss Array Of Trade Opportunities As Goyal & Trevelyan Begin FTA Talks

Union Minister for Trade and Commerce Piyush Goyal on Thursday formally initiated India-UK Free Trade Talks in a meeting with his British counterpart Anne-Marie Trevelyan. In a tweet, the Union Minister informed that the negotiations "will be held over an array of trade opportunities of mutual interest" benefiting both India and Britain. The meeting came after UK Secretary of International Trade, Trevelyan, arrived in India on Wednesday, in a bid to expand UK's effort to secure post-Brexit trade deals with countries. 

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Lata Mangeshkar Health Update: Singer Remains In ICU For COVID Treatment But 'improving'

Lata Mangeshkar continued to be under treatment after being diagnosed with COVID-19. The singer has been hospitalised after testing positive for the virus. She is also suffering from pneumonia. In the latest update on her health, it has been informed that there is a slight improvement in her health. The doctor treating the Bharat Ratna singer has shared that she continues to remain in the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital.

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Australian Open: Novak Djokovic To Defend Title, Set To Face Miomir Kecmanovic In RD1

The cloud hovering over Novak Djokovic's participation at the Australian Open has finally ended with the current World No.1 set to defend his 10th Australian Open crown. The buildup to the tournament for the nine-time Australian Open tennis champion has not been great as he had to fight his way through detention after his visa was revoked over some irregularities found in his application. 

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China's 'debt-trap Diplomacy' Fuels Sri Lanka's Foreign Exchange Crisis: Report

Sri Lanka is currently witnessing a severe foreign exchange crisis, which has been increased manifold by its inability to meet the monetary obligations to China on several projects, the Singapore Post reported. The situation further deteriorated as Sri Lanka failed to meet the maturity dates of the International Sovereign Bonds (ISBx) debt, amounting to over $8 billion in projects. The initiatives included the Hambantota Port that forced Colombo to incur losses instead of generating revenue.

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US: Biden Acknowledges 'more Work To Do With Price Increase' As Inflation Soars 7% In 2021

As the United States witnessed a record high year-on-year inflation rate, President Joe Biden confessed that the government has to ramp up steps to mitigate the "price increase." Noting the latest figures published by the US Bureau Labour Statistics (BLS), he added that although there has been a progress in curbing the acceleration of inflation, but  there is "more work to do" in order to bring the situation under control. His acknowledgment comes as food and fuel prices have been soaring in America, adding to political pressure on the president and Federal Reserves, Sky News reported.

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US Sanctions North Korean, Russian Individuals Following Pyongyang's Missile Launches

The United States on Wednesday announced sanctions on eight North Korean and Russian individuals and entities responsible for procuring goods for Pyongyang's weapons programs. In a press note, the Treasury Department stated that the moves were in line with US efforts to prevent the advancement of North Korea’s weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and ballistic missile programs. It is also to impede attempts by North Korea to proliferate missile-related technologies. 

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Moderna Likely To Present COVID-19 Vaccine Trial Data For Kids Aged 2-5 In March

Moderna on Wednesday, January 12 announced that it will soon present the data related to the efficacy of its COVID-19 vaccines among the children aged 2 to 5 by  March. According to several reports, the pharmaceutical firm has been evaluating the effectiveness of the booster shot currently for the kids aged 12-17 but will conduct trials for the children aged younger. The announcement comes as the US continues to witness a spike in the COVID-19 hospitalisations among the children, and Moderna seeks to get approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the months to follow to expand the availability. 

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