Latest News LIVE: Delhi has a population of more than two crore, spread across 11 districts. (File)
Delhi is moving towards herd immunity from coronavirus, with 50 to 60 per cent of people in one district having developed antibodies to the virus, the latest round of sero-survey has found, sources said. Herd immunity is what the authorities are trying to achieve with the vaccination programme, in which a critical mass of immune people can stop the spread of the virus by breaking the chain of transmission.
Delhi has a population of more than two crore, spread across 11 districts. For the current survey -- conducted by the Delhi government in association with the National Centre for Disease Control -- scientists had collected the samples of over 25,000 people from various districts across the city.
Official figures from the health ministry say only 6.33 lakh people have been found infected in Delhi. But the survey indicates that the total figure could be more than 1 crore, sources said.
Meanwhile, ahead of their proposed tractor parade on Republic Day, protesting farmer Unions Monday announced they will march towards Parliament from different locations on February 1 when the annual Union Budget is scheduled to be presented.
Darshan Pal of the Krantikari Kisan Union said the protesting farmers remain firm in their stand of repealing the three new farm laws and their agitation will continue till their demands are met.
"We will march towards Parliament on foot from different locations on the budget day on February 1. As far as tomorrow's tractor rally is concerned, it will give the government an idea of our strength and they will know the agitation is not just limited to Haryana or Punjab but it is an agitation of whole of the country," he said.
Here are the Latest News LIVE Updates:
JD(U) Becomes First Major Bihar Party To Launch Own MouthpieceJanata Dal United on Monday became the first major party in Bihar to have its own mouthpiece, that will be published monthly both in Hindi as well as English, reported news agency PTI.
The inaugural issue of "JD(U) Sandhaan" was launched at the party's state headquarters in Patna by its national president RCP Singh.
Mr Singh said the party, under the leadership of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, has remained committed to realising the dreams of Mahatma Gandhi, Jayaprakash Narayan, Ram Manohar Lohia, BR Ambedkar and Karpoori Thakur.
AAP Workers Attacked Congress Leaders At Singhu Border, Alleges Amarinder Singh
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Monday blamed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers for the attack on state Congress Member of Parliament Ravneet Singh Bittu and Member of Legislative Kulbir Singh Zira at Delhi's Singhu Border, reported news agency ANI.
"The farmers had been protesting peacefully at the Delhi border for two months without resorting to any such acts. AAP workers present near the Kisan Sansad attacked and manhandled Ravneet Singh Bittu and Kulbir Singh Zira. AAP, and not farmers, are responsible for the attack," said Amarinder Singh while speaking to the media in Patiala.
He claimed that the only agenda of AAP is to weaken the farmers' fight by creating trouble at the behest of the BJP. "They (AAP) should understand that this country is thriving on "lokshahi" (democracy) and not "dhakashahi" (push and shove)," said the Chief Minister.
Security Tightened At Bombay Suburban Electric Supply Stations In Delhi After Threats Of Power Disruption
Delhi Police have beefed-up security at all power sub-stations and grids across the national capital in view of a threat received by a power distribution company over disruption of power supply in the national capital, reported news agency ANI. Delhi Police said it has beefed up security at the power grid and power substations of Bombay Suburban Electric Supply (BSES) in the national capital after a threat was received by the company about the disruption of power supply in Delhi. The police have also issued an alert to power distribution companies in view of the threat posed by banned outfit Sikhs for Justice.
COVID Warriors Protest In Kolkata Over Job Loss At Hospitals As Covid Cases Decline
A group of people who lost their temporary jobs at various hospitals, after a decline in the number of new COVID-19 patients across West Bengal, took out a rally on Monday in Kolkata demanding permanent employment as per qualifications, reported news agency PTI. They had got the jobs during the peak of the coronavirus pandemic. However, the state health department recently decided to terminate their contracts.
Coronavirus Latest News: Migrant Workers At Bengal's Covid Hospital Wards Seek Job SecurityMigrant workers hired by the West Bengal government to assist patients in COVID-19 wards at public hospitals protested on Monday outside the Health Department after some of them were released from duty because the number of patients has declined and the vaccine is here.
Some 680 migrant workers had been employed since July last year and deployed at designated COVID-19 hospitals across the state. They were contracted first for two months, then an additional three months and again for four more.
But on January 20, one of the hospitals issued marching orders to eight out of 10 such assistants who had served there. The others said they had been told their services too would be terminated from March 31.
Covid Far From Over, But Winter Can't Stop Arrival Of Spring: Xi JinpingCalling for greater international cooperation, Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday said the pandemic is far from over despite initial progress made by the world in fighting COVID-19, but asserted that "winter cannot stop the arrival of spring".
In a special address at the World Economic Forum's online Davos Agenda Summit, Xi Jinping also said the pandemic should be an excuse for reversing gains from globalisation and promised further opening up of the Chinese economy.
"Guided by science, reason and humanitarian spirit, the world has achieved initial progress in fighting COVID-19," the president said.
Coronavirus Latest News: Mexico To Get 24 Million Russian Sputnik V Virus Vaccine DosesMexico agreed on Monday to acquire 24 million doses of Russia's Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said after talking with President Vladimir Putin by telephone.
Lopez Obrador, who himself announced on Sunday that he had Covid-19, said on Twitter that he thanked Putin "for the decision to send us 24 million doses of the Sputnik V vaccine."
The controversial shot has yet to be approved by Mexico's health regulator.
Shinzo Abe, SP Balasubrahmanyam Among Padma Vibhushan RecipientsFormer Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and music legend SP Balasubrahmanyam have been awarded the Padma Vibhushan, the second highest civilian award in India, the government announced today. Celebrated singer SP Balasubrahmanyam was conferred the honour posthumously. He died in a Chennai hospital last year after almost two months of treatment.
Former chief minister of Assam Tarun Gogoi and former union minister Ram Vilas Paswan have also been awarded the Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian award posthumously. Former Lok Sabha speaker Sumitra Mahajan has also been conferred the Padma Bhushan.
Delhi Moving Towards Herd Immunity From Covid, Indicates Sero-SurveyDelhi is moving towards herd immunity from coronavirus, with 50 to 60 per cent of people in one district having developed antibodies to the virus, the latest round of sero-survey has found, sources said. Herd immunity is what the authorities are trying to achieve with the vaccination programme, in which a critical mass of immune people can stop the spread of the virus by breaking the chain of transmission.
Delhi has a population of more than two crore, spread across 11 districts. For the current survey -- conducted by the Delhi government in association with the National Centre for Disease Control -- scientists had collected the samples of over 25,000 people from various districts across the city.
Official figures from the health ministry say only 6.33 lakh people have been found infected in Delhi. But the survey indicates that the total figure could be more than 1 crore, sources said.
Farmers' Protest Latest News: "Gave Best Offer To Farmers, Hope They Take It", Says Agriculture MinisterUnion Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Monday termed the government's proposal to suspend new farm laws for 1-1.5 years as the "best offer" and hoped that the protesting farmers' unions will soon reconsider it and convey their decision.
The talks between the government and 41 protesting farm unions have remained inconclusive even after 11 rounds of discussions. During the 10th round of talks, the government had climbed down and offered a proposal to keep the new laws in abeyance for 1-1.5 years, but it was rejected by the unions.
In the 11th round of discussion, the government asked unions to reconsider the proposal and convey their final decision.
Covid Cost 4 Times More Jobs Than 2009 Financial Crisis: UNThe coronavirus pandemic took a huge toll on global jobs last year, the United Nations said Monday, with the equivalent of more than a quarter of a billion lost.
In a fresh study, the UN's International Labour Organization (ILO) found that a full 8.8 percent of global working hours were lost in 2020, compared to the fourth quarter of 2019.
That is equivalent to 255 million full-time jobs, or "approximately four times greater than the number lost during the 2009 global financial crisis," the ILO said in a statement.
"This has been the most severe crisis for the world of work since the Great Depression of the 1930s," ILO chief Guy Ryder told reporters in a virtual briefing.
Farmers' Protest LIVE Updates: Security Tightened In Punjab, Haryna In View Of Republic Day CelebrationsSecurity has been stepped up across Punjab and Haryana ahead of Republic Day celebrations on Tuesday, officials said.
Adequate security personnel have been deployed in Haryana's Sonipat, Panipat and Jhajjar, the districts near the national capital, in view of the farmers' tractor parade in Delhi on January 26, they said on Monday.
Services of bomb disposal squad and sniffer dog units were being taken to sensitise the vulnerable places across Punjab and Haryana, and the vehicles entering the two states were being checked thoroughly, the officials said.
Punjab Governor and Administrator of Chandigarh VP Singh Badnore will unfurl the tricolour at a state-level function in Mohali.
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh will hoist the national flag at Patiala.
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, there will be no large public gathering during the Republic Day functions, the officials said.
On Monday, the Haryana government released a revised list regarding unfurling of the national flag by some top dignitaries on Republic Day.
According to an official statement here, a change has been made in the venue where Chief Minister ML Khattar will unfurl the tricolour.
He will now unfurl the tricolour at an event in Panchkula instead of Panipat.
Though no reason was given in the statement regarding change in the venue, sources said it had to be changed following the movement of a large number of farmers from Punjab and Haryana to Delhi for the tractor parade.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates: Dubai Restaurants Offer Discounts For Vaccinated DinersDubai restaurants have begun offering discounts to customers who have been inoculated against coronavirus, amid a vaccination drive as the emirate seeks to fight the pandemic without closing its doors.
The United Arab Emirates says it has already vaccinated some 2.5 million of its population of about 10 million, the second highest rate globally after Israel.
"Spread love, not Rona," say social media fliers for three restaurants run by Gates Hospitality, offerings a 10 percent discount to residents who have taken the first dose of a vaccine and 20 percent for those who have taken two.
Russia registers 19,290 COVID-19 cases in past 24 hours
Russia registered 19,290 COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours, down from 21,127 the day before, taking the tally to 3,738,690, the coronavirus response center said on Monday.
Uttar Pradesh reports 220 new COVID-19 cases, seven fatalities
Uttar Pradesh reported 220 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, pushing the state's infection tally to 5,98,907, while the death count climbed to 8,624 with seven more fatalities.
The number of active cases of the disease in the state now stands at 6,813, PTI reported.
Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar terms government's proposal to suspend new farm laws for 1-1.5 years as "best offer" and hopes that protesting farmers' unions will soon reconsider it and convey their decision, PTI reported.
BJP hatching conspiracy to refuse diesel for farmers' tractor rally: Akhilesh Yadav
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav accused the BJP of hatching a conspiracy against farmers by issuing directions for non-provision of diesel for their tractor rally on Tuesday, while the BSP requested the Centre to withdraw the three contentious agriculture laws, PTI reported.
Iran to receive first shipment of COVID-19 vaccines from COVAX soonIran is soon expected to receive its first batch of foreign vaccines against the coronavirus from the World Health Organization-led COVID-19 vaccine procurement and distribution initiative, the COVAX Facility, the state-run IRNA news agency reported on Monday, citing an official.
According to Mostafa Ghaneie, the head of the country's Scientific Committee of Coronavirus Combat and Prevention Headquarters, the COVAX vaccines will be delivered to Iran in the next few weeks, ANI reported.
Joe Biden may impose South Africa travel ban to combat new COVID-19 variant
President Joe Biden will impose a ban on most non-U.S. citizens entering the country who have recently been in South Africa starting Saturday in a bid to contain the spread of a new variant of COVID-19, a senior U.S. public health official told Reuters.
Biden on Monday is also reimposing an entry ban on nearly all non-U.S. travelers who have been in Brazil, the United Kingdom, Ireland and 26 countries in Europe that allow travel across open borders.
COVID-19 test positivity rate going up in Kerala, virus spread beyond control, says Indian Medical Association official
The coronavirus test positivity rate in Kerala is going up and the spread of the virus in the state is "beyond control", said Dr Rajeev Jayadevan, Scientific Advisor, Indian Medical Association (IMA), Kerala on Monday.
He added the Intensive Care Units (ICU) dedicated to COVID-19 patients in the state are also getting full, ANI reported.
Just In: Government warns of penal action against those who spread false information about Covid-19 vaccines
Beant Singh Assassination Case: Top Court gives 2 weeks to centre to On killer's mercy plea
The Supreme Court today gave the Central government a last chance of two weeks to decide on the mercy plea of Balwant Singh Rajoana, a convict in the case of the assassination of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh in 1995.
The top court had earlier, too, pulled up the Centre for dithering on the matter. In a hearing on December 4, 2020, it had cited a letter written by the Union Home Ministry to the Punjab government in September 2019, in which the government said that a proposal to commute Rajoana's death sentence would be sent to the President. (Read full story
here)
Farm laws news: Mayawati requests Centre to withdraw farm laws ahead of Republic Day celebrations
Ahead of Republic Day celebrations, Bahujan Samajwadi Party chief Mayawati on Monday requested the Centre to withdraw the farm laws so that no untoward incident takes place in the national capital.
In a tweet in Hindi, Mayawati said, "To fulfill the demands of the agitating farmers, BSP requests the Central Government to withdraw these farm laws. I hope that no new tradition starts on Republic Day and there is no untoward incident in the national capital."
Farmers from all across the country are expected to march towards Delhi in order to take part in the scheduled rally. Tractors from Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan have reached on Tikri border as the farmers sit in for protest for nearly two months.
ISI-Khalistan Conspiracy To Disrupt Farmers' R-Day Tractor Rally: Sources
Pakistan-based ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence) and "rogue elements linked to Khalistani outfits" are likely to hijack and disrupt the tractor rally planned by farmers in Delhi tomorrow to intensify their agitation against the new farm laws, sources in the Delhi Police have said, stressing that "a huge conspiracy has been hatched". The farmers' bodies have been asked to stay alert after they were allowed on Sunday to take out the rally on Republic Day. (Read full story
here)
Kerala Covid Rise Due To Low Testing, Contact Tracing: SourcesOf the 13,203 coronavirus cases reported in India in the last 24 hours, 6,036 cases or nearly 45 per cent of the infections were reported from Kerala.
At least 11 districts in the southern state, including state capital Thiruvananthapuram, are among the top 20 district that continue to report high number of daily infections in the country, sources in the Health Ministry told NDTV.
"Apart from Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam, Alleppey, Kottayam and Pathanamthitta have been reporting high number of infections," they said, citing lack of contact tracing and low number of testing as the main reason for the increase in Covid cases in the state. (Read full story
here)
Of the 13,203 coronavirus cases reported in India in the last 24 hours, 6,036 cases or nearly 45 per cent of the infections have been reported from Kerala.
At least 11 districts in the southern state, including state capital Thiruvananthapuram, are among the top 20 district that continue to report high number of daily infections in the country, sources in the Health Ministry told NDTV.
"Apart from Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam, Alleppey, Kottayam and Pathanamthitta have been reporting high number of infections," they said, citing lack of contact tracing and low number of testing as the main reason for the increase in Covid cases in the state.
JUST IN: 13,203 fresh COVID-19 cases in India, 11% lower than yesterday; 1.06 crore total cases, 1,53,470 deaths
Coronavirus news: Mexican president Lopez Obrador says he has COVID-19
Mexican president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador announced Sunday that he was infected with the coronavirus, but said his symptoms are mild and he feels optimistic.
"I regret to inform you that I am infected with Covid-19. The symptoms are mild but I am already undergoing medical treatment," the 67-year-old said in a message on social media.
"As always, I am optimistic," added the leftwing populist, who is rarely seen wearing a mask in public and has kept up most of his activities during the pandemic.
Lopez Obrador said that he would continue to work from the presidential palace and delegated the interior ministry to represent him this week at his daily news conference.
COVID-19: India recorded 14,849 fresh cases, 155 more fatalities on SundayIndia's COVID-19 caseload went up to 1,06,54,533 on Sunday with 14,849 people testing positive for the coronavirus infection in a day, while the number of recoveries has surged to 1,03,16,786, according to the health ministry.
The number of dead due to the viral disease has climbed to 1,53,339 with 155 more fatalities, the ministry''s data updated at 8 am showed.
The number of people who have recuperated from the disease has surged to 1,03,16,786, pushing the national COVID-19 recovery rate to 96.83 per cent, while the case fatality rate stands at 1.44 per cent.
The active COVID-19 caseload of the country remained below two lakh for the fifth consecutive day.
Kerala Reports Highest Daily Covid Cases, Fatality Rate Among Lowest
Kerala continues to report the highest COVID-19 cases in India with the Test Positivity Rate at an high of 12 per cent as against the national average which stands at 1.9 per cent. The state government says COVID-19 cases in Kerala are at a plateau and the current numbers are not unexpected.
"The testing in Kerala is a concern and the Indian Medical Association (IMA) had earlier recommended that daily testing needs to be increased to around 1 lakh. But the per day testing still continues to be between 40,000 to 60,000," Dr Sulphi Noohu, member of IMA's central committee, said. (Read full story
here)
Nepal PM Expelled From Ruling Party Amid Political Chaos: Report
The rival faction of the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) on Sunday removed Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli from the party, amid increasing political unrest following his decision to dissolve the lower house of the Parliament.
According to the rival faction's spokesperson Narayankaji Shrestha, Nepal PM Oli no longer remains a member of the party.
"Today's Central Committee Meeting which conveyed at Paris Danda decided to remove KP Sharma Oli from the party. He no longer holds even a simple membership of the Nepal Communist Party," Mr Shrestha told ANI. (Read full story
here)
As Covid Ravaged The World, Billionaires Got Richer By $3.9 Billion: Oxfam
The coronavirus pandemic has reinforced frightening income inequalities - and their consequent impact on access to education, healthcare and all hope of a better life - between the world's super-rich and the hundreds of millions of people who live and die in abject poverty, non-profit group Oxfam said Monday in a report to be tabled at the Davos summit in Switzerland.
The report - titled The Inequality Virus - is sharply critical of "flawed and exploitative economic systems... entrenched inequality and oppression, namely patriarchy and structural racism, ingrained in white supremacy" and identifies these as "the root causes of injustice and poverty". (Read full story
here)