Welcome to The Morning Filter, your guide to the busy news day ahead. We hope you are staying safe. Here are the latest updates and the big news stories to follow today:
1. Farmers to observe hunger strike on Monday; halt highway toll collection in Haryana from Dec. 25-27 Intensifying their agitation against the Centre's new agri laws, farmers on Sunday announced that they will observe a day-long relay hunger strike on Monday at all sites of protest here and halt toll collection on highways in Haryana from December 25 to 27. 2. India, Vietnam expected to ink pacts to expand ties at virtual summit on Monday India and Vietnam are likely to seal a number of agreements and make certain announcements to further expand overall ties including in areas of defence, energy and healthcare at a virtual summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Xuan Phuc on Monday, official sources said. The evolving situation in the Indo-Pacific is expected to figure prominently in the talks as both countries have shared interest in a free, open, peaceful, prosperous and a rules-based regional order, they said. 3. Some improvement in minimum temperature in Kashmir, 'Chillai-Kalan' to begin from Monday Srinagar received the season's first snowfall on December 12, 2020. There was some improvement in the minimum temperature across Kashmir on Sunday but the valley continued to experience sub-zero nights, even as the 40-day harshest winter period - 'Chillai-Kalan' - starts from Monday, MeT officials said. The night temperature rose slightly across the valley last night owing to a cloud cover, but the minimum still settled below the freezing point, the officials said. 4. Health Ministry calls urgent meeting on Monday to discuss new coronavirus strain in UK The Union Health Ministry has called an urgent meeting of its Joint Monitoring Group on Monday to discuss the emergence of a mutated variant of the coronavirus in the UK, which has led to a surge in the infection rate there. A number of European countries have banned flights from the UK as the British government warned that the potent new strain of the virus was "out of control" and imposed a stringent new stay-at-home lockdown from Sunday. 5. Senior EC official in TN, Puducherry beginning Monday to oversee poll preparations As part of its preparations to hold Assembly elections in five States in mid-2021, the Election Commission is sending a senior official to Tamil Nadu and Puducherry beginning Monday. EC Secretary General Umesh Sinha will be in Tamil Nadu on Monday and Tuesday, and Puducherry on Wednesday to oversee advanced preparations and meet officials, sources said on Sunday. 6. Winter session of Uttarakhand Assembly set to begin from Monday Amid the rising number of COVID-19 cases, the Uttarakhand Assembly session is all set to begin its winter session from Monday. The Speaker of the Assembly informed that all the Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) will only be allowed to enter with a negative COVID-19 report. 7. Chhattisgarh Assembly session to begin on Monday, BJP to target govt The winter session of the Chhattisgarh Assembly will begin on Monday with the ruling Congress and Opposition BJP expected to clash on issues like paddy procurement, farm distress, crime against women and the prevailing COVID-19 situation. The session will continue till December 30 and have seven sittings. 8. Indian Super League | ATK Mohun Bagan out to end Bengaluru's unbeaten run Two of the in-form teams of the Indian Super League (ISL) season 7 are set to clash on Monday when ATK Mohun Bagan (ATKMB) face Bengaluru FC at Fatorda Stadium. While ATKMB boast a strong attacking line-up, they have even better defensive stats. However, Bengaluru's figures are not bad either. They are yet to taste a defeat in the campaign. This showdown promises to be even more captivating than usual with both teams flying high and currently in top four positions. 9. Coronavirus | Latest numbers and developments The number of positive coronavirus cases reported from India now stands at 1,00,55,628 at the time of publishing this newsletter. The death toll from the disease stands at 1,45,854. Morning Filter will return tomorrow. Follow up on the day's biggest stories and get concise analysis by The Hindu with the Evening Wrap newsletter. Click here to get it in your inbox. |
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