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1. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is reviewing the performance of select ministries, especially in the second wave of Covid, in a series of meetings beginning Thursday, sources say amid reports of a possible cabinet expansion. 2. Extending intervals between vaccine doses could leave people vulnerable to infection by one of the Covid variants in circulation, Dr Anthony Fauci, the medical advisor to the United States President, tells NDTV Friday. 3. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will chair the 44th goods and service tax Council meeting today, which is expected to decide on tax cuts for COVID-19 essential items and the black fungus medicine. 4. Mehul Choksi, the fugitive jeweller wanted in India for allegedly swindling Rs 13,500 crore from Punjab National Bank, has been denied bail by the high court in Dominica on the grounds that he is a flight risk, ANI reported. The Judge highlighted that Mehul Choksi has no ties to Dominica and the court cannot impose any conditions that will assure it that he wouldn't abscond. 5. The centre on Friday says that it respects the US' decision to reject the emergency use authorisation for Covaxin, however, the same will not have an impact on India's vaccine plan. Dr VK Paul mentions that the publication of Covaxin's phase 3 trial will be done sometime in 7-8 days. 6. The Shiromani Akali Dal and Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party are likely to form an alliance for the next Punjab assembly election scheduled to be held next year.