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Live news updates: "My main focus right now is for a united India, we should fight against hatred. My focus is only to unite India," he said.
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1 min read Last Updated : Dec 31 2022 | 3:04 PM IST
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2:59 PM
Rishi Sunak struck a cautious note with his first New Year message as British Prime Minister on Saturday as he warned that the UK's problems won't go away in 2023, at the end of an tough 12 months.
The 42-year-old Indian-origin leader, who took charge as the UK's Prime Minister towards the end of October following turmoil within the ruling Conservative Party, recalled his inaugural address on the steps of 10 Downing Street to reiterate his promise to work relentlessly" on the things that matter.
"I'm not going to pretend that all our problems will go away in the New Year," said Sunak.
But 2023 will give us the opportunity to showcase the very best of Britain on the world stagedefending freedom and democracy wherever we find it under threat," he said.
He highlighted the "barbaric" war in Ukraine as one of the dominating challenges ahead.
2:50 PM
Multi-billionaire scamster diamantaire Nirav D. Modi may become poorer by Rs 18 crore in the New Year.
The Debt Recovery Tribunal-I (DRT-I), Mumbai, Recovery Officer Ashu Kumar has ordered the auction of two prime properties belonging to Modi and others in one of the cases filed by Punjab National Bank (PNB), to recover a part of its dues.
The e-auction of these properties is considered a year-ender attempt to recover a part of the PNB's staggering due of over Rs 11,653 crore, calculated till early 2023.
The properties are two adjoining flats on the F1 building, 16th floor of the YOOPUNE housing scheme at Hadapsar, Pune, measuring 398 sq. metres and 396 sq. metres.
The PNB has set a reserve price of Rs 8.99 crore and Rs 8.93 crore, respectively, for these two flats, which shall go under the hammer on February 3, 2023.
2:37 PM
2:34 PM
The Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) national ambition got wings in 2022 following its electoral feat in Punjab and foray in Goa and Gujarat assemblies but the party had to fire-fight a bevy of corruption charges against its Delhi leaders.
The Arvind Kejriwal-led party had a head start in the beginning of 2022 itself when it recorded a stupendous victory in the Punjab assembly polls held on February 20.
With 92 out of a total 117 assembly seats coming to its kitty in the elections, the AAP stormed to power in Punjab, crushing the ruling Congress under its victory chariot.
2:32 PM
What with murders, contract killings, ambushes, war zone deaths and fatal injuries, a staggering total of 1,668 journalists have been killed worldwide in connection with their work in the last two decades (2003-2022), according to RSF's tallies based above all on its annual round-ups.
This gives an average of more than 80 journalists killed every year, according to Paris-based Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
"Behind the figures, there are the faces, personalities, talent and commitment of those who have paid with their lives for their information gathering, their search for the truth and their passion for journalism," said Christophe Deloire, RSF secretary-general.
"In each of its annual round-ups, RSF has continued to document the unjustifiable violence that has specifically targeted media workers. This year's end is an appropriate time to pay tribute to them and to appeal for full respect for the safety of journalists wherever they work and bear witness to the world's realities," Deloire added.
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1:59 PM
The UP State Industrial Development Authority (UPSIDA) has received proposals worth over Rs 1 lakh crores from investors for setting up industrial units in various districts of the state.
Of these investment proposals, letters of intent (MoUs) worth Rs 83,000 crore have been signed, the UP government said in a statement issued here.
These MoUs will be finalised during the Global Investors Summit to be held in Lucknow from February 10-12, 2023.
1:16 PM
Tightening security ahead of New Year celebrations, the Uttar Pradesh police has issued directives to all security personnel and deployed adequate number of patrolling vehicles at crowded places to prevent any law and order situation in the state.
"In order to celebrate New Year in a peaceful manner, we have issued state- wise directives to all police personnel. We have instructed the officers to ensure there is no ruckus in the state, especially at malls, market places, clubs and bars,"
Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Law and Order, Prashant Kumar said.
1:06 PM
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has lauded the role of Indian peacekeepers under the flag of the United Nations as he visited a street here in Cyprus named in memory of General K S Thimayya.
Jaishankar is currently on his first official visit to Cyprus as India and this Mediterranean country celebrate 60 years of diplomatic relations.
"So nice to see the street in Larnaca named after General K S Thimayya. Indian Peacekeepers serving under the UN flag are appreciated around the world," Jaishankar tweeted on Friday along with pictures.
12:50 PM
Retirement fund body EPFO has asked its field offices to provide an option for higher pension to eligible subscribers in accordance with the Supreme Court order on November 4, 2022.
According to the Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) circular on December 29, 2022 the central government has directed to implement the directions in the Supreme Court order.
The field offices have been directed to implement "the directions contained in para 44 (ix) of the Supreme Court judgement on November 4, 2022" within stipulated timeline and to ensure adequate publicity of the decision taken by the EPFO to implement the said directions, the circular said.
Earlier in November 2022, the Supreme Court had upheld Employees Pension (Amendment) Scheme 2014.
12:32 PM
Pakistan should learn from China about economic and technological development, says Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal.
To ensure economic development, the country should have a peaceful environment, he said, adding that "we must first ensure political stability, continuity of policies, and social solidarity because economic development does not take place in an atmosphere of conflict and polarisation", The Express Tribune reported.
The Minister made these remarks while addressing the award ceremony held in recognition of outstanding Pakistani staff of the CPEC Projects 2022 at the Chinese embassy.
12:24 PM
Snowfall in Manali, craze to see Atal Tunnel and no entry to tourist vehicles without bookings in Shimla city has increased the tourist footfall in Himachal Pradesh's Kullu district on New Year.
Tourists are flocking to Atal Tunnel (Rohtang) and it has increased the footfall in the twin districts of Lahaul and Spiti and Kullu besides snowfall in Manali is a major attraction, president of Manali Hoteliers' Association Mukesh Thakur said, adding the occupancy is about 90 percent.
Gondola at Solang, Igloo stays in Hamta, winter sports activities in and around Manali, skiing and snowboarding courses offered by Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports Manali too are the major tourist attractions, he said.
12:12 PM
Injured India wicket-keeper batter Rishabh Pant will be shifted to New Delhi for further treatment, especially for plastic surgery resulting from the burn injuries he suffered in the car accident in which he was involved on Friday morning.
Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) president Rohan Jaitley said if needed and medically advisable, his organisation will airlift Pant from Dehradun to New Delhi for his plastic surgery.
"If medically advisable, we'll airlift Rishabh Pant to Delhi for plastic surgery. We are in constant touch with Max Hospital Dehradun," DDCA president Rohan Jaitley told IANS on Saturday.
12:09 PM
India has abstained in the UN General Assembly on a resolution that asked the International Court of Justice for its opinion on the legal consequences of Israel's prolonged occupation and annexation of the Palestinian territory.
The draft resolution Israeli practices affecting the human rights of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem' was adopted by a recorded vote on Friday, with 87 votes in favour, 26 against and 53 abstentions, including by India.
The resolution decided to request the UN's highest judicial body to render an advisory opinion on what are the legal consequences arising from the ongoing violation by Israel of the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, from its prolonged occupation, settlement and annexation of the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including measures aimed at altering the demographic composition, character and status of the Holy City of Jerusalem, and from its adoption of related discriminatory legislation and measures.
11:47 AM
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday expressed grief at the loss of lives due to a road accident in Gujarat's Navsari and announced Rs 2 lakh ex-gratia to the kin of each deceased.
According to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), the injured would be given Rs 50,000.
"Pained by the loss of lives due to a road accident in Navsari. My thoughts are with the bereaved families. I hope the injured recover soon. An ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. Those injured would be given Rs. 50,000," the PMO said in a tweet.
As many as nine people were killed and several others were injured in a collision between a bus and a car in Navsari on Saturday early morning.
11:42 AM
Elon Musk on Saturday announced that new navigation features will arrive on Twitter in the New Year, as he aims to rejig the whole experience to make the platform faster.
"Twitter navigation coming in January that allows swiping to the side to switch between recommended & followed tweets, trends, topics, etc," he said in a tweet.
"Until then, tap the star icon on the upper right of the home screen to switch," he added.
Musk said that it is good to switch back and forth.
11:28 AM
Karnataka police have booked a car driver in connection with the accident in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi's brother and his family members sustained injuries, officials said on Saturday.
The FIR has been lodged in Mysuru Rural police station against N. Satyanarayana. The convoy staff S. Mahadeva had lodged a complaint in this regard. He had stated in the complaint that an over speeding and negligent driving by the accused driver resulted in the accident.
Prime Minister Modi's brother Prahlad Damodar Das Modi and his family members were injured after the car in which they travelled met with an accident near Kadakola village in Mysuru district on December 27.
11:14 AM
Meta (formerly Facebook) has acquired the Netherlands-based 3D smart glass maker Luxexcel, as it doubles down on its metaverse dream in 2023.
Luxexcel can integrate the elements needed to create an augmented reality (AR) experience within a prescription lens, such as holographic film and projectors, reports The Verge.
Meta, however, did not disclose the sum it spent on acquiring the company.
"We're excited that the Luxexcel team has joined Meta, deepening the existing partnership between the two companies," Meta said in a statement.
Luxexcel's 3D printed prescription lenses can be used inside AR glasses.
11:13 AM
France, Spain and England will implement tougher COVID-19 measures for passengers arriving from China, authorities said Friday.
France's government is requiring negative tests, and is urging French citizens to avoid nonessential travel to China. France is also reintroducing mask requirements on flights from China to France.
French health authorities will carry out random PCR tests at airports on passengers arriving from China to identify potential new coronavirus variants. The new rules take effect on Sunday, but officials said it would be a few days before they are fully in place.
10:48 AM
India reported 226 new coronavirus infections, raising the tally to 44.6 million, while the active cases increased to 3,653, the Union Health Ministry said on Saturday.
The death toll stands at 530,702 with three fatalities reconciled by Kerala, data updated at 8 am by the ministry stated.
The daily positivity rate was recorded at 0.12 per cent while the weekly positivity rate was pegged at 0.15 per cent, the ministry said.
It said 187,983 tests for detection of Covid were conducted in the last 24 hours
The active cases comprise 0.01 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has increased to 98.80 per cent, according to the health ministry website.
An increase of 44 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 case count in a span of 24 hours.
The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 44,144,029, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.19 per cent, the ministry said.
So far, a total of 44,678,384 cases have been recorded in the country.
10:46 AM
The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras researchers have developed a statistical approach that can characterize subsurface rock structure and detect petroleum and hydrocarbon reserves.
The method proposed was successful in providing critical information on the rock type distribution and hydrocarbon saturation zones in 'Tipam formation' located in the Upper Assam basin.
According to the official release, the researchers used this approach to analyse data obtained from seismic surveys and well logs from the North Assam region known for its petroleum reserves.
10:26 AM
Delhi Police has deployed over 18,000 personnel from district and traffic units across the national capital to keep a strict vigil on any kind of violations and ensure security during New Year celebrations, officials said on Saturday.
As many as 125 spots of drunk driving have been identified in the city for taking strict action against those driving under the influence alcohol, they said.
Last year, a total of 657 challans were issued on New Year's eve, in which 36 were related to drunk driving, according to police.
Traffic will be restricted at Connaught Place from 8 pm Saturday, they said, adding alcometers will be used to check drunk driving.
10:03 AM
The Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Jammu witnessed a huge rush of devotees on Saturday as serpentine queues were seen on the Trikota hills of Katra despite the severe cold conditions ahead of New Year.
Devotees hailing from different regions of the country, including children, were seen chanting "Jai Mata Di" as they made their way up and down the hill, wishing each other the best ahead of the new year.
"I am getting a good feeling. I come here on the eve of every new year. I have been coming here for 5-6 years to pray to Mata Devi. I am feeling good," said Manish Kumar, a devotee from Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh, who was seen chanting "Jai Mata Di".
10:02 AM
New Omicron subvariant XBB.1.5 is estimated to account for 40.5 per cent of Covid-19 cases in the US in the week ending December 31, nearly doubling from the previous week, according to data updated by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
XBB.1.5 made up 21.7 per cent of the total cases in the previous week ending December 24, Xinhua news agency reported.
Recombinants of the BA.2 variant, XBB and XBB.1.5 together accounted for 44.1 per cent of the total cases in the country in the week ending December 31, CDC data showed.
9:50 AM
A survey released by the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) has said that poverty affects one-third of the Arab region's population, excluding the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and Libya.
Dubbed "Survey of Economic and Social Developments in the Arab Region," it added that "poverty, measured against national poverty lines, increased to affect 130 million people in Arab countries".
The survey expects a further rise in poverty levels in the next two years, reaching 36 per cent of the population in 2024, Xinhua news agency reported.
9:48 AM
The United States is concerned about China's alignment with Russia amid the war in Ukraine and closely monitoring Beijing's activity to see if the country provides any military or sanctions evasion assistance to Moscow, a State Department spokesperson has said.
"Beijing claims to be neutral, but its behaviour makes clear it is still investing in close ties to Russia," the US spokesperson said on Friday in a statement to American broadcaster CNN.
On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping discussed bilateral relations and regional problems via video link. During the call, Putin invited Xi to come to Moscow next year.
9:15 AM
Cambridge professor Partha Sarathi Dasgupta and COP26 President Alok Sharma are among the more than 30 people of Indian-origin who have been honoured by King Charles III in his first New Year Honours List released in London.
Former Minister Alok Sharma, 55, has been honoured with the Order of St Michael and St George for his contribution to combating climate change through his role as the President of 26th UN Climate Change Conference.
Agra-born Sharma, who moved to the UK when he just five years old, has been recognised for "driving the UK to agree a historic agreement from individual countries that will have a major impact in addressing climate change in the future".
9:14 AM
North Korea fired three short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea on Saturday, a day after South Korea conducted a test flight of a homegrown solid-propellant space rocket, Seoul's military said.
The South's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said it detected the launches from Chunghwa county, some 60 km south of Pyongyang, from 8 a.m. and that the missiles travelled some 350 km before splashing into the sea, reports Yonhap News Agency.
It did not provide other details, saying the intelligence authorities of the South and the US are conducting a detailed analysis on the missiles' specifics.
8:48 AM
Star striker Cristiano Ronaldo has joined the Saudi Arabian football club Al-Nassr on a two-year deal.
The club announced the signing on Friday, as per ESPN. The 37-year-old will receive $75 million per year, making him the highest-paid footballer in history.
"I am excited to experience a new football league in a different country," Ronaldo said in Al-Nassr's statement announcing the deal as quoted by ESPN.
"The vision of what Al Nassr are doing and developing in Saudi Arabia both in terms of men's and women's football is very inspiring. We can see from Saudi Arabia's recent performance at the World Cup that this is a country with big football ambitions and a lot of potentials."
"I am fortunate that I have won everything I set out to win in European football and feel now that this is the right moment to share my experience in Asia. I am looking forward to joining my new teammates and together with them help the Club to achieve success."
Topics :Vladimir PutinCoronavirusKamal NathRahul GandhiCongressIndian National CongressRussiaWorld Health Organization
First Published: Dec 31 2022 | 7:08 AM IST
