LIVE updates: Delhi records 11 new coronavirus cases in last 24 hours

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Delhi recorded 11 new Covid cases in the last 24 hours, with a case positivity rate of 0.31 per cent, stated a bulletin issued by the Delhi Health Department on Sunday. With the fresh infections, the active cases in the city stand at 42. According to the bulletin, 8 Covid patients recovered from the virus in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of recoveries to 1,980,670. However, with no death from Covid reported over the last 24 hours, the overall toll in the national capital remained at 26,521.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that the ruling BJP in Karnataka will go solo in next year's assembly elections. Addressing a convention of BJP booth presidents, Shah urged party workers to ensure victory for the saffron party. "It is a direct contest. JD(S) and Congress are two sides of the same coin. Voting for JD(S) is as good as voting for the Congress in Karnataka," Shah said. He also expressed confidence that the BJP will win 21 seats in Bengaluru, and form the government in Karnataka. "The party workers should leave behind all other work and focus on achieving victory for the BJP," Shah added.

President Vladimir Putin used his New Year's address to the nation to accuse Western countries of aggression and trying to use the conflict in Ukraine to undermine Moscow. Putin made the video address, shown on state television in each of Russia's 11 time zones, from a military headquarters with soldiers in the background. "It was a year of difficult, necessary decisions, the most important steps toward gaining full sovereignty of Russia and powerful consolidation of our society," he said, adding, "The West lied about peace, but was preparing for aggression, and today it admits it openly, no longer embarrassed."
 

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un vowed to increase the production of nuclear warheads exponentially and build a more powerful intercontinental ballistic missile, state media reported, signaling deepening animosities with the United States, South Korea and others. Kim's statement at a key ruling party meeting was released hours after North Korea fired a ballistic missile toward its eastern waters, entering 2023 with another weapons test following a record number of missile firings last year. KCNA cited Kim as saying North Korea is compelled to boost the production exponentially to mass-produce tactical nuclear weapons.

7:31 PM

Delhi's Sarojini Nagar Market witnesses a heavy footfall of customers on the first day of the year

7:29 PM

Traffic congestion near Delhi's Akshardham temple on the first day of the new year

7:28 PM

3 people dead, 4 injured in fire at a firecrackers manufacturing unit located in Shirale village of Solapur

3:47 PM

Himachal govt creates fund of Rs 101 crore for orphan children

We've created a fund of Rs 101 crore for orphan children. It will be effective from today. It will help in their education and other needs. All Congress MLAs decided to contribute their first pay for this fund. I also request BJP MLAs to contribute, announced Himachal Pradesh CM SS Sukhu.

 

3:47 PM

Elon Musk-led Twitter has been sued

Elon Musk-led Twitter has been sued for not paying the rent of its San Francisco office, as per court documents. Columbia Reit - 650 California LLC, in a complaint submitted to the state court in San Francisco, claimed Twitter failed to pay $136,250 in rent

 

3:46 PM

Random Covid testing continues at Delhi airport; people follow Covid appropriate behavior

After the Central government made compulsory a RT-PCR test for international passengers coming from China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Thailand and encouraged people to follow Covid appropriate behaviour, the visitors to the airports have shown consciousness about the ongoing global surge of Corona cases and were found ready to cooperate. In addition to the random 2 per cent tests of all international passengers on their arrival in India irrespective of the port of departure, all international passengers travelling from these six countries to India will have to undergo mandatory RT-PCR tests before departure and upload a report on the Air Suvidha portal from January 1, 2023, Union Health Ministry sources had said on Thursday.A total of 53 international travellers have tested positive for COVID during the random sampling at airports across the country amounting to only 0.94 per cent of the total samples collected so far, sources said on Saturday.

 

3:12 PM

Massive fire after explosion in Nashik factory, workers feared trapped

Several workers are feared trapped after a massive fire broke out at a factory in Maharashtra's Nashik today. The fire broke out at the factory in Nashik's Mundegaon village at 11 am after a huge boiler explosion, officials said. Several fire engines are at the spot trying to douse the flames. "11 workers have been rescued, while several others remain trapped," a fire department official said.

 

2:04 PM

Canada and Australia impose Covid-19 rules on travellers from China

Australia and Canada have joined a growing list of countries requiring travellers from China to take a Covid-19 test prior to boarding their flight.

Australian health authorities said that from January 5, all air travellers from mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macao will need to show a negative Covid-19 test taken within two days of their departure. Canadian authorities announced similar measures that will also come into effect January 5.

Australia and Canada join the US, UK, India, Japan and several European nations in imposing tougher Covid-19 measures on Chinese travellers.

 

12:57 PM

New Year celebration: 156 people caught for drunk driving in Mumbai

Mumbai police caught 156 people for drunk driving and 2,465 people for riding motorbikes without wearing helmet during New Year Eve celebrations, an official said on Sunday.

A large number of police personnel were deployed across the city for the safety of citizens and traffic police had put up check points on various roads in the city.

The police caught 156 drunk drivers, while action was also taken against 66 people for rash driving, the official added.

 

12:54 PM

Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath holds 'Janata Darshan' on New Year

Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath on Sunday held a 'Janata Darshan' in Gorakhpur with almost 300 people in attendance who shared their complaints with him.

According to a government statement, he gave people his assurance that their complaints will be looked into.

"The government will ensure that every issue is resolved quickly and satisfactorily," Adityanath said.

 

11:48 AM

Commercial LPG cylinder price increased by Rs 25; no hike for domestic cylinders

The price of a commercial LPG cylinder has been increased by Rs 25 per cylinder, officials say. With this increase, the commercial cylinder price in Delhi is Rs 1,769 with effect from today.

 

No increase in rates of domestic LPG cylinders.

11:23 AM

1,040 lives lost in road accidents caused by use of mobile phone while driving

A total of 1,997 road accidents occurred in 2021 due to the use of mobile phone by drivers while driving, which claimed 1,040 lives, according to a Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) report.

The report titled 'Road accidents in India -- 2021', further said 555 road accidents took place due to jumping of red light which claimed 222 lives in 2021.

According to the report, total number accidents and death due to potholes in 2021 respectively stood at 3,625 and 1,481.

 

10:42 AM

Two dead in fire at old age home in Delhi's posh Greater Kailash area

Two people have been reported dead in a fire at an old age nursing home in south Delhi's Greater Kailash area early Sunday.

Five fire tenders and a few ambulances were rushed to the spot after authorities were informed about the fire around 5 am.

When the fire was doused around 7 am, two completely burnt bodies were recovered on the third floor of the building, a senior police officer said.

 

10:38 AM

Minimum temperature in Delhi drops to 5.5 degrees Celsius on New Year

The minimum temperature in Delhi on Sunday dropped further to 5.5 degrees Celsius, two notches below the season's average, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. 

The minimum temperature in the city was recorded at 10.7 and 10.2 degrees Celsius on Friday and Saturday.

A drop in visibility too was recorded in several parts of the country. Visibility in Ambala, Dehradun, Bareilly, and Varanasi was recorded at 25 metres at 5.30 am. While in Chandigarh, Patiala, Baharaich, Gaya, Purnea, Kailashahar, and Agartala, it was recorded at 50 metres, officials said.

 

9:58 AM

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar owns movable & immovable assets worth Rs 75.53 lakh

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar owns movable and immovable assets worth Rs 75.53 lakh, a marginal rise of around Rs 18,000 from a year ago, according to his latest disclosure of assets.

According to details of assets of the chief minister and his cabinet colleagues uploaded on the Bihar government website on December 31, Kumar has Rs 28,135 in cash and nearly Rs 51,856 deposited in different banks.

The Nitish Kumar government has made it mandatory for all cabinet ministers to disclose their assets and liabilities on the last day of every calendar year.