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12:50 PM

Meta to pay $725 mn damages for sharing user data with Cambridge Analytica

Meta Platforms Inc. has agreed to pay $725 million to settle a long-running lawsuit that claimed Facebook illegally shared user data with the research firm Cambridge Analytica.

It’s “the largest recovery ever achieved in a data privacy class action and the most Facebook has ever paid to resolve a private class action,” the plaintiffs said in a court filing late Thursday.

The settlement brings Meta a step closer to resolving the 2018 suit brought by Facebook users after it was revealed that the UK research firm connected to Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign for president gained access to the data of as many as 87 million of the social media network’s subscribers. The agreement requires the approval of a federal judge overseeing the suit.

 

12:26 PM

1 policeman killed, 6 people, including 2 civilians, injured in Islamabad suicide attack

One policeman was killed and at least six people, including four police officers and two civilians, have been injured in a suicide blast in Pakistan's Islamabad today, reports local newspaper, Dawn, quoting police officials.
The Islamabad police on Twitter said, “A suicide bomber aboard the vehicle detonated himself soon after the car stopped near the officers.”

12:17 PM

Parliament winter session ends, both houses adjourned sine die

The Parliament's winter session ended today as both houses, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, were adjourned sine die. The winter session six days ahead of its schedule amid continuous uproar in both houses by the Opposition leaders over India-China troops clash in Arunachal Pradesh's Tawang area

11:21 AM

India logs 163 new Covid infections; active cases decline to 3,380

India logged 163 new coronavirus infections, while the active cases declined to 3,380, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Friday.

The Covid case tally was recorded at 4.46 crore (44,676,678).

The death toll stands at 5,30,690 with nine fatalities. While six deaths were reconciled by Kerala, two deaths were reported from Maharashtra and one from Delhi in the last 24 hours, the data updated at 8 am stated.

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, the ministry said.

A decrease of 22 cases has been recorded in the active Covid-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours.

 

11:04 AM

Bharat Biotech's intranasal Covid vaccine to be available from today in pvt hospitals

"Bharat Biotech's intranasal Covid vaccine will be available in pvt centres, to be introduced on CoWIN on Friday evening," reports PTI quoting official sources

 

10:57 AM

Not convinced about UNSC resolution's impact on issues in Myanmar: India

India has said that it is still not convinced about the impact the UN Security Council resolution would have in making progress towards resolving the long-standing issues in Myanmar, including an immediate end to violence in the neighbouring country and the release of political prisoners like Aung San Suu Kyi.

The 15-nation Security Council, under India's Presidency this month, adopted its first-ever resolution on Myanmar on Wednesday.

The resolution reiterated the call by the 15-member Council for the country to uphold democratic institutions and respect human rights.

Twelve members voted in favour, none against, while India, China and Russia abstained.

 

10:19 AM

India, Bangladesh discuss trade settlement in rupee, free trade agreement

Union minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal and his Bangladeshi counterpart Tipu Munshi discussed the settlement of trade in Indian rupees in New Delhi on Thursday. The two countries will also likely develop a free trade agreement (FTA) soon.

"A joint feasibility study on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) has been carried out after the two countries agreed to explore a bilateral FTA," said the commerce ministry.

Under CEPA, two countries either significantly reduce or eliminate customs duties on maximum numbers of goods traded between them. Besides, they ease norms for promoting trade in services and attracting investments.

India and Bangladesh agreed to start discussions on CEPA "at an early date" as it "would provide a sound basis for substantial enhancement of trade and commercial partnership".

 

10:06 AM

Dense fog, biting cold waves cover North India; 21 trains running late

Parts of North India including the national capital witnessed cold wave conditions with dense to very dense fog observed over Punjab, Haryana, northwest Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar for the second morning on the trot on Friday morning, India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

According to the IMD, Delhiites woke up to dense fog in the morning on Friday with a partly cloudy sky and the temperature dropping to below 8 degrees Celcius in most parts of the Delhi-NCR region.

Palam recorded a minimum temperature of 7.9 degrees Celcius; Lodhi Road- 7.3; Gurgaon- 7.6; Ayanagar- 5.6; Ridge- 5.3; Faridabad 9.4; Ghaziabad- 8.0; Jafarpur 7.5; Najafgarh- 9.1; Noida- 8.1 Pitampura, Sports Complex, Mayur Vihar recorded a minimum temperature of 10, 10, and 8.7 degrees Celcius respectively.

 

9:43 AM

Bharat Jodo Yatra resumes from Kherli Lala on last day of Haryana leg

The Congress's Bharat Jodo Yatra, led by party leader leader Rahul Gandhi, resumed on Friday from Kherli Lala in Sohna on the third and last day of its Haryana leg in the first phase.

Senior Congress leaders from the state have been part of the foot march that entered Nuh in Haryana from Rajasthan on Wednesday.

Braving the morning chill, among those who walked along with Gandhi were former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and senior leaders Randeep Singh Surjewala and Kumari Selja.

The yatra will pass through Faridabad district, including Pakhal village, Pali Chowk and Gopal Garden, during the day.

 

9:24 AM

US House Jan 6 panel report describes Trump's engagement in 'conspiracy'

The House Jan. 6 committee's final report asserts that Donald Trump criminally engaged in a multi-part conspiracy to overturn the lawful results of the 2020 presidential election and failed to act to stop his supporters from attacking the Capitol, concluding an extraordinary 18-month investigation into the former president and the violent insurrection two years ago.

The 814-page report released Thursday comes after the panel interviewed more than 1,000 witnesses, held 10 hearings and obtained millions of pages of documents.

The witnesses ranging from many of Trump's closest aides to law enforcement to some of the rioters themselves detailed Trump's actions in the weeks ahead of the insurrection and how his wide-ranging pressure campaign to overturn his defeat directly influenced those who brutally pushed past the police and smashed through the windows and doors of the Capitol on January 6, 2021.

The central cause of January 6th was one man, former President Donald Trump, who many others followed, reads the report. None of the events of January 6th would have happened without him.

9:00 AM

Ukrainians hail Prez Zelenskyy after trip to US dismissed by Putin

Ukrainians hailed President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's wartime visit to the United States as a success, while Russian officials said Thursday that it only fueled the conflict.

The US has announced a new $1.8 billion military aid package, including supplies of the Patriot air defense systems, the most powerful such weapons to be delivered to Ukraine yet. Ukraine also stands to receive an additional $44.9 billion in U.S. aid as part of a massive government spending bill the Senate approved Thursday.

We are returning from Washington with good results, with things that will really help, Zelenskyy said on a video message shared Thursday night on his Telegram account. He thanked President Joe Biden and the U.S. Congress for supporting Ukraine's fight against Russia.

Neither Zelenskyy nor any other Ukrainian authorities have confirmed if he's already back in Kyiv.

 

8:45 AM

Over 2000 flights cancelled in US due to heavy snow, freezing temperatures

Ahead of Christmas holidays, more than 2,270 US flights were cancelled on Thursday (local time) due to heavy snow and freezing temperatures, reported CNN.

Snow, rain, ice, wind and frigid temperatures are disrupting air travel plans across the United States and bus and Amtrak passenger train service.

Airlines cancelled just over 2,270 US flights by 6 ET pm Thursday and proactively cancelled almost 1,000 flights for Friday, according to the flight tracking site FlightAware.

Eighty-five flights were already cancelled for Saturday. Delays were even more extensive on Thursday: More than 7,400 as of 6 pm, reported CNN.

 

8:21 AM

Russian President Putin aiming for a speeding end to war in Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday said Russia was aiming for a speedy end to the conflict in Ukraine and that fighting should end as soon as possible, reported The Sydney Morning Herald (SMH).

"Our goal is... to end this conflict. We are striving for this and will continue to strive... so we will seek to make sure that it all ends, and the sooner, the better," Putin told reporters.

Putin's comments were met with scepticism by Ukraine and its allies.

White House spokesman John Kirby said Putin had "shown absolutely zero indication that he's willing to negotiate", an end to the war that began with Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24, reported SMH.

 

8:02 AM

'Mask up': PM Modi cautions against complacency at crucial Covid meet

Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a high-level meeting yesterday cautioned against complacency and advised masking up and taking precautionary doses amid rising Covid cases in China and other countries. Modi told officials to strengthen surveillance measures, especially at international airports. He also stressed the need to ensure that the entire Covid infrastructure at all levels is maintained at a high level of preparedness in terms of equipment, processes, and human resources.

Modi said states must audit Covid-specific facilities to ensure operational readiness of hospital infrastructure, including oxygen cylinders, pressure swing adsorption plants, ventilators, and human resources. Read more

 

8:01 AM

Mandaviya to hold meeting with state health ministers over Covid surge

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya will hold a meeting with health ministers of states and Union territories on Friday over rising Covid-19 cases in some parts of the world. Mandaviya made a suo motu statement in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday on India's preparedness. "We are constantly monitoring the situation. There are no direct flights between China and India but people come via other routes," he said. He said the focus is to ensure that no unknown variant of the virus enters India and at the same time there is no impediment to travelling. Read more