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11:06 AM

Brazil declares three days of mourning for football legend Pele

Brazil on Thursday declared three days of mourning over the demise of football legend Pele, reported Brazilian news portal G1 citing a decree signed by outgoing Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro.

According to G1, the decree signed by Bolsonaro reads, "Official mourning is declared throughout the country, for a period of three days, counted from the date of publication of this Decree, as a sign of regret for the death of Edson Arantes do Nascimento, Pele, a former football player."

Pele passed away on Thursday at the age of 82 after battling cancer.

10:48 AM

Japan tests all China arrivals for COVID amid surging cases

Japan on Friday started requiring COVID-19 tests for all passengers arriving from China as an emergency measure against surging infections there and as Japan faces rising case numbers and record-level deaths at home.

 

Japan reported a record 420 new coronavirus deaths on Thursday, one day after reaching an earlier single-day record of 415 deaths, according to the Health Ministry.

 

The numbers are higher than the daily deaths at the peak of an earlier wave in August, when they exceeded 300. Experts say the reason for the latest increase is unclear but could be linked to deaths from the worsening of chronic illnesses among elderly patients.

10:32 AM

Veteran BJP leader LK Advani condoles passing away of PM Modi's mother

Veteran BJP leader LK Advani expressed his condolences at the demise of Heeraben Modi, the mother of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who passed away at an Ahmedabad hospital early Friday morning.

The senior BJP leader said that PM Modi has often spoken about the special bond he shared with his mother, her simplicity, and her caring persona.

"I am deeply saddened to condole the passing away of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's mother Heeraben Modi. Narendrabhai has often spoken about the special bond that he shared with his mother, about her simplicity and her caring persona. These will always be remembered and missed by all," said Advani.

10:31 AM

Delhi's minimum temp in double digits, relief from cold wave to end soon

Delhi's minimum temperature rose to double digits for the first time in 15 days on Friday, but the respite is predicted to end soon.

The capital had logged a minimum temperature of seven degrees Celsius on Thursday, 6.3 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, 5.6 degrees on Tuesday and five degrees on Monday.

The relief from cold in north India can be attributed to a western disturbance, a weather system characterised by warm moist winds from the Middle East.

10:17 AM

India logs 243 new Covid infections; active cases rise to 3,609

India recorded 243 new coronavirus infections, raising the tally to 4.46 crore, while the active cases have increased to 3,609, according to Union health ministry data updated on Friday.

 

The total tally of Covid cases was recorded at 4,46,78, 158 and the death toll stands at 5,30,699 with one fatality reported from Maharashtra in the last 24 hours, the data updated at 8 am stated.

 

The daily positivity rate was recorded at 0.11 per cent while the weekly positivity was pegged at 0.16 per cent, the ministry said.

 

It said 2,13,080 tests for detection of Covid have been conducted in the last 24 hours.

10:07 AM

Continuing with work will be befitting tribute to Heeraben: PM Modi's Family

Family members of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's mother Hiraben, who passed away on Friday, have thanked everyone for their prayers and requested people to continue with their scheduled work, saying it would be a befitting tribute to her.
 

"We thank everyone for their prayers in these tough times. It is our humble request to everyone to keep the departed soul in their thoughts and continue with their pre-decided schedule and commitments. That would be a befitting tribute to Hiraba," family sources said.
 

Modi will himself attend several development programmes in West Bengal though video-conferencing.

10:06 AM

India's first underwater tunnel in West Bengal to be 45-sec experience for metro passengers

India's first underwater tunnel, being built under the Hooghly River in West Bengal at a cost of around Rs 120 crore as part of the East West Metro Corridor, will be a blink-and-you-miss-it experience for passengers as trains will cross the 520-metre stretch in just 45 seconds. 

 

The tunnel -- the Indian version of Eurostar's London-Paris corridor -- is 13 metre below the riverbed and 33 metre below ground level.

 

The 520-metre tunnel is part of the East West Metro Corridor of Kolkata -- from the IT hub of Salt Lake Sector V in the east to Howrah Maidan in the west across the river.

 

9:56 AM

Amit Shah in Mandya as BJP focuses on Old Mysuru region for 2023 polls

As the BJP prepares for the 2023 Assembly elections in Karnataka, with special focus on the Old Mysuru region, where the party is weak, Union Home Minister Amit Shah will hit the ground running in the poll-bound state with a visit to Mandya on Friday.

Other than official engagements, he will also be engaging in party meetings, where he is expected to review poll preparedness of the BJP and discuss strategy with leaders and booth level workers.

9:45 AM

Congress leaders condole demise of PM Modi's mother

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and former party chief Rahul Gandhi on Friday condoled the demise of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's mother.

 

"The news of the demise of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's mother Heeraba is very sad.In this difficult time, I express my deepest condolences and affection to him and his family members," Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi.

 

"Deeply saddened to hear about the demise of Smt. Heeraben Modi. My heartfelt condolences to Sri @narendramodi ji on the loss of his beloved mother. Our thoughts and prayers are with the entire family in this hour of grief," Kharge said on Twitter Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his Chhattisgarh counterpart Bhupesh Baghel also sent their condolences and prayed for the peace of the departed soul.

9:36 AM

Hostility towards others not Hindu way, Vivekananda's Hinduism all-inclusive: Tharoor

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has said hostility towards others was not the Hindu way, pointing out that his favourite Hindu icon Swami Vivekananda's Hinduism was all-inclusive.

 

The author-turned-politician, who has written two books on Hinduism, said on Thursday that many right-wing politicians have been trying to appropriate Swami Vivekananda by selectively quoting him while ignoring "the totality of his message".

9:36 AM

Mother of PM Modi, Heeraben Modi cremated in Gandhinagar

#WATCH | Gujarat: Heeraben Modi, mother of PM Modi, laid to rest in Gandhinagar. She passed away at the age of 100, today.

(Source: DD) pic.twitter.com/wqjixwB9o7

— ANI (@ANI) December 30, 2022

9:30 AM

President Murmu condoles demise of PM Modi's mother

President Droupadi Murmu on Friday offered her condolences at the passing away of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's mother Heeraben Modi.

"The hundred years of struggling life of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's mother Heeraba is a symbol of Indian ideals. Modi imbibed the spirit of 'Matridevobhav' and the values of Heeraba in his life. I pray for the peace of the holy soul. My condolences to the family!" the President said in a tweet.

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar also expressed grief over the demise of PM Modi's mother.

"Deeply condole the death of mother of Hon'ble Prime Minister, Smt. Heeraben Modi. She exemplified simplicity and sublimity reflecting the virtuosity of motherhood. Pray ALMIGHTY bestow eternal peace on the departed soul," the Vice President tweeted.

9:29 AM

"One wishes a mother to be around forever": Deve Gowda condoles demise of PM Modi's mother

Former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda on Friday condoled the death of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's mother Hiraben and said she lived a full life, but one wishes a mother to be around forever.

Hiraben passed away at a hospital in Ahmedabad on Friday. She was 99.

"My heartfelt condolences to PM @narendramodi on the passing away of his mother Heeraben Modi. She was a centenarian who lived a full life, but one wishes a mother to be around, forever, to energise and anchor. May God give Shri. Modi the strength to bear the loss. Om Shanti," Gowda said in a tweet.

9:13 AM

Cricketer Rishabh Pant grievously injured in road accident

Indian cricketer Rishabh Pant has sustained injuries after his car collided with the divider and caughtfire while he was travelling from Uttarakhand to Delhi. Initial reports suggest that Pant was driving his Mercedescar, which met with an accident near Roorkee in Uttarakhand.

Pant has been admitted to a hospital where he is reportedly being treated for a head and leg injury.

9:04 AM

PM Modi carries mortal remains of his late mother in Gandhinagar