LIVE: Next 40 days crucial, India may see Covid rise in Jan, say officials

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10:23 AM

Three terrorists hiding in truck killed after gunfight in Jammu: Police

9:44 AM

Rise in active COVID-19 cases in Bihar; no need for panic, says expert

Bihar has witnessed a more than ten-fold rise in active COVID-19 cases, since last weekend, according to figures released by the state health department.

The state, which had zero active case till Sunday, now has 14, with Gaya accounting for 12 of these.

Notably, Gaya is witnessing an influx of pilgrims from abroad who are heading for Bodh Gaya, less than 20 km away, to attend the discourses of the Dalai Lama.

9:42 AM

Bengal leg of Bharat Jodo Yatra flagged off from Ganga Sagar island

The Bengal leg of the Congress' 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' was flagged off by state party chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury from Ganga Sagar Island in South 24 Parganas district on Wednesday morning.

The yatra which has been renamed as 'Sagar Se Pahar Tak' in the state is scheduled to move through around 800 km in different districts of the state and end at Kurseong in North Bengal on January 23, the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.

West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee chief had criticised the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) for deciding to not join the Bharat Jodo Yatra, despite being invited by Rahul Gandhi.

9:33 AM

Encounter breaks out between terrorists and security forces in Jammu

A gunfight broke out between terrorists and security forces in the Sidhra area here early Wednesday morning, a police official said.

The gunfight erupted around 7.30 am and reinforcements have been rushed to the area to neutralise the terrorists, he said.

Confirming the incident, Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Jammu Zone, Mukesh Singh said two to three terrorists are believed to be trapped in the area.

9:32 AM

As China reopens borders, other countries restrict entry

Countries across the globe are implementing or considering measures to test or restrict travelers from China as the country of 1.4 billion abandons its Covid Zero policy and prepares to reopen borders in early January.

 

The US is considering new coronavirus precautions for people traveling from China due to mounting concerns over the renewed risk of infections spreading, according to American officials who asked not to be identified discussing internal thinking. Japan moved quickly yesterday to announce steps requiring a negative Covid-19 test upon arrival soon after Beijing said it no longer subject inbound travelers to quarantine from Jan. 8.

9:22 AM

Putin bans sale of Russian oil to price cap participants

Russian President Vladimir Putin banned the export of oil and oil products to foreign buyers that adhere to price caps imposed over his invasion of Ukraine, according to a decree.

 

The restriction applies to “supply contracts that directly or indirectly use the mechanism of setting a price cap,” according to the decree published in the official legal database and signed by Putin on Tuesday. ”The ban is in force at all stages up until the final buyer.”

 

The restriction on Russian crude exports will begin on Feb. 1, while the starting date for the ban on oil products will come later at a date to be determined by the Russian government, according to the decree. The ban is to last at least until July 2023.

9:19 AM

China job market prospects, income confidence plunge to new lows

Chinese residents saw their confidence in the job market and their incomes plunge to new lows, while interest in buying homes also fell as the economic slowdown worsened this year. 

 

The People’s Bank of China’s Employment Sentiment Index — which is based on a survey of households’ outlook for jobs — declined to 33.1 in the last three months of 2022, worse than the prior quarter’s record low dating back to when data began in 2010. Figures below 50 represent a contraction in the sector.

 

9:16 AM

Not an inch of land will be ceded to Karnataka: Maharashtra BJP chief

Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Tuesday said the entire state was happy over the resolution passed by the state legislature on the border dispute, and he was sure that no land would be ceded to Karnataka.

 

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde earlier in the day moved a resolution in both houses which said the state shall pursue legal remedies to incorporate in Maharashtra 865 Marathi-speaking villages in border areas which are presently part of Karnataka. "Entire Maharashtra has supported and expressed joy over the resolution brought by the Shinde-Fadnavis government," Bawankule told reporters. "I am confident that the government will not cede even an inch of land," he added. 

 

9:16 AM

Chinese hospitals 'extremely busy' as COVID spreads unchecked

Chinese hospitals were under intense pressure on Wednesday as a surge of COVID-19 infections strained resources in the last major country to move towards treating the virus as endemic.

 

In an abrupt change of policy, China this month began dismantling the world's strictest COVID regime of lockdowns and extensive testing, putting its battered economy on course for a complete re-opening next year.

9:16 AM

US calls for 'comprehensive' immigration reforms after Supreme Court extends Trump-era border restrictions

The White House on Tuesday called for 'comprehensive' reforms in the US immigration system after the Supreme Court extended Trump-era border restriction known as Title 42 as a result of which federal officials will be able to continue to swiftly expel migrants at US borders, CNN reported.

The court also agreed in its ruling to hear the states' appeal this semester. During its argument session, which starts in February 2023, the court stated that it would hear arguments on the case.

However, for now, Republican-led states who sought the Supreme Court to intervene and quash a lower court decision ordering the termination of the authority have won with a 5-4 decision.

9:15 AM

Farooq Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti will join Bharat Jodo Yatra, says Venugopal in J-K

Congress leader KC Venugopal on Tuesday said that Opposition leaders in Jammu and Kashmir including former chief ministers Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah, and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti will join the Bharat Jodo Yatra in the valley next year.

The Congress leader's announcement comes after meeting J-K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha which was in connection with the Bharat Jodo Yatra led by Rahul Gandhi.

"We'll hoist the national flag in Kashmir. We had a meeting with Jammu and Kashmir LG and he offered all sorts of cooperation. NC leaders Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti and CPM leader MY Tarigami will join the yatra," Venugopal said.

9:14 AM

Renowned artists, actors, opera singers die amid recent COVID wave in China

Several renowned artists, actors, opera singers, film directors, and writers have lost their lives amid a recent surge in Omicron infections in China, according to a report of NTD, a New York-based, global television network.

Several actors like Actor Zhang Mu, Ren Jun, Chu Lanlan, Cheng Jinghua, Yu Yuheng, Xiong Yingzheng, Hou Menglan, and Zhao Zhiyuan who shared ties with the Xi Jinping-led Chinese Communist Party (CCP) also lost their lives due to the covid infections in the Chinese mainland.

Actor Zhang Mu, 92, who portrayed Mao Zedong in numerous CCP films, passed away. Zhang was a calligrapher and the director of the China Opera and Dance Drama Theatre Opera troupe.

9:14 AM

US House bans TikTok on all House-managed devices over 'security risks'

The US House of Representatives Committee on House Administration on Tuesday (local time) announced a ban on TikTok from all House-managed mobile devices, CBS News reported.

Citing "number of security risks," US House staffers have been banned from downloading TikTok on House devices and must delete the app from any mobile device onto which it is currently downloaded, according to a memo from House Chief Administrative Officer Catherine Szpindor.

With this move, the US House joins the list of a number of government entities that have imposed the ban on the Chinese-owned social media app. Earlier in December, the Senate approved a measure that will ban all federal employees from downloading or using the application on government devices.

9:12 AM

Severe cold wave conditions persist in Delhi

Dense fog and cold wave conditions continued to sweep the national capital with the city recording a minimum temperature of 7.8 degrees Celsius on Wednesday morning.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), cold day conditions are likely to abate over northwest India from Wednesday and then resurge from December 31.

According to RK Jenamani, fresh cold wave conditions shall prevail again from December 31 to January 1, 2023.

9:12 AM

Nearly 4,900 flights cancelled in US due to deadly winter storm

As a deadly winter storm continues to wreak havoc across the US, nearly 4,900 flights were cancelled, with more than 4,400 others delayed in the last 24 hours, the media reported.

Southwest Airlines was the hardest hit as it cancelled over 60 per cent or 2,500 of its flights on Tuesday, reports the BBC.

More than 3,500 flights scheduled to leave Wednesday have already been cancelled, according to flight tracking service FlightAware.

Since the storm began on December 22, nearly 20,000 flights have been cancelled across the US, the service added.