LIVE: Oppn should work in a coordinated manner for 2024, says Rahul Gandhi
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.
 "Congress leader Rahul Gandhi")
He further said that there were many like-minded parties who want India to be in harmony. "I know Akhikeshji and Mayawatiji want India to be free of hatred and want harmony in the country."
Amit Shah to launch Jana Biswas Rath Yatra in Tripura
Focusing upon the upcoming Assembly Election in Tripura, Union Home Minister Amit Shah will inaugurate Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Jana Biswas Rath Yatra in the state.
Tripura BJP will start Jana Biswas Rath Yatra programme to strengthen the party support base in the state.
Tripura BJP president Rajib Bhattacharya said, "Keeping the focus on the upcoming Assembly elections in the state, BJP to start Jana Biswas Rath Yatra on January 5 at Dharmanagar in North Tripura district of Tripura."
North Korea fires unspecified ballistic missile: South Korea
North Korea fired an "unspecified ballistic missile," just hours after South Korea conducted a test flight of a solid-fuel space launch vehicle, according to Yonhap News Agency.
After the firing from North Korea, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff announced the launch. It did not provide other details immediately.
On Friday, South Korea successfully conducted a test flight of a solid-fuel space launch vehicle, the defence ministry said, nine months after its first test of the homegrown rocket, according to Yonhap News Agency.
Flyers from China must show negative COVID report for traveling to France
France is the latest country which joined several other nations in demanding negative COVID-19 tests from travellers from China, Reuters reported.
France has made covid test results mandatory from travellers from China within 48 hours before departure, Reuters reported citing health and transport ministries.
All the flights coming from China, including the stopovers, must have a Covid test and the travellers need to wear masks.
WHO asks China to regularly share data on COVID-19 situation
The World Health Organization has again urged China to regularly share specific and real-time data on the COVID-19 situation in the country, amid a surge in coronavirus cases after Beijing relaxed its strict "zero-COVID" policy.
The global health agency has asked Chinese health officials to share data on genetic sequencing, hospitalisations, deaths and vaccinations.
A high-level meeting took place between officials from WHO and China on the current surge in COVID-19 cases to seek further information on the situation, and to offer WHO's expertise and further support, a WHO statement said on Friday.
Rahul Gandhi to be Oppn's prime ministerial face in 2024 polls: Kamal Nath
Senior Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath on Friday said Rahul Gandhi will be the opposition's prime minister candidate for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
In an email interview with PTI, Nath lauded Gandhi for leading the Congress' countrywide Bharat Jodo Yatra, saying he is not doing politics for power but for the common people of the country.
"As far as the 2024 Lok Sabha election is concerned, Rahul Gandhi will not just be the face of the opposition but will be its prime ministerial candidate too," he said.
Qatar Football Association and coach Sanchez part ways
Qatar Football Association (QFA) and it's head coach Felix Sanchez have mutually decided to part ways, it was announced on Friday.
The QFA has announced that Sanchez's contract, which expires on December 31, 2022, will not be renewed, as a result both the parties will move forward to start a new chapter.
"QFA and Felix Sanchez have decided together not to extend into a new contract," the statement, titled 'Thank You Sánchez' said.
"After his contract finishes on December 31, both coach Felix and the QFA have jointly decided this is a good moment to begin a new chapter," the statement added.
WHO asks China to share specific, real-time data on COVID situation
World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus met with Chinese officials and again asked for specific and real-time data on the epidemiological situation in China, according to the statement released by the WHO website.
In the high-level meeting, WHO asked for more genetic sequencing data, data on disease impact including hospitalisations, intensive care unit (ICU) admissions and deaths -- and data on vaccinations delivered and vaccination status, especially in vulnerable people and those over 60 years old.
WHO reiterated the importance of vaccination and boosters to protect against severe disease and death for people at higher risk.
Russian nationals death: Odisha crime branch steps up probe, visits Rayagada hotel with forensic experts
The CID Crime Branch of Odisha Police stepped up the investigation of the death of two Russian nationals including a prominent lawmaker, in Rayagada.
A team of the Crime Branch along with the state Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) experts visited Sai International Hotel in Rayagada where the Russian nationals were found dead. The team was led by Deputy Superintendent of Police Saroj Kant Mahanta.
Russian national Pavel Antov died after allegedly falling from a hotel's third floor on December 24. Another Russian national Vladimir Bidenov had earlier died "due to heart attack", Odisha Police said, citing the post-mortem report.
Google to pay Indiana $20 million to resolve privacy suit
Google will pay Indiana USD 20 million to resolve the state's lawsuit against the technology giant over allegedly deceptive location tracking practices, state Attorney General Todd Rokita announced.
Rokitas filed a separate lawsuit against Google when negotiations between the company and a coalition of state attorneys general stalled, he said. Those states agreed to a USD 391.5 million settlement with the company in November.
As a result of the separate lawsuit, Indiana received about twice as much money as it would have under the deal with the 40 states in the coalition, Rokita said in his announcement Thursday.
Russia's Putin sends 'New Year' greetings to President, PM Modi
Russian President Vladimir Putin extended New Year greetings to India and said that the G20 and Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) presidencies will open new opportunities for building multi-dimensional Russia-India cooperation for the benefit of people, according to the statement released by the Kremlin site.
In a message to President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Putin said that in 2022, Russia and India marked the 75th anniversary of their diplomatic relations and, relying on positive traditions of friendship and mutual respect, the countries continue to develop their specially privileged strategic partnership, carry out large-scale trade and economic projects in addition to energy, military technology and other areas of cooperation, coordinate efforts in addressing important matters of regional and global agendas, according to the statement.
"I am confident that India's recently started SCO and G20 presidencies will open new opportunities for building multi-dimensional Russia-India cooperation for the benefit of our peoples, in the interests of strengthening stability and security in Asia and the entire world," Vladimir Putin stressed.
Will never allow terrorism to force India to negotiating table: Jaishankar in veiled attack on Pak
In a veiled attack on Pakistan, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday said that terrorism cannot be used as a tool to force India on the "negotiating table".
While interacting with the Indian diaspora in Cyprus, without mentioning Pakistan, Jaishankar said, "We will never normalize it. We will never allow terrorism to force us to the negotiating table. We want good neighbourly relations with everybody. But good neighbourly relations do not mean excusing or looking away or rationalizing terrorism. That we are very clear."
"The second, of course, is our borders. And we have challenges on our borders. The challenges on the borders intensified during the COVID period. And you all know that today the state of our relations with China is not normal. They are not normal because we will not agree to any attempt to change the Line of Actual Control (LAC) unilaterally. So on the foreign policy side, on the national security side, I can share with you a picture of firmness on diplomacy, on foreign policy, because that is something which I am," he added.
Russia continues to limit share of assets from 'unfriendly countries' in national wealth fund
Russia would continue to limit the share of assets denominated in currencies from "unfriendly" states in its National Wealth Fund (NWF), the Russian Finance Ministry said in a statement.
According to the statement on Friday, the share of the Chinese yuan in the NWF would be doubled from 30 to 60 per cent, and the share of non-cash gold would increase to 40 per cent, within the framework of the newly approved regulatory asset structure of the NWF.
At the same time, Russia will fully remove dollar assets from its wealth fund, and reduce balances in the British pound and Japanese yen to zero, Xinhua news agency reported.
World leaders need to act against Myanmar junta: UN Special Rapporteur on Suu Kyi's verdict
After the Myanmar court sentenced the country's ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi to a total of 33 years imprisonment, Tom Andrews, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, said that the junta needed "more than words of condemnation" and urged the world leaders to take action.
Taking to Twitter, Andrews said, " The Myanmar junta's 33-year sentence of State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi comes a week after a Security Council resolution demanded her release and that of more than 13,000 other political prisoners."
"They need more than words of condemnation from world leaders. They need action," he added.
Ensure BJP emerges as number one party in Old Mysuru region: Amit Shah to Karnataka leaders
Union Minister Amit Shah, who is on a visit to poll-bound Karnataka, on Friday night asked party leaders from the Old Mysuru region of the state to ensure that the BJP emerges as the "number one party" there.
The BJP, considered to be weak in the Vokkaliga community-dominated Old Mysuru region, is focusing on this belt to gain complete majority in the 2023 Assembly polls.
According to party sources, Shah has also ruled out the possibility of the BJP entering into an understanding with any other party, including the JD(S).
France, Spain to require COVID tests for China passengers
France and Spain will implement tougher COVID-19 measures for passengers arriving from China, authorities said on 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.
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First Published: Dec 31 2022 | 7:08 AM IST
