News Highlights: Rahul Gandhi expected to return to India in second week of January

(ANI)

. A day after the BJP government prohibited rallies and protests, the Congress on Wednesday decided to go ahead with its agitation demanding the implementation of the Mekedatu project.

. Protesters seized control of the airport of Kazakhstan's biggest city Almaty on Wednesday, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters, as the Central Asian country was hit by a wave of unrest that started with demonstrations against fuel price rises.

. A 17-year-old Indian tennis player said Wednesday he felt "hurt" at being denied entry to the Australian Open for being unvaccinated against Covid-19, while world number one Novak Djokovic got a medical exemption.

. A three-day coordination meeting of various Sangh Parivar outfits, including the RSS, here will discuss issues including "Bharat-centred education".

. Launching a scathing attack on the Congress over the breach in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's security, the BJP on Wednesday alleged the ruling party in Punjab "tried to physically harm him".

Modi's Punjab visit was cut short on Wednesday after a "major security lapse" as he was stranded on a flyover for 20 minutes due to a blockade by protesters, prompting the Union Home Ministry to seek an immediate report from the state government and strict action against those responsible.

. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh here on Wednesday claimed a revolution is under way in the construction of infrastructure and now no power in the world can stop the country from becoming an economic superpower.

The defence minister said this inaugurating and laying foundation stones of road projects worth Rs 26,778 crore. This included the 63-km-long Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway, costing around Rs 4,270 core.

"A new revolution has been seen in terms of infrastructure construction in the country. This has been the biggest secret behind the countries that have become rich in the world. Now, no power can stop India from becoming an economic superpower," Rajnath said.

. Senior Congress leader from Punjab Sunil Jakhar on Wednesday said a secure passage to the prime minister should have been provided for addressing his rally in Ferozepur.

He also said, “what has happened today is just not acceptable.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to poll-bound Punjab was cut short after his convoy was stranded due to a blockade by protesters, with the BJP blaming the Congress government for the security lapse.

The Congress claimed that it was because of a low turnout at the rally, but Jakhar, who is the party's former state unit president, expressed dismay over the events.

“What has happened today is just not acceptable. It's against Panjabiyat. A secure passage for the Prime Minister of India to address BJP's political rally in Ferozpur should have been ensured. That's how democracy works,” said Jakhar in a tweet.

. I express regret that PM Modi had to return during his visit to Ferozepur district today. We respect our PM: Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi on security breach during PM's visit

. PM Modi's security was compromised for 20 minutes. It is the responsibility of the local police to make sure the route where the PM is travelling is sanitised. Why was this not done? It looks like a conspiracy: Smriti Irani

.Your issue is with Modi, but your conspiracy to harm the nation's Prime Minister will not find support anywhere in the country: Smriti Irani. Congress leaders erupted in joy when PM Modi's security detail was breached. When you cannot answer questions in development, this is what you fall to: Smriti Irani slams Congress

. The question we ask to DGP in Punjab Police as BJP Karyakartas is why did the police give the go-ahead for the PM security detail? When the PM security detail contact Punjab police with regards to the circumstances of the breach of security of the PM, why did they not respond? This shows Punjab under a Congress government: Smriti Irani on PM security breach

. Several organisations affiliated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) convened for their annual three-day coordination meeting on Wednesday. RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat and General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale, along with all the five Joint General Secretaries and other office-bearers of the Sangh, are attending the meeting.

The meet is usually held around the month of September, but due to Covid breakouts, it was pushed to January this year, said Sunil Ambekar, Akhil Bharatiya Prachaar Pramukh of the RSS.

.Sector Commander level meeting was held between Border Security Force and the Pak Rangers on International Border in Suchetgarh area, Jammu and Kashmir.The BSF delegation was led by DIG BSF and the Pakistan delegation was led by Brigadier Fahd, Sector Commander Pakistan Ranger Sialkot Sector..One Assam Rifles jawan was killed and another was injured in an IED explosion carried out by militants in Thoubal district in Manipur. The blast was carried out at around 1.30 pm when a team of Assam Rifles was on their routine patrol.The attack comes a day before Home Minister Amit Shah's visit to poll-bound Manipur. The blast took place at Lilong Ushoipokpi area under Lilong police station in Thoubal district.. Anil Chandra Punetha and Vivek Sharma were sworn in as Uttarakhand's Chief Information Commissioner and Information Commissioner respectively on Wednesday.

Governor Lieutenant General (retired) Gurmit Singh administered the oath of office to them at a function held at the Raj Bhavan here.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and senior government officials attended the function.

. Future Retail and its promoters have filed appeals before the division bench of the Delhi High Court challenging the order passed on Tuesday that dismissed the Group's petitions for termination of the Amazon arbitration.

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday dismissed the pleas moved by Future Group companies seeking a direction to the arbitration tribunal, adjudicating Amazon's objections against Future Group's deal with Reliance, to take a decision on their application for terminating the arbitration proceedings before moving any further.

"The Company has filed an appeal in the Delhi High Court being Diary No.20543 / 2022 Date 05/01/2022 challenging the Order dated 04.01.2022 passed by Single Judge of Delhi High Court," said Future Retail in a regulatory filing.

. Days after a number of prominent citizens, including former chiefs of armed forces, sought action against hate speeches given at Haridwar, a group of former IFS officers on Wednesday accused them of running a "sustained smear campaign" against the government and said such condemnation must be universal, not selective.

All calls for violence must be unequivocally condemned regardless of their religious, ethnic, ideological or regional origin, and any double standard and selectivity in condemnation raises questions about motives and morality, the group of 32 ex-Indian Foreign Service officers, including Kanwal Sibal, Veena Sikri and Lakshmi Puri, said in an open letter.

A group of activists, many of them known Leftists with sympathies for Maoists, joined by some former civil servants and armed forces veterans, who have held highest positions in their careers, as well as some sections of the media, have been conducting a sustained smear campaign against the present government on its presumed violations of the secular ethos of the country, they alleged.

. The Indian Air Force on Wednesday apprised Defence Minister Rajnath Singh about the findings of the tri-services investigation into the December 8 chopper crash that killed CDS Gen Bipin Rawat and 13 others, people familiar with the development said.

The probe team has already completed its investigation into the crash of the Russian-origin Mi-17V5 helicopter, they said.

Earlier, sources suggested that the crash was not a result of any technical error in the helicopter of the Indian Air Force. However, there is no official confirmation on it.

The Court of Inquiry into the crash was headed by Air Marshal Manavendra Singh.

. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday arrived in Punjab to lay foundation stones for development projects at Ferozepur.

Modi landed in Bathinda and then headed for the district located along the Indo-Pak border.

"He has arrived in Punjab and is on his way to Ferozepur," Inspector General of Police (Bathinda Range) Jaskaran Singh told PTI over phone.

. A Katyusha rocket hit an Iraqi military base hosting USforces near Baghdad's international airport on Wednesday, Iraqi security and military sources said.

The sources said that nobody was hurt in the incident.

. Australia and Japan will sign a treaty on Thursday to increase defense and security cooperation in a move that has been hailed as “historic” but which might anger China.

. Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi on Wednesday made his maiden address to the Tamil Nadu Assembly while the principal opposition AIADMK staged a walkout and boycotted his speech to target the ruling DMK.

Just after the arrival of the Governor, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) members walked out of the House on the issue of the Raj Bhavan not forwarding to the Centre Tamil Nadu Assembly bill on exempting the state from the ambit of the National Entrance-cum-Eligibility Test (NEET).

VCK is an ally of the ruling DMK. As soon as Ravi began his address, Leader of the Opposition (LoP) K Palaniswami stood up and started reading out from a prepared text to target the DMK on various issues including on the law and order front.

. The national capital recorded light rain on Wednesday morning and clouds pushed the minimum temperature to 10.9 degrees Celsius, four notches more than normal.

Similar conditions will persist in the city till January 9 under the influence of two back-to-back western disturbances, officials at the India Meteorological Department said.

. Liverpool has requested the postponement of Thursday's match against Arsenal in the English League Cup semifinals because of more suspected Covid-19 cases at the club.

First-team training was canceled at Liverpool on Tuesday after more positive tests among players and staff.

Liverpool said other factors impacting selection, such as injuries and players like Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah having left for the African Cup of Nations, are affecting player availability for the first-leg match at Emirates Stadium.

. Japan's Sony Group Corp plans to launch a company this spring to examine entering the electric vehicle market, looking to harness its strengths in entertainment and sensors to play a bigger role in next-generation mobility.

The new company, Sony Mobility Inc, comes as the Japanese tech giant is "exploring a commercial launch" of electric vehicles, Sony chairman and president Kenichiro Yoshida told a news conference, speaking ahead of the CES technology trade fair in the United States.

"With our imaging and sensing, cloud, 5G and entertainment technologies combined with our contents mastery, we believe Sony is well positioned as a creative entertainment company to redefine mobility," he said.

Although its once-dominant position in consumer electronics has been eroded by Asian rivals like South Korea's Samsung Electronics Co, Sony still has an arsenal of sophisticated technology in areas such as sensors critical to autonomous driving.

. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) team probing the mysterious death of Kanpur businessman Manish Gupta at a hotel in Gorakhpur during a police raid, have not found any motive behind the crime.

The accused policemen, sources said, are now likely to be charged with culpable homicide.

The CBI team carried out detailed probe, collected evidence and recorded the statements of the friends of the deceased Kanpur businessman present in the hotel room with him during police raid, but the murder charge could not be supported, while there was no logical motive for the crime.

The CBI found that the policemen had a heated argument with the businessman during which he fell and suffered fatal head injuries.

. Romelu Lukaku apologized for going public with his unhappiness at Chelsea and promised to restore trust with fans, teammates and manager Thomas Tuchel.

The Belgium striker had said in an interview with Italian broadcaster Sky he was “not happy with the situation” at Chelsea and indicated he had issues with Tuchel's style of play.

Tuchel reacted by leaving Lukaku, Chelsea's record signing, out of the 2-2 draw with Liverpool in the English Premier League on Sunday.

. Three persons were killed and two others injured after an unidentified vehicle hit their auto-rickshaw in Gujarat's Surendranagar district, police said on Wednesday.

The accident took place late Tuesday night near Chuli village on a national highway connecting Dhrangadhra to Halvad in the district when the victims were returning home after work in a factory, they said.

The auto-rickshaw was going towards Kutch district when it was hit by the speeding vehicle, an official from Dhrangadhra taluka police station said. Two men and a woman, in the age group of 18-19 years, died in the accident, he said.

Besides, two other women were injured and undergoing treatment at a medical facility, he said, adding that all the victims hailed from Jiva village in the district. Efforts were on to trace the vehicle which hit the auto-rickshaw, he said.

. Kazakhstan's president sacked the Central Asian country's cabinet Wednesday in a bid to head off unprecedented unrest across the nation over an energy price hike.

An order published on the presidential website said Kassym-Jomart Tokayev had accepted the resignation of the cabinet headed by Prime Minister Askar Mamin. Deputy prime minister Alikhan Smailov will perform the PM's role on an acting basis until a new cabinet was formed, the order stated.

. Mominul Haque hailed Bangladesh's "unbelievable" win over New Zealand on Wednesday after they beat the world test champions by eight wickets to end the 'Black Caps' run of 17 matches without defeat on home soil.

Seamer Ebadot Hossain took a career best 6-46 as the tourists dismissed New Zealand for 169 early on day five at Mount Maunganui and then knocked off the 40 runs for victory for the loss of two wickets.

It was Bangladesh's first win in any format of the game in New Zealand and gave them a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.

. Indonesian coal miners are due to hold talks with government officials on Wednesday on a ban on the country's coal exports that has unnerved global markets for the fuel and triggered energy security concerns in some major economies.

Indonesia, the world's top exporter of thermal coal and China's largest overseas supplier, on Saturday announced a ban on exports in January to avoid outages at domestic generators.

Miners were scheduled to meet Indonesian trade minister Muhammad Lutfi starting from 0900 am(0200 GMT), an official at an Indonesian coal miners' association said.

. PM Modi to visit Ferozepur, Punjab today. PM will lay the foundation stone for multiple development projects worth more than Rs 42,750 cr. These projects include Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway, PGI Satellite Centre at Ferozepur &two new medical colleges at Kapurthala &Hoshiarpur: PMO

News Highlights: Rahul Gandhi expected to return to India in second week of January

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Rahul Gandhi expected to return to India in second week of January from 'personal visit' abroad

Congress to go ahead with Mekedatu padayatra from January 9 despite Covid curbs

Protesters seize airport of Kazakhstan's biggest city

Indian tennis teen slams Australian Open 'double standards' for 'vaccine exemption' to Djokovic

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