Coronavirus India News Updates Live: India Sees 14% Drop, Reports 1.27,952 New Cases; positivity rate drops from 9.2% to 7.9%

More than 300 media outlets have been shut down since the Taliban took over Afghanistan

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) said in a report on Thursday: “51 TV stations, 132 radio stations and 49 online media outlets have been shut down. The crisis has hit newspapers hardest: only 20 out of 114 continue to publish,” Tolo News reports. . Out of concern about the status of the Afghan media community, the IFJ said only 2,334 journalists are still employed “from a pre-Taliban height of 5069.”

PM Modi offers condolences to ex-BJP MP Janga Reddy

New Zealand reports record 243 new COVID cases

New Zealand reported a record 243 new cases of COVID-19 in the community on Saturday as officials warned more cases of the highly transmissible Omicron variant are expected but urged people in the highly vaccinated nation not to to panic.

Six TNLA Terrorists Convicted in Puducherry Pipe Bomb Case

A special court of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has convicted six Tamil Nadu Liberation Army (TNLA) terrorists in the Puducherry Pipe Bomb case, officials said on Saturday. Thiruselvam alias Murasu, 44, Thangaraj alias Tamilarasan, 45, Kaviyarasan alias Raja, 34, Kalailingam, 44, Karthik, 32 and John Martin, 30, all residents of Tamil Nadu were convicted.

Union Budget FY23’s Capex Push to Boost Cement Demand

According to India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra), the increase in budgeted ACapexA over the revised spending estimate for FY22 is likely to boost infrastructure spending, which accounts for about a quarter of cement demand. In addition, the cascading impact it has on job creation will help create demand.

US grants sanctions to Iran as nuclear talks have begun in recent weeks

“The technical discussions facilitated by the waiver are necessary for the final weeks of JCPOA [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action] and the waiver itself would be essential to ensure Iran swiftly fulfills its nuclear obligations,” the official said on Friday. “If the talks do not lead to a return to the nuclear deal, such technical discussions could still help achieve our non-proliferation targets.”

Malaysian ex-Prime Minister Mahathir released from hospital

Mahathir Mohamad, the 96-year-old former prime minister of Malaysia, has been released from the National Heart Institute, the hospital said Saturday. The country’s longest-serving prime minister, who has served in the top office for more than two decades, will be followed up as necessary for continued medical treatment, the hospital said in a statement.

Ethnicity of last torchbearer in Beijing plays no role, IOC says

A cross-country skier born in Xinjiang, who was one of the last two torchbearers at the opening ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing on Friday, was not chosen because of where she comes from, the International Olympic Committee said on Saturday. Dinigeer Yilamujiang, of Altay in China’s western Xinjiang region, placed the flaming torch on a giant snowflake along with Zhao Jiawen, a 21-year-old biathlete, before being lifted high above the spectators of Beijing’s Bird’s Nest stadium.

2193 Indian detainees repatriated from Pakistani custody since 2014

In response to the question about the details of Indian detainees held in Pakistani prisons, the MoS said: “According to the information available, 83 Indian defense personnel, including POWs, are being taken into custody, but their presence has not been recognized by Pakistan to date. .”

India has invested more than $3 billion in Afghanistan

In response to a question in the House of Representatives about investments in Afghanistan, the MoS said: “India is engaged in a development partnership with Afghanistan, which includes more than 500 projects spread across each of the country’s 34 provinces in critical areas of power, water supply, road connectivity, health care, education, agriculture and capacity building.” “In total, more than $3 billion has been invested in the well-being of the Afghan people.”

Make in India should be called farce: LoP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury

Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury took a swipe at the central government on Friday, declaring that ‘Make in India’ should be called a ‘farce’ as the trade deficit between India and China indicates India is still importing more from the neighbouring country. He pointed out that the trade deficit between India and China was $69 billion.

The time has come to create a new Assam by adopting a work culture that will end this dependence on the state of others. In this regard, women can play a vital role by engaging in productive activities and encouraging others to participate as well.

– Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma

An earthquake measuring 5.7 on the Richter scale struck the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border area at 9:45 a.m. today

COVID-19: Biden marks ‘tragic milestone’ of 900,000 US deaths

“Today our nation marks another tragic milestone — 900,000 American lives have been lost to COVID-19. They were beloved mothers and fathers, grandparents, children, siblings, neighbors and friends. Every soul is irreplaceable. We pray for the loved ones they have left behind, and together we will make sure each family bears this pain in our hearts,” said Biden in a statement released by the White House.

Justin Langer steps down as Australian men’s cricket coach

Facing months of complaints from senior players about his rigid coaching style and Cricket Australia’s seemingly uncompromising board of directors, Justin Langer resigned on Saturday as head coach of the Australian men’s cricket team. The first announcement was made in a statement from Langer’s management company DSEG as Langer flew from Melbourne to his hometown of Perth.

Xi meets leaders of Serbia, Egypt

Chinese leader Xi Jinping will meet his colleagues from Egypt and Serbia on the sidelines of the Beijing Winter Olympics, state broadcaster CCTV said. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi and Serb Aleksandar Vucic are among more than a dozen world leaders who attended Friday night’s opening ceremony. Xi met with Russian President Vladimir Putin before the opening.

India reports 1,27952 new cases of COVID-19, 2,30,814 recoveries and 1,059 deaths in the past 24 hours

Delhi witnesses foggy morning, AQI improves to ‘moderate’

Air quality improved significantly on Saturday morning, moving into the moderate category with an Air Quality Index (AQI) of nearly 132, according to the latest estimates updated by the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR).

Xi holds talks with Putin and exchanges views on China-Russia relations

In a warm and friendly atmosphere, the two presidents had an in-depth and thorough exchange of views on China-Russia relations and a range of key issues related to international strategic security and stability, a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) reported. ) from China.

China reports 27 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours

As China hosts the Winter Olympics in Beijing, it reported 27 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours amid its zero Covid policy, local media reported Saturday citing the National Health Commission. According to Xinhua News Agency, nine new locally transmitted COVID-19 infections and 18 new imported cases from China were reported.

Rahul Gandhi is a tourist politician, he only comes to Goa before the elections. Unlike Congress, the BJP does not enter into agreements with China. Congress must be loyal to the country

– BJP leader CT Ravi

China is ahead of US in hypersonic weapons development, testing and assets

The US is lagging behind China in developing hypersonic weapons, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told more than 24 CEOs of the country’s largest defense contractors, with some of them responding that a shortage of wind tunnels to conduct tests was a major bottleneck in the program, Sputnik reported. . China had about 12 wind tunnels to conduct hypersonic testing and was already building additional wind tunnels at a rate of one every six months, defense industry chiefs in attendance told Austin at Thursday’s meeting.

CPM backs Samajwadi party in UP polls, says Sitaram Yechury

Former Rajya Sabha MP and Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Sitaram Yechury said on Friday that the CPI (M) will support the Samajwadi Party (SP) in Uttar Pradesh and work to mobilize secular forces against the Hindutva -agenda. “We will support the Samajwadi party in the UP elections. We are fighting from only four seats in the UP. In Punjab, we will support the party that can defeat the BJP,” Yechury said at a news conference in Delhi.

Quake measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale hits Southeast Indian Ridge

A 6.1 magnitude earthquake shook the southeastern Indian Ridge at 20:25:09 GMT on Friday, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said. The USGS determined the epicenter of the earthquake. It said the epicenter, which is 10.0 km deep, was initially determined to be at latitude 48,062 degrees south and longitude 99,5015 degrees east.

US COVID-19 death toll exceeds 9,000,000

The number of U.S. deaths from the novel coronavirus disease exceeded 9,00,000, according to the tally compiled by Johns Hopkins University (JHU). On Friday afternoon, the JHU census found that 9.0.334 people have died in the United States as a result of COVID-19, and more than 76 million cases have been confirmed in the country as of January 2020.

Kurds say they need help against IS

Weeks after the long furious battle with Islamic State group militants over a prison in northwestern Syria, the mangled wreckage of a car used by suicide bombers still lay outside the area. Cranes have put in new cement-jet walls to seal off the entrance. Gaping holes remained in the outer wall of the prison, an ominous reminder of the IS prisoners who escaped during the fighting.