Breaking News Updates: 'Priyanka Vadra's kids' Insta not hacked', reveals initial probe

The United Kingdom recorded 1,06,122 virus cases in 24 hours. 

Rajya Sabha Derek O'Brien on Wednesday accused the BJP-led government at the Centre of "mocking at and dismantling democracy" and "slow-poisoning Parliament". O'Brien was suspended from the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday for the remainder of the session for the "grave misconduct" of hurling a Rajya Sabha rule book at the Chair during a discussion on the electoral reforms bill.

In yet another attempt at targeted killing, terrorists fire upon a property dealer in the Eidgah area of downtown Srinagar. Security forces rush to the incident site. The victim has been shifted to hospital

Punjab Government imposes 'No Jab No Salary' rule to promote vaccination amid Omicron surge; asks government employees to upload vaccination certificates to get salary.

After the  Pakistan Embassy in Argentina called for the substitution of political establishment under PM Imran Khan on Instagram, the country in a face-saver alleged that the 'account was hacked'. In a post on the same Instagram account that 'has now been recovered', Pakistan said that all the messages posted through the account for the one hour that it was hacked were 'not from the Embassy in Argentina'.

In another major embarrassment for Pakistan, the country's diplomatic mission in Argentina on Wednesday said that 'they may lose out on the JF17 deal' also. Putting the blame on the Imran Khan-led government for the same, the diplomatic mission urged for a political substitution for the revival of Pakistan's reliability and credibility. 

"Diplomats can't be la raison for the failures", the diplomatic mission added in the Instagram post which has now been deleted. As per reports, Argentina was in talks to buy 12 JF-17A Block III fighters from Pakistan. 

Intensifying the speculations over the proposed Bill to amend women's marriage age, Kareem contended that it is tabled to 'divide communities more ahead of the Uttar Pradesh General Assembly elections in 2022'. 

While stating that the Centre did not conclude exhaustive and requisite research before proposing the amendments, Kareem said "Without doing any work in the research area, this Bill will have no meaning."

"How will the Bill improve women's health and education as the Centre states?" Kareem asserted. 

Also, Kareem further stated there exists no clarity on the motive behind the Bill and stakeholders have not been consulted too. Stressing that the Bill is politically motivated and to 'creat division', Kareem said, "We had asked the Prime Minister to send the bill to standing committee but it was passed without any deliberation and discussion."

While Fans will not be allowed to be part of the three-match Test series news24.com report states that players will be provided charter flights as a part of travel arrangements through the series. However, the report states that the South Africa government, according to CSA's chief medical officer Dr Shuaib Manjra, went a step further by offering India booster vaccine shots if they need them. The South Africa cricket board has also guaranteed the team a no-obligation exit from the country should there be border closures and secured hospital beds in case of emergencies. Manjra said,

 "I think we've taken whatever measures we can to ensure that the Indian team is not only safe here, but should they need to leave for whatever reason, that the path is open for them to leave at any point that they wish."

The latest incident of the Hindu deity statue being vandalised in Pakistan has prompted former Pakistan cricketer Danish Kaneria to come out and condemn the worsening plight of religious minorities in Pakistan. He has requested Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan to intervene in the matter after a video of a  Hindu deity statue being vandalised surfaced online. The incident happened in the Ranchore Line area of Karachi on the night of 20 December. During the incident, the statue of Hindu deity Jog Maya was damaged using a hammer by miscreants, as per local news. 

To be noted that as of now Maharashtra has the second-highest number of Omicron cases in the country. National Capital tops the list with 57 active cases. Maharashtra on the other hand stands on number two with 54 cases. As of now, the announcement of school closing has not been made yet.

he row over Karnataka anti-conversion Bill escalated further on Tuesday after it was tabled in the Legislative Assembly, triggering a sharp response from the Opposition. Congress opposed the bill tabled by the BJP Government and staged a walkout from the Assembly. Moreover, state Congress President DK Shivakumar tore the copy of the Bill inside the House to lodge his protest. 

The bill was also unwelcomed by Bengaluru Archbishop Peter Machado, who accused the state government of supporting vigilantism by introducing the 'draconian' law. He also said that the Bill questions the good services being rendered by them. 

"With this Bill, they (government) are hurting us a lot. They are questioning our trust, questioning our good services which we are doing. Ever since this Bill has been announced the level of attacks has also increased," the archbishop told ANI. 

Intensifying its efforts to nab Shiromani Akali Dal general secretary Bikram Singh Majithia, the Ministry of Home Affairs has now issued a lookout circular. The circular comes a day after Punjab police booked the senior Akali Dal leader for his alleged involvement in a drug case. The Punjab Police charged the former minister under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. The MHA on Tuesday issued a lookout notice against Majithia to prevent the accused from fleeing abroad.

The MHA has now issued a lookout circular for Bikram Singh Majithia after the Punjab Police booked him in a drug case. The state police had also issued a lookout notice against him. As per sources, this step was taken as the MLA has reportedly gone underground to evade arrest in the drugs case registered at the Punjab State Crime Police Station on Monday. The FIR under Sections 25, 27A and 29 of the NDPS Act is based on a report submitted by the Special Task Force headed by IGP Harpreet Singh Sidhu. 

After Captain Amarinder Singh, another senior Congress leader has rebelled against the party. Former Uttarakhand Chief Minister and five-time MP Harish Rawat took to Twitter to express his dissatisfaction with the functioning of the party on Wednesday. 

Taking to Twitter, Rawat said he feels humiliated as they is no cooperation between party members and he feels that his wings are being clipped off by the leadership. 

"Isn't it strange that when a sea of election is flowing, instead of extending the hand of cooperation, the party is either turning its back against its members or playing a negative role! The party has left many crocodiles in the (state). The representatives of those on whose orders I have to swim are tying my hands and feet. Many times a thought is coming to my mind that it is enough, now it is time for rest!" tweeted Harish Rawat, who is the AICC in-charge for Punjab. 

Recently, Captain Amarinder Singh had also rebelled against the party, saying that he felt 'humiliated' by the leadership. 

"A total of 99 MPs participated in the 12 hours 26 minutes long discussion on the COVID19, in which they shared with the House the best work done in their respective areas during the COVID period."

"The productivity of Lok Sabha in this Winter Session was approximately 82%."

Faced with massive unemployment and prices of goods rising astronomically high, residents in Gilgil Baltistan took to the streets to express their disappointment with the administration. Since earlier this week, people in various districts, including the westernmost Ghizer, staged massive protests raising their voices against the false promises made by the Pakistani administration. During the elections, the Imran Khan government had made several pledges for the upliftment of the illegally occu[pied region but failed to fulfil them later. More surprisingly, they also lifted subsidies on various goods over time. 

Read more here

Thousands gather a day after Omicron cases reported in Jammu for PDP Chief Mehbooba Mufti’s Rally in Jammu. Rally carried out in violation of COVID-19 protocol. 

Delhi-based businessman Sahil Thakur, who has just recovered from a bout of infection from the Omicron variant of Covid, said he is currently home isolated after being discharged from a hospital, and a couple of security personnel "keep a watch" outside his house to ensure no one ventures out.

The 27-year-old Rohini resident, who had tested Covid positive after returning to Delhi from Dubai, said, even after the home isolation restrictions are lifted, "I have been told that I will be under 14-day observation at home, and doctors will check on me intermittently".

Thakur on Tuesday also said he had been diagnosed with Covid during the first wave of the pandemic too, with loss of taste and smell, but no fever or cough. 

The Union health ministry on Tuesday said 200 cases of Omicron variant of coronavirus have been detected across 12 states and UTs in India so far, and Maharashtra and Delhi have recorded 54 cases of each of the variants.

Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan informed that Omicron is three times more transmissible than the Delta variant of COVID-19 and urged the states and UTs to implement prompt measures at the grassroots levels to curb the spread of the virus.

The Centre's guidelines include measures such as reimposing night curfew, prohibition of large gatherings, curtailing the number of attendees in events in districts that are reporting high positivity rates. India’s current Omicron tally stands at 213, with Delhi and Maharashtra reporting the highest 57 and 54 cases respectively.

Mumbai

The Mumbai police has imposed Section 144 across the city from December 16 to December 31, to prohibit large gatherings during Christmas and New Year. Read more

Delhi

The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) has extended its COVID-related curbs, banning social and cultural gatherings till December 31 midnight. The seating capacity in bars and restaurants has been limited to 50 per cent. The current restrictions will continue up to the intervening night of December 31 and January 1.

Uttar Pradesh

The UP government has also invoked Section 144 CrPC in Noida and Lucknow districts till December 31 in light of Christmas and New Year’s celebrations. “Section 144 CrPC has been implemented in Gautam Buddh Nagar till December 31 keeping the law and order situation in mind,” the Gautam Buddh Nagar Police had said in a circular.

Gujarat

The Gujarat government has imposed a night curfew in 8 major cities till December 31 to curb the Omicron threat during the festive season. Night curfew will be in force in Ahmedabad, Surat, Rajkot, Vadodara, Gandhinagar, Bhavnagar, Jamnagar, and Junagadh from 1 am to 5 am every day. All shops and establishments can remain open till midnight.

Restaurants can stay open with 75% capacity until midnight, while cinema halls can operate at 100% capacity. Gyms will continue to function at 75% capacity while parks can remain open till 10 pm.

Karnataka

Karnataka, which was the first state to report COVID-19 cases, has also imposed fresh restrictions on the public celebration of New Year 2022. The state government however allowed celebrations in clubs and restaurants with 50% seating capacity without DJ. Chief Minister Bensavaraj Bommai ordered mandatory vaccination for everyone participating in these celebrations. The restrictions will be in effect from December 30 to January 2.

Bill Gates said that the Omicron spread was increasing faster than any other variant. Reiterating that this could be the “worst part of the pandemic”, Gates raised concern over the reinfection rate of the new variant of the coronavirus. "Just when it seemed like life would return to normal, we could be entering the worst part of the pandemic," Gates tweeted on Tuesday. "Omicron will hit home for all of us. Close friends of mine now have it, and I’ve cancelled most of my holiday plans," he added.

"A 39-yr-old woman who came from Kenya to Chennai, & then travelled to Tirupati, tested positive for Covid on Dec 12.Her sample sent for genome sequencing declared Omicron positive today.Her family members tested negative," as per State government.

Maharashtra BJP president MLA Chandrakant Patil on Wednesday said Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray should hand over his charge to someone else till he gets well, claiming his absence during the winter session of the state legislature is "inappropriate". 

Considering his health condition, the CM should hand over his charge to someone else from the Shiv Sena or his family, the BJP leader said.

 Patil further said, "He (CM) doesn't trust the Congress and NCP since they may not leave the post. State minister and his son Aaditya Thackeray can be given the charge."

Haryana's Gurugram achieves 100% COVID19 vaccination coverage, says District Deputy Commissioner

Jharkhand government will issue caste certificates to students in all schools across classes within the next six months, Chief Minister Hemant Soren has said.

Camps will be set up in government and private schools to complete the exercise after December 29, Soren told the assembly. 

He was responding to BJP MLA Nilkanth Singh Munda, who raised the issue of difficulties being faced by students in getting caste certificates, during Question Hour. 

Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology has taken cognizance of Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's allegations of phone tapping, probe likely to begin soon: Sources

Following the Golden Temple sacrilege incidents, on December 21 former Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh asserted there was 'no justification for mob lynching' and the episode was 'condemnable'. In addition, the issues of people being anguished for denial of justice over Behbal Kalan sacrilege, thus resorting to killings, he mentioned that his government had pursued a probe into the matter from day one. 

Upon being asked about lynchings in Amritsar and Kapurthala, Singh said that the accused should be handed over to the Police as the act was uncivilised. 

"No civilised society can and should approve of such killings," he told ANI. 

BJP National President JP Nadda took a dig at the Opposition leaders, who called COVID-19 vaccine doses "Modi teeka" or "BJP ka teeka" in an attempt to 'mislead' others about the vaccination benefits. Addressing a public rally in poll-bound Goa on Tuesday, Nadda said all the citizens, including those Opposition leaders, have received the vaccine against COVID-19. 

"We have delivered what we had promised and we will deliver on what we promise in the future. Some people called vaccines "Modi teeka", "BJP ka teeka". Today all of them have received the vaccine. I ask them, "how was Modi teeka?" he said. 

The BJP chief further highlighted that 100 per cent tap water is provided under Jal Jeevan Mission in Goa. "Every person of Goa is covered with health coverage under Ayushman Bharat and Deen Dayal Swasthya Seva Yojana," he said.

Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan, on Tuesday, December 21, has sent out a letter to all states and UT administrations, asking them to take prevention and containment measures against Omicron, which has been labelled 'Variant of Concern' by the Centre. The Centre, in its letter, listed a series of measures including extensive testing, night curfew and regulation of gatherings.

The letter from the Health Ministry noted that the “VOC Omicron is at least 3 times more transmissible than the Delta VOC.” Furthermore, it noted that the virus is actively spreading in different parts of the country and thus urged the states for strict containment action at the local and district level. It said the measures taken should be based on local conditions, laying down the guidelines for what it called "threshold limits". As per the Centre, the threshold is the test positivity of 10 per cent or more in the last one week or 40 per cent occupancy on oxygen supported or ICU beds in hospitals.

Read more about Centre asks states to ramp up efforts to curb Omicron spread 

US President Joe Biden on Tuesday unveiled a new COVID Action Plan to combat the upsurge of the highly mutated B.1.1.529 Omicron variant as the United States heads into the tough winter months. The US President announced that his administration would make 500 million rapid at-home tests freely available to Americans, as well as ramp up support for hospitals, adding the testing sites and additional capacity in regions in dearth of the COVID-19 vaccination centers. 

Effective January, the Americans will be able to request rapid tests through a website and will have them delivered free of cost at their doorsteps as his administration seeks to enhance the testing and tracing to suppress the Omicron wave during winter.

With the administration of 57,05,039 COVID-19 vaccine doses in the last 24 hours, India’s vaccination coverage has exceeded 138.96 Crore (1,38,95,90,670) as per provisional reports till 7 am today. This has been achieved through 1,47,11,227sessions.

The break-up of the cumulative figure as per the provisional report till 7 am today include:

Notably, HCWs stands for Health Care Workers and FLWs stand for Front Line Workers. 

• 138.96 cr vaccine doses have been administered so far under Nationwide Vaccination Drive
• India's Active caseload currently stands at 78,190; lowest in 575 days
• Active cases account for less than 1% of total cases, currently at 0.22%; Lowest since March 2020
• Recovery Rate currently at 98.40%; Highest since March 2020
• 6,906 recoveries in the last 24 hours increases Total Recoveries to 3,42,01,966
• 6,317 new cases in the last 24 hours
• Daily positivity rate (0.51%) less than 2% for last 79 days
• Weekly Positivity Rate (0.58%) less than 1% for last 38 days
• 66.74cr Total Tests conducted so far

The ministry data updated at 8 am also stated that India logged 6,317 new coronavirus infections taking the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 3,47,58,481, while the active cases declined to 78,190, the lowest in 575 days. 

The death toll climbed to 4,78,325 with 318 fresh fatalities, the data stated.

The daily rise  in new coronavirus infections has been recorded below 15,000 for 55 days consecutively.

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare updated- India reports 6,317 new cases, 318 deaths and 6,906 recoveries in the last 24 hours. While the country's active caseload currently stands at 78,190, which is the lowest in 575 days, the Omicron variant cases tally has climbed to 213 countrywide. Maharashtra has 54 Omicron cases while the national capital has reported 57 cases. With 17 discharges in Delhi, around 90 Omicron patients have recuperated from the latest SARS-CoV-2 variant.

Delhi has recorded the maximum of 57 cases of Omicron variant followed by Maharashtra at 54, Telangana 24, Karnataka 19, Rajasthan 18, Kerala 15 and Gujarat 14 cases.

J&K Govt orders fine of Rs 200 and Rs 500 for not wearing masks. 

Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday recorded 104 fresh COVID cases, taking the infection tally to 3,40,036, while one fresh fatality during the past 24 hours due to the virus has pushed the death toll to 4,514.

Shopkeepers near Mahabodhi Temple in Gaya say their business is down during Christmas & New Year holiday season due to the Omicron threat. 

"The sales are down as there are very few tourists coming to Gaya. Local tourists are also less in numbers," Jitendra Kumar, a shopkeeper told ANI. 

When asked about SP chief Akhilesh Yadav's allegation that his and his party leaders' phones are being tapped by the UP government, Vadra claimed, "Forget phone tapping, they are hacking my children's Instagram accounts. Does the government have no other work"? On this occasion, she also took a dig at PM Modi over his participation in an event at Prayagraj aimed at fostering women's empowerment through self-help groups. 

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra remarked, "Women of Uttar Pradesh what did I tell you? I urged you to recognize your strength. Today, PM Narendra Modi is bowing before your strength. They have understood that the woman is standing up (for her rights). Why didn't he make these announcements for 5 years? Why is making these announcements before the election? Because women have become aware. We gave the slogan of 'Ladki Hoon Lad Sakti Hoon'. They are demanding their rights. That's why even Narendra Modi had to bow down. I am very happy." 

While calling Pakitan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) the only “national party”, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry on Tuesday said that that the rise of “religious extremist” political parties such as the recently unbanned Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) and the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam would ultimately harm the nation. Chaudhry was speaking to the media a day after the PTI faced a major defeat in the first phase of  Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) local body polls. 

The Pakistan’s Information Minister called the JUI-F an “extremists party” and said that he was disappointed at the fact that it bagged the highest number of mayor/chairman seats. Chaudhry said that parties like JUI-F and TLP are a sign of a “retrogressive society” and indicate that things in the country are not fine. He went on to also say that it is not a reassuring thing for society when people who are against women’s rights and against freedoms come into power. 

''It is unfortunate that, due to our mistakes, such a political party has been noticed,'' he said. Chaudhry also went on to explain the reason for PTI’s failure in the polls, stating that when three to four candidates from the same party contest the polls in the same constituency, then they will inevitably lose the elections. “This is what happened in most of the areas,” he said. 

Nepal’s first billionaire, Binod Chaudhary, and the wife of PM Sher Bahadur Deuba, Arzu Deuba, are among the five new members of the Central Working Committee (CWC) of the ruling Nepali Congress. According to PTI, the party informed that the 14th General Convention of the party saw the election for 13 CWC members and office bearers of the Nepali Congress. It added that out of all the five new members, Mukta Kumari Yadav from Dhanusha district of southern Nepal, who got elected to the CWC under the Madhes women's quota, secured the highest votes in the NC general convention.

“Five leaders, including industrialist Binod Chaudhary, the only Nepali to have been listed by Forbes as the billionaire, have been elected as Nepali Congress Central Working Committee members under Madhes quota,'' the statement from the party said.

''By securing 3,960 votes out of a total 4,671 votes, Mukta Kumari Yadav even beat ShasankaKoirala, who got 3,936 votes. Yadav is also a former member of the Upper House representing the Nepali Congress party,'' it added.

"'Hindu' and 'Hindutva' are not two different ideas. They are the same. The unnecessary controversy around this topic is an attempt to create misconception," RSS leader Suresh Bhaiyyaji Joshi.

After a helicopter crashed at sea during a rescue attempt, a Madagascan minister had survived after swimming for at least 12 hours to shore on Tuesday. GDI Serge Gelle was one of the passengers from the helicopter crash who was discovered safe and sound near Mahambo Town. The cause and reason for the chopper disaster are unknown, however, the 57-year-old, Gelle informed that he swam to Mahambo from 7:30 Monday night till 7:30 Tuesday morning. He further stated that he had no injuries following the incident, but that he was cold, as per BBC. 

During the time of the disaster, the plane was carrying four passengers. Apart from Gelle, a warrant officer named Laitsara Jimmy Andrianarison was discovered alive on Tuesday, shortly after the collision on Monday evening, The Cable reported. According to video footage which has been uploaded on Twitter, it can be seen that the Madagascar minister was laying on a deck chair, still in his camouflage uniform. 

The Winter session of Parliament is likely to conclude on Wednesday, a day before schedule. Parliamentary sources said that with the government completing most of its legislative agenda, there is a likelihood that Parliament could be adjourned sine die on Wednesday.

The session commenced on November 29 and was scheduled to end on December 23, Thursday.

Intensifying its efforts to nab Shiromani Akali Dal general secretary Bikram Singh Majithia, the Punjab Police issued a lookout notice against him. As per sources, this step was taken as the MLA has reportedly gone underground to evade arrest in the drugs case registered at the Punjab State Crime Police Station on Monday. The FIR under Sections 25, 27A and 29 of the NDPS Act is based on a report submitted by the Special Task Force headed by IGP Harpreet Singh Sidhu. 

A copy of the FIR accessed by Republic TV alleges, "Evaluation of the statements of (businessman) Jagjit Singh Chahal before the Enforcement Directorate reveal that a payment of rupees 35 lakhs was allegedly made to Sh. Bikram Singh Majithia in about 7-8 installments between 2007 to 2012 as he required these funds for election purpose. At this time, Jagjit Singh Chahal was allegedly involved in manufacturing/supply of illegal drugs/substances. Jagjit Singh Chahal also said that Sh. Bikram Singh Majithia received funds in Canada."

RSS reignited the debate over renaming Hyderabad as 'Bhagyanagar' a year after UP CM Yogi Adityanath made a fervent pitch for the same. In a Twitter post, RSS spokesperson Sunil Ambedkar referred to Hyderabad as Bhagyanagar while informing the people about a coordination meeting of several organizations inspired by the Sangh scheduled there in January 2022. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, BJP president JP Nadda and the party's general secretary (organization) BL Santhosh and representatives of 35 other organizations will participate in this meeting. 

In a statement, Ambekar said, "All these organizations are constantly active in the educational and ideological fields, economic world, service work and various other social fields. The Sangh coordinates with the swayamsevaks active in such organizations. While sharing their experiences regarding the current situation, every organization will also inform everyone about the efforts being made by them. Special discussions will also be held in the meeting on the important areas of paryavaran (environment), parivar prabodhan (family awareness) and samajik samrasta (social cohesion) and coordinated efforts in those fields." 

Backing the Caste census in the country, RJD's Lalu Prasad Yadav said that people who do not want caste enumeration were against the principle of equal justice and opportunity. Y

Earlier, he had alleged that the Narendra Modi-led government was ensuring that there is no caste-based census. “Caste census is necessary for the interest of the country. Unless the root disease is not detected, how will there be the proper treatment? It is not against any caste/class, but it is in the interest of all and inclusive and all-round development of the country. Those who do not want caste enumeration are against the principle of equal justice and opportunity,” Yadav tweeted.

On December 21, the Central government issued an official declaration stating that no one was involved in manual scavenging in the country now. On the other hand, PTI reported citing, Union Minister Ramdas Athawale stating on December 21, that 158 people died while cleaning sewers or septic tanks in the last three years.

"There is no report of people currently engaged in manual scavenging in the country," the press release stated.

"However, as per reports received from States, 158 persons have died while cleaning sewers or septic tanks during the last three years," Athawale stated according to PTI.

The official release read, "After receiving reports from the social institutions working in this field, about the continuation of this practice, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has launched a mobile app 'Swachhata Abhiyaan' on 24.12.2020 to capture the data of insanitary latrines still existing and manual scavengers associated with them."

Film producer Parag Sanghvi has been arrested by the Economic Offences Wing of the Mumbai Police for alleged fraud. The producer is known for his work in films like Partner, Bhoot Returns, Sarkar, Ab Tak Chappan and The Attacks of 26/11. He has been accused of committing a housing deal fraud involving the sale of two flats at Turner Road in the suburban Bandra area.

Parag has been remanded to police custody till December 25 after being produced before a local court on Tuesday. Sanghvi was arrested under sections 409, 420, 465, 467, 471, 120(b), 34 of the Indian Penal Code. The charges on him were cheating to the tune of Rs 13.75 crore, criminal conspiracy, breach of trust, making a false document, forgery of valuable security, using as genuine a forged document and common intention.

Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur on Tuesday said that the Centre does not agree with Reporters Without Borders and its conclusions pertaining to press freedom in India. In his written reply to a question on India being placed at 142 out of 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index, Thakur added that the Centre does not agree for several reasons like "very low sample size and little or no weightage to fundamentals of democracy".

"The World Press Freedom Index is published by a foreign non-government-organisation, Reporters Without Borders. The government does not subscribe to its views and country rankings and does not agree to the conclusions drawn by this organisation for various reasons, including very low sample size, little or no weightage to fundamentals of democracy, adoption of a methodology which is questionable and non-transparent, lack of clear definition of press freedom, among others," he said

The World Health Organization (WHO) has urged the governments worldwide to prepare for a "significant surge'" of the coronavirus cases fuelled by the highly mutated strain Omicron. WHO’s top EU official expressed concerns as he warned about a massive wave of the COVID-19 about to hit across the continent. The Omicron variant of concern has now become dominant in several countries of the world including the US, and the UK as of Tuesday, Dec. 21. “We can see another storm coming,” WHO Europe regional director Dr. Hans Kluge said at a press conference in Vienna.

"Within weeks, Omicron will dominate in more countries of the region, pushing already stretched health systems further to the brink,” he warned. 

Amid the Omicron surge across the world, Israel has recently confirmed its first verified fatality from the ‘highly mutated’ COVID-19 variant in the Beersheba city. On Tuesday, December 21, Israel's media reported that an elderly man died at the Soroka University Medical Center in Beersheba after contracting the Omicron strain. As per Israel's Kan broadcaster, the patient was a 75 years old man who also had pre-existing medical issues. 

Further, the elderly person was reported to have received only two doses of the COVID-19 vaccination, with no third booster injection. The last dosage of the vaccination was given to the individual about six months ago.

In a massive crackdown on Pakistan-sponsored fake news, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on Tuesday blocked 20 YouTube Channels and two websites for spreading anti-India propaganda. According to the Ministry, the Pakistan-coordinated disinformation operation was actively spreading fake news about various sensitive subjects such as Kashmir, Indian Army, minority communities in India, Ram Mandir, General Bipin Rawat, etc.

"The modus operandi of the anti-India disinformation campaign involved The Naya Pakistan Group (NPG), operating from Pakistan, having a network of YouTube channels, and some other standalone YouTube channels not related to NPG. The channels had a combined subscriber base of over 35 lakh, and their videos had over 55 crore views. Some of the YouTube channels of the Naya Pakistan Group (NPG) were being operated by anchors of Pakistani news channels," said the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting in a press release.  

Slamming Rahul Gandhi over his attack on the PM Modi-led government for incidents of lynching, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders on Tuesday raked up the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. Former minister and senior BJP leader Prakash Javadekar asked the Congress leader to get his facts rights. "2000+ Sikhs were lynched in 1984 & Congress justified it. Selective amnesia will not work. We condemn all lynching," he said.

Earlier in the day, Rahul Gandhi tweeted, "Before 2014, the word 'lynching' was practically unheard of. #ThankYouModiJi". His tweet comes days after two cases of lynching in Punjab. Two persons were lynched in separate incidents, and they were accused of sacrilege.