Congress opposed the changes made by Centre that restricted the public availability of certain electronic poll records. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said that the party will challenge the changes in court. The ECI says the changes protect voter privacy. Congress, however, says the changes reduce transparency.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis retained key portfolios including Home, Law, and Judiciary, while Deputy CM Eknath Shinde received Urban Development and Public Works. NCP leader and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar secured the Finance Ministry. The portfolio allocations, announced after weeks of negotiations, follow the recent cabinet expansion of the BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP coalition government.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Kuwait, emphasizing India's support for Kuwait's development and praising the Indian diaspora's contributions. He highlighted the growing partnership between the two nations, driven by shared economic aspirations and strong cultural ties. Modi also interacted with the Indian community and acknowledged their role in strengthening bilateral relations.

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced a new reward and punishment system to improve safety. Zero-derailment zones will receive a «Shield Award» and cash, while zones with the most derailments will be ineligible for awards.

Latvia’s FM Baiba Braze has said ride-hailing outfit Bolt has apologized to her for providing a Ukrainian driver who spoke only Russian Read Full Article at RT.com

Ukraine is ‘gold mine’ for Western military-industrial complex, Moscow’s UN envoy says, and arms supplies to Kiev just benefit defense firms Read Full Article at RT.com

The policies pursued by the outgoing US administration are “risky, even self-destructive,” Russian deputy FM Sergey Ryabkov has said Read Full Article at RT.com

US President authorizes $571 million in defense support for the self-governing island that Beijing insists is its sovereign territory Read Full Article at RT.com

Germany’s Scholz said to be irked by Polish president’s suggestion to use $271 billion-worth of Moscow’s frozen reserves to finance Ukraine Read Full Article at RT.com

«However, since he is a very prominent and experienced diplomat, I think the host country should have no doubt that he will show a high level of professionalism and his efforts will aim to at least slightly improve bilateral relations,» Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov noted

The document pointed out that during the talks in Cairo, representatives of the radical groups «discussed with the mediators the development of indirect negotiations [with the Israeli side] on a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and a hostage exchange agreement»

Three of them are not subject to restoration, Alexander Khinshtein said

Everything depends on its content and the approach of the team of US President-elect Donald Trump are important, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said

Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also emphasized that Moscow is outraged by the hypocritical silence of the West and its media on the terrorist attacks in Russia

The policy statement of the Coalition of The Social Democratic Alliance, the Liberal Reform Party, and the People's Party was presented in Hafnarfjörður today. A new ministerial structure was presented, with 11 new ministers being introduced. Four come from the the Social Democrats, four from the Liberal Reform Party, and three from the People's Party.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited an Indian labor camp in Kuwait, highlighting his commitment to the diaspora's welfare. He has consistently engaged with Indian workers abroad, addressing their concerns and implementing initiatives like the e-Migrate project to ensure safe and legal migration. Bilateral agreements and relief efforts further demonstrate his focus on protecting Indian workers' rights and well-being.

The 4th Tripartite Technical Boundary Committee (TTBC) meeting, involving Uganda, Kenya, and South Sudan, was held from December 17 - 19 at the Golden Tulip Hotel, Kampala. The meeting aimed to track progress on decisions made in earlier sessions in December 2019, September 2021, and December 2021. Key objectives included revising work plans and budgets for establishing the tri-junction and agreeing on a start date for reaffirming the boundary point.

Garowe (HOL) – Puntland regional state President Said Abdullahi Deni announced plans to introduce a new regional currency by the beginning of 2025 to boost the state’s economy.

Mogadishu (HOL) – Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud reaffirmed his administration's commitment to enabling Somali citizens to elect their federal and regional leaders directly by 2026.

Syed Zainul Abedin Ali Khan, Ajmer Dargah's spiritual head, lauded RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's call to avoid new temple disputes. Bhagwat's advice against creating further religious conflicts, particularly after the Sambhal Jama Masjid survey and the Ajmer Sharif Dargah petition, was praised as promoting national unity and progress. He emphasized the importance of harmony and acknowledged the Ram Temple's significance while discouraging further discord.

AIMIM leader Akbaruddin Owaisi criticized actor Allu Arjun for his alleged insensitive response to a fatal stampede at a Pushpa 2 screening. Owaisi claimed Arjun, upon hearing of the death and injuries, remarked about the film's success and continued watching. Telangana CM Revanth Reddy condemned Arjun's actions and revealed the actor defied police denial of security permission for the event.

Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis announced that cabinet portfolio assignments are expected imminently, either Saturday evening or Sunday morning. This follows the recent swearing-in of 39 ministers before the winter legislative session concluded. While Fadnavis, along with deputy chief ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, took oath earlier this month, the allocation of ministerial portfolios within the BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP alliance government has been pending.

Elon Musk has accused Associated Press of having downplayed the severity of the Magdeburg car attack with the language it used in reports Read Full Article at RT.com

Russian officials have dismissed speculation of an imminent meeting between Vladimir Putin and Olaf Scholz in Moscow Read Full Article at RT.com

Ukrainian singer banned from EU for ten years for insulting the Polish language and urging Poles to speak Russian claims he was just kidding Read Full Article at RT.com

Kiev’s new envoy at the UN Andrey Melnik is famous for calling Germany’s Olaf Scholz a “sausage” and for telling Elon Musk to “f**k off” Read Full Article at RT.com

TEHRAN – Female scholars constitute 665 out of 4,818 most-cited researchers of the country, more than 13 percent of the total, Ahmad Fazelzadeh, the head of the Islamic World Science Citation (ISC) Institute, has said.

TEHRAN –Sharif University of Technology students have claimed the first top three positions in a programming contest known as the 25th International Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC) for the West Asia region.

TEHRAN –During a ceremony held in Tehran on Saturday, the winners of international scientific Olympiads were honored in the presence of President Masoud Pezeshkian.

TEHRAN – The Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) rescued 630 individuals over the past three days.

Home minister Amit Shah highlighted the Modi government's achievements in the Northeast, citing 20 peace accords and 9,000 militant surrenders. He emphasized a shift in policing strategies, focusing on justice delivery. Shah underscored infrastructure investments and the potential of the land boundary agreement with Bangladesh to boost the region's economy.

Former Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala, 89, passed away on Friday. The five-time chief minister was cremated with state honors in Sirsa on Saturday. Tributes poured in from across the political spectrum, acknowledging Chautala's contributions to Haryana's development and his championing of farmers' interests. His son, Abhay Singh Chautala, vowed to continue his father's legacy.