Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake arrived in India for a three-day visit, focusing on trade, investment, energy, and maritime security. He met with PM Modi and other officials to strengthen bilateral ties and address Tamil aspirations. The visit aims to bolster cooperation amidst concerns over China's growing presence in the Indian Ocean.

Maharashtra's cabinet expanded with 39 ministers sworn in by Governor PC Radhakrishnan in Nagpur. BJP secured 19 berths, Shinde's Shiv Sena 11, and Ajit Pawar's NCP 9. This Nagpur ceremony, a rare event, last occurred in 1991. Shiv Sena ministers will serve for two and a half years, then vacate their posts for others.

India's shipping ministry launched a 'scheduled service' for cargo vessels on the Ganga, Brahmaputra, and Barak rivers, alongside the 'Jalvahak' incentive scheme. This initiative aims to boost cargo transport via waterways, offering up to 35% cost reimbursement for long-haul shipments exceeding 300 km. The fixed schedule service connects Kolkata with Patna, Varanasi, and Pandu, promoting efficient and sustainable freight movement.

The Indian government has proposed new rules for solid waste management, effective October 1, 2025. These rules empower sanitation workers to penalize those not segregating waste and mandate waste segregation for large establishments. Gram panchayats will be responsible for preventing agricultural waste burning and filing annual reports on residue management.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged state chief secretaries to lead business reforms, reduce bureaucracy, and attract overseas investment. He emphasized developing tier-2 and tier-3 cities, leveraging their unique strengths to create employment opportunities through increased investment.

Former England boss Gareth Southgate will receive a knighthood in the New Year Honours List for his work with the national team, according to a report.

Attacks by American and British air forces have been reported in western Yemen Read Full Article at RT.com

The Israeli government has approved a plan to expand the illegal settlement of the Golan Heights Read Full Article at RT.com

At least 14 people were killed in Mayotte when a fierce cyclone battered the French Indian Ocean territory, authorities said Sunday, with officials warning it will take days to know the full toll. Rescue workers and supplies are being rushed in by air and sea, but their efforts are likely to be hindered by damage to airports and electricity distribution in a territory where even clean drinking water was already subject to chronic shortages. The toll of 14 was counted in a provisional list compiled by authorities, a security source told AFP. Nine people were gravely wounded and fighting for their lives in hospital, said Ambdilwahedou Soumaila, mayor of Mayotte's capital Mamoudzou, while 246 more were seriously injured. «The hospital is hit, the schools are hit. Houses are totally devastated,» he said, adding that the hurricane «spared nothing». Mayotte's 320,000 residents had been ordered into lockdown Saturday as cyclone Chido bore down on the islands around 500 kilometres (310 miles) east of Mozambique with gusts of at least 226 kilometres per hour. Electricity poles were hurled to the ground, trees uprooted and sheet-metal roofs and walls torn off improvised structures inhabited by at least one-third of the population. «It will take several days» to establish the full death toll, but «we fear that it is heavy», Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said late Saturday after a government crisis meeting in Paris. Information from the locked-down population, in shock and largely cut off from water and electricity supplies, is slow to filter out, a source familiar with the recovery effort told AFP. One local resident, Ibrahim, told AFP of «apocalyptic scenes» as he made his way through the main island, having to clear blocked roads for himself. - Scramble for supplies - Retailleau will travel to Mayotte on Monday, his office said, alongside 160 soldiers and firefighters to reinforce the 110 already deployed to the islands. Medical personnel and equipment were being delivered from Sunday by air and sea, said the prefecture in La Reunion, another French Indian Ocean territory some 1,400 kilometres away on the other side of Madagascar. A first aid plane landed in Mayotte at around 3:30 pm local time (1230 GMT) with three tonnes of medial supplies, blood for transfusions and 17 medical staff, authorities in La Reunion said, with two military aircraft expected to follow. A navy patrol ship was to depart La Reunion with personnel and equipment including for electricity supplier EDF. Pope Francis, visiting French Mediterranean island Corsica on Sunday, urged people to pray for Mayotte residents. - Storm hits Mozambique -  Just northwest of Mayotte, the Comoros islands, some of which had been on red alert since Friday, were also hit, but suffered only minor damage. Cyclone Chido later slammed into Mozambique early Sunday, bringing gale-force winds and heavy rain when it made landfall around 40 kilometres (25 miles) south of the northern city of Pemba, weather services said. Buildings were damaged and power knocked out in some areas of Mozambique's northern coastal provinces of Nampula and Cabo Delgado early Saturday, authorities said. But by the afternoon Chido was travelling over the inland province of Niassa and had weakened, said the president of the National Institute for Risk and Disaster Management, Luisa Meque. UNICEF said it was on the ground to help the people impacted by the storm, which had already caused some damage. «Many homes, schools and health facilities have been partially or completely destroyed and we are working closely with government to ensure continuity of essential basic services,» it said in a statement. Cyclone Chido is the latest in a string of storms worldwide to be fuelled by climate change, according to experts. The «exceptional» cyclone was super-charged by particularly warm Indian Ocean waters, meteorologist Francois Gourand of France's Meteo France weather service told AFP. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said Friday it was similar in strength to cyclones Gombe in 2022 and Freddy in 2023, which killed more than 60 people and at least 86 in Mozambique respectively. It warned that some 1.7 million people were in danger, and said the remnants of the cyclone could also dump «significant rainfall» on neighbouring Malawi through Monday, potentially triggering flash floods. Zimbabwe and Zambia were also expected to see heavy rains, it added. © Agence France-Presse

Ólafur Haraldsson, CEO of Designing Reality, has created a 3D model of Hafnarfjörður.

The U.N. for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said Sunday that it requires 1.42 billion U.S. dollars in 2025 to ramp up humanitarian operations in Somalia, where 5.98 million people are in need of assistance.

When Joy Akinkunmi signed up for a science fair two years ago, she had no idea that something she was seeing at home would serve as the inspiration for her project. She recently received an award for her work.

Some federal public servants in Ottawa wait nearly an hour each morning for a coveted spot in one of the city's suburban co-working spaces rather than endure the commute to their government offices downtown.

Reg Willick, 62, from Spiritwood, Sask., finished the Great World Race on Nov. 21, 2024: running seven marathons on seven continents in seven days.

Despite a $29 million investment into a new police force focused on Alberta's section of the Canada-U.S. border, some experts question its practicality and effectiveness.

A person has died after being struck by a falling tree branch in Surrey during Saturday's windstorm on B.C.'s south coast, according to the police.

When Strictly bosses signed Liverpudlian comedian Chris McCausland to appear on the high-profile show, they thought he would last two weeks, maybe three.

The former house speaker has had hip replacement surgery after falling in Luxembourg Read Full Article at RT.com

The Russian Republic of Chechnya plans to open a network of pharmacies with separate services for males and females Read Full Article at RT.com

Ukraine’s deliberate attacks on Russian media workers have been supported by the West, the Foreign Ministry has said Read Full Article at RT.com

Walter Braga Netto is now thought to have been a key player in an alleged plot to seize power after Brazil’s 2022 election Read Full Article at RT.com

UK premier Keir Starmer has claimed that more sanctions on Russia and weapons for Ukraine will bolster Kiev’s negotiating position Read Full Article at RT.com

External affairs minister S. Jaishankar highlighted India's evolving foreign policy, emphasizing it as a necessary adaptation, not a political attack. He cited four key drivers: changes in India's development model, the shift from a bipolar to multipolar world, increasing globalization, and technology's impact.

The Indian government launched the 'Jalvahak' scheme to boost cargo movement via inland waterways, offering up to 35% operating cost reimbursements. Three cargo ships were flagged off, inaugurating fixed-schedule services on key routes. Cargo volumes on national waterways have seen significant growth, and the government aims to further increase this by 2030 and 2047.

Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of providing illegal Rohingya refugees with housing, utilities, and financial aid. Puri refuted AAP's claims that the central government was settling Rohingyas, citing a 2022 clarification. Delhi BJP echoed Puri's statement, accusing AAP of misleading the public and diverting attention from core issues.

A gang of four was arrested for kidnapping actor Mushtaq Mohammad Khan from Delhi airport and holding him for ransom in Uttar Pradesh. They lured Khan with an event invitation, then abducted him, demanding bank details. Khan escaped, but the gang withdrew ₹2.2 lakh. Police also foiled their plan to kidnap Shakti Kapoor and are investigating links to other similar cases, including comedian Sunil Pal's kidnapping.

Ramdas Athawale, chief of the Republican Party of India (Athawale), expressed disappointment over being excluded from the Maharashtra cabinet expansion despite promises from CM Devendra Fadnavis. Athawale, a Union minister, highlighted his party's contribution to the Mahayuti alliance's victory and reiterated his demand for a ministerial berth, citing the significant Dalit vote share they secured.

On December 6, 2024, Malawian advocates led by Attorney General Thabo Chakaka Nyirenda made a groundbreaking appearance before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, marking a significant moment in the advocacy for climate justice as they argued a case focusing on the “Obligations of States in Respect of Climate Change.” This represents […] The post Malawi Makes Historic Appearance at ICJ, Advocates for Climate Change Reparations appeared first on Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi.

Officials from UTM have voiced concerns over the findings of the Commission of Inquiry into the plane crash that tragically claimed the life of former Vice President Dr. Saulos Chilima and eight others. Speaking to the press, UTM spokesperson Felix Njawala criticized the report, stating that it “hangs in the air” and leaves more questions […] The post UTM expresses dissatisfaction with Commission’s plane crash report appeared first on Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi.

The president-elect’s personnel decisions raise questions about whether his true priorities square with those of the people who voted for him.