Get the latest news on the transition to the new administration of President-elect Donald Trump and a new Congress.

The Supreme Court questioned the criminalization of chanting «Jai Shri Ram» during an appeal against the Karnataka High Court's dismissal of a case involving two individuals accused of shouting the slogan in a mosque. The court questioned the identification of the accused and how the phrase constituted an offense.

In a Rajya Sabha debate, Opposition Leader Mallikarjun Kharge criticized PM Modi and the BJP for allegedly undermining the Constitution and pushing towards dictatorship through excessive devotion. He accused the BJP of dismantling the reservation system, opposing the caste census, and distorting historical legacies. Kharge also condemned the PM's handling of the Manipur crisis and unfulfilled promises.

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath addressed the Sambhal violence, stating that the truth will emerge. He countered opposition allegations, citing decreased communal riots since 2017. Adityanath highlighted Sambhal's history of unrest and vowed to hold those responsible for the recent stone-pelting accountable. A judicial commission will be formed to investigate the matter.

The Indian government has raised Rs 8,625 crore through minority stake sales in the current fiscal year 2024-25, according to Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary. Disinvestment targets have been discontinued since 2023-24. The government's disinvestment policy focuses on sectors where competitive markets exist, aiming to improve efficiency and attract capital through strategic investors.

Congress MP Mukul Wasnik criticized the BJP and RSS for their lack of female leadership. He highlighted the absence of women presidents in both organizations, contrasting it with Congress's history of female leaders like Annie Besant and Sarojini Naidu. Wasnik also defended Nehru's opposition to a «Hindu Pakistan» during partition, attributing the BJP's criticism of Nehru to this stance.

SINGAPORE — A Singaporean man has been arrested in Thailand for his suspected involvement in cryptocurrency scam activities that cheated would-be investors of more than 22.4 million baht (S$887,000). He was part of a ring which created a sham app resembling the Tidex digital cryptocurrency trading platform. The 32-year-old man, who has been identified by only his surname, was suspected of opening digital wallet accounts to store the ill-gotten proceeds from the victims, reported Thai media, citing an arrest warrant issued by the Phrakhanong Criminal Court in Bangkok. The group's fake app dangled the prospect of high investment returns, convincing victims to transfer funds totalling around 22.4 million baht. Checks with the Anti-Online Scam Operation Centre in Bangkok revealed that the scam had ensnared many victims, who made at least 17 fund transfers without any investments being actually made, the Thai police said.

The EU Foreign Affairs Council will discuss giving Ukraine a further €6 billion for arms, Hungary’s foreign minister said Read Full Article at RT.com

The West is provoking Russia into retaliatory action by pushing it beyond red lines, President Vladimir Putin has said Read Full Article at RT.com

round 300 people have been infected with a mysterious ‘dancing’ disease in Uganda, according to health officials Read Full Article at RT.com

Aleksandar Vucic says he plans to hold talks with Moscow and Washington to dispute US sanctions against Serbia’s biggest oil company Read Full Article at RT.com

The Council adopted a 15th package of economic and individual restrictions against Moscow on Monday Read Full Article at RT.com

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia on Sunday condemned and denounced the Israeli government’s approval of a plan to double the population of the occupied and annexed Golan Heights. Israel’s government “unanimously approved” the $11 million “plan for the demographic development of the Golan... in light of the war and the new front in Syria and the desire to double the population,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said.

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is holding the fourth edition of the Hajj Conference and Exhibition in Jeddah from Jan. 13-16 under the patronage of King Salman. The Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, along with the Pilgrim Experience Program, will host a conference gathering ministers, ambassadors, academics, experts, diplomats, and representatives from private and public institutions across 87 countries.

RIYADH: Members of the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC) signed a resolution on Sunday to rename the organization to the Arab Energy Organization (AEO), the Saudi Press Agency reported. Saudi Arabia had proposed renaming and restructuring the organization during the 113th ministerial meeting in Kuwait this week. Saudi Arabia's proposal aimed to enhance OAPEC's charter and promote stronger cooperation among its members as part of a larger reconstruction initiative, the SPA added.

RIYADH: Jeddah Governor Saud bin Abdullah bin Jalawi attended a reception on Sunday to commemorate Qatar’s national day, the Saudi Press Agency reported. The event, arranged by the country’s consulate in Jeddah, was attended by several Qatari officials from the diplomatic corps who welcomed the prince.  

DUBAI: Japan is “delighted” with the rising interest from Saudi Arabia travelers in the Asia nation’s tourism offerings, according to a leading official on Monday. Daisuke Kobayashi, executive director of the Japan National Tourism Organization’s office in Dubai, said that JNTO’s first event in Riyadh, titled “FEEL YOUR FOUR SEASONS,” allowed the organization to share the diverse attractions of his country.

As Trump seeks to elevate Pam Bondi to attorney general, her work battling to overturn the 2020 vote in Pennsylvania draws new scrutiny.

Canada's premiers are meeting in Toronto today, and cross-border trade is topping the agenda, on the heels of a tariff threat from U.S. president-elect Donald Trump.

Canadians planning to travel abroad over the holidays should take precautionary steps to ensure they’re not unintentionally putting themselves in harm’s way.

In part one of a three-part investigation, W5 correspondent Jon Woodward reveals how a convicted con artist bilked dozens of people in a landlord scam.

Sen. Jon Bramnick called for a state of emergency as he derided what he said was a lack of transparency over the unexplained sightings around New Jersey

After grandmother Champagauri Bhatt, 86, and her disabled son Dipak, 66, died in a house fire last year, a coroner has issued a warning over an appliance that started the blaze in London.

Verify-Sy identified the 'hidden prisoner' as Salama Mohammad Salama, a first lieutenant in the Syrian Air Force Intelligence, which served former President Bashar al-Assad.

Matthew Petgrave (pictured) has put out a public plea for help to cover his mounting legal fees and named himself as the man facing a criminal investigation for manslaughter.

Victoria Thomas Bowen, 25, launched the drink at the MP outside a pub in Clacton-on-Sea during the general election campaign on June 4.

According to Olga Stefanishyna, she personally views these statements as «a desire on the part of the West to lift responsibility for all these arrangements that were previously in place»

Andrey Kurnosenko emphasized that extremist and terrorist actions by nationalist, religious, ethnic, and other groups aimed at undermining Russia’s unity and territorial integrity and destabilizing the political and socio-economic landscape remain among the primary threats to national security

The Foreign Ministry urged the international community to intervene against Israel’s actions

«Israel must return to the full compliance with the well-known 1974 agreement with Syria,» Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov stressed