US President-elect Joe Biden has alleged that agencies critical to US security have suffered “enormous damage” at the hands of the Trump administration.

Mr Biden said his team is not getting the information it needed, including from the Department of Defence, as it makes its transition to power.

He was speaking after a briefing by national security and foreign policy aides.

Mr Biden takes office on 20 January but President Donald Trump has refused to accept defeat in November’s election.

For weeks after the election, Mr Biden was blocked from receiving key intelligence briefings, an essential and normally routine part of a presidential transition.

Following Mr Biden’s remarks on Monday, Acting Defence Secretary Christopher Miller said officials have been working with the utmost professionalism to support transition activities.

A spokesman said the Pentagon has been completely transparent with the Biden team.

Science and Technology Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan has released the report – Action Agenda for an Atma Nirbhar Bharat prepared by Technology Information, Forecasting and Assessment Council, TIFAC in New Delhi.

Speaking on the occasion yesterday, Dr Harsh Vardhan said the ideas contained in the report should be taken forward with the implementing agencies. He said, the ultimate outcome of the report has to be addition to quality of life and how our efforts can contribute to Atmanirbhar Bharat.

He said, the comprehensive report on Action Agenda for an Atma Nirbhar Bharat is a consequential follow-up of the TIFAC’s White Paper on Focused Interventions for Make in India: post COVID -19 which was released earlier in July this year. The Minister said, a roadmap should be drawn for implementing the key suggestions in the report by 15th August, 2022 when India turns 75 years old.

The Sports Ministry has issued Standard Operating Procedures, SOP for conduct of sporting events in country.

The SOP said that a COVID task force shall be constituted for each sporting competition by the organizing committee to guide and monitor all athletes and Athlete Support Personnel.

This task force will be responsible for overall implementation of protocols outlined in this SOP and other direction issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare from time to time.

In its circular, Sports Ministry said, the guidelines were formulated in consultation with all the stakeholders and the competitions should be conducted strictly in accordance with the guidelines of the Ministry of Home Affairs.

For outdoor events, spectators will be allowed upto a maximum of 50 per cent of the total capacity of the stadium.

The Ministry said, CCTV monitoring may be planned for larger events to detect over-crowding at entry and exit gates and seating arena.

Appropriate arrangements for personal protection devices like face covers, masks, face shields, PPEs, heavy duty gloves and other logistics like hand sanitizers, soap, shall be made available by organizing committee.

US President-elect Joe Biden has alleged that agencies critical to US security have suffered “enormous damage” at the hands of the Trump administration.

Mr Biden said his team is not getting the information it needed, including from the Department of Defence, as it makes its transition to power.

He was speaking after a briefing by national security and foreign policy aides.

Mr Biden takes office on 20 January but President Donald Trump has refused to accept defeat in November’s election.

For weeks after the election, Mr Biden was blocked from receiving key intelligence briefings, an essential and normally routine part of a presidential transition.

Following Mr Biden’s remarks on Monday, Acting Defence Secretary Christopher Miller said officials have been working with the utmost professionalism to support transition activities.

A spokesman said the Pentagon has been completely transparent with the Biden team.

Cold wave conditions intensify in northern parts of country after the fresh snowfall in the higher reaches of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

In Himachal Pradesh the minimum temperature dropped on to two notches acorss the state. However, weather remaind dry in most parts of the state. Maximum and minimum temperatures dropped at most places as icy winds swept through the state. The minimum temperature of 7 cities of the state has been recorded below zero degrees.

In Uttarakhand, normal life has been affected in remote places at high altitude areas of the state. Meanwhile, tourists’ rush was witnessed in Mussoorie, Dhanaulty, Nainital and other places at year end. District administrations have made special arrangements in this regard. The Met department forecast that cold wave condition is likely to prevail at various places in the state.

In Rajasthan cold wave conditions prevailed in most parts of the state for the last two consecutive days. The minimum temperature was recorded in minus in five cities of the state yesterday.

Our Jaipur correspondent reports that Mount Abu recorded the biggest drop of the season, where minimum temperature reached to minus 4 degree Celsius. The minimum temperature recorded below freezing point in Fatehpur, Jobner, Sikar and Churu cities. At the same time, the day temperature has also dropped. Sri Ganganagar recorded a minus of 13.5 degrees Celsius.  The Met Department has today issued an for intense cold wave and dense fog in Bhilwara, Chittorgarh, Jhunjhunu, Sikar, Bikaner, Churu Hanumangarh, and Sriganganagar districts. Apart from this, cold wave and cold day are expected in many other districts of the state.

The COVID-19 recovery rate in the country has touched 95.92 per cent. Total recoveries has reached 98 lakh 7 thousand 5 hundred 69 with 24 thousand 900 recoveries in the last 24 hours.

With 16 thousand 4 hundred 32 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, total cases reached 1 crore 2 lakh 24 thousand 3 hundred and three.

The Health and Family Welfare Ministry said, 252 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours which has taken the death toll to 1 lakh 48 thousand one hundred 53.

The Government has assured that vaccines will work against the new variants of coronavirus and there is no evidence that current vaccines will fail to protect against the new variants reported from the UK and South Africa.

Briefing media in New Delhi yesterday, Principal Scientific Advisor K. Vijay Raghavan said that the changes in the variants of corona virus are not sufficient to make the vaccines ineffective. He said, most vaccines target the spike protein and stimulate our immune system to produce a wide range of protective antibodies.

Giving the details about the new variants, Mr. Raghavan said, 17 important changes have been seen in the new variants and it increases the spread of transmission. He added that the UK variant is more transmissible and it increases the positivity rate. He however clarified that these new variants do not increase the severity of the disease.

The Principal Scientific Advisor informed that Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium is conducting testing and sequencing of samples of international travellers, patients admitted in the hospital and across the country. He advised the people to follow strict compliance measures like wearing masks and maintaining social distancing to ward off this disease.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that infrastructure is the biggest source of any nation’s strength. He said as India is moving fast towards the path of becoming a big economic power, the best connectivity is the priority of the country. Emphasising on the importance of connectivity and infrastructure development for Atma Nirbhar Bharat, Mr Modi said his Government is working on every aspect of modern connectivity for the last six years with this in mind.

The Prime Minister was speaking after dedicating to the nation the New Bhaupur- New Khurja section and the Operation Control Centre of Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (EDFC) in Uttar Pradesh yesterday. 

The Prime Minister said the this corridor will become a medium of Atmanirbhar Bharat. He opined that this corridor will open new economic activities and boost employment opportunities in the region.

Talking about the importance of connectivity development, Mr Modi termed the corridor as the biggest and most important rail project after independence. He said the Government is focussing on the five wheels of highways, railways, airways, waterways and i-ways. He said today’s inauguration of a large section of Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor is a big step in this direction.Mr Modi said Prayagraj Operation Control center is one of the modern control centers and a symbol of the new strength of the new India.

The Prime Minister stressed on the need for dedicated freight corridors. He said with such corridors, problem of delayed passenger trains would be resolved and speed of the freight train also would increase three times and would be able to carry double the volume of goods.

The Prime Minister said about 60 percent of the corridor falls in Uttar Pradesh which would attract a lot of industries towards the state. The Prime Minister said Kisan Rail would be benefited due to this freight corridor as farmers can send their produce through rail to any big markets across the country, faster, safely and at a low price.

The Prime Minister urged to keep the development of the country’s infrastructure away from politics. He said country’s infrastructure should be a mission to benefit many generations, not 5 years of politics.

The 351-kilometre New Bhaupur- New Khurja section of EDFC is built at a cost of 5,750 crore rupees and most of its part passes through Uttar Pradesh. The section will decongest the existing Kanpur-Delhi main rail line and enable Indian Railways to run faster trains. The Operation Control Centre at Prayagraj will act as the command centre for the entire route length of the EDFC.        

The Centre has invited the protesting farmer’ unions for talks today to end the impasse over the three farm laws. This will be the sixth round of talk between the government and farmers to end the deadlock. The Centre has written to the 40 protesting farmers’ unions and invited them for talks.

Apart from the farm laws, discussions will be held on MSP and on legislations related to air quality and the electricity. The government has reiterated that it is  committed to finding a logical solution on all relevant issues raised by the farmers with a clear intention and an open mind. The invite for the resumption of talks came following a proposal made by the farmers’ unions to hold discussion on 29th December.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while flagging off the 100th Kisan Rail from Sangola in Maharashtra to Shalimar in West Bengal, said that his government’s policies are clear and intentions transparent in reforming the agriculture sector. He asserted that the NDA government will continue to work to strengthen farmers and agri sector with full force and dedication.