BEIJING, Jan 1 (APP): The BRICS memberships of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Iran and Ethiopia officially took effect on Monday.
The countries were invited to join the group in August 2023 after the 15th BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, CGTN reported.

Originally comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, BRICS, an important platform for cooperation among emerging markets and developing countries, has received numerous membership requests in recent years.

MOSCOW, January 1. /TASS/: Restrictions on the importation of Russian diamonds into G7 countries and restrictions on deliveries of diamonds to the European Union under the EU’s 12th package of sanctions have taken effect as of today, January 1, 2024, but experts surveyed by TASS doubt that the ban will be very effective.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A California law that bans people from carrying firearms in most public places will take effect on New Year’s Day, even as a court case continues to challenge the law.

A U.S. district judge issued a ruling Dec. 20 to block the law from taking effect, saying it violates the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and deprives people of their ability to defend themselves and their loved ones.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia launched a record 90 Shahed-type drones across Ukraine during the early hours of the new year, and Russian President Vladimir Putin said his country would “intensify” its attacks on its neighbor.

Speaking during a New Year’s Day visit to a military hospital, Putin said Ukraine could expect more such strikes after shelling of the Russian border city of Belgorod that killed more than two dozen people and wounded more than 100 others.

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Thousands of Israeli soldiers are being shifted out of the Gaza Strip, the military said Monday, in the first significant drawdown of troops since the war began as forces continued to bear down on the main city in the southern half of the enclave.

ISLAMABAD, Jan 01 (APP): Pakistan and India on Monday exchanged the lists of their nuclear installations and facilities as part of an annual practice of the new year.

The list of Pakistan’s nuclear installations was officially handed over to a representative of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Foreign Office said in a statement.

Simultaneously, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs also handed over the list of its nuclear installations and facilities to a representative of the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi.

BERLIN (AP) — German authorities said Monday they detained another suspect in connection with an alleged threat of an attack on the world-famous Cologne Cathedral over the holidays, bringing the overall number of people detained in connection with the alleged plot to five.

The latest suspect, a 41-year-old German-Turkish man, was detained Sunday night in the western city of Bochum in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.

DHAKA, Jan 1 (Reuters) - A court in Bangladesh on Monday sentenced Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus to six months in prison for labour law violations, prosecutors said, for what he said was a crime he did not commit.

Yunus, 83, and his Grameen Bank won the 2006 peace prize for their work to lift millions out of poverty by granting tiny loans of under $100 to the rural poor of Bangladesh, pioneering a global movement now known as microcredit.

SEOUL, Jan 1 (Reuters) - A tsunami measuring under one metre (3.3 ft) reached South Korea's east coast in the wake of a massive earthquake that hit Japan on Monday, South Korea's meteorological agency said, which added there may be more and larger waves in the next hours.

The first tsunami to reach South Korea's coast was 67 cm (2.2 ft) but it may increase in size after the initial waves and may continue for more than 24 hours, the meteorological agency said

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan’s independent human rights commission said Monday there is little chance of free and fair parliamentary elections in the country next month because of “pre-poll rigging.” It also expressed concern about authorities rejecting the candidacies of former Prime Minister Imran Khan and most other members of his party.

At a news conference in Islamabad, the co-chairperson of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, Munizae Jahangir, said other political parties have been subjected to similar tactics to varying degrees.

JERUSALEM, Jan 1 (Reuters) - Israel's Supreme Court on Monday struck down a highly disputed law passed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing government that rolled back some of the high court's power and sparked months of nationwide protests.

The law was part of a broader judicial overhaul proposed by Netanyahu and his coalition of religious and nationalist partners which caused a deep rift in Israel and concern over the country's democratic principles among Western allies.

TEL AVIV, December 31. /TASS/: In the past 7 days, the Israeli forces eliminated over 100 armed Palestinian radicals in the Gaza Strip, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during the government meeting.

"We completely support our troops. They do a great job fighting this difficult war. In the past week, they eliminated 100 terrorists. It happens every day. Dozens of terrorists are being eliminated every day, sometimes even more. We see this morale, we will destroy Hamas, bring our hostages back and we will win this war," the Prime Minister said.