Serena loses on comeback, Himachal CM meets BJP chief and other news in pictures

Serena Williams from the U.S. returns the ball to Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia during the final day of the Mubadala World Tennis Championship in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates on Saturday.

 

Published at 7.45 p.m.

Serena loses to Ostapenko

Serena Williams lost on her return to competitive tennis after giving birth, going down to French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko in an exhibition in the United Arab Emirates on Saturday. Williams struggled with her serve and Ostapenko won 6-2, 3-6 and then 10-5 in a super tiebreaker, but the American still impressed to take a set off the No. 7-ranked Ostapenko after nearly a year away from tennis.

Published at 6.30 p.m.

Iran holds pro-government rallies

Iranian protesters chant slogans at a rally in Tehran, Iran, on Saturday.

 

Annual nationwide pro-government rallies were held in Iran on Saturday to mark the end of unrest which shook the country in 2009, state media reported, while local news agency and social media reports said a third day of protests had begun. State television showed a rally in the capital Tehran and marchers carrying banners in support of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Mashhad, Iran's second largest city. Pro-government rallies were scheduled in more than 1,200 cities and towns, state television said, events held annually to mark the end of months of street protests which followed Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's re-election as President in 2009.

Published at 5.30 p.m.

Russian top court upholds ban on Navalny

Russian Supreme Court judge Nikolai Romanenkov delivers a verdict in Moscow, Russia on Saturday.

 

Russia's highest court on Saturday upheld election officials' decision to bar opposition leader Alexei Navalny from running for President in March's election. The Supreme Court turned down Mr. Navalny's appeal against the Central Election Commission's move, ruling that the decision to bar him from the race fully conforms to law. President Vladimir Putin, whose approval ratings top 80%, is set to easily win a fourth term in the March 18 vote. Navalny has campaigned for the presidency all year despite an implicit ban on his candidacy due to a fraud conviction seen by many as politically driven. Election officials formally barred him from the ballot Monday.

Published at 4.30 p.m.

Militants evacuated from Syria

Rebels are seen after evacuation from Beit Jann, in Daraa, Syria on Saturday.

 

Dozens of Syrian militants and their families have departed aboard buses from an area where they have been besieged by government forces near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. The move is part of a deal to clear yet another district from insurgents. The government-controlled Syrian Central Military Media said 153 people, including 106 fighters, left the village of Beit Jin early on Saturday toward the southern province of Daraa. The Ibaa news agency of the al-Qaeda-linked Levant Liberation Committee said six buses carrying fighters and their families arrived in rebel-held parts of Daraa province.

Published at 2.00 p.m.

Jairam Thakur meets Amit Shah

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur with BJP President Amit Shah during a meeting in New Delhi on Saturday.

 

The five-time Bhartiya Janata Party MLA Jairam Thakur was sworn in as the new Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh on December 27. He met with BJP President Amit Shah today in New Delhi.

Published at 1.00 p.m.

Centenary celebrations

President Ram Nath Kovind being welcomed by Union Minister for parliament affairs Ananth Kumar Hegde and Adamya Chetana trustee Thejaswini Anantha Kumar at the centenary celebrations of the National High school and Seva Utsav at National college grounds.

The centenary celebrations of the National High school was held at Basavanagudi, in Bengaluru. The institution was founded by Dr Annie Besant in 1917.

Published at 12 noon

Fog

A villager walks, as fog envelops the outskirts of Bhubaneswar on a chilly morning.

 

Foggy conditions prevailed this morning in Bhubaneswar and many parts of the country.

Published at 10.00 a.m.

Final day of fourth Ashes Test

Australia's David Warner, left, walks off after he was caught out for 86 runs off the bowling of England's Joe Root during the fifth day of their Ashes cricket test match in Melbourne, Australia.

 

In the becalmed fourth Ashes Test on Saturday’s final day, Warner had looked set for his 22nd Test hundred and second century of the Test match before he attempted to slog the second ball of Joe Root’s first over. The ball, pitched into the foot marks, skewed into the air and James Vince took a comfortable catch in the covers to give Root the perfect gift on his 27th birthday. Warner dropped his head realising he had botched a golden chance to claim his Test twin centuries for a fourth time in his career.

Published at 9.00 a.m.

Palestine

A Palestinian demonstrator hurls stones toward Israeli troops during clashes at a protest against U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, near the West Bank city of Nablus, December 29, 2017.

 

A Palestinian demonstrator hurls stones toward Israeli troops during clashes at a protest against U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, near the West Bank city of Nablus.

Published at 8.00 a.m.

Brazil

A faithful prays for Yemanja, goddess of the sea, during a ceremony that is part of traditional New Year's celebrations on Copacabana beach, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

 

As the year winds down, Brazilian worshippers of Yemanja celebrate the deity, offering flowers and launching large and small boats into the ocean in exchange for blessings in the coming year. The belief in the goddess comes from the African Yoruban religion brought to America by West African slaves.