The release, however, said that these IMEI numbers are not being blocked immediately. Analysis of the most frequently used duplicate IMEI numbers shows that around 19.50 lakh devices are active under the IMEI "440015202000". Authorities have compiled a list of fake and duplicate IMEI numbers with more than 100,000 active connections each, underscoring the scale and seriousness of the problem. The analysis of the most frequently used duplicate IMEI numbers showed that certain devices dominate the list. For instance, IMEI 440015202000 is active on 1,949,088 devices, IMEI 35227301738634 on 1,758,848 devices, IMEI 35275101952326 on 1,523,571 devices, and even the single-digit zero IMEI "0" is found on 586,331 devices.

LONDON, Jan 3, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Last year was Britain's hottest and sunniest on record, the national weather service confirmed on Friday, calling it a "clear demonstration" of the impacts of climate change. The Met Office had already announced last month that 2025 was the country's sunniest year since that record series began in 1910. The United Kingdom, which comprises England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, saw 1648.5 hours of sunshine, 61.4 hours more than the previous record set in 2003. - Wildfires -Spring and then a summer featuring four heatwaves were Britain's warmest on record, while spring was the driest in more than a century. Wind, solar and biomass power combined to supply 47 percent of the country's electricity in 2025, climate and energy website Carbon Brief said in a study Friday.

UNIFIL has repeatedly reported Israeli fire near or towards its personnel in recent months, and last week said an Israeli attack near one of its positions lightly wounded a peacekeeper. Personnel patrolling in south Lebanon on Friday "reported 15 rounds of small arms fire that struck no more than 50 metres away from them", a UNIFIL statement said. "We reiterate our call to the IDF to cease aggressive behaviour and attacks on or near peacekeepers working for peace and stability along the Blue Line." The force on Friday noted that "attacks on or near peacekeepers are serious violations" of a 2006 UN Security Council resolution that formed the basis of the current ceasefire. Under heavy US pressure and fears of expanded Israeli strikes, Lebanon has committed to disarming Hezbollah, starting in the south near the frontier.

Tesla loses EV crown to China's BYD in 2025 as sales slipWASHINGTON, United States, Jan 3, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Tesla's sales fell in 2025, the company reported Friday, ceding its position as the world's biggest electric vehicle maker for the year to Chinese auto giant BYD. Analysts had expected Tesla's sales in the final quarter to slow less, to 449,000, according to a FactSet consensus. Tesla has also been grappling with rising competition from BYD and other Chinese companies, and from European giants. Shenzhen-based BYD, which also produces hybrid cars, unveiled record EV sales in the past year on Thursday. Tesla only narrowly beat BYD in annual EV sales in 2024, with the US company's 1.79 million outpacing the latter's 1.76 million.

The crew, which included senior correspondent Jeremy Bowen, entered the Horenstein family's home in the days after the attacks in 2023. "While we do not generally comment on specific legal issues we are pleased to have reached an agreement in this case," a BBC spokesperson said. Tzeela and Simon Horenstein and their two young children survived the attack when a door the Hamas militants tried to blast open twisted and jammed. The BBC had reportedly agreed to pay the family o28,000 ($37,000), according to the Jewish News. A fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has been in place since October 10.

LOS ANGELES, United States, Jan 3, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Spanish midfielder Riqui Puig will require surgery after a "setback" in his recovery from the torn knee ligament that saw him miss all of the 2025 Major League Soccer season, the Los Angeles Galaxy said Friday. Puig, a product of Barcelona's famed La Masia academy, had returned to training with the Southern California club last autumn. "Riqui Puig suffered a setback in his ACL recovery while in Barcelona, Spain," the Galaxy said. Since arriving in the United States in 2022, Puig has played 74 matches, scoring 27 goals and recording 23 assists across the regular season and playoffs. In May of 2024, he signed a new contract with the Galaxy to stay with the club until 2027.

BRISBANE, Australia, Jan 3, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - A philosophical Nick Kyrgios said Saturday he had been a "chaotic mess" throughout his career and now just wants to enjoy himself when he returns to the tour this week. Speaking ahead of his opening-round match, Kyrgios said he was feeling fit and had been playing as well as ever in the build-up. "I think after every injury I have had the last couple of years, and to see how quickly something can be snatched away from you, I have a day-by-day mindset," the former world number 13 said. Kyrgios, who was granted a wildcard to play in Brisbane, begins his tour comeback against US world number 60 Aleksandar Kovacevic. Kyrgios could yet be offered a wildcard to play singles at the Australian Open this month.

What should have remained a disagreement apparently escalated into violence and resulted in the loss of a life. There can be no justification for taking the law into one’s own hands. While the search for the perpetrators is ongoing, it is crucial that law enforcement ensures a thorough and transparent investigation, and that those responsible are made to face the full force of the law -- not only because the victim deserves justice, but also to reinforce a zero-tolerance stance against indiscriminate violence. Violence cannot be an accepted response to conflict, and vigilante action cannot be allowed to replace lawful process. Upholding the rule of law is not merely the responsibility of the authorities, it is our collective obligation as members of society.

Dhaka, the overcrowded capital city of Bangladesh, has ranked eighth on the list of cities with the worst air quality with an AQI score of 163 at 9:15am. The capital's air was classified as "unhealthy", according to the AQI index. An AQI score between 50 and 100 is considered "moderate", usually prompting sensitive individuals to limit prolonged outdoor exertion. Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon.

If things progress as per the directives of the interim government (IG) the next general election in Bangladesh in February 2026 seems all set to go. The dominant political parties of Bangladesh except Awami League whose activities are currently under suspension, namely the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islam (BJI), and the newly formed student-led party, the National Citizen Party (NCP), have gone into election mode and are preparing for the election, quite enthusiastically. Notwithstanding, this may also be a good time to review Awami League, a party that led Bangladesh to independence. Instead, the Awami League has opted for revenge and that too with external help. As is evident from the above, the current state of Bangladesh’s dominant political parties is anything but inspiring, nor is it conducive to steer Bangladesh to a democratic, secular, and inclusive society.

SYDNEY, Jan 3, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Captain Ben Stokes on Saturday called the fifth and final Test against Australia a "huge game" for England and vowed there would be no coasting at the end of a long and draining Ashes tour. "This is a big game, purely because we're walking out there representing England," he said. "The Ashes, unfortunately for us, hasn't gone the way we wanted it to, but we've got one more game in a big series. Australia captain Steve Smith on Saturday said a final look at the wicket was needed before the hosts decided on their starting XI. Stokes said England also needed more time, but admitted no one really knew how the wicket would play despite captains and coaches pretending they did.

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17 men’s hockey entered the locker room on Friday night down 4-3 to the University of Nebraska-Omaha after the second period, the score was not the bulk of its worries. It was that — plus three third-period goals — which propelled Cornell over Omaha, 6-4, in what was a thrilling opening game of the two-game series. Fegaras got the scoring started when his booming slapshot beat Omaha netminder Dawson Cowan 4:19 into the game. “We kind of got away from our physicality in the second,” Long said. Able to drop its shoulders with a tie game, Cornell found the prized hard-nosed game it had left in the first period.

MUKALLA, Yemen, Jan 3, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Yemen's UAE-backed separatists announced a two-year transition to independence Friday despite reporting 20 deaths in airstrikes from a Saudi-led coalition trying to roll back their weeks-long offensive across the country's south. But he warned the group would declare independence "immediately" if there was no dialogue or if southern Yemen was attacked again. STC forces took much of resource-rich Hadramawt, bordering Saudi Arabia, and neighbouring Mahra province on the Omani frontier, in a largely unopposed advance last month. Further strikes targeted other sites in the region and the airport and military base in Seiyun, STC military sources and eyewitnesses told AFP. A source close to the Saudi military warned the strikes "will not stop until the Southern Transitional Council withdraws from the two governorates".

KYIV, Ukraine, Jan 3, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday said he intended to replace his defence minister and had offered the position to his current minister of digital transformation, who is aged just 34. "I have decided to change the structure of the Ukrainian ministry of defence," Zelensky said in his daily address broadcast on social media. "I have offered Mikhailo Fedorov the position of new Ukrainian defence minister." Zelensky had tapped Shmygal as defence minister just half a year ago, in July 2025. Besides the turnover at the defence ministry, Zelensky also named Ukrainian military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov to head his presidential office.