NATIONAL NEWS
PM Modi to inaugurate multiple development projects in Punjab today
Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit Ferozepur in Punjab today, January 5, 2022. The Prime Minister will lay foundation stone of multiple development projects worth over Rs 42,750 cr including the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway, PGI Satellite Centre at Ferozepur and two new medical colleges at Kapurthala and Hoshiarpur.
India’s TS Tirumurti named Chair of UN Counter-Terrorism Committee
India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, TS Tirumurti has been named as the new Chair of the UN Counter-Terrorism Committee for 2022. India had last chaired this committee in 2011-12. The UNSC Counter-terrorism Committee was formed in September 2001 soon after the tragic 9/11 terrorist attack to chart the way forward to fight against terrorism.
Delhi to install telemetry devices in hospitals to monitor oxygen supply
The Delhi government has issued instructions to install Telemetry devices on oxygen tanks of 53 government and private hospitals for real-time monitoring of oxygen supply in the national capital. Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain said, “Live monitoring will be done through COVID-19 War Room. This will help in monitoring how much oxygen is available in which hospital so that oxygen can be delivered to the needy hospital in time in case of emergency.” The telemetry device will help in transmitting live information of the amount of oxygen present in each liquid medical oxygen tank to the war room of the Delhi government. This will help the government keep track of how much oxygen is left in which hospital so that oxygen can be delivered to that hospital in time.
SBI makes online IMPS transactions up to Rs 5 lakh free
The State Bank of India decided on January 4, 2022 to enhance the free IMPS online transactions limit to Rs 5 lakh from earlier Rs 2 lakh to encourage customers to adopt digital banking. SBI will not levy any service charge on Immediate Payment Service (IMPS) transactions up to Rs 5 lakh done through Internet banking or Mobile Banking.
Centre to frame policy to know age, condition of bridges across India
Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari informed on January 4, 2022 that the Centre will frame a policy to know the condition and age of all the bridges across the country. The Ministry has prepared the Indian Bridge Management System to collect information about all the bridges of the country.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Ex-Prime Minister of UK Tony Blair is now ‘Sir Tony’
The former Prime Minister of Britain Tony Blair, along with Baroness Amos and Duchess of Cornwall, will be appointed as a member of the Order of the Garter. It is England’s oldest and most senior order of chivalry. The former PM of the UK will now be known as ‘Sir Tony’. The appointments are the personal choices of the Queen, who has up to 24 ‘knight and lady companions’. Tony Blair has become ‘Sir Tony’ from January 1, 2022, as he joins the order as a ‘knight companion’. Baroness Amos has also become the black member of the order. He is a former cabinet minister. The ceremonial order which was founded in 1348 is a recognition of significant public service and is made without Prime Ministerial advice.
Viktor Saneyev, three-time Olympic triple jump champion, dies at 76
The former world record-holder and three-time Olympic triple jump champion Viktor Saneyev has passed away at the age of 76. The Soviet Union man had won his Olympic Titles in three consecutive games, first in 1968, second in 1972, and third in 1976. Saneyev also won an Olympic Silver Medal four years later in Moscow and won two European Titles in 1969 and 1974. Viktor Saneyev was born in Georgia in 1945. He started his Olympic career at the age of 23 and made his debut by securing Gold with a world record leap of 17.39m. Saneyev later worked as a coach in Australia and passed away in Sydney.
North Korea fires suspected ballistic missile off its east coast
North Korea has fired a suspected ballistic missile off its east coast. The unidentified projectile is believed to have already landed. It was fired toward the Sea of Japan, as per South Korean military. A crisis response center has been formed under the office of the Japanese Prime Minister following the possible launch of a ballistic missile by North Korea. North had last launched a projectile in October 2021, when it test-fired a new type of submarine-launched ballistic missile.