NATIONAL NEWS
COVID vaccine certificate to not carry PM Modi’s photo in 5 poll-bound states
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s photo will not appear on the vaccine certificate in the five poll-bound states in compliance with the model code of conduct. The Health Ministry has applied filters to CoWIN software to ensure that it does not happen. The Assembly Polls will be held in seven phases in five states of Goa, Manipur, Punjab, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh between February 10th and March 7, 2022. The result will be declared on March 10th.
14-year-old Bharath Subramaniyam becomes India’s 73rd Grandmaster
Bharath Subramaniyam has become the 73rd Grandmaster of India, as per the All India Chess Federation on January 9, 2022. The 14-year-old teenager from Chennai completed his final GM Norm and crossed the requisite 2500 rating at Vergani Cup Open in Italy. He though finished seventh overall in the event by scoring 6.5 points from nine rounds. To get the Grandmaster title, a player has to secure three GM norms and cross the live rating of 2,500 Elo points.
Health Minister to chair COVID-19 review meet today
Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya is scheduled to chair a virtual meeting today with the health ministers of five states and a union territory to review the COVID-19 situation in the states amid a sudden spike. PM Narendra Modi had also chaired a high-level review meeting to review the current COVID-19 pandemic situation in the country and the preparedness of the health infrastructure.
SC to hear plea seeking probe into the breach in PM Modi’s security in Punjab
The Supreme Court is expected to hear a plea today seeking a court-monitored probe into the breach in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s security during his visit to Ferozepur, Punjab. A three-judge bench of the apex court is likely to take up the plea comprising Chief Justice NV Ramana and Justices Surya Kant and Hima Kohli.
Former RBI Governor Urjit Patel appointed as Vice-President of AIIB
The Former Governor of Reserve Bank of India Urjit Patel has been appointed as a Vice-President of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. It is a Beijing-based multilateral development bank. Patel will succeed the outgoing Vice-President of AIIB DJ Pandian. He was in charge of sovereign and non-sovereign lending of the AIIB in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Islands. 58 years old Urjit Patil will join the new position on February 1, 2022, and will be one of the five Vice-Presidents of the AIIB with a tenure of three years. Patel had taken over as the Governor of Reserve Bank of India succeeding Raghuram Rajan in 2016 and had served the position till December 2018.
Noida ranked ‘Cleanest Medium City’ in India
Noida has bagged the Cleanest Medium City in Swachh Survekshan 2021. It is an annual survey of hygiene, cleanliness, and sanitation in India. The high rank achieved by Noida in Swachh Survekshan Survey 2021 is a miraculous victory as in the 2018 survey, the city was ranked at 324th. Noida has also achieved a 5-star garbage-free city rating which is a higher achievement from having received a 3-star garbage-free city rating in 2020.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Golden Globe Awards 2022 winners: ‘The Power of the Dog’ wins Best Picture Drama, Will Smith win Best Actor
The winners of the 79th Golden Globe awards were announced on January 9, 2022 by Hollywood Foreign Press Association in a private ceremony at Beverly Hilton. The event was not televised or live-streamed this year. The event did not also have the red carpet and no celebrity presenters and nominees were involved. Netflix’s ‘The Power of the Dog’ won Best Motion Picture -Drama, while ‘West Side Story’ won Best Motion Picture- Musical or Comedy. Will Smith won his first Golden Globe for Best Actor -Drama for his role of ‘Richard Williams’ in the 2021 movie ‘King Richard’ and Nicole Kidman won Best Actress-Drama for her role in ‘Being the Ricardos’.
Full House star Bob Saget passes away
Actor and comedian Bob Saget was found dead in his hotel room in Orlando, Florida on January 9, 2022. The 65-year-old had portrayed the popular character of Danny Tanner on the American TV show ‘Full House’. Saget, who is also a stand-up comedian was found unresponsive in his room while he was on a comedy tour.
Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi sentenced to four more years in prison
Myanmar’s Court has sentenced ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi to four years of imprisonment after finding her guilty of multiple charges. It includes the possession of illegally imported walkie-talkies and violation of COVID-19 restrictions. This is also the second round of verdicts against the former Myanmar State Counsellor.
