NATIONAL NEWS
Senior BJP leader and eight-time MLA Harbans Kapoor passes away in Uttarakhand.
The Senior leader of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Harbans Kapoor passed away on December 12, 2021, in Dehradun. He was a former Speaker of Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly and also an eight-time MLA. The Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed grief over Kapoor’s demise and wished strength for his family members. The Chief Minister also said that soft-spoken Harbans Kapoor always lives life with simplicity. The popularity of Harbans Kapoor was proved by his win of assembly polls eight times. He was also always vocal about the development of his constituency.
Digital platform for Management of Complaints inaugurated
The Chairperson of Lokpal Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose has launched a digital platform for the management of complaints. The portal is called ‘LokpalOnline’ and it can be accessed easily by all the citizens of the country. Complaints on the portal can also be filed from anywhere and at any time. LokpalOnline is a web-based facility that will facilitate in quick disposal of complaints in a transparent, accountable, and efficient manner with benefits to all the stakeholders. While speaking on the occasion, Justice Ghose said that corruption in the country is a key element in the underperformance of the economy. It also undermines rule of law and democracy.
Prime Minister Modi’s account briefly hacked
The Twitter handle of Prime Minister Modi was briefly hacked early on December 12, 2021. A post claiming that India has officially adopted bitcoin as legal tender was tweeted from PM’s account. While Twitter took necessary steps to secure PM Modi’s account, it also added that as per the investigations done by the company the hack was not due to a compromise of its systems or service. PM Modi’s account was also hacked earlier in March 2020 with hackers trying to attempt to solicit cryptocurrency from Prime Minister Modi’s Twitter followers. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has over 73.4 million followers on Twitter and he follows 2,367 accounts.
India’s Harnaaz Sandhu crowned Miss Universe 2021
India’s Harnaaz Sandhu brought home the Miss Universe crown after a gap of 21 years. Lara Dutta had won the prestigious beauty pageant back in 2000. The 21 years Sandhu is from Punjab, she represented India at the 70th Miss Universe 2021. Sushmita Sen had won the first Miss Universe crown for India in 1994.
Kashi Vishwanath Corridor inaugurated by Prime Minister Modi.
Prime Minister Modi inaugurated phase 1 of Kashi Vishwanath Dham. Kashi Vishwanath Corridor has been constructed at a cost of around Rs 339 crores. PM Modi also earlier offered prayers to Lord Shiva at Kashi Vishwanath temple. The Corridor project connects the Kashi Vishwanath temple to the banks of River Ganga in Varanasi.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
G7 nations warn Russia to face consequences if Ukraine is invaded
The Group of 7 nations has warned Russia to face major consequences and pay costs of President of Russia Vladimir Putin decided to attack Ukraine. The meeting of G7 Foreign Ministers took place in Liverpool during which the delegates unitedly condemned Russia’s military build-up near Ukraine and called the country to de-escalate. The G7 ministers also reaffirmed their unwavering commitment to Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. According to US intelligence agencies, Russia can be planning a multi-front offensive on Ukraine early in 2022 and can involve up to 1 lakh 75 thousand troops in the operations. However, Russia has denied any plans to invade Ukraine.
Virtual meeting between Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping on December 15
The President of China Xi Jinping and President of Russia Vladimir Putin are scheduled to hold a virtual meeting on December 15, 2021. The news was shared by the Spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry. The Chinese diplomat did not provide any further details about the upcoming meeting between the two leaders. However, it will be significant as Russia and China will work to strengthen ties amid the escalating tensions with the West. On the foreign policy, both Russia and China share similar approaches to Syria, Iran, and Venezuela. They also recently revived a push to lift United Nations sanctions imposed on North Korea.
Dubai becomes first in the world to go 100% paperless
Dubai has become the world’s first government to turn 100% paperless. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Crown Prince of Emirates, shared the news while also pointing at the savings of 1.3 million Dirham (USD 350 Million) and 14-million-man-hours. All forms of transactions and the procedures in the Dubai Government are now 100% digital.
Max Verstappen wins Formula One World Champion
Max Verstappen was crowned Formula One world champion. He overtook Lewis Hamilton who was heading for his 8th title, to win his first-ever Formula One title. Verstappen has become the first Dutch world champion. Hamilton’s Mercedes team protested against Verstappen’s win.
