NATIONAL NEWS
India, Central Asian countries reiterate Afghan territory should not be used for sheltering terrorists
The foreign Ministers of India and five Central Asian countries reaffirmed the significance of UNSC Resolution 2593 (2021) which unequivocally demands that Afghan territory should not be used for sheltering, training, planning or financing terrorist acts and calls for concerted action against all terrorist groups. The foreign ministers in the third meeting of the India- Central Asia Dialogue, reiterated strong support for a peaceful, secure and stable Afghanistan.
Kidambi Srikanth becomes first Indian male shuttler to win silver at BWF World Championships
Kidambi Srikanth became the first Indian male shuttler to win silver at the BWF World Championships on December 19, 2021. He had earlier become the first Indian to enter the men’s singles final at the Championships. He, however, had to settle for silver after losing to Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew in the summit clash in straight sets of 21-15, 22-20. Loh Kean Yew has also become the first male shuttler from Singapore to have won the gold men.
Mathura to get grand temple after Ayodhya, Kashi?
BJP MP Hema Malini said on December 19, 2021 that after Ayodhya and Kashi, her constituency Mathura will get a grand temple like the Kashi Vishwanath corridor. She said that “Mathura, which is the birthplace of Lord Krishan who is the symbol of love and affection, I will say that there should be a grand temple. A temple is already there and can be beautified like Modi ji developed Kashi Vishwanath corridor.”
UP CM to distribute free mobiles, tablets to one lakh students on December 25
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Aditanath will distribute free mobiles and tablets to one lakh final year students studying in different streams on December 25, 2021. The free mobiles and tablets will be distributed to the students at the Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Bajpayee Ekana Stadium in Lucknow in the first phase. A large number of students from every district of UP are expected to participate in the program.
Uttarakhand appoints Rishabh Pant as state brand ambassador
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami appointed Indian cricketer Rishabh Pant as the state brand ambassador on December 19, 2021. The Chief Minister wrote in a Twitter post, “One of the best cricket players of India, the idol of youth and Lal Shri Rishabh Pant of Uttarakhand has been appointed by our government as “State Brand Ambassador” with the aim of encouraging the youth of the state towards sports and public health.”
Tripura devises 25-years action plan, sets goal on zero dropout
Tripura government has devised an action plan for the next 25 years that focuses on infrastructure development, better employment, and education opportunities. The Tripura Chief Secretary Kumar Alok said that the path of Tripura’s development for the next 25 years has been defined through the two-day Vision 2047 workshop that culminated on December 18.
Mormugao, Indian Navy’s Stealth Destroyer, begins maiden sea sortie
Indian Navy conducted the maiden trials for Mormugao. It is the second indigenous stealth destroyer of the P15B class. Mormugao ship has been built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd and is named after the port town in Goa. Stealth Destroyer was launched in September 2016 when the late Manohar Parrikar was the Defence Minister of India. The Indian Navy plans on commissioning the stealth destroyer in mid-2022 after which the shop will be known as the INS Mormugao. It will further add significantly to the combat capabilities of the Indian Navy. The sea trials of Mormogao have come less than a month after the recent commissioning of INS Vishakhapatnam which was the first of the P15B contract.
Govt selects 485 participants to perform in Republic Day Parade 2022
485 participants have been selected to perform on the 2022 Republic Day parade which will be held at Rajpath in New Delhi. In Vande Bharatam Final Competition which was held in New Delhi, 73 groups comprising 850 dancers from all four zones showcased their talent at the Grand Finale of the competition. The launch of Vande Bharatam- Nritya Utsav was announced by the Government, The major objective of the event was to select the top dancing talent from across the country as well as to provide them with the opportunity to perform during Republic Day. Vande Bharatam- Nritya Utsav has been started with an aim to promote the art and culture of India. The traditional dances of India are thousands of years old and have been preserved in the country..
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to visit India next year
Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev will visit India in 2022, informed Kazakhstan Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi on December 19, 2021 during the 3rd meeting of the India-Central Asia Dialogue. The FM said we are eager to maintain a trustworthy political dialogue and look forward to organizing a high-level visit by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to India next year. The visit will coincide with the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Kazakhstan.
Deliberations going on for global treaty to deal with future pandemics
The Chief Scientist of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Soumya Swaminathan has informed that the discussions have been going on at the international level on whether an international treaty is required to combat future pandemics. The discussion on the international treaty came amid the spread of the Omicron COVID-19 variant which is said to be much more infectious. The discussions among the nations that are happening are about whether there should be a global pandemic treaty that will bind all the countries across the world into particular types of behaviour. It will be similar to just having rules around the atomic use of nuclear energy.
Low turnout in Hong Kong for its 1st poll under new ‘patriots only’ rules
The low turnout was recorded in Hong Kong for its first poll under the ‘new patriots only’ rule. Only 30 percent of the voters cast their ballots to choose the city lawmakers in the polls that took place on December 19, 2021. The recent turnout was lowest since the first-ever direct election in Hong Kong of its legislatures in 1991. The turnout was 58% in 2016 and was 44% in 2000. The new rules have drastically reduced the number of directly elected seats in the region. The polling stations in Hong Kong were closed after 14 hours of voting.
Traditional New Year fireworks cancelled in Paris amid Omicron concern
Traditional New Year Fireworks have been canceled in Paris as Europe braced for the tighter curbs to control the spread of new covid-19 strain Omicron. The Chief of the European Union has warned that the Omicron variant can be dominant in Europe by mid-January 2022. Many countries around the world decided to reintroduce travel restrictions as well as other containment measures since the variant was first detected in South Africa. Ireland has announced the bars and restaurants to be closed from 8.00 pm until January 30, 2022. While Switzerland has also stepped up its anti-covid measures.
