NATIONAL NEWS
PM Modi to inaugurate several projects in Varanasi today
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of around 2 development projects in Varanasi on December 23, 2021. The projects will be constructed at a cost of around Rs 870 crores. These include laying the foundation stone of Banas Dairy Sankul at UP State Industrial Development Authority Food Park. The dairy will have the facility to process 5 lakh litres of milk every day.
Haryana lowers the minimum age for drinking to 21 years
Haryana Assembly on December 22, 2021 passed a bill that seeks to lower the minimum age of alcohol drinking from 25 years to 21 years. The Haryana Excise (Amendment) Bill will amend section 27 of the Haryana Excise (Amendment) Act 2021. Under the section, wholesale and retail sale of any country liquor was earlier granted to a man not below 25 years of age.
Haryana bans unvaccinated people in public places from January 1
Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij said on December 22, 2021 that people who are not fully vaccinated against COVID-19 will not be allowed at public places after January 1, 2021. The Public places include hotels, banks, malls, government offices, buses and marriage halls. The Minister said that this is to protect ourselves from Omicron and the third wave of Covid.
Amazon files writ petition against ED
Amazon has filed a writ petition against the Enforcement Directorate (ED) of India in the Delhi High Court. The petition seeks clarification on an unnecessary summons to its employees and questioning in an alleged FEMA violation in the Future Group deal.
India supports UNSC resolution to allow humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan
India supported a UNSC resolution earlier today those grants exemptions from sanctions for humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan. India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, TS Tirumurti said that the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan is dire.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
US to provide additional 1 million Covid-19 vaccine doses to Afghanistan
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken informed on December 22, 2021 that the nation will work along with the international community to scale up assistance provided to Afghanistan. He added that the United States will provide an additional one million COVID vaccine doses to the country through the the COVAX facility.
China puts a city of 13 million under facility
As China faces yet another Coronavirus outbreak, the country has been forced to put a lockdown on the northwest Chinese city of Xian with a population of 13 million. The latest lockdown in Xian is one of the largest lockdowns in the country in 2021 with tighter curbs on the outbound travel as well as the ordinary commuting within the city. As the celebrations of New Year 2022 approaches amid the scare of the Omicron variant, the fear of a new serious outbreak has forced the authorities to put stricter restrictions. From December 23, 2021, all the residents in Xian are required to stay indoors and only one member of each household is allowed to leave the house to purchase daily necessities every two days.
