Daily GK Update- 2nd Jan, 2023

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Ajay Kumar Srivastava appointed as new MD and CEO of Indian Overseas Bank: Ajay Kumar Srivastava has been appointed as MD and CEO of Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) with effect from January 1, 2023. Presently, he is serving as the executive director of IOB. He started his banking career as a probationary officer in 1991 with Allahabad Bank. After the successful completion of about 27 years in Allahabad Bank he was elevated as Executive Director of IOB in October 2017

He was appointed as Director on the Board of India Infrastructure Finance Company

 

2. Ministry of Rural Development launches Prajjwala Challenge: The Ministry of Rural Development under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana - National Rural Livelihoods Mission has launched the Prajjwala Challenge Aim: To invite ideas, solutions and actions that can transform rural economy The broad contours fall into following categories: Focus on Women and Marginalized section of community; Localised Models; Sustainability; Cost Effective solutions; Multi sectoral ideas and solutions Top 5 ideas will be rewarded with Rs. 2 Lakh each With an aim to invite ideas, solutions and actions that can transform rural economy, the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana - National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) has launched the Prajjwala Challenge. It is one of the platforms where ideas are invited from individuals, Social Enterprises, Start up, Private Sector, Civil Society, Community Based Organization, Academic Institution, Start-ups, Incubation centres, Investors etc having potential to transform the rural economy.

 

3. CRPF DG Sujoy Lal Thaosen takes additional charge as BSF chief: The Union government has given an additional charge as Border Security Force (BSF) DG to senior Madhya Pradesh cadre IPS officer and CRPF Director General (DG), Sujoy Lal Thaosen. He replaced Pankaj Kumar Singh, who retired on December 31, 2022.

About BSF:

·       It was raised in 1965, after the India-Pakistan war.

·       It is one of the seven Central Armed Police Forces.

·       Other Central Armed Police Forces are: Assam Rifles (AR), ITBP, CISF, CRPF, NSG and SSB.

 

4. ISRO, Andhra University set up equipment to predict rip currents at sea: Indian Space and Research Organization, National Centre for Earth Sciences (NCES), and the Andhra University (AU) have researched and concluded that constant rip current zones at Rushikonda beach and RK Beach have become a danger to the beach visitors. They have set up equipment to identify Rip currents to warn marines and local police. Rip currents are common at all beaches across the globe. People can enter the waters in rip current zones up to knee-deep levels. Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) [India], December 31 (ANI) Over 200 people have drowned in sea at various beaches in and around Visakhapatnam between 2012 to 2022 and of these, RK beach in the city accounted for 60 per cent of deaths, according to official statistics.

 

5. PM Modi to address 108th Indian Science Congress on January 3, 2023: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the 108th Indian Science Congress through video conferencing on 3rd January, 2023. Theme 2023: Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University (RTMNU) at its Amravati Road Campus will host Science and Technology for Sustainable Development with Women Empowerment The inaugural ceremony. The technical sessions of the 108th Indian Science Congress have been divided into 14 sections. A special attraction of the event is the mega expo "Pride of India". The prominent developments, major achievements and the significant contributions largely of Indian Science and Technology to the society will be showcased in the exhibition, which brings together and displays hundreds of new ideas, innovations, and products covering the entire canvas of the scientific world.

 

6. International Year of Millets (IYM) 2023 kick starts on 1 Jan 2023: The year 2023 is being observed all over the world as the International Year of the millets. The Government of India aims to make the International Year of the millets a ‘People’s Movement’ and position India as the ‘Global Hub for Millets’. The proposal was accepted and passed by the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly in 2021 and 2023 was declared as the International Year of Millets. Central Ministries, States and Indian embassies allocated a focused month in 2023 to carry out various activities for the promotion of the International Year of Millets and increase awareness about the benefits of millets. January 2023 is the focused month for the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs and the States of Chhattisgarh, Mizoram, and Rajasthan for conducting events and activities. The Ministry has planned 15 activities over 15 days in January which include engaging sports persons, nutritionists and fitness experts through video messages, and conducting webinars on millets with leading nutritionists, dieticians, and elite athletes. India is the largest producer of millets in the world. ‘Millets’ were among the first crops to be domesticated in India.

 

7. CRPF celebrated Jashn-e-Chillai-Kalan’ with students in Srinagar: CRPF celebrated ‘Jashn-e-Chillai-Kalan’ with students in Srinagar. Chillai-Kalan is the harshest winter period in Kashmir for a period of 40 days starting from 21st December to 29th January every year. Many activities such as Badminton, debate, drawing, singing, etc. were organized in the school. The program gives them an environment to participate and learn new things. Through these programmes, people of the area and forces develop good and healthy relationships.

 

8. India’s second longest cable-stayed eight-lane Zuari Bridge opens in Goa: Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has inaugurated the first phase of the New Zuari Bridge across River Zuari connecting Bambolim in North Goa to Verna junction in South Goa. Located on NH-17/NH-66 on the Panjim-Mangalore section in the state of Goa, the bridge will reduce the travel time between North and South Goa by minimizing the traffic blockades between the Bambolim-Agasaim-Cortalim-Sancoale to Verna Junction.

 

9. Air Marshal Pankaj Mohan Sinha assumes command of the IAF Western Command: Air Marshal Pankaj Mohan Sinha has assumed command of the Indian Air Force’s Western Air Command. Pankaj Mohan Sinha succeeds Air Marshal S Prabhakaran who superannuated on 31 December 2022 after putting in more than 39 years of distinguished service in the IAF. The Air Marshal is a graduate of the National Defence Academy, Pune, and was commissioned into the IAF as a fighter pilot in June 1985. He is an alumnus of the prestigious Defence Services Staff College, Wellington.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva sworn in as 39th president of Brazil: Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (77) has been sworn in as the 39th president of Brazil. He has defeated Jair Bolsonaro in October 2022 to win an unprecedented third presidential term. In election, he has secured 50.83% of the votes, whereas his opponent, Bolsonaro got 49.17% votes. He was served as the president of Brazil for two terms from 2003 to 2006 and then 2007 to 2011. He is the first Brazilian president to have been elected to a third term in office. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has been sworn in as the 39th president of Brazil following the 2022 Brazilian general election. 77-year-old Lula narrowly defeated Jair Bolsonaro in October to win an unprecedented third presidential term after a hiatus that saw him spend a year and a half behind bars on corruption convictions that were later overturned.

 

2. 1668 Journalists killed in the last 20 years: Reporters without Borders: According to Reporters without Borders (RSF), a total of 1,668 journalists have been killed worldwide in connection with their work of journalism over the past two decades (2003–2022), due to murders, contract killings, ambushes, war zone deaths, and fatal injuries. The report says that on average every year 80 journalists lost their lives. The total killed since 2000 is 1,787. The annual death tolls peaked in 2012 and 2013 with 144 and 142 journalists killed, respectively. These peaks, due in large measure to the war in Syria, were followed by a gradual fall and then historically low figures from 2019 onwards. During the past two decades, 80% of media fatalities have occurred in 15 countries. The two countries with the highest death tolls are Iraq and Syria, with a combined total of 578 journalists killed in the past 20 years, or more than a third of the worldwide total. They are followed by Afghanistan, Yemen, and Palestine. Africa has not been spared, with Somalia coming next.

 

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Cristiano Ronaldo joined Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr: Portugal team captain Cristiano Ronaldo has joined Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr on a two-and-a-half-year contract. The 37-year-old Ronaldo signed the deal, which is believed to be worth more than 200 million euros, which will continue till June 2025. Ronaldo will move to Saudi Arabia after a stellar spell at Spanish club Real Madrid from 2009 to 2018, winning two La Liga titles, two Spanish Cups, four Champions League titles, and three Club World Cups.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. Gross GST collection in December goes up by 15%: The government of India has collected Rs 1,49,507 crore gross GST revenue during December 2022. Out of which, CGST is Rs 26,711 crore, SGST is Rs 33,357 crore, IGST is Rs 78,434 crore and Cess is Rs 11,005 crore. The revenues for December 2022 are 15% higher than the GST revenues in December 2021. The total revenue of Centre and the States after regular settlements in the month of December 2022 is Rs 63,380 crore for CGST and Rs 64,451 crore for the SGST.

 

2. RBI launches Utkarsh 2.0 for the period 2023-2025: RBI Governor, Shaktikanta Das has launched Utkarsh 2.0, the second phase of RBI's medium-term strategy for strengthening regulatory and supervisory mechanism. The Vision in Utkarsh 2.0 that will guide RBI over the period 2023-25 are: Excellence in performance of its functions Strengthened trust of citizens and Institutions in the RBI Enhanced relevance and significance in national and global roles Transparent, accountable and ethics-driven internal governance

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Gujarat's first woman chief secretary Manjula Subramaniam passes away: The first woman chief secretary of Gujarat, Dr Manjula Subramaniam has been passed away at the age of 74 due to health complications at a hospital in Vadodara. She was appointed as the first woman chief secretary of Gujarat in 2007. PM Narendra Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat then. After retirement, she was appointed as chief vigilance commissioner of Gujarat. She was also part of the Sabarmati Riverfront Development Corporation.

 

2. Tata group veteran R Krishnakumar passes away: Tata group veteran R Krishnakumar has been passed away at the age of 84. He started working for Tata Administrative Services in 1963 and joined Tata Global Beverages (erstwhile Tata Finlay) in 1965. He had also worked through Tata Global Beverages’ transformation into Tata Tea and became VP of South India Plantations in 1982. He was honoured with the India’s fourth highest civilian honour, Padma Shri in 2009 for contributions to the country’s trade and business.

 

3. Former Pope Benedict XVI passed away: Former Pope Benedict XVI passed away recently in the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican. He was 95 years old. The head of the Catholic Church, former Pope Benedict, was the first pope in 600 years to resign. He resigned in 2013 and was replaced by the present pope Francis. Pope Benedict was the first German to become pope in 1000 years. He was the head of Vatican City from 19 April 2005 until his resignation on 28 February 2013. He was born as Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger on April 16, 1927, in the southern German village of Marktl, close to Austria.

 

Daily GK Update- 1st Jan, 2023

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. India's unemployment rate rises at 8.30% in Dec 2022: According to the data, released by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), India's unemployment rate in December 2022 has been increased to a 16-month high at 8.30% from 8% in November 2022. The urban unemployment rate has been increased to 10.09% in December from 8.96%. While, the rural unemployment rate has been slipped to 7.44% from 7.55%. In December, the unemployment rate rose to 37.4% in Haryana, followed by Rajasthan (28.5) and Delhi (20.8%). India's unemployment rate in December increased to a 16-month high at 8.30 percent from 8.00 percent in the previous month, data from the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) showed on 1 January.

 

2. REC limited organized 'Bijli Utsav' in Assam: REC Limited, a Maharatna Company under the Ministry of Power, has organized ‘Bijli Utsav’ in Anandapur Gaon of Baksa district and adjoining villages in Assam. The event has highlighted the consumer rights of electricity, benefits and the challenges faced during electrification in remote areas. Various competitions and cultural programs were also organised. It was concluded with distribution of LED bulbs and geometry boxes as prizes to the winners of the competitions. As a part of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ – to celebrate 75 years of Independence, REC Limited, a Maharatna Company under the Ministry of Power, Govt. of India organized ‘Bijli Utsav’ in Anandapur Gaon of Baksa district and adjoining villages in Assam. Numerous dignitaries such as Shri Katiram Boro, Speaker – Bodoland Territorial Council, Dr. Ashraful Amin – Addl.

 

3. Rajeev Badyal named to National Space Council Advisory Group: USA Vice President, Kamala Harris has named Indian American Rajeev Badyal to a key national space advisory group. He will be responsible to maintain a robust and responsible US space enterprise and preserve space for current and future generations. Presently, he is serving as the vice-president of Project Kuiper of Amazon. Prior to this role, he was the vice president of satellites at SpaceX. Harris had named US Air Force Rtd General Lester Lyles as chair of the UAG.

 

4. IDBI Bank re-appoints Suresh Khatanhar as deputy MD for a year: IDBI Bank's Board of Directors have approved the re-appointment of Suresh Kishinchand Khatanhar as Deputy Managing Director (DMD) for a period of one year with effect from January 15, 2023. This re-appointment is as per approval of the Reserve Bank of India received in this regard. Khatanhar has joined IDBI Bank in 1997 from Dena Bank. He was appointed as DMD by IDBI Bank’s Board on January 15, 2020 for a period of three years. IDBI Bank's Board of Directors have approved the re-appointment of Suresh Kishinchand Khatanhar as Deputy Managing Director (DMD) for a period of one year with effect from January 15, 2023. This re-appointment is as per approval of the Reserve Bank of India received in this regard. Khatanhar has joined IDBI Bank in 1997 from Dena Bank. He was appointed as DMD by IDBI Bank’s Board on January 15, 2020 for a period of three years.

 

5. Amit Shah inaugurated Mega Dairy at Mandya, Karnataka: Union Home and Cooperation Minister, Amit Shah has inaugurated Mega Dairy at Mandya in Karnataka. The mega-dairy inaugurated at a cost of Rs 260 crore would process 10 lakh liters of milk per day and will have the capacity to increase it up to 14 lakh liters per day. Currently, there are 15,210 village-level cooperative dairies in Karnataka, in which about 26.22 lakh farmers deliver their milk daily and through 16 district-level dairies, Rs 28 crore is deposited into the accounts of 26 lakh farmers every day. The Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) will get all technical support and cooperation from Amul. The National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) and the Ministry of Cooperation will establish a primary dairy in every panchayat of the country in the next three years.

 

6. PM Modi flagged off West Bengal’s first Vande Bharata Express train: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has virtually flagged off Vande Bharat Express from Howrah Railway Station connecting Howrah to New Jalpaiguri. It is the first Vande Bharat Express to operate in West Bengal and on the Eastern parts of the country. Also, it is the seventh Vande Bharat train by Indian Railways in the country. Covering a distance of 564 km in 7.45 hours, this train will save three hours in travel time as compared to other trains on the route. He also inaugurated the Joka-Taratala Stretch of the Joka-Esplanade Metro Project (Purple Line) of Kolkata Metro.

 

7. India’s first underwater metro to become operation by December 2023: According to the Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation, India’s first underwater metro service, the East-West Metro Corridor project is expected to be completed by December 2023. The East-West corridor of the Kolkata Metro is 15 Km-long and spans from Salt Lake Stadium to Howrah. This metro line between Salt Lake Sector-5 to Salt Lake Stadium has Karunamayi, Central Park, City Center, and Bengal Chemical metro stations. It costs about ₹120 crore per kilometre to build the tunnel but the manufacturing cost of the tunnel underwater, which is deep in the Hooghly river costs increased to around 157 crores by per kilometre. First metro in India, Kolkata Metro which started its operation 24 October 1984 between Dum Dam to Tollygunge. It was started with the help of the Soviet Union. Largest metro rail in operation in India, Delhi Metro (390.14 km). It started operation on 24 December 2002. Smallest Metro- Ahmedabad metro,6 km

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. India assumed chairmanship of Wassenaar Arrangement for one year: India has assumed the chairmanship of the plenary of the Wassenaar Arrangement for one year on 1st January 2023.

At the 26th annual plenary of the Wassenaar Arrangement, Eoin O’Leary (Ireland’s ambassador) has handed over the chairmanship to Jaideep Mazumdar (India’s ambassador). Jaideep Mazumdar is the permanent representative to the UN and international organisations in Vienna. India joined the Wassenaar Arrangement in December 2017 as 42nd participating state.

India will assume the chairmanship of the plenary of the Wassenaar Arrangement today for one year. The 42-member Wassenaar Arrangement is a voluntary export control regime that monitors transfers of conventional weapons and dual-use goods.

 

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Hockey Madhya Pradesh Men’s U-18 team won Khelo India Youth Games 2022: Madhya Pradesh has clinched the Qualifiers title of Khelo India Youth Games 2022 Men's Under-18 after defeating Odisha by 6-5 in the final at Bhubaneswar, Odisha. Ali Ahmad, Mohammad Zaid Khan and Captain Ankit Pal netted one goal each for Madhya Pradesh. While, Haryana claimed third place in the competition with a win against Jharkhand. With this, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Haryana and Jharkhand have qualified for the 2023 Khelo India Youth Games to be held in MP. In Hockey, Madhya Pradesh defeated Odisha 6-5 to clinch Khelo India Youth Games 2022 Men's Under-18 Qualifiers title in Bhubaneswar yesterday, December 30.

 

2. Koneru Humpy won Silver at the World Chess Blitz Championship: Former world rapid champion Koneru Humpy has won India’s first-ever Silver medal in the FIDE World Blitz Chess Championships in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Humpy defeated China’s Zhongyi Tan to win Silver in the 17th and final round. Fourth-seeded Humpy scored an impressive 12.5 points, just half a point behind the gold medal winner Bibisara Balabayeva of Kazakhstan. Humpy is the second Indian to win a medal at World Blitz, after Viswanathan Anand.

 

3. Hockey Haryana Women’s U-18 team won Khelo India Youth Games 2022: Hockey Haryana’s women’s team has won the Khelo India Youth Games 2022 Women’s Under 18 Qualifiers after defeating Madhya Pradesh 2-0 in the final at Bhubaneswar. In the final match, Pooja and Gurmail Kaur scored a goal each for Haryana to end the contest in their favour. Odisha stepped up to claim third place after beating Hockey Jharkhand 2-1 in the 3rd and 4th place encounter. Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Jharkhand have qualified for the Khelo India Youth Games to be held in Madhya Pradesh next year.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. Tripura signs agreement with ADB for power project: Tripura government has signed an agreement with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for a power project worth Rs 2,275 crore. Of the total cost of the project, the state government would spend an amount of Rs 455 crore. The project include the replacement of Rokhia’s existing 63 MW (3X21 MW) Open Cycle power project with a 120 MW Combined Cycle power project. The project would also boost the efficiency of the Gumti hydroelectric power plant in Gomati district.

 

2. SBI Card, Punjab & Sind Bank join hands to launch co-brand credit cards: SBI Cards has partnered with Punjab & Sind Bank to launch co-brand credit cards for the bank's customers. The new three card variants are - PSB SBI Card ELITE, PSB SBI Card PRIME, and PSB SimplySAVE SBI Card. PSB SBI Card ELITE and PSB SBI Card PRIME have been designed to offer lifestyle privileges and best in class experience to premium and mass premium customers, respectively.

PSB SimplySAVE SBI Card offers rewarding experience to value conscious customers. SBI Cards and Payment Services on Thursday announced that it has partnered with Punjab & Sind Bank to launch co-brand credit cards for the bank's customers.

 

3. IDBI Mutual Fund signs agreement to transfer schemes to LIC MF: IDBI MF has signed an agreement with LIC MF to transfer its schemes of IDBI MF to LIC MF to comply with Regulation 7B of SEBI MF Regulations. MF rules prohibit a single promoter from owning more than 10% stake in multiple asset management companies. Since LIC took over IDBI Bank in 2019, the insurance major ended up holding a majority stake in both LIC MF and IDFC MF.

Hence, the life insurer had only two options — either to sell one of MF or merge the two.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Mandhana & Suryakumar nominated for the ICC T20 cricketer of the year award 2022: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced the shortlisted cricket players for its year-end awards. Four players are shortlisted in the men’s and women’s category for its various annual awards taking into account the performance of the players in the calendar year.

About International Cricket Council (ICC)

·       Formation – 15 June 1909

·       Headquarters – Dubai, UAE

·       Chairman – Greg Barclay (New Zealand)

·       Deputy Chairman – Imran Khwaja (Singapore)

·       CEO – Geoff Allardice (Australia)

·       General Manager – Wasim Khan

·       Membership – 108 members

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Pritzker winning architect, Arata Isozake passes away: A Pritzker-winning Japanese architect, Arata Isozaki has been passed away at the age of 91. He was also known as a post-modern giant, who blended culture and history of the East and the West in his designs. He was awarded the awarded the RIBA Gold Medal in 1986 and the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2019.

He started his architectural career under the apprenticeship of Japanese legend Kenzo Tangem who won Pritzker prize in 1987.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Daily GK Update- 31st Dec, 2022

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Union Minister Jitendra Singh inaugurates Incubation Centre at NRDC: Union Minister of State Science & Technology, Jitendra Singh has inaugurated Incubation Centre at National Research Development Corporation (NRDC), Delhi to provide multi-prong support to StartUps. NRDC has created incubating start-ups facility and is also promoting beneficial schemes to provide support in terms of funding, mentoring, IP assistance and other allied services to the Start-ups. NRDC was established in 1953 with headquarters in Delhi. Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; Minister of State (Independent Charge) Earth Sciences; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh inaugurated “Incubation Centre” at National Research Development Corporation (NRDC), Delhi to provide multi-prong support to StartUps.

 

2. Centre to roll out new integrated Food Security Scheme from 1st Jan 2023: Centre will roll out new integrated Food Security Scheme from 1st January 2023 to provide free food grains to over 81 crore beneficiaries under National Food Security Act, NFSA in 2023. It will also ensure effective and uniform implementation of the Act and free foodgrains will concurrently ensure uniform implementation of portability under One Nation One Ration Card across the country. Under this scheme, Centre will provide free foodgrains to all NFSA beneficiaries. The Centre will provide foodgrains to states under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) free for one year from today. Last week, the cabinet had decided to provide grains under NFSA free of cost to the 81 crore beneficiaries during 2023. 

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. China appoints Qin Gang as country's new foreign minister: China's ambassador to the Unites States (US), Qin Gang (56-years) has been appointed as the country's new foreign minister. This decision was made by the 13th National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee He will replace Wang Yi, who is now a Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and State Councilor. He was previously the spokesperson of the Foreign Ministry and later rose to the rank of Vice Minister is closely associated with Mr. Xi. Chinese state media Global Times reported that the decision was made by the 13th National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee yesterday, December 30. 56-year Qin is replacing Wang Yi, who is now a Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and State Councilor.

 

2. Pokhara Regional International Airport to get operational from 1st Jan 2023: Pokhara Regional International Airport will be officially brought into operation from 1st January 2023 Inauguration programme of the airport will include different processions, fashion shows at coordination of Pokhara Metropolitan City and Pokhara Tourism Council. This airport is going to be a milestone for the promotion of tourism not only in Pokhara. This is constructed by a Chinese construction company. August 8: The Pokhara Regional International Airport will officially come into operation from January 1, 2023. A meeting of the board of directors of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) on Sunday took a decision to this effect, said CAAN Spokesperson Jagannath Niraula.  The project worth Rs 22 billion has achieved completion of 98 percent of the construction works so far, he said, adding that a calibration flight would take place in upcoming October.

 

3. North Korea fires ballistic missiles towards east of Korean peninsula: North Korea has fired three short-range ballistic missiles towards the sea to the east of the Korean peninsula South Korea's military has said that these ballistic missiles launch is a grave provocation that undermines peace and stability on Korean Peninsula as well as the international community. This latest volley comes 5 days after North Korea flew drones into South Korea's airspace for the first time since 2017. North Korea launched a ballistic missile Wednesday off its eastern coast, according to South Korea’s military. The missile, launched at 12:03 p.m., flew 292 miles toward the East Sea at an altitude of 485 miles, according to messages from the Joint Chiefs of Staff to reporters that afternoon. The East Sea is also known as the Sea of Japan.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Cristiano Ronaldo joins Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr: Portugal Football team captain Cristiano Ronaldo has joined Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr on a contract until 2025 with worth over USD 75 million per year. Al Nassr have won the Saudi top-flight titles 9 times, last in 2019. This move inspires their league, nation, and future generations, boys, and girls to be the best version of themselves. Portugal captain was free after leaving Manchester United following a controversial interview in which he had criticized the club. Ending weeks of speculation about his club future, Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo signed for Saudi Arabia's Al Nassr on a two-and-half-year-deal, which will reportedly make him the highest-paid player in the world. Ronaldo heads to play in Asia, ending the years of dominance in Europe.

 

2. Koneru Humpy wins silver at World Blitz Chess Championship: Former world rapid champion, Koneru Humpy has won India’s first-ever silver medal in FIDE World Blitz Chess Championships in Almaty, Kazakhstan after defeating China’s Zhongyi Tan. He scored an impressive 12.5 points, just half a point behind the gold medal winner Bibisara Balabayeva of Kazakhastan. He is the second Indian to win a medal at World Blitz, after Viswanathan Anand. Former world rapid champion Koneru Humpy has won India’s first-ever Silver medal in the FIDE World Blitz Chess Championships in Almaty, Kazakhstan.  Humpy defeated China’s Zhongyi Tan to win Silver in the 17th and final round. Fourth seeded Humpy scored an impressive 12.5 points, just half a point behind the gold medal winner Bibisara Balabayeva of Kazakhastan. 

 

3. Hockey Haryana Women’s U-18 team wins Khelo India Youth Games 2022: Hockey Haryana's women's team has won Khelo India Youth Games 2022 Women’s Under 18 Qualifiers after defeating Madhya Pradesh 2-0 in the final at Bhubaneswar. Pooja and Gurmail Kaur scored a goal each for Haryana to make the team the trophy winner Odisha stepped up to claim 3rd place after beating Hockey Jharkhand 2-1 in the 3rd and 4th place encounter. Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Jharkhand have qualified for the Khelo India Youth Games to be held in MP in 2023 In a thrilling final, Zameer Mohammad was the star of the final, scoring a hat-trick while Ali Ahmad, Mohammad Zaid Khan and Captain Ankit Pal netted one goal each for Madhya Pradesh. On the other hand, Anmol Ekka, Paulus Lakra, Deepak Minz, Akash Soreng and Anmol Ekka scored one goal each for Odisha.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Brazil's legendary footballer Pele passes away: Brazilian football legend Pele (82 years), who won a record three World Cups has passed away. He was widely regarded as one of soccer’s greatest players and is credited with scoring a world record 1,281 goals in 1,363 appearances during a 21-year career, including 77 goals in 92 matches for his country. He is the only player to win the World Cup three times and lifting the trophy in 1958, 1962 and 1970 He was named Fifa's Player of the Century in 2000.

 

2. Former Pope Benedict XVI passes away at Vatican city: Former Pope Benedict XVI (95 years) passed away in his residence at the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery. Pope Francis will preside over the funeral of the Pope Emeritus that will held on 5 January at St. Peter's Square. Pope Benedict XVI led Catholic Church for less than eight years until, in 2013, he became the first Pope to resign since Gregory XII in 1415. He resigned from the papacy due to his ailing health.