President Biden presented the nation's highest civilian honor to notable figures, including Hillary Clinton, Michael J. Fox, and Jane Goodall, for their dedication to making a positive impact.

President Joe Biden, right, presents the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Nation's highest civilian honor, to conservationist Jane Goodall in the East Room of the White House, Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, in Washington.

Jose Andres gestures as President Joe Biden presents him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Nation's highest civilian honor, in the East Room of the White House, Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, in Washington.

Varun Tomar, reigning Asian champion and a decorated ISSF medalist, achieved a remarkable double victory at the 67th National Shooting Championship Competitions (NSCC) for Pistol events being played at the Dr. Karni Singh Shooting range in New Delhi. He secured gold in both the senior and junior men’s 10m air pistol categories.

The 21-year-old Army marksman who narrowly missed out on last year’s Paris Olympics squad, overcame a sluggish start in the senior final to snatch a maiden national crown at the expense of teammate Pradhyumn Singh, who fell short by 0.8 points. Rajasthan’s Aakash Bhardwaj won bronze.

He then had a similar start in the junior final before quickly making ground, staying in touch with silver winner Nikhil Saroha of Uttar Pradesh (U.P) who was on a start-to-finish mission. His patience finally paid off after the 21st shot as Nikhil blinked with an 8.5, handing the senior pro an easy double in the end.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday virtually laid the foundation stone for the new Central Ayurveda Research Institute (CARI) building in Rohini, New Delhi. The state-of-the-art facility, spanning 2.92 acres and built at a cost of ₹187 crore, is poised to become a global hub for Ayurvedic research and healthcare.

Speaking at the event, Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the initiative as “Ayurveda’s next big leap,” reaffirming the government’s dedication to promoting traditional Indian medicine systems such as Ayurveda and AYUSH. He highlighted AYUSH’s global reach, now extended to over 100 countries, and introduced the AYUSH visa, a special provision designed to welcome foreign nationals seeking traditional Indian treatments.

“India has immense potential to become the world’s health and wellness capital,” the Prime Minister said, adding that the world will soon embrace “Heal in India” alongside “Make in India.” He noted that the project aligns with the government’s focus on accessible healthcare, benefiting even the most underserved communities.

The NCC Republic Day (RD) Camp-2025 commenced at the Cariappa Parade Ground in Delhi Cantt on Monday, with a “Sarva Dharm Pooja” ceremony.

This year’s camp has seen record participation from girl cadets, with 917 girls out of a total of 2,361 cadets, making it the largest representation of female cadets in the camp’s history.

Cadets from all 28 states and 8 Union Territories are attending the month-long event.

The camp also includes 114 cadets from Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, and 178 cadets from the North East Region, showcasing a “Mini India.”

Additionally, cadets and officers from 14 Friendly Foreign Countries (FFCs) will participate as part of the Youth Exchange Programme (YEP), fostering international camaraderie.

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay researchers have identified bacteria that can consume toxic pollutants in the soil and produce helpful nutrients as a byproduct, as per the official release.

The researchers from the IIT Bombay have been studying bacteria that feed on toxic chemicals and pollutants as a solution for the ever-increasing pollution of our natural resources.

In a recent study published in the journal Environmental Technology and Innovation, the researchers have used the power of specific bacterial species to remove organic pollutants from soil.

Moreover, these bacteria were also found to help boost the growth hormones of the plants, inhibit the growth of harmful fungi, and help in making essential nutrients readily available to plants, as per the IIT-B.

Vietnam’s capital Hanoi has been covered in thick smog over recent weeks, putting it at the top of a list of the world’s most polluted cities, as the government said it would push for more electric vehicles (EVs) to alleviate the problem.

Levels of hazardous small particles, known as PM2.5, were measured at 266 micrograms per cubic metre in Hanoi early on Friday, the highest reading among a list of most-polluted cities, according to AirVisual, which provides independent global air pollution information via a phone app.

The Southeast Asian country, a regional manufacturing hub with one of the fastest-growing economies in Asia, has reported severe air pollution in its major cities for years, particularly in Hanoi.

Unified Payments Interface (UPI) transactions saw an 8 per cent month-on-month increase in volume to 16.73 billion in December, the highest volume for the digital system since it became operational in April 2016. The value also increased by 8 per cent to Rs 23.25 trillion, up from Rs 21.55 trillion in November.

According to data from the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), for the year 2024, the volume increased by 46 per cent to around 172 billion transactions against 118 billion in 2023. In value terms, transactions increased by 35 per cent to around Rs 247 trillion during the entire year compared with Rs 183 trillion in 2023.

The transactions increased during the year due to a rise in person-to-merchant transactions (for buying goods or services). In October, UPI recorded 16.58 billion transactions worth Rs 23.5 trillion, its previous high in terms of volume and highest so far in value. In September, the volume was 15.04 billion, and the value stood at Rs 20.64 trillion.

Pakistan began its two-year tenure as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on January 1, 2025, with Ambassador Munir Akram saying that the Pakistani delegation will play an “active and constructive” role in addressing key challenges facing the world.

“Our presence will be felt in the Security Council,” Ambassador Akram, Pakistan’s top diplomat at the United Nations (UN), told state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) news agency.

From Wednesday (January 1, 2025), Pakistan will sit in the Security Council for the 2025-26 term as a non-permanent member — the eighth time that the country has had a seat on the 15-member body’s horseshoe table.

In June, Pakistan was elected to the council with a massive majority as a non-permanent member, polling 182 votes in the 193-member General Assembly — far more than the required 124 votes representing a two-thirds majority.

Quick-commerce company Blinkit is launching a 10-minute ambulance service in Gurugram, with plans to expand the service to other cities in India in the next two years, announced Blinkit CEO Albinder Dhindsa on X on January 2.

Dhindsa said that the ambulances would have medical equipment such as oxygen cylinders, AEDs (Automated External Defibrillator), stretchers, monitors, suction machines, emergency medicines, and injections. The ambulance will come with a paramedic, an assistant, and a trained driver.

While the first five ambulances will immediately take to the roads of Gurugram, more users will be able to book a Basic Life Support (BLS) ambulance through the Blinkit app.

N Space Tech, a defense and aerospace startup, has successfully launched and communicated with its first payload, SwetchaSAT-V0, aboard ISRO’s PSLV Orbital Experimental Module (POEM-4) as part of the SPADEX Mission.

The SwetchaSAT-V0 payload is designed to test an indigenously developed ultra-high frequency (UHF) communication system, paving the way for faster and more reliable communication across various applications.

The hardware for this mission was entirely designed and manufactured by N Space Tech, reflecting the company's commitment to advancing homegrown space technology.