News Breakfast @6

01. Rajasthan: MiG-21 Fighter Jet Of Indian Air Force Crashes

A MiG-21 fighter jet of the Indian Air Force (IAF) crashed near Suratgarh, Rajasthan on Tuesday evening. The pilot managed to eject safely.  The primary cause of the crash is suspected to be due to technical malfunction.

02. Former MP Biswajit Daimary's Son Goes Missing

In a shocking development, the son of former Rajya Sabha MP Biswajit Daimary has been missing, sources reported on Tuesday. 16-year-old Amitraj Daimary is a student of Kokrajhar Reality School. An investigation led by Assistant Commissioner of Police, Kokrajhar, Rakesh Raushan is underway to find the BJP leader's (former BPF leader) son

03. UK COVID Crisis: PM Johnson Cancels Republic Day Visit To India

United Kingdom PM Boris Johnson on Tuesday cancelled his visit to India that was scheduled on January 26 for the Republic Day celebrations. The announcement came due to the raging outbreak of the new coronavirus variant in United Kingdom. Johnson has called for a complete lockdown which could last until mid-February

04. BRO DG briefs MoS Jitendra Singh On Road, Bridge Projects In J-K, Northeast

Union Minister Jitendra Singh was briefed on Tuesday by Border Road Organisation (BRO) Director General Lt Gen Rajeev Chaudhry on various ongoing and proposed road and bridge projects in Jammu and Kashmir and the Northeast, according to an official statement.

05. J&K, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu On Alert, Kerala Begins Culling Chickens, Ducks

Culling of chickens and ducks began in parts of Kerala today to contain the H5N8 strain of bird flu, while Jammu and Kashmir sounded an alert and started collecting samples from migratory species after Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh reported cases of the avian influenza.

06. Covid Vaccination Voluntary, Both Doses Important: AIIMS Director

Getting immunised against COVID-19 will be a voluntary exercise and it is important that both dozes of the vaccine be administered to an individual for developing better immune response against the disease, AIIMS Director Dr Randeep Guleria has said. Protective levels of antibodies generally develop two weeks after receiving the second dose, he said.

07. Veteran Actress Mira Biswas Passes Away

Noted Assamese actress Mira Biswas passed away on Tuesday. She was 78 years old. Biswas breathed her last at Down Town Hospital in Guwahati and her body will be donated to Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) tomorrow. Her retina was donated to Shankardev Netralaya today.

08. Book On Tarun Gogoi Hits Stand

A book on former Assam chief minister titled 'Tarun Gogoi' was released on Tuesday at the 33^rd edition of the Guwahati Book Fair. The book which is a biography on the life and works of the veteran Congress leader was unveiled by his son MP Gaurav Gogoi. The book has been authored by Nirmal Deka and published by Panchajanya Printing and Publishing house.

09. Meghalaya To Host National Games In 2022

Union Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Monday said that despite the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic is optimistic that the36th National Games, would be in Goa this year and in Meghalaya next year. "My Ministry would give full support to the National Games when they would be held in Meghalaya. Chief Minister (Conrad K Sangma), being a sports lover, is really giving all his efforts to hold the games next year," Rijiju was quoted saying in an IANS report, adding that he would do everything to promote sports in the northeastern states.

10. Mizoram: 67 Die Of Drug Abuse In 2020

At least 67 people have died due to substance abuse in Mizoram last year, PTI reported. According to the report, state had reported 55 drug-related fatalities in 2019. "All the 67 people, who died of drug abuse last year, were addicted to heroin. The state government has been taking several measures to curb the menace," the excise and narcotics department official was quoted saying in the report.

11. Natural Gas Pipeline Network To Double In 6 Years

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday while inaugurating the 450-km Kochi-Mangaluru natural gas pipeline built at cost of rupees 3,000 crore, said natural gas pipeline network across the country will be doubled in 5-6 yrs; CNG stations to be raised to 10,000 from current 1,500. The prime minister said a gas-based economy is crucial for Atmanirbhar Bharat and work is being done in the direction of 'One Nation, One Gas Grid'.

12. Assam To Display 'Tea Industry' as R-Day Tableau

Assam has chosen the theme 'Assam Tea-Backbone of India's economy' as the tableau to display in the 72^nd Republic Day. Director of Cultural Affairs, Jadav Saikia said that the theme has been confirmed but the exact design of the tableau is yet to be confirmed.

13. West Bengal Minister Laxmi Ratan Shukla Quits TMC

In yet another blow for the Trinamool Congress (TMC), it's MLA and minister Laxmi Ratan Shukla has resigned from his post in the Mamata Banerjee led government, NDTV reported. The resignation of Shukla, who was the Minister of State for Sports, comes days after several TMC leaders quit the party and joined the BJP.

14. India: New UK Variant COVID Cases Climbs to 58

The total number of cases of the new strain of UK mutant COVID-19 in India reached 58 after 20 more people have been tested positive for the virus, said Union Health Ministry. The results are based on the genome sequencing of positive samples released by the Indian Sars-CoV2 Genomics Consortium (Insacog) labs that the Centre has specifically created for the purpose of monitoring any kind of mutations in the virus.

15. Boris Johnson Announces Full Lockdown in England

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announces a full lockdown in England possibly until mid-February to prevent the spread of the new strain of coronavirus. The measures, which include the closure of primary and secondary schools, will come into effect from Wednesday, he said in a televised address, after Scotland announced similar measures would come into force from midnight (0000 GMT) on Tuesday.