Indias first underwater museum to open off Puducherry coast in INS Cuddalore
Indian Navy agreed to gift INS Cuddalore, a decommissioned Pondicherry-class vessel, to the Union territory of Puducherry for the creation of country’s first underwater museum. The 60 m long and 12 m wide vessel was decommissioned in March 2018 after sailing 13000 nautical miles. It would be sent to the seabed at a depth of 26 m and 7 km off the Pondicherry coast to act as an underwater marine museum for scuba diving and snorkeling activities. This would enhance tourism in the UT.
Priyanka Chopra and 3 other Indians among world’s 100 most powerful women: Forbes
HCL Tech Vice Chairperson Roshni Nadar Malhotra (ranked 51st), Biocon Chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw (ranked 60), HT Media MD Shobhana Bhartia (ranked 88th), and actress Priyanka Chopra (placed at 94) have been named in Forbes’ World’s 100 Most Powerful Women list. The list, which featured four Indians, has been topped by German Chancellor Angela Merkel for the eighth consecutive year. Others in the list include Serena Williams and Melinda Gates.
Vanessa Ponce de Leon crowned as Miss World
Miss Mexico Vanessa Ponce de Leon, 26, a Mexican model and volunteer, has been crowned Miss World at a glitzy event on the tropical Chinese island of Hainan. She holds a degree in international business, volunteers for “Migrantes en el Camino” and is on the board of directors of a rehab centre for girls. She was crowned as the 68th Miss World by last year’s winner, Manushi Chhillar of India, in the coastal city of Sanya. First runner-up was Thailand’s Nicolene Pichapa Limsnukan, a 20-year-old studying business administration. Miss Belarus Maria Vasilevich, Miss Jamaica Kadijah Robinson and Miss Uganda Quiin Abenakyo were among the final five. It is the eighth time the Miss World final has been held in Sanya, which first hosted the pageant in 2003.
Study says Bioplastics may not be a viable alternative to plastic
Researchers at the University of Bonn in Germany found that Bioplastics, often promoted as a climate-friendly alternative to petroleum-based plastics, may lead to an increase in greenhouse gas emissions. But shifting to plant-based plastics could have less positive effects than expected. An increased consumption of bioplastics in the following years is likely to generate increased greenhouse gas emissions from cropland expansion on a global scale. Plastics cause fossil fuel depletion and climate change. It is estimated that by 2050, plastics could already be responsible for 15% of the global CO2 emissions. On the other hand, bioplastics are in principle climate-neutral since they are based on renewable raw materials such as maize, wheat, and sugarcane. These plants get the CO2 that they need from the air through their leaves. The study found that it takes a lot of time for the switch to bioplastics to pay off.
Pakistan Foreign Minister Qureshi to visit Afghanistan on 15th December
Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said he is to visit Afghanistan on December 15. He said he intends to hold talks with top Afghan leaders on political reconciliation and durable peace. His announcement comes after U.S. President Donald Trump sent a letter to Prime Minister Imran Khan seeking Islamabad’s help with the peace talks. Pakistan: ♦ Capital: Islamabad ♦ President: Arif Alvi ♦ Prime Minister: Imran Khan ♦ Currency: Pakistani rupee ♦ National languages: Urdu ♦ Official languages: English, Urdu ♦ Dominion: 14 August 1947
Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan, Union minister Suresh Prabhu inaugurate Kannur international Airport
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Union Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu jointly inaugurated the Kannur International Airport Ltd (KIAL). KIAL is the fourth international airport in the state. The other three are Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, and Kozhikode and with the commissioning of KIAL, Kerala becomes the state with the highest density of airports in the country. Vijayan and Prabhu flagged off the first flight, an Air India Express with 180 passengers bound for Abu Dhabi.
President arrives in Gorakhpur on a two day visit
President Ram Nath Kovind arrived in Gorakhpur, Haryana on a two-day visit. During his visit, he will grace the Founder’s Week Celebrations of Maharana Pratap Shiksha Parishad in Gorakhpur. He will also offer puja at the sanctum of the Gorakhnath temple and meet representatives of the Gita Press who will gift him a copy of the Bhagavad Gita.
Shalindra Kumar is appointed as CEO of Jammu and Kashmir
Shalindra Kumar will take over as the Chief Electoral Officer of Jammu and Kashmir on 12th December 2018. He will be replacing the incumbent Shaleen Kabra. His office will take effect a day after the completion of the ongoing nine-phased panchayat polls in the State. The panchayat elections in J&K is being held after a gap of seven years. The elections in the State began on November 17 and will culminate on December 11.
INDRA NAVY: the bilateral maritime exercise between indian Navy and Russian Federation Navy exercises held in Visakhapatnam
The 10th Edition of the bilateral exercise between the Indian Navy and Russian Federation Navy (RuFN) started at Visakhapatnam. The Maritime exercise will conclude on December 16. The Primary aim of the exercise is to increase interoperability amongst the two navies, develop common understanding and procedures for maritime security operations. This Year’s edition of exercise would be held in two phases, The Harbour phase would be held at Visakhapatnam from 9-12 December and the Sea phase would be held from 13-16 December in the bay of Bengal. Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW), Air Defence Drills, Surface firings, Visit Board Search and Seizure (VBSS) operations and tactical procedures will be the thrust of exercises at sea.
Chennai airpot to be revamped for GIM 2019 says AAI
The Global Investors Meet (GIM) 2019 is to be held in Chennai, India on January 23 and 24, 2019. The officials of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) have planned to spruce up the Chennai airport to give a facelift to a host of facilities. AAI has set up separate counters for e-visas, foreign passports and passengers having Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) passports. A special parking area will be created for the those coming to attend the GIM 2019. It has also decided to deploy additional manpower and put up some facilitation counters to help those arriving at the airport. Even when the first ever Global Investors Meet happened in 2015, the airport was revamped.
Donald Trump Names Heather Nauert As US Ambassador To United Nation
US President Donald Trump nominated State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert as the US Ambassador to the United Nations. The former Fox News presenter’s appointment to the UN role will have to be approved by the US Senate. Nauert will replace Nikki Haley, who will be leaving the post by the end of 2018.
Centre notified amendments to the Citizenship Rules, 2009
Union Home Ministry has notified amendments to the Citizenship Rules, 2009, to include a separate column in the citizenship form for applicants belonging to six minority communities from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh. Still, the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, is pending in Parliament. The Centre has made the changes under Section 18 of the Citizenship Act, 1955. The Ministry has notified new rules on December 3. Under the amendments, a separate entry in the form will ask the applicant, if they belong to one of the minority communities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan – Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Parsis, Sikhs and Christians.
FAO Council Approves Indias Proposals
Food and Agriculture Organisation FAO Council approved India’s proposal to observe an International Year of Millets in 2023. Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh stated that the 160th session of the FAO Council, in Rome approved the proposal.
United Nation Launches New Framework To Combat Terrorism
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres launched a new framework, the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact, to combat the scourge of international terrorism and coordinate efforts across the peace and security, humanitarian, human rights and sustainable development sectors.
