National Political News:
1. BJP MP Kirti Azad has sprung up a video claiming to contain irregularities in the functioning of Delhi District Cricket Association (DDCA). Azad claims that finance minister Arun Jaitley who was the past DDCA president was in the know of the bungling’s. Taking a cue from it, Delhi Government of AamAadmi Party has constituted a commission headed by former solicitor general of India during the UPA regime Gopal Subramaniam to probe into the matter. Kirti Azad has put himselfin in a scenario as being the oppositions man of the match.
Arun Jaitley has filed a civil and criminal defamation case against the leaders of AAP in Delhi High Court and Lower Court on the issue of being defamed.
2. The lowering of tension along the Sino Indian border has become a matter of priority between the Chinese and Indian governments. The Sino Indian border also known as the McMohan line was framed by British Foreign Secretary Henry McMohan in 1914 and has been disputed by China since then. The 3488 km de-facto McMohan line runs Eastwards along the Himalayan ridgeline. In 1962 China had attacked India over the issue and had come 300 kms down into lower hills of Arunachal Pradesh. Askai Chin in Ladakh is still in their possession after the war.
3. Rajya Sabha passes Juvenile Justice Bill. It permits to put on trial 16-18 year olds as adults in heinous crimes like rape and murder. This is aftermath of theNirbhaya case. The convicted juvenile in the Nirbhaya case has been released to an NGO after completion of his sentence.
4. A BSF Beechcraft Super king plane with 10 BSF personnel on board on way to Ranchi from Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi crashes on takeoff into the Airport boundary wall. All 10 on board the plane are killed.
5. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in Moscow on a state visit. Russia and India sign 16 pacts to jointly manufacture military helicopters Kamov 226, construction of 12 atomic power plants besides others. Russian Prime Minister Putin conveys strong support to India’s UN Security Council permanent membership bid.
6. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi surprises by going to Pakistan on an impromptu visit on Christmas, the occasion of Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharief’s birthday. The Birthday of Pakistan’s Qaida Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and former Indian Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee also falls on the same day.
International Political News:
1. The Nepal government is to amend its constitution to address the 2 key demands of Indian Origin Madhesis who constitute 52% of Nepal’s population. A proportional representation and constituency delimitation are the two important issues to be addressed. The Madhesis have enforced a blockade on the India Nepal border trade points to pressurize their Govt.to meet their demands.
2. China’s manufacturing hub of Shenzhen suffered a landslide as a huge mound of earth and construction material debris collapsed bringing down with it a number of buildings in an industrial park. Over 100 people are presumed to be missing.
3. Iraqi pro government forces are engaged in a fierce battle with ISIS for control of Ramadi city. The city of Tikrit is already back in Iraqi hands from ISIS.
4. Fire broke out in an intensive care maternity neonatal ward of a hospital in South African port city of Jizan, killing 31 and injuring over 100 patients.
Business News:
1. Bankruptcy code bill has been introduced in Indian Parliament. It provides for winding up of failed business in 180 days and thus empowering lenders, operational creditors and companies to initiate insolvency proceedings.
2. US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) points out contamination risks at Sun Pharma’s Halol plant in Gujarat. Leaking roofs and use of buckets to collect leaking water has caught the attention of US inspecting agency who wants the microbiological preparation of dry products to be sterile.
3. GST bill fails to get thru in Rajya Sabha sending the Indian Stock Markets into a tizzy.
4. RBI feels that technology behind virtual currency Bitcoin can be of great help in checking counterfeiting as Block chain technology the digital platform used by it records all its transactions.
Science and Technology:
1. SpaceX of American company Tesla headed by Elon Musk has successfully launched a reusable spacecraft powered by Falcon 9 rocket which landed back on earth successfully. All 11 ORBCOMM Satellites deployed by the rocket in nominal orbits of earth.
2. China’s unmanned lunar mission Chang’e-3 two years ago had put its rover spacecraft on moon’s surface. The rover has detected volcanic rocks for the first time in Lunar exploration. This type of material had not been detected by previous Apollo and Luna missions of USA and Russia (USSR).
Misc.
1. A Chinese news channel has used an artificial intelligent robot as a weather reporter on its live breakfast show. The Robot in named XiaoIce and its software has been developed by Microsoft.
Sports:
1. The Indian Football Super League has concluded at Margao, Goa with Chennaiyan FC winning the 2nd edition by beating Goa 3-2 in the final.
2. At Zurich in Switzerland, FIFA president SeppBlatter and European soccer chief Michel Platini banned from soccer organization for 8 years in a swirl of corruption cases, violation of ethics, abuse of position in sale of TV rights and award of World Cup Finals in 2018 and 2022 to Russia and Qatar which are also under investigation.
3. New Zealand finish 2 match Test Cricket Series with Sri Lanka at Hamilton, New Zealand on a winning note. Sri Lanka scored 292 and 133 runs in both the innings. New Zealand replied with 237 and 189 for 5 wickets in both the innings.
New Zealand win the first ODI against Sri Lanka at Christchurch. Sri Lanka scored 188 all out in 47 overs and were thrashed by New Zealand in 21 overs by scoring 191 runs for 3 wickets.
4. Aussie Cricketer, 26 year old Steve Smith, right handed batsman and captain of the Australian Team, has been named as Cricketer of the year by ICC at Dubai.
