PERSONS IN NEWS
A). APPOINTMENTS
Vinay Sahasrabuddhe appointed as President of ICCR
President Ram Nath Kovind has appointed BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Vinay Sahasrabuddhe as President of the Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR). He will succeed scholar and thinker Lokesh Chandra, who was appointed by the NDA government in October 2014 and has completed his three-year-term.
Amardeep Singh Bhatia appointed as Director of SFIO
Senior IAS officer Amardeep Singh Bhatia was appointed as new director of Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO). He is a 1993 batch IAS officer of Nagaland cadre. At present, he is joint secretary in Ministry of Corporate Affairs. The SFIO is a fraud investigating agency in India, under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs. The SFIO is involved in major fraud probes and is the co-ordinating agency with the Income Tax Department and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
IPS officer Abhay appointed DG of Narcotics Control Bureau
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has appointed senior IPS officer Abhay as new Director General of Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB). He will have tenure till November 18, 2019. The post was lying vacant after R R Bhatnagar took over as DG of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in April this year. He is at present working in CRPF.
UN appoints Henrietta Fore as UNICEF head
United Nations (UN) has appointed former senior US government official Henrietta H Fore as the new executive director of UNICEF. She will succeed William Anthony Kirsopp Lake who assumed office in 2010.
Dhirendra Pal appointed as UGC chairman
Professor Dhirendra Pal Singh, director, National Assessment and Accreditation Council was appointed the chairperson of UGC. He has been serving as director of NAAC (National Assessment and Accreditation Council) since August 2015. He has 34 years of professional experience in various fields of education. He has served as vice-chancellor of Banaras Hindu University.
BCCI appoints Saba Karim as General Manager
Former India wicketkeeper Saba Karim has appointed as General Manager (Cricket Operations) of the BCCI. Karim will assume office from 01st January and he will report to CEO Rahul Johri. He will assist Johri in meeting the Board’s vision and strategy. The General Manager’s post has been lying vacant since the resignation of MV Sridhar in September over the issue of conflict of interest. Sridhar passed away on October 30th, 2017.
Lt Gen B S Sahrawat takes over as Director-General of NCC
Lieutenant General B S Sahrawat took over the reins of National Cadet Corps as its Director General. The General Officer is a third generation army officer. He is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla and Indian Military Academy, Dehradun. He was commissioned in December 1980 in 13th Battalion (Rezang La), the Kumaon Regiment. He has been awarded the Sena Medal during the floods of Kosi River in Bihar in 2008.
M. Subbarayudu appointed as Next Ambassador of India to the Republic of Peru
Shri M. Subbarayudu, presently Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Republic of Peru. He is expected to take up his assignment shortly.
Justice U.D. Salvi appointed acting chairperson of NGT
Justice Umesh Dattatraya Salvi took charge as acting chairperson of the National Green Tribunal (NGT), a day after Justice Swatanter Kumar retired. Justice Salvi is set to retire on February 13, 2018.
Smita Nagaraj takes over as UPSC member
Senior IAS officer Smita Nagaraj took over as the member of Union Public Service Commission. Nagaraj was appointed to the post with effect from Dec 1 for a period of 6 years or until she attains the age of 65 years. With her appointment, strength of UPSC has gone up to 8. Nagaraj is a 1984 batch IAS officer of Tamil Nadu cadre, her last posting was Director General in the Defence Ministry.
Vodafone India appoints Dawar as its CFO
Vodafone India has appointed Manish Dawar as its Chief Financial Officer with effect from January 1, 2018. Dawar will replace Thomas Reisten, who after completing a 4 year stint with Vodafone India, will be moving to a new senior role within the Vodafone Group. He will report to Sunil Sood, MD and CEO, Vodafone India. Dawar joins Vodafone from Den Networks Limited where he was Group CFO.
R Hemalatha takes charge as Director, NIN
R Hemalatha has been appointed as the new Director of the country’s premier National Institute of Nutrition (NIN), Hyderabad. Hemalatha is a medical graduate of Gandhi Medical College, Hyderabad. She assumes office at a historic moment as the institute enters its centenary year. Hemalatha has served as secretary of the Nutrition Society of India, is a fellow of the National Academy of Medical Sciences and a fellow of the International Union of Nutritional Sciences.
Narinder Batra New President of Indian Olympic Association
Narinder Batra formally took over as the new president of the Indian Olympic Association after winning elections at the Annual General Meeting. Batra received 143 of the 160 votes polled to elect the office-bearers for the next period of four years from 2018-22 while his rival Anil Khanna, honorary life president of the All India Tennis Federation, got 13. Handball Federation of India’s Anandeshwar Pandey was elected as the treasurer after Rakesh Gupta withdrew and Mukesh Kumar of Judo Federation of India was rendered ineligible. Rajeev Mehta was re-elected unopposed as the secretary-general while R. K. Anand won to the lone senior vice-president post defeating kabaddi federation’s Janardhan Gahlot.
Dhammapiya elected New Secretary General of Intl Buddhist
Buddhist monk Dhammapiya from Tripura has been elected as the new secretary general of the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC). He was elected to the post at the second general assembly of the IBC. The IBC is a global Buddhist forum for preservation and development of heritage sites of the religion in India and other parts of the world.
Ola appoints Viraj Chouhan as its CCO
Ola has announced appointment of Viraj Chouhan as its chief communications officer (CCO). As CCO, Chouhan would be reporting to co-founder and CEO, Bhavish Aggarwal. Chouhan brings over 20 years of experience across global brands like MTS, Coca-Cola and Bharti Airtel.
Nakul Chopra elected as BARC India Chairman
Nakul Chopra, President of AAAI and Senior Advisor, Publicis Communications, has been elected as the next Chairman of BARC India. Nakul succeeds Viacom18 Group CEO Sudhanshu Vats. Nakul will be the third Chairman of BARC India. He had joined the BARC India Board in September 2016.
Pradeep Singh Kharola takes over as Air India CMD
Senior IAS officer Pradeep Singh Kharola took charge as the Chairman and Managing Director of Air India. Kharola assumed charge from Rajiv Bansal. He was the managing director of Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited since February 2015.
Shankar appointed RBI Executive Director
Uma Shankar, chief general manager (CGM) in charge of RBI’s financial inclusion and development department has taken over as executive director. Shankar has been elevated after Meena Hemchandra the executive director in charge of the central bank’s supervision department retired at the end of November. Shankar is most likely to take charge of the supervision department of the central bank.
Sarvesh Tiwari appointed as President Para Sports Foundation
On the occasion of International Day of Persons with Disabilities, a renowned communication expert, Sarvesh Kumar Tiwari, was appointed as the President of Para-Sports Foundation (PSF), India. The announcement was made at the National Award for Divyangjan 2017 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. Para Sports Foundation is a non-profit organization working towards the social welfare of persons with disabilities.
London Mayor Names Deepak Parekh as First International Ambassador
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan has named noted Indian businessman, Deepak Parekh, as ‘International Ambassador’ who will be tasked with championing the UK capital across the globe. Parekh, is one of the first of a network of international ambassadors, that would include high-level business and cultural figures based in London or overseas. Parekh is the chairman of India’s premier housing finance company HDFC Ltd.
Azar A.H.Khan Appointed Next Ambassador of India to Turkmenistan
Shri Azar A.H.Khan, presently Consul General in the Consulate General of India, Istanbul has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to Turkmenistan. He is expected to take up his assignment shortly.
Swiggy appoints Vishal Bhatia as CEO of New Supply Business
Online food delivery start-up Swiggy (Bundl Technologies Pvt. Ltd) has appointed Vishal Bhatia as the chief executive officer for its new supply business. Bhatia comes with 19 years of experience in consumer goods firms like Reckitt Benckiser Group, PepsiCo and Britannia.
Rahul Singh New president of NRAI
Rahul Singh, the founder, and CEO of The Beer Café has been appointed as president of the National Restaurant Association of India. He will replace Riyaaz Amlani, CEO & MD of Impresario Entertainment & Hospitality who resigned from his duties due to health reasons. Rahul is the recipient of the TiECON 2014 Entrepreneurial award for excellence, Entrepreneur India 2015 award in F&B service.
British singer Ellie appointed as UN environment global goodwill ambassador
British singer-songwriter Ellie Goulding is appointed as Global Goodwill Ambassador for UN Environment, joining the fight to save the lives and habitats of people and animals by cleaning up the planet’s air and seas, fighting climate change and protecting species.
A Surya Prakash re-appointed Prasar Bharati Chief
Veteran journalist A Surya Prakash appointed the chairman of the Prasar Bharati board for a second consecutive term till February 8, 2020. Information and broadcasting ministry issued an order after a panel headed by Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu recommended Prakash’s name for the post.
Infosys appoints Salil S Parekh as MD & CEO
Infosys announced the appointment of Salil S. Parekh as its new CEO and Managing Director. Salil was in Capgemini earlier. The Bengaluru-headquartered company was searching for a new CEO after former CEO Vishal Sikka resigned in August 2017. Cofounder Nandan Nilekani returned to the company as non-executive chairman to steady operations.
Sibi George appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Holy See
Sibi George was appointed the next Ambassador of India to the Holy See. He is an Indian Foreign Service (IFS) Officer of 1993 batch. He is presently Ambassador of India to Switzerland. He has been concurrently appointed the next Ambassador of India to the Holy See, with residence in Berne. He is expected to take up the assignment shortly.
Dia Mirza appointed as UN Environment Goodwill Ambassador for India
Actor-activist Dia Mirza appointed UN (United Nations) Environment’s Goodwill Ambassador for India. As a Goodwill Ambassador, she will work with the UN to further spread the message on priority areas including clean air, clean seas, wildlife protection and climate change. UN Environment head, Erik Solheim congratulated Dia Mirza to the programme. Dia Mirza joined the prestigious list of UN Environment Goodwill Ambassadors, which includes Hollywood stars such as Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Angelina Jolie, Katy Perry and Emma Watson.
B). RESIGNS
Airtel Payments Bank CEO Shashi Arora resigns
Airtel Payments Bank Chief Executive Shashi Arora has quit the company after a recent controversy surrounding India’s largest telecom operator and its payment bank’s alleged violation of rules on using Aadhaar for its electronic know-your-customer (e-KYC) verification process. He has been associated with Airtel in senior leadership roles since 2006. the suspension of the e-KYC licence of Airtel Payments Bank has not been revoked.
Himachal Pradesh CM Virbhadra Singh resigns
Incumbent Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh has resigned from his post, a day after the results of the assembly election were announced in the state. Governor Acharya Devvrat, asked him to continue in the office along with his council of Ministers to discharge the functions till an alternative arrangement is made or the new government is formed. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) wrested power from the Congress, winning close to a two-thirds majority with 44 seats in its kitty in the 68-member assembly.
NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar retires
The Chairperson of National Green Tribunal (NGT), Justice Swatanter Kumar announced his retirement from the post of 19 December 207, after completing his five-year tenure. A full bench reference was organised at the NGT on the occasion. Justice Swatanter Kumar was appointed to the post of NGT Chairperson on 20 December 2012. Prior to it, he was serving as a judge in the Supreme Court of India.
2002 World Cup winner Kaka retires from Football
Former AC Milan and Real Madrid midfielder Kaka, who lifted the 2002 World Cup with Brazil, announced his retirement from football. Kaka, who won the Champions League and the Ballon d’Or award in 2007 while playing for AC Milan, had become the most expensive footballer in history after his then-world record £56 million transfer from Milan to Madrid. He was the last Brazilian to be voted world player of the year in 2007.
After Mary Kom, Sushil Kumar resigns as National Sports Observer
A week after five-time world champion Mary Kom resigned as the National Sports Observer, Indian star wrestler and two-time Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar also stepped down from the position of wrestling.
Ola CEO Shalabh Seth resigns
Shalabh Seth, CEO of Ola Fleet Technologies has resigned from the firm. Seth is one of several high-profile executives hired by Ola over the past 3 years. Seth, a former CEO of brewer SabMiller India, had joined Ola in Jan. OLA has been struggling to retain senior-level employees for a while now & Seth’s resignation adds on to the long list of executives that have stepped down.
Mary Kom resigns as National observer for Indian Boxing
Five-time world champion M C Mary Kom has resigned as the national observer for Indian boxing. The information was shared by the Olympic bronze-medallist herself. She revealed that she had taken the decision after having a word with Sports minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, who had recently stated that active sportsperson will not be considered for the position. Kom is one among the 12 national observers appointed in March 2017.
Pakistan’s Law Minister Zahid Hamid resigns
Pakistan’s law minister Zahid Hamid has quit as the Civilian government surrendered to the wishes of hardline religious groups. The groups on their part, who had held Islamabad under a protest siege for nearly a month, called off their violent protests.
C). DEATHS
Mystery Writer Sue Grafton passes away at 77
Sue Grafton, author and creator of the Alphabet Series of mystery novels, has passed away at age 77. She was dealing with cancer for the last two years.
The creator of Bugs Bunny, Bob Givens, passes away at 99
Bob Givens, one of the animators behind designing the iconic characters Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd, died at the age of 99. He was from the USA. He also brought his skills to TV advertising, animating cartoon insects for Raid bug-killer commercials. Givens served in the US army during the Second World War, before returning to the animation industry.
Music Legend Robbie Malinga passes away
Legendary South African musician Robbie Malinga passed away. The veteran musician suffered from anaemia. He announced his retirement as a solo artist in 2016, after more than 20 years in the industry. The musician is known for his hit songs such as, ‘Sobabili’, ‘Mthanda’ and ‘Baby Please’.
Bengali film actor Partha Mukhopadhyay passes away
Famed Bengali film actor Partha Mukhopadhyay had passed away. He was 70. Mukhopadhyay portrayed a number of memorable roles in the 1960s after getting a break as a child artiste in the film Maa directed by Chitto Basu in 1958. The state government had conferred Mukhopadhyay with a special award for his contribution to Bengali films. Balika Bodhu (1967), Dhonyi Meye (1971), Agnishwar (1975), Amar Prithivi (1985), Baag Bandi Khela (1975) are some of his popular movies.
Banwari Lal Joshi passes away
Former UP Governor Banwari Lal Joshi passed away at AIIMS due to septic shock after an infection on the valves. Joshi was 82 years old. He has served as governor of many states. He has served as lieutenant governor of Delhi, governor of Meghalaya, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
Bengali Singer Jatileswar Mukhopadhyay passes away
Acclaimed Bengali singer Jatileswar Mukhopadhyay passed away in Kolkata following prolonged illness. He was 82. He passed away due to multi-organ failure. The West Bengal government had conferred him with the Sangeet Samman award in 2012. He had a great place in bengali music in the 70s-80s. Some of his popular works are E Kon sakal, Tomar Sange Dekha Na Hole, Aamar Swapan Kinte Paare and Bondhuya Amar Chokhe Jal Enechhe.
Pop singer Keely Smith dies at 89
Keely Smith, a pop & jazz singer known for her solo recordings of jazz standards as well as her musical partnership with Louis Prima, has died of apparent heart failure in Palm Springs. She was 89. Smith was a Grammy-winning talent who gained much attention when as a teenager she got the job as the “girl singer” in Prima’s band in 1948. She married Prima in 1953 and achieved success together.
Actor-Director Neeraj Vora passes away
Bollywood actor, writer, and filmmaker Neeraj Vora, in coma since a year, died at a Mumbai hospital. He was 54. His initial work as a writer includes superstar Shah Rukh Khan starrer TV show Circus. As an actor, his first work professional work came in the form of Ketan Mehta’s Holi (1984), which also starred Aamir Khan. His last film as an actor was Anil Kapoor starrer Welcome Back, which released in 2015.
Pioneer of DNA Fingerprinting Lalji Singh passes away
Lalji Singh, a pioneer of DNA fingerprinting technology in India and former Vice-Chancellor of Benares Hindu University, BHU (2011 to 2014), passed away at the age of 70. Lalji Singh and his team developed the indigenous probe that was first applied to settle paternity disputes in the late 1980s at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) Hyderabad.
Veteran journalist Sukharanjan Sengupta passes away
Veteran journalist Sukharanjan Sengupta died in Kolkata due to old age-related health problems. Sengupta had worked for Bengali dailies Jugantar and Ananda Bazar Patrika in his long career spanning over six decades. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed grief at Sengupta’s death and remembered his reportage of the 1971 Bangladesh liberation war.
Tamil journalist & humourist Ja Ra Sundaresan dies aged 87
Senior Tamil journalist & humourist Ja Ra Sundaresan died at a private hospital. A prolific writer, Mr. Sundaresan had authored over 1,000 short stories and 2 dozen novels. His main fictional characters were “Appusami” & “Seetha patti”. He joined Tamil weekly, Kumudam, as a member of the editorial desk in 1953 & worked for the journal as assistant editor & deputy editor till 1990.
King of rock Johnny Hallyday dies
France’s best-known rock star Johnny Hallyday has died aged 74 after a battle with lung cancer. Known simply as Johnny at home & “the French Elvis” abroad, Hallyday was a singer, actor & consummate showman who sparked scenes of mass hysteria in his heyday. Hallyday broke from France’s classic chanson tradition in the late 1950s, selling more than 100 million albums & headlining 50 major tours.
Singer Purabi Mukhopadhyay passes away
Veteran Rabindrasangeet singer Purabi Mukhopadhyay has passed away at her city residence in Kolkata after suffering from age-related health problems. She was 83.
Veteran Actor Shashi Kapoor passes away
Veteran actor Shashi Kapoor died at the age of 79. Kapoor was unwell for quite some time. The actor was admitted to the Kokilaben Hospital in Mumbai. The third and youngest son of Prithviraj Kapoor, Shashi Kapoor made his Bollywood debut in 1961, as the lead actor, in the film Dharmputra. Kapoor acted in more than a hundred films, of which he played the solo lead in 61.
D). VISITORS
Russia’s Dy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin visits India
Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin arrived in New Delhi. He will co-chair the meeting of India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation (IRIGC-TEC). The External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will host Mr. Rogozin and lead the Indian side. The meeting will enable the two sides to review the progress achieved by various working groups and sub-groups under the IRIGC-TEC.
Second vice president of Afghanistan arrives in India for 5 day visit
Afghanistan’s second vice president Mohammad Sarwar Danish will be on a five-day visit to India starting 09 December. During his visit, Danish will go to Mumbai to attend an international conference on ‘Harmony and Memorial of Mother Teresa’.
E). MISCELLANEOUS
Pratibha Gai honoured with Damehood by queen Elizabeth
Acclaimed York-based scientist Pratibha Laxman Gai has been named for damehood , the female equivalent of a knighthood, leading a number of people of Indian-origin from various walks of life in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours List 2018. Gai, professor and acclaimed expert on electron microscopy based at the University of York, grew up in India and won the national science talent scholarship before winning another scholarship to study at the University of Cambridge. She is the fourth Indian-origin woman conferred with the honour since it was institute in 1917. She has been honoured for “services to chemical sciences and technology”.
Vin Diesel, Forbes 2017 top-Grossing Actor
Vin Diesel has been named the top-grossing actor of 2017 by Forbes, with $1.6 billion in global ticketing receipts from his film ‘The Fate of the Furious’. The second spot was occupied by Dwayne Johnson ‘The Rock’, with $1.5 billion receipts. ‘Wonder Woman’ actress Gal Gadot, whose films earned $1.4 billion worldwide, featured in the third spot on the list.
Anushka Sharma crowned PETA’s ‘Person of the Year’
Popular actor and vegetarian Anushka Sharma has been crowned the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals’ (PETA) 2017 Person of the Year Award. The actress has taken the title for her wide-reaching work for animals, from helping to protect dogs from fireworks to advocating for horses who are forced to pull carriages in Mumbai.
Paytm becomes India’s first payments app to cross 100 mn downloads on Play Store
India’s largest mobile-first financial services platform, Paytm announced that its app has crossed the 100 million milestone on Google Play Store in the second week of December 2017. This makes Paytm the country’s first payments app to cross the 100 million downloads mark. Paytm has become the most preferred payments app in the country today, allowing users to scan its QR and pay at large merchants, grocery and kirana stores, milk-booths, local taxi/autos fares, petrol pumps, multiplexes, restaurants and more.
PM Modis Mann Ki Baat among most trending Twitter hashtags in 2017
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s radio programme “Mann Ki Baat” was the most trending hashtag on Twitter in 2017, followed by #jallikattu and #GST. The micro-blogging platform said #Mannkibaat sparked a great deal of commentary all over the year, including a tweet from cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar that went viral. Mann Ki Baat is a radio programme hosted by the PM on the last Sunday of every month to address people of the nation on All India Radio, DD National, and DD News. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also emerged as the most mentioned personality on Twitter during the course of Gujarat elections, followed by Congress President Rahul Gandhi.
Sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik creates world’s biggest sand Santa face at Puri beach
On the eve of Christmas celebrations, international sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik created the world’s biggest sand Santa-face with the message “world peace” on the Puri beach of Odisha. The Santa face is 25 feet high and 50 feet wide and will be placed in the Limca Book of World Records. He has also created a sand sculpture of Jesus Christ in front of the Santa face.
AG600: World’s largest amphibious aircraft takes off
China’s home-grown AG600, also known as ‘Kunlong’, the world’s largest amphibious aircraft took off took off from the southern city of Zhuhai and landed after roughly an hour-long flight. Its successful maiden flight makes China among the world’s few countries capable of developing a large amphibious aircraft. It also further strengthens China’s rapidly modernising military.
Mumbai, Gurugram girls win Mrs India contest
Mayanka Patel from Mumbai and Poonam Gaur from Gurugram were crowned Mrs India-Pride of Nation in two different categories at the grand finale. Mayanka was announced winner in Group A category that had participation of girls in the age bracket of 21 years to 34 years while Group B (34-45 years) saw Poonam taking the crown at the event.
Patanjali ranked India’s most trusted FMCG Brand
Brand Trust Report, India Study 2017 has ranked Patanjali as India’s most trusted Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) brand. Patanjali has also been named the most attractive brand. The study was conducted on 11,000 brands in 16 cities of India.
Kohli becomes India’s most valued celeb
For the first time, a cricketer, Virat Kohli has emerged as the top-ranked celeb with a brand value of $144 million. In 2016, SRK was on the top spot with $131.2m brand value. He has slipped to the second rank this year, with a brand value of $106m. Kohli endorses 20 brands as of October 2017, while Khan and Deepika Padukone – ranked on number 3 – endorse 21 and 23 brands, respectively.
Salman Khan tops Forbes India Celebrity List 2017
With earnings of Rs232.83 crore, actor Salman Khan has topped the Forbes India Celebrity 100 list 2017 for the second consecutive year. While Shah Rukh Khan featured in the second spot with earnings of Rs170.50 crore, Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli came third with Rs100.72 crore earnings. Akshay Kumar and Sachin Tendulkar featured in the fourth and fifth spots respectively.
UK tops Forbes’ List of Best Countries for Business in 2018
The United Kingdom has topped Forbes’ rankings of best countries in the world for business in 2018 for the first time, up from fifth last year. The list ranks 153 countries on 15 factors including property rights, innovation, taxes and red tape. The UK is followed by New Zealand and the Netherlands, while India was ranked 62nd on the list. The UK’s $2.6 trillion economy is the fifth largest in the world. The world’s second (China) and third (Japan) biggest economies rank 66th and 21st, respectively. Chad ranks last for the third straight year.
Delhi ranks 7th in Most Expensive Office Locations list
Delhi has emerged as one of the most expensive premium office locations in the world. Ranked 7th in the list, rent of Delhi’s premium office location is higher than San Francisco and Dubai, according to the latest report by JLL India, a real estate services firm. Mumbai is at 16th position in the list. The top spot is again taken by Hong Kong and there is huge margin between the rent rates between Hong Kong and London (West), which is second in the list. New York, Beijing, Tokyo are on the third, fourth and fifth position respectively.
Shree Saini from Washington crowned Miss India USA 2017
Washington resident Shree Saini has been crowned Miss India USA 2017. While Prachi Singh from Connecticut was declared the first runner-up at the pageant, which was held at the Royal Alberts Palace in Edison, New Jersey. Shree Saini is an anti-bullying activist. At the beauty pageant, cancer surgeon Kavita Malhotra Pattani from Florida was declared Mrs India USA 2017. Swapna Mannam, 17, from New Jersey was crowned with Miss Teen India USA 2017.
World’s longest wedding dress train sets Guinness record
A Guinness World Record has been set in France for the world’s longest wedding dress train, measuring over 8,095 metres long. Construction company Dynamic Projects, with the help of 15 volunteers, spent two months stitching individual pieces of the rain before sewing them all together to form a whole. The team also incorporated part of the previous record – breaking garment that measured 1,203.9 metres. The wedding dress was unveiled in Caudry, a French town famous for its production of lace, 11 years after the Guinness World Records title was first set there.
Mo Farah wins BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year Award
World 10,000m champion Sir Mo Farah has been voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2017. The 34-year-old, a four-time Olympic champion, won his third successive world 10,000m gold medal in London in August. He becomes the first long-distance runner to win the Sports Personality award since Paula Radcliffe in 2002.
Man Sails around the World in 42 days, breaks World Record
Frenchman Francois Gabart smashed the world record for the fastest non-stop solo navigation of the globe, completing the mammoth feat in 42 days, 16 hours, 40 minutes and 35 seconds. The 34-year-old sailor crossed a virtual finish line drawn between the island of Ushant off France’s northwest tip and Lizard Point in southwest England at 0145 GMT, comfortably beating the previous record set by compatriot Thomas Coville last year by six days and 10 hours.
‘Youthquake’ named Word of the Year by Oxford Dictionaries
Oxford Dictionaries has crowned “youthquake” as its word of 2017 in a nod to the unexpected level of youth engagement in this summer’s election in the United Kingdom. An amalgamation of “youth” and “earthquake”, the noun is defined as “a significant cultural, political, or social change arising from the actions or influence of young people”. The word was coined in the 1960s by then-Vogue editor, Diana Vreeland, to describe upheavals in fashion and music caused by Britain’s youth culture.
Roger Federer named BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year
Roger Federer has been named BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year for a record fourth time. Federer overtook fellow three-time winners Muhammad Ali and Usain Bolt after rolling back the years to win the Australian Open before becoming the first man to win eight Wimbledon singles titles, at the age of 35. His dramatic five-set win over Rafael Nadal in Melbourne ended a near five-year drought of grand slam triumphs, with his victory at the All England Club increasing his haul of majors to a record 19.
Lucknow’s Jitesh Singh Deo named Mr India 2017
Jitesh Singh Deo from Lucknow was declared the winner of the 2017 Mr India pageant. Indian footballer Prathamesh Maulingkar won the title of Mr India Supranational and will compete at Mr Supranational 2018. Abhi Khajuria was declared the first-runner up while Pavan Rao was the second runner-up. Actress Kangana Ranaut felicitated the winners.
JK Rowling named a ‘Companion of Honor’
The royal family has presented J.K. Rowling with a Companion of Honor award at Buckingham Palace. The “Harry Potter” author received the prestigious award from Prince William, as recognition of her services to literature and philanthropy. The prestigious award is given to people who have made major contributions in their field.
Michael Jordan, World’s Highest-Paid Athlete of All Time
In the latest list released by Forbes, Michael Jordan has been named as the highest-paid athletes of all time. The 54-year-old has a whopping $1.7 billion in the bank. Former world number one golfer Tiger Woods is standing at the second spot. Late American golfer Arnold Palmer is at No.3 with incredible $1.4 billion to his name.
‘Feminism’: Merriam-Webster’s Word of the year 2017
Feminism’ was on 13 December 2017 named as the Merriam-Webster’s Word of the year for 2017. In the year 2017, searchers for ‘feminism’ increased by 70 per cent over 2016 on Merriam-Webster.com. ‘Feminism’ has also been in Merriam-Webster’s annual Top 10 list for the past few years. ‘Feminism’ has its roots in the Latin language, where it was used for “woman” and “female” in 14th century English.
ICAN receives 2017 Nobel Peace Prize
The Geneva-based International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) received the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize at ceremony held in Oslo, Norway. The award was received by Beatrice Fihn, leader of ICAN and Hiroshima nuclear bombing survivor Setsuko Thurlow. ICAN, a coalition of 468 grassroots non-governmental groups has been in forefront of pushing for end to use of nuclear weapons through United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons adopted by 122 nations in July 2017.
Lakshmi Puri among six diplomats felicitated with ‘Power of One’
Six top diplomats including one Indian were felicitated with the inaugural Diwali ‘Power of One’ award at the UN headquarters in New York for their contribution to help form a more perfect, peaceful and secure world. The awards were presented on the occasion of the first anniversary of the issuance of a ‘forever Diwali stamp’ by the US Postal Services.
List of Awardees:
Matthew Rycroft: The outgoing British Ambassador to the UN
Nawaf Salam: The Lebanese Ambassador to the UN. He was also elected to the International Court of Justice in November 2017.
Lakshmi Puri: She is the Indian head of the UN Women.
Maged Abdelaziz: The former Permanent Representative of Egypt to the UN.
Ion Botnaru: The former Permanent Representative of Moldova to the UN.
Yuriy Sergeyev: The former Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the UN.
Dangal named the Best Asian Film at Australian Gala
Aamir Khan-starrer Dangal has been named the Best Asian Film at 7th Australian Academy of Cinema & Television Arts Awards. Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, Dangal is a biographical sports drama film featuring Fatima Sana Shaikh, Sanya Malhotra, Zaira Wasim. It is inspired by lives of Phogat family members, telling the story of Mahavir Phogat who trains his daughters to become world-class wrestlers.
Former supermarket worker Dan Middleton named World’s richest YouTuber
The Forbes Magazine has named former Tesco supermarket worker Dan Middleton as the world’s richest YouTuber after he made a fortune of $16.5 million this year. The 26-year-old shares videos of himself playing video games and describes gameplay and strategies on his YouTube channel, DanTDM. He has earned popularity around the world, with his live tour most recently including a stopover at the Sydney Opera House in Australia – with the show the second-fastest show in the venue’s history.
Diddy tops Forbes Highest Paid Musicians of 2017 List
Forbes has revealed its annual list of the highest-paid musicians. Diddy [Sean Combs] was named the highest earner ranked in $130 million.
The top 3 in the list are:
1) Diddy ($130m)
2) Beyonce ($105m)
3) Drake ($94m).
Facebook Co founder Saverin becomes richest man in Singapore
Facebook Co-founder Eduardo Saverin has become Singapore’s richest person with a net worth of $10.4 billion. Saverin became a Singapore resident after giving up his US citizenship in 2012.
Shah Rukh Khan named top Indian actor of 2017 by IMDb
Actor Shah Rukh Khan has been named the top Indian actor of 2017 by Internet Movie Data Base (IMDb). Aamir Khan and Salman Khan occupied the second and third spots respectively.
2nd best UNESCO world heritage site
The Taj Mahal in Agra, is the second best UNESCO world heritage site in the world, according to a new survey. With over 8 million visitors per year, the monument of love built by mughal emperor Shah Jahan is rated after Cambodia’s Angkor Wat. Conducted by online travel portal TripAdvisor, the survey lists the UNESCO Cultural & Natural heritage sites best rated by travellers around the globe.
Kerala’s Alappuzha in Top 5 UN Clean City List
The waste management system being implemented in Kerala’s coastal town of Alappuzha recognized by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) as one of the five models across the world for fighting the pollution menace. Alappuzha, often called “the Venice of East”, has been listed in the UNEP environment report entitled, ‘Solid approach to waste: how five cities are beating pollution’ alongside cities like Osaka in Japan, Ljubljana in Slovenia, Penang in Malaysia and Cajica in Colombia.
Time readers vote Saudi Crown Prince Person of the Year
Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has been voted the Time magazine readers’ Person of the Year, despite spearheading the continued bombardment of Yemen, leading to the starvation of its citizens. The award goes to those who “for better or worse” influenced the year. The 32-year-old scored 24 percent of the vote, with the #MeToo movement against sexual assault and harassment. Bin Salman overtook Hillary Clinton, Vladimir Putin and even the Pope to be crowned the people’s choice, winning far more votes than the three combined.
PM Modi Most tweeted about world leader after Trump
PM Modi has emerged as the “most tweeted about world leader” after U.S. President Donald Trump in 2017. Mr. Modi with 37.5 million followers is the 2nd most tweeted about the world leader, after Mr. Trump with 44.1 million followers. Other world leaders to figure in the top-10 list include Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, Turkish President Recep Erdogan and French President Emmanuel Macron.
World smallest Mona Lisa created using DNA origami
Caltech scientists have made the world’s smallest recreation of Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, the size of a bacterium, out of DNA. The technique, dubbed DNA origami, enabled scientists to fold DNA into desired self-assembling structures using 64 tiles, which were 100 nanometers wide. The team also created a life-sized portrait of a bacterium and a bacterium-sized portrait of a rooster.
Kumbh Mela on UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage
UNESCO has inscribed ‘Kumbh Mela’ on the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The decision was taken during the 12th session of the Intergovernmental Committee on Intangible Cultural Heritage at Jeju in South Korea. This inscription is the third in two years following the inscriptions of ‘Yoga’ and ‘Nouroz’ on 1st December 2016. The ‘Kumbh Mela’ is the largest peaceful congregation of pilgrims on earth.
Syrian boy wins Children’s Peace Prize
Mohamad Al Jounde from Syria has been awarded the International Children’s Peace Prize for his efforts to ensure rights of Syrian refugee children Al Jounde set up a school together with his family in a Lebanese refugee camp that currently provides 200 children with education. He received the prize from Malala Yousafzai, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 for her work for children’s rights.
Indian-American Senator Harris tops Global Thinkers List
Indian-American California senator Kamala Harris has topped the prestigious Foreign Policy magazine’s 2017 list of ’50 Leading Global Thinkers’ which also features US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley. Besides Harris and Haley, Indian-origin stand-up comedian Hasan Minhaj has also made it to the list. South Korean President Moon Jae-in is ranked second in the list for trying to rebuild decent democratic leadership in South Korea. Popular comedian Minhaj is placed third in the ranking for defining the narrative of a “New Brown America”.
First Sikh Woman elected as Mayor in the US
Preet Didbal has been elected as the mayor of Yuba city in California, becoming the first Sikh woman to hold the position in the United States. Ms. Didbal was appointed by the California city council and will be sworn in on December 5. However, Ms. Didbal is the first Sikh woman to be elected as mayor in the country.
Aditya Puri only Indian on Fortune’s Businessperson of the Year Top 20 List
Aditya Puri, the Managing Director of HDFC Bank, is the only Indian on Fortune’s ‘Businessperson of the Year’ list. The Businessperson of the Year list is an annual ranking of world’s top 20 heads of companies. At the 18th position, Aditya Puri is the only head of an Indian company on the list.
Raj Shah becomes First Indian-American to hold Press Gaggle
Raj Shah who holds a key position in the White House, gaggled with reporters on board US Presidential chopper Air Force One, becoming the first Indian-American to enjoy the privilege. Thirty-three old, He did so in the capacity of the Principal Deputy Press Secretary. He was accompanying Mr Trump as he flew to Missouri to deliver a major speech on middle-class tax relief and business tax relief.
‘Populism’ Named Cambridge Dictionary’s Word of the Year
The word ‘populism’ has been announced as Cambridge Dictionary’s Word of the Year 2017. The dictionary defined populism as “political ideas and activities that are intended to get the support of ordinary people by giving them what they want”. It said searches for ‘populism’ rose when Pope Francis made statements warning against its rising tide.
Miss Korea Jenny Kim Crowned Miss Supranational 2017
The 24-year-old model and Miss Korea Jenny Kim has bagged the title of Miss Supranational 2017 at the gala event, which was held in Poland’s Spa Resort of Krynica- Zdroj. Miss Columbia Tica Martinez and Romania’s Bianca Tirsin were adjudged First Runner’s Up and the second runner-up in the event, respectively. Kim left behind 64 contestants from different countries to bag the title. India’s official entry to the competition, Peden Ongmu Namgyal, reached top 25.
Read more: Current Affairs December 2017 Study Material | FreeJobAlert.com http://currentaffairs.freejobalert.com/december-2017-current-affairs-study-material/31686/#ixzz5UrJyRsgD
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