Current Affairs Daily Digest – December 11 2019
Current Affairs Daily Digest – December 11 2019
1. 16-yr-old climate activist Greta Thunberg named TIME’s 2019 Person of the Year
Climate activist Greta Thunberg has been named TIME’s 2019 Person of the Year. The 16-year-old is the youngest individual ever named TIME’s Person of the Year. “Thunberg has become the biggest voice on the biggest issue facing the planet—and the avatar of a broader generational shift in our culture”, TIME magazine said.
2. ISRO successfully launches India’s spy satellite RISAT-2BR1 with 9 others
ISRO successfully launched India’s spy satellite RISAT-2BR1 and nine foreign satellites through Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). The 628 kg radar imaging Earth observation satellite is meant for applications in various fields like agriculture, forestry and disaster management support. The foreign satellites include one each from Israel, Italy, Japan and six from the USA.
3. Greta Thunberg and 3 other are to be awarded the Right Livelihood Award
Four people won the Right Livelihood Award for the year 2019. The awardees are Greta Thunberg, Aminatou Haidar, Guo Juanmei and Davi Kopenawa Yanomami.
- The award aims to honour Greta Thunberg for her fight against climate change
- Davi Kopenawa Yanomami for her commitment and efforts to protect the indigenous rights and land
- Guo Juanmei was awarded for her work for women’s rights in China for 25 years
- The award recognized Aminatou Haidar’s efforts for the independence of Western Sahara. She spent four years in a secret prison, isolated from the outside world.
4. National Anti-Doping Agency appoints Actor Suniel Shetty as its brand ambassador
National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA), India’s anti-doping body has selected Bollywood actor Suniel Shetty has been selected as its brand ambassador. NADA hopes that his celebrity status would help its efforts to clean up sports in the country from the menace.
5. December 11: International Mountain Day
International Mountain Day predominantly refers to the day, the United Nations marks on December 11 every year since 2003. The same day is celebrated in US and Japan as well as National Mountain Day. The US began to mark mountain day even before the UN since 1877. However, in Japan it is being celebrated since 2014 and is a national holiday.
Theme: Mountains matter for youth
6. Digital Exhibition on history of Constitution of India being held in New Delhi
The ‘Digital Exhibition on History of Constitution of India’, was inaugurated in New Delhi by Dr. Jitendra Singh, Minister of State (M/S) for Development of North Eastern Region (I/C), Prime Minister’s Office, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space. It will be organised for two days from 9-10 December 2019.
7. India and France to begin patrolling mission in Indian Ocean Region
India and France are to launch joint naval patrolling mission after the Varuna Naval Exercise that was held in May, 2019. The joint mission is to be executed in the Indian Ocean Region to protect the strategic interests of the countries and to check large scale illegal fishing.
8. Saudi Aramco becomes world’s most valuable company at $1.9 trillion
Saudi Aramco became the world’s most valuable listed company at $1.9 trillion, nearly $700 billion more than Apple, after its shares jumped 10% on their trading debut on Wednesday. The Saudi state-run oil company raised $25.6 billion in the world’s largest Initial Public Offering (IPO) beating Alibaba’s $25 billion listing in 2014. Aramco sold a 1.5% stake in the IPO.
9. CCPI 2020: India ranks 9th, US worst climate change performer
India joins the top ten countries in this year’s Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) for the first time. This is a result of efforts made to bring down India’s carbon emission. On the other hand, the United States included in the worst-performing countries for the first time.
Australia and Saudi Arabia, running their economies on the basis of coal industries, are also among the countries with high carbon emissions. The CCPI report was released at the ‘COP 25’ climate change conference in the Spanish capital Madrid.
10. World’s first fully-electric commercial aircraft completes test flight
The world’s first fully-electric aircraft for commercial flight has taken to the skies in Canada. The plane flew above the Fraser River outside Vancouver for about seven minutes before touching down at around 8:30 a.m. local time on Tuesday.
The aircraft — an aging six-passenger DHC-2 de Havilland Beaver seaplane — has been retrofitted with a 750-horsepower electric motor built by U.S. firm magniX.
11. 11th Delhi Dialogue; 6th Indian Ocean Dialogue and associated events (December 13-14, 2019)
The 6th Indian Ocean Dialogue takes place on December 13, and the theme is “Indo-Pacific: Re-imagining the Indian Ocean through an Expanded Geography”. It is being organized with the assistance of the Indian Council for World Affairs. Delhi Dialogue XI will start on the evening of December 13, and will run through to the evening of December 14.
The theme for this year’s Delhi Dialogue is “Advancing Partnership in Indo-Pacific”, and is being organized with the assistance of the Research and Information System (RIS) for Developing Countries.
12. Sterlite Technologies, IIT Madras sign pact for 5G advancement
Data networks company Sterlite TechnologiesNSE -7.38 % is partnering with IIT Madras for conducting research and developments in 5G technology, the Chennai-based institute said in a release.
STL will sponsor a Chair Professorship in 5G technology at the institute. The first occupant of the Chair Professorship will happen in the first quarter of 2020. The Chair Occupant will work towards accelerating the advancements in 5G by unifying IIT Madras’ research and domain knowledge with STL’s.
13. FCI draws large banks to raise Rs 8,000 cr via bonds
Food Corporation of India has raised Rs 8,000 crore in one of the largest bond sales in India this year, to fund the state-run agency’s plan to increase storage capacity for food grains.
The government-backed bonds offered 7.64% with a 10-year tenure. The sale received 247 bids, worth about two-and-a-half times the issue size.
14. Reliance, ADNOC explore JV to build ethylene dichloride facility in Ruwais
Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) has signed an agreement with state-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) to explore a joint venture for building an ethylene dichloride (EDC) facility in Ruwais.
EDC is a basic building-block for manufacture of PVC, a polymer product in increasingly higher demand globally. PVC plays a critical role in the housing and agriculture sectors, and demand for PVC, particularly in the Indian vinyls market, is expected to grow significantly.
15. BioAsia 2020 to have Switzerland as partner country
The flagship event of Telangana’s pharma and biotech industry, BioAsia 2020, announced that Switzerland will be its country partner this year. BioAsia 2020 will be held on the theme ‘Today For Tomorrow’ between February 17-19 at Hyderabad.
16. George Laurer, inventor of bar code dies at 94
George J. Laurer, whose invention of the Universal Product Code at IBM transformed retail and other industries around the world, has died. He was 94. He died on Thursday at his home in Wendell, North Carolina in US.
Laurer was an electrical engineer with IBM in North Carolina’s Research Triangle Park in the early 1970s when he spearheaded the development of the UPC, or bar code.
