Current Affairs Daily Digest – December 21 2019
1 Russia and Ukraine Sign Preliminary Gas Transit Deal
Moscow and Kiev have signed a preliminary deal on the transit of Russian gas to Europe via Ukraine, after months of difficult talks but ahead of the looming New Year deadline.The current gas transit contract between the two ex-Soviet countries expires at the end of the year and ties between them shredded since Moscow annexed Crimea in 2014 and supported a separatist insurgency in eastern Ukraine.
2. Defence Ministry: 5th Edition of ARTECH to be held in New Delhi
Ministry of Defence is to hold ARTECH seminar in New Delhi on 23rd December, 2019. ARTEC is Army Technology Seminar that is being held since 2016. The fifth edition of ARTEC is to be organized by the Indian Army under Ministry of Defence on “Technologies for Non-contact Warfare”. Speakers from diverse industries, subject matter experts, think tanks have been invited to address at the seminar.
3. Afghanistan becomes first country to recognize Indian Pharmacopoeia
The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan has become the first country to recognize Indian Pharmacopoeia (IP) pursuant to the efforts of Department of Commerce and Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The formal recognistion came from Afghanistan’s National Department of Regulation of Medicines and Health Products of Ministry of Public Health.
4. India, Afghanistan and Iran met to discuss on Chabahar port
On December 20, 2019, India, Afghanistan and Iran met at New Delhi to discuss the issues in the implementation of Chabahar port in Iran. The port is considered as a gateway of opportunities with Central Asian Nations by all the three countries.
5. Ethiopia launches its first satellite
Ethiopia launched its first satellite, a landmark achievement for the country’s space program that caps a banner year for the African space industry.
The launch of the Ethiopian Remote Sensing Satellite (ETRSS) took place at a space station in China. The live broadcast was watched by a group of Ethiopian and Chinese officials and scientists who had gathered at the Entoto Observatory and Research Centre outside the capital, Addis Ababa.
6. ICC T20I rankings: Radha retains 2nd position in bowlers’ list as Deepti, Poonam slip
Left-arm Indian spinner Radha Yadav remained at the second spot but compatriots Deepti Sharma and Poonam Yadav slipped a place each to the fifth and sixth positions in the latest ICC Women’s T20I players rankings. Among the batters, Jemimah Rodrigues continued to occupy the fourth spot, while Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur too remained static at the seventh and ninth positions.
7. Mirabai Chanu bags Gold in 6th Qatar International Cup in Doha
Former world champion, weightlifter Saikhom Mirabai Chanu won the women’s 49kg category gold medal to open India’s account at the 6th Qatar International Cup in Doha.
Chanu bagged gold with an effort of 194kg in the Olympic qualifying event, with the points which will come in handy when the final rankings for Tokyo 2020 cut are done. The 24-year-old Manipuri lifted 83kg in snatch and 111kg in clean and jerk to finish on top of the podium.
8. Devesh Srivastava takes charge as CMD of GIC
Devesh Srivastava on December 18 took charge as the Chairman and Managing director of General Insurance Corporation of India. Srivastava name was recommended by Banks Board Bureau in August this year, and the government issued notification for his appointment.
9. R. Nagaswamy was honoured at the Silver Jubilee International Conference of Art
Renowned archaeologist R. Nagaswamy was honoured at the Silver Jubilee International Conference of Art held in Dhaka by Bangladesh Culture Minister K.M. Khalid. He was honoured for the contribution of Nagaswamy to art, archaeology, history, and culture. The Silver Jubilee volume of the Journal of Bengal Art was dedicated to Mr. Nagaswamy. The art carries articles by international scholars.
10. HDFC Bank crosses $100 bn market cap in intraday trading
HDFC Bank Ltd crossed $100 billion market capitalization in intraday trading, becoming only the third company in the country to achieve this milestone.
However, it closed below the $100 billion mark at $99.5 billion. It is now in the league of Reliance Industries Ltd, which has a market value of $140.74 billion, and Tata Consultancy Services Ltd that has a market capitalization of $114.60 billion. It now ranks 110th in the world’s most valued firms.
11. Ex Kerala Minister Thomas Chandy dead
Former Kerala Minister and senior Nationalist Congress Party legislator Thomas Chandy died, the party said. He was 72. Chandy was the state president of his party. He was suffering from cancer and was being treated at a private hospital here when he breathed his last, a party official said.
