- Emmerson Mnangagwa sworn in as President of Zimbabwe
Emmerson Mnangagwa, 70-year veteran leader also known as ‘Crocodile’, was sworn-in as Zimbabwe President.
Mnangagwa took the oath of President in front of thousands of jubilant supporters in a stadium in the national capital.
Mnangagwa’s elevation comes days after he was ousted from the country by former president Robert Mugabe citing ‘traits of disloyalty’.
- Rajkummar Rao, ‘Newton’ win big at Asia Pacific Screen Awards
Actor Rajkummar Rao was adjudged the best actor at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards for his performance in “Newton”, which also won the best screenplay award.
The Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA) is an international cultural initiative of the Brisbane City Council, Australia, to honor and promote the films, actors, directors, and cultures of the Asia-Pacific region to a global audience and to realize the objectives of UNESCO to promote and preserve the respective cultures through the influential medium of film.
- India can become global role model in growth of children: UNICEF
India has made an “impressive” progress on the metrics of child development in the last decade, but there is a section of children who have been “left out” due to inequality or lack of access to resources, a top UNICEF official said.
India has made a progress on various metrics but in some areas of the country like in Jharkhand recently, we saw, many children have been left out of the progress cycle, either because of caste discrimination or lack of access to resources due to remoteness of the area.
- Govt to Set up Pradhan Mantri Mahila Shakti Kendras in 115
The Centre has approved setting up of ‘Pradhan Mantri Mahila Shakti Kendras’ across 115 most backward districts of the country through a new scheme for reaching out to rural women and facilitating skill development, employment, digital literacy, health, and nutrition.
The government also approved expanding the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao scheme from 161 districts to 640 districts in the country, as well as 150 additional ‘one-stop centers’ for the survivors of sexual violence along with seven other programmes that are part of the umbrella scheme — the National Mission for Empowerment of Women.
- IISER Pune students get silver medal at global event
A team of seven undergraduates from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune, won a silver medal in the international Genetically Engineered Machines (iGEM) contest at the Giant Jamboree for their project on Tuberculosis (TB) diagnostics through synthetic biology. The competition was held in Boston, USA, from November 9 to 13.
- MHA to conduct Multi State Mega Mock Tsunami Exercise 2017
The Ministry of Home Affairs through National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) will conduct a multi-State mega mock exercise on tsunami preparedness.
The exercise will be simultaneously conducted in 31 coastal districts across four States – West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu – and Union Territory Puducherry along the entire East Coast. The disaster scenario will simulate tsunami waves originating due to a high-intensity earthquake near the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, which will lead to a massive tsunami along the East Coast.
- Prez to inaugurate conference on National Law Day
President Ram Nath Kovind will inaugurate the 2-day conference on National Law Day which among other things will see deliberation on collegium system and balancing the separation of power between judiciary and Parliament.
The National Law Day is celebrated on November 26, the day on which the Constitution of India was adopted by the Constituent Assembly in 1949.
- Axis Bank launches blockchain-based international payment service
Private sector lender Axis Bank has launched an instant international payment services using Ripple’s enterprise blockchain technology solution for retail and corporate customers.
Though an international offer, the bank is offering the facility only to its retail customers in the country to receive payments from the UAE-based Rak Bank and for its corporate customers to receive payments from Standard Chartered, Singapore.
- Canara Bank rolls out apps, digital library
Canara Bank celebrated its Founder’s Day on November 19 by rolling out several initiatives and benefits for its staff.
The bank was founded on July 1, 1906 by late Ammembal Subba Rao Pai. The initiatives launched include a digital library, a Canarites app, a field recovery mobile app, a retail loan (vehicle) – tracking system, and a regulatory guidance tracking system.
- President nod to Ordinance to amend Bankruptcy Code
President Ram Nath Kovind has gave his assent to the Ordinance approved by the Union Cabinet to amend the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) to strengthen the regime.
The Ordinance aims to put safeguards in place by prohibiting wilful defaulters, those associated with non-performing assets (NPAs), and the habitually non-compliant, from regaining control of the defaulting company/stressed assets through the backdoor in the garb of a ‘resolution applicant.’
- ISRO satellite imageries to monitor suspicious vessels
ISRO satellite imageries will soon monitor suspicious vessels and boats venturing into seas as part of the fortification of the country’s coastal security.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will provide 1,000 transponders by March next year as part of the coastal security ring, being set up to thwart terrorist attacks on the lines of the 26/11 Mumbai carnage.
- Switzerland approves USD 1.3 bn in EU aid
Switzerland will provide more than a billion dollars in development aid to the European Union, as Bern seeks to stabilise its messy ties with Brussels.
The 1.3 billion Swiss francs (USD 1.32 bn) will be spread over ten years and will target lower income countries in central and Eastern Europe.
The funds are intended to reduce economic and social disparities in Europe, which is in Switzerland’s economic and political interest.
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