9. US, Spain ink new accord to cleanup nuclear accident site at Palomares
Washington and Madrid have reached a new agreement in principle for the United States to clean up land contaminated by radiation from undetonated nuclear bombs that accidentally fell on a site in southern Spain in 1966.
On Jan. 17, 1966, a U.S. B-52 bomber carrying four nuclear bombs collided with a tanker plane during midair refueling over the Mediterranean off the coast of Spain, killing seven of 11 crew members.
None of the bombs exploded, although the detonators in two of them broke up, spreading 7 pounds (3 kg) of plutonium over a 200-hectare (490-acre) area near the village of Palomares.
10. Virender Sehwag announces retirement from International Cricket
Virender Sehwag has announced his retirement from international cricket, more than two-and-a-half years on from his last appearance for India. With 8586 runs from 104 Test matches, Sehwag stands at fifth in India’s all-time list. In ODIs, he scored 8273 runs, with 15 centuries including the second-highest individual score of 219. In 19 Twenty20 internationals, the right-hander made 394 runs. Aside from all those runs, Sehwag took 40 wickets in Tests and 96 in ODIs.
11. Yuki Bhambri is first Indian to enter top 100 since 2010
Yuki Bhambri has cracked the coveted top-100 bracket by achieving a career-best rank of 99, a reflection of his consistent progress in the last few months. In his last three ATP Challenger tournaments, the 23-year-old Yuki won the Shanghai Challenger, was a runner-up in Taiwan and ended a semifinalist at the $125000 Tashkent event.
Yuki is the first Indian player since 2010 to enter the top-100 and only the third in a decade-and-half to be in the list.
12. Union Cabinet approved agreement between India and Egypt on Maritime Transport
Recognizing the significant mutual benefit that can be derived from-cooperation in the area of shipping between the two countries, the Union cabinet has approved for signing of an agreement between India and Egypt on maritime transport.
It has been decided to sign the agreement with a view to strengthening cooperation and to render sustained mutual assistance and advice on merchant shipping and other related maritime matters. The agreement would be signed on a mutually convenient date and venue.
13. Global Iodine Deficiency Disorders Prevention Day observed on 21 October
Global Iodine Deficiency Disorders Prevention Day was observed on 21 October 2013 across the world to create awareness of the need to prevent iodine deficiency. Currently, one third of the global population is exposed to the risk of iodine deficiency disorders. Over 740 million people in 130 countries are facing the health problem. In India, more than six core people are suffering from iodine deficiency disorders including endemic goiter and 88 lakh people from mental or motor handicaps.
14. Renowned marine biologist Syed Zahoor Qasim died
Renowned marine biologist Syed Zahoor Qasim died on 20 October 2015 in New Delhi. He was 88. He is considered as the founder of Polar Biology in India and was part of the first Indian expedition to Antarctica in 1981-82. In recognition of his contributions, he was honoured with Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan by the Union Government and Life Time Achievement Award by the Indian Science Congress in 2008. He was also a member of Planning Commission (1991-96) and served as the vice-chancellor of the Jamia Millia Islamia University in New Delhi.
15. Noted criminologist K Chockalingam won Paul H Appleby Award
Noted criminologist K Chockalingam has been conferred with the Paul H Appleby Award for his distinguished services to public administration. The prestigious award was conferred by Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA) to honour Chockalingam, who has served as professor and researcher in criminology in University of Madras and is Vice President of World Society of Victimology.
16. Snapdeal appointed Anup Vikal as CFO
Online marketplace Snapdeal has appointed Anup Vikal as its chief financial officer. With over 23 years of experience, Vikal joins Snapdeal from Aircel, where he served as the CFO. Before joining Aircel, he has worked with InterGlobe Enterprises, Colt Technology and Bharti Airtel.
Vikal replaces Aakash Moondhra, who quit the company earlier this year. The e-commerce firm, which competes with the likes of Flipkart and Amazon, has been aggressively hiring talent from the telecom space.
