Junior Digest

Rome, Dec 2 ,2020: The next year’s Group of Twenty (G20) summit will be held in Rome on October 30-31, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said.

“The leaders’ final summit will be held on October 30031, here, in Rome,” Conte said in a Twitter post on Wednesday.

Speaking with a video address on the occasion of the beginning of Italy’s G20 presidency, the prime minister said that his main issues of the Italian presidency would be three “Ps”: “persons, planet, prosperity.”

‘These three polar stars will lead us to the final summit of leaders on October 30 and 31 in Rome, the capital of Italy, where we will reap the fruits of our commitments,’ Conte said in a video posted on his Twitter.

Dec 02,2020:China successfully landed a spacecraft on the moon’s surface late on Tuesday in the first mission to retrieve lunar surface samples in 40 years, said the country’s National Space Administration.

The space agency said the probe had successfully landed on the near side of the moon and sent back images.

China launched its Chang’e-5 probe which is not manned from the southern province of Hainan on November 24. The mission, named after the mythical Chinese goddess of the moon, aims to collect lunar material to help scientists learn more about the moon’s origins and the solar system more generally.

Hua Chunying, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, tweeted that the landing was a “historic step” adding that it would also benefit “international cooperation and the peaceful use of space.”

The mission will attempt to collect two kilogrammes (4.4 pounds) of samples in an area that has yet to be explored on an enormous lava plain known as Oceanus Procellarum, or “Ocean of Storms” and if completed as planned, would make China the third nation to have retrieved lunar samples after the United States and Russia.
The lander vehicle is expected to start drilling into the ground with a robotic arm to collect the lunar material in about two days, according to state media.

Paris, Dec 3 ,2020: Former French president Valery Giscard d’Estaing, a preeminent architect of the European Union, died Wednesday night at the age of 94 due to COVID-19, his foundation said.

Giscard, often referred to simply as VGE, died in his family home in Loir-et-Cher, France, after his health had deteriorated, the Fondation Valéry Giscard d’Estaing said in a tweet.

Giscard, who was France’s leader from 1974 to 1981, was known for steering the modernisation of French society during his presidency, including allowing divorce by mutual consent and legalising abortion, and was one of the architects of European integration.
Giscard was known for steering the modernisation of French society during his presidency, including allowing divorce by mutual consent and legalising abortion.

He was elected president at 48, coming to power after years of Gaullist rule, and sought to liberalise the economy and social attitudes. He was credited with launching major projects including France’s high-speed TGV train network.

He lost his re-election bid, however, to the socialist François Mitterrand in the aftermath of the global economic downturn of the 1970s.

In France, Giscard is remembered for his radical reform drive which included the legalisation of abortion, the liberalisation of divorce and lowering the voting age to 18.

Dec 02,2020:India captain Virat Kohli on Wednesday became the fastest cricketer to score 12,000 ODI runs, breaking a record held by legendary compatriot Sachin Tendulkar. Kohli reached the milestone during the third and final match against Australia here.

Kohli, who needed 23 runs for the landmark coming into the match, touched the figure in his 242nd innings when he took a single off Sean Abbott in the 13th over of India’s essay. In comparison, it took Tendulkar 300-innings to get there.

The 32-year-old Indian captain was playing in his 251st ODI and averages close to 60 in the format with 43-hundreds and 59 half-centuries. He made his debut in 2008. On Wednesday, he was dismissed for a 78-ball 63, caught behind by Alex Carey after edging a Josh Hazlewood delivery.
Tendulkar scored 18426 runs from 463 ODIs between 1989 and 2012 at an average of 44.83 with the help of 49-hundreds and 96 half-centuries.

New Delhi, Dec 1 ,2020: BrahMos Supersonic Cruise Missile in Anti-Ship mode was successfully test-fired on Tuesday, against a decommissioned Ship.

The test firing was carried out by the Indian Navy at 0900 hrs. The missile performed highly complex manoeuvres and hit Bull’s eye of the target, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement here.

BrahMos is the supersonic cruise missile, jointly developed by DRDO and NPOM of Russia as a Brahmos Aerospace joint venture, which became Brahmos Aerospace Private Limited.

The missile has established itself as a major force multiplier in modern-day complex battlefields, with its impeccable anti-ship and land-attack capabilities with multi-role and multi-platform abilities, and has been deployed in all three wings of the Indian Armed Forces.

The first launch of Brahmos took place in 2001 and till date numerous launches have taken place from various ships, Mobile Autonomous Launchers and Su-30 MKI aircraft, making it a versatile weapon.

Secretary of DDR&D and Chairman of DRDO Dr G Satheesh Reddy congratulated the Indian Navy for the successful test.

MUMBAI ,Dec 02,2020: China has begun importing Indian rice for the first time in at least three decades due to tightening supplies from Thailand, Myanmar and Vietnam and an offer of sharply discounted prices, Indian industry officials said.
India is the world’s biggest rice exporter and China the biggest importer. Beijing buys in around 4 million tonnes a year but has avoided purchases from India, citing quality issues.

The rice imports come despite political tensions over a border dispute in the Himalayas which erupted into a clash in June in which 20 Indian soldiers were killed.

India has since tightened rules for investments from China and banned dozens of Chinese mobile apps, including from tech giants Tencent, Alibaba and ByteDance.

Although the public mood in India has been anti-China, the country has remained engaged with Indian businesses.

“For the first time China has made rice purchases. They may increase buying next year after seeing the quality of Indian crop,” B.V. Krishna Rao, president of the Rice Exporters Association, told Reuters on Wednesday.

Indian traders have contracted to export 100,000 tonnes of broken rice for Dec-February shipments at around $300 per tonne on a free-on-board (FOB) basis, industry officials said.

China’s traditional suppliers, such as Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar and Pakistan, have limited surplus supplies for export and were quoting at least $30 per tonne more compared with Indian prices, according to Indian rice trade officials.

Wellington, Dec 2,2020: Joining more than 30 countries, New Zealand on Wednesday took the symbolic step of declaring a climate emergency.

Lawmakers voted 76-43 in favour of the motion, in a split that followed party lines.

The government also launched a new initiative requiring many public agencies to become carbon neutral by 2025, in part by getting rid of coal boilers and buying electric cars.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the government usually declares emergencies only for things like natural disasters, but that if it doesn’t address climate change, such disasters will continue to happen.

She said the declaration was an acknowledgment of the burden the next generation faces.

For them, it is instinctual, it is tangible, it is real, Ardern said. It is about the country they will inherit. And it’s about the burden of debt they will inherit unless we make sure that we demonstrate leadership on this issue.

The declaration comes without any newly assigned statutory powers or money, making it purely symbolic. But Ardern and other lawmakers promised to back up the declaration with ongoing action.

The declaration states that climate change is one of the greatest challenges facing humanity and promises a commitment to minimise global warming. It says climate change will have a devastating impact on New Zealand through flooding, wildfires, sea-level rise and water availability.

Ardern said climate change was an important consideration in rebuilding the economy from the downturn caused by the coronavirus, and it was important to “build it back in a sustainable way, with a focus on carbon neutrality.”

Opposition climate change spokesperson Stuart Smith said the declaration was hollow and lacked substance.

Today’s performance from the government was a triumph of politics over practical solutions, and of slogans over substance,” said another opposing lawmaker, David Seymour.

Ardern has previously announced plans for the nation to plant 1 billion trees, phase out offshore oil and gas exploration, and to make the electricity grid run from 100% renewable energy by 2030.

The government last year passed a bill for the country to become carbon neutral by 2050, although it carved out some exemptions for farmers, who bring in much of the country’s foreign income.

LONDON ,Dec01,2020: Facebook-backed cryptocurrency Libra has been rebranded “Diem” in a renewed effort to gain regulatory approval by stressing the project’s independence.
Plans for Libra, first floated by Facebook last year, were slimmed-down in April after regulators and central banks raised concerns it could upend financial stability, erode control over monetary policy and threaten privacy.

Tuesday’s name switch is part of a move to emphasise a simpler, revamped structure, Stuart Levey, CEO of the Geneva-based Diem Association behind the planned digital coin, said.

“The original name was tied to an early iteration of the project that received a difficult reception from regulators. We have dramatically changed that proposition,” Levey told Reuters.
Diem, which means “day” in Latin, now aims to initially launch a single dollar-backed digital coin, he added.

He declined to comment on timing for the launch, which the Financial Times reported last week could be as early as January, saying only that it would only go ahead after approval by the Swiss markets watchdog.

Dec 02,2020:India defeated Australia by 13 runs in the final ODI of the three-match series at the Manuka Oval in Canberra. Team India posted a total of 302 runs for the loss of five wickets in 50 overs, after skipper Virat Kohli won the toss and opted to bat. Hardik Pandya was the highest run-getter, smashing 92 runs off 76 deliveries in an innings comprising of seven boundaries and a six. Ravindra Jadeja was the second top run-scorer, hitting 66 runs off 50 balls with five boundaries and three maximums to his credit. Kohli was dismissed for 63 runs off 78 deliveries. Shikhar Dhawan, Shubman Gill, KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer were dismissed cheaply. Ashton Agar was the pick of the bowlers for Australia, accounting for two wickets. During the chase, Aaron Finch was the highest run-getter for the hosts, scoring 75 runs off 82 deliveries. Glenn Maxwell provided quality support, smashing 59 runs off 38 deliveries. However, a fine performance by the Indian bowling attack helped the visitors secure a win and avoid series whitewash. Shardul Thakur was the highest wicket-taker, accounting for three dismissals. Jasprit Bumrah and T Natarajan picked two wickets apiece. Australia clinched the three-match ODI series 2-1.

New Delhi, Dec 2,2020: Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ on Wednesday set up a task force to prepare a roadmap on imparting technical education in mother tongue.

The task force, set up under the chairmanship of Secretary, Higher Education, will consider suggestions made by various stakeholders and submit a report in a month.

The decision was taken by Dr Pokhriyal at a high-level meeting on imparting technical education in mother tongue at which Higher Education Secretary Amit Khare, IIT Directors, academicians and senior officials of the Ministry were present. The agenda of the meeting was to discuss and deliberate regarding the implementation of NEP-2020.

Dr Pokhriyal said the meeting today is a step in the direction towards achieving the Prime Minister’s vision that student may pursue professional courses such as medicine, engineering, and law in their mother tongue.

“No language will be imposed on any student but enabling provisions should be made so that bright students are not deprived of technical education due to lack of knowledge of English language,” he said.

All the stakeholders are taking concerted efforts to ensure effective implementation of the New Education Policy-2020, an official release here said.