December 2019

Mary Kom denies hand shake with Nikhat Zareen after win Six-time world champion Mary Kom (51kg category) had the last laugh in the much-anticipated trial bout against Nikhat Zareen as the former prevailed 9-1 to make the Indian squad for the next year’s Olympic qualifiers in China. There was a lot of spotlight over this bout owing to the bitter row created after Nikhat Zareen protested to have a fair chance as Mary Kom was earlier directly picked for the Olympic qualifiers. However, after Mary Kom emerged victorious against Nikhat, she refused to shake hands with her younger opponent, saying,...

Ratan Tata shares picture flying F18 Super Hornet on 82nd birthday; has a special message for youth Tata Sons’ Chairman Emeritus Ratan Tata is celebrating his 82nd birthday today. He served as Tata Group Chairman for over two decades before retiring at the age of 75 on his birthday in 2012. The tycoon now dedicates his time to philanthropy and also nurtures emerging start-ups. Ratan Tata holds full-time leadership role at Tata Trusts, which owns 66 per cent of the group holding company, Tata Sons. In his latest Instagram post, Ratan Tata, who’s also a trained pilot, wrote he looks forward with excitement to the...

Virat Kohli topples Salman Khan for top spot on 2019 Celebrity 100 list Kohli’s march continues this year as, for the first time in eight years since the launch of the Forbes India Celebrity 100 List, he has replaced actors at the pole position. The 31-year-old is now perched right at the top on the back of ₹252.72 crore he earned between October 1, 2018, and September 30, 2019 . This was through match fees, the BCCI central contract, brand endorsements and an eight-figure fee for every sponsored Instagram post. Source: forbesindia

Renowned Hindi author Ganga Prasad Vimal dies in road accident in Sri Lanka Renowned Hindi author Ganga Prasad Vimal and his two family members were killed in a road accident in southern Sri Lanka, police said on Wednesday. The 80-year-old author was travelling along with his family in a van, which crashed into a container truck from behind on the Southern Expressway in Kurundugahahathapma area on Monday night, they said. Vimal and two of his family members were killed on the spot while a local driver died on the way to hospital. Two more persons sustained injuries. source: The Hindu

Sri Lankan govt committed to dispelling ‘darkness of religious terrorism’: Mahinda Rajapaksa Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, on December 25, said his government is committed to dispelling the “darkness of religious terrorism” and restoring security and peace in the country, as Christians celebrated the Christmas amidst unprecedented security arrangements across the island nation. The Christmas services in churches across the country were held amidst heavy security arrangements due to the situation arising out of the Easter Sunday bombings in which nearly 270 people were killed in the coordinated suicide attacks on three churches and three luxury hotels on April...

A giant missed opportunity, says Jayapal on cancelled meeting with Jaishankar Indian-American lawmaker Pramila Jayapal has said that the cancellation of a meeting External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar was to have on Capitol Hill during a recent visit on account of her presence was a “sign of weakness” and a “giant missed opportunity” for India. Jayapal has been critical of restrictions in place in Kashmir since the August 5 abrogation of Article 370. She spoke forcefully against them at two hearings and has moved a bipartisan resolution in the House of Representatives to seek the lifting of curbs in the...

Israel’s Netanyahu wins ruling party leadership vote Embattled Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared a “huge” victory Friday, after winning a leadership primary that ensures he will lead his right-wing Likud party into March elections. Israel’s longest-serving premier, who faces a corruption indictment and a third general election in twelve months, was expected to beat rival Gideon Saar but the convincing margin of victory strengthened his position in the party he has dominated for 20 years. With all votes counted, Likud announced early Friday that Netanyahu had secured 72.5 percent, with Saar winning 27.5 percent. “A huge win! Thank you...

Donald Trump says North Korea’s Kim Jong Un may be planning nice ‘Christmas gift’ President Donald Trump said Tuesday that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un may be planning to give him “a nice present” such as a “beautiful vase” for Christmas rather than a missile launch. The president was asked what he will do if North Korea does conduct a long-range missile test. The North has threatened to take unspecified action if sanctions are not eased by the end of the year, and speculation has centered on the possibility of a new missile test, possibly of an intercontinental ballistic...

Ex-ISRO Scientist Nambi Narayanan, Falsely Implicated in Spy Case, to Get ₹1.3 Crore From Kerala Govt Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala Government has in principle decided to give Rs 1.3 crore as compensation to former ISRO scientist Nambi Narayanan, who was falsely implicated in the 1994 espionage case. The amount is for settling the case filed by 77-year-old Naryananan against the government in a sub-court here, seeking enhanced damages for his illegal arrest and harassment. source: News18.com

Adnan Sami tweets in support of the Citizenship Amendment Act: ‘Muslims are very proud and happy here’ While some celebrities have openly condemned the recently amended Citizenship Act, singer Adnan Sami has come out in support of the act. Adnan tweeted that the citizens of Pakistan have ‘uninvitedly thrusted themselves into the CAA discussion.’ In a continuing tweet, he adds the Indian Muslims are ‘very proud and happy here’. source: Firstpost