| | 5 THINGS FIRST | Newly-elected MLAs of Gujarat Assembly to take oath; ‘Good Governance Week’ starts from today; Supreme Court’s two-week winter break begins; Delhi HC to hear pleas concerning 2020 Delhi riots case; RBI to issue next tranche of Sovereign Gold Bonds from today | |
| | 1. Maradona moment for Messi |  | - Argentina beat France to become the FIFA world champions on Sunday after a penalty shootout to conclude a nail-biting game. Captain Lionel Messi lifted the trophy at Doha’s Lusail stadium in what is believed to be his last match for Argentina, leaving many shedding tears of joy in the stadium and outside.
A tight contest- While Argentina dominated the first half of the game, with Messi scoring goal in a penalty and Di Maria scoring another in the 36th minute, Kylian Mbappe of France turned the tables around in the second half – scoring of a penalty in the 80th minute and another goal with a splendid volley in another 90 seconds.
- The game went on for an extra 30 minutes, in which Messi scored nothing short of a supernatural goal and Mbappe recorded a hattrick, ultimately leading to a penalty shootout. The last time there was a penalty shootout in a FIFA World Cup final was in 2006 – in which Italy beat France.
Messi, a legend- Earlier this week, Messi reportedly confirmed that the 2022 FIFA World Cup final will be his last game for Argentina.
- Messi has scored 13 goals in FIFA World Cup matches overall – one more than Brazilian legend Pele (12) and the highest for any Argentine. With 16 World Cup goals, German soccer player Miroslav Klose (16) still tops the chart, followed by Brazil’s Ronaldo (15). Notably, Mbappe, who turns 24 today, too has scored 12 goals in FIFA World Cups so far.
It took them 36 years- The last time Argentina had won a FIFA World Cup was in 1986, with Diego Maradona’s team beating West Germany 3-2. On Sunday, Argentina recorded its third FIFA World Cup victoryafter 1978 and 1986.
- Italy and Germany have won four World Cups each. Brazil so far tops the chart with five. France has so far won FIFA World Cup twice (1998 and 2018).
A sweet revenge- In the previous FIFA World Cup which France won, interestingly, Argentina was knocked out of the tournament in the Round of 16 by France. France had beat Argentina 4-3.
Mbappe highest scorer- Mbappe got the award for scoring the highest number of goals this world cup. He scored eight goals – one more than Messi.
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| | 2. Now, US spymaster backs India's position on Ukraine conflict |  | - What: In another endorsement of India's position on the Ukraine conflict, a top US official said PM Narendra Modi's views on the use of nuclear weapons, along with that of Chinese President Xi Jinping's, had an impact on the Russians and could well have averted a global disaster in the context of the Ukraine war.
- Why: India has repeatedly warned against any use of nuclear weapons in the Ukraine war while calling for dialogue and diplomacy to end the conflict. Modi has himself continued to emphasise before Russian President Vladimir Putin the need to bring the conflict to an end.
- CIA chief’s remark: "I think it's also been very useful that Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Modi in India have also raised their concerns about the use of nuclear weapons as well. I think that's also having an impact on the Russians," director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Bill Burns told US public broadcaster PBS in an interview. "I think the sabre-rattling is meant to intimidate. We don't see any clear evidence today of plans to use tactical nuclear weapons," he added.
- Putin’s warning: The CIA chief's remarks come as Russian President Vladimir Putin on December 3 admitted that the conflict is "going to take a while." He also warned of the "increasing" threat of nuclear war. In his address at the meeting of Russia's Human Rights Council at the Kremlin, Putin said that Russia will fight by "all available means" at its disposal, according to CNN. Putin said that he considered Moscow's nuclear arsenal as a 'deterrent rather than a provocation.' More details here
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| | 3. India firmly sets eyes on border defence & connectivity |  | Amid heightened tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), India has stepped up surveillance of the de facto border with China. The country will also start work on a strategic ‘Frontier Highway’ linking border areas of Arunachal Pradesh. Spy planes & drones- India is regularly using naval reconnaissance capabilities to boost its surveillance of land borders with China, both in the western (Ladakh) and eastern (Sikkim, Arunachal) sectors.
- The Navy is deploying P-8I long-range maritime patrol aircraft and heavy-duty Sea Guardian drones on the Army’s request for intelligence-gathering missions along the northern borders, defence ministry sources told TOI.
A strategic highway- The road transport ministry, in the next five years, will build a new highway in Arunachal Pradesh that will run close to the India-China-Myanmar border. At some locations, the ‘Frontier Highway’ will be as close as 20 km from the international border.
- The 1,748-km long two-lane road, designated as NH-913, will start from Bomdila and pass through Nafra, Huri and Monigong, which is the closest point on the India-China border. It will terminate at Vijaynagar, near the India-Myanmar border. “We have chalked out the plan to complete the sanctioning of all works in 2024-25 and usually it takes around two years for completing the construction,” an official told TOI.
Political bickering- Meanwhile, AAP convener and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal said on Sunday that the Union government is “rewarding” China despite its increasing aggression along the LAC, citing the increasing scale of trade between the two nations, especially imports on part of India. Giving some sort of a roadmap, he urged people to boycott made-in-China products and highlighted the need to retain high net-worth individuals in India.
- The Congress also accused PM Modi of "running away" from a debate in Parliament on the situation along the border. In a statement, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh wondered as to what emboldened the Chinese to try taking over the Indian post in the Yangtse area of Tawang after two years of a protracted "disengagement".
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| | 4. PM highlights BJP’s progress report in poll-bound NE states |  | - Rs 6,800-cr projects: PM Narendra Modi on Sunday inaugurated and laid the foundation stones of projects worth more than Rs 6,800 crore in poll-bound Tripura and Meghalaya. The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said in a statement that the projects encompass a wide array of sectors, including housing, road, agriculture, telecom, IT, tourism and hospitality.
- Progress report: Ahead of the FIFA World Cup final in Qatar, Modi said that the BJP-led government during its eight-year tenure has shown the “red card to many obstacles” such as corruption, discrimination, violence and vote bank politics that came in the way of development for the Northeast.
- Regional connectivity: Addressing a public meeting on the occasion of the golden jubilee of the North East Council (NEC) in Shillong, he also said that improved air connectivity provided to the region has been helping export of agricultural produce, benefiting farmers.
- In Tripura: Modi said that Tripura was earlier known for conflict but after the BJP came to power in 2018, it is now known for development, connectivity and cleanliness. He said the 15-km-long Agartala-Akhaura railway project to connect Northeast with Bangladesh would be completed next year.
- Tribal vote: Modi claimed that the saffron party is the first choice of the indigenous people because of its positive attitude and cited the party's good performance in tribal regions of Gujarat in the recent assembly elections.
- Double-engine govt: He also asserted that the “double-engine government” is working hard so that people of Tripura are benefitted.
- In Meghalaya: He inaugurated the sprawling campus of the IIM-Shillong at the New Shillong Township.
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| | NEWS IN CLUES | | 5. Identify this Iranian actor | Clue 1: Her father is a former international footballer.
Clue 2: In her debut movie, she played a character which was her real-life namesake.
Clue 3: She boycotted the Academy Awards in 2017.
Scroll below for answer
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| | 6. A dedicated fund to halt and reverse biodiversity loss |  | - There is an urgent need to create a dedicated fund to help developing countries successfully implement a post-2020 global framework to halt and reverse biodiversity loss, India has said at the UN biodiversity conference, popularly abbreviated as COP15, currently being held in Canada’s Montreal.
- “India is fully committed to working closely with all parties so that we are all able to bring out an ambitious and realistic Global Biodiversity Framework in COP 15,” Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupendra Yadav said on Saturday in his address to the conference.
What’s a biodiversity framework?- The Global Biodiversity Framework is a proposed new set of targets and goals to halt and reverse biodiversity loss. There have been repeated calls to include the framework in the Common but Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR) and Respective Capabilities Principle. Currently. 196 countries are negotiating it at the COP15 conference.
- As per CBDR, which was adopted as a principle during the Earth Summit in 1992, all countries have an obligation to tackle climate change. But, in reality, this responsibility is not shared equally.
‘Developing countries bear most burden’- Yadav further said that developing countries bear most of the burden of implementing the targets for biodiversity conservation. So, he said, developing countries need adequate funds and technology transfer, as he pitched for a dedicated fund. “Greater ambition means greater cost and the burden of this cost falls disproportionately on the countries that can least afford them.”
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| | X-Plained | | 7. Stealth destroyer armed with BrahMos ready for deployment |  | Stealth guided missile destroyer INS Mormugao was commissioned into the Indian Navy on Sunday. Speaking at the commissioning ceremony in Mumbai, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said INS Mormugao is evidence of India's excellence in warship design and development. What’s a guided missile destroyer?- The US Navy defines a guided missile destroyer as a warship “capable of conducting anti-air warfare (AAW), anti-submarine warfare (ASW), and anti-surface warfare (ASuW)”. A stealth destroyer is designed in such a way that it’s hard to be tracked by a conventional radar.
- INS Mormugao is 163 metres long and 17 metres wide. It has a displacement of 7,400 tonnes and a maximum speed of 30 knots (55 kmph).
A made-in-India ship - INS Mormugao is the second of the four 'Visakhapatnam' class destroyers of 'Project 15B', indigenously designed by the Indian Navy's in-house organisation, Warship Design Bureau and constructed by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited, Mumbai.
- “INS Mormugao is one of the world's most technologically-advanced missile carriers… The warship will meet the present and future needs of our country as well as of our friendly countries across the globe,” Singh said.
Weapons- The warship is packed with state-of-the-art weapons and sensors such as surface-to-surface missile and surface-to-air missiles. It is fitted with a modern surveillance radar which provides target data to the gunnery weapon systems on board.
BrahMos- It carries weapons such as the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, whose range is being extended from 290 km to 450 km.
Goa connection- Named after the historic port city of Goa, Mormugao coincidentally undertook its first sea trial on December 19, 2021, when Goa celebrated 60 years of liberation from Portuguese rule. More details here
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| | 8. An unusual comparison between two disputes |  | - PM Narendra Modi mediates on the Russia-Ukraine war but turns a blind eye towards the border dispute between Karnataka and Maharashtra, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader Sanjay Raut said on Sunday.
- “This is not a sign of a good politician,” Raut said in his weekly column in the political party’s mouthpiece Saamana.
Comparison with Ram Mandir issue- “When the Ram Mandir issue became political, it was repeatedly heard and resolved; then why shouldn’t this problem be resolved in one go by hearing continuously on the Maharashtra-Karnataka border dispute?” he said in his piece, citing how the conflict has so far caused the death of 69 people.
An old dispute- A decades-old border dispute between Karnataka and Maharashtra has flared up recently on account of controversial remarks by political leaders in both states. The Supreme Court is hearing a plea by the Maharashtra government on the matter. Read more here.
Amit Shah’s intervention- Union home minister Amit Shah held a review meeting with the CMs in both states on December 14, following which he said that the two state governments – both currently ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party – will not make any claims in the border dispute until the Supreme Court gives its verdict in the case.
- “It is good that Union Home Minister Amit Shah took an initiative towards resolving the issue, but the question is whether the central government will take a neutral stand,” said Raut.
BJP vs BJP- Raut said that Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai should have held talks with organisations and leaders of Marathi-speaking population in Belagavi to resolve the dispute, but trained guns at Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde saying he is “too weak to confront Bommai’s aggressive stand of claiming areas of Maharashtra.”
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| | 9. India eyes rupee trade with Bangladesh and African nations |  | - Indian banks are looking at the possibility of initiating rupee trade with Bangladesh and African countries like Egypt as part of an exercise to make rupee an international currency, reported news agency PTI.
Why Africa?- The overseas trade in rupee would safeguard the external sector from fluctuation in the forex market. India imported goods worth $3,520.83 million from Egypt, of USD 1,004.24 million from Algeria and $2,725.08 million from Angola in the last financial year.
Why Bangladesh?- As far as Bangladesh is concerned, the import in the last year from the neighbouring country stood at $1,977.93 million, according to the data provided by the commerce ministry.
Current arrangements- Currently rupee trade arrangements are with Russia, Mauritius and Sri Lanka through Special Rupee Vostro Account (SRVA). Indian banks have already opened SRVA with banks of these three nations, operationalising the rupee trade arrangement.
Recent developments- Recently, SBI Mauritius Ltd and People's Bank of Sri Lanka opened an SRVA with State Bank of India. In addition, Bank of Ceylon opened an account in its Indian subsidiary in Chennai.
- Also, Union Bank of India has opened a special rupee account of Ros Bank Russia while Chennai-based Indian Bank has opened such accounts of three Sri Lankan banks, including Colombo-based NDB Bank and Seylan Bank.
- In all, 18 such special rupee accounts have been opened by 11 banks, including two of Russia and one of Sri Lanka, following approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). The RBI issued detailed guidelines on cross-border trade transactions in the domestic currency in July.
Russia-Ukraine conflict- Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the sanctions imposed by the West on Russia, India has been trying to promote rupee trade. Since July, two leading Russian banks Sberbank and VTB Bank are the first foreign lenders to receive approval after the RBI announced the guidelines.
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| | | Answer To NEWS IN CLUES |  | Taraneh Alidoosti: Iranian authorities have arrested Alidoosti, one of the country’s most famous actors, days after she voiced support for the nationwide protests sparked by the death of a woman in custody, state media reported on Saturday. Alidoosti, who starred in Oscar-winning movie The Salesman, was arrested on charges of “spreading falsehoods” with regard to some of her social media posts in solidarity with the first man who was recently executed in Iran for alleged crimes committed during demonstrations, news agency Associated Press reported. | |
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| Written by: Rakesh Rai, Jayanta Kalita, Prabhash K Dutta, Abhishek Dey
Research: Rajesh Sharma
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