Pop singer Keely Smith dies at 89

Keely Smith, a pop & jazz singer known for her solo recordings of jazz standards as well as her musical partnership with Louis Prima, has died of apparent heart failure in Palm Springs. She was 89. Smith was a Grammy-winning talent who gained much attention when as a teenager she got the job as the “girl singer” in Prima’s band in 1948. She married Prima in 1953 and achieved success together

BBC Sports Personality 2017: England women cricketers win team award

England women’s cricketers won the Team of the Year award at the BBC Sports Personality show after their 2017 World Cup triumph. They beat India by nine runs after a stunning fightback in the final at Lord’s in July.

World’s longest wedding dress train sets Guinness record

A Guinness World Record has been set in France for the worlds longest wedding dress train, measuring over 8,095 metres long. Construction company Dynamic Projects, with the help of 15 volunteers, spent two months stitching individual pieces of the rain before sewing them all together to form a whole. The team also incorporated part of the previous record – breaking garment that measured 1,203.9 metres. The wedding dress was unveiled in Caudry, a French town famous for its production of lace, 11 years after the Guinness World Records title was first set there.

HAMESHA VIJAYEE: Southern Command conducts major exercise in Rajasthan

The Southern Command of Indian Army conducted major army exercise called ‘Hamesha Vijayee’ in deserts of Rajasthan from December 16 to 22, 2017. The purpose of the exercise was to evaluate capability of armed forces to strike deep into enemy territory in an integrated air-land battle. The Southern Command (hearquaters Pune) undertakes such exercises at regular intervals to ensure high degree of battle readiness as well as validation of operational plans using modern weapons and equipment.

India and Sri Lanka completes 2nd phase of joint oceanographic survey

Indian Navy in collaboration with its Sri Lankan counterpart has successfully completed the second phase of the joint oceanographic survey conducted off the South Western Coast of Sri Lanka. The survey commenced on 26 October with the arrival of Indian Naval Ship Sutlej in Sri Lanka. The Indian side handed over the survey charts to the Commander of the Sri Lankan Navy. The survey extended to a depth contour of 200 m from the coastline, ranging from Colombo to Galle. The move is expected to benefit the international shipping traffic passing the southern coast of Sri Lanka and will pave the way for the blue economy.

20 December: International Human Solidarity Day

The International Human Solidarity Day was observed across the world on 20 December 2017. In the Millennium Declaration, solidarity is identified as one of the fundamental values of internal relations in the 21st Century, wherein those who either suffer or benefit least deserve help from those who benefit most. The Day aims to raise public awareness of the importance of solidarity and encourages debate on the ways to promote solidarity for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals including poverty eradication.

Training of Trainers Program for Sendai Framework held in New Delhi

The Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Shri Kiren Rijiju, inaugurated the first national-level training of trainers program to sensitize various Central Ministries and Departments on utilization of Sendai Monitor for developing action plans for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) in New Delhi. The three-day programme was organized by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) in collaboration with the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction-Global Education and Training Institute (UNISDR-GETI).

Haryana govt to provide free sanitary napkins to poor women

The Haryana government would distribute sanitary napkins free of cost to all women belonging to BPL (Below Poverty Line) category in the State. Earlier on 1st December, the Haryana government had announced that it would make plans for free supply of sanitary napkins to girls in the schools across the state. The government also stated that the State would become malnutrition- free in the coming 3-years.

Sonu Sood honoured with Punjab Ratan award

Actor Sonu Sood has received the Punjab Ratan award for his contribution to the welfare of people of Punjab. Governor of Punjab, V P Singh Badnore, honoured the actor at an event at Fazilka in Punjab. During the ceremony, the 44-year-old actor also paid homage to the soldiers who fought the 1971 Indo-Pak war.

UK govt extends pilot student visa scheme to 23 more universities

The UK announced extending a pilot student visa scheme to 23 more universities under which Indian and other non-EU students will get six months time to find a job after finishing their course. The scheme was introduced last year on a pilot basis in four British varsities — Oxford, Bath, Cambridge and Imperial College London.

Shree Saini from Washington crowned Miss India USA 2017

Washington resident Shree Saini has been crowned Miss India USA 2017. While Prachi Singh from Connecticut was declared the first runner-up at the pageant, which was held at the Royal Alberts Palace in Edison, New Jersey. Shree Saini is an anti-bullying activist. At the beauty pageant, cancer surgeon Kavita Malhotra Pattani from Florida was declared Mrs India USA 2017. Swapna Mannam, 17, from New Jersey was crowned with Miss Teen India USA 2017.

France passes law to ban all Oil and Gas Production by 2040

France’s parliament has approved a law banning all exploration and production of oil and natural gas by 2040 within the country and its overseas territories. Under that law that passed a final vote, existing drilling permits will not be renewed and no new exploration licenses will be granted. The French government claims the ban is a world first.