1.PM Narendra Modi to address FICCI’s 93rd AGM on Dec 12
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be delivering the inaugural address at FICCI’s 93rd Annual General Meeting and annual convention at 11 am on December 12, 2020. This year’s theme of the Annual Convention is “Inspired India”.The event will witness participation from several ministers, bureaucrats, diplomats, international experts and other leading luminaries. It will witness discussions between various stakeholders on the implications of COVID-19 on the economy and the way forward.Prime Minister will also be inaugurating the virtual FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry) Annual Expo 2020 on the same day. The annual expo will continue for a period of one year. It will provide an opportunity to exhibitors from across the globe to showcase their products.
2.ISRO to launch communication satellite CMS-01 on Dec 1
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will launch communication satellite CMS-01 aboard Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C50) on December 17, 2020.This will be the 52nd mission of PSLV and it will be launched from the second launch pad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. The launch is tentatively scheduled to take place at 3:41 pm on December 17, 2020 subject to weather conditions.The communication satellite aims to provide services in the Extended-C Band of the frequency spectrum, which includes the Indian mainland, Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep. The satellite will be the 42nd Communication Satellite of India.
3.CO2 emissions drop globally by 7 percent in 2020: Report
The global carbon dioxide emissions reportedly dropped by 7 percent in the year 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, as per a study published in the journal Earth System Science Data on December 10, 2020.The study revealed that the Global Carbon Project, which is a group of international scientists who track emissions, had calculated that the world will have put 37 billion US tons of carbon dioxide in the air in 2020, which is down from 40.1 billion US tons of CO2 emitted in 2019.According to scientists, the drop is majorly because people are staying at home and travelling less by car and plane. The emissions are expected to jump back up after the end of the pandemic. Ground transportation reportedly makes up about one-fifth of emissions of carbon dioxide.
4. Indian-American among 18 astronauts selected for NASA’s Artemis Moon programme 
Indian-American, Raja Jon Vurputoor Chari is among the 18 astronauts who have been selected by NASA for its Artemis moon-landing programme. NASA announced the names of the 18 astronauts, half of whom are women, on December 9, 2020.The 43-year-old is the only Indian-American in the list. He is a graduate of the US Air Force Academy, MIT, and US Naval Test Pilot School. He was selected by NASA to join the 2017 Astronaut Candidate Class The astronauts on the Artemis Team have been chosen from a diverse range of backgrounds, expertise and experience. While the oldest is 55 years old, the youngest is 32 years old.The chosen astronauts will now help NASA to prepare for its upcoming Artemis missions, which aim to land the first woman and next man on the Moon in 2024 and establish a sustainable human presence on the Moon by the end of the decade.
5. New genus of malaria detected in Kerala
Kerala Health Minister KK Shailaja informed on December 10, 2020 that a new genus of malaria called ‘plasmodium oval’ has been detected in the state. The disease was detected in a soldier who was being treated at a district hospital in Kannur. He had travelled from Sudan. The State Health Minister said that the spread of the disease can be avoided with timely treatment and preventive measures.The first confirmed case of novel coronavirus was reported in Thrissur, Kerala when a student, who had returned from Wuhan University in China was tested positive for the virus.
6.Time Person of the Year 2020: Joe Biden, Kamala Harris named Time magazine’s 2020 Person of the Year
Time magazine has named US President-Elect Joe Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris as 2020 “Person of the Year”.This comes after the two recently featured in the Top 10 most-tweeted-about people in the world. Joe Biden featured second on the list just before incumbent US President Donald Trump, while Kamala Harris was on the tenth position, being the only woman on that list. The list also featured Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the seventh place.Joe Biden and Kamala Harris created history by defeating US President Donald Trump in the US Presidential Elections, which culminated in November 2020. Biden was declared the winner after he flipped main battleground states of Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin and Georgia to get past the margin of 270 electoral college votes.
7.India-Myanmar held 5th Bilateral Meeting on Drug Control Cooperation virtually
The 5th India-Myanmar Bilateral Meeting on Drug Control Cooperation was held virtually on December 10, 2020. The meet was between the Narcotics Control Bureau, India and the Central Committee on Drug Abuse Control, Myanmar. During the virtual meet on Drug Control Cooperation, the Indian delegation was led by Shri Rakesh Asthana, Director General of Narcotics Control Bureau and Myanmar delegation was led by Pol. Brig. Gen. Win Naing, Commander of the Drug Enforcement Division cum Joint Secretary of the Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control. The meeting between the two countries concluded with constructive and meaningful discussions as well as commitment to cooperation in future. It was also decided that the 6th India-Myanmar Bilateral Meeting on Drug Control Cooperation will be held in India in 2021.
8.Israel-Morocco peace deal: Morocco becomes 4th Arab state to normalise relations with Israel this year
Morocco has become the latest Arab nation to normalise relations with Israel under a deal brokered with the help of the United States.US President Donald Trump announced the agreement through a post on Twitter. He tweeted saying, “Another HISTORIC breakthrough today! Our two GREAT friends Israel and the Kingdom of Morocco have agreed to full diplomatic relations – a massive breakthrough for peace in the Middle East! This makes Morocco the fourth Arab nation to strike a peace deal with Israel this year, after the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Sudan. Overall, Morocco is the sixth nation to recognise Israel, the first were Egypt and Jordan.
9.Madagascar replaces Maldives as host of Indian Ocean Island Games 2023
Maldives has been replaced by Madagascar to host Indian Ocean Island Games which will be held in the year 2023 because of the concerns over the ongoing pandemic. Maldives, however, requested pushing back the 2023 games to 2025 but the organizers decided to avoid the six years gap between the editions of the sports event. Maldives was given the responsibility of hosting the event in 2019 but the members of the Indian Ocean Island Games federation decided to move the games to Madagascar. The decision by the organizers has been taken in the light of challenges faced by Maldives in organizing the event because of the pandemic. Ahmed Marzooq, Secretary General of Maldives Olympic Committee, stated that the decision was a huge disappointment to the sport in the nation but we are facing the challenges due to the ongoing health crisis.
