Synopsis

National

Over 2,000 women likely to join ongoing protest at Singhu border in coming days

The protest against the Centre''s new farm laws looks set to intensify further as more farmers are expected to join the ongoing agitation at Delhi''s border points to press for their demands.

PM Modi pays tributes to Sardar Patel on his death anniversary

Paying tributes to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on his death anniversary, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday hailed him as the "iron man" who laid the foundation of a strong and prosperous India.

Patel's contribution to freedom struggle, effort in integrating princely states will forever inspire every Indian: Naidu

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Tuesday paid tributes to India''s first home minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on his death anniversary, saying his unparalleled effort in integrating more than 560 princely states with the Indian Union will forever inspire every citizen.

9 new COVID-19 cases push Mizoram's tally to 4,049

Mizoram''s COVID-19 caseload rose to 4,049 on Tuesday as nine more persons including two security personnel, tested positive for the virus, an official said.

Maha: 347 new COVID-19 cases, 7 more deaths in Thane

Thane''s COVID-19 count has gone up to 2,36,556after detection of 347 new cases of infection in the Maharashtra district, an official said on Tuesday.

International

France's Macron wants to add climate goals in constitution

Paris: French President Emmanuel Macron announced a referendum to add the fight against climate change and the need to preserve the environment into the French Constitution.

US agencies, companies secure networks after huge hack

U.S. government agencies and private companies rushed to secure their computer networks following the disclosure of a sophisticated and long-running cyber-espionage intrusion suspected of being carried out by Russian hackers.

Interest is lively at deadline for 'Obamacare' sign-ups

A crush of sign-ups expected Tuesday on the last day of open enrolment for HealthCare.gov could help solidify the standing of Obamacare as an improbable survivor in the Donald Trump years.

Ex-Epstein pal seeks bail with USD 28.5M and armed guards

Lawyers for the former girlfriend of Jeffrey Epstein are urging a judge to free her to await trial under a USD 28.5 million bail package that would include armed guards to keep her in a New York City residence and protect her safety.

California subpoenas Amazon over worker safety in pandemic

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra has asked a judge to order Amazon to comply with subpoenas his office issued nearly four months ago as part of an investigation into how the company protects workers from the coronavirus.

Entertainment

Alicia Vikander to lead HBO limited series 'Irma Vep'

Actor Alicia Vikander is set to star in HBO limited series Irma Vep , to be helmed by French independent director Olivier Assayas.

Shahid Kapoor finishes filming for 'Jersey'

Mumbai: Actor Shahid Kapoor has wrapped up the shoot of his upcoming film "Jersey", a Hindi remake of 2019 Telugu blockbuster of the same name.

Chris Pine to star in Paramount's Dungeons and Dragons' movie

Actor Chris Pine is in talks to play the lead role in Paramount Pictures'' feature adaption of popular fantasy role-playing game Dungeons and Dragons .

Hrithik Roshan's imposter FIR transferred to crime branch

Four years after Bollywood actor Hrithik Roshan filed a complaint against an unknown imposter for allegedly speaking to actress Kangana Ranaut on his behalf using an email ID, the case has been transferred to the Criminal Intelligence Unit (CIU), a Mumbai Crime branch official said on Monday.

Sports

Gavaskar's pick: Pant over Saha as keeper, Gill over Shaw as opener

New Delhi: The legendary Sunil Gavaskar feels the Indian team management should prefer an aggressive Rishabh Pant over a technically sound Wriddhiman Saha for the wicket-keeper''s role in the four-match Test series against Australia, starting Thursday.

A Lim Kim wins US Women's Open debut with record-tying rally

The Bermuda grass of south Texas was unlike anything A Lim Kim had ever seen. The U.S. Women''s Open, with its reputation as the toughest test, was a major she had never played.

We will have our plans in place for Kohli: Langer

Australia coach Justin Langer on Tuesday asserted that his team will "have plans in place" for Indian talisman Virat Kohli as cricket''s heavyweights renew one of the sport''s greatest rivalries with the opening day-night Test here from Thursday.

Wolfsburg's Weghorst apologizes for playing down virus fears

Dutch striker Wout Weghorst apologized for appearing to make light of the coronavirus in a social media post.

G.K. Snapshots on 15 December 2020 

1. National Energy Conservation Day 2020 – December 14

2. Gujarat Becomes 1st Indian state to have Modernise Fire Safety Certification Process

3. CII Signs MoU with Amazon India to Bring Benefits of e-commerce to MSMEs in 10 States across India

4. Around 1.8bn People Lacks Basic WASH Provisions: Report by WHO, UNICEF

5. India Pledges a Commitment of USD 2 Billion to Provide Essential Services For Women, Children, Adolescents Globally

6. 2nd Bangladesh-India Cotton Fest 2020 held at Dhaka, Bangladesh

7. UNESCO to Launch a USD 50,000 UNESCO-Bangladesh Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman International Prize

8. Ashraf Patel of Pravah & ComMutiny Youth Collective wins Wins 11th Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award- India 2020

9. Max Verstappen wins Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

10. Yash Vardhan wins Gold in the 10 m Air Rifle event at the 6th International Online Shooting Championship (IOSC)