TODAY NEWS ON December 30, 2024

News Headlines for CAT, CLAT and IPM aspirants

Source: The HINDU

Jimmy Carter, 39th U.S. President, dies at 100

Jimmy Carter, the peanut farmer who won the presidency in the wake of the Watergate scandal and Vietnam War, endured humbling defeat after one tumultuous term and then redefined life after the White House as a global humanitarian, has died. He was 100 years old.

179 killed in South Korean plane crash; black boxes of the flight retrieved

A passenger plane skidded off a runway at a South Korean airport Sunday (December 29, 2024), slammed into a concrete fence and burst into flames after its front landing gear failed to deploy. All but two of the 181 people on board died in one of the country’s worst aviation disasters. The Jeju Air plane crashed while landing in the town of Muan, about 290 kilometres (180 miles) south of Seoul. The Transport Ministry said the plane was a 15-year-old Boeing 737-800 jet that had arrived from Bangkok and that the crash happened at 9:03 a.m.

Azerbaijan accuses Russia of trying to hide causes of plane crash; says the plane was shot from Russia

Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev on Sunday (December 29, 202) said the Azerbaijan Airlines jet that crashed this week was shot at from Russia and called for Moscow to admit “guilt” in the disaster. He said the jet which crashed this week, killing 38 of the 67 people onboard, was hit “by accident” by Russia. On Saturday (December 28, 2024), Russian President Vladimir Putin apologised for the crash but stopped short of accepting that it might have been hit by Russian fire.

PM Modi announces a series of events in 75th year of Indian Constitution

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his customary radio address ‘Mann Ki Baat’ in New Delhi on Sunday (December 29, 2024) said his government had commenced year-long activities to celebrate the completion of 75 years of the country’s Constitution. He said it was a matter of great honour for the people of the country.

ISRO to sign off 2024 with space docking experiment mission on December 30

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will launch its final mission for 2024 on December 30 with the PSLV C60/SPADEX Mission. The launch is scheduled at 9.58 p.m. from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. The space agency, for the first time, will be attempting the Space Docking Experiment (SPADEX) mission which will demonstrate in-space docking using two small spacecraft.

Police disperse protesting BPSC aspirants in Patna with lathicharge, water cannons

The Bihar Police lathicharged protesters seeking cancellation of the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) Combined (Preliminary) Competitive Examination (CCE). Police also used water cannons to disperse protesting candidates at the J.P. roundabout near the Hotel Maurya in Patna. The 70th BPSC CCE was held on December 13 at 912 centres across the State, with 3.28 lakh candidates appearing for it. On the day of the examination, rumours spread of a question paper leak at the Bapu Exam Centre, one of the exam centres in the State capital, with candidates protesting after the exam was held.

6.21 lakh applications for 1.27 lakh opportunities under PM internship scheme

The Union Corporate Affairs Ministry said in a release on Sunday (December 29, 2024) that the pilot scheme of the Prime Minister’s Internship Scheme received approximately 6.21 lakh applications against 1.27 lakh opportunities. “The selection process for internship is ongoing,” the Ministry said.

AAP, BJP accuse each other of manipulating Delhi’s voter lists

Both the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday accused each other of manipulating the Delhi electoral roll in an attempt to win the State’s Assembly election due to be held in February. AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal accused the BJP of trying to manipulate the voter list in the New Delhi Assembly constituency to win the election by “unfair” means. AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh claimed that the BJP was even trying to get his wife’s name deleted from the list.

U.S.-India ties will be strengthened, but expect tariff trouble, FTA push: Former Ambassador Juster

India should expect raised tariffs, and a renewed push to get a Free Trade Agreement finalised from the United States as Donald Trump gets set to begin a second term in office, said former Ambassador to India Kenneth Juster. In an exclusive interview to The Hindu via videoconferencing from New York, Mr. Juster, a former U.S. department of Commerce official who was appointed by Mr. Trump to India in the first term (2017-2021) said that the first tenure and Mr. Trump’s campaign pronouncements were indicators that the second term would see a further strengthening of India-U.S. ties, but certain irritants in ties, such as over high tariffs, market access in areas like “agricultural exports from United States to India and the IT (information technology) equipment sector and medical devices”, and differences over Iran policy could also return.

North Korea’s Kim vows toughest anti-U.S. policy before Trump takes office

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said he will implement the “toughest” anti-U.S. policy, less than a month before Donald Trump takes office as U.S. president, the country’s state media reported Sunday (December 29, 2024). Trump’s return to the White House raises prospects for high-profile diplomacy with North Korea. During his first term, Mr. Trump met Mr. Kim three times for talks on the North’s nuclear programme.

Taliban leader bans windows overlooking women’s areas

The Taliban’s supreme leader has issued an order banning the construction of windows in residential buildings that overlook areas used by Afghan women and saying that existing ones should be blocked. According to a statement released late Saturday (December 29, 2024) by the Taliban government spokesman, new buildings should not have windows through which it is possible to see “the courtyard, kitchen, neighbour’s well and other places usually used by women”.

Koneru Humpy is World rapid champion

Koneru Humpy regained the women’s World rapid chess championship after a gap of five years on Sunday (December 29, 2024). The 37-year-old from Vijayawada finished with 8.5 points after beating Indonesia’s Irene Sukandar in the final round in New York. The win helped Humpy move ahead of the other six joint leaders, including compatriot D. Harika, who had to settle for fifth place. Among other Indian women, Divya Deshmukh (seven points) finished 21st, Padmini Rout (6.5) was 26th, R. Vaishali (5.5) 52nd and Vantika Agrawal (five) 67th.

Former PM Manmohan Singh’s ashes immersed at Astha Ghat in Delhi

The ashes of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh have been immersed at the Yamuna Ghat near the Gurdwara Majnu Ka Tila Sahib in Delhi, a day after he was cremated with full State honours at Nigambodh Ghat. The family of the late Dr Manmohan Singh will perform rituals at the Gurudwara including Shabad Kirtan (musical recitation of the Guru Granth Sahib), Paath (recitation of Gurbani) and Ardas.

Impeached South Korean president defies summons third time in a row

South Korea’s suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol refused a summons to appear for questioning on Sunday (December 29, 2024), the third time he has defied investigators’ demands in two weeks. Investigators probing Yoon had ordered him to appear for questioning at 10 am (GMT 0100) on Sunday, a demand he rejected. Yoon, a former prosecutor, also failed to attend a hearing he was summoned to last Wednesday, giving no explanation for his absence.

It’s a great program: Trump appears to side with Musk in H-1B visa row 

President-elect Donald Trump appears to be siding with Elon Musk and his other backers in the tech industry as a dispute over immigration visas has divided his supporters. Mr. Trump, in an interview with the New York Post on Saturday (December 28, 2024), praised the use of visas to bring skilled foreign workers to the U.S. The topic has become a flashpoint within his conservative base.

Internet shut down 60 times in 2024, fewer than last year

India saw the fewest number of mobile internet shutdowns in eight years in 2024, rounding out a period where the country became the most frequent deployer in the world of the measure, according to data from the Internet Shutdowns Tracker maintained by the Software Freedom Law Centre, India. The reduction — there have been 60 shutdowns so far this year, with 96 last year — comes with fewer shutdowns imposed in Manipur and Jammu and Kashmir, where administrations have imposed a disproportionately high number of curbs in past years.

Ind vs Aus 4th Test Day 4: Australia extend lead to 333 against India at stumps 

A genius, high on speed and tempered with sense, largely owned a Sunday under Melbourne’s deep blue skies. Jasprit Bumrah’s inroads into Australia’s second innings and the host’s gritty lower-order resistance left the fourth Test poised on the razor’s edge. At close on the fourth day, Australia posted 228 for nine in its second innings and has an overall lead of 333. The last-wicket pair of Nathan Lyon and Scott Boland resisted all that the visitors flung at them and frustrated Rohit Sharma’s men. After India finished its first innings at 369 in the morning with centurion Nitish Kumar (114) being the last man to be dismissed, Australia had the task of converting the 105-run lead into a challenging target. Bumrah, though, had other ideas and relentlessly probed around the stumps.

SA vs PAK first Test: South Africa wins thriller against Pakistan, books WTC final spot

Fast bowlers Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen turned batting heroes on Sunday (December 29, 2024) as South Africa edged Pakistan by two wickets to win a thrilling first test at Centurion and book themselves a place in next year’s World Test Championship final. Rabada scored 31 and Jansen 16 in an unbeaten partnership of 51 off 50 balls to see South Africa over the line and deny Pakistan a dramatic comeback victory after Mohammed Abbas took six wickets as he shredded through the home batting order. The test had a finish more like that of a Twenty20 match as the tailenders delivered success after South Africa had slumped dramatically before lunch and seen Pakistan on the verge of success.