Kuwait Elected Its News Parliament But With Low Turnout
Kuwait elected its parliament which might prove to be government-friendly than the previous one. However, it faced low voter turnout as well as opposition boycott. Around 39 percent of the 422569 eligible voters had cast their ballots on 2 December 2012. However, it wasn’t evident whether these figures included any invalid voters as well or not. Opposition believed that the participation of voters was lower than this. In the previous three elections, the turnout of voters was 60 percent. On 1 December 2012, the election process was troublesome because there was a change to the rules of voting process announced six weeks ago by ruling emir, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah. The ruling emir had brought down the votes number per citizen from four to one. The opposition in Kuwait refuted standing in these elections on the grounds that new system of one-vote per citizen would put off their candidates from winning that majority which they enjoyed in last vote in February 2012. In February 2012 elections, they had won two-third out of 50 seats in National Assembly. Political parties have been put on ban in Kuwait and association of a lot of those who were standing in these elections was very unclear. It is important to note that Kuwait, which is the ally of US, has the most transparent political system among various Gulf Arab states that have parliament with legislative powers as well as ability to hold ministers accountable.
Kuwait elected its parliament which might prove to be government-friendly than the previous one. However, it faced low voter turnout as well as opposition boycott. Around 39 percent of the 422569 eligible voters had cast their ballots on 2 December 2012. However, it wasn’t evident whether these figures included any invalid voters as well or not. Opposition believed that the participation of voters was lower than this. In the previous three elections, the turnout of voters was 60 percent. On 1 December 2012, the election process was troublesome because there was a change to the rules of voting process announced six weeks ago by ruling emir, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah. The ruling emir had brought down the votes number per citizen from four to one. The opposition in Kuwait refuted standing in these elections on the grounds that new system of one-vote per citizen would put off their candidates from winning that majority which they enjoyed in last vote in February 2012. In February 2012 elections, they had won two-third out of 50 seats in National Assembly. Political parties have been put on ban in Kuwait and association of a lot of those who were standing in these elections was very unclear. It is important to note that Kuwait, which is the ally of US, has the most transparent political system among various Gulf Arab states that have parliament with legislative powers as well as ability to hold ministers accountable.
MoU Signed Between Mysore Zoo and Leipzig Zoo in Germany for Transporting Four Sloth Bears
Zoo authorities of the Mysore Zoo and Leipzig zoo in Germany signed a MoU on 1 December 2012 according to which four sloth bears will be transported to the zoo in Germany. Leipzig zoo in Germany is well known for its management of vulnerable nocturnal mammal. In return to transportation of these sloth bears, India will get access to expertise as well as knowledge of handling these bears. This is actually the primary feature of MoU which is signed between the zoos of two countries. The Leipzig zoo and Central Authority Zoo signed the MoU for improvisation of management as well as cooperation of the population of captive animals. The primary agenda was conservation of the sloth bears.Dr J Junhold, president of the Leipzig zoo elaborated on this plan and made it clear that the zoo in Germany required sloth bears for breeding and these bears were provided by the Mysore Zoo. The Leipzig zoo is responsible for management of these sloth bears since 1905. MoU would enable zoos in India to gain this expertise and knowledge. Dr Junhold is also World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) president and he visited Delhi before the next conference of WAZA to be hosted in 2014. Apart from the Mysore Zoo, six other Indian zoos were identified and these are Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens, Mysore; Nehru Zoological Park, Hyderabad; Delhi Zoo; Assam State Zoo, Guwahati; Arignar Anna Zoological Park, Chennai and the Nandankanan Zoological Park, Bhubaneswar.
Zoo authorities of the Mysore Zoo and Leipzig zoo in Germany signed a MoU on 1 December 2012 according to which four sloth bears will be transported to the zoo in Germany. Leipzig zoo in Germany is well known for its management of vulnerable nocturnal mammal. In return to transportation of these sloth bears, India will get access to expertise as well as knowledge of handling these bears. This is actually the primary feature of MoU which is signed between the zoos of two countries. The Leipzig zoo and Central Authority Zoo signed the MoU for improvisation of management as well as cooperation of the population of captive animals. The primary agenda was conservation of the sloth bears.Dr J Junhold, president of the Leipzig zoo elaborated on this plan and made it clear that the zoo in Germany required sloth bears for breeding and these bears were provided by the Mysore Zoo. The Leipzig zoo is responsible for management of these sloth bears since 1905. MoU would enable zoos in India to gain this expertise and knowledge. Dr Junhold is also World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) president and he visited Delhi before the next conference of WAZA to be hosted in 2014. Apart from the Mysore Zoo, six other Indian zoos were identified and these are Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens, Mysore; Nehru Zoological Park, Hyderabad; Delhi Zoo; Assam State Zoo, Guwahati; Arignar Anna Zoological Park, Chennai and the Nandankanan Zoological Park, Bhubaneswar.
Ravindra Jadeja Became Only Indian to Score Three Triple Tons in First-Class Cricket
Ravindra Jadeja became first Indian and only eighth batsman in the first-class cricket history of world to score three triple-centuries in the unbeaten 320 runs against Railways in the Ranji Trophy Group A match on 2 December 2012 in Rajkot. With the help of Jadeja’s innings, Saurashtra reached the giant score of 534 for six in their first innings on second day of 4-day combat. Jadeja had scored 303 against Gujarat in his first match of this season and eventually the second triple century and third as well to become the only Indian batsman to reach this podium. There are five other Indian batsmen who have scored two triple centuries in their first-class cricket and these are VVS Laxman, Wasim Jaffer, Virender Sehwag, Vijay Hazare and Raman Lamba. With his triple century, Jadeja has joined the league of seven other non-Indians who have reached this landmark and these are Mike Hussey, WG Grace, Graeme Hick, Sir Don Bradman, Wally Hammond, Bill Ponsford and Brian Lara.During the match, Jadeja, the left-handed batsman hit 28 fours and 7 sixes during his 11-and-a-half-hour game in which he played 491 deliveries. With this, he added 274 for the unbreakable 7th wicket partnership with Kamlesh Makvana, playing at 78.
Andhra Pradesh SC, ST Sub-Plans Bill 2012 was passed by State Assembly
The Andhra Pradesh Assembly on 2 December 2012 passed Andhra Pradesh SC, ST Sub-Plans Bill 2012 providing statutory status for implementation of the sub-plans for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. The legislation will ensure fund allocation proportionate to the SC and ST population and is expected to prevent diversion of sub-plan funds for other activities and not allowing them unspent. There is also a mandatory provision for allocation of almost a fourth of the State’s annual plan of the budget for SC, ST. The bill was introduced on the recommendations of the Cabinet Sub-Committee. The demand for according legal status to the Sub-Plans was made on states for a long time by the Planning Commission of India and National Development Council (NDC). With this, Andhra Pradesh has become the first state in India to enact such a legislation.The Opposition endorsed the legislation except the Telugu Desam.The party sought an amendment by inserting a provision in the legislation to provide proportionate allocations to ABCD groups within the SCs based on their populations and socio-economic conditions. The proposal was defeated by 22 votes when it was subjected to voting.Since the state assembly had the power to adopt annual budget only for one year, there was no constitutional provision to prevent lapsing of SC/ST funds.
Kingfisher Airlines Sent Eviction Notice by Mumbai International Airport Pvt Ltd
Kingfisher Airlines that had its operations from domestic Terminal 1A of Mumbai’s airport was given an eviction notice by the Mumbai International Airport Pvt Ltd (MIAL) in the last week of November 2012.
Kingfisher owes 22 crore Rupees to airport operator and was rented check-in desks as well as offices to this terminal. There are now doubts whether Kingfisher would be able to resume its operations or not and therefore consequently, the airport operator started off with the process of finding another airline that could operate from Terminal 1A. In reply to MIAL’s eviction notice, Kingfisher replied that they did not need the space because they had already scaled down the operations and that they were willing to voluntarily hand over the rented space to MIAL.Kingfisher initially had around 400 domestic as well as international flights everyday from a range of airports in India till 2011 and these flights were scaled down from November 2011. Airport sources claimed that by September 2012 end; Kingfisher merely had 16 flights operating in a day at the Terminal 1A of Mumbai Airport.As per the plans, Go Air might be shifted from Terminal 1B to 1A and the space allotted to Kingfisher might also be reclaimed.
Menon First Top Ranking Indian Official to Visit China after Changes in Communist Party of China
Shiv Shankar Menon, the national security advisor as well as negotiator in the border talks with China paid the visit here on 2 December 2012. This was the first visit by any top ranking Indian official post changes announcement in Communist Party of China. Menon would meet the next premier of China- Li Keqiang. China might look for diplomatic indicator from the Indian official suggesting that India would not join its forces with Philippines and Vietnam in the passport row which is started by China. Three countries protested against China when it embossed China’s map on those areas which are controlled as well as claimed by them on the passports. China as well as India were working over to explore the positive signal in order to rise above the criticism that both these nations have already had 15 rounds of negotiations over border but all in vain without any significant improvements. In the meanwhile, the passport row by China has vitiated this situation. The visit by Menon is very important, especially because China is preparing itself for change of guard with the premier as well as president being replaced in March 2013.
CHAMP Missile Could Shut Down the Electronics of the Country Permanently: Boeing
Boeing, the US aircraft manufacturer claimed that a new missile codenamed CHAMP has been tested successfully which makes use of the electromagnetic pulses in order to target the buildings can permanently blackout the electronics of the country without causing any harm to people. Boeing claimed that it has successfully tested this weapon on their one-hour flight. During the flight, the missile made all the computers of the military in Utah dead. It is also thought that this missile could possibly break through the caves as well as bunkers which allegedly are hiding the nuclear facilities of Iran. However, it was also warned that in case the missile is acquired by the wrong people, it would knock down the Western cities as well. In the experiment of Boeing, the missile went flying over Utah Test and Training Range, and it discharged electromagnetic pulses on seven targets. Eventually, it shut down all the electronics of the area permanently. Boeing claimed that this test remained highly successful; so much that it also disabled the camera recording. CHAMP or Counter-Electronics High Power Microwave Advanced Missile Project is the first of its kind missile test with the capability of electromagnetic pulse. Boeing Report mentioned that the stealth aircraft deployed the missile which emitted radio waves from the undercarriage and knocked down the computers in the building below the missile.Experts believed that this missile was equipped with the electromagnetic pulse cannon that make use of the powerful microwave oven for generation of concentrated beam of energy, resulting in voltage fluctuations in the electronic equipment, rendering them absolutely futile before the fluctuation protectors can react. The programme manager of CHAMP for Boeing's prototype arm Phantom Works opined that this technology would mark an era in the modern welfare.
Haryana Topped the Chart of States that exceeded Revenue Mop up Target
Haryana topped on the chart of states for significantly exceeding the revenue mobilization targets as per the report released in the first week of December by the Planning Commission on State Finances during 11th Five Year Plan. As per the report, the state of Haryana was successful in mopping 64123 crore rupees during the Five Year Plan, which was 192 percent of the targeted resource mobilization for the 11th Plan. As per the report released, Haryana, Goa, Assam, Karnataka, Odisha, Bihar and Arunachal Pradesh were the only eight states of the nation that mopped up more than their target. Many of the states even failed to meet the projected planned resources and were able to fetch 92.5 percent of the target, collectively.
Mismatch of signatures on the cheque would amount to criminal proceedings: SC
Supreme Court set aside the verdict of Gujarat High Court in which it said that the criminal proceedings for dishonouring cheque would start off only in case the cheque is dishonoured because of insufficient amount in the account. The Supreme Court said that the criminal proceedings would also be initiated in case the cheque issued by a person gets dishonoured on the basis that signature is not matching with the specimen signature that bank has.The Gujarat High Court had said that there would be cheque dishonouring only in case of lack of sufficient balance in the account and not when the signature mismatches. The bench of the Apex Court said that there would be dishonour of cheque in case the signatures do not match, referring to the meaning of Section 138 of the Negotiable Instrument Act.However, the Supreme Court said in cases like these, the person would be provided with a chance for arrangement of the payment before the criminal proceedings start.
Scientists created most complex and realistic artificial brain which can pass IQ as well
Software engineers as well as neuroscientists at University of Waterloo, Canada claimed that they have developed a closest model of the functioning human brain, known as Spaun which is advanced enough for passing the basic IQ tests. This is the virtual brain which functions on the supercomputer and comprises of a digital eye, which can be used for visual input. It also has the robotic arm which can be used for drawing the response. The engineers as well as neuroscientists claimed that this was the most complex model of the world of human brain. Spaun or Semantic Pointer Architecture Unified Network comprises of 2.5 million simulated neurons which enables this brain to perform multiple tasks.The tasks which this artificial brain can perform range from answering the questions to copy drawing as well as fluid reasoning. The tests were conducted in which the engineers and neuroscientists showed various letters as well as numbers, which were read in the memory by Spaun. Later, the other symbol or letter behaved like the command which tells Spaun what needs to be done with the memory.
Anna Ushenina of Ukraine won the Women’s World Championship Crown of Chess
Anna Ushenina of Ukraine on 1 December 2012 won the Women’s World Championship Crown of Chess at Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia after defeating Antoaneta Stefanova of Bulgaria in first set of tie-break game. Anna won the title along with 60000 US dollar for the efforts made by her to win the Chess championship. In 2013 Anna would be playing the next world championship against Chinese Yifan Hou, which is a part of new cycle in Women’s World Championship.
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