CURRENT AFFAIRS - 20.11.2023

 

1. Trophy for Australia, heartbreak for India Australia wins by 6 wickets Australia beat India by six wickets to win the 2023 ODI World Cup at the Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday. For Australia, it was their sixth ODI World Cup victory - 1987, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2015 and 2023. Win streaks The final match broke millions of hearts as India had a perfect victory streak (with 10 straight wins) in the tournament. Australia, on the other hand, lost their opening two games at the start of the World Cup and then won seven in a row to enter the semifinals. A low target Australian skipper Pat Cummins won the toss and decided to field first. Team India put 240 runs on the scoreboard, losing all 10 wickets in 50 overs. While KL Rahul scored 66 runs, Virat Kohli scored 54. Skipper Rohit Sharma had set the tone of the innings with a quick 47 in 31 balls but the team seemingly failed in keeping up the momentum, especially after 15 overs. The team had lost three wickets by then (Sharma, Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer). Kohli and Rahul's partnership of 67 runs contributed in crossing the 200-runs mark. A match-winning partnership Australia lost three quick wickets within seven overs - and with 47 runs on the scoreboard till then - but after that there was no looking back. Opener Travis Head and M Labuschagne smashed a 192-run partnership. Head, who scored 137 in 120 balls, was named player of the match. Head-to-head India and Australia faced each other 14 times in ODI World Cup matches, of which the Aussies won nine and India five. The Aussie victories against India include the semi-final of the 2019 edition and the final match in 2003. Two outstanding performers The outstanding performances of batter Kohli and pacer Mohammed Shami found special mention during the post-match prize distribution ceremony, which saw Rohit Sharma getting emotional. Kohli was named 'player of the tournament'.

2. Why attempts to rescue trapped workers are failing Trapped for 180 hours The 41 workers who are trapped beneath the debris of a collapsed under-construction tunnel in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi have spent nearly 180 hours waiting to be rescued. And it may take at least another two days if the current rescue plan works with full accuracy. Along with food, water and essential medicines supplied at regular intervals, some of the trapped workers are also being given anti-depressants now. Minister's review Whatever is required to save the 41 trapped workers will be done and keeping the morale of workers and their family members high should be everyone's collective responsibility, Union minister Nitin Gadkari said on Sunday, as he reviewed the rescue operation at the partially collapsed Silkyara tunnel. Why multiple attempts have failed Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday said the rescue operation is challenging as the soil strata in the Himalayan region is not uniform. It is soft at some places and hard at other places which makes any mechanical operation difficult. Gadkari said horizontal drilling with the American auger is the quickest method in the given circumstances to reach the trapped workers. "The American auger was working alright when it was drilling through soft soil. It faced some problems after it encountered some hard obstacles that led to the machine applying greater pressure and creating vibrations following which it was stopped for safety reasons," said Gadkari, adding that the administration is working on six options simultaneously. PMO monitoring The PMO is also closely monitoring the operation, said Gadkari. He further said, rescue teams may reach the trapped workers in the next two days if the auger machine works properly. Union road transport secretary Anurag Jain also said that five different agencies have simultaneously started work on all the options to evacuate the trapped workers.

3. The government has a problem of plenty What The Union government seems to be staring at the problem of excess rice barely five months after it stopped selling rice from its buffer stock to states, citing the need to check price. Why Due to robust paddy procurement in the current marketing season and very little sale in the open market, the Food Corporation of India (FCI) is likely to have more than twice the buffer requirement by the end of the current season. Also, data released by the government in October showed that food production in India touched record highs in 2022-23, which is at variance with India's decision to curb exports of wheat and rice, and the food inflation trajectory across multiple crops. How to resolve The government may soon have to take measures to offload grain to avoid the problem of surplus. The excess rice stock may also give the government an option to allocate more to the poor. To be sure, earlier this month, the government extended by five years its scheme to provide 5 kg of free foodgrains per month to 81 crore Indians - under which 5kg of rice and foodgrains are provided as per regional dietary preference. The government may also consider further easing of its export ban on rice. Lifting ban India's rice stocks were at nearly three times its target at the start of August and new season crops started trickling into the market in October. India on October 18 decided to lift restrictions on the export of non-basmati white rice to specific countries - Nepal, Cameroon, Malaysia, Philippines, Seychelles, Ivory Coast, and the Republic of Guinea. The US has asked India to lift its export ban on non-basmati rice arguing that it has created an "unnecessary trade barrier".

4. How long will Gehlot-Pilot truce last? Burying the hatchet All 200 seats in Rajasthan go to assembly polls on November 25. It's primarily a contest between the BJP and the Congress. Both parties have factional infightings. One of the biggest feuds has taken the backseat. CM Ashok Gehlot and his former deputy Sachin Pilot seem to have buried the hatchet. But how long will the truce last? Rahul's words When Congress leader Rahul Gandhi visited Rajasthan for election campaign on November 16, he was seen with both Gehlot and Pilot at an event. When asked about the longstanding feud between Gehlot and Pilot, Gandhi said: "We are not just seen together, we are together and will stay together." 'Let bygones be bygones' Pilot, on November 14, told PTI that he is working in Rajasthan with the mantra of "forgive, forget and move on" as advised by party chief Mallikarjun Kharge and former AICC president Rahul Gandhi. Asked about Gehlot's past barbs such as 'nikamma' directed at him, Pilot said, "Let bygones be bygones. Whatever was said, we need to forget and move forward." Speaking with ANI on Sunday, Pilot said that he is a believer of "collective leadership" and individual responsibilities in Rajasthan will be decided upon and allocated once the party returns to power. 'He is the boss' Last month, Gehlot had said, ""Sachin Pilot is the leader of our party. Now he himself has become the high command. There is no need to tell the high command what to do." He was referring to Pilot's inclusion in the Congress Working Committee (CWC) - the grand old party's highest decision-making body - in August. The move is believed to be part of the strategy aimed at truce between the two leaders. An ongoing fight between them could have adversely affected the Congress in the Rajasthan polls.

NEWS IN CLUES 5. Identify this global contest held every year Clue 1: The current version of it was founded in 1952 by a US-based swimwear manufacturer Clue 2: Between 1996 and 2015, Donald Trump co-owned the organisation which held this event Clue 3: Only three Indians have won this contest so far Scroll below for answer

6. Why UP has banned halal certification of products A ban The Yogi Adityanath-led government in Uttar Pradesh has banned the production, storage, distribution and sale of food products with halal certification with immediate effect while exempting products manufactured for export. Why In a statement, the state government alleged "malicious attempts" to discourage the use of products lacking a halal certificate not only seek "unfair financial benefits" but also form part of a "pre-planned strategy to sow class hatred, create divisions in society, and weaken the country" by "anti-national elements". Strict legal measures will be taken against any individual or firm engaged in the production, storage, distribution, buying, and selling of halal-certified medicines, medical devices, and cosmetics within Uttar Pradesh, said the statement issued on Saturday. 'Propaganda' that harms business "Unrestrained propaganda is being disseminated within a particular section of society to discourage the use of products lacking a halal certificate," the statement said. This harms the business interests of other communities, it added. What's halal-certification? Halal-certified products are the ones which are supposed to have met the requirements of Islamic law and are believed to be suitable for the consumption of Muslims. Exports seem to have been exempted from the ban because several nations, especially those in the Middle East, insist on halal certification. What's the controversy? On one hand, several Muslim groups have been strongly endorsing that people from the community should only consume halal-certified products - even with medicines. On the other hand, several Hindu groups have been strongly boycotting halal-certified products. While a certain section of them have been asking Hindus to not consume halal certified products, another section have been asking for doing away with the certification process.

7. What is preventing an Israel-Hamas deal for releasing hostages Continued hostilities Hamas militants engaged with Israeli forces trying to push into Gaza's largest refugee camp on Sunday and Israeli air strikes to the south, which killed dozens of Palestinians, even as deals on hostage release remain uncertain. Hostage release deal US mediators were close to a deal between Israel and Hamas to free dozens of women and children held hostage in Gaza in exchange for a five-day pause in their war that would help boost emergency aid shipments to Gaza civilians, according to news reports. But Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and US officials denied the tentative deal, stating ongoing efforts to finalise an agreement, the report claimed. Qatari mediation Qatar's prime minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani noted "minor" issues in hostage release talks, mainly practical and logistical, as obstacles to a deal. Hostage crisis Hamas took about 240 hostages during its deadly cross-border rampage into Israeli communities on October 7, which prompted Israel to lay siege to Gaza and invade the Palestinian territory to eradicate its ruling Islamist group. US involvement The White House denies reports of a tentative agreement on a pause in fighting and hostage release. The US official hints at more fuel deliveries and a pause in fighting when hostages are released, according to media reports. President Joe Biden, according to what he wrote in the Washington Post, suggests that Gaza and the West Bank should be reunited under a single, revitalised Palestinian Authority for peace. Biden also threatened sanctions against Israeli settlers involved in recent attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank. Casualties The ongoing Israeli campaign, in response to the attacks, has resulted in 12,300 casualties, including over 5,000 children, as reported by the Hamas government in Gaza. Over 30 premature babies were evacuated from Gaza's largest hospital, Al-Shifa, as the World Health Organization described it as a "death zone."

8. What to expect from India-Australia 2+2 Dialogue today What The second India-Australia 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue will be held in New Delhi today. A wide range of strategic, defence and security issues are expected to be discussed between the two countries. Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, along with their Australian counterparts Richard Marles and Penny Wong, will lead the talks. Timing The dialogue becomes especially pertinent in light of heightened Chinese assertiveness, following the recent India-US 2+2 ministerial dialogue. India has been closely monitoring Australia's initiatives to enhance its relations with China following a period of strained ties in recent years. There is an expectation that Canberra will refrain from taking any actions that might empower Beijing to strengthen its military presence in the Indo-Pacific region. Agenda The ministers are set to deliberate on a broad spectrum of strategic, defence, and security issues, placing particular emphasis on Indo-Pacific and Quad cooperation. Discussions will cover bilateral, regional, and global matters to advance cooperation under the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and shall help exchange views on shared priorities for strengthening multilateral cooperation. Defence cooperation India and Australia have been pursuing a comprehensive strategic partnership. Both countries signed the Mutual Logistics Support Agreement (MLSA) in June 2020, allowing reciprocal access to military bases for logistics support. MLSA allows the militaries of the two countries to use each other's bases for repair and replenishment of supplies, besides facilitating scaling up of overall defence cooperation. Foreign affairs Jaishankar and Wong will hold the 14th foreign minister's dialogue tomorrow to review cooperation under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and discuss regional and global issues of mutual interest. Jaishankar held a meeting with Australia's Opposition Leader and former Defence Minister, Peter Dutton on Saturday and held discussions on a range of topics including bilateral ties and global affairs.

9. A Silicon Valley thriller A possible return? Sam Altman, the just ousted CEO of OpenAI, is discussing a possible return to the company behind ChatGPT, even as he considers launching a new artificial intelligence (AI) venture, a person briefed on the matter told news agency Reuters on Saturday. A day after the board fired him in a surprise move that rocked the tech world, Altman is learnt to have initiated talks with OpenAI executives about improving the company's governance structure. According to a Reuters report, he is also discussing with some core OpenAI researchers and others loyal to Altman how they could start a new AI company. Chronology In what came as a massive surprise in the global tech sector, Altman was on Friday ousted after the board reportedly lost confidence in his ability to lead. Chief Technology Officer Mira Murati was named as the interim CEO. The company said it will conduct a formal search for a permanent CEO. Shock and surprise The announcement blindsided many employees who discovered the abrupt management shuffle from an internal announcement and the company's public facing blog. Backed by billions of dollars from Microsoft, OpenAI kicked off the generative AI craze last November by releasing its ChatGPT chatbot, which became one of the world's fastest-growing software applications. Altman, who ran Y Combinator, is a serial entrepreneur and investor, was the face of OpenAI and the wildly popular generative AI technology that can churn out human-like responses to queries as he toured the world this year.

10. You share your b'day with... Source: Various

Answer To NEWS IN CLUES Miss Universe. Nicaragua's Sheynnis Palacios has been crowned Miss Universe for 2023, marking her country's first win at the international beauty pageant. Palacios bested entrants from 83 other countries, including Miss India Shweta Sharda, who was called into the list of top 20 contestants. The 72nd edition of the Miss Universe pageant was held on Saturday night in El Salvador. COURTESY : TIMES TOP 10