Tesla’s recall of more than 2 million of its electric vehicles — an effort to have drivers who use its Autopilot system pay closer attention to the road — relies on technology that research shows may not work as intended.

Tesla, the leading manufacturer of EVs, reluctantly agreed to the recall last week after a two-year investigation by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that Tesla’s system to monitor drivers was defective and required a fix.

Rio Olympic bronze medallist Sakshi Malik on  Dec 21  announced her retirement from the sport, protesting against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh loyalist Sanjay Singh winning the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) election for the top job.

Sanjay, a close associate of outgoing WFI chief Brij Bhushan became the new WFI president with his panel winning 13 of the 15 posts in the elections.

Ahead of the elections, Olympic medal-winning grapplers Bajrang Punia and Sakshi had repeatedly requested Sports Minister Anurag Thakur to stop anyone associated with Brij Bhushan from contesting the WFI polls.

Consequently, neither Brij Bhushan's son Prateek nor son-in-law Vishal Singh entered the fray.

Bajrang and Vinesh Phogat, who addressed the media after the elections, did not say whether they will retire from the sport.

Wrestling body polls: Brij Bhushan loyalist Sanjay Singh becomes new WFI President

Sanjay, who is UP Wrestling Association Vice President, secured 40 votes against seven that his rival, Commonwealth gold medalist Anita Sheoran 

An eight-year-old British Indian schoolgirl has made chess history after being named the “super talented” best female player at a European championship.

Bodhana Sivanandan, from Harrow in north-west London, won the European Blitz Chess Championship in Zagreb, Croatia, over the weekend after a winning streak since she took up chess during the COVID pandemic lockdown.

In the European championship, she went head-to-head with some of the best players in the world and defeated an international master to win her crown.

A few months ago, Sivanandan was among a group of young chess enthusiasts invited by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to 10 Downing Street to mark the government’s major new GBP 1 million investment package for the game. The package has since been in place to support children attending schools in disadvantaged areas across England to learn and play chess, improve the visibility and availability of the game and fund elite playing.

Former Brazil football star Dani Alves will go on trial in Spain for allegedly raping a woman at a Barcelona nightclub in December 2022 between February 5-7.

Prosecutors are seeking a nine-year jail term for the former Barcelona full-back, who has been in jail in Spain since his arrest in January, and demanded he pay his alleged victim 150,000 euros (USD 163,500) in compensation

The 40-year-old has maintained he had consensual sex with his accuser.

Q1. Name the country which has decided to recruit thousands of construction workers from India ?

1. Bahrain
2. Kuwait
3. Oman
4. Saudi Arabia
5. None of These

Q2. Name the Hamas leader who  visited  Cairo as talks over another Gaza cease-fire gather pace ?

1. Mahmoud Abbas
2. Khaled Mashal
3. Ismail Haniyeh
4. Ziad Nakhaleh
5. None of These

Q3. Name the  health minister  of France  who has resigned as the government of President Emmanuel Macron on Dec 20  sought to quell a party revolt over the passing of tough new immigration legislation backed by the far-right ?

1. Manuel Valls
2. Aurelien Rousseau
3. Bernard Cazeneuve
4. Jean Castex
5. None of These

Q4. Name the Chennai-based commercial vehicle major  which has received an order for 552 low-floor buses from Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) for Rs 500.97 crores ?

1. Ashok Leyland
2. Eicher Motors Limited
3. Ford Motor Company
4. Mahindra & Mahindra Limited
5. None of These

Q5. Name the senior BJP MLA and former education minister of Rajasthan  who was elected as the new Speaker of the state assembly on December 21 ?

1. Hanuman Beniwal
2. Chandrabhan Singh Akya
3. Rajkumar Roat
4. Vasudev Devnani
5. None of These

Answers

1--------------------------5    None of These   Ans- Israel

2----------------------------3   Ismail Haniyeh

3-------------------------------2   Aurelien Rousseau

4-------------------------------1   Ashok Leyland

5------------------------------4    Vasudev Devnani

India has been the highest remittance recipient country in 2023, according to the World Bank’s latest migration and development brief. “The United States continues to be the largest source of remittances and India is among the top five remittance recipient countries in 2023 at $125 billion,’’ according to the brief. The countries that follow India – their remittances are less than half of what India receives - include Mexico ($67 billion), China ($50 billion), the Philippines at ($40 billion) and Egypt at $24 billion.

Interestingly, India has implemented savings programmes to attract foreign currency deposits from their non-resident citizens. Such deposits are usually repatriable, yield higher interest rates than comparable international interest rates (e.g. US treasuries or term deposits in a US bank), and are tax exempt. As of September 2023, non-resident Indian deposits in India amounted to $143 billion, registering an increase of over $10 billion in one year.

The Lok Sabha on Dec 19 passed a bill to raise the age limit of the president and members of the GST appellate tribunal.

Piloting the bill, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said taxpayers who are litigating against GST demands in various high courts or the Supreme Court will have the liberty to withdraw their cases and approach GSTAT once the benches start functioning.

The Central Goods and Services Tax (Second Amendment) Bill, 2023, was passed by Lok Sabha by a voice vote.

The bill seeks to cap the age for the president and members of GST appellate tribunals (GSTAT) at 70 years and 67 years, respectively, higher than the 67 years and 65 years specified earlier.

An advocate with 10 years of 'substantial experience' in litigation in matters relating to indirect taxes in the Appellate Tribunal, would be eligible to be appointed as a judicial member of GSTAT.

As per the amendment, the president and judicial and technical members of GSTAT shall hold office for four years, or until he attains the age of 70 years and 67 years, respectively, whichever is earlier.

Residents in Guinea's capital on Dec 19  woke up to rising costs of transportation after authorities closed gas stations as a major explosion and ensuing fire left several dead, hundreds injured and could now disrupt the supply of gas across the West African nation.

At least 14 people were killed, 178 injured and hundreds displaced by blaze that followed an explosion at the country's main fuel depot in the capital, Conakry, ripping through structures mostly in the Coronthie area that is home to some of the country's poorest households.

Guinea relies on imported petroleum products, most of which are distributed from the destroyed depot, leading to fears of panic buying of the commodity. Authorities have closed most public places and halted operations of all gas stations and tankers while temporary shelters were provided for hundreds of people.