Hamas urged UNESCO to protect historic buildings in the Gaza Strip, saying Israel's assault had left the Palestinian territory's oldest church, last hammam baths and treasured mosques in ruins.

Footage and images posted on social media appeared to show the Great Omari Mosque, the largest and oldest in Gaza City, reduced to rubble.

Only the minaret appeared to be intact, with the surroundings, which have been a Christian or Muslim holy site since at least the fifth century, shattered.

The Great Omari Mosque and the Othman bin Qashqar Mosque, also in Gaza City, were hit by air strikes.

It also condemned the destruction of the Hammam al-Samara, the last Turkish-style bath in the territory, where Gazans had bathed for over 1,000 years.

Hamas said three churches had also been destroyed, including the 1,000-year-old Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Porphyrius, the oldest still active in the territory.

Gaza's architectural heritage had already suffered during previous wars between Israel and Hamas, which has ruled the narrow territory since 2007.

Israel, for its part, has repeatedly accused Hamas of using mosques, schools and other civilian infrastructure to shield its fighters.

The government must identify real beneficiaries of the interest subvention scheme provided to various export sectors, think tank GTRI said on  Dec 9 .

The Union Cabinet on  Dec 8  approved an additional allocation of Rs 2,500 crore for the continuation of interest equalisation or subsidy scheme on pre- and post-shipment rupee export credit up to June 30 next year.

Launched on April 1, 2015, the scheme was initially valid for five years up to March 31, 2020.

It has been continued thereafter, with a one-year extension during COVID, and further extensions and fund allocations.

The scheme costs about Rs 3,000 crore on average.

Over 50,000 MSMEs are exporting various products from India, plus over a lakh of other exporters for products covered under the scheme.

It said that despite the high value of these exports, the scheme's low expenditure suggests it is underused.

Given that Indian MSMEs struggle with credit access and this scheme eases the burden, the government might think about making it permanent, similar to the drawback scheme, the think-tank suggested.

The pre and post-shipment rupee export credit, known as packing credit, assists exporters in covering production and packing costs, with credit accessible upon presenting a confirmed export order.

The credit rate is usually the bank's rate plus 2-3 per cent, averaging about 8 per cent.

Manufacturer and merchant exporters shipping specified 410 products will get a 2 per cent subsidy and all the MSME exporters will get 3 per cent.

These sectors include handicrafts, leather, certain fabrics, carpets and readymade garments.

The benefit to individual exporters has been capped at Rs 10 crore per annum per IEC (Import Export Code).

So far this fiscal till November 30, the government has disbursed Rs 2,641.28 crore against the allocated budget of Rs 2,932 under the scheme. Rs 3,118 crore was disbursed in 2022-23 and Rs 3,488 crore in 2021-22.

Cumulatively, exports during the April-October period this fiscal contracted by 7 per cent to USD 244.89 billion, while imports fell 8.95 per cent to USD 391.96 billion.

The trade deficit during the seven months was USD 147.07 billion against USD 167.14 billion in the corresponding period last year.

Tata Group plans to build a major iPhone assembly plant with 20 assembly lines, according to a report. The Group wants to build that factory in Hosur, Krishnagiri district of Tamil Nadu, which is in close proximity of Bengaluru.

According to the Bloomberg report, the factory will have 50,000 workers, making it the biggest iPhone assembly plant in the country. This facility is expected to be operational in 12 to 18 months. Tata Electronics has already started hiring in its existing Hosur facility, it said.

Tata Electronics already has a manufacturing facility at Hosur, which employs a workforce of  nearly 5,000. It manufactures outer cases for mobile phones.It acquired Wistron’s iPhone assembly facility at Bengaluru for $125 million in October 2023. The factory has a headcount of 10,000 and reportedly committed to ship iPhone worth $1.4 billion targeting production linked incentives.

Tata Electronics, a greenfield venture of Tata Group, founded in 2020, bets big on iPhone assembly and other electronic devices manufacturing, even as other contract manufacturers exit iPhone assembly business citing thin margins.

However, Tata’s facility will not be comparable to mega factories which are found in China and Taiwan. Tata group has also announced plans to open 100 Apple stores across the country. Apple is diversifying its operations away from China by working with assembly and component manufacturers in India, Thailand, Malaysia, among others.  Tata Electronics provides a reliable alternative for Apple to diversify away from China.

The much-awaited elections to the executive committee of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) will be held on December 21. Returning officer MM Kumar, retired Chief Justice of the High Court of J&K, issued a notification in this regard.

The elections were stayed by Punjab and Haryana High Court on August 11 just a day before the polling.

Later, the Supreme Court vacated the stay.

Before the stay, former Commonwealth Games gold medallist woman wrestler Anita Sheoran was in the fray against Sanjay Kumar Singh, a candidate from the Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh's faction, for the president's post.

Darshan Lal was the candidate from Brij Bhushan's camp while Railway Sports Promotion Board (RSPB) secretary Prem Chand Lochab represented another faction for the post of secretary.

A controversy was kicked off in January this year when top wrestlers, including Olympic medallists Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik -- along with multiple world medalist Vinesh Phogat -- levelled allegations of sexual harassment against Brij Bhushan.

Later, the government set up an ad-hoc panel to run the sport in the country and Brij Bhushan was sidelined.

In the meantime, United World Wrestling, the world governing body, also suspended the WFI forcing the country's wrestlers to compete under the UWW banner in the World Championships.

Q1 Name the Chief Minister who has announced a comprehensive relief package for people affected by Cyclone Michaung in Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, and Chengalpattu districts.

1. M K Stalin
2. Basavaraj Bommai
3. Siddaramaiah
4. YS Jagan Mohan Reddy
5. None of These

Q2 Name the party that has suspended its Lok Sabha member Danish Ali for "anti-party" activities.

1. Indian National Lok Dal
2. Bahujan Samaj Party
3. Janata Dal (United)
4. Janata Dal (Secular)
5. None of These

Q3 Name the president of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) and one of the sport's most powerful figures in football-mad Brazil who was stripped of the job by a court ruling amid a messy legal battle.

1. Ricardo Teixeira
2. José Maria Marin
3. Ednaldo Rodrigues
4. João Havelange
5. None of These

Q4 What is the current Standing Deposit Facility (SDF) of RBI?

1. 5.5%
2. 6.25%
3. 7 %
4. 7.25%
5. None of These

Q5 What is the current Bank Rate RBI?

1. 5.75%
2. 6.25%
3. 6.5 %
4. 6.75%
5. None of These

Answers

1---------------------------1   M K Stalin

2---------------------------2  Bahujan Samaj Party

3---------------------------3   Ednaldo Rodrigues

4---------------------------2  6.25%

5--------------------------4    6.75%

Chief Minister M K Stalin on  Dec 9  announced a comprehensive relief package for people affected by Cyclone Michaung in Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram and Chengalpattu districts.

A cash assistance of Rs 6,000 will be given to people, whose livelihood was affected by the cyclone, at the ration shops in their respective localities, the CM said.

The CM also announced Rs 5 lakh each to the families of victims who died in rain-related incidents; Rs 8,000 each for damaged huts; Rs 17,000 per hectare for farmers wherever the loss of standing crops (including paddy) is 33% and above; Rs 22,500 per hectare for perennial crops and trees and Rs 8,500 per hectare for rain-fed crops if the damage is 33% and above; Rs 37,500 for loss of cow and buffalo; and Rs 4,000 for loss of goats. The CM said Rs 50,000 would be given for fully-damaged catamarans and Rs 15,000 would be given for partially-damaged catamarans.  

Up to Rs 1 lakh to be given for completely damaged vallam-type boats: CM

A maximum of Rs 1 lakh would be given for fully damaged vallam-type boats and Rs 7.50 lakh for fully damaged mechanised boats. A grant of Rs 15,000 would also be given for damaged fishing nets.

The decision about the relief package was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by the CM at the secretariat.

Meanwhile, the CM has sent a letter to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman seeking relief for 4,800 MSME industries located in 24 industrial estates in Chennai, Thiruvallur, Kancheepuram and Thiruvallur districts.

Salvoes of rockets were launched  on Dec 8  at the US embassy in Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone, the mission said, the latest in a flurry of such attacks amid the Israel-Hamas war.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

The United States leads an international coalition battling jihadists in Iraq and neighbouring Syria, and its forces have come under repeated attack in recent weeks.

The attacks came against the backdrop of the more than two-month war between US ally Israel and the Iran-backed Palestinian Islamist militant group Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani warned that attacks on embassies undermine the country's security and called on security forces to bring those responsible to justice.

There are roughly 2,500 US troops in Iraq and about 900 in Syria as part of efforts to prevent a resurgence of the Islamic State group.

Reiterating the need for negotiated outcomes at the ongoing climate negotiations, India has extended its support for the global goal of adaptation, calling it "close to the hearts of the developing countries."

As the first week of the 28th Conference of Parties (COP28) concluded  in Dubai , Indian delegates acknowledged their crucial role in steering the negotiations, adding, that India emphasised the importance of reaching decisions that not only strengthen the Global Stocktake (GST) but also reaffirm trust in the entire multilateral climate process.

Indeed, the assessment of the implementation of the Paris Agreement through the Global Stocktake (GST) became the focal point of their discussions.

Making the comments during an intervention for plenary, India reiterated the need for negotiated outcomes, and the opportunity to work towards an end acceptable to all, while ensuring that the same is achieved within the framework of principles and processes of the Convention and its Paris Agreement, sources said.

This commitment extended to other agenda items, particularly the Global Goal of Adaptation, a "matter close to the hearts of developing countries" and the billions of people for whom adaptation is crucial for their future.

The Indian delegation reiterated the need for negotiated outcomes within the framework of the Convention and the Paris Agreement, ensuring an end that is acceptable to all parties involved.

India aligned its statement with Cuba on behalf of the G77 and China, Bolivia on behalf of Like Minded-Group of Developing Countries (LMDC), and expressed confidence in collectively moving towards the shared objective of combating climate change.