·       The motorsports governing body for Formula One has  said that  it will conduct “a detailed analysis" of the wild ending at the season finale that decided the championship in favor of Red Bull driver Max Verstappen.

·       The FIA said  that the title-deciding Abu Dhabi Grand Prix had created a controversy that is “tarnishing the image of the championship.”

·       Verstappen claimed his first world title when he passed Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes on the final lap. He was given the opportunity after a key decision by race director Michael Masi.

·       Hamilton had led 51 of the 58 laps until a crash by Nicholas Latifi brought out the safety car with five laps remaining. Verstappen stopped under yellow for a fresh set of tires, and Masi flipped his decision and let the drivers separating Verstappen from Hamilton pass the safety car under yellow.

·       The race resumed with one lap remaining and Verstappen restarting second behind Hamilton. He passed Hamilton in the fifth turn and won his first title.

·       Mercedes filed two appeals that were dismissed and has now asked for a further review from the International Court of Appeal. 

·       The government has  launched the 4th tranche of auction of 99 coal mines including 24 new mines across 8 coal bearing states. While launching the fourth tranche, coal minister Pralhad Joshi said at least for the next 30 to 40 years coal will continue to be crucial in India's energy sector. He called upon the investors to start production at the earliest for greater self-reliance in this sector.

·       The ministry said coal mines rolling over from third round of commercial auctions and second attempt of second tranche of commercial auctions, there shall be a total of 99 coal mines on offer. Among these 99 mines on offer, 59 are fully explored mines and 40 are partially explored.

·    These mines are spread across Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, MP, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Andhra and Telangana. The government claimed the list of mines has been finalised after deliberations on mines falling under protected areas, heavily built-up area etc.

·       India on Dec 19  successfully flight-tested next-generation nuclear-capable ballistic missile Agni Prime from a defence facility off Odisha coast demonstrating the repeatability and robustness of the newly developed weapon system.

·       Agni P is the latest and most advanced variant of the Agni series missiles and it can destroy targets 2000 km away.

·      This was one of the newly developed weapons on the focus of the DRDO and it could be readied for the second test within six months of the first experimental trial conducted on June 28. Weighing about 30 tonnes, the missile can carry a warhead of around 1500 kg.

·       A new laboratory to study viruses dangerous to humans will be set up at the Defence Research Development Establishment (DRDE) in Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh shortly.

·       The proposed Advanced Biological Defence Research Centre (ABDRC) will focus on dangerous viruses, its effect on humans and come up with safeguards and develop equipment to fight them.

·       West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar has claimed that he has noticed "unconstitutional diversion of funds" for 'Maa' canteen, a project launched by the TMC government in February to provide subsidised cooked food to the poor.

·       Citing the state budget document for 2021-22, the governor said the scheme, was to be operationalised from April 1, the beginning of the current fiscal, with an annual allocation of Rs 100 crore, but it was functional from mid-February with "no legitimate" fund.

·       It has been represented, as also gathered from the public domain, that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee launched 'Maa' canteens for providing subsidised cooked food for poor people at a nominal cost of Rs 5 in mid-February, he said.

·       Former Supreme Court judge Justice Girish Thakorlal Nanavati, who investigated the 1984 anti-Sikh and the 2002 Godhra riots, passed away.

·       Justices Nanavati and Akshay Mehta had in 2014 submitted their final report on the 2002 riots to the then Gujarat chief minister Anandiben Patel.

·       Over 1,000 people, mainly from the minority community, were killed in the violence.

·       The commission was appointed in 2002 by the then chief minister Narendra Modi to probe the riots, that took place after the burning of two coaches of the Sabarmati Express train near the Godhra railway station, in which 59 'karsevaks' died.

·       Nanavati was appointed by the NDA government to probe the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.  He was the sole member of the Nanavati commission.

·       The former Afghan government’s ambassador to the United Nations Ghulam Isaczai has resigned after the country’s current Taliban rulers sought to replace him with their own envoy.

·       Isaczai, a longtime U.N. diplomat, was appointed last June by President Ashraf Ghani, whose government was ousted by the Taliban on Aug. 15 amid a chaotic withdrawal of U.S. and NATO troops.

·       The Taliban challenged Isaczai’s credentials to remain in his post. The U.N. General Assembly delayed action on the request Dec. 6, so he stayed in the job.

·       No country has recognized the Taliban, which has come under intense international pressure to broaden its all-male government overwhelmingly drawn from the country’s dominant Pashtun ethnic group, and to ensure women’s rights to education, employment and participation in political and social life.

·       At least 23 people have been killed in the strongest typhoon to hit the Philippines this year.

·       More than 300,000 people fled their homes and beachfront resorts as Typhoon Rai ravaged the southern and central regions of the archipelago, knocking out communications and electricity in many areas, ripping off roofs and toppling concrete power poles.

·       Rai was a super typhoon when it smashed into the popular tourist island of Siargao