About six months ago, Donald Trump was sitting in a courtroom in lower Manhattan listening to a jury make him the first former U.S. President convicted of a crime.

On Thursday (December 12, 2024), he will ring the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange just blocks from that courthouse and as he was recognized by TIME magazine as its ‘Person of the Year’.

The honors for the businessman-turned-politician represent the latest chapter in his love-hate relationship with New York. They’re also a measure of Mr. Trump’s remarkable comeback from an ostracized former President who refused to accept his election loss four years ago to a President-elect who won the White House decisively in November.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has sanctioned a USD 788.8 million (over ?6,600 crore) results-based loan to Andhra Pradesh for the development of Amaravati as a green and smart capital city that offers world-class infrastructure.

According to an official statement from ADB, the loan will be provided in Japanese yen, amounting to 121.97 billion yen.

The Amaravati Inclusive and Sustainable Capital City Development Programme is designed to transform Amaravati into a growth hub for the region, enhancing economic prospects, providing job opportunities, and improving living conditions of the residents.

ADB and other multilateral development banks (MDBs) will bring global expertise and technical support to the Government of Andhra Pradesh, establishing a strong foundation for a dynamic, sustainable, and vibrant capital city, said Mio Oka, ADB Country Director for India.

Union Minister for Steel and Heavy Industries, HD Kumaraswamy, launched India's Green Steel Taxonomy at Vigyan Bhavan on Thursday.

This landmark framework aims to revolutionize the steel industry by decarbonizing production processes and promoting environmentally responsible practices.

The initiative signifies a major step toward aligning one of India's most vital industries with global sustainability goals. The event witnessed the presence of prominent dignitaries, including Minister of State for Steel and Heavy Industries, Bhupathi Raju Srinivasa Varma, Steel Secretary Sandeep Poundrik, and SAIL Chairman Amarendu Prakash.

“The European Union (EU) states on Thursday (December 12, 2024) cleared Bulgaria and Romania to become full members of the borderless Schengen zone from the start of next year,” officials said, following a 13-year wait for the two eastern European nations.

“It is a historic moment to finally welcome Bulgaria and Romania,” said Interior Minister Sandor Pinter of Hungary, whose country holds the EU’s rotating presidency.

The two countries, both members of the European Union since 2007, were partially integrated into the free movement zone in March, opening up travel by air and sea without border checks.

There is a now-viral video of Dommaraju Gukesh as an 11-year-old. In it, the boy who is yet to become a Grand Master is asked by IM Sagar Shah of ChessBase India what his ambition is. “I want to become the youngest chess champion in the world,” declares the boy in his thin boyish voice with the hint of a grin on a face that is yet to have even the shadow of a moustache.

About seven years after that proclamation, Gukesh has become the youngest chess champion in the world at 18, defeating Chinese Ding Liren in a battle of wills that lasted three weeks and tested both players psychologically and physically. He surpassed Garry Kasparov as the youngest.

FIFA confirmed on Wednesday that Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 Men's World Cup, while the 2030 edition will be held in Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, with additional matches in three South American countries. The decision was announced by FIFA President Gianni Infantino following a virtual extraordinary Congress. The 2030 and 2034 World Cups each had only a single bid and both were confirmed by acclamation.

"We are bringing football to more countries and the number of teams has not diluted the quality. It actually enhanced the opportunity," Infantino said about the 2030 World Cup. The combined proposal from Morocco, Spain and Portugal will see the 2030 World Cup take place across three continents and six nations, with Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay hosting celebratory games to mark the tournament's centenary.

Topping the roster of eight winning heritage conservation projects in Asia-Pacific, the Inari-yu Bathhouse Restoration Project in Tokyo, Japan, has received UNESCO’s highest recognition, the Award of Excellence, in the 2024 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation.

This year’s jury singled out the project from a pool of 52 entries from 14 countries in the Asia-Pacific region. The Inari-yu Bathhouse Restoration offered a compelling example of how well-conserved heritage can foster social cohesion and community resilience, the jury found.

The year 2025 will mark a quarter of a century since UNESCO established the Asia-Pacific heritage awards. Since 2000, they have drawn submissions from 906 projects spanning 27 countries. 'Winning projects don’t just preserve the past; they spark transformation, becoming catalysts for renewal in neighborhoods and cities, and even across countries,' said UNESCO Regional Director Soohyun Kim.

Scientists in India have reported success with using gene therapy to treat severe haemophilia A, a rare hereditary condition resulting from a faulty gene which triggers severe, spontaneous, and potentially fatal bleeding episodes.

Though only tested on five patients in Tamil Nadu so far, none of them have reported bleeding episodes over an average follow-up period of 14 months. It is not unusual for those afflicted by haemophilia to have weekly bleeding episodes, requiring frequent treatment. The results of the study were reported in the peer-reviewed New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) earlier this week.

The trial was led by Alok Srivastava of the Centre for Stem Cell Research (CSCR) at Christian Medical College, Vellore, and financially supported by the Union Department of Biotechnology.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved a grant of 25.45 million US dollars to Solomon Islands today. The grant will help the island nation to develop sustainable, inclusive, and climate-resilient water supply and sanitation services in the greater Honiara area and in five other towns. The Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Sector Project in Solomon Island will implement high-priority components following the government’s water and sanitation sector plan to increase access to piped water supply and sanitation service, especially among the poor households, reduce reliance on groundwater and rainwater harvest and ensure more efficient use of water.

The project will also enhance hygiene awareness, promote water conservation, and improve fecal sludge management. The ADB, the World Bank, the Global Environment Facility, and the European Union are funding the 125 million US dollar project.

Noted ecologist, academic and writer Madhav Gadgil is among the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)’s six ‘Champions of the Earth’ for the year 2024, a statement by the UN body declared on December 10, 2024.

Gadgil has spent decades protecting people and the planet through research and community engagement, the statement noted.

His work has greatly influenced public opinion and official policies on the protection of natural resources. This includes landmark environmental impact assessments of state and national policies to grassroots environmental engagement.