The Reserve Bank has bought 48% of all the gold that the central banks bought in October, adding a whopping 27 tonne to its home reserves, taking the total tonnage to 882. Gold buying by all central banks totalled only 60 tonne in October, shows the latest data from the World Gold Council (WGC).

The RBI has purchased as much as 77 tonne of gold between January and October, according to the data, based on the reported monthly numbers from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Gold had touched its historic high prices in October crossing the $2750/ounce mark and the buying happened the historically highest prices—may be prices skyrocketed due to the demand from central banks. The October purchase represents a five-fold increase compared to the same period of 2023, said the WGC. With this purchase the country’s total gold reserve stood at 882 tonne, of which 510 tonne are held in the country and the rest are mostly in the London, Zurich and New York.

Burkina Faso’s ruling military junta appointed a new Prime Minister, a day after dissolving the government without providing any reason.

Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouedraogo, until now Communications Minister and spokesperson of the government, will be the West African country's new Prime Minister, junta leader Ibrahim Traore said in a presidential decree read on state television Saturday.

Mr. Traore had issued a decree Friday dismissing Prime Minister Apollinaire Joachim Kyelem de Tambela and announcing the dissolution of the national government. No reason was given for the move.

Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen unveiled a bust of Mahatma Gandhi at the Governor's Office and also declared December 6 as 'A Day of Remembrance for Mahatma Gandhi' throughout the state in recognition of his role as a global symbol of peace, nonviolence and justice

Consulate General of India in Seattle stated that this marks the "first installation of Gandhi ji's bust in any State Capitol premise in the nine states under the consular jurisdiction of Indian Consulate in Seattle."

Several notable dignitaries graced the unveiling ceremony, including Governor Jim Pillen, Lieutenant Governor Joe Kelly and former Nebraska Senator Ben Nelson and acclaimed Coach Tom Osborne, along with Consul General of India, Prakash Gupta, as well as eminent members of the Indian American community.

Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) has been honored with two prestigious awards at the '3rd PSU Transformation Awards 2024' ceremony, held at Shangri-La, New Delhi on December 5. The awards spotlight HSL's commitment to innovation and excellence in the shipbuilding industry.

HSL received recognition in two key categories:

Innovative Product Development Award for its pioneering fender arrangement in Tugs for Submarines. This accolade was accepted by Sarath Chandra, Senior Manager (Design).

BJP MLA Rahul Narwekar was unanimously elected as the Speaker of the 15th Maharashtra Legislative Assembly on Monday (December 9, 2024). His election followed the decision of the opposition alliance, Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), not to field a candidate, ensuring an uncontested process.

Mr. Narwekar had filed his nomination papers on Sunday. A senior BJP leader, Mr. Narwekar served as the Speaker of the 14th Assembly for two and a half years.

During his earlier tenure as Speaker, Mr. Narwekar made landmark rulings, declaring Eknath Shinde’s faction as the legitimate “Shiv Sena” following the party’s split and recognising the Ajit Pawar-led group as the real Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), over the faction led by Sharad Pawar.

Government has said that it aims to have a post office minimum in a 3-kilometre area. While replying to supplementaries in Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Communication, Chandrashekhar Pemmasani said, in the last 10 years more than 10 thousand 500 new post offices were created out of which 90 per cent are located in rural areas. He added that, out of new post offices, more than five thousand are located in Left Wing Extremism affected areas. Mr Pemmasani also clarified that none of the employees of the postal department have downsized in the last five years. He informed that currently around four lakh 50 thousand employees are working in more than one lakh 65 thousand post offices all over the country.

The newly appointed European Commission (EC) announced on Tuesday its plans to invest Euro 4.6 billion in decarbonisation technology and clean hydrogen projects, utilising funds raised through its EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS).

The new investment commitments include two new calls for proposals totalling Euro 3.2 billion for net-zero technologies, including Euro 1 billion targeted specifically towards electric vehicle battery cell manufacturing, and a further allocation of Euro 1.2 billion to accelerate the production of renewable hydrogen through the European Hydrogen Bank, according to an EC statement released on Tuesday.

The Parliament on Thursday (December 5, 2024) passed the Bharatiya Vayuyan Vidheyak Bill, 2024, which is expected to provide some relief to aviation personnel in their licensing processes.

The Rajya Sabha passed the Bill on Thursday. The Bill was introduced in Lok Sabha on July 31, and was passed by the Lower House on August 9.

The most significant change in the Bill is that the Radio Telephone Operator Restricted certificate and licence testing process, which was hitherto conducted by the Department of Telecom (DoT) for aviation personnel, including aircraft maintenance engineers, flight despatchers and pilots, has been moved to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). This will ensure a single-window clearance process as aviation personnel can now secure all their certificates from one authority. Personnel taking exams, including trainee pilots, have alleged that there was rampant corruption in the conduct of the RTR exam under the DoT, with candidates requiring to cough up several lakhs in bribes.

The meeting where the International Cricket Council (ICC) was to decide the future of the 2025 Champions Trophy has been postponed to 7 December. The Pakistan Cricket Board, the designated host for the tournament, will soon respond to the ICC with its final decision regarding the upcoming 50-over event.

As reported by India Today, the meeting, initially scheduled for 5 December, will now take place on Saturday. It has been learned that the global cricket body, during a brief discussion, has once again urged the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to agree to the hybrid model for the tournament.

The 30th edition of the Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF) was inaugurated on Wednesday, with France as the theme country, showcasing several films that highlight the European nation's rich cultural and cinematic heritage.

The grand event will continue till December 11, featuring an exciting mix of films from across the globe, celebrating cinematic brilliance.

The opening ceremony was a star-studded affair, with several prominent personalities from the world of cinema and politics in attendance.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, along with other dignitaries, inaugurated the event, marking the beginning of the festival that has become a significant cultural event for the metropolis.