Myanmar has surpassed Afghanistan to become world’s largest source of opium in 2023 after a third consecutive year of expanding cultivation fueled by the country’s civil war, the United Nations said in a new report.

This has happened due to various factors such as domestic instability and a significant decline in opium cultivation in Afghanistan. After the Taliban imposed a ban on drugs in 2022, opium cultivation in Afghanistan decreased by 95%, leading to a global shift in the opium supply to Myanmar.

The UNODC's report highlighted that political, social, and economic instability resulting from the 2021 coup in Myanmar prompted many individuals to turn to poppy farming.

Bank of India has introduced a unique savings account called Nari Shakti, specifically designed for women aged 18 and above who have an independent source of income. This account aims to provide them with enhanced privileges and features to support their financial empowerment.

Australian batter Travis Head, who smashed an explosive century to help Australia win their sixth ICC Cricket World Cup title, has been named as the ICC Men’s Player of the Month for November 2023.

Head beat tough competition from teammate Glenn Maxwell and India seamer Mohammed Shami to claim the honour.

Maxwell scored a magnificent double-century against Afghanistan during the World Cup, while Shami had a brilliant run with the ball during the same tournament, becoming the leading wicket-taker with 24 wickets in just seven matches, as per the ICC.

Veteran actor Kabir Bedi was awarded the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (Merito della Repubblica Italiana), the highest Italian civilian award.

After the event in Mumbai, there was a special live musical performance by Niccolo Fabi which set off the celebrations perfectly.

“This is a very emotional award for me,” Kabir said.

“Being presented the Order of Merit, Italy’s highest honour, is the fulfillment of my life’s work in Italy. It’s even higher than Cavaliere (Knight), which they made me twelve years ago. It gives me great joy to see Prime Minister Meloni and Prime Minister Narendra Modi complimenting each other on the internet with #Melodi.”

China claims that the laboratory that is located so deep underground (2.4 km beneath the surface) serves the primary objective of providing an environment free from interference for researchers studying dark matter, an elusive substance that constitutes a substantial portion of the universe's mass.

China has announced the unveiling of a groundbreaking underground laboratory that has commenced operations in Southwest China's Sichuan province. The Deep Underground and Ultra-low Radiation Background Facility for Frontier Physics Experiments (DURF) is set to become a hub for cutting-edge scientific investigations, particularly in the pursuit of understanding dark matter.

Instituted in 1991, the award is given to an outstanding Hindi literary work by an Indian citizen published during the last 10 years. It carries a cash prize of ₹4 lakh, a citation and a plaque

Noted Hindi writer Pushpa Bharati’s 2016 memoir, Yaadein, Yaadein aur Yaadein, has been selected for the 33rd Vyas Samman, 2023, the KK Birla Foundation has said in an official statement.

Instituted in 1991, the award is given to an outstanding Hindi literary work by an Indian citizen published during the last 10 years. It carries a cash prize of ₹4 lakh, a citation and a plaque.

Some three decades ago, plastic surgeon Dr Atul Shah realised that a simple surgery without the use of special equipment could tackle deformities of leprosy-affected patients. He soon published ‘One in Four Lasso’ operative techniques in the European Journal of Hand Surgery. But it was the unavailability of adequate care to deal with smelly and poorly bandaged unhealed foot wounds that led this surgeon to design a ‘self-care kit’. This innovative solution has been integrated into the country’s National Leprosy Eradication Programme (since 2007) and benefited 80,000 people across India.

Dr Shah’s effort towards the welfare of leprosy-affected persons received support from PM Narendra Modi (who was then Chief Minister of Gujarat). This Gujarat Model was soon followed by other states and at the recently concluded UN Climate Change COP-23 at Dubai, Dr Shah was felicitated with the 2023 REACH (Recognizing Excellence Around Champions of Health )’s Game Changing Innovator award that recognises unsung heroes of global health.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday named Bhajanlal Sharma as the new Chief Minister of Rajasthan.

Vidyadhar Nagar MLA Diya Kumari and Dudu MLA Dr Prem Chand Bairwa will be deputy CMs, while Ajmer North MLA Vasudev Devnani will be the Assembly Speaker. While Kumari had registered the highest margin of 71,368 votes, Bairwa had defeated Babulal Nagar of Congress by 35,743 votes.

Sharma, Kumari, Bairwa, former CM Vasundhara Raje and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh reached Raj Bhawan Tuesday to meet Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra.

Veteran lyricist-screenwriter Javed Akhtar will be felicitated with the Padmapani Lifetime Achievement Award at the Ajanta-Ellora Film Festival.

Akhtar, the co-writer of Hindi cinema classics such as "Zanjeer", "Deewaar", "Sholay", "Don", "Kaala Patthar" and "Mr India", will be honoured for his contribution to the Indian film industry on the opening day of the festival's ninth edition, a press release said.

The award ceremony will take place at Rukmini Auditorium in MGM University campus of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar on January 3, 2024 The announcement was made by Nandkishor Kagliwal, chairman of the Ajanta-Ellora film festival organising committee, and chief mentor Ankushrao Kadam.

Nikhil Dey, an Indian social activist, has been named as the International Anti-Corruption Champion by the US State Department. He has been acknowledged for his noteworthy support of social movements that oppose corruption in government welfare programs in India by encouraging transparency and accountability, public audits, and participatory democracy.

Dey's efforts as a co-founder of Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS) contributed to anti-corruption and transparency reforms in India, assisting the state of Rajasthan in establishing public policies that promote accountability and transparency. US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti congratulated Dey by posting on X, formerly known as Twitter. Garcetti said, the United States stands with champions like Dey who work for transparency, rule of law, and justice.