Shigeru Ishiba was re-elected as the country’s Prime Minister today after securing the most votes in both houses of the Japanese Diet.

Key Points

• Shigeru Ishiba is the leader of Liberal Democratic Party.
• Ishiba, 67, took over as prime minister from Fumio Kishida, who stepped down in September amid a series of scandals that rattled public trust in the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) party.
• Shiba defeated Yoshihiko Noda, the leader of the main opposition party Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan. 
• Japnese Parliamnet is called Diet.

Mauritius' opposition leader Navin Ramgoolam was appointed prime minister, returning to the post a decade on after his coalition won a near clean sweep of seats in parliament in a general election.

• The opposition Alliance of Change in Mauritius has won 60 of the 64 seats in parliament following Sunday's general election.
• The man he has replaced, Pravind Jugnauth, 62, already acknowledged that his Lepep alliance was heading for a "huge defeat". It now has two seats in parliament compared to the 42 after the 2019 election.
• Mauritius is known as one of Africa's most stable democracies, but this election was tainted by a phone-tapping scandal, with leaked recordings of public figures posted online.

A high level committee headed by Amit Shah approved three projects worth Rs 725.62 crore for the expansion and modernisation of fire services in Chhattisgarh, Odisha and West Bengal.

The committee comprised of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Vice Chairman NITI Aayog Suman K Bery as members. 

• The committee has approved Rs 376.76 crore for West Bengal, Rs 201.10 crore for Odisha and Rs 147.76 crore for Chhattisgarh under the 'Expansion and Modernisation of Fire Services' in the states, an official release said.
• The high-level committee comprised of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Vice Chairman NITI Aayog Suman K Bery as members.
• The central government has allocated a total of Rs 5,000 crore under the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) for 'Expansion and Modernisation of Fire Services' in the states.

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras has joined hands with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to establish a Centre of Excellence for research in ‘Fluid and Thermal Sciences’.

• A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between ISRO and IIT Madras on November 11, 2024, as part of which the former will provide seed funding of Rs.1.84 Crore to establish this centre.
• The MoU was signed by Prof. Manu Santhanam, Dean (Industrial Consultancy and Sponsored Research), IIT Madras, and Victor Joseph T, Director of Directorate of Technology Development & Innovation (DTDI) at ISRO.
• The Centre will act as a nodal centre for spacecraft and launch vehicle-related thermal management research activities of ISRO.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said Tuesday (November 12, 2024) that he is nominating Fox News host and Army veteran Pete Hegseth to serve as his defence secretary and selected Matt Gaetz to serve as his attorney general.

• Mr. Hegseth deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan and unsuccessfully ran for Senate in Minnesota in 2012 before joining Fox News.
• President-elect Donald Trump also selected Matt Gaetz to serve as his attorney general, tapping the combative Florida Republican to the key post as Trump potentially aims to rein in the independence of the Justice Department.
• Matt Gaetz, the firebrand lawmaker, who has represented Florida's 1st congressional district since 2017, will soon oversee the Justice Department that he has long criticized and has investigated him.

The closing ceremony for the 9th edition of the India-Indonesia Joint Special Forces Garuda Shakti Exercise was held at Cijantung, Indonesia on November 12.

• Sandeep Chakravorty, India’s Ambassador to Indonesia, Captain Shiv Kumar, Defence Attaché at the Indian Embassy, and Colonel Inf J. S. Aling of the Indonesian Army were present at the event.
• The Garuda Shakti exercise, which started on November 1, was designed to enhance bilateral military cooperation and strengthen the bonds between the two nations’ armed forces.
• An Indian Army Parachute Regiment (Special Forces) of 25 personnel participated alongside 40 Indonesian personnel from the elite Kopassus Special Forces.
• The exercise involved intensive tactical drills, including underwater training, close-range shooting, and operations in both urban and jungle terrain.

Pankaj Advani secured his 28th world title at the IBSF World Billiards Championship in Doha, Qatar, 

• This victory marks his seventh consecutive world championship win, solidifying his position as a dominant force in the sport.
• Advani faced a strong challenge from England's Robert Hall in the final. Hall took the initial lead, claiming the first frame.
• However, Advani quickly regained control, reaching the 150-point mark first in the second frame and following it up with a remarkable unfinished break of 147

The 5th EMRS National Cultural & Literary Fest and Kala Utsav 2024- ‘UDBHAV’ is launched today( 12 November)  at Shiksha ‘O’ Anusandhan, Khandagiri, Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

• The event is hosted by the Odisha Model Tribal Educational Society (OMTES).
• Union Minister for Tribal Affairs, Shri Jual Oram, and Minister of State for Tribal Affairs, Shri Durgadas Uikey, will grace this prestigious event, which coincides with the 150th Birth Anniversary of Bhagwan Birsa Munda.
• This year’s the theme of cultural fests is, "A Tribute to Bhagwan Birsa Munda & Tribal Freedom Fighters," and it adds historical and cultural significance to the occasion, aligning with the birth anniversary of Bhagwan Birsa Munda.
•  Over 2,000 tribal students studying in Eklavya Model Residential School (EMRSs) from all across the nation will participate, representing the diverse cultural heritage of India’s tribal communities through various cultural and literary events.

The 55th International Film Festival of India will take place from 20 to 28 November, 2024 at Panaji, Goa. 

• The Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs Dr. L. Murugan convened a meeting with key stakeholders to review the preparations for the 55th edition of the International Film Festival.
• The Minister emphasized the need for unified efforts to ensure the festival's seamless execution, stressing that IFFI must reflect Goa's vibrant spirit of celebration and cultural diversity.
• He urged all the stakeholders to collaborate diligently to elevate the festival to new heights.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on Tuesday( 12 November) successfully conducted the maiden flight-test of the Long Range Land Attack Cruise Missile (LRLACM) from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) in Chandipur, off the coast of Odisha.

• The test was carried out using a mobile articulated launcher, and the missile performed as expected, meeting all primary mission objectives.
• The missile followed its designated path with waypoint navigation, demonstrating the ability to perform various maneuvers while flying at multiple altitudes and speeds.
• Equipped with advanced avionics and software, LRLACM is designed to ensure greater reliability and enhanced operational performance.
• Developed by DRDO’s Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) in Bengaluru, LRLACM also saw collaborations from other DRDO laboratories and Indian industries.
• Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) in Hyderabad and Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) in Bengaluru served as the Development-Cum-Production Partners, contributing to missile development and integration.

World Pneumonia Day is observed on November 12 every year to raise awareness about the life-threatening but preventable respiratory illness.

This global effort educates people about the disease and its effects, with a key focus on children under five as well as the most vulnerable elderly people.

On this day, health organisations look forward to highlighting prevention methods and advocating for better treatment options to reduce the mortality rate linked to the disease.

Theme

This year, the theme for World Pneumonia Day is “Every Breath Counts: Stop Pneumonia in Its Track.” 

History