1) Festivities and celebrations mark arrival of New Year across the world
•The New year 2018 is being celebrated across the world today and people across metro cities in India thronged to landmark locations, malls and restaurants to celebrate the arrival of the New Year amid heavy security arrangements. Several historical landmarks were lit with bright coloured lights to mark the end of 2017 and to welcome 2018.
2) Arunachal Pradesh Declared Open Defecation Free
•Arunachal Pradesh has been declared open defecation free ahead of the national deadline of October 2, 2019. The milestone was achieved after the state announced an incentive of Rs 8,000 in addition to the Rs 12,000-grant provided by the Centre for building toilets.
•Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and Haryana were declared open defecation free states in October 2017.
3) Israel Withdraws from UNESCO
•Israel has filed notice to withdraw from the UNESCO alongside the United States. Israel has blasted UNESCO in recent years over the organisation's criticism of Israel's occupation of East Jerusalem and its decision to grant full membership to Palestine in 2011.
•Israel was the member of UNESCO since 1949. Both Israel and the US have filed its own withdrawal notice in October 2017.
4) Nepal Bans Solo Climbing on Mount Everest
•Nepal has banned solo climbers from scaling its mountains, including Mount Everest, in a bid to reduce accidents.
•The new safety regulations also prohibit double amputee and blind climbers from attempting to reach the summit of the world's highest peak without a valid medical certificate. The law had been revised to make mountaineering safer and to decrease deaths.
5) Vinay Sahasrabuddhe Named ICCR Chief
•National vice-president of the BJP, Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, who is also member of Rajya Sabha has been appointed the President of Indian Council of Cultural Relations.
•He will replace Lokesh Chandra, who had been appointed by the NDA government in October 2014 and has completed his three-year-term.
6) Vidarbha Defeats Delhi to win Ranji Trophy for the First Time
•Vidarbha have created history by winning the Ranji Trophy for the first time in history with a thumping nine-wicket win over Delhi at the Holkar stadium in Indore.
•Rajneesh Gurbani’s 6/59, including a hat-trick and a century from Akshay Wadkar were the key moments in Vidarbha scripting a fairytale run. For Delhi, Dhruv Shorey was the star with a century and a fifty but Rishabh Pant’s side came up short on the given day.
