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1. 389 special focus districts identified under SSA The Department of School Education and Literacy has identified 389 Special Focus Districts (SFD) under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) across the country in the current fiscal on the basis of various gaps and social criteria. This was stated in written reply by the Minister of State for Human Resource Development Purandeswari, in the Lok Sabha. The reply said that SFDs have been categorised on the basis of various criteria including districts with a classroom gap exceeding 3,000, those having more than 20,000 out-of-school children, gender gap in enrollment exceeding 10 per cent at primary and 20 per cent at upper primary level, retention rate lower than 60 per cent. 2. T-50 stealth fighter makes public debut The Sukhoi fifth-generation stealth fighter, which Russia is jointly developing with India, made its public debut at a Moscow airshow. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, accompanied by federal Ministers and military brass, looked on as two T-50 prototype aircraft soared into the air, performing aerobatic manoeuvres and skimming low over the runway in a 15-minute demonstration flight. The T-50 has been making test flights since January 2010, but it is the fighter's first appearance at an airshow. The T-50 resembles Russia's best-selling Su-30 fighter jet but will have all its weapons hidden inside its body and wings to avoid radar detection and will fly at supersonic cruising speeds. The aircraft will also boast ultra manoeuvrability and high-technology avionics. 3. China to upgrade Colombo terminal Sri Lanka has preferred to sign up with a Chinese company for a $500-million upgrade of its second container terminal in Colombo Port. It has entered into a BOT agreement with China Merchants Holdings (International) Company, one of the largest port operators in the region, for a terminal that comprises a total quay length of 1,200 metres and a depot land area of 58 hectares, with water depth of 18 metres. The project is expected to take two phases, with Phase I to be ready for operation by early 2013. The entire facility will be ready in five years, said the Sri Lankan government. 4. Chavez to nationalise Venezuela gold industry Hugo Chavez has announced that he will nationalise Venezuela's gold industry to boost the country's reserves. "The area is run by the mafia," he said. "We're going to nationalise gold. We can't keep allowing them to take it away." The biggest gold miner is Rusoro, a Canadian-listed company controlled by the Russian Agapov family. The move comes after Rusoro and others complained that Caracas prevents them from selling enough gold abroad. 5. Sahara India Power, Korean firm to set up 6,000 MW power plants Sahara India Power Corp said the company along with South Korean entity Korea East-West Power Co would set up power plants with a total capacity of 6,000 MW in the country. Sahara India Power is part of the diversified Sahara group. Both Sahara India Power and Korea East-West Power have entered into a pact for developing power plants, with a total capacity of 6,000 MW. The proposed 6,000-MW plants would include setting up of a 1,320 MW power Plant in Titlagarh, Orissa. This plant, based on supercritical technology, would be developed with an investment of about `8,000 crore, Sahara Power India said in a statement. 6. Maruti Suzuki launches new Swift Further intensifying the price-war in the premium hatchback segment, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. (MSIL) launched the new version of Swift, priced between Rs.4.22 lakh and Rs.5.53 lakh for the petrol versions and Rs.5.17 lakh and Rs.6.38-lakh for the diesel variants. Built on an entirely new platform, MSIL's popular hatchback offers improved fuel efficiency and over 140 new features, many for the first time ever in an entry-level variant, claims the company 7. Most valued company: Coal India beats RIL State-run Coal India toppled Reliance Industries as the country's most valued company, ending billionaire Mukesh Ambani-led corporate giant's over four-year rein at the top of the market valuation charts. With an over two per cent gain in its share price, the public sector coal giant achieved a market value of Rs 2,51,296 crore, which was over Rs 4,000 crore more than that of private sector energy giant Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL).

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8. RBI Likely to Give 4 Private Banking Licenses Initially The Reserve Bank of India is likely to issue four licenses, mainly to non-bank finance companies, to set up banks initially, two people familiar with the development. "The government doesn't favor corporates to immediately start banking operations," the people said, who asked not to be named. The central bank is expected to release its draft guidelines for new private sector bank licenses as early as next week to seek public comments, they said. 9. U.S. FDA approves Roche's skin cancer drug The Food and Drug Administration has approved a first-of-its-kind drug to treat the deadliest form of skin cancer by targeting a particular genetic mutation found in about half of patients. The pill called Zelboraf, made by Roche, is the first treatment for melanoma that targets a specific gene found in skin-cancer tumours. The FDA also approved a test to screen patients for the mutation. The drug was studied in 675 patients who received either Zelboraf or a chemotherapy drug. 10. ESA plans to blow up asteroid heading towards earth The European Space Agency is planning to launch a test mission to blow up a huge asteroid to see if its course changes from hurtling towards Earth. The mission called Don Quixote will be launched in 2015. The aim is to assess whether it would be possible to save Earth using this method, should we discover that an asteroid is on a collision course with our planet. 11. Mystery behind giant arrow-shaped cloud on Saturns moon Titan unravelled A research group has explained why Titan, Saturns largest moon, has what looks like an enormous white arrow about the size of Texas on its surface. The researchers use a global circulation model of Titan to demonstrate how planetary-scale atmospheric waves affect the moons weather patterns, leading to a stencilling effect that results in sharp and sometimes surprising cloud shapes. These atmospheric waves are somewhat like the natural, resonant vibration of a wine glass, said Jonathan L. Mitchell, UCLA assistant professor of earth and space sciences and of atmospheric and oceanic sciences, who led the study. 12. Barca beat Madrid with late winner from Messi Lionel Messi scored two goals, including the late winner, as Barcelona won its 10th Spanish Super Cup with a dramatic 3-2 victory over bitter rival Real Madrid that ended with both benches brawling on the Camp Nou pitch. Messi volleyed Adriano's cross past Iker Casillas for the 87th-minute winner to finish off a move started by recent arrival Cesc Fabregas, who made his Barcelona debut as a late substitute.

2. T-50 stealth fighter makes public debut 3. China to upgrade Colombo terminal 4. Chavez to nationalise Venezuela gold industry 6. Maruti Suzuki launches new Swift 7. Most valued company: Coal India beats RIL 8. RBI Likely to Give 4 Private Banking Licenses Initially 9. U.S. FDA approves Roche's skin cancer drug 10. ESA plans to blow up asteroid heading towards earth 11. Mystery behind giant arrow-shaped cloud on Saturns moon Titan unravelled

12. Barca beat Madrid with late winner from Messi