December

NATIONAL

01 Red Ribbon express, a train to spread awareness on HIV and AIDS is flagged off on AIDS day.

03 The 25th anniversary of Bhopal Gas Tragedy is marked; Uninor, the joint venture telecom company between Unitech and The Telenor Group of Norway launches its mobile services across seven circles of India.

06 India reaches the NO.1 spot in the ICC Test Rankings for the first time.

13 Nuclear-capable missile ‘Dhanush’ is successfully test fired off the Orissa coast.

14 Tata Motors launches Grande MK II, an upgraded version of its premium Sumo in the price range of Rs. 6.43-7.50 lakh.

15 Auto major Mahindra & Mahindra buys major stake in two Australian aerospace firms to make 2-20-seater aircraft and allied components.

19 Nitin Gadkari takes charge as the president of the Bharatiya Janata Party.

26 The 86-year-old Andhra Pradesh Governor Narayan Dutt Tiwari resigns following a pressure from political parties and women’s organistaions after a tv channel showed him allegedly in compromising position with women.

27 The One Day International match between India and Sri Lanka is abandoned due to a bad pitch at the Ferozeshah Kotla ground, Delhi.

INTERNATIONAL

01 U.S. President Barack Obama announces the deployment of 30,000 extra troops to Afghanistan within the next six months and start pullout by 2011; The Treaty of Lisbon enters into force.

02 The price of gold strikes a record high level above $1,217 an ounce (31.1 grams).

04 Nepal's cabinet meets on Mount Everest to highlight the impact of climate change in the Himalayas.

07 India and Russia sign civil nuclear agreement that is free from any restriction on India and guarantees it against any curbs in the future.

09 Germany’s Volkswagen buys 20 per cent stake in Suzuki Motor Corp for $2.5 billion; Bajaj Auto decides to exit scooter manufacturing.

13 The Sarejevo-Belgrade rail link resumes between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia after 18 years.

16 North Korea bans all foreigners from entering the country until early February 2010, for unknown reasons.

18 Thirty world leaders present in Copenhagen for the United Nations Conference on Climate Change agree on a draft accord.
21 Serbia formally submits an application to join the European Union; Mexico City's Legislative Assembly legalizes same-sex marriage.

25 China's National Bureau of Statistics revises the growth rate of its gross domestic product (GDP) for 2008 to 9.6 percent from 9 percent.

26 Countries around the Indian Ocean hold commemorations on the fifth anniversary