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National:Pir Panjal tunnel ready to link Kashmir ValleyTrain passengers in the Kashmir Valley can soon travel up to Banihal with railways announcing completion ofthe key Qazigund-Banihal section which also comprises the longest transportation tunnel in the country builtafter a seven-year effort. The distance between Banihal and Qazigund, which is also one of the mosttreacherous stretches in the entire Kashmir rail network project, will reduce from 35 km by road to 17.729 km

on train. According to Northern Railway, trial runs have already started in the section, which forms a vital linkin the project connecting Udhampur to Baramulla. The tunnel, which also has a service road running parallelto the track is the second longest in Asia, is constructed at a cost of Rs 1300 crore. It took almost sevenyears to complete the tunnel. About 7,500 metric tonnes of steel, 3,28,000 cubic meters of concrete hasbeen used and 10,00,000 cubic meters of underground excavation has been done to complete the tunnel.

Mahabrinda Natyam gets into Guinness BookThe Mahabrinda Natyam, a performance by 5,794 artistes, comprising from the tender but nimble-footedthree-year-olds to the 65-year-olds, bagged a coveted place in the Guinness Book of World Records for thelargest Kuchipudi dance in Hyderabad. Organised by Silicon Andhra to mark the close of the 3 rd International Kuchipudi Dance Convention, it was a tribute to the late Vempati Chinna Satyam, one of thegreatest masters. Praveen Patel, adjudicator for Guinness Records, announced that he was delighted towitness the largest Kuchipudi dance and handed over the certificate to SiliconAndhra chairperson, UnionMinister D. Purandeswari and State IT Minister Ponnala Lakshmaiah.

Virbhadra Singh sworn in as CMPradesh Congress Committee leader Virbhadra Singh was sworn in Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh,along with nine other Cabinet Ministers. Governor Urmila Singh administered the oath of office and secrecyon the Ridge Maidan.

Atalji Janasnehi Kendras become operationalThe Atalji Janasnehi Kendras, which are the restructured and upgraded versions of the Nemmadi Kendras(single-window citizen service centres), became operational in the State on the birthday of the former PrimeMinister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. As many as 900 such centres have been set up in the State to provide speedyservices by the Revenue Department to citizens. These centres will provide 36 services, including providingcaste, income, birth and death certificates besides Record of Rights, Tenancy and Crops (RTCs).

Oscar-nominated composer Richard Rodney Bennett dies

Oscar-nominated composer Richard Rodney Bennett died at the age of 76. Bennett passed away peacefullyon Christmas Eve in New York. Born in Kent on March 29, 1936, Bennett was a composer of classical and jazz works in addition to film scores, and regularly performed as a jazz pianist. His score for Sidney Lumet'sMurder on the Orient Express won a Bafta in 1974, and was also nominated for an Academy Award.

International:World's longest bullet train service begins in ChinaChina started service on the world's longest high-speed rail route, the latest milestone in the country's rapidand sometimes troubled super fast rail network. The opening of the new 2,298-kilometre (1,425-mile) linebetween Beijing and Guangzhou means passengers will be whisked from the capital to the southerncommercial hub in less than a third of the 22 hours previously required. Trains will travel at an averagespeed of 300 kilometres per hour over the line, which includes 35 stops in major cities such as Zhengzhou,Wuhan on the Yangtze River and Changsha.China's high-speed rail network was established in 2007, buthas fast become the world's largest with 8,358 kilometres of track at the end of 2010. That is expected toalmost double to 16,000 kilometres by 2020.

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Iranian ties put CPCL in a spot after U.S. sanctionFor standalone refinery Chennai Petroleum Corporation Ltd (CPCL), the presence of an Iranian stakeholderis turning out to be an issue in the wake of U.S. sanctions against the West Asian country. A group companyof Indian Oil Corporation, the refinery, after giving up plans to process Iranian crude in 2012, is now watchingthe situation as tightening of the sanctions may lead to more, significant repercussions. The 11.5 million-tonne refinery, bulk of whose capacity is in Chennai, was planning to process only 0.5 million tonne Iraniancrude.

Business & Economy:Inmate wins right to get market info from SEBIIn a first of its kind order, market regulator SEBI has been asked by an appellate authority to provide variousinformation about stock markets, including study materials free of cost to an under-trial prisoner. TheAppellate Authority of Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has said that the appellant is eligiblefor a fee waiver, as he could be considered a person of below poverty line because of being an under-trialprisoner.

Exposure of equity MFs to banks soarsThe mutual fund industry is betting big on the banking space with investments worth more than Rs.42,000crore in bank stocks, taking this sectors exposure to the highest level in more than three years. According to

the latest data available with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), the industrys investment inbank stocks stood at Rs.42,022 crore at the end of November, which was 20.59 per cent of the industrystotal equity assets under management (AUM) of Rs.2.04 lakh crore. Besides banking, the exposure to noneof the sectors is in double digits, with software being the second-best with an 8.7 per cent exposure.

Essar Ports commissions terminal at ParadipEssar Ports has announced the commissioning of its 16 million metric tonnes per annum dry bulk terminal atParadip in Odisha, taking the aggregate handling capacity of the company to 104 million tonnes. This isEssar Port's first project on the east coast and is a modern facility with best-in-class capabilities. The projectinvolved upgradation and mechanisation of the existing 230 meter-long CQ3 berth at Paradip with installationof a fully mechanised ship loading system with a capacity of 5,000 tonnes per hour.

Sport:Rathore clinches the double trap goldAthens Games silver medallist Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore shot 190 and won the double trap gold, with athree-point margin over Mohd. Asab, in the Sahara National shooting championship. Asian Games championRonjan Sodhi had to settle for the bronze despite shooting the best in the final, with a round of 48, as Asabcapitalised on his three-point lead. Rathore shot a world record 148 out of 150 in the Asian shotgunchampionship in Kuala Lumpur in 2011.