1. Syndicate Bank and SBI Life Insurance sign a bancassurance pact

• Syndicate Bank and SBI Life Insurance announced that they have signed a bancassurance pact to offer a comprehensive financial planning solution to its customers.
• The agreement was signed in the presence of Syndicate Bank Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Mrutyunjay Mahapatra and MD and CEO of SBI Life, Sanjeev Nautiyal.
• The two banks said they were hopeful of ensuring greater reach and penetration in the market with 3,000 branches of Syndicate Bank spread across the country offering SBI Life's diverse range of protection, wealth creation and savings insurance products to its customers.

2. Virat Kohli beats Sachin Tendulkar to become the fastest to reach 19000 international runs

• Virat Kohli beats Sachin Tendulkar to become the fastest to reach 19000 international runs
• Virat Kohli has beaten his idol Sachin Tendulkar as the quickest batsman to 19,000 international runs. The Indian skipper reached the milestone in 399 innings while Sachin did it in 432.
• The comparisons between Tendulkar and Kohli have been in discussions among cricket fans and pundits for the past couple of years at least.
• The 30-year-old Delhi lad ended 2018 with a total of 2735 international runs, which comprised 11 hundreds, to cap-off another stellar calendar year.

3. Centre to introduce Commercial Space Activities Bill in Budget session

• The Centre is likely to introduce a Bill to commercialise space activities in the budget session next year.
• It will help the Centre establish a regulatory mechanism through an appropriate body to authorise and license space activities.
• The bill provides for a non-transferable licence to be provided by the Central Government to any person carrying out commercial space activity.
• The bill empowers the Central Government to formulate the appropriate mechanism for licencing, eligibility criteria, and fees for the licence.

4. Veteran Kannada actor C H Loknath passes away

• Veteran Kannada actor C H Loknath passed away at a private hospital in Bengaluru . He was 91.
• Loknath ,popularly known as 'Uncle' in the industry has acted in about 650 movies and performed in over 1,000 plays in hiscareer spanned almost six decades.
• He acted in several notable movies like 'Samskara' 'Naagara Haavu, 'Bangarada Manushya', 'Pushpaka Vimana' and 'Bhootayyana Maga Ayyu, which was based on Gorur Ramaswamy Iyengar's short stories 'Vayyari.'

5. Sachin Tendulkar's coach Ramakant Achrekar passes away

• Dronacharya awardee cricket coach Ramakant Achrekar, who is credited with shaping the early career of Sachin Tendulkar, died.
• Best known for being the childhood coach of Tendulkar, who has always acknowledged him as his mentor, Achrekar was also a Padmashri awardee.
• Besides Tendulkar, he also coached some prominent players in Vinod Kambli, Pravin Amre, Sameer DIghe and Balwinder Singh Sandhu.

6. Bharti AXA Life uses WhatsApp to deliver policy, renewal premium

• Private sector insurer Bharti AXA Life Insurance said it has started delivering policies and renewal premium receipt to customers via instant messaging platform WhatsApp.
• It is a part of its alternative service option to the policy holders, Bharti AXA Life Insurance said.
• Bharti AXA Life Insurance, a joint venture between Bharti Enterprises and French Insurance major AXA, is one of the first few life insurers to provide its customers with the option of policy contract, renewal premium receipts and claim intimation through WhatsApp.

7. Veer Savarkar International Airport in Port Blair declared as an authorized Immigration Check post

• Veer Savarkar International Airport in Port Blair has been declared as an authorized Immigration Check post for entry into/exit from India with valid travel documents for all classes of passengers.
• Information, Public Relations and Tourism Division of Andaman and Nicobar Administration said this in a press release.
• This decision of the Union Government will open up the Port Blair Airport for direct international flight and immigration facilities. For this purpose, the Superintendent of Police (CID), Andaman and Nicobar Police has been appointed as the ‘Civil Authority’ for the purpose of the immigration check post.

8. Trump Signs Asia Reassurance Initiative Act Into Law

• U.S. President Donald J. Trump signed into law the Asia Reassurance Initiative Act (ARIA), which passed the U.S. Senate earlier that month.
• The act “establishes a multifaceted U.S. strategy to increase U.S. security, economic interests, and values in the Indo-Pacific region.
• The ARIA Act was introduced into the Senate in April by Senator Cory Gardner, and was co-sponsored by Senators Edward Markey, Marco Rubio, and Ben Cardin.