Miss Venezuela Gabriela Isler : Miss Universe 2013

Miss Venezuela Gabriela Isler : Miss Universe 2013

Gabriela Isler from Venezuela won Miss Universe 2013 contest on 9 November 2013 held at Crocus City Hall in Moscow, Russia. Patricia Yurena Rodriguez from Spain finished as the first runner-up, whereas Constanza Baez from Ecuador was the second runner up. Manasi Moghe from India had been shortlisted for the top 10 finalists of Miss Universe 2013 but failed to win the crown. Miss Universe is the oldest International beauty pageant.

The top 10 finalists comprised India, Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Ukraine, Ecuador, USA, Brazil, Great Britain, Spain and Philippines. Top 5 finalists included Ecuador, Spain, Brazil, Philippines, Venezuela.

María Gabriela Isler was born on 21 April 1988 in Valencia, Carabobo, Venezuela. She is a Venezuelan fashion model and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Venezuela 2012. She is the third Miss Universe from Venezuela in 6 years.

India and China have resumed 3rd Joint Military Exercises after five years -

Indian and Chinese army are set to hold their third joint military exercises after a gap of 5 years. During the exercises the Indian army contingent of 150 people reached the Chengdu city on 4 November 2013 to take part in the anti-terrorism drills. 

The 10 day drill code has been named hand in hand was inaugurated in the Chengdu city on 5 November 2013. Earlier, the annual exercises began in 2007 and the first exercise was held in Kumming city of China, whereas the second round was held in India at Belgaum in Karnataka in 2008. 

Further, the next round of exercise was called off by India after the General who headed troops in Jammu and Kashmir was denied the visa on the grounds that the region part of disputed territory. 

The contact between the two nations was resumed after China withdrew its decision and started issuing the regular visas to residents of Jammu and Kashmir. This step facilitated a broad engagement between the two giant neighbours - 

Bharti Airtel signed an Agreement with the Warid Group -

Bharti Airtel on 5 November 2013 entered into an agreement with the Warid Group to acquire its Congo operations with the objective of strengthening its stronghold in the African market. The acquisition will make Airtel the largest mobile operator in the Republic of Congo with around 2.6 million customers. At present, Airtel is the second largest operator in that country with over 1.6 million customers, while Warid is the third largest with around one million customers. This is the second acquisition by Airtel in African continent. It had acquired Warid’s Uganda operations earlier in 2013. The agreement will bring together the strengths of Airtel and Warid in Congo Brazzaville. It will benefit customers in the form of affordable tariffs, superior 2G/ 3G network and affordable voice and data services. Airtel had over 66 million customers at the end of September 2013 in the region with its presence across 17 African countries. Bharti Airtel is ranked fourth largest mobile operator at world level with operation in 20 countries and had over 280 million customers at the end of September 2013 - 

Bangladeshi Court sentenced to Death 152 Soldiers

A Bangladeshi court on 5 November 2013 sentenced to death 152 soldiers for their role in a 2009 mutiny. The life includes massacre of 74 people, including top army officers.  The trial is considered one of the world’s biggest ever mass criminal trials. Besides, a total of 820 ex-paramilitary soldiers and 26 civilians were put on trial and Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Court Judge Md Akhtaruzzaman gave life imprisonment to 158 rebel soldiers and jail terms of three to 10 years to 251 others, while 271 were acquitted. Bangladesh paramilitary border guards had staged a two-day mutiny over pay and other grievances against military leaders during 25-26 February 2009. The mutiny had taken place two months after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina assumed office. Then BDR chief Major General Shakil Ahmed was killed during the mutiny and the mutineers hacked to death, tortured and burnt alive 74 people - 

Microsoft Developed New Sign Language Translator-KINECT -

US software company Microsoft recently developed a new cost-effective sign language translator that converts signs into spoken and written language - and vice versa. 

In collaboration with researchers in China, Microsoft created the Kinect Sign Language Translator, a prototype system that understands the gestures of sign language and converts them to spoken and written languageand vice versa. 

The translator uses a computer and a Kinect camera that recognises signing gestures, then gives a spoken and written translation of languages for people who can hear. 

The system captures a conversation both sides: the deaf person is shown signing, with a written and spoken translation being rendered in real-time, while the system takes the hearing person's spoken words and turns them into accurate, understandable signs. The system takes a person's spoken words and translate them into accurate signs carried out by an on-screen avatar.

The Kinect's sensors read a user's body position and movements and, with the help of a computer, translate them into commands. The project was collaboration between the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing Union University, and Microsoft Research Asia