Daily Current affairs - May 21st to 24th, 2018 for all competitive exams
The Anti Terrorism Day is
observed on 21 May every year in our country to make the people aware of
the anti-social act of terrorism and its impact on human suffering and lives.
- The official announcement of National Anti Terrorism
Day was made after the assassination of India's seventh Prime
Minister Rajiv Gandhi on 21 May 1991.
He was killed in
Tamil Nadu in a campaign by the terrorist. Then, under V.P. Singh government
the centre has decided to observe 21st May as Anti Terrorism Day.
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International Day for Biological Diversity 2018
Every year May 22 is observed as International Day for Biological Diversity
(IDB) to increase awareness on various biodiversity issues such as habitat
destruction, marine pollution and climate change.
- The theme for 2018 is
“Celebrating 25 Years of Action for Biodiversity.”
It was first observed in 1993 by the Second Committee of the UN General
Assembly. In 2000, May 22 was chosen as the International Day for Biological
Diversity to commemorate the Adoption of the Agreed Text of the Convention on
Biological Diversity.
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India to host World Environment Day 2018
India is the global host of 2018 World Environment Day which will take
place on June 5, 2018.
- Theme: “Beat Plastic Pollution”.
World Environment Day is a UN Environment-led global event, the single
largest celebration of our environment each year, which takes
place on June 5 and is celebrated by thousands of communities worldwide.
Since it began in 1972, it has grown to become a global platform for public
outreach that is widely celebrated across the globe.
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Finance ministry ties up
with 40 companies under Mudra scheme
Union Finance
Ministry has tied up with 40 entities including Flipkart, Swiggy,
Patanjali and Amul for extending loans to small entrepreneurs under
the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY).
- In order to identify people who can be given funds
under the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY), the ministry has organised
an event in Mumbai to extend loan under the scheme.
PMMY was launched by Prime
Minister Narendra Modi on April 8, 2015, for providing loans of up to Rs 10
lakh to the non-corporate, non-farm small/micro enterprises.
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Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya National Mission on
teachers and training
National Institute of Educational Research and Planning (NIEPA) is in the
process of rolling out the National Resource centre, an initiative that is part
of the Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya National Mission on Teachers and Training
(PMMMNMTT).
- The National Resource Centre is envisaged as a
one-stop point for Indian academicians to enhance their research and
teaching skills.
- The centre will enable college and university
teachers to access a detailed database of academic resources, including
lists of books, top journals and subject experts in their area of
interest.
- It will also suggest a mechanism to higher education
institutions to assess students’ satisfaction with teaching and research
in the institutions, so that the faculty are able to figure out what
students think about their college/university and make improvements.
Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya National Mission on Teachers and Teaching
(PMMMNMTT) is a Scheme launched by the Ministry of Human Resource
Development, Government of India. The aim of the scheme to improve the
quality of school and higher education by addressing comprehensively all
issues related to teachers, teaching, teacher preparation, professional
development, Curriculum Design, Designing and Developing Assessment &
Evaluation methodology, Research in Pedagogy and developing effective
Pedagogy.
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India’s 1st sports university in Manipur
Union Cabinet has approved an ordinance to set up the country’s first
national sports university in Manipur. A bill to set up the university in
Imphal is already pending in parliament.
- The ordinance will be on the lines of the bill
introduced in Lok Sabha in August, 2017.
- Establishment of the University: The Bill establishes a National Sports
University located in Manipur. It will promote sports education in the
areas of: (i) sports sciences, (ii) sports technology, (iii) sports
management, and (iv) sports coaching. It will function as a national
training centre for select sports disciplines. It may also establish
campuses and study centres in other parts of the country. The
University will be empowered to grant degrees, diplomas and certificates.
CSTT adopts AYUSH word
Commission for Scientific
and Technical Terminology (CSTT) adopted the word ‘AYUSH’ in Hindi and English
languages for scientific and technical purposes.
The decision follows a
proposal from Ministry of AYUSH in this regards.
- AYUSH word has become popular as acronym for five
traditional and complementary systems of medicine, namely Ayurveda, Yoga
& Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy.
- CSTT approved ‘ayush’ word with meaning “Traditional
and Non-Conventional Systems of Health Care and Healing which include
Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Sowa Rigpa, Homoeopathy etc”.
The Commission for
Scientific & Technical Terminology (CSTT) was set up on December 21, 1960
by a resolution of Government of India under the proviso to Clause (4) of
Article 344 of the Constitution with the objective to evolve and define
scientific and technical terms in Hindi and all Indian languages; publish
glossaries, definitional dictionaries, encyclopaedia
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Sushant Singh Rajput to
promote 2 major initiatives of NITI Aayog
NITI Aayog and Sushant Singh
Rajput have decided to collaborate towards promoting two major initiatives
of NITI Aayog, promotion of BHIM and the Women Entrepreneurship
Platform.
- Mr Rajput had entered into an agreement with NITI
Aayog. The agreement would be signed by Shri Rajput with Ms Anna Roy,
Adviser, NITI Aayog in the presence of Shri Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog.
IIT Kanpur sets up India’s
first advisory centre
Indian Institute of
Technology (IIT)-Kanpur set up India’s first Centre for Energy Regulation (CER)
with the help of Govt of United Kingdom.
- The first of its kind centre in India aims at
providing independent advisory on policy and regulatory matters in the
power and energy sector.
Centre for Energy
Regulation (CER) is an initiative of Department of Industrial and Management
Engineering of IIT Kanpur to enhance regulatory research and networking in
Indian power sector.
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Rajasthan launches
‘Nidaan’ software for disease monitoring
New software, ‘Nidaan’,
has been launched in Rajasthan for presumptive diagnosis and monitoring of
seasonal and non-communicable diseases as well as the trends of ailments found
in specific areas.
- It is expected to help in formulation of specific
action plans for control of diseases.
Madhya Pradesh launches
'My MP Rojgar portal'
Chief Minister of Madhya
Pradesh, Shivraj Singh Chouhan has launched 'My MP Rojgar Portal' to
provide jobs to youths as per their educational qualification, skills and
interest and ensure availability of able candidates to employers as per the
need of their business.
- The portal was launched as a part of the 'Ham
Chhu Lenge Asman' Mukhyamantri Career Counselling programme ‘Pahal'
in Model School of Bhopal.
- It was prepared by the Madhya Pradesh Skill
Development and Employment Generation Board under youth empowerment
mission.
Tamil Nadu to build
India’s next generation defence aircraft
Aeronautical Development
Agency (ADA), which had conceived and designed the Light Combat
Aircraft (LCA) Tejas, has set the ball rolling for building the next generation
defence aircraft, the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), by extending an
invitation to private players in Coimbatore to build a technology
demonstrator.
- The project to be implemented in Sulur in Coimbatore
district which may house the permanent base of the Tejas squadron
marks Tamil Nadu’s first major defence aircraft project.
INSV Tarini completed global circumnaviagtion
INSV Tarini has completed a historic global Circumnavigation. This is the first-ever
Indian circumnavigation of the globe by an all-women crew.
- The expedition titled ‘Navika Sagar Parikrama’ is in consonance with the National policy to empower
women to attain their full potential. It has showcased ‘Nari
Shakti’ on the world platform and helped change societal
attitudes and mindset towards women in India by raising visibility of
their participation in challenging environs.
INSV Tarini is a 56 foot sailing vessel built in India by M/s Aquarius
Shipyard Pvt Ltd, Goa. It was inducted into the Indian Navy recently in
February 2017. It has Raymarine navigation suite and an array of satellite
communication systems for perfect navigation anywhere in the world. It
showcases the ‘Make in India’ initiative on the International forum.
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NMDC, NLC to ink pact with
Aussie ECT for R&D project
NMDC Limited and NLC India
Limited (formerly Neyveli Lignite Corporation) has decided to invest
over USD 26 million for setting up an R&D facility for developing
innovative technologies in iron and steel making.
- Australian Securities Exchange, the NLC and NMDC
will sign the Master Project Agreement (MPA) with ECT to
establish world's first Australian-designed Coldry and Matmor plant
in Tamil Nadu.
Senior executives of NMDC
Limited and NLC India Limited will visit Australia to sign a joint
R&D agreement with Environmental Clean Technologies Limited (ECT) an
Australian company expert in commercialising leading-edge coal and
iron-making technologies.
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Nepal: first country in South-East Asia validated
for eliminating trachoma
World Health Organization (WHO) has validated Nepal for having eliminated
trachoma as a public health problem – a milestone, as the country becomes the
first in WHO’s South-East Asia Region to defeat the world’s leading infectious
cause of blindness.
- Trachoma was the second leading cause of preventable
blindness in Nepal in the 1980s. In
2002, the Government of Nepal stepped up efforts to eliminate the disease
with the establishment of a national trachoma programme. From 2002 to
2005, following the implementation of sustained control activities, the
prevalence of active (inflammatory) trachoma fell by 40%.
Trachoma is a chronic infective disease of the eye and is the leading
cause of infective blindness globally. Trachoma is a disease of poor
environmental and personal hygiene and inadequate access to water and
sanitation.
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India-Nepal joint military
exercise SURYA KIRAN to be held in Uttarakhand
Joint Military Exercise
SURYA KIRAN-XIII between India and Nepal will be conducted
at Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand.
- Exercise SURYA KIRAN is a biannual event which
is conducted alternatively in Nepal and India.
- The aim of this exercise is to conduct battalion level
joint training with emphasis on counter-terrorism operations in
mountainous terrain.
Pak’s Punjab govt releases
Rs.20 million to renovate Krishna temple in Rawalpindi
Pakistan’s Punjab province
government has released Rs 20 million to renovate a Krishna temple in Rawalpindi
city.
- Mohammad Asif, the Evacuee Trust Property Board
(ETPB) Deputy Administrator, said the government has released Rs 20
million to reconstruct the temple.
- The official said the temple could accommodate the
local Hindu community from the twin cities and nearby areas.
Saudi Arabia releases
veteran women’s rights activist Aisha al-Manea
Saudi Arabia has released
veteran women’s rights activist Aisha al-Manea.
- The rights group reported the detention of at least
11 activists, mostly women, who previously campaigned for the right to
drive and an end to the kingdom’s male guardianship system.
Manea had been
campaigning for women’s right to drive since the 1990s. She was among six
detainees publicly identified by Amnesty. Ending a decades-old ban on women
driving has been hailed as proof of a new progressive trend in the country to
pave the way for lifting the driving ban.
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Palestine joins Chemical
Weapons Convention
Palestine has become the
193rd nation to join the Chemical Weapons Convention and the move will take
effect on June 16.
- The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical
Weapons is tasked with implementing the convention which is aimed at
preventing the manufacture, stockpiling, and use of chemical weapons.
- South Sudan, Egypt and North Korea are not part of
the organisation.
Chemical Weapons
Convention (CWC) is an arms control treaty that outlaws the production,
stockpiling, and use of chemical weapons and their precursors. The full name
of the treaty is the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development,
Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction
and it is administered by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical
Weapons (OPCW), an intergovernmental organization based in The Hague, The
Netherlands. The treaty entered into force in 1997.
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UNICEF launches data
visualisation app
UNICEF launched a ‘data
visualisation app’ which provides a user-friendly visual representation of
complex analytics of the education scenario in the country.
- The app has been made with technical inputs from the
UNICEF, in collaboration with the National Institute of Education Planning
and Administration (NIEPA) and the National Council for Educational
Research and Training (NCERT).
- It uses the UDISE (Unified District Information
System for Education), the NAS (National Assessment survey) and
demographic data and can be used as a visual tool by policy makers, senior
government officials, academia, and researchers to address gaps and
monitor programs in the field of education.
India lodges complaint
against US Steel & Aluminium tariffs with WTO
India has launched a
complaint against the United States with the World Trade Organization, WTO to
challenge U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Steel and Aluminium.
- Trump imposed the tariffs in March, levying 25 per
cent on steel imports and 10 per cent on Aluminium.
India, China, Russia,
Japan, Turkey and the European Union have all dismissed that claim, regarding
the U.S. tariffs as “safeguards” under the WTO rules, entitling them to a
combined 3.5 billion dollar in annual compensation.
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US gets first black woman
nominee for governor
Georgia
Democrats selected the first black woman to be a major party nominee for
governor in the US.
- Abrams also became Georgia’s first black nominee for
governor, a prize that has eluded earlier generations of African-American
candidates in the state.
- Abrams’s victory came on the 2018 primary night to
see Democratic women finding success, as Kentucky, Arkansas and Texas also
went to polls.
Israel says the first
country to use US-made F-35 in combat
Israel is the first country
to have used the U.S.-made F-35 stealth fighter in combat.
- Major-General Amikam Norkin also displayed a
photograph of an Israeli F-35 overflying Beirut
Manufactured by Lockheed
Martin Corp, the F-35 is also known as the Joint Strike Fighter and, in
Israel, by its Hebrew name “Adir” (Mighty).
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Norway to ban child
marriage as it seeks to set a global example
Norway approved a law
banning all child marriage, with campaigners saying it would set an example to
others ahead of a global 2030 deadline.
- The Nordic country has a minimum age of 18, but
allows 16- and 17-year-olds to marry with parental consent and permission
from the county governor.
- A marriage should always be based on full, free and
informed consent.
Norway
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Capital
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Oslo
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Currency
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Norwegian krone
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President
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Erna SOLBERG
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Emmanuel Macron and
Vladimir Putin: ‘Frenemies’ reunited
French President Emmanuel
Macron travels to St Petersburg to seek common ground with Russian
President Vladimir Putin.
- The talks between the two come at a crucial time for
their relationship which has been marked by sometimes harsh exchanges.
- At their first meeting in the majesty of the
Versailles Palace outside Paris, Macron slammed Russian state media
publicly for spreading “lying propaganda” during the French election
campaign.
France
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Russia
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Capital
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Paris
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Moscow
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Currency
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CFP franc
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Russian ruble
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President
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Emmanuel Macron
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Vladimir Putin
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India successfully
test-fires BrahMos supersonic cruise missile
India successfully
test-fired the Indo-Russian joint venture BrahMos supersonic cruise missile
from a test range along the Odisha coast to validate some new features.
- The missile was test-fired from a mobile launcher
stationed at Launch pad 3 of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur.
BrahMos is a joint venture between DRDO of India and NPOM of Russia.
The highly versatile BrahMos has been operationalised in the Indian Army,
Indian Navy and Indian Air Force.
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China launches relay
satellite
China has launched relay
satellite named Queqiao (Magpie Bridge) to establish communication link between
earth and its planned Chang’e-4 lunar probe (rover) that will explore the dark
side of moon.
- It was launched as part of Chinese Lunar Exploration
Program (CLEP) onboard of Long March-4C rocket from Xichang launch centre.
- Queqiao (meaning bridge of magpies) satellite will
serve as communications relay for future Chang’e-4 rover that will explore
in South Pole-Aitken Basin in moon’s far side.
ToneTag introduces sound based data transfer
technology
ToneTag, a Bengaluru-based financial technology company, is set to
introduce sound-based data transfer technology named Tonetag.
- ToneTag sound-wave communication platform enables
highly secure proximity payments, customer engagement services and
on-the-go mobility solutions. The approach in this technology makes the
entire process device agnostic and completely frictionless, making the
user experience intuitive and highly adaptable.
ToneTag is a technology which is a communication protocol that will
enable data transfer using sound waves. It is not hardware dependent and
works with the devices that do not have a microphone or speaker.
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NYSE names 1st woman chief
in exchange's 226-year history
New York Stock Exchange
(NYSE) has promoted Stacey Cunningham to President, making her
the first sole woman head of the 226-year-old exchange.
- The 43-year-old became NYSE's Chief
Operating Officer (COO) in June 2015. With Cunningham's promotion,
America's leading two stock exchanges will be led by women after Adena
Friedman took over as CEO of Nasdaq in January 2017.
London mosque becomes
first to declare cryptocurrencies halal
A mosque in East London has
become the first in the UK to declare cryptocurrencies, like Bitcoin, halal.
- Cryptocurrency is a form of digital money that is
designed to be secure and, in many cases, anonymous.
- Due to its anonymous nature, Bitcoin has become
associated with buying unlawful items online.
MCX launches India's 1st
Copper options
India's Multi Commodity
Exchange had launched the country's first copper options contracts.
Three contracts with a lot size of 1 tonne were launched.
- The option contract will provide physical market
participants an additional instrument to hedge their risk.
Paytm buys TicketNew from
Alibaba
PayTM has acquired TicketNew
a Chennai-based online ticketing startup in an all-stock deal to strengthen its
entertainment ticketing business.
- Paytm Entertainment, run by the
online payments major, has bought out the majority stake held
by Alibaba Pictures.
- Alibaba, which is a major investor
in Paytm’s parent One97 Communications, backed TicketNew a year ago with
Rs 120 crore, in an all-cash deal.
Flipkart introduces
‘certified’ furniture
Flipkart has introduced
‘FurniSure,’ a certification that assures customers ‘quality and durability’ of
furniture available on the e-tailer’s website.
- It added that this was a
first-of-its-kind certification for furniture in Indian retail industry.
- The products that get certified
would be available at the ‘FurniSure’ store on Flipkart.
Kotak Securities launches
free intraday trading facility
Domestic brokerage Kotak
Securities has launched ‘Free Intraday Trading’, a facility that allows
investors to do intra-day trading without paying any brokerage per trade.
- Investors can do intra-day trades
across cash, future and options segments at an annual subscription of
Rs.999. Further, investors get free access to the brokerage’s research and
technology platform for the execution of their transactions.
Intra-day trading refers
to trades in which investors do not take delivery of shares but buy and sell
the shares within the same trading session.
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RBI slaps Rs5-cr penalty
on South Indian Bank
Reserve Bank of India
(RBI) has imposed a penalty of Rs5 crore on South Indian Bank
(SIB) for non-compliance with its directions on Income Recognition
and Asset Classification (IRAC) norms, Know Your Customer (KYC) norms and
treasury function.
- The penalty has also been imposed
on the Thrissur-headquartered private sector bank for deficiencies in its
compliance function and compliance culture.
South Indian Bank
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Headquarters
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Thrissur
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Tagline
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Experience next generation
banking
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MD&CEO
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V. G. Mathew
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Bank of Baroda locates
major operations at GIFT City
Bank of Baroda has
successfully located most of its operational activities at a shared
service centre (SSC) at the GIFT City near Ahmedabad.
- The bank will thus become one of
the largest employers in the Ahmedabad-Gandhinagar region.
- The bank had taken 20,000 sq, ft
of office space in GIFT City, making it the first Indian bank to move
several key operations to the smart city.
Bank of Baroda
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Headquarters
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Alkapuri, Vadodara
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Tagline
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India's International Bank
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MD&CEO
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P. S. Jayakumar
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India stands 44th in
Competitive rankings, USA tops: Report
India raised one place to
44th this year in the global competitive rankings out of 63 countries
that were ranked by the IMD World Competitiveness Center.
- China bagged the 13th rank in
2018 as compared to the 18th rank in 2016.
- The top 3 most competitive
economies in the world are USA, Hong Kong and Singapore
India 145th in Healthcare
access, Quality, Iceland tops: Lancet report
India ranks 145th among 195
countries in terms of quality and accessibility of
healthcare, according to a Lancet study.
- In 2016, India’s healthcare access
and quality scored at 41.2 (up from 24.7 in 1990).
- The top 3 countries with the
highest levels of healthcare access and quality in 2016: 1. Iceland (97.1
points), 2. Norway (96.6), Netherlands (96.1).
- The countries with the lowest
scores: Central African Republic (18.6), Somalia (19.0), Guinea-Bissau
(23.4).
SP has the highest income
among 32 regional parties, shows study
The total income of 32
regional political parties in 2016-17 was Rs 321 crore with the Samajwadi
Party (SP) getting the highest at Rs 82.7 crore, says a report.
- These regional parties declared a
total expenditure of Rs 435.48 crore during the year, ADR added in the
report.
- SP reported having the highest
income of Rs 82.76 crore, which forms over 25% of the total income of all
32 regional parties followed by TDP (Telugu Desam Party) with an income of
Rs 72.92 crore and AIADMK Rs 48.88 crore.
71st World health assembly
held in Geneva, Switzerland
The 71st World Health
Assembly was held in Geneva, Switzerland. The Indian Delegation
was led by Union Health Minister of India, Mr J P Nadda at World
Health Assembly.
- The Event was held under the
theme "Health for All: Commit To Universal Health Coverage".
- Mr Nadda also
inaugurated ‘Walk the Talk’ event and gave a call ‘Health
for all, Yoga for all’.
Emergency summit of OIC
held in Istanbul
The 57-members
Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has held extraordinary summit in
Istanbul, Turkey to discuss recent Israeli violence against Palestinian
protesters in Gaza Strip.
- The summit has been convened at
the invitation of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
- It condemned massacre of Peaceful
Palestinian civilian protestors by the Israeli forces as well as on the
official opening of US Embassy in Jerusalem in defiance of international
law, UN Security Council (UNSC) and General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution.
India hosts ASEAN India Film Festival
India is hosting the ASEAN India Film Festival. The Film Festival will be a
platform for people of the film industry of member countries to explore areas
of cooperation in the domain of “cinema and cultural cooperation.
- The Film Festival will be
non-competitive. The tagline of the Festival is proposed to be ‘Friendship
through Films’.
- The Directorate of Film Festivals
is organising ASEAN India Film Festival in collaboration with the Ministry
of External Affairs (ASEAN Multilateral Division) as part of the series of
events to commemorate the 25 years of ASEAN and India relations.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is a regional
intergovernmental organization comprising ten Southeast Asian countries
(Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Cambodia,
Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam) which promotes Pan-Asianism and intergovernmental
cooperation and facilitates economic, political, security, military,
educational and socio-cultural integration amongst its members and other
Asian countries, and globally.
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Venture Capital Symposium
2018 held in New Delhi
The Venture Capital
Symposium 2018 has been organized by NITI Aayog in association with Vision
India Foundation in New Delhi.
- It aims to deepen the economic
relationships between France and India.
- The event aims to support the
Start-up India programme.
- The event facilitates interactions
between French investors, Indian investors, Indian start-ups and critical
govt functionaries.
Smart Cities India 2018
expo underway in New Delhi
A three-day Smart Cities
India 2018 Expo, began in New Delhi. The mega event, consisting five expos
is being held with a vision to help develop attractive and safe cities that
evoke pride, passion and a sense of belonging among citizens.
- The five expos are Building India
Expo, Solar India Expo, Transport India Expo, Smart Cities India Expo and
Water India Expo. Over 300 exhibitors from different countries are
participating in the 4th edition of this event.
Mission Innovation ministerial summit held in
Sweden
The Mission Innovation Ministerial is being held at Malmo-Sweden. India is
also taking part in the ministerial.
- Mission Innovation is a global
platform of 23 countries and European Union aimed at accelerating clean
energy innovations through enhanced Government funding, greater
public-private sector partnership and enhanced global cooperation.
- Mission Innovation is complemented
by private sector-led investments of extraordinary levels of private
capital in clean energy, focusing on early-stage innovations.
English Translation of
Polish Novel ‘Flights’ Wins Man Booker Prize
Polish author Olga
Tokarczuk has won the Man Booker International Prize for her
novel ‘Flights’. The novel, translated by Jennifer Croft,
interweaves narratives of travel with explorations of the human body.
- It bagged the 67,000 US dollar
prize after topping a shortlist of six titles, with Tokarczuk
becoming the first Polish writer to win the award. The head judge of
the awards was Lisa Appignanesi.
- The Man Booker International Prize
celebrates the English translations of works of international literature. In 1971, V.S. Naipaul’s novel In a Free State was
the first book by an Indian novelist to win the Booker.
Man Booker Prize for Fiction is awarded every year to the best original
novel written in English language and published in the UK. From 2018, it has
opened to Irish publishers as well. It started in 1969 and PH Newby was the
first winner of Booker Prize in 1969 for ‘Something to Answer For’.
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Kumaraswamy to take oath
as Karnataka chief minister
JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy will
take oath as chief minister of Karnataka on May 23 at 4.30pm on the steps
of the Vidhana Soudha, the state secretariat.
- Governor Vajubhai Vala will
administer the oath of office and secrecy to Kumaraswamy, a government.
BRICS forum presents award
to late actress Sridevi
Late veteran actress
Sridevi was posthumously conferred with the BRICS Business Forum Leadership
Award for Lifetime Achievement in Indian Cinema.
- Reena Marwah, sister of
actor-producer Boney Kapoor, husband of late Sridevi, received the award
and memento from Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office Dr.
Jitendra Singh and Larisa Zelentsova, President of the International
Alliance of BRICS (Strategic Projects) and Representative in ECOSOC UN.
Amitabh Bachchan honoured
by European Union
The Megastar Amitabh
Bachchan has been honoured by European Union for strengthening Europe-India
cultural ties.
- Bachchan, whose last release “102
Not Out”, co-starring Rishi Kapoor, was well-received by critics as well
as audiences, will next be seen in “Thugs of Hindostan”.
Nari Shakti Puraskar 2017
presented to INSV Tarini team
Minister for Women and Child
Development, Smt. Maneka Sanjay Gandhi presented the prestigious Nari
Shakti Puraskar 2017 to the members of the INSV Tarini team in New
Delhi.
- The Six-member all-women team led
by Lieutenant Commander Vartika Joshi have received the Puraskar from the
Minister.
- The crew of the Indian Navy
Sailing Vessel 'Tarini' is a part of the Indian Navy’s unique project
'Navika SagarParikrama'.
Venezuela's President
Maduro wins re-election
Venezuela's President
Nicolas Maduro was reelected for a second six-year term in
presidential elections, according to the National Electoral Council (CNE).
- Mr Nicolas had replaced Hugo
Chavez after his death from cancer in 2013.
Gobind Singh Deo is
Malaysia’s first Sikh minister
Gobind Singh Deo on Monday
became the first member of Malaysia’s Sikh minority to take the appointment as
a federal minister.
- Deo, who represents Puchong in the
Parliament and is the son of late politician Karpal Singh. He took sworn
in during a ceremony at the National Palace. He got the communications and
multimedia portfolio, according to reports in the Malaysian media.
Japanese director wins
Cannes' top award
Japanese
director Hirokazu Kore-eda took home the top prize -- the Palme
d'Or. Kore-eda, in the festival's main competition for the fifth time, won
the Palme d'Or for 'Manbiki Kazoku' (Shoplifters).
- Kore-eda is only
the second Asian Palme d'Or winner this millennium (after Thailand's
Apichatpong Weerasethakul for 'Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past
Lives', 2010).
- This is the seventh time that a
director from Asia has bagged the coveted trophy.
Pravin Agrawal appointed
BHEL director
State-run power equipment
maker Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) has appointed Pravin L.
Agrawal as a part-time official director on its board.
- An Indian Forest Service officer,
Agrawal is presently joint secretary in the Department of Heavy Industry
(DHI), Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises.
Prajnesh Gunneswaran won
T.K. Ramanathan award for 2017-18
Prajnesh Gunneswaran won
the prestigious T.K. Ramanathan award for the year 2017-18 at
the Tamil Nadu Tennis Association (TNTA) annual day function at the
SDAT tennis stadium.
- He received a cash prize of Rs.
30,000.
Senior writer Yaddanapudi
Sulochana Rani no more
Writer Yaddanapudi Sulochana
Rani, whose novels are adapted into movies, passed away in California of United
States at an age of 78.
- She has written more than 60
novels, and her novel Meena was adapted by Trivikram Srinivas for his film
A Aa.
- Sulochana Rani was an extremely
popular writer during the 70’s and 80’s with her novels which emphasised
on a human to human relations.
Manchester United named
most valuable football team
Manchester United may
have finished second in the English Premier League this season but
the club is top of the table in terms of overall value.
- The Red Devils’ overall value
increased five percent compared to 2017 to more than 3.2 billion euros.
- Beating Real Madrid on
2.9 billion euros and FC Barcelona on 2.8 billion euros.
- In total, the financial value of
the 32 clubs reached an estimated 32.5 billion euros, a 9 percent increase
on 2017.
Bala Prasath wins formula
Junior racing series 2018 championship
Coimbatore racer Bala
Prasath has won the Formula Junior Racing Series 2018 Championship
in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu.
- Bala, who was trailing in second
place after Round 1 with 91 points, was in his element in Round 2 at the
Kari Motor Speedway.
Lionel Messi wins European
Golden shoe for the fifth time
Barcelona forward Lionel
Messi won the European Golden Shoe for a fifth time.
- Argentina international claimed
the prize after scoring 34 goals in La Liga this season, helping his club
to a 25th league triumph.
Tejaswini wins gold, Chain
Singh silver at Munich World Cup
Tejaswini Sawant nailed gold
in the women’s 50m Rifle Prone event on the opening day of ISSF World Cup
Rifle/Pistol stage in Munich.
- Sawant shot 621.4 to pip younger
teammate Anjum Moudgil, who shot 621.2 to win silver in the event.
- Sawant had won a gold at the
recently-concluded Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in Australia.
Ronaldo named most famous
athlete again, Kohli ranked 11th
Real Madrid forward
Cristiano Ronaldo has been named as the world’s most famous athlete for the
third straight year in ESPN’s annual rankings.
- Ronaldo’s rival Lionel Messi
ranked third in the list based on social media following and endorsements,
while NBA star LeBron James was placed second.
- Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli
rose to 11th spot from 13th last year.
Harry Kane named England’s
World Cup captain
Tottenham striker Harry
Kane will be England’s captain at the World Cup in Russia,
the Football Association.
- Manager Gareth Southgate has
shared the leadership role around since taking over as manager in 2016.
- The 24-year-old has scored 12
goals in 23 international appearances, was first handed the armband for
the qualifier against Scotland last June.
Iran announces World Cup
squad without the Belgium-based striker
Iran announced its
24-man squad for the 2018 World Cup late Sunday, surprisingly omitting
striker Kaveh Rezaei.
- The biggest shock was the decision
not to take Rezaei as Belgium’s Charleroi, scoring 16 goals in 39 games.
- Iran does not recognise the Jewish
state and bars its athletes from appearing against Israelis.
Iraq to host first
international football tournament
Iraq is to host
a West Asia Football Federation championship in the southern city
of Basra in November.
- It is the first international
tournament to take place in the country.
- For years, Iraq has been busily
building and upgrading stadiums and campaigning for its return to the
international fold.
- Iraq has not played competitive
internationals on home turf since its 1990 invasion of Kuwait.
Nadal wins eighth Rome
Masters title after stunning comeback
Rafael Nadal won
the Rome Masters for the eighth time on Sunday when he defeated
defending champion Alexander Zverev.
- German second seed Zverev was 3-1
up in the decider before two rain stoppages halted his momentum.
- Nadal remains the best
clay-courter of the Open Era with an astonishing 408-36 record.
Svitolina stuns Halep to
win Italian Open
Elina
Svitolina underlined her status as a top favourite for the French Open by
sweeping Simona Halep to successfully defend her Italian Open crown.
- The win also marked Svitolina’s
12th career title on what was her eighth final in succession.
- Halep, who was broken four times
and lost the opening set in 19 minutes, did not win a game till the start
of the second, 24 minutes in.
Rajinder Singh named
Hockey India president
Rajinder Singh is the new
president of Hockey India (HI), following Mariamma Koshy’s
resignation from the post.
- Singh, who is the Senior Vice
President of HI will take charge as President from today, according to the
media release.
- He was earlier the Treasurer of HI
and currently serves as the Treasurer of Hockey Jammu & Kashmir.
AB de Villiers Retires
from International Cricket
Star South African batsman
AB de Villiers has announced his decision to retire from
international cricket with immediate effect. In his 14-year career, he
played 114 Tests, 228 One-Day Internationals (ODI) and 78 T20
Internationals.
Some of the Phenomenal
Records of ABD are:
- The World Record for the fastest
ODI 50 (16 balls), 100 (31 balls) and 150 (64 balls), the second highest
individual Test score for South Africa (278*), the highest points (935) by
a South African on the ICC Test rankings
