3rd August 2015 - Important Current Affairs updates

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International Affairs

• The European Organisation for Nuclear Research (also known as CERN), has formally conferred its associate membership on Pakistan.
• With this membership, Pakistan can now participate in the governance of CERN, by attending meetings of its council. 
• It will allow the Pakistani industry to bid for CERN contracts.
• It will also allow Pakistani scientists to become members of the CERN staff, and to participate in CERN's training and career-development programmes.
• US President Barack Obama has unveiled the final version of his plan to tackle greenhouse gases from coal-fired power plants, kicking off what is expected to be a tumultuous legal battle between federal environmental regulators and the coal industry.
• The revised Clean Power Plan will seek to slash carbon emissions from the power sector by 32 percent by 2030 from 2005 levels, a 9 percent increase over a previous proposal.
• The regulation is aimed at ushering in a sweeping transformation of the U.S. electricity sector, encouraging an aggressive shift toward more renewable energy away from coal-fired electricity.
• India to host 2nd Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC).
• The upcoming summit, which is going to be held on on 21st August 2015 at Jaipur is expected to pave the way for agreements in agriculture, food processing, fisheries, solar energy, e-networks for coordination in telemedicine and tele-education, space cooperation and climate change, all of which were mentioned as areas of potential cooperation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Fiji in 2014.

National Affairs

• With an aim of ending insurgency in Nagaland, the Indian government today signed a peace accord with key Naga militant group, the Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-IM).   
  
• The landmark peace treaty was signed between presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Thuingaleng Muivah of NSCN. 
• With onion prices touching Rs. 45 per kg in retail markets, the Odisha government today decided to launch Onion Mission and provide easy loans and high yielding seeds to farmers.
• The Govt will also set up 300 cold storage centres across Odisha in which about 25 lakh tonne of  ‎onion‬ can be stored that will help in containing the price rise of onion.
• Agriculture Minister of Odisha : Pradeep Maharathy
• Following a Government of India order, Internet Services Providers in the country have blocked over 850 ‘porn websites’ in the country.
• The Spices Board has launched a slew of steps to promote spice cultivation by offering subsidies and sensitise them about the need to undertake post-harvest quality enhancement techniques.
• The Board will also provide financial assistance to farmers for irrigation, land development, mechanisation, replanting, soil conservation and organic farming of various spices. It will also give financial aid to purchase irrigation and farming equipment and tools.
• Spices Board Chairman : A Jayathilak

Deaths

• Multi-award-winning American Singer Lynn Anderson has passed away.
• She is best known for her Grammy award-winning single "Rose Garden".
• Former Madhya Pradesh minister and senior BJP leader Jagannath Singh passed awa.

Sports

• US tennis player Serena Williams held on to the lead in the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) rankings released today with 12,721 points.
• The top-10 rankings:
1. Serena Williams (US) 12,721 points
2. Maria Sharapova (Russia) 6,490
3. Simona Halep (Romania) 5,151
4. Petra Kvitova (Czech) 5,000
5. Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark) 4,910
6. Ana Ivanovic (Serbia) 3,765
7. Agnieszka Radwanska (Poland) 3,560
8. Lucie Safarova (Czech) 3,515
9. Garbine Muguruza (Spain) 3,320
10. Carla Suarez (Spain) 3,285.
• The Indian women's recurve archery team of Deepika Kumari, Laxmirani Majhi and Rimil Buriuly won Silver in World Archery Championship.

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