25th June 2016 - Important Current Affairs updates

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International Affairs

• Today (25th June) is the Day of the Seafarer.
• Seafarer means "person who travels by sea"
• This day is observed as an expression of thanks to the seafarers for their contribution to the economy and civil society of the world. 
• The observance of the day also acknowledges the risks and personal costs endured by seafarers while being in their jobs.
• Theme of the year 2016 : “At Sea For All”
• According to Pentagon officials, the United States will lift the ban on openly transgender persons serving in the military starting next month. 
  
• A study last year estimated that 15,000 transgender people served in the US military. 
• Note : This comes five years after the US military ended its ban on gay and lesbian personnel serving openly.
• China today announced that it has stopped a "communication mechanism" with Taiwan as the latter has not "acknowledged the 1992 consensus" and "One-China​ principle". 
• Chinese officials suspect newly-elected Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen will push for formal independence, even as they insist she recognises the '1992 consensus', under which Chinese and Taiwanese officials in 1992 agreed there is one China.

National Affairs

• The Emergency was declared in India on this day (25th June) in the year 1975, on orders of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi citing internal threat to national security. 
• During the Emergency, which lasted for 21 months, Gandhi got the power to create laws without getting approvals from legislative assemblies. 
• Various politicians were arrested and censorship on the press was imposed during the period.

Places in News

• US President Barack Obama today named the Stonewall riots site in New York a National Monument, making it the first to honour contributions of gay Americans. 
• The Stonewall Inn gay bar was the site of a police raid that prompted riots and helped trigger the LGBT rights struggle. 
• Note : This comes after a gay nightclub was attacked in Orlando.

Business & Economy

• The first Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is being held in Beijing .
• Theme of the meeting : "the Partnership for Infrastructure Development"  
• Important Points to Note :
  
• Governors and representatives from the Bank’s 57 founding signatories including India, along with invited observers from international partners, are participating in the two day meeting which is being held during 25th and 26th June 2016.
• The meeting will connect finance and development professionals to exchange ideas on Asian infrastructure development and regional connectivity.
• Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is participating in this meeting from India.
• He will address a session on 'Infrastructure and Global Economic Growth' on June 26.
• Bangladesh has become one of the first countries to have secured a loan from the China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.
• The country will get $165 million for a power distribution system upgrade and expansion project.
• The board of the bank approved its first 4 loans totally $509 million to 4 countries yesterday within 6 month's of its establishment.
• Important Note : The other 3 countries are Pakistan, Indonesia and Takjikistan.
• Ratings agency Moody's Investors Service has downgraded Britain's credit outlook to "negative" from "stable" following the country's decision to exit the European Union.
• The government today extended the ban on the import of milk and milk products from China for another year till June 2017. 
• The ban, which was first imposed in 2008, has been extended every year since. 
• The ban was reportedly implemented following apprehensions that milk consignments from China contained melamine, a toxic chemical used in making fertilisers and plastics.

Science & Technology

• Supersonic cruise missile system BrahMos was successfully integrated with the Sukhoi-30MKI frontline strike fighter of the Indian Air Force for an air-launched flight test programme today. 
• With its completion, a final test-firing of the BrahMos from the Sukhoi-30MKI remains to be conducted, post which the IAF will become the first in the world with a supersonic cruise missile system.

New Appointments

• Social media giant Facebook has hired Google Fiber's Co-founder and former General Manager, Kevin Lo as its Director of Infrastructure Connectivity and Investments. 
• South African Indian-origin lawyer Yasmin Sooka has been appointed as the Cairman of three member UN commission (committee) to monitor the human rights situation in South Sudan. 
• The committee was constituted by the United Nations Human Right Council (UNHRC) resolution 31/20 which was adopted by consensus, the 47-member body.
• Former Indian cricketer Lalchand Rajput has been made the Head coach of the Afghanistan national cricket team, taking over from former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq, who vacated the post in April 2016.  

Sports

• The Indian cricket team won their first World Cup title on this day (25th June) in the year 1983. 
• The Indian cricket team beat two-time defending champions West Indies by 43 runs, to become only the second team to win the title. 
• Shooter Jitu Rai clinched the silver medal in 10-metre air pistol event at the International Shooting Sport Federation World Cup in Baku, Azerbaijan, today. 
• This is Rai's sixth World Cup medal, and his second this year, after a gold medal in Bangkok in March. 
• In 2014, Rai had become the first Indian shooter to qualify for the Rio Olympics.

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