Current Affairs Updates of 26th December 2013

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International Affairs

• China celebrated the 120th anniversary of Mao Zedong's birth Thursday, with top leaders paying a ceremonial visit to Mao's mausoleum and praising the achievements of the man who founded the People's Republic of China.
• Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan reshuffled his cabinet after three members quit over a corruption scandal that has posed an unprecedented challenge to his 11-year rule.
• Israel likely will announce new plans for construction in Jewish settlements next week, a move that is likely to trigger an international uproar and threaten peace talks with the Palestinians.
• Thailand's embattled government today rejected the Election Commission's plea to postpone the February 2 snap polls after fresh street violence left a policeman dead and nearly 100 others injured.

National Affairs

• 14th death anniversary of 9th President of India Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma observed today.
• The Centre today waded into the controversy over the snooping allegedly involving Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi by deciding to set up a Judicial Commission of Inquiry to go into charges of spying on a young woman in 2009.
• Amid demands by jurists and BJP, government on Thursday gave the go ahead to grant constitutional status to a proposed commission for appointment and transfer of judges to the higher judiciary to ensure that its composition cannot be altered through an ordinary legislation.
• The cabinet committee on economic affairs (CCEA) has approved central sector scheme - national scheme of welfare of fishermen during the 12th Plan.
• Concerned over illicit use of drug among youths, Rajasthan government is going to run a special drive across the state to curb the menace.
• The Home Ministry will soon inspect the books of accounts of Aam Aadmi Party in connection with alleged illegal foreign funding to it.
• The Jammu Festival, aimed at showcasing rich culture, heritage and traditions of the city, began today with a scintillating recital on the santoor, enthralling many a visitors.
• In a stern perform or perish message, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday stripped Partha Chatterjee of his Commerce and Industry portfolio in a Cabinet reshuffle, giving the key department to Finance Minister Amit Mitra to give a boost to industrialisation in the state.
• Himachal Pradesh CM Virbhadra Singh will begin the first phase of the winter sojourn to lower areas of the state on Saturday.

Appointments

• GJM supremo Bimal Gurung took oath as the new Chief Executive of Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) in Darjeeling today.

Business and Economy

• ONGC Videsh Ltd (OVL), the overseas arm of state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp. Ltd (ONGC), on Thursday said it has temporarily shutdown oilfields in South Sudan following escalation of violence in the world’s youngest nation.
• Government today approved modalities for the beleaguered sugar industry to avail interest-free loans to the tune of Rs 6,600 crore from banks for effecting timely payment to cane growers.
• Air India can now go ahead with the sale of its five long-haul Boeing 777 aircraft to Etihad Airways, with the government giving its nod to the deal today.
• Govt approves increase in foreign investment limit in Axis Bank to 62% from the existing 49%.
• The Cabinet today approved a pension proposal for 43,000 MTNL employees, who joined the public sector company from Department of Telecom, that would cost the government an estimated Rs 500 crore annually.
• Country's largest power producing firm NTPC has lined up new projects of 19,000 MW capacity, nearly half of that would be commissioned by 2017.
• Government today reduced minimum export price (MEP) of onion to USD 150 a tonne from USD 350 to boost shipments and check sharp fall in domestic prices that has led to farmers protest in producing states.
• The MCX Stock Exchange (MCX-SX) Board on Thursday asked its promoter FTIL to cut stake in the bourse from 26 percent to 2 percent within a month.

Science and Technology

• Microsoft India today said it is introducing Guardian, a new safety application (app), available exclusively for Windows phone users in India.

Read more Daily Current Affairs updates from here 

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