18th January 2014 Current Affairs

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International Affairs

• India and the UAE today signed an MoU to enhance cooperation in renewable energy, especially solar and wind power.
• New cases of HIV and Aids fell sharply in South Africa since 10 years ago, a testimony to successful treatment, according to a report by the United Nations Aids (Unaids) body released on Friday.
• Inspectors from the UN nuclear watchdog arrived in Tehran Saturday in readiness to oversee implementation of a landmark deal that puts temporary curbs on Iran's nuclear programme.    
• South Korean President Park Geun-Hye has ordered the military to boost border security to protect the country against potential provocations by North Korea.
• Sri Lanka today said it was ready to face another resolution against the country in the UN rights body over alleged war crimes during the decades-long civil war against the rebel Tamil Tigers.

National Affairs

• 59th death anniversary of Urdu short story writer Saadat Hassan Manto well known for "Thanda Gosht", and "Toba Tek Singh" observed today.
• The legendary Hindi cinema singer and actor Kundan Lal (K.L.) Saigal remembered on his 67th death anniversary.
• The Himachal Pradesh government has decided to make online licensing and registration of all food business establishments in the state mandatory from February 4 this year.
• Commerce Minister Anand Sharma met his Bangladesh counterpart Tofail Ahmed in New Delhi today. They both discussed ways of further improving trade relations between the two countries in the bilateral as well as SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) framework.
• With Sri Lanka seeking time to finalise the list of representatives for the much-anticipated fishermen's associations meeting aimed at resolving the vexed issue of fishing rights in the Palk Straits, the Tamil Nadu government on Saturday said the discussions would be held on January 27 and not on Monday as announced originally.
• Former Punjab and Haryana High Court Judge Nirmal Yadav faces trial in the infamous 2008 cash-at-judge's door scam after a special CBI court in Chandigarh on Saturday framed charges against her in the case.
• Following up on two chargesheets and several departmental enquiries, the Haryana government has now recommended a CBI probe against IAS officer Ashok Khemka for alleged irregularities in purchase of Rs 8 crores worth of Galvalume roofing sheets when he was managing director of the State Warehousing Corporation in 2009.
• Reflecting a change in stance, BJP president Rajnath Singh on Saturday said his party has no objection to Article 370 which grants special status to Jammu & Kashmir if it helps in the development of the state.
• Government has invited applications for filing up a post of chairperson and eight posts of members of Lokpal. Four posts are reserved for judicial members," a senior official in the Ministry of Personnel said
• The Special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Court on Saturday rejected CBI's application to drop former Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan's name from the list of the accused in the Adarsh Society Scam case. This means Mr. Chavan will be tried as an accused in the case.

Awards and Honors

• West Bengal has been selected for 'Krishi Karman' Award for 2012-13 as the best performing state in overall agricultural production in the country.
• Cyrus Mistry wins DSC Prize for the year 2014.

Appointments

• Justice Dharam Chand Chaudhary was sworn in as a judge of the Himachal Pradesh high court.
• Trinamool Congress has nominated Bollywood actor Mithun Chakraborty as one of the five Rajya Sabha members to be elected from West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee anounced today.
• Senior leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad, Jyotiraditya Scindia and Randip Surjewala were on Saturday made members of the Congress Election Coordination Committee headed by Mr. Rahul Gandhi, a day after he was asked by AICC to lead its campaign for Lok Sabha polls.

Business and Economy

• Commerce Ministers of India and Pakistan on Saturday agreed to provide Non-Discriminatory Market Access (NDMA) on reciprocal basis to each other.
• Intel plans to trim more than 5,000 jobs from its workforce this year in an effort to boost its earnings amid waning demand for its personal computer chips.

Deaths

• The spiritual leader of Dawoodi Bohra community Dr Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin passed away on Friday after a cardiac arrest in Mumbai. He was 102.

Science and Technology

• India is planning to carry out the development trial of the 4,000 km-range nuke capable Agni-4 missile off Odisha coast next week.

Sports

• India to play New Zealand in first of 5-match One Day series tomorrow in Napier, New Zealand

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