21st January 2014 Current Affairs Updates

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International Affairs

• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that Iran's atomic drive "will be stopped," a day after a nuclear deal bringing in sanctions relief for Tehran took effect.
• The Philippines said Tuesday it has banned imports of poultry and related products from China after it confirmed an outbreak of the HN52 strain of bird flu in the northern province of Hebei.
• U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon withdrew a last-minute invitation to Iran to attend peace talks on Syria on Monday after the Syrian opposition threatened to boycott this week's conference if President Bashar al-Assad's main sponsor took part.
• Thailand on Tuesday imposed a 60-day state of emergency in the capital and surrounding areas to quell violent anti-government protests aimed at forcing embattled premier Yingluck Shinawatra from office.
• India on Tuesday summoned Pakistan Deputy High Commissioner Mansoor Ahmed Khan in connection with the suspension of Srinagar-Muzaffarabad and Rawalakot-Poonch bus services by Pakistan, which has demanded release of its national arrested for smuggling narcotics worth Rs. 100 crore across the LoC.
• More than 100 Nepalese doctors resigned on Tuesday as part of an ongoing strike to push for reform of medical education, while hospitals and clinics remained closed for a third day.
• A 125-member strong Indian delegation will attend the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting at Davos, Switzerland this week, where they will highlight efforts being undertaken to turn around the economy.

National Affairs

• Three northeastern states - Tripura, Manipur and Meghalaya - celebrated their 42nd statehood day on Tuesday.
• 64th death anniversary of George Orwell, Indian-English journalist and author was observed today.
• 71st death anniversary of Sindhi revolutionary and freedom fighter Hemu Kalani was observed today.
• 1st death anniversary of Bengali-Indian politician Kamal Basu is being observed today.
• The 5th India International Coffee Festival, the flagship event of the coffee sector, to be held in Bangalore from January 21st to 25th.
• Odisha's Chilika lagoon, which is a hotspot for biodiversity, has been named 'destination flyways' by United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) following its inclusion in a list of eight such sites worldwide.      
• Petroleum Minister M. Veerappa Moily Tuesday said the union cabinet will this week consider raising the annual limit of subsidised cooking gas (LPG) cylinders to 12 from nine per household.
• West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee attended the national convention of Tamang tribe at Mirik, Darjeeling district today.
• The Supreme Court on Tuesday commuted the death penalty of 15 convicts, including four aides of forest brigand Veerappan to life term on ground of delay in deciding their mercy plea by the govt and mental illness.
• The dates for the next edition of the annual Jaipur Literature festival is set to be held from January 21 to January 25 in 2015.      
• ULFA-Independent and five other North East militant outfits have jointly called a boycott of Republic Day celebrations and a general strike that day in the entire region.
• BJP MLA Kailash Meghwal today filed his nomination for the post of Rajasthan Assembly Speaker after resigning from Mines department portfolio in the Vasundhara Raje government.
• A retired IPS officer Ramchandra Khan was today arrested by CBI in connection with the 30-year-old Bihar Military Police uniform scam after a warrant was issued by a trial court in Ranchi.
• Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Tuesday evening called off his street protest followed an appeal by Lt. Governor Najeeb Jung.
• In a major rejig in Congress media team, Union Ministers P Chidambaram, Salman Khurshid, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Anand Sharma and AICC general secretary Mukul Wasnik were made senior spokespersons as the party set up new teams of spokespersons and television panelists.
• Sunanda Pushkar, the wife of minister Shashi Tharoor, died of poisoning, says a report of the SDM probing her death.
• West Bengal government will set up a national museum in the city to preserve the dying traditional puppetry, an art which had originated from the country.
• The Supreme Court on Tuesday laid down 12 guidelines for authorities in dealing with death-row prisoners saying their solitary confinement is "unconstitutional" and rejection of their mercy pleas must be intimated in writing to them and their kin.

Science and Technology

• A 'live' demonstration to cultivate as many as 307 varieties of 54 crops including cereal, fibre, fodder, oilseeds, vegetables, pulses, medicinal and aromatic plants, will be a major attraction at the five-day National Agriculture Expo, beginning from February 9.

Awards and Honors

• The President of India Shri Pranab Mukherjee presented awards for the year 2012-13 to various States and Cities for outstanding performance in different categories under the flagship schemes of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation today.

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