24th February 2014 - Current Affairs Updates

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International Affairs

• German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrived in Israel to discuss nuclear talks with Iran and to encourage Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reach a two-state solution with the Palestinians.
• India and Canada signed an audio-visual co-production agreement which will enable film producers from both countries to collaborate in various facets of film making.
• China has rejected a US move to appoint a State department official as a coordinator for Tibet. "China has never and will never recognize the US' so-called special envoy for the Tibet problem.
• The US plans to shrink the size of its military to its smallest force since pre-World War II level and eliminate an entire class of Air Force attack jets.

National Affairs

• India's first seaplane service from the mainland was launched, a move which is likely to boost tourism, especially in coastal areas.
• Prime Minister Manmohan Singh dedicated to the nation Indira Paryavaran Bhavan, the new office block of the environment ministry, built using solar passive design and energy efficient material.
• Taking note of pendency of a large number of cases, the District Legal Services Authority is organising a National Lok Adalat in Nagpur on April 12.
• Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand will arrive in Nagaland on a three-day visit.The princess will be the chief guest for the premier purification festival of the Angami Nagas called 'Sekrenyi' on February 25.
• For 12 years, visitors wanting to see Spain's prized prehistoric Altamira cave paintings have had to settle for a replica in a museum a few hundred feet away.But  small groups of visitors will again be allowed in the cave.
• National urban health scheme launched in Nagaland.It cover's a total of 1.75 lakh urban poor population of Kohima and Dimapur districts of Nagaland.
• The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has stayed the further cutting of trees and called for a halt on illegal mining on a 32-acre plot of land in the eco-sensitive Western Ghats that was stripped of over 7,000 trees for a toll booth.

Business & Economy

• Ramping up their anti-India campaign, an influential section of American businesses, in particular those from the pharma and manufacturing sectors,urged the Obama Administration to designate India as a Priority Foreign Country.
• Gujarat Gas Company Ltd rallied as much as 14.04 per cent in trade, after its board approved a proposed merger with other state-run companies involved in city gas distribution business.
• Titan Industries has won approval to hedge more gold in the international market, thereby helping the country's largest jewellery company save on its finance costs and avoid the risk of recording mark-to-market loss.
• Tata Power will be the biggest gainer of a decision by the electricity regulator to compensate the utility for losses incurred at its Mundra plant in Gujarat.
• Japanese auto-maker Nissan said it will discontinue sales of its popular SUV X-Trail and 370Z coupe in India as the company is focusing more on localised manufactured models.

Science & Technology

• Fresh from a $19-billion (14-billion-euro) takeover by Facebook, mobile messaging service WhatsApp  will launch free voice calls by mid-year.
• A new study suggests Earth's crust first formed at least 4.4 billion years ago.
• FMCG giant Unilever has partnered Internet.org, a Facebook-led alliance, to study how Internet adoption can be increased in rural communities in India.
• BlackBerry will release its popular messenger service BBM for Windows Phone smartphones in July-September this year.
• Technology firm Mozilla has showcased a smartphone prototype for developing countries, which could cost as less as $ 25.

Deaths

• Eminent painter Prokash Karmakar, passed away this evening following age-related illness, family sources said. He was 81.

Sports

• Delhi wave riders lifts 2nd edition of Hockey India League cup.