16th August 2014 - Daily Current Affairs updates

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International Affairs

• Having allocated over Rs 7,000 crores in its recent budget for development of 100 'smart cities', India today roped in Singapore for providing its expertise in this even as the two countries decided to step up economic engagement besides defence and security cooperation.
• Israeli and Palestinian negotiators are poised to resume indirect talks with Egyptian mediators on reaching a more permanent ceasefire before a current truce expires at midnight on Monday.
• Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki announced today that he will step down and endorse his nominated successor. 
• Thousands of anti-government protesters led by Opposition leader Imran Khan today reached Islamabad with an aim of ousting Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

National Affairs

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi today commissioned INS Kolkata, India's largest indigenously built warship, at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai. The 6,800 tonne warship  constructed by the Mazagon Dockyards Limited, has been designed by Navy's design bureau.  
• Finance and Defence Minister, Arun Jaitley, has called for cutting down the subsidies to people like him and criticised the policies and governance of the UPA Government.
• In a major reshuffle, Uttar Pradesh government today transferred 33 IPS and 11 PPS officers.  
• Bypolls to the Lok Sabha seats vacated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav will be held on September 13, the Election Commission announced today. 
• Finance minister Arun Jaitley relaunched an insurance scheme for senior citizens that will provide monthly pension ranging from Rs 500 to Rs 5,000. 
• Assam observed 'State Mourning Day' in memory of people killed in bomb blasts on IndependenceDay in 2004 at Dhemaji. 
• Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi stressed that the state government was firm in its resolve to "oppose tooth and nail, the scourge of terrorism and violence".
• Prime Minister dedicated to the nation 765 kV Solapur - Raichur transmission lines, and four laning of Pune - Solapur section of NH-9. 
• Ahead of elections in four states, BJP President Amit Shah on Saturday announced his new team comprising of 11 Vice Presidents, 8 general secretaries and 14 secretaries. While the list of Vice Presidents includes BS Yedurappa and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, the general secretaries' list has names like Ram Madhav, Rajeev Pratap Ruddy and Jagat Prakash Nadda.  

Sports

• The Indian men’s cricket team has disappointed with their spineless performance in the last three weeks but the women counterparts showed steely temperament as they made a remarkable comeback into Test fold, beating England eves by six wickets today (Captain - Mithali Raj).

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