10th September 2014 - Daily Current Affairs updates

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National Affairs

• The Commerce and Industry Ministry is likely to unveil the new five-year Foreign Trade Policy (2014-19) “ very soon”.
• The new policy will be different from earlier policies. 
• Commerce minister - Nirmala Sitharaman 
• Initiating measures to strengthen consumer rights, the government today said, that it will amend laws to set up a regulator to address consumer grievances and take penal action against defaulting companies, and also bring more products under the ambit of mandatory quality certification.
• The Bombay high court today directed Maharashtra government to provide medical screening facilities at Pune and Nagpur airports to detect Ebola virus among passengers arriving from affected countries, on the lines of existing amenities at Mumbai and Delhi airports.
• India has expressed deep concern over children increasingly getting involved in the "vicious grip" of armed conflict and said it is committed to addressing the impact of left wing extremist armed groups on its own children through law and robust policy initiatives. 

 International Affairs

• Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk resigned today.
• At the last EU Summit in Brussels held on 30th August 2014, the European Union leaders have appointed Donald Tusk as the next President of the European Council.
• He is due to take office on 1st December 2014, succeeding the current President Herman Van Rompuy.
• US President Barack Obama to address his countrymen tomorrow night to spell out America's policy on terror group ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria).
• As Afghanistan prepares for a democratic transition of power, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Afghan President Hamid Karzai today held wide-ranging talks on political and security situation in the war-torn country and agreed to intensify cooperation in areas like security and defense. 
• Committing to rebuilding of Afghanistan, India today said it will always remain the war-torn nation's first strategic partner.  
• Modi received Singapore's Emeritus Senior Minister (ESM) Goh Chok Tong today.
• He said India was keen to partner with Singapore as part of its effort to get funding and expertise to emerge as a global manufacturer.

Business & Economy

• India has decided not to impose anti-dumping duty on imports of solar panels from countries like the US and China, Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said today.
• Total telephone subscriber base in India rose marginally in July to reach 94.64 crore, with 34.5 lakh users added during the month, sectoral regulator Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) said today.
• Kicking off the mega disinvestment drive, government today approved the sale of shares in Coal India , ONGC and NHPC to garner a combined Rs 43,000 crore.
• Government reviews progress of Jan Dhan Yojana; Till date 3 crore bank accounts opened
• Government approves an over Rs 5,300 crore project to boost telecom infrastructure and connectivity in North East India.

People in News

• Ferrari Chairman Luca Cordero di Montezemolo said today that he was resigning after 23 years at the helm, in a move that had widely been expected after his record was questioned by parent company Fiat-Chrysler.
• Fiat-Chrysler (FCA) Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne will take over.
• George Kourounis, currently known for his television series Angry Planet,  takes selfie inside active erupting volcano

Awards & Honors

• R. Kamal Bawa, president, the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), India, and distinguished professor, University of Massachusetts, Boston, is among the three winners of the MIDORI Prize for Biodiversity 2014.

Science & Technology

• Scientists have discovered the first evidence of water ice clouds on an object outside of our own solar system, about 7.3 light-years away from Earth.
• This scientists team led by Carnegie's Jacqueline Faherty
• The US space agency, NASA, is developing the Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) Lidar device to map forests on Earth in 3D and increase understanding of their role in the carbon cycle.
• Apple today announced its long-rumored wearable device, the Apple Watch, on sale next year at $349.

Sports

• The Women's Squash Association (WSA) and Professional Squash Association (PSA) today announced the sport's first professional circuit in India -- the JSW Indian Squash Challenger Circuit -- to be held in October across Jaipur, Mumbai and Chennai.  
• International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach met on Tuesday with Ronald Noble, secretary general of the international police agency and announced that the IOC and Interpol jointly fight against match-fixing.
• Ace Indian women's doubles player Jwala Gutta has pulled out of the prestigious Asian Games after sustaining a sprain in the right knee ahead of the multi-sport event in Incheon, Korea.

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