1st & 2nd September 2014 - Current Affairs Updates

sponsored links

International Affairs

• Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Europe on Monday of ignoring the Ukrainian army "directly targeting" civilians in the east of the country.
• Prime Minister of Japan ShinzoAbe hosts Tea ceremony as a special gesture for Prime Minister NarendraModi in Tokyo
• UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has expressed concern over Israel's plan to declare nearly 1,000 acres of land in Bethlehem as "state land," saying such seizure is illegal and counterproductive to pursuing a two-State solution with Palestine.
• U.S. military forces attacked the extremist al-Shabab network in Somalia Monday, the Pentagon said, and a witness described ground-shaking explosions in a strike that reportedly targeted the group’s leader.
• Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe promised public and private investment worth $35 billion in India over the next five years.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday termed his Japan trip as "very successful" and hoped that India's infrastructure will improve and the country will become clean with the help of USD 35 billion promised by Japan over five years, the highest ever amount ever.

National Affairs

• The Modi government completes 100 days in power (Check key Highlights of these 100 days from here). 
• In a major boost to the Indian scientific community, the Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan), on its maiden tryst with the red planet, has completed 300 days of its journey in space and is just 23 days away from reaching its intended orbit.
• The DDA (Delhi Development Authority) on Monday launched its much-awaited 'Housing Scheme 2014' offering over 25,000 flats across various categories, amid a huge response from people.
• Government told the Supreme Court that it "wants re-auction of all 218 coal blocks" declared as illegal allocation but sought its indulgence to "exempt" 40 of them which are functional and ready for the end use power plants.
• After two failed bids, Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) may soon sign a deal with an Indian automotive manufacturing company to procure a total of 1,380 semi-low-floor buses to replace its fleet of standard-floor ones (yellow buses).
• Supreme Court gave two months extension to Justice Mudgal committee to complete its final probe in the IPL 2013 spot-fixing and betting scandal.
• Concerned over delay in strategic border projects, Home Minister Rajnath Singh has suggested exemption of environment clearance given to such projects falling within 100 km from International Border or IB, Line of Actual Control or LAC and Line of Control or LOC.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Vivekananda Cultural Centre on Tuesday at the Indian Embassy in Tokyo.

Deaths

• Former Attorney General Goolam Essaji Vahanvati (65) has passed away.

Awards and Honors

• Rising Indian midfielder Manpreet Singh was named the 'Junior Player of the Year' by the Asian Hockey Federation in its Congress held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
• An Indian woman researcher, Veena Sahajwalla, is among the 16 scientists who has been awarded the prestigious Australian Laureate Fellowship for her work in micro-recycling of e-waste. She will get AUD 2.37 million for her research.

Business & Economy

• Unveiling a slew of amendments in the implementation of the Basel 3 regulations, the Reserve Bank of India has allowed banks to issue additional Tier 1 capital instruments, the principal amount of which would absorb losses, either through conversion into common shares or a write-down mechanism that allocates the losses to the instruments, either temporarily or permanently.

People in News

• Government on Monday extended the visa of controversial writer Taslima Nasreen for one year. She is allowed to stay in India till August 2015.
• Note : She has been living in exile since 1994.

New Appointments

• Noted writer and senior BJP leader Mridula Sinha was sworn-in as Governor of Goa, following the resignation of B V Wanchoo.
• The Supreme Court appointed senior advocate Anand Grover as Special Public Prosecutor for conducting the trial in the 2G spectrum allocation scam case.
• Sunil Arora will be Secretary to Department of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship 

Sports

• India have risen to No. 1 in the ODI rankings, while Australia toppled to fourth place after their defeat to Zimbabwe on Sunday.
• Former Australia paceman Glenn McGrath will help groom the next generation of Indian pace bowlers after the Chennai-based pace foundation he heads signed a five-year deal with the Indian cricket board (BCCI) on Tuesday. 

Read more Daily Current Affairs updates from here

sponsored links