5th September 2014 - Daily Current Affairs updates

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International Affairs

• The US Agency for International Development (USAID) announced that it would donate 75 million dollars to fund one thousand more beds in Ebola treatment centres in Liberia. It would also buy 130 thousand more protective suits for health care workers.
• Six world powers (United States, China, Russia, Britain, France and Germany) and Iran will hold new talks in New York on September 18, EU and US officials said Thursday, as efforts intensify toward clinching a nuclear deal by a November deadline. These talks will led by European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton.
• NATO leaders are expected to announce a raft of fresh sanctions against Russia today over its actions in Ukraine, although hopes remain that a ceasefire can be forged at peace talks in Minsk.
• Seeking to increase trade and investment with India, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott today expressed hope that negotiations for proposed Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the countries will be concluded by 2016. 
• He announced extension of the Australia-India Strategic Research Fund (AISRF) for a further four years and also pledged Australian dollars (AUD) 20 million for the initiative. 

National Affairs

• President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday greeted the teachers throughout the country on the occasion of Teachers' Day.
• National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval will visit Beijing next week for talks with Chinese leaders ahead of President Xi Jinping’s visit to India later this month.
• Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani today said the central government would soon launch an online library to make study material available to all.

Deaths

• Legendary comedian Joan Rivers dies at 81, after days in medically induced coma.
• Gustavo Cerati, one of Latin America’s most celebrated musicians, considered Argentina’s most legendary rock star, died from respiratory problems.

MOUs and Agreements

• Prime minister Narendra Modi and his visiting Australian counterpart  Tony Abbott signed a long-pending civil nuclear agreement, which will enable Australia to sell uranium to the country.
• Important Note : Australia has about a third of the world's recoverable uranium resources and exports nearly 7,000 tonnes of it a year.

Awards & Honors

• National Award for Teachers 2013
• In a Teachers day function held at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, President Pranab Mukherjee gave away the National Awards 2013 to 378 Teachers for outstanding merit.
• This award was instituted in 1958
• The award carries medal, certificate, Rs. 25,000 as award money.
• The awardees are given facilities such as extension of retirement age extended by the State Government and concession in Railway fare.
• There are 336 awards out of which 20 awards are reserved for Sanskrit, Persian and Arabic teachers.
• From 2001, 33 ‘Special Awards’ have been earmarked to teachers promoting integrated inclusive education in schools and promote the education of children with disabilities in regular schools by States/UTs and other school system.
• The teachers of following categories will be considered for award:
• Teachers with disabilities working in regular schools.
• Special teacher or trained general teachers who may have done outstanding work for Inclusive Education.
• Every year, on the occasion of Teachers' Day (i.e. on September 5, the birthday of Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, Former President of India), the Ministry of Human Resource Development, the Department of School Education and Literacy organizes a function for conferring these national awards on meritorious teachers.

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