20th December 2014 - Important Current Affairs updates

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National Affairs

• Delhi court imposes cost of 10,000 rupees on Union Minister Nitin Gadkari for non-compliance in a defamation case filed by him against Arvind Kejriwal.
• A disciplinary as well as an administrative action of "compulsory wait" has been taken against diplomat Devyani Khobragade, who had hit the headlines last year after she was arrested in the US in a visa fraud case, even as the foreign service officer remained defiant that she has not done anything wrong.
• Jammu and Kashmir witnessed around 66 percent polling, highest in 25 years.

International Affairs

• International Human Solidarity Day observed today.
• The UN General Assembly, on 22 December 2005, by resolution 60/209 identified solidarity as one of the fundamental and universal values that should underlie relations between peoples in the Twenty-first century, and in that regard decided to proclaim 20 December of each year International Human Solidarity Day.
• This year's theme - 'Moving together as one'
• Pakistan hanged two convicted “terrorists” last night after lifting a moratorium on the death penalty in the wake of the deadly Taliban attack on a school.
• Mohammed Aqeel, known as Dr Usman, and Arshad Mahmood, who were hung prison in the city of Faisalabad, were the first civilians to be executed since capital punishment was suspended in 2008.
• U.S. President Barack Obama signs annual defence policy bill granting one billion dollar to Pakistan.

Awards & Honors

• Sahitya Academy has announced the names of 22 poets and authors who will be conferred the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award 2014.
• This  award has recognized premier works in 22 Indian languages that includes eight books of poetry, five novels, three books of essays, three of short stories, one of literary criticism and an autobiography.

New Appointments

• The Government today named Rajinder Khanna, a 1978 batch RAS officer, as the new Chief of Research & Analysis Wing (RAW).
• He will take over from incumbent Alok Joshi, who retires at the end of this month.
• Prakash Mishra, a 1978 IPS officer of Odisha cadre and presently special secretary (internal security) in the Union home ministry is appointed as the Director General of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).
• Indian-American Richard Rahul Verma sworn in as US Ambassador to India
• He has been sworn-in today as the Ambassador by Secretary of State, John Kerry.

Sports

• Both Men and Women Kabaddi teams of India have won the title of the 5th World Cup Kabaddi Tournament by winning their respective matches today in the final.
• In women section winner Indian team got a prize of one crore rupees, a trophy and a gold medal while runners up Newzeland team got a prize of 51 lakh rupees, a trophy and a silver medal.
• In men section winner Indian team got rupees two crore, a trophy, a gold medal and a tractor for each player.
• Australia wins the Brisbane Cricket test against India, and take a 2 nil lead in the series. 

• Read Current Affairs updates of 19th December 2014 from here
• Read Current Affairs updates of 18th December 2014 from here
• Read Current Affairs updates of 17th December 2014 from here

Read more Daily Current Affairs updates from here

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