1st February 2015 - Important Current Affairs updates

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International Affairs

• External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj is in China on a four-day visit and is accompanied by the new foreign secretary S Jaishankar.
• Mrs. Sushma Swaraj inaugurated 2nd meeting of the India- China Media Forum in Beijing today. 
• The day-long meeting will deliberate on media’s role in promoting bilateral strategic partnership, boosting economic cooperation and opportunities and challenges for India-China media cooperation.
• India and China exchanged notes on modalities for opening the second route for pilgrims undertaking the Kailash Mansarovar yatra.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit China in May this year, ahead of the meeting with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi.
• Modi's visit to China is a reciprocal one by President Xi Jinping to India in September last year.

National Affairs

• 12th death anniversary of 1st Indian-American woman in space Kalpana Chawla being observed today.
• The government is likely to accept the recommendation of a committee led by former Supreme Court judge G.P. Mathur to set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
• The panel, set up on December 23 last year, submitted its report to Home Minister Rajnath Singh last week.
• The riots, which followed assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984, claimed over 3,000 lives, of which 2,000 fell prey to violence in Delhi.
• The 29th edition of the Surajkund International Crafts Mela (fair) began today at Surajkund in Haryana's Faridabad district, adjoining New Delhi.
• The Mela is jointly hosted by Haryana Tourism Corporation and Surajkund Mela Authority, in collaboration with the union ministries of tourism, textiles, culture and external affairs.
• Known for showcasing richness and diversity of handicrafts, handlooms and the cultural heritage of the country, the fair has Lebanon as the partner country and Chhattisgarh as the theme state this time.
• This year, 18 countries are part of the Mela, which include, besides Lebanon, SAARC nations Sri Lanka, Nepal, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, Eurasian nations Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russian Federation, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Georgia and Tajikistan. Other participating countries include Kuwait, Qatar, Thailand, Uganda and Syria.
• The Mela will be held till 15th February 215.

Awards & Honors

• Shahid Kapoor won the Filmfare award for Best Actor (Male) for his performance in the film “Haider”, while Kangna Ranaut received the Best Actor (Female) award for “Queen”, at the 60th Filmfare Awards ceremony. Check Complete Winners List of 60th 60th Britannia Filmfare Awards from here.

New Appointments

• T. Suvarna Raju took over as the 17th chairman of the state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), following his predecessor R.K. Tyagi's retirement. 
• Kanagasabapathy J Sripavan sworn in as 44th Chief Justice of Sri Lanka. 

People in News

• Islamic State militants today said they had beheaded a second Japanese hostage, journalist Kenji Goto, prompting Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to vow to step up humanitarian aid to the group’s opponents in the Middle East and help bring his killers to justice.
• Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot has tested positive for swine flu.
• In a tweet, Gehlot said that he had tested positive for the H1N1 virus but his condition has improved after starting treatment in time.

Deaths

• Former German President Richard von Weizsaecker, who declared Germany's World War II surrender a "day of liberation" for his country as he urged it to confront the Nazi past, and promoted reconciliation during a tenure spanning the reunification of west and east, has died. He was 94.
• Carl Djerassi, an Austrian-born US chemist who developed the birth control pill, has passed away at the age of 91.
• He was most famous for leading a research team in Mexico City that in 1951 developed norethindrone, a synthetic molecule that became a key component of the first birth control pill.

Business & Economy

• Jet fuel (ATF) price today cut by a steep 11.3 per cent and now costs less than diesel.
• Last month, its rate had fallen below the price at which petrol is sold.
• The price of aviation turbine fuel (ATF), or jet fuel, in Delhi was cut by Rs. 5,909.9 per kilolitre, or 11.27 per cent, to Rs. 46,513.02 per kl, oil companies announced today.

Sports

• Novak Djokovic lifts Men's singles crown of the Australian Open (this is his 5th title), Leander Peas and Martina Hingis win Mixed Doubles trophy. Check Complete Winners List of Australian Open 2015 from here.
• Australia clinches the One-day International Tri-Series at Perth beating England by 112 runs.

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