28 October 2017 Current Affairs
India and US to implement HOSTAC to strengthen maritime security
India and the United States have agreed to implement the programme for Helicopter Operations from Ships other Than Aircraft Carriers (HOSTAC). This decision was taken during a meeting between Indian Defense Minister, Ms. Nirmala Sitharama and US Secretary of Defence Jim Mattis. The meeting between Ms. Sitharaman and Mr. Mattis was held on October 25, 2017, in the Philippines on sidelines of ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting – Plus.
RIL, first Indian company to cross Rs 6 Trillion Market Capital
Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) became the first Indian company to cross Rs 6 trillion market capitalization after its shares surged over 75% so far this year and hit a fresh lifetime high. Currently, its market cap is at Rs 6.02 trillion. The recent rally in the stock was due to tariff hike by its telecom arm Reliance Jio which, analysts expect, will improve the company’s profitability. Jio increased its tariff by 15% for its popular 84-day plan at Rs 459, under which subscribers get 1GB 4G data at high speed per day.
Burundi becomes first country to leave International Criminal Court
African country Burundi has withdrawn from International Criminal Court (ICC) with effect has thus become the first nation. International Criminal Court is an international tribunal (located in Hague, Netherlands) having authority to prosecute individuals for the international crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. In recent years, governments of three African countries, South Africa, Gambia and Burundi expressed their intent to leave ICC citing the reason that it focuses too much on African nations.
Jeff Bezos replaces Gates as World’s Richest Person with $90.6-bn Fortune
According to Forbes magazine, Jeff Bezos surpassed Bill Gates as the richest person in the world. The fortune of Amazon’s founder reached some $90.6 billion, compared with the $90.1 billion that the online edition of the magazine attributes to Gates. This is not the first time that Bezos has outpaced Gates – it previously happened in July 2017 when Amazon shares hit a historic high, though Gates took back the lead hours later.
Karnataka cabinet approves transgender policy
Karnataka state cabinet approved a policy which seeks to provide legal protection to the transgender community and thereby safeguard them from social and sexual exploitation. The objective of this policy is to remove the stigma attached to the transgender community and integrate them into the mainstream of the society. Under the policy, an awareness drive will be conducted to sensitize general public about the rights of transgenders.
Vrindavan, Barsana declared as Sacred Sites, no meat and liquor shops allowed
The Uttar Pradesh government has issued an order notifying Vrindavan and Barsana towns in Mathura district as ‘Sacred pilgrimage sites’ (‘pavitra teerth sthals’). With this, Vrindavan and Barsana bacame the first two places to be notified as teerth sthal in government records. No meat and liquor shops will be allowed in these towns anymore. As per the state government, the main objective behind declaring Vrindavan and Barsana as pilgrimage sites is to honour the sentiments of devotees, who are hurt by the opeartions of liquor and meat shops. The move will help in restoring the age-old traditions of these people.
India overtakes US to become Second Largest Smartphone Market: Report
India overtake the US to become the world’s second-largest smartphone market, trailing only China, according to a new report by analyst firm Canalys. In the second quarter of 2017, India’s smartphone market recovered quickly with shipments growing 23% year-on-year in the third quarter to reach just over 40 million units. Low smartphone penetration and the explosion of LTE (long term evolution, or 4G) are the main drivers behind this.
14th SAARCLAW Conference held in Colombo, Sri Lanka
The 14th South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation in Law (SAARCLAW) Conference was held in Colombo, capital city of Sri Lanka along with 11th SAARC Chief Justices Conference. The three-day conference was inaugurated by Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and saw participation from South Asia’s top Judges, legal practitioners and academics.
Amanpreet wins Bronze at ISSF World Cup final
India’s Amanpreet Singh clinched a bronze medal in his maiden appearance in an ISSF World Cup Final, in New Delhi. Jitu Rai fizzled out to finish seventh on the fourth day of competition. World Cup silver medallist Amanpreet shot 202.2 to win the bronze in the final of men’s 50m pistol. Rai could manage only 123.2 to finish last in the seven- man final. This was India’s first individual medal in the ongoing edition of the prestigious tournament.
SAP launches Asia Pacific Japan Region’s first Leonardo Centre in Bengaluru
Tech major SAP announced the launch of Asia Pacific Japan (APJ) region’s first SAP Leonardo Center in Bengaluru. The fourth SAP Leonardo Center globally, the facility is a go-to place for SAP’s ecosystem for digital inspiration and co-innovation. Other SAP Leonardo Centers locations include New York-US, Paris-France, and Sao Leopoldo-Brazil. It combines a high concentration of customers and partners with one of SAP’s largest market units.
L&T hand overs first defence vessel built in private shipyard to Coast Guard
Larsen and Toubro (L&T) handed over offshore patrol vessel (OPV) named “Vikram” to the Indian Coast Guard. It is country’s first-ever such defence vessel to be built in a private shipyard The vessel was indigenously developed in-house at L&T’s Kattupalli shipyard. Its entire design and construction processes have undergone dual certification from American Bureau of Shipping and Indian Registrar of Shipping.
US Senate confirms Ken Juster’s nomination as US envoy to India
A crucial Senate Committee, confirmed the nomination of Kenneth Juster as the next American envoy to India, paving the way for a full Senate confirmation of the old India hand, who played a key role in the landmark India-US civil nuclear deal. The nomination of Juster, 62, now moves to the full Senate before he can be sworn in as America’s new Ambassador to India. Most recently, Juster had served as the Deputy Assistant to the President for International Economic Affairs and Deputy Director of the National Economic Council. He would replace Richard Verma as the top American diplomat to India if confiormed, The position has been lying vacant since January 20 after Verma resigned from the post with the swearing in of Donald Trump as the 45th President of the United States.
Patna Pirates clinched Third Pro Kabaddi successive title
Pardeep Narwal scored incredible 24 points to steer Patna Pirates to third consecutive Pro Kabaddi title. Pardeep, who had scored 76 points in three playoffs, helped Patna come from behind and thump Gujarat Fortunegiants 55-38 in the summit clash of Pro Kabaddi season 5. Gujarat’s Sachin Tawar was the only player who had managed to break through Patna defence and scored 11 points. The 20-year old raider finishes the 2017 edition as the highest raider with 369 raid points and 19 Super 10s.
England beat Spain 5-2 to Win First-ever U-17 Title
England scripted a dramatic turnaround in Kolkata to win the 2017 FIFA U17 World Cup for the very first time after a 5-2 win over European U17 champions Spain. Spain appeared to throw in the towel after letting slip a commanding lead, and their woe was compounded by further strikes from Marc Guehi and Foden to round off a comprehensive 5-2 victory.