India, Vietnam Sign 12 Agreements to Boost Bilateral ties
i. India and Vietnam have signed 12 agreements for cooperation in areas, including defence and IT, to boost bilateral ties.
ii. PM Modi said New Delhi will provide $500 million credit line for Vietnam for defence cooperation. India also offered a grant of $5 million to set up a software park in Vietnam.
iii. This is the first bilateral prime ministerial visit from India to Vietnam in 15 years.
Maharashtra Governor sworn in as Tamil Nadu’s acting Governor
i. Chennamaneni Vidyasagar Rao, Governor of Maharashtra, was sworn in as the acting Governor of Tamil Nadu.
ii. Rao was administered the oath of office by the Madras High Court’s Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul at the Raj Bhavan, Chennai.
China ratifies Paris global climate agreement
ii. China and the US are expected to announce ratification jointly before or at the weekend’s G20 Hangzhou Summit.
iii. China is the world’s largest emitter of harmful carbon emissions causing climate change.
G-20 Summit 2016 start in Chinese city of Hangzhou tomorrow
i. Two-day G-20 Summit of the world’s major economies will start in the Chinese city of Hangzhou tomorrow to discuss efforts to reform global economic governance.
ii. The theme of the summit is toward an Innovative, Invigorated, Interconnected and Inclusive World Economy.
India, Egypt sign agreement in area of Maritime Transport
ii. The agreemnt would help the two nations to step-up co-operation on the seas not only in terms of maritime commerce but also in transit of naval vessels.
Bangladesh hire former Sri Lankan cricketer Thilan Samaraweera as batting guru
i. Bangladesh has named former Sri Lankan cricketer Thilan Samaraweera as their batting consultant for next month’s home series against England.
ii. Samaraweera’s appointment came a day after former West Indies great Courtney Walsh agreed to a three-year term to become the specialist pace bowling coach of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).
ii. Samaraweera’s appointment came a day after former West Indies great Courtney Walsh agreed to a three-year term to become the specialist pace bowling coach of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).
K K Aggarwal elected National President of IMA
i. Cardiologist K K Aggarwal has been unanimously elected as the National President of the Indian Medical Association for the year 2016-17.
ii. Aggarwal is currently the Secretary General of the doctors association.
BHEL commissions Unit-4 of Teesta Low Dam hydropower project
i. State-run BHEL has commissioned the 4th and last unit of the 4×40 MW Teesta Low Dam Hydro Electric Project (HEP) Stage-IV in West Bengal.
ii. A stretch of the river greenfield project located in Darjeeling district of West Bengal, Teesta HEP has been set up by NHPC Ltd, on the River Teesta.
CCI slaps Rs 6700 crore fine on 10 cement companies
i. The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has imposed the penalty of over Rs 6,700 crore on 10 cement companies including ACC, Lafarge, Ultratech, Jayprakash Associates, Binani and their trade association the Cement Manufacturers Association (CMA) on charges of cartelisation in the sector.
Uzbekistan’s President Islam Karimov dies
ii. Karimov was the first President of Uzbekistan, in office from 1990 to 2016.
PM announces Rs 200 cr for sports in J&K
i. With a view to engaging youth of Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) in constructive sporting activities, a special package of Rs. 200 crore has been announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
ii. The package provides for construction of indoor sporting halls in all districts of the State with a view to provide playing facilities to youth during long winter in the state.
Zaheer Khan gets MCC’s Honorary Life Membership
i. Zaheer Khan, former India pacer has been inducted as an Honorary Life Member of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC).
ii. He is the third Indian player to receive the distinction this year after Virender Sehwag and Anjum Chopra.
World’s first made-in-India leprosy vaccine out on pilot basis
i. The Indian Institute of Immunology in New Delhi has developed mycobacterium indicus pranii (MIP), an exclusive and completely domestic vaccine for leprosy.
ii. MIP, World’s maiden leprosy vaccine, will be launched on trial basis within a few weeks.
iii. Leprosy affects around 1.25 lakhs people in India annually.
Majuli named world’s largest river island
i. Majuli Island on the Brahmaputra in Assam was declared the largest river island in the world, toppling Marajo in Brazil, by Guinness World Records. The river island covers an area of around 880 sqkm.
ii. According to Guinness World Records, the island lost around one-third of its area in the last 30-40 years due to frequent flooding of the river.
Actor Jon Polito passes away
i. Jon Polito, best known for his frequent presence in Coen Brothers films, died of cancer in Duarte, California.
ii. He was first diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2010.iii .The actor had been in more than 100 films, TV shows and Broadway plays.