9th June 2016 - Important Current Affairs updates

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International Affairs

• India has been ranked 141 on the 2016 Global Peace Index, falling behind countries like Burundi, and Serbia on the 163-country list. 
• • India was ranked 143 on last year's list. 
  • Prepared by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), the list names Syria as the least peaceful country. 
  • Meanwhile, Iceland was named the world's most peaceful country.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the joint session of the US Congress. 
• • Earlier PM Modi was invited to speak at the joint session by House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan. 
  • He addressed the congress during his second official bilateral visit to the US after his trip in September, 2014. 
  • This was PM Modi’s fourth visit to the US since he assumed office in May 2014. 
  • With this PM Narendra Modi became the fifth Indian Prime Minister to address a joint meeting of Congress, and the first since 2005. 
  • Remaining Prime Ministers who addressed the Joint meeting of Congress were, 
  • • Prime Ministers Rajiv Gandhi (July 13, 1985), 
    • P V Narasimha Rao (May 18, 1994), 
    • Atal Bihari Vajpayee (September 14, 2000) 
    • Manmohan Singh (July 19, 2005)
• The United States has recognised India as a major defence partner which will pave way to bring it closest US allies for defence related trade and technology transfer. 
• • Announcement in this regard was made in the joint statement issued after Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with US President Barack Obama in Washington. 
• The US today asked Pakistan to bring the perpetrators of the 2008 Mumbai and 2016 Pathankot terrorist attacks to justice, in a joint statement with India. 
• • The two countries also sought to counter threats from extremist groups like Jaish-e-Mohammad, Lashkar-e-Tayyiba and D Company. 
  • This comes after India and US inked a pact to exchange terrorist screening information last week.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited more nations and covered more air miles than US President Barack Obama in the first two years of their tenures.
• • Modi travelled to 35 nations and covered 1,64,187 air miles between May 2014-May 2016, while Obama travelled to 25 nations and covered 1,56,336 air miles between January 2009-January 2011.
• Mexico, a member of the 48-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), today pledged its support for India's membership in the nuclear anti-proliferation group. 
• • Earlier, the US also supported India's NSG membership and backed its early entry into other non-proliferation regimes, the Australia Group and Wassenaar Arrangement. 
  • India is also poised to join the Missile Technology Control Regime.
• India and the US will sign a framework for a bilateral cyber relationship in the next two months. 
• • Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Barack Obama have committed to enhance cyber collaboration on critical infrastructure, cybercrime, cybersecurity research and development, and capacity building. 
  • The leaders also emphasised that cyberspace enables economic growth.

Awards & Honors

• Umesh Sachdev, a 30-year-old Indian entrepreneur, has featured in TIME Magazine’s 2016 list of ‘10 millennials who are changing the world’.
• Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree awarding the Order of Friendship to United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

People in News

• Suzuki Motor Corp's head Osamu Suzuki will step down as the CEO on June 29, the Japanese automaker announced today. 
• • However, he will continue working as the Chairman. 
  • This comes after the company, last month, admitted to using fuel-economy testing methods not compliant with Japanese regulations on 2.1 million vehicles sold in the nation since 2010.

Books & Authors

• President Pranab Mukherjee received the first copy of a book titled 'The Education President" at a function held in the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
• • He received the book from Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari who formally released it.
  • The book published by the International Institute for Higher Education Research and Capacity Building, O.P. Jindal Global University highlights President Mukherjee's contribution to the field of higher education as visitor to 116 institutions of higher learning in India.
    

Business & Economy

• According to recently released BP Statistical Review of World Energy India has surpassed Japan to become the world’s third-largest oil consumer. 
• • Note : With demand of 4.1 million barrels a day (bpd), India is the third-largest consumer behind the United States (19.39 million bpd) and China (11.96 million bpd).
• Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos today announced that the online retailer will invest an additional $3 billion in its Indian arm. 
• • The announcement was made in the presence of PM Narendra Modi at the US-India Business Council’s 41st Annual Leadership Summit in Washington DC. 
  • Note : Earlier in July 2014, Amazon had announced a $2 billion funding in India.

New Appointments

• Jet Airways chairman Naresh Goyal has been re-elected to trade association of the world’s airline body IATA’s Board of Governors for the three-year term.

Science & Technology

• The world's first passenger drone 'Ehang 184', capable of autonomously carrying a person in the air for 23 minutes has received clearance for testing in Nevada, US. 
• • The vertical take off drone can fly at altitudes up to 3.5 km at a speed of 100 km/h once a passenger inputs the destination.
  •  It's expected to begin testing later this year.

Sports

• Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo today became the first footballer ever to top Forbes' list of highest-earning athletes of the year. 
• • Ronaldo earned $88 million in the last 12 months, $6.6 million more than second-placed Lionel Messi. 
  • Note : This is the first time since 2000 that someone other than Tiger Woods or Floyd Mayweather has topped the list.
• Former Germany goalkeeper Tim Weise has joined the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) after agreeing to a personal invitation from the company's COO Triple H. 
• • Weise won three trophies and played 263 matches in his seven-year stint at the German club Werder Bremen. 
  • The 34-year-old retired from football in 2014 and will undergo an extended training period at WWE's Performance Center.
• The International Tennis Federation (ITF) has banned former Russian World No. 1 tennis player Maria Sharapova for two years over doping charges.
• • The ban was imposed on her Independent Tribunal of ITF appointed under Tennis Anti-Doping Programme found that she had committed an Anti-Doping Rule Violation. 

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