4th August 2016 - Important Current Affairs updates

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International Affairs

• Israeli Parliament on Tuesday passed the 'Youth Bill', which allows imprisoning children under the age of 14 convicted of "terrorist offences" amid a surge in attacks by young Palestinians. The Bill's sponsor Anat Berko said, "to those who are murdered with a knife in the heart it does not matter if the child is 12 or 15."
• The US has blocked $300 million in military aid that was promised to Pakistan under a program to reimburse countries for supporting counter-terrorist operations. Pakistan is the largest recipient of such funds and has received around $14 billion since 2002. This comes after US Defense Secretary Ash Carter declined to certify that Pakistan was taking adequate action against Haqqani network.
• According to Japanese officials, North Korea on Wednesday, test-fired a ballistic missile which landed in Japan-controlled waters for the first time. Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said it was a "grave threat" and the country's self-defence force would be on alert in case of further launches. North Korea is already under UN sanctions over its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.
• The Union Cabinet has given its approval for signing of new Air Services Agreement (ASA) between India and Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR). Decision in this regard was taken in the union cabinet meeting chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi.

National Affairs

• According to an Assocham study, Delhi has the highest percentage (42.5%) of people with diabetes among Indian cities, followed by Mumbai (38.5%), Ahmedabad (36%). The study found that diabetes in men increased 25%, while it increased 42% in women. If lifestyle changes are not made, over 125 million Indians are likely to suffer from diabetes by 2035, the study concluded.
• The Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday booked former Gujarat Chief Minister Shankarsinh Vaghela in a money laundering case. Vaghela, along with four others, was charged with causing a loss of ₹709 crore to the exchequer as the Union Textile Minister. Vaghela claimed he was being accused because of his statement that there has been a "political encounter of (Gujarat CM) Anandiben.”
• The government has reportedly sanctioned the deployment of the fourth regiment of the BrahMos supersonic missile along the Indo-China border. The regiment consists of around 100 missiles with a cost of over ₹4,300 crore, defence officials said. BrahMos, jointly developed by India and Russia, features a steep dive capability that can hit enemy targets hidden in mountain shadows.
• The Cabinet on Wednesday approved the Motor Vehicle (Amendment) Bill 2016, which proposes that the parents or guardians be fined and jailed in cases of traffic violations by juveniles. The Bill also proposes to increase the fine for drunken driving to ₹10,000 from the current ₹2,000 and for driving without a license to ₹5,000 from the current ₹500.
• The Union Cabinet has given its approval for making suitable amendments in the Central List of OBCs (Other Backward Classes) applicable to Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. This decision has been taken as per the recommendations of the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC).

Science & Technology

• The tallest moving observation tower in the world, the 'British Airways i360' opened in Brighton city, United Kingdom today. The 531-feet tower will send up to 200 viewers skyward in a curved glass pod which will stop at 450 feet. The tower, which took about 12 years and £46 million to build, offers panoramic views of up to 42 kilometres.

Business & Economy

• The Rajya Sabha on Wednesday passed the Goods and Services Tax (Amendments) Bill with most of the political parties, except the AIADMK, voting in its favour. The Bill which was passed in the Lok Sabha in May 2015 aims to replace multiple rates of taxation in different states with a uniform country-wide rate.
• The target date for the roll out of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill has been set as April 1, 2017, Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia said. A majority of states have to ratify the constitutional amendment within 30 days, allowing a new GST Council to finalise the legislation for the rate and other terms of the tax, he added.
• IT industry body Nasscom on Wednesday said that while the GST Bill will create a "rational tax regime", it would also create multiple taxation points, which would be a “challenge” for the IT industry. Suggesting changes to GST Model Law, Nasscom President R Chandrashekhar stated that there could be 111 different taxation points under it against a single point now.
• India’s Directorate General of Safeguards (DGS) on Wednesday recommended a 10% provisional tax on imports of flat sheets and plates of hot-rolled steel to protect local mills hit by cheaper imports. The DGS recommended the 10% duty for a year and a gradual reduction after that. The taxes will be applied on imported steel costing less than $504 a tonne.
• The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the Telecom Commission’s proposal to fix a minimum Spectrum Usage Charge (SUC) at 3% of operators’ adjusted gross revenue for future spectrum auctions. The new SUC calculations will take a weighted average of the charges for spectrums held by operators. Department of Telecommunications (DoT) will reportedly begin spectrum auctions by September end.
• The government on Wednesday authorised the National Highways Authority of India to monetise around 75 public-funded highways projects, that can generate up to ₹1 lakh crore, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said. This would ensure better operation and maintenance and provide enhanced services, he added. The projects have been generating toll revenues for at least two years.
• The Union Cabinet has approved the rates for Spectrum Usage Charge (SUC) for various bands of spectrum for which auction are going to be conducted shortly. With this approval the path is clear for issuance of the Notice Inviting Application (NIV) for spectrum auction by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). SUC is the charge that telecom firms have to pay the government every year. The Union Government earns about Rs.7,000 crore annually from it.

Awards & Honors

• Actress Deepika Padukone has been featured under the list 'Hollywood's Next Generation' by fashion magazine Vanity Fair. The 30-year old actress can be seen in a red outfit by Italian luxury brand Gucci in the photo shoot for Vanity Fair. Other actors who featured in the list include Elizabeth Debicki from 'The Great Gatsby' and Elvis Presley’s granddaughter Riley Keough.

General Knowledge

• Barack Obama earlier this year became the first sitting US President to visit Hiroshima, the Japanese city where the US dropped the first ever atomic bomb. Obama, who turns 55 today, said on the occasion, “Death fell from the sky and the world was changed.” The nuclear attack had resulted in nearly 140,000 deaths.
• The oldest-ever person to win an Olympic medal was Swedish shooter Oscar Swahn, who won a silver medal in the 'running dear double-shot team event' in 1920 Olympics at the age of 72 years and 280 days. He had won his first gold medal at the 1908 Olympic Games held in London at the age of 60.

Sports

• The flag-hoisting ceremony of the Indian tricolour was held at Rio’s Olympic Village on Tuesday. Even though the entire Indian contingent was not present, the event was attended by shooter Jitu Rai, the women’s hockey team, Indian Olympic Association chief Narayana Ramachandran and other members and officials of the Indian contingent. The event is set to begin on August 5.
• Current Olympic and Wimbledon champion Andy Murray will become the first tennis player to carry Team Great Britain’s flag at the Olympics. Murray, who won the gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics, will lead Great Britain’s contingent at the opening ceremony on Friday. The flag bearer is chosen by the British Olympic Association, with each sport nominating one athlete.
• The International Olympic Committee has unanimously agreed to add karate, skateboarding, surfing, sports climbing and baseball/softball to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The decision will add 18 events and 474 athletes to the Tokyo Olympics, without affecting the current athlete and event quotas. Talking about the change, IOC President Thomas Bach said, "We want to take sport to the youth."

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