Daily Current Affairs Updates – 9th April 2017

Daily Current Affairs Updates – 9th April 2017:

Daily Current affairs News Updates about the National and International events were listed here. Candidates those who are preparing for IBPS/SBI/PO/Clerk exam and all other competitive exams can use this.

PMO discusses ways to involve private real estate developers in 'Housing-for-all by 2022' programme:

Prime Minister's Office discussed ways to involve private real estate developers in the government's ambitious 'Housing-for-All by 2022' programme at a meeting in New Delhi. Sources said, the meeting called by the Prime Minister's Principal Secretary Nripendra Misra yesterday discussed how the benefits of the interest subsidy on affordable housing could reach the prospective home buyers at the earliest. The meeting came amid the thrust given by the government to the implementation of the Prime Minister's Awaas Yojana (PMAY), as part of Mr Narendra Modi's ambition of providing housing for all by 2022, when the country celebrates its 75 years of independence.

Modi, Hasina flag off trial run of India-Bangladesh train

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina on Saturday flagged off the trial run of a passenger train service between Kolkata and Bangladesh's Khulna. Named Maitree Express-2, it is the second passenger train between India and Bangladesh. Regular service between the Kolkata station and Khulna will commence in July, Railway officials said.

Country : Bangladesh

Capital: Dhaka

Currency: Bangladeshi taka

Prime minister: Sheikh Hasina

Mega draw of Lucky Grahak Yojana & Digi Dhan Vyapar Yojana being held today at Rashtrapati Bhavan

President Pranab Mukherjee will today draw the lots for mega draw of the Lucky Grahak Yojana and the Digi Dhan Vyapar Yojana at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Three mega prizes for consumers worth 1 crore rupees, 50 lakh and 25 lakh rupees and three for merchants worth 50 lakh, 25 lakh and 12 lakh rupees would be announced, at the event through the 100th mega draw. These winners will be felicitated by the Prime Minister on 14th of April in Nagpur, on the occasion of Ambedkar Jayanti.

Australian PM to arrive in New Delhi on four-day visit

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull will arrive in New Delhi today on a four-day visit. Cooperation in renewable energy, clean coal and bio-fuels will be high on the agenda during his visit. A number of MoUs and Agreements are also to be firmed up in the areas of Security, Environment, Sports, Science and Technology and Health. A high-powered delegation from the education sector will also be accompanying him. This will be the first visit of Mr Turnbull to India. However, Mr Turnbull and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have had substantive meetings on the margins of the G-20 in Antalya in 2015 and in Hangzhou in 2016.

Country : Australia

Capital :Canberra

Currency: Australian dollar

Prime minister: Malcolm Turnbull

Mahavir Jayanti celebrated across the country today

Mahavir Jayanti, the birth anniversary of 24th and last Jain Tirthankar Bhagwan Mahavir is being celebrated across the country today. Mahavir Jayanti is considered to be one of the most auspicious events for Jain people and holds a lot of importance in their religious life. Devotees of Lord Mahavir and his followers celebrate this festival by chanting prayers, offering Prasad and participating in chariot processions.

26 projects worth Rs. 2100 cr approved for Namami Gange project

The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) has approved 26 projects worth Rs.2,154.28 crore under the Centre's 'Namami Gange' programme, aiming to reduce the river's pollution load. As part of the projects, the NMCG will set up sewage treatment plants and develop sewage network in four Ganga basin states, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, and Delhi.

Gadkari stresses need for creation of energy from non-conventional sources

Union Minister for Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Nitin Gadkari has stressed the need for creation of energy from non-conventional sources and its optimum utilization. He also called for conversion of knowledge into wealth and adoption of environment-friendly technology for providing basic civic amenities in the transparent and efficient manner. He was speaking at the concluding ceremony of the Smart and Sustainable City Summit in Nagpur today. The two-day summit was organized by Nagpur Municipal Corporation and Elets Technomedia Limited.

Union Minister for Road Transport, Highways and Shipping: Nitin Gadkari

INTERNATIONAL

Russian frigate armed with cruise missiles heading to Mediterranean

A Russian frigate armed with cruise missiles was reportedly heading to the Mediterranean a day after the first direct military strike by the US against the Syrian regime. Russian state media reported that the frigate, the Admiral Grigorovich, would call at a logistics base at Tartus, Syria. Russia also pledged to help strengthen Syria's air defenses after the US strike on the Shayrat airbase in western Syria.

Country : Russia

Capital : Moscow

Currency: Russian ruble

President: Vladimir Putin

Prime minister: Dmitry Medvedev

15 civilians killed in suspected US-led coalition airstrike near IS group's Syrian bastion Raqa

At least 15 civilians, including four children, were killed in a suspected US-led coalition airstrike today near the Islamic State group's Syrian bastion Raqa. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 17 people were injured in the strike on Heneyda. The Britain-based group said, the death toll could rise further because several of the injured were in serious conditions.

Country : Syria

Capital : Damascus

Currency: Syrian pound

President: Bashar al-Assad

Prime minister: Imad Khamis

Iranian President calls for formation of intl. fact-finding committee to investigate chemical weapons attack

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has called for the formation of an international fact-finding committee to investigate the chemical weapons attack in the northern Syrian town of Idlib that killed at least eighty-seven people. During a speech in Tehran today, Mr Rouhani warned that US missile strikes in response risked escalating extremism and instability in the region. Tehran is Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's main regional ally and has provided military and economic support for his fight against rebel groups and Islamic State terrorists

Country : Iran

Capital :Tehran

Currency: Iranian rial

President: Hassan Rouhani

Supreme leader: Ali Khamenei

BANKING NEWS

UK bank to pay Rs. 795 crore as compensation to fraud victims

UK banking major Lloyds has announced that it is setting aside £100 million (Rs. 795 crore), to compensate customers who lost money in a fraud scandal. The lender said it will compensate for "economic losses, distress and inconvenience" to assist victims. This comes after some staff at HBOS, owned by Lloyds, were jailed for carrying out a loans scam.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY NEWS:

Global crude oil prices hit one-month high

Global crude oil prices hit a one-month high today, after the US fired missiles at a military base in Syria, raising concerns that the conflict could spread in the oil-rich region. Brent crude oil futures rose 68 cents, to 55.57 dollars a barrel, after reaching an intra-day peak of 56.08 dollars a barrel, the highest since 7th of March. U.S. crude rose 70 cents, to 52.40 dollars a barrel. Although Syria has limited oil production, its location and alliances with big oil producers in the region mean any escalation of the conflict has the potential to increase supply-side fears.

India's foreign exchange surges to 369.95 billion US dollars

India's foreign exchange surged by a whopping 2.02 billion US dollars to 369.95 billion US dollars in the week that ended on 31st of March 2017. A RBI press release has informed that foreign currency assets, a major part of the overall reserves rose by 2.08 billion US dollars to 346.32 billion US dollars. In the previous week too, the reserves had shot up by 1.15 billion US dollars to 367.93 billion US dollars.

Loan waiver schemes undermine honest credit culture: Urjit Patel

Reserve Bank of India Governor Urjit Patel today said that farm loan waivers undermine and impact honest credit culture and discipline leading to crowding out of private borrowers.

Elaborating, he said loan waivers endanger moral hazard and entails transfer from tax payers. Therefore, there is a need to create concensus so that loan waiver promises are eschewed.

Ban on cash transactions of over Rs 2 lakh not applicable for bank, post office withdrawals

The Income Tax department has clarified that the ban on cash transaction in excess of 2 lakh rupees will not be applicable to withdrawals from banks and post office savings accounts. Through the Finance Act 2017, the government has banned cash transactions of over 2 lakhs and said a penalty of an equal amount would be levied on the receiver. The Central Board of Direct Taxes said, a necessary notification in this regard would be issued.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY:

Apple patents anti-shock phone case that floats on water

Technology major Apple has received a patent for an anti-shock device that will protect smartphones from falls and float if the phone contacts a water surface. The patent details a spring-loaded bumper system that deploys when it detects that the phone is in free-fall. The 'bumper cushions' may also be coloured to better the appearance of smartphones, Apple added.

Organisation: Apple

Headquarters: California, United States

CEO: Tim Cook

SPORTS NEWS:

India seal place in Davis Cup World Group Tennis Play-offs

India today sealed their place in the Davis Cup World Group Tennis Play-offs with Rohan Bopanna and N Sriram Balaji routing their rivals with clinical precision for an unassailable 3-0 lead against Uzbekistan. Bopanna and debutant Balaji beat the Uzbek pair of Farrukh Dustov and Sanjar Fayziev 6-2, 6-4, 6-1 in the doubles rubber of Davis Cup Asia/Oceania Group-I tie at the KSLTA stadium in Bengaluru. The World Group Play-offs will be held in September.

Rio Olympics marathon champion fails dope test

Kenya's Jemima Sumgong, who won the Rio Olympics women's marathon last year, has tested positive for a banned substance in an out-of-competition dope test conducted by the International Association of Athletics Federations. Jemima, who was due to compete in the upcoming London Marathon, which she won last year, has been suspended from competition pending the B test.