Current Affairs: 8 May 2017

Important Days

World Redcross Day

• World Red Cross day means 8th of May is celebrated every year as the birthday anniversary of founder of the Red Cross. Henry Dunant was the founder of the Red Cross as well as the founder of International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), born in the Geneva in the year 1828. He was the most famous person and became the recipient of 1st Nobel Peace Prize.
• World Red Cross Day is an annual event celebration, celebrating the principles of “International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement”. 
• It is celebrated every year to pay tribute to the volunteers participated in the event as well as welcome their precious contribution for helping people in need.

National Events

Government Declares Entire Assam As 'Disturbed' Area

• The Central government has declared the entire Assam as a "disturbed" area under the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act - the AFSPA - for three more months, citing various violent activities by insurgent groups ULFA, NDFB and others.
• the entire Assam, besides bordering areas of Meghalaya, have been declared "disturbed" under the AFSPA for three months with effect from May 3.
• The ministry said there were 75 incidents of violence in Assam in 2016 in which 33 people, including four security personnel, were killed and 14 others were abducted. 
• Besides, there were nine violent incidents in the state in which four people, including two security personnel, were killed in 2017.
• In another gazette notification, the ministry declared three districts of Arunachal Pradesh - Tirap, Changlang and Longding - besides areas falling under 16 police stations bordering Assam as "disturbed" area under the AFSPA for three more months.

Country’s 1st bio refinery plant inaugurated in Pune

• Union Minister for Road Transport and Highway Nitin Gadkari inaugurated the country’s first bio refinery plant which produces ethanol from variety of biomass. 
• The project is situated at Rahu in Pune district. Mr Gadkari said a great revolution will take place in India’s agriculture sector with the help of this kind of projects.
• AIR correspondent reports, the plant can produce one million litre of ethanol per annum by processing a variety of agro-residue like rice and wheat straw, cotton stalk, cane trash, corn cobs with superior product yields.

Jharkhand announces Jan-Dec FY

• Jharkhand has decided to become the second state in the country to reschedule its financial year from January to December.
• The new budget will be tabled in December
• As per the direction of the Chief Minister the new fiscal year for Jharkhand would commence from January 1, 2018 and end on December 31, 2018.
• In the earlier system, it commenced from April 1 and ended on March 31.
• Madhya Pradesh was first state to adopt the new financial year.
• In 2017, Jharkhand was the first state to table its budget in January.

Odisha to introduce boat ambulances in four districts

• Odisha will introduce boat ambulance service in four districts where people face difficulties in getting health service.
• The boat ambulance service will be available in the districts of Koraput, Malkangiri, Kendrapara and Kalahandi where people face problems in availing 108 ambulance service due to intervening large water bodies in the form of rivers and dams disrupting road communication
• The state government has sanctioned six boat ambulances for these areas out of the state funds, Meherda said adding that these will be part of the 108 ambulance service. 
• This is part of an MoU signed on Saturday between the State Government and the Ziquitza Health Care.
• IIT, Chennai is providing technical support to this project and the request for proposal (RFP) for the same is being finalised.

International Event

At 39, Emmanuel Macron To Be France's Youngest President

• Pro-European centrist Emmanuel Macron resoundingly won France's landmark presidential election, first estimates showed Sunday, heading off a fierce challenge from the far-right in a pivotal vote for the future of the divided country and Europe.
• The victory caps an extraordinary rise for the 39-year-old former investment banker, who will become the country's youngest-ever leader.
• He has promised to heal a fractured and demoralised country after a vicious campaign that has exposed deep economic and social divisions, as well as tensions around identity and immigration.
• Initial estimates showed Macron winning between 65.5 percent and 66.1 percent of ballots ahead of Le Pen on between 33.9 percent and 34.5 percent.
• Unknown three years ago, Macron is now poised to become one of Europe's most powerful leaders, bringing with him a hugely ambitious agenda of political and economic reform for France and the European Union.

India To hold festival in Egypt to Mark Togore's Birth Anniversary

• India will organise a cultural festival in Egypt to mark the 156th birth anniversary of the famous Indian poet, Rabindranath Tagore.
• Tagore Festival which is being organised by the Maulana Azad Centre for Indian Culture (MACIC), the cultural wing of the Indian Embassy in Cairo, from May 8-12 will feature a dance show, film screening, a play and painting competition.
• On May 8, the movie 'Kabuliwala' directed by Hemen Gupta will be screened at the Hanager Cinema, Opera House Complex. The movie is based on a novel written by Tagore about an immigrant from Kabul who forms a bond with a young girl in India who reminds him of his daughter in Afghanistan.
• The festival will conclude on May 12 with 'Rituranga – Play of Seasons' which will be performed by members of the Indian community at the Hanager Theatre, Opera House Complex at 7:30 pm.
• The Embassy is also organising a painting/drawing competition to the Indian community children on May 12.
• Rabindranath Tagore received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913. He was the first non-European to win this prestigious award, in recognition for his collection of poems, 'Gitanjali'. His poetry, novels, plays, short stories and essays are widely read in India and across the world.

India redrawing BBIN transport plan as Bhutan withdraws

• India is back at the drawing board on BBIN (Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal) Motor Vehicles Agreement (MVA), an ambitious sub-regional transport project, even as Bhutan has shelved it for the time being.
• The BBIN, which is promoted by India and aimed at creating seamless connectivity between the four countries for enhanced sub-regional trade and movement of people, suffered a body blow on April 29, with Bhutan announcing that it will not be able to ratify the plan before it addresses some of concerns raised domestically over the project. 
• “This is Bhutan’s internal matter. The plan can come into force even without Bhutan. 
• Just that India and the other three countries will have to redraw plan. They can join it once they are ready, but as a new member,” a top official, involved in the projectThe remaining three countries have already ratified it. 
• With the final approval from Bhutan, the plan would have come into force. 
• The lower house of Bhutanese Parliament had also rejected it in November last year but there were hopes that the Upper House would approve it.

Hinduja brothers top UK’s annual rich list

• The Hinduja brothers have topped the 2017 list of the richest people in the UK with an estimated fortune of £16.2 billion, a massive £3.2 billion hike in their fortunes over the previous year.
• Besides the Hinduja brothers, there are over 40 Indian-origin super-rich in this year’s list of the UK’s 1,000 wealthiest people, who seem to be reaping a so-called “Brexit bonanza”.
• ‘The Sunday Times Rich List’ says that uncertainties triggered by Britain’s vote to leave the European Union (EU) last June have not impacted the country’s billionaires’ ability to make money, as they grew in numbers with a 14% rise in their fortunes since last year to earn a record £658 billion collectively.
• Another set of India-born entrepreneurial brothers, David and Simon Reuben, who had topped the list last year have moved down to third place with a fortune of £14 billion and steel tycoon Lakshmi N. Mittal is at fourth with £13. 2 billion.

Sports

Shiva Thapa settles for silver at Asian Boxing Championships

• Fourth seed Shiva Thapa (60kg) settled for a silver medal at the Asian Boxing Championships after an injury-forced loss in the final here on Saturday, becoming the first Indian to claim three back-to-back medals at the continental showpiece.
• Shiva, up against second seed and local favourite Elnur Abduraimov, lost in a split verdict after a head-butt from his opponent resulted in a cut.
• It was in the final few seconds of the opening round when Shiva sustained the cut, forcing a stoppage by the referee.
• The disappointment of missing out on the gold aside, the silver is his third successive medal at the continental showpiece after a gold in 2013 and a bronze in the 2015 edition.

Azlan Shah 2017: Great Britain defeated Australia to Reclaim Title After 23 Years

• Great Britain won the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup title after a gap of 23 years with a rousing 4 -3 victory in the final against defending champions Australia on Saturday.
• Entering the final for the first time since their lone title win in 1994, Great Britain led all the way after securing an early lead in the eighth minute.
• Nine-time champions Australia fought back to take the encounter to the wire, but the British team defended their citadel well and banked on brisk counters to assert pressure on the rivals.
• India outplayed New Zealand 4-0 to claim the bronze medal, while Malaysia beat Japan 3-1 in the playoff for the fifth spot.

Awards & Achievements

Sachin Tendulkar conferred with Fellowship Award in UK

• India's cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar plans to support charities and various initiatives to help the under-privileged people in the second innings of his life.
• Tendulkar, 44, made the remarks here while receiving the Fellowship Award at the 7th annual Asian Awards
• The ceremony, which celebrates excellence in the global Asian community, also paid tribute to Indian actor Om Puri.
• The award for outstanding achievement in Cinema was posthumously conferred on Om Puri who died earlier this year at the age of 66.
• India's playback singer Adnan Sami won the award for 'Outstanding achievement in Music."
• Krishnan Guru-Murthy: Outstanding Achievement in Televisio, 
• Ajay Banga: Business Leader of the Year, 
• Masayoshi Son: Entrepreneur of the year, 
• Nisha Dutt: Social Entrepreneur of the yea, 
• Dr Jack Preger: Philanthropist of the yea, 
• Ding Punhui: Outstanding achievement in sport 
• Demis Hassabis: Outstanding achievement in Science and Technology 
• Sir Harpal Kumar: Outstanding contribution to the community

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