Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Starred Articles

Pankaj Advani clinches World Billiards title, bags 3 Grand Doubles
Sports > Billiards > Oct 30
Indian cueist Pankaj Advani clinched the World Billiards Championship (time format) title to bag a record 12th world crown and also complete a rare 'Grand Double' post his third win in both the long and short formats in the same year.
The third grand double makes him the only billiards player to achieve this feat. Advani, 29, surpassed Mike Russell, who had won the double in 2010 and 2011.
Advani's previous grand doubles were in Malta in 2005 and in his hometown in 2008.

51 countries sign agreement to automatically swap tax information
World > Taxation > Oct 30
Finance ministers and tax chiefs from 51 countries at a taxation conference of about 100 countries coordinated by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) have signed an agreement to automatically exchange tax information. The agreement was signed with a view to end tax evasion via secret bank accounts. The US was not a signatory but supported the move.

Warren Anderson of Bhopal gas tragedy infamy passes away
World > Bhopal Gas Tragedy > Oct 31
Warren M Anderson, who was the chairman of the US-based Union Carbide Corporation when a poisonous gas leak at the company’s plant in Bhopal killed thousands, is dead. He died at a nursing home in Vero Beach, Florida. He was 92. His death, which was not announced by his family, was confirmed from public records.
The poisonous gas leak from the Union Carbide plant killed more than 5,000 people on the night of December 2-3, 1984, in Bhopal. It remains one of the world’s worst industrial accidents.

Others

1984 riots: Amitabh Bachchan summoned by US court for 'instigating' violence against Sikhs
World > 1984 riots > Oct 29
Actor Amitabh Bachchan has been summoned by Los Angeles federal court for allegedly instigating violence against the Sikh community during the November 1984 massacre. He has been accused of raising "Khooon Ka Badla Khoon" (blood for blood) slogan on October 31, 1984 after then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was shot dead by her two Sikh bodyguards.
As per the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, Bachchan has 21 days after the service of summons to respond to the charges of human rights violations.
In the past several years, SFJ has unsuccessfully tried to drag several Indian leaders to US courts in the alleged human rights violations cases.

International Internet Day observed globally
World > International Internet Day > Oct 29
To mark the anniversary of the first usage of the Internet to send a message electronically in 1969, International Internet Day was observed globally on 29 October 2014. Since the year 2005 the International Internet Day has been famously celebrated to commemorate a momentous day in the history of telecommunications and technology. This was the event of the sending of the first message, first electronic message which was transferred from one computer to another in 1969. This was situated in California, in the USA. Today the International Internet Day is also an on-line project germinating from the society, of the society and for the society. The International Internet Day project is open to everyone and anyone just as access to the internet is open and free for everyone.

Chetan Bhagat releases latest novel titled Half Girlfriend
India > Chetan Bhagat > Oct 29
The novel Half Girlfriend authored by Chetan Bhagat was released amidst much fanfare. The novel explores the new and different dimensions of relationships in today’s world. Bhagat’s latest novel is a simple and beautiful love story about a Bihari boy who falls in love with a rich girl from Delhi and the nuances of their relationship. In 2008, the New York Times cited Chetan Bhagat as the biggest selling English language novelist in India’s history. Some of his other notable works are Five Point Someone, One Night at the Call Centre, 2 States, The 3 Mistakes of My Life and Revolution 2020.

Surya Prakash appointed chairperson of Prasar Bharti Board
India > Prasar Bharti > Oct 29
A. Surya Prakash, journalist and distinguished fellow, Vivekananda International Foundation, was appointed chairperson of the Prasar Bharti Board on Tuesday. Mr. Prakash has been appointed for a period of three years, on the recommendation of a 3-member committee headed by Vice President Hamid Ansari and comprising Press Council of India chairperson Markandey Katju and Bimal Julka, Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Mr. Prakash has held key posts at several print and broadcast media organisations including Zee News, The Pioneer, Indian Express and the Eenadu group, among others.

Seven MOUs signed between Prasar Bharti and Radio Voice of Vietnam
India > India-Vietnam
Seven Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) have been signed between Prasar Bharati and the Radio Voice of Vietnam to increase cooperation in the field of broadcasting through exchange of programmes in the fields of culture, education, science, entertainment sports and news. The MOUs were during the visit of Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung to India.

India ranks fourth among 55 developing nations in clean energy investment
World > Clean Energy Investment > Oct 30
A study released by the Inter-American Development Bank ranks India fourth among 55 developing nations in clean energy investment, according to a new country-by-country study which is topped by China. The study titled Climatescope 2014 suggests renewable technologies can be just as cost-competitive in emerging parts of the world as they are in richer nations. China received the highest ranking as the largest manufacturer of wind and solar equipment in the world and the largest demand market for those products. India has a score of 1.85 points against China's 2.23. India also had its best performance on Low Carbon.
India votes against UN draft resolutions on Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
World > Nuclear Non-Proliferation > Oct 30
India has voted against the provisions of a draft resolution that would have required it to accept and comply with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). The First Committee of the 193-member UN General Assembly that deals with disarmament and international security issues approved a draft resolution urging all member states that had not yet done so to sign and ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. India has said that there is no question of India joining the NPT as a non-nuclear-weapon state and said that nuclear weapons are an integral part of India’s national security and will remain so. Korea, France, India, Pakistan, Israel, Russian Federation, the UK and the US are some of the counties that voted against the provisions of the resolution.

India re-elected to UN Economic and Social Council
World > UN Economic and Social Council > Oct 30
India was re-elected by the UN General Assembly (UNGA) to a three-year term on the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). India's term at ECOSOC was scheduled to end this year and it was re-elected after getting 183 votes, the highest in the Asia Pacific group, followed by Japan and Pakistan with 181 votes each.
A country requires two-thirds majority of 124 to win a seat in the elections.
The win comes just a week after India got re-elected to the 47-nation UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) for the period of 2015-17.
ECOSOC, one of the six main organs of the United Nations, is the principal body for coordination, policy review, policy dialogue and recommendations on economic, social and environmental issues, as well as for implementation of the internationally agreed development goals.

Sachin Tendulkar and Steve Waugh inducted into Don Bradman Hall of Fame
Sports > Cricket > Oct 30
The Bradman Foundation announced that Sachin Tendulkar and Steve Waugh have been selected as Bradman Honouree. Sachin Tendulkar was selected because he has scored more Test runs than any other cricketer in history and bestrode the international cricket stage for 24 years. Steve Waugh was selected because he was the most successful captain of Australia and also embodies values of Bradman like courage, honour and determination.
Background:
Every year two Bradman Honourees were selected for their significant contribution to international cricket as exemplified by Sir Donald Bradman. The Award is issued specifically with regard to how much the cricketer reflect Sir Donald’s expressed values including courage, honour, integrity, humility and determination.

18th SAARC Summit to be held in Nepal from 22nd – 27th November
World > SAARC Summit > Oct 30
The 18th SAARC Summit will be held at Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, from 22nd to 27th November, 2014. Deeper integration for peace and prosperity is the chosen theme for this year’s summit. The summit is taking place after an interval of three years as the last summit was held in Maldives in 2011. The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation has eight members: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. This is the third time Nepal will host the SAARC Summit after 1997 and 2002. The 18th SAARC Summit will issue the Kathmandu Declaration with a focus on collective co-existence, capacity, norms and values and people's aspirations by making mutual collaboration successful and strengthening mutual understating and relations.

Rashtriya Ekta Diwas observed on 31 October to commemorate the birth anniversary of Sardar Patel
India > Rashtriya Ekta Diwas > Oct 31
Rashtriya Ekta Diwas was observed on 31st October 2014 to commemorate the 139th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
The decision to observe October 31 as Rashtriya Ekta Diwas or National Integration Day was taken by the Union Government to reiterate India’s strength and buoyancy against adversaries. The day was inaugurated by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi who paid floral tributes at the statue of Sardar Patel and also flagged off the Run for Unity in New Delhi.
The Run for Unity campaign is the key highlight to pay tribute to the efforts made by Sardar Patel to unite India. A nationwide marathon took place on the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas.

Corporation Bank launches digital mandate services
Corporate> Corporation Bank > Nov 02
Corporation Bank has launched digital mandate services that provide a platform for large volume of repetitive payments. It will help in eliminating postdated cheques and also to extend Electronic Clearing Services (ECS) on pan India basis.

The e-Mandate (Digital Mandate) services of the bank offer highest flexibility to the customers at the same time keeping the cost of operations low for the product. The main activity under the product includes collection of mandate and scanning and uploading of scanned image to NPCI.  

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