Current Affairs 13th July 2016

International Court denies China’s claim on South China Sea

The tribunal of the Permanent Court of Arbitration, The Hague (Netherland) refused China’s claims to historic and economic rights in the South China Sea as the country have no legal basis, and hinders China’s efforts to establish its control by force.

There was no legal basis for China to claim historic rights to resources within the sea areas falling within the ‘nine-dash line’.

The South China Sea is a resource-rich strategic waterway through which more than $5 trillion of world trade is shipped every year.

China didn’t take part in the tribunal, which it said had no jurisdiction on the case, and Chinese officials immediately said that Beijing won’t comply with the ruling, a position it had repeated for weeks.

Important Question for Competitive Exam from this Current Affairs:

1. International Court denies which county claim on South China Sea: a)India b)China c)USA d)Russia

Pokhara-New Delhi direct bus service launched

• New Delhi and Nepal's famous tourist spot Pokhara are now connected by road after a direct bus service was launched between the two cities
• The first direct bus service between Pokhara and New Delhi, South Asia's two important cities, was flagged off by Nepal Home Minister Shakti Bahadur Basnet and India's ambassador to Nepal Ranjit Rae yesterday from Pokhara.

Important Question for Competitive Exam from this Current Affairs:

1. From New Delhi to which city first direct bus service launched: a)Pokhara b)Kathmandu c)Dhaka d)Shimultala

Bangladesh, India sign Rampal power plant construction agreement

An agreement was signed with Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), India to build the 1,320MW coal-fired power plant at Rampal of Bagerhat, near the Sundarbans mangrove forest.

Bangladesh-India Friendship Power Company Pvt Limited signed the contract agreement for main plant EPC (turnkey) package with BHEL in Dhaka.

The estimated cost of the project is $1.49 billion

Important Question for Competitive Exam from this Current Affairs:

1. _______ country signed an agreement with India to build 1320 MW coal-fired power plant: a)Bangladesh b)Nepal c)Myanmar d)Bhutan

SBI signs MoU with IIT Bombay to promote startups

• top public sector bank, State Bank of India (SBI), has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Technology Society for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (SINE), (IIT) Bombay’s technology business incubator, to promote innovation by startups in the financial sector.
• As per the MoU, both the parties will identify FinTech startups that have products or applications to cater to the financial sector and can help SBI explore opportunities to enhance the synergy for their banking services.
•  SBI will provide a platform for testing/ piloting such products/applications and maybe also check for any specific business linkages. 
• This MoU also aims to help evaluate startups operating out of SINE or those being promoted by SINE for early stage funding within the bank’s norms.

Important Question for Competitive Exam from this Current Affairs:

1. Which Bank sign a MOU with the Indian Institute of Technology Society for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (SINE), (IIT) Bombay's technology business incubator, to promote innovation by startups in the financial sector: a)SBI b)HDFC c)ICICI d)Axis 

source: the hindu

Shah Rukh Khan, Akshay Kumar in Forbes list of world’s 100 highest-paid celebs

FORBES Top Paid Celebrity List

• Shah Rukh Khan and Akshay Kumar are among the world's highest-paid celebrities of 2016, according to an annual list by Forbes.
• The list has been topped by American singer Taylor Swift with an earning of USD 170 million.
• Shah Rukh ranks 86th on the list with earnings of USD 33 million, while Akshay comes in on the 94th spot with USD 31.5 million earnings.
• Many sports personalities and entertainers also shot their best spots in the list, some of them as follows

Cristiano Ronaldo  - Footballer(ranked 3^rd)

LeBron James - basketball player(ranked 11^th)

Important Question for Competitive Exam from this Current Affairs:

1. Shah Rukh Khan ranked ______ th in FORBES top paid Celebrity list: a)88 b)86 c)91 d)121

source: indian express

Najma Heptullah and GM Siddeshwara resign; Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi given charge of Minority Affairs Ministry

• Minority Affairs Minister Najma Heptulla resigned on Tuesday, a day after she returned from a two-week visit to the United States to visit her family. Minister of State Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi has been given independent charge of the ministry.
•  Minister of State for Heavy Industries G M Siddeshwara has also resigned. Both Heptulla and Siddeshwara are reported to have resigned as they are over 75 years old — the unofficial age limit for the union council of ministers
• Babul Supriyo has been relieved of the charge of Minister of State in the Ministry of Urban Development and Ministry of Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation

Important Question for Competitive Exam from this Current Affairs:

1. Who is the present minister of state of Minority Affairs: a)Najma Heptulla b)Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi c)G M Siddeshwara d)Babul Supriyo

source: indian express

Indian-American Dr. Kinshuk named US university Dean

• An Indian-American professor with a diverse set of academic experience in the field of science and technology has been named the dean of a leading U.S. university.
• Since 2010, he served as an Associate Dean at Athabasca University in Alberta, Canada, where he helped lead the Faculty of Science and Technology.
• He received his doctoral degree from De Montfort University in England, a master of science in mechanical computer aided engineering from Strathclyde University in Scotland and a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from University of Rajasthan in India.

Important Question for Competitive Exam from this Current Affairs:

1. Which Indian American named as US University Dean: a)Dr. Kinshuk b)Dr. Subroto Bhatachariya c)P. K Desai d)Pabitra Shilpa

source: the hindu

Indian Junior Men’s Team wins EurAsia Hockey Cup 2016

• India’s Junior Men’s Hockey team has just clinched the EurAsia Cup 2016 after defeating Dynamo-Stroitel 3-2 in a nail-biter of a contest at Russia’s Yekaterinburg.
• The young men in blue had gotten the better of the hosts by enforcing a 3-1 result in their favour in the tournament opener which they had dominated thoroughly before Dynamo could salvage a consolation goal in the dying minutes

Important Question for Competitive Exam from this Current Affairs:

1. EurAsia Hockey Cup 2016 win by: a)India b)Russia c)China d)Denmark