Current Affairs Updates of 18th September 2013

 Current Affairs Updates of 18th September 2013

International Affairs

• Japan's prime minister is to pledge USD 1 million to help victims of sexual violence when he speaks at the UN General Assembly next week, a report said, as anger continues in Asia over wartime "comfort women".
• The fate of the first round of presidential elections in the Maldives, won by former President Mohamed Nasheed, would be decided by a full bench of the Supreme Court which started hearing the matter.

National Affairs

• In a bid to boost infrastructure in North Eastern states, the government approved three important highway projects in Assam under Special Accelerated Road Development Programme (SARDP) for which it has planned Rs 33,688 crore projects by 2016.
• India’s leading industrialist Ratan Tata has been nominated as a member of the board of trustees of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, an American think-tank.
• Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh lays foundation stone of NTPC’s 2980 MW Sipat Thermal Power Plant in Chhattisgarh.
• Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda today announced to double the prize money of the medal winners at World Cups and World championships besides raising rewards for those who get Bhim and Arjuna Awards.
• Penguin India has launched its official blog that is a motley of exclusive stories of books, authors and all things related to its publishing besides providing an opportunity to aspiring writers.

Economic Affairs :

• Bhartiya Mahila Bank, the first nationalised bank for women expected to be operational from November, intends to recruit 115 officers initially.

Deaths

• Veteran CPI leader Veliyam Bhargavan, who led the party in Kerala for long, died.

Sports

• India`s Narsingh Yadav missed out on a bronze medal after going down 1-6 to Ali Shabanau of Belarus in the repechage final of the 74kg category at the World Wrestling Championships.