Daily Current Affairs Updates of September 10th

 Daily Current Affairs Updates of September 10th

International Affairs

• China has emerged as the world's third-largest investor as Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) from the Communist giant jumped by 17.6 percent last year defying a global pattern..
• The world's highest civilian airport will commence operations in a Tibetan prefecture in China's Sichuan province from 16th September.
• Nepal govt to freeze assets of over 200 individuals, including India's most wanted terrorist Dawood Ibrahim and Al Qaeda-linked suspects

National Affairs

• MoU signed between Manipur govt and three militant outfits. Over 150 ultras have surrendered after signing of this MoU.
• People of Western Odisha celebrated the festival of 'Nuakhai' with gaiety and enthusiasm to welcome the new paddy crop.
• Pre-fabricated house structures will be put in place at 19 locations in Uttarakhand before October 30 to rehabilitate those displaced in the catastrophic June flash floods, says CM Vijay Bahuguna.
• Efforts are being made to fast track hydel projects with a total generation capacity of 40,000 MW that are awaiting clearances at various levels, says Power Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia.
• A Pakistani judicial commission's visit to India to cross-examine witnesses of the Mumbai terror attacks has been delayed because of the 10-day Ganesh Chaturthi festival.
• Sikkim Energy and Power Minister Sonam Gyatso Lepcha said Tuesday that all Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana (RGGVY) villages in Sikkim would be energized fully by September 30.
• Concerned over low expenditure on health, President Pranab Mukherjee asked South-East Asia Region nations to ensure highest quality medicare for their people.
• Govt says Rs 480 crore transferred into 9 million accounts through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), kicked off on 1st January 2013.

Economy

• With Indian airlines posting a combined loss of about Rs 10,000 crore in 2012-13 and a total debt of almost Rs 90,000 crore, government asked state governments to slash value added tax (VAT) on jet fuel to four per cent and ease a major burden on the industry.
• Income Tax Department slaps Rs 1631 crore tax notice on state-owned National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC).
• Appreciating the double digit growth rate logged by Bihar under Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, the World Bank on Tuesday said it may consider doubling soft loan, to around USD 1 billion, for accelerating development works in the state over the next couple of years.
• In a move to enhance its production base in India, Japanese firm Toshiba Corp said that it will acquire majority stake in Hyderabad-headquartered company Vijai Electricals for about $200 million.
• India's exports rose by 12.97% to USD 26.14 billion in August.
• State-owned Canara Bank announced that it will charge Rs 60 per year to customers for SMS alerts beginning October 2013.

Science and Technology

• India's launch test for ambitious Rs 450 cr Mars orbiter mission achieves major milestone with successful thermo-vacuum test with payloads
• WHO lauded India’s efforts in eradicating polio and said the country has not reported a single case of polio in the last 30 months.
• Bird flu cases involving H7N9 virus in China reach 134 by August end, with a new case reported in southern Guangdong Province.

Awards and Honors

• Indian-American author Jhumpa Lahiri has made it to this year's Man Booker Prize shortlist for her new fiction 'The Lowland', an intimate portrayal of two brothers set in Kolkata of the 1960's.

Appointments

• K N Shanth Kumar and Mahendra Mohan Gupta, two eminent media personalities, were elected as Chairman and Vice Chairman respectively of the Press Trust of India (PTI).
• UP govt appoints DelhiMetro Rail Corporation as interim consultant for the preliminary works of ambitious Lucknow metro rail project.

Sports

• India is among the five nations, who have placed their bids before the International Hockey Federation (FIH) to host the 2018 Hockey World Cup.
• Former Olympic Silver medallist RajyavardhanSinghRathore joins BJP;  takes voluntary retirement from Indian Army.