Current Affairs 07th and 08th January 2018

National News

1. Bilateral Annual Haj 2018 Agreement between India and Saudi Arabia Signed

i. According to the Union Minister for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Saudi Arabia has given the green signal for India’s decision to revive the option of sending Haj pilgrims through sea route also.

ii. The practice of ferrying Haj pilgrims between Mumbai and Jeddah by waterways was stopped in 1995. For the first time, Muslim women from India will go to Haj without “Mehram” (male companion).

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-

• Saudi Arabia Capital- Riyadh, Currency- Saudi riyal.

2. Indian Navy Signs MoU with Cochin Port Trust

i. The Indian Navy has inked an MoU with the Cochin Port Trust (CPT), Kerala towards leasing of 228 metres of berths at Mattancherry Wharf for a period of five years.
ii. The MoU has been concluded to cater for the futuristic requirements of the Navy with the sizeable increase in its fleet scheduled in the near future. This is the first time such an agreement has been signed between the Navy and CPT.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-

• Cochin Port Trust Chairman- P.Raveendran.
• Admiral Sunil Lanba is the present Chairman of Indian Navy.

3. Haryana Becomes First State to Launch High-Risk Pregnancy Portal

i. Haryana has become the first state in the country to launch High-Risk Pregnancy (HRP) Portal. This portal not only helps in early identification of high-risk pregnant cases up to the grass-roots level but also ensures their timely referral to the civil hospitals for further management and delivery by specialists.

ii. This innovative web application has been designed to track every high-risk pregnant woman till 42 days after delivery.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-

• Haryana CM- Manohar Lal Khattar, Governor- Kaptan Singh Solanki.

4. India’s Second FTII to be Set up in Arunachal Pradesh

i. Minister of State (I/C) of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region Jitendra Singh announced that Arunachal Pradesh would get its first Film and Television Institute, being set up by the Union Government.

ii. This would be the second such one in the country. The first Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) was set up in Pune.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-

• FTII Pune Established in - 1960, Current Chairman - Anupam Kher.
• FTII is an autonomous institute operating under the Information and Broadcasting Ministry.

Awards

5. Golden Globe Awards 2018: The Complete List of Winners

The 75th Golden Globe Award ceremony was held in Los Angeles, the USA.  “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” dominated the 2018 Golden Globes, taking home four statues, including best drama, best screenplay, and acting awards for Frances McDormand and Sam Rockwell in the drama category. Seth Meyers hosted the star-studded show.

Here is the Complete List of Winners of Golden Globe Awards 2018-

1. Best motion picture, drama: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.

2. Best motion picture, musical or comedy: Lady Bird.

3. Best director, motion picture: Guillermo del Toro, “The Shape of Water”.

4. Best performance by an actress in a motion picture, drama: Frances McDormand.

5. Best performance by an actor in a motion picture, drama: Gary Oldman.

6. Best performance by an actress in a motion picture, musical or comedy: Saoirse Ronan.

7. Best performance by an actor in a motion picture, musical or comedy: James Franco.

8. Best motion picture, animated: Coco

9. Best motion picture, foreign language: In the Fade

10. Best television series, drama: The Handmaid’s Tale, Hulu

11. Best performance by an actress in a television series, drama: Elisabeth Moss.

12. Best performance by an actor in a television series, drama: Sterling K. Brown.

Banking/ Economy/ Business News

6. All You Need to Know About New Rs10 Banknote in Mahatma Gandhi Series

i. The Reserve Bank of India has announced to issue Rs10 denomination banknotes in the Mahatma Gandhi (New) Series. The new denomination has the motif of Sun Temple, Konark on the reverse, depicting the country's cultural heritage.
ii. The base colour of the note is Chocolate Brown. The dimension of the banknote will be 63 mm x 123 mm.

Read The Complete Article Here

Sports News

7. Philippe Coutinho Joins Barcelona, Becomes 2nd Most Expensive Transfer in World Soccer History

i. Team Liverpool sold Brazilian football player Philippe Coutinho to Team Barcelona for 160 million Euros ($192 million). With this, transfer of Philippe Coutinho has become the 2nd Most Expensive transfer in World Soccer History.

ii. World’s most expensive transfer is Brazilian football player Neymar’s transfer from Barcelona to Paris Saint Germain team in 200 million pounds in 2017.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-

• FC Barcelona President - Josep Maria Bartomeu
• Based in - Barcelona, Spain.

8. Gilles Simon Wins Inaugural Tata Open Title 

i. Gilles Simon of France has lifted the inaugural Tata Open Maharashtra Tennis trophy.
ii. In the summit clash in Pune, the unseeded French player defeated second-seeded Kevin Anderson in straight sets.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-

• Maharashtra Capital- Mumbai, CM- Devendra Fadnavis, Governor- Chennamaneni Vidyasagar Rao.
• Simon is ranked 89 in the world, while Anderson is ranked Fourteen.

9. Federer-Bencic Lead Switzerland to Hopman Cup Title

i. Switzerland won their third Hopman Cup as Roger Federer and Belinda Bencic beat Germany's Alexander Zverev and Angelique Kerber in the deciding mixed doubles to secure a 2-1 victory in the final at the Perth Arena.

ii. It was Federer's second Hopman Cup triumph after victory in 2001 alongside then world number one Martina Hingis.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-

• The capital of Switzerland is Bern.
• The Association of Tennis Professionals was formed in September 1972.

10. Sports Minister Rathore Launches 'Khelo India' Logo

i. The vibrant Khelo India logo, reflecting the freshness, agility and vitality of New India was launched at a ceremony by the Union Minister of  State ( I/C) Youth Affairs and Sports Rajyavardhan Rathore in New Delhi.

ii. The logo also conveys an impression of fitness and competitiveness. The three-stroke Khelo India logo, designed by Ogilvy India, has in-built modularity, allowing plenty of adaptability and flexibility into endless pictorial forms.

11. Elina Svitolina Wins Brisbane International

i. Elina Svitolina secured her first WTA title in Australia with a straight-sets victory in the Brisbane International final. Svitolina beat Belarusian qualifier Aliaksandra Sasnovich.

ii. Nick Kyrgios moved a step closer to claiming his first ATP title on home soil with a semifinal win over defending champion, Grigor Dimitrov. He will face American Ryan Harrison in finals.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for IBPS Clerk Mains 2017 Exam-

• Elina Mykhaylivna Svitolina is a Ukrainian professional tennis player. 
• The Association of Tennis Professionals was formed in September 1972.

Obituaries

12. NASA's Astronaut John Young Passes Away

i. Legendary astronaut John Young, who walked on the Moon and later commanded the first space shuttle flight, has died at 87.

ii. Young was the only agency astronaut to go into space as part of the Gemini, Apollo and space shuttle programs and the first to fly into space six times. He was the ninth man to walk on the Moon.