Daily Current Affairs updates from 24 September 2013

Daily Current Affairs updates from 24 September 2013

National

1) Jaganmohan Reddy released on bail in illegal assets case: After about 16 months stay in jail, YSR Congress chief and M.P. of Kadapa, Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy walked out of jail amidst cheers from his supporters.

2) Bill in winter session to give legal status to Aadhaar: Government is pushing for passage of a long-pending Bill to provide statutory status to the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) in the winter session of Parliament. Bill will be called National Identification Authority of India Bill 2010.

3) BJP MLA Som booked under National Security Act: BJP MLA Sangeet Som, who was arrested for alleged involvement in fake video uploading case and making provocative speeches, was  booked under the stringent National Security Act (NSA).

4) Manmohan leaves tomorrow for USA: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will leave tomorrow on a visit to the US during which he will hold talks with resident Barack Obama and attend UN General Assembly, besides having a possible meeting with his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif. Implementation of the civil nuclear deal, ways to expand cooperation in the fields of defence, security and economic issues will be high on the agenda of the meeting between Singh and Obama in Washington on September 27.

5) Indo-Nepal joint military exercise begins in Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand. Military exercise will conclude on October 6.

6)  First unit of the Kudankulam nuclear power plant will start generating electricity in a week, Dr R.K. Sinha, Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission.

International

1) Powerful earthquake shook Pakistan’s south-western and southern regions. Epicentre of the 7.7-magnitude quake was at Khuzdar district in Balochistan province.

2) Tata Motors flags off new R&D centre for Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) in UK.

3) Rain and flooding from Typhoon Usagi killed 24 people and left six missing in Vietnam.

4) US President Barack Obama has said that he stopped smoking out of fear of his wife, in an unwitting admission captured by a loose microphone.

Awards/Achievements

1) Clinton Global Citizens Awards 2013: Indian environmentalist Bunker Roy and Pakistan’s teenage education activist Malala Yousufzai were declared winners of this year’s of the prestigious ’Clinton Global Citizens Awards’.

2) Rising shuttler P V Sindhu was conferred with the prestigious Arjuna Award by Sports Minister Jitendra Singh today. Sindhu had missed the opportunity to receive the award from President Pranab Mukhejee at the Rashtrapati Bhawan on August 31 as she was busy playing in the final of the Indian Badminton league (IBL).

Business/Economy

1) Gold futures prices fell 0.36 per cent to Rs 29,678 per 10 gram today.

2) Petroleum & Natural Gas Minister has hinted that the Ministry may consider allowing State Transport Undertakings (STUs) to purchase diesel at the subsidised price to encourage public transport subject to their active cooperation in the Petroleum Conservation Mega Campaign of his Ministry.

3) Public sector undertakings Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd (MTNL) on Tuesday said that they are working jointly to offer free roaming service to all their customers.

4) Andhra Pradesh Grameena Vikas Bank (APGVB) linked 64,000 Aadhaar cards to accounts on single day.

5) Moody’s has lowered its outlook for India's GDP growth to 4.5 per cent for 2013-14 from 5.5 per cent.

Film/Entertainment

1) Bollywood actor Priyanka Chopra is the most dangerous celebrity in the Indian cyberspace this year, with 79 infected search results according to a study by security solutions firm McAfee.

Technology

1) Microsoft unveils new Surface tablets. Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 replace Microsoft’s spectacularly unsuccessful Surface RT and Surface Pro, which debuted in February as Microsoft’s answer to Apple’s iPad.

2) ICICI Bank has launched a new Facebook app that will enable its customers to transact directly from the social networking site. Primarily targeted at young customers, the new app 'Pockets' will enable customers of the bank to transfer money, recharge mobile phones and book movie tickets from their Facebook pages.

3)  PSU bank employees’ unions called off Sept 25 strike. Strike have deferred following an assurance from the Government that there is no plan for merger of banks at present.

Appointments

1) Hun Sen, 61, who has been in power for 28 years, was sworn in Tuesday as Cambodian prime minister for another five-year term.