16 November 2014
National:
Poisonous chemical found in medicines
According to a
preliminary enquiry conducted by Chhattisgarh health department, Zinc
Phosphide, a poisonous chemical was found in the medicines given to the women
after sterilisation in Bilaspur district of the state which resulted in 12
deaths. Preliminary inquiry suggests that Zinc Phosphide which is a poisonous
chemical may have been used in the medicines administered to the women after family
planning camp in Pendhri area of Bilaspur on November 8. Zinc Phosphide is used
as rodenticide and used to make rat poison.
India’s first nesting site of white-bellied heron found
A nesting site of
the extremely rare white-bellied heron has been discovered in a remote part of
the Namdapha Tiger Reserve in Arunachal Pradesh. It is estimated that there are
only 250 white-bellied herons ( Ardea insignis ) left in the world and only
about 50 left in India. This is the first nesting site of the white- bellied
heron to be discovered in India. Before the discovery of this site, Bhutan was
(thought to be) the only country in the world to have a breeding population of
the white-bellied heron. According to Mr Maheswaran, who has spent years in the
wilderness looking for rare birds, there are very few people in the country who
have encountered the white-bellied heron. Declared a critically endangered
species under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), it is
an “extremely shy” bird which feeds on fish in clear fast flowing rivers. The
confluence of Noa-Dihing and Namdapha rivers in the Namdapha Tiger Reserve
supports a few individuals of white-bellied heron by providing them with
freshwater fish.
14-year-old CEO aims higher than Google
At just 14, S.
Arjun is one of the youngest CEOs in the country. His company LateraLogics, a
technology company that develops mobile apps to make everyday life simple,
which he intends to make bigger than Google. Arjun, a Class IX student of
Velammal Vidyashram School in Chennai, is a whiz kid. He was one of the 20
children who received the ‘National Child Award for Exceptional Achievement’ on
Children’s Day by President Pranab Mukherjee. Arjun is now focused on
developing an app called ‘iRobot’, which will allow the user to manage robots
with mobile phones. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), United States,
has awarded him the first prize in the ‘App Inventor Contest in 2013’ for his
‘Ez School Bus Locator’ app. Arjun also won first prize in the MIT’s App
inventor bug finding contest in 2014.
International:
Knighthood for Daniel Day-Lewis
Actor Daniel
Day-Lewis has been honoured with a knighthood by the Duke of Cambridge at a
ceremony held in Buckingham Palace. The 57-year-old was honoured for his acting
career which has seen him become the only person to win the Academy Award for
best actor three times. He was named during the Queen’s Birthday Honour’s List
in June, after which he said he was “entirely amazed and utterly delighted in
equal measure”. Day-Lewis won Oscars for his performances in My Left Foot ,
There Will be Blood and Lincoln.
Historical thriller bags top honours at Hollywood Film Awards
Historical thriller
The Imitation Game and Oscar-winner Ben Affleck-starrer Gone Girl took home top
honours at the Hollywood Film Awards. Gone Girl was announced as the best film
and received the award for best screenwriter (Gillian Flynn). The Imitation
Game , a drama on the life of British mathematician and logician Alan Turing,
bagged three trophies, including, best actor (Benedict Cumberbatch), best
director (Morten Tyldum) and best supporting actress (Keira Knightley).
Julianne Moore took home the best actress award for Still Alice , while
Guardians of the Galaxy bagged the Hollywood Blockbuster Award.
Business & Economy:
India’s GDP to grow at 6.3 per cent in 2015
India would have
the fastest economic expansion among Asian countries and its gross domestic
product is expected to grow by 6.3 per cent in 2015, according to Morgan
Stanley forecasts of global economies. The Indian rupee’s exchange rate to USD
would be at Rs 62.2 by end of year 2015 compared to Rs 62 in the current
quarter (Q4 this year). It is seen at Rs 62.5 in the first two quarters of year
2015 and Rs 62.3 in the third quarter of year 2015. Comparative to other Asian
GDP growths, India would have the fastest economic expansion. India’s gross
domestic product is expected to grow by 6.3 per cent in 2015, up from 5.3 in
year 2014.
Inflation falls to 5-year low of 1.77 pct in October
Continuing decline
in food prices, including vegetables, pulled wholesale price inflation to a
five year low of 1.77 per cent in October. The Wholesale Price Index (WPI)
based inflation was at 2.38 per cent in September and 7.24 per cent in October
2013. As per data released by the government, the food inflation fell to a
nearly two-and-half year low of 2.7 per cent. Food inflation is on decline
since May. The sharp drop in WPI inflation, which fell for the fifth month in a
row, came at the back of retail inflation declining to a record low of 5.52 per
cent in October.
Sports:
McIlroy wins 2014 Race to Dubai crown
World number one
Rory McIlroy was assured of capturing the 2014 Race to Dubai crown, rewarding
the top European PGA Tour golfer of the year. The Northern Irishman was not
playing this week in the season's penultimate tournament in Belek, Turkey, but
made it past the post anyway when none of his nearest challengers were able to
win. McIlroy first captured the Harry Vardon Trophy, awarded to the player who
finishes the season as Europe's Number One, in 2012 after winning both the PGA
Championship and the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai. In the process, the
25 year old became the third youngest player in history - after Jack Nicklaus
and Tiger Woods - to win three of golf's four major Championships.
Dhumatkar sets record in National Aquatic Championship
Maharashtra girl
Aditi Dhumatkar set the national record in the women's 100m freestyle to help
Maharashtra end Kanataka's 23-year reign and emerge overall champions in the
68th senior National Aquatic Championship. Aditi grabbed the limelight on the
last day when she clocked 58.81 to erase an 11-year-old record held by Shikha
Tandon as Maharashtra finished overall champions with 215 points. Karnataka
finished with 175 points. Maharashtra also clinched the team championship in
the women's section with 141 points, while Railways bagged the men's team title
with 215.
