Current Affairs 18th July 2018

National News

1. Important Cabinet Approvals- 18th July 2018 

i. The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given the following set of approvals. The important Cabinet Approvals are given as follows-

ii. The Cabinet has approved- 
1. MoU between India and Indonesia on cooperation in the field of pharmaceutical products, pharmaceutical substances, biological product and cosmetics regulatory functions.
2. Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) signed in 2010 and approves fresh MRA between the ICAI and the Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Ireland.
Find The Complete List of Approvals Here

2. Indo-US Delegation Meeting On Defence Cooperation 

i. As part of Indo-US Bilateral Defence Cooperation, the 7th Defence Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI) meeting was held between India and the US delegation in New Delhi. The meeting was co-chaired by, Secretary (Defence Production), Dr Ajay Kumar and Under Secretary of Defence for Acquisition and Sustainment, DoD, US Government Ms Ellen M Lord. 

ii. The meetings are held twice a year, alternately in India and the USA with the aim to bring sustained leadership focus to the bilateral defence trade relationship and create opportunities for co-production and co-development of defence equipment. 

International News

3. EU, Japan Sign Massive Free Trade Deal 

i. European Union (EU) and Japan have signed an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA). It was signed at EU-Japan summit in Tokyo by EU Presidents Jean-Claude Juncker and Donald Tusk and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. 

ii. It is biggest ever trade deal negotiated by the EU and creates free trade zone covering nearly third of the world’s GDP. The trade deal is set to eliminate the "vast majority" of the $1.1 billion in duties that EU companies pay to Japan, according to the European Commission. 

4. UNEP Partners With Google For Monitoring Impact Of Human Activity On Ecosystem 

i. UN Environment Programme (UNEP) has entered into a partnership with search engine giant Google to monitor the impacts of human activity on global ecosystems by using sophisticated online tools. 

ii. The partnership was launched during a High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development at United Nations (UN) headquarters in New York. The aim of the partnership is to develop a platform to enable governments, NGO’s and public to track specific environment-related development targets with user-friendly Google front-end. 

Static/Current Takeaways Important for NABARD Grade-A Exam 2018-

·                     UNEP was founded as a result of United Nations Conference on Human Environment in June 1972.

·                     It is headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya.

5. Nelson Mandela International Day: 18 July

i. Nelson Mandela International Day 2018 is observed internationally on 18th July. This year marks 100 years since the birth of Nelson Mandela (18 July 1918).  
ii. The Nelson Mandela Foundation is dedicating this year's Mandela Day to 'Action Against Poverty', honouring Nelson Mandela's leadership and devotion to fighting poverty and promoting social justice for all.

Static/Current Takeaways Important for SBI PO/Clerk Exam 2018- 

·                     Antonio Guterres is the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

·                     The UN Headquarters in New York, United States. 

·                     The United Nations is an international organization founded in 1945. 

Appointments

6. Brij Bhushan Saran Singh To Be Named India's Chef de Mission at Asian Games 

Brij Bhushan 

 i. Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Saran Singh is set to be named the Chef de Mission of the Asian Games-bound Indian contingent. 

ii. The four deputy Chefs de Mission set to be appointed are BS Kushwaha (former secretary of Indian Kayaking and Canoeing Federation), RK Sacheti (Executive Director of Boxing Federation of India, DK Singh (Uttarakhand Olympic Association) and Colonel RK Swain (Secretary of Equestrian Federation of India). 

Static/Current Takeaways Important for SBI PO/Clerk Exam 2018- 

·                     The Host cities for Asian Games 2018 are Jakarta and Palembang in Indonesia. 

Business News

7. Microsoft And Walmart Team Up To Take On Amazon 

i.m Microsoft and Walmart are teaming up for a strategic partnership that will take on rival Amazon in both technology and retail. Walmart announced at Microsoft’s Inspire partner conference, that it’s partnering with Microsoft to use the company’s cloud services.
ii. The five-year agreement will see Walmart use Azure and Microsoft 365 across the company, alongside new projects focused on machine learning, artificial intelligence, and data platforms. 

Static/Current Takeaways Important for SBI PO/Clerk Exam 2018- 

·                     Microsoft Corporation is an America Based technology company.

·                     CEO- Satya Nadella, Headquarters- Washington DC. 

·                     Walmart Inc. is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets, discount department stores, and grocery stores. 

8. Flipkart’s PhonePe Acquires POS platform Zopper Retail 

i. Flipkart’s digital payment subsidiary PhonePe has acquired Zopper Retail – a hyperlocal Point of Sale (POS) platform for small and medium businesses. 

ii. The acquisition is a part of the company’s strategy to aggressively ramp up its offline business. Zopper’s CEO Neeraj Jain and the engineering leadership team has joined the team of PhonePe after the acquisition. 

Sports News

9. Javelin Thrower Neeraj Chopra Wins Gold At Sotteville Athletics Meet 

i. Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra has clinched a gold medal at the Sotteville Athletics Meet in France. The Indian youngster secured the top spot in the podium with an 85.17m throw. 

ii. Moldova’s Andrian Mardare took the silver medal after he covered a distance of 81.48m. The bronze medal went to Lithuania’s Edis Matusevicius, whose best throw of the night was 79.31m. 

Static/Current Takeaways Important for SBI PO/Clerk Exam 2018- 

·                     Neeraj Chopra’s best throw is 86.47m when he won the historic gold medal at the Commonwealth Games.