Important Current Affairs 5th January 2018

Important Current Affairs 5th January 2018

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Current Affairs 5th January 2018: NATIONAL NEWS

Cabinet gives ex-post facto approval to India's stand at WTO

●    The Union Cabinet gave its ex-post facto approval to the stand taken by India at the MC11 of the WTO.
●    It was held in Buenos Aires, Argentina in December 2017.
●    The MC11, took place from December 10 to 13 in 2017.
●    It was chaired by Minister Susana Malcorra of Argentina.

Cabinet approves Indo-Myanmar agreement on land border crossing

●    The Union Cabinet recently approved the MoU between India and Myanmar on Land Border Crossing.
●    The agreement will regulate free movement rights for the people living in the border areas of both the countries.
●    It will also also facilitate the movement of people on the basis of valid passports and visas.
●    It will boost the economy of the North East.
●    It will safeguard the traditional rights of the tribal communities living in border areas.

Lok Sabha passes bill to hike salaries of Supreme Court, High Court judges

●    A bill was passed in Lok Sabha which will increase the salaries of judges of the Supreme Court and the 24 high courts.
●    The increment will be more than twice.
●    After the bill is passed SC Chief justice will get a monthly salary of Rs. 2.80 lakh.
●    His current salary is Rs. one lakh a month .
●    Judges of the Supreme Court and chief justices of the high courts will get a monthly salary of Rs. 2.50 lakh.
●    Their current salary is Rs. 90,000.
●    The judges of the high courts will get Rs. 80,000 per month.
●    Their current salary is Rs. 2.25 lakh per month.

Panneerselvam appointed Leader of the House in Tamil Nadu Assembly

●    Tamil Nadu deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam has been appointed as leader of the house.
●    It was announced by the assembly secretary K Boopathy on 4th January 2018.
●    He’ll replace K A Sengottaiyan.
●    Panneerselvam was the leader of the house during former chief minister J Jayalalithaa regime. 
●    2018 assembly session is set to begin on January 8.
 

Cate Blanchett to head Cannes Festival jury

●    Cate Blanchett became head of the Cannes festival jury.
●    Cate is a two-time Academy award winner.
●    She will succeed Spanish director Pedro Almodovar.
●    Pedro headed the 70th edition of the festival last year.
●    This year's festival will take place from May 8-19.

Amazon patents mirror that lets users try clothes virtually

●    Amazon has patented a mirror that let the consumer try on clothes virtually.
●    Consumer can do it by placing themselves into a virtual location.
●    The patent describes the mirror as partially-reflective and partially-transmissive.
●    It uses displays, cameras, and projectors to create the blended image. 
●    Amazon acquired Body Labs last year.
●    Body Labs is an AI-software and computer vision company.
●    Amazon has made its place in the fashion industry.

Current Affairs 5th January 2018: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONSHIP 

Cabinet nod to pact signed with US for co-hosting GES 2017

●    The Union Cabinet gave its ex-post facto approval for a pact signed between India and the US.
●    This pact is for co-hosting the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) 2017 in India.
●    The GES-2017 was held in Hyderabad.
●    It was held from 28 November 28 2017.
●    It was attended by delegates from 150 countries.
 

Current Affairs 5th January 2018: GLOBAL NEWS 

Ancient Aztec Map of Universe Found on Mexican Volcano

●    The remains of an ancient stone sanctuary was found In mexico.
●    It is situated in the middle of a pond, on the side of a volcano.
●    The sanctuary is at a height of 13,000 feet below the Iztaccihuatl volcano.
●    The National Institute referred to the sanctuary as a iztacalco. 

Chinese globes sold in Canada depict J&K out of India

●    It was the third reported instance since December where chinese globe has shown Kashmir separate from India.
●    These globes were manufactured in China and sold at mainstream Canadian outlets.
●    Before this there was another retailer selling globe, made in China, that removed both J&K and Arunachal Pradesh from India.

Power prices go negative in Germany due to overproduction

●    Electricity prices dipped below zero on Christmas in Germany.
●    It means people are being essentially paid to use electricity.
●    This is because Germany's wind and solar plants are very efficient at generating power.
●    But they can’t still match the power demand.
●    The negative pricing compensates the consumers' subsequent electricity billing.

Current Affairs 5th January 2018: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Novel sperm-sorting device could improve IVF success

●    A new device has been discovered by scientists.
●    This device can select fast and healthy sperm cells.
●    This technology will help women undergoing IVF procedure.
●    It uses a field of 3D posts which creates an obstacle for the swimming sperm cells.
●    The strongest and healthiest sperm get through this obstacle and then are collected & used in the IVF process.
●    This device is called the SPARTAN device.

Current Affairs 5th January 2018: DAYS AND DATES

A "super blue blood moon" is coming January 31 

●    On January 31 earth will see third supermoon in a row.
●    It will also be the second full moon of January.
●    It is going to coincide with total lunar eclipse.
●    The last time it happened together 152 years ago.
●    Any full moon which falls within the 90% of the lunar orbit close to Earth is called supermoon.
●    Another such event will happen in 2019.

Current Affairs 5th January 2018: ECONOMY

Govt to launch new savings bonds with 7.75% interest

●    The government of India announced the launch of new savings bonds.
●    It will bear an interest of 7.75% and mature in seven years.
●    Eligible investors can buy 7.75% Savings Bonds from 10 January.
●    The minimum issuance amount for these bonds is Rs1,000. 
●    The interest of 7.75% per annum will be paid semi-annually.
●    Interest on these bonds will be taxable under the Income Tax Act, 1961. 

SRL becomes 1st Indian diagnostic firm to hit ₹1k cr revenue

●    SRL Diagnostics (SRL) announced that the company become first Indian diagnostics company to surpass Rs. 10 billion in revenue in 2017.
●    SRL Diagnostics was established in 1995.
●    Today SRL has a reach of 15 million patients annually.
●    It exists in 600 cities across 30 states in India.
●    The company has also partnered with the government under PPP in Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh.
●    SRL has also been chosen as the lab partner for UNICEF's Comprehensive National Nutrition Survey.

India signed ₹2.8 lakh-crore defence deals in last 4 years

●    In last four years India has procured 187 defence deals to procure military platforms and equipment from domestic and foreign firms. 
●    Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre gave this data in Lok Sabha. 
●    India has signed the total value of the defence deals worth ₹2.8 lakh crore. 
●    63% of the total deals were signed with Indian vendors.
 

Current Affairs 5th January 2018: SPORTS

SC directs BCCI to allow Bihar to take part in Ranji Trophy

●    Bihar state cricket team will be playing in Ranji and other national level cricket tournaments in 2018.
●    It will happen after a gap of 17 years.
●    This is directed by the supreme court of India on 4th January 2018.
●    Bihar was banned in 2000 from participating in cricket tournaments at national level when BCCI de-affiliated Bihar Cricket Association.
●    This was because the BCA was released of its value after Separation of Jharkhand from Bihar. 
●    The state team had been participating in Ranji trophy from 1935 to 2000.