National Political News:
1. Former President APJ Abdul Kalam also known as India’s missile man and a leading light of the space program passed way in Shillong while addressing IIM alumini over there. He was widely respected as a fine human being. He was born in 1935 in Rameshwaram, Tamil Nadu. He has been laid to eternal rest in his home town Rameshwaram with full state honours.
2. Pakistani terror strikes at Dinapur town of Gurdaspur distt. in Punjab which is 10 kms away from international border with Pakistan and 35 km away from J & K border with Punjab. After a fierce encounter at a police station of Dinapur town, 3 Pakistani LET terrorist were gunned down by the Punjab Police. 7 Indians including 4 policeman lost their lives in the encounter. The terrorists had planted 5 bombs -IED devices on the Gurdaspur- Pathankot railway line which did not explode because of timely detection. The terrorist were using Thuraya satellite phone service based in UAE.
The Mumbai 9/11 terrorist had also used the same satellite telephone service.
3. Terrorist Yakub Abdul Razak Memon convicted in the 1993 Mumbai bomb blast case has been
hanged on July 30 in Maharashtra. The Supreme Court had dismissed his curative petition a few
hours before his hanging. All Judicial and mercy petitions had been availed of by the convict and his
relatives which stood dismissed.
4. A fifth border meeting point between Indian and Chinese forces on the Sino-Indian border has
been opened at Daulat Beg Oldie in Northern Ladakh on the Chinese People’s Liberation Army
(PLA) day. This place is located south of Karkoram pass, which is on the ancient trade route
between India’s Leh and the Muslim dominated Xinjiang province of China. The 4 other meeting
points on the India-China border are Kibithoo and Bumla in Arunachal Pradesh, Spannger Gap at
Chushul in Ladakh and Nathu-La in Sikkim.
International Political News:
1. A fierce battle for Yemen’s biggest air base, north of the town of Aden between Iranian Allied Houthi’s and Saudi lead coalition forces is being fought. The Houthi’s lead by their leader Abdel-Malik al-Houthi are in control of the Air base currently.
2. The US President on an African visit is currently in Ethiopia which is regarded as the fastest African economy with poor human rights record. The opposition in Ethiopia had failed to secure even a single seat in the Parliamentary elections concluded in May this year.
3. A Libyan Court sentences former Libyan President Gaddafi’s son Saif al Islam and 8 others to death for war crimes including killing of protestors during 2011 revolution that ended Gaddafi’s rule. Muammar Gaddafi himself was killed by rebels while on the run, months after the revolution.
4. Pakistan terror organization Lashkar-e-Jhangvi leader Malik Ishaq, his 2 sons and 11 other accomplices killed in a shootout in Karachi. These terrorists were linked with Al-
Qaida and were responsible for the killing of Shia Muslims in Pakistan.
5. A wreckage piece of a Boeing 777 plane has been washed ashore on a French island La Re union in the Indian ocean near Madagascar. The piece has been transported to a French Defence Ministry Lab. near Toulouse in France. Presumption is that the wreckage piece belongs to MH370, the Malaysian Air Lines plane which disappeared in March last year without a trace on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to China.
Business News:
1. As a first step solution to address the NPA’s of public sector banks, the government has announced recapitalization of Rs.70,000 crores in the next 4 years. A sum of Rs. 12,000 crores will be given shortly to a few public sector banks in the coming months.
2. Title sponsorship rights for all cricket series, both international and domestic to be played in India till 2019 have been bagged by Paytm – online recharge and payments company. It shall pay BCCI Rs. 2.42 crore for every international match. Paytmhas replaced Micromax the previous sponsor who was paying Rs. 2.02 crores per match.
3. BNP Paribas a European banking major has inked a deal to take over Indian Stock Broking firm Share Khan for a likely sum of Rs. 2200 crores.
Science and Technology:
1. A study has found that the earths deserts may be storing the world’s largest carbon dioxide
emissions caused by human activities. Massive aquifers underneath deserts are carbon sinks
containing roughly 1 trillion metric tonnes of carbon which is about 25% more than the amount
stored by plants on land. Human’s create carbon dioxide by burning fuel and deforestation which enters atmosphere and oceans .
Misc.
1. A poll conducted by Times Out New York has listed the following 10 films as the greatest ever :–
(i) Tootsie (ii) The Godfather, (iii) A Woman under the influence (vi) Cinema Paradiso (v) To Kill a
Mocking Bird (vi) The Godfather Part – II (vii) Annie Hall (viii) Boogie Nights (ix) The Red Shoes (x)
Taxi Driver.
2. Microsoft has launched computer operating system Windows 10. It shall be available as a free upgrade to those using Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 operating systems. Windows 10 incorporates features such a) Cortana – Personal digital assistance b) start buttons arebrought back and other features.
Sports:
1. The Hungarian Grand Prix at Budapest has been won by Sebastian Vettel in a Ferrari. Mercedes double world class champion Lewis Hamilton finished 6th in the race even after starting from pole
position.
2. Chris Froome of Britain won his Tour de France, Cycling champion title 2nd time in 3 years.
3. England rout Australia in the Birmingham test in 3 days to take a 2–1 lead in the Ashes Series. Australia made 136 runs and 265 runs all out in the first and second innings respectively. England replied with 281 runs in the first innings and 124 for 2 wickets in the second innings to take the match.
