Daily Current Affairs 17 March 2018

Daily Current Affairs 17 March 2018: Your guide for daily General Knowledge Preparation

Dear Readers,

This post contains important current affairs of 17 March 2018. It includes all Major National, International, Business and Sports related current affairs of 17 March 2018. A brief explanation of every current affair is provided to further enhance your general knowledge. Once you have gone through these current affairs we would recommend to you to try 17 March 2018 Current affairs test.

National News

1. Govt waiting for Andhra to reply on special package : Jaitley

FM Arun Jaitley said the Centre is committed to providing a special package to AP and is waiting for the state to revert on the mechanism of receiving funds.
The special package, equivalent to a special category state was agreed upon in 2016.

2. Bill seeks to replace ‘Sindh’ with ‘Northeast’ in anthem

A Private Members’ Resolution moved by Congress MP Ripun Bora in the Rajya Sabha seeks the replacement as Sindh is a part of Pakistan now.
Poet Rabindranath Tagore composed the National Anthem before Partition.

3. Central Railway got record Rs.143 cr from ticketless passengers

The Central Railway has registered the earnings in 29.12 lakh cases of ticketless travellers and unbooked luggage from April 2017 to Feb 2018.
The number of such cases was 2.55 lakh in Feb 2018.

4. Maharashtra cabinet approves ban on plastic carry bags

Maharashtra government has decided to ban the use of plastic from “Gudi Padva”, the Maharashtrian New Year
The ban would cover the production, use, storage, sale, distribution, import and transportation of plastic and those violating the ban would be fined Rs 25,000 and could also face a three-year jail term.

International News

1. Russia expels 23 British diplomats in tit-for-tat move

After UK expelled 23 Russian diplomats, Russia responded by expelling 23 British diplomats.
The UK had claimed that the Russian diplomats were undeclared intelligence officers.

2. Bali shuts airport for ‘Day of Silence’

Bali shut down the internet, mobiles, television and radio broadcasts to mark its annual ‘Day of Silence’, New Year according to the Balinese calendar.
The citizens are supposed to stay indoors throughout the day with all lights switched off.

3. Sierra Leone 1st country to use blockchain tech in elections

The African nation of Sierra Leone has become the world’s 1st country to use blockchain technology in elections in a trial aimed at ensuring transparency.
The technology was used in last week’s presidential elections, tracking the results and then relaying the data to the Electoral Commission.

4. Chinese president Xi Jinping gets second term

China’s rubber-stamp parliament unanimously handed President Xi Jinping a second term.
The Parliament elevated his right-hand man to the vice presidency, giving him a strong ally to consolidate power and handle US trade threats.

Business News

1. 25% foreign branches of govt banks reported loss in 2016-17

As many as 41 branches out of the 159 foreign branches of state-owned banks reported loss in fiscal 2016-17.
India’s largest lender SBI has topped the list, followed by Bank of India.

2. Goldman Sachs pays female staff 56% less than male workers

The bank said the gap reflected the fact that there were more men than women in senior positions at the firm.
At HSBC Holdings, women were paid an average 59% less than male employees.

3. Walmart may invest in Flipkart

Walmart is in talks to invest $7 bn in Flipkart to become the largest investor in the e-commerce major.
Walmart will buy the stake from Tiger Global Management and Japanese conglomerate SoftBank.

4. India, ADB sign $120 million loan to improve rail infrastructure

The Union Government signed a $120 million loan agreement with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for completion of works for double-tracking and electrification of railway tracks along high-density corridors to improve operational efficiency of Indian railways.
The tranche 3 loan is part of the $500 million multi-tranche financing facility for Railway Sector Investment Program approved by the ADB Board in 2011.

Sports News
1. FIFA lifts 30-yr ban on Iraq hosting international matches

The Iraqi cities of Basra, Arbil and Karbala have been given the go-ahead to stage official football matches.
The capital city Baghdad is yet to be given the green light to host international matches.

2. Sindhu only Indian left in All England

PV Sindhu reached the semis after defeating Nozomi Okuhara.
All England Open is the world’s oldest badminton tournament and only two Indians have won it.

3. KL Rahul is Wisden India Almanack’s Cricketer of the Year

KL Rahul is the ‘Cricketer of the Year’ in the sixth edition of Wisden India Almanack, which has just been released.
The Almanack also pays a tribute to India’s women cricketers, with a wonderful cover picture of celebration at the World Cup.

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