National Political
1. The increase in BJP strength in Rajya Sabha after recent polls from the state legislative assemblies forebodes well for the passage of the GST Bill by the Parliament. The GST Constitution Amendment bill awaiting Rajya Sabha approval is nearer its passage in the upper house as all the states except Tamil Nadu have agreed to it at the meeting of empowered group of finance ministers presided over by Finance Minister ArunJaitley in Calcutta. The draft law of GST proposes to bring in E-commerce also under the ambit of GST.
2. The President has refused to give his approval to a bill by Delhi’s AAP government to shield its 21 MLA’s working as Parliamentary Secretaries from dismissal being more than the desired percentage of the strength of the house from the office of profit rule with retrospective effect. These MLA’s may stand disqualified and thus may have to seek fresh re-election.
International News
1. US affirms support for India’s membership of NSG.
Prime Minister Modi makes an impressionable address to the US Congress. The PM’s message was clear on terrorism – that itis being incubated in a neighboring country. He had also said that Indo-US ties had overcome the ‘Hesitation’s of history.’ America terms it as the Modi doctrine for the betterment of global good.
It’s a new paradigm in India US relations says the American press.
2. Mexico backs India’s bid for NSG membership during PM Modi’s visit to that country.
3. Hilary Clinton secures the Democratic party nomination for American Presidential elections as her tally of delegates stands at 2384, one more than needed. Clinton also wins the California, New Jersey, and New Mexico primaries. President Obama endorses Hilary Clinton as the Next Democratic party presidential candidate.
4. Islamists hack to death a 70-year-old Hindu priest in Noldanga Village of Jheniadah district of Bangladesh. Minoritiesare being constantly targeted in Bangladesh.
5. Maldives Ex-Vice President gets 15 years in prison for masterminding a plot to kill their President Yameen Abdul Gayoom by a bomb blast on a speed boat last year.
Maldives is best known for its luxury island resorts and tourism is the main revenue source.
6. ISIS continues with its terror suicide bomb attacks at Syria’s holiest Shia Muslim Shrine at Damascus killing atleast 20. The Sunni Muslim lead ISIS considers ‘Shias’ as a heretical group of Islam.
7. Former Wall Street Banker Pedro Pablo Kuczynski to be the next president of Peru, winning the contest in a photo finish, 50.12% of the votes polled againstFujimori’s 49.88%. Fujimori is the daughter of disgraced and jailed former president. Peru’s economy is in shambles and requires a kick start.
8. A gunman of Afghan origin with terror tendencies kills 50 people in a shootout at a gay nightclub in Florida, US.President Obama describes its as an act of terror and hate.
Business News
1. RBI governor Raghu Ram Rajan at the by monthly RBI policy meet has unchanged any of the key rates – Repo, CRR, and SLR. The benchmark repo rate remains at 6.5%.
2. IIP for April contracted by 0.8% over the month of March. It was dragged down by a sharp plunge in themanufacturing of capital goods during that period.
3. The house of Tata’s has purchased Welspun’s 1140 Megawatt clean power energy source at Rs. 9500 crores. Tata’s clean energy portfolio rises to 2300 Megawatt with this acquisition.
4. Microsoft buys out another American company LinkedIn in a dollar 26.2 billion all-cash deal. This company is in the social media space and shall provide an opportunity to Microsoft vis-à-vis Facebook.
Science and Technology
1. Yale researchers have found pestalotiopsismircospora in Amazon – a rare mushroom that breaks down polyurethane, the unbreakable plastic. American scientists have also cultivated fungi that feaston plastics and converts them into mushrooms.
2. Flowers are losing their scent and fragrances because of global warming. Flowers produce ascent to attract pollination for theirreproductive organs – ensuring thecontinuation of plant species. Various biochemical groups some with high volatility come into play as per Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel.
3. Iceland has successfully turned heat-trapping carbon dioxide into rocks. The two-year project Carb Fise pumped carbon dioxide and water mix 540 meters deep into ground containing basalt rock at Hellishiedi geothermal power plant. The acidic mixture dissolved the rocks into calcium, magnesium and formed limestone permanently thereby naturally trapping carbon dioxide.
Sports
1. Soccer
Copa America gets underway in the American continent.
Euro takes off in Europe. Both these football tournaments are a feast for soccer fans from all over the world.
2. Cricket
India beat Zimbabwe at Harare in 1st ODI by 9 wickets.
In the 2nd ODI Zimbabwe again lose to India.
3. Badminton
Saina Nehwal wins the Australian Badminton Open 2016 Championship in Sydney defeating China’s Sun Yu 11-21, 21-14, 21-19.
4. Moto racing
Lewis Hamilton wins the Canadian Grand Prix at Montreal.
Misc.
1. Udta Punjab,an AnuragKashyap directed Bollywood film based on drug abuse by Punjab Youth in the news for being censored bythe Censor Board. The Bombay High Court directs the Censor Board to certify the movie for release within 48 hours with just one cut against 13 proposed by the Censor board.
