Current Affairs 10 January 2018

1. Annual Meeting 2018 of World Economic Forum The Annual Meeting 2018 of the World Economic Forum shall be held from 23-26 January ...

1. Annual Meeting 2018 of World Economic Forum

The Annual Meeting 2018 of the World Economic Forum shall be held from 23-26 January 2018 at Davos in Switzerland with the theme of 'Creating a Shared Future in a Fractured World'.

Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi will be participating in the Annual Meeting.
He will be the first Prime Minister to attend the Annual Meeting of the Forum since 1997.
The Annual Meeting will be attended by 350 political leaders (among them over 60 heads of state or government), the chairs and chief executive officers of the world's most important companies and over 1,000 leaders from among other walks of life.

Points to Remember

The World Economic Forum (WEF) is a Swiss nonprofit foundation, based in Cologny, Geneva, Switzerland.
It was established in 1971. Klaus Schwab is the executive chairman of the World Economic Forum.

2. PM addresses inaugural session of PIO-Parliamentarian Conference

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, addressed the inaugural session of the PIO-Parliamentarian Conference in New Delhi.

The Prime Minister praised External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj for continuously keeping an eye on issues being faced by Indian citizens abroad.
In this context, he mentioned the "MADAD" portal for real time monitoring and response of consular grievances.

3. ‘First Health Ministers Roundtable on Food Safety & Nutrition’

Shri J P Nadda, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare presided over the ‘First Health Ministers Roundtable on Food Safety & Nutrition’ organized by FSSAI, in New Delhi.

Shri Ashwini Kumar Choubey, MoS (Health) along with the Health Ministers of Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttarakhand, Telangana, Puducherry, Jharkhand and Delhi were also present at the roundtable.

4. Gujarat tops logistics performance index chart

Gujarat has topped a perception-based index of mobility of goods and efficiency of logistics chain, closely followed by Punjab and Andhra Pradesh.

Commerce and industry minister Suresh Prabhu released the report at the third meeting of Council for Trade Development and Promotion.

5. Goa to host second bird festival from January 12

The second edition of the Goa Bird Festival will be held from January 12 to 14 at Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary, Canacona.

The State Forest department is organising the event with the support of Goa Tourism, the Goa Bird Conservation Network (GBCN) and Birderpics.com.
Goa is said to have over 440 species of birds out of over 1,200 in the country.
The festival will host some of the country’s top naturalists, photographers and artists as resource persons.

6. 12-member panel to take a call on National Anthem in cinema halls

The Union Home Ministry has appointed a 12-member inter-ministerial committee, which would take a final call on the playing of the national anthem in cinema halls and public places.

The committee, led by Additional Secretary B.R. Sharma, will recommend changes.
The first meeting of the committee will be held on January 19 and It will submit its report within six months.

7. Indian-origin businessman appointed WBCSD Chairman

Singapore-based Indian-origin businessman Sunny Verghese has been appointed as the Chairman of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.

Verghese, 57, Co-Founder and the CEO of Singapore's agri-business group Olam International Limited, is the first World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) Chair from the agri-sector.
He succeeded Paul Polman, the CEO of Unilever, on January 1 and will serve a two-year term.

Points to Remember

WBCSD is a global network of more than 200 CEOs who are responsible for a combined revenue of more than USD 8.5 trillion and 19 million employees.
It is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.

8. A R Rahman becomes Sikkim’s brand ambassador

Music composer A R Rahman has been appointed as the brand ambassador of Sikkim.

The declaration was made by Sikkim chief minister Pawan Kumar Chamling who felicitated the legendary music composer during an inauguration of the 11-day Sikkim Red Panda Winter Carnival at Palzor Stadium in Gangtok.
Sikkim hopes that Rahman’s appointment as the brand ambassador would give a huge fillip to the tourism of the state.

9. Yusuf Pathan Suspended by BCCI After Dope Violation

In a shocking revelation, all-rounder Yusuf Pathan had failed a dope test during a domestic match last season.

The member of the 2011 World Cup winning side has been suspended for the violation.
Pathan had provided a urine sample as part of the BCCI’s anti-doping testing program during a domestic T-20 competition on 16th March 2017 in New Delhi.
His sample was subsequently tested and found to contain Terbutaline.
Terbutaline, a specified substance, is prohibited both In & Out of Competition in the WADA Prohibited List of Substances.

10. Aditya wins Kolkata Open Snooker meet