IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF AUGUST 19th, 2017

IMPORTANT CURRENT  AFFAIRS OF AUGUST 19th, 2017

1. World Humanitarian Day: 19 August

i. World Humanitarian Day (WHD) is held every year on 19 August to pay tribute to aid workers who risk their lives in humanitarian service, and to rally support for people affected by crises around the world.

ii. The campaign was launched on WHD with the theme- #NotATarget. The Day is organized by the United Nations.

2. China Launches First Cyber Court in e-commerce Hub

i. China launched its first cyber court specializing in handling Internet-related cases in the e-commerce hub of Hangzhou.

ii. The Hangzhou Internet Court in Hangzhou will handle cases such as online trade disputes and copyright lawsuits. Hangzhou is home to many Internet companies, including e-commerce giant Alibaba.

3. Sri Lanka Appoints First Tamil Navy Chief After Four Decades

i. Rear Admiral Travis Sinniah was appointed as the chief of Sri Lanka's naval forces, making him the first from the minority Tamil community to head the Navy since the brutal civil war erupted in the country 45 years ago.

ii. He was appointed as the Navy chief by President Maithripala Sirisena. Sinniah succeeds Vice Admiral Ravi Wijegunaratne who has retired.

4. Union Bank Signs Insurance Deals

i. Union Bank of India entered into a corporate agency agreement with Bajaj Allianz General Insurance and Cholamandalam MS General Insurance for distribution of their insurance products.

ii. The public-sector bank already has a corporate agency agreement with The New India Assurance.

5. US, Japan Vow To Boost Defence Cooperation With India, S Korea, Australia
i. The US and Japan have agreed to advance their multilateral security and defence cooperation with countries like India, South Korea and Australia, amidst China's growing assertiveness in the Asia Pacific region.

ii. During the meeting the ministers underscored the importance of cooperating to promote a rules-based international order, taking note of the United States continued commitment to maintain a strong presence in the region and Japans initiatives demonstrated by its “Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy”.

6. Neymar Becomes Goodwill Ambassador for Disabled

i. World's Most expensive player Neymar became the Goodwill Ambassador for Handicap International.

ii. The charity was founded in 1982 to assist 6,000 Cambodian refugees who had lost limbs and later co-founded the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) in 1992 which won the Nobel Peace Prize.

7. Putin Appoints Nikolay Kudashev as Russia’s New Ambassador to India

i. Russian President Vladimir Putin appointed career diplomat Nikolay Kudashev as Russia’s new ambassador to India. 

ii. The appointment of Kudashev comes nearly seven months after the death of Russia’s previous ambassador to India Alexander Kadakin.

8. Sanjiv Gupta Appointed President and MD of General Motors India

i. General Motors India announced the appointment of Sanjiv Gupta as the new President and Managing Director of the company.

ii. He will replace Kaher Kazem. Kazem has been appointed as the President and CEO of GM Korea.

9. Mamta Suri Takes Charge as Executive Director of IBBI

i. Dr. Mamta Suri took charge as Executive Director of Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) in New Delhi.

ii. Before joining IBBI, Dr. Suri was serving as Chief General Manager, Insurance Regulatory Development Authority of India (IRDAI). She has also received Honorary membership for High Scholastic Achievement from USA.

10. Veteran Photographer S Paul Dies 

i. Veteran photographer S Paul died at a hospital in New Delhi. He was 88. He was a self-taught photographer. He was the first Indian to win the Nikon International Photo Contest in 1971.

ii. Apart from other recognitions, Paul was the first Indian to be profiled by The British Journal of Photography in 1967.