Current Affairs 19th August, 2017

INTERNATIONAL

1. Emma Stone Named as 2017’s Highest-Paid Female Actor

Emma Stone has been named Hollywood’s best-paid female actor in Forbes’ annual list of top earners.

• The 28-year-old made $26m in the last 12 months, the majority of which was earned from her Oscar-winning performance in the musical romance La La Land. The film made over $445m worldwide.
• Stone was closely followed by Jennifer Aniston with $25.5m, yet the majority of Aniston’s earnings have come from endorsements, such as SmartWater and Emirates airlines.
• Last year’s no 1, Jennifer Lawrence, is in third place with $24m.

NATIONAL

2. NHAI Launches Mobile App MyFASTag and FASTag Partner

National Highways Authority of India launched two mobile Apps – MyFASTag and FASTag Partner in New Delhi, to facilitate the availability of FASTags for Electronic Toll Collection.

• MyFASTag is a consumer App that can be downloaded from the App Store for both Android and iOS systems. A consumer can purchase or recharge FASTags on this App. The App also helps to keep track of transactions and provides for online grievance redressal. 
• FASTag Partner is a merchant App. Agencies like Common Services Centre, banking partners and vehicle dealers can sell and enroll FASTag through this App. In addition to this, the App can also be used to activate the RFID tags.These RFID tags are already fixed on the cars but are dormant. This App will convert these RFID tags into ETC Tag (FASTag).

3. Swachh Sankalp se Swachh Siddhi Competition

In pursuit of achieve a New India by 2022 under Sankalp se Siddhi vision, the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation is organising countrywide Film, Essay and Painting Competition only for Primary School students between 17th August and 8th  September, 2017 as another major step towards making Swachhta, a people’s movement.

• The core objective is to generate mass involvement in Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) and related issues.

The themes of the aforesaid competitions, to be held under the overall banner of Swachh Sankalp se Swachh Siddhi, are:

• Essay Competition:   What can I do for making India clean?
• Film Competition: My contribution to make India clean.
• Painting Competition:  Clean India of my Dreams.

Based on the aforesaid competitions, the National Swachh Bharat Awards shall be presented on 2nd October, 2017.

4. TRIFED Celebrates World Honey Bee Day 

To create awareness about Beekeeping and uses of its products including Honey, Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Limited (TRIFED) is celebrated World Honey Bee Day (WHBD) on 19.08.2017 in the Country.

• The main theme of celebrating WHBD is to save Indian honey bee.
• Honeybees/ beekeeping have been recognised as one of the important inputs for sustainable development of agriculture/ horticulture.
• TRIFED is an apex organisation at National Level and functioning under the administrative control of Ministry of Tribal Affairs. 
• TRIFED is serving the interests of Tribals, who are engaged in collection of NTFP and making of Tribal Art & Handicraft Products for their livelihood so as to ensure better remunerative price for their products as well as for the socio-economic betterment.

BUSINESS

5. BSNL Launches Digital Wallet in Partnership with MobiKwik

State-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) went digital by launching a mobile wallet (mobile payment App) that would enable its existing 100 million customers to make Bill payments and transact on e-commerce platforms.

• The wallet has been developed and issued by MobiKwik on behalf of BSNL.
• Anupam Srivastava, CMD, BSNL expressed hope that this BSNL mobile wallet will not only promote cashless economy but also enhance business for BSNL.
• Through this strategic partnership between BSNL and MobiKwik, BSNL taking another important milestone in achieving Prime Minister Modi's vision of enabling and making India a less-cash society based on the grand vision of digital India.

6. Tata Power, First Power Utility to Use QR Code

Tata Power has become the first power utility to introduce a QR code based bill payments system in India.

• The company said though this functionality of bill payments through a QR code has been introduced in other service industries, it will be launched in the power industry for the first time in India by Tata Power.
• According to the Company, the QR code linked to Unified Payments Interface (UPI) will be printed on the electricity bills. The customers can scan the QR code with BHIM app or any other UPI linked bank app and pay their bills without any hassle. 

APPOINTMENTS 

7. Sohail Mahmood- Pakistan’s High Commissioner to India

Sohail Mahmood assumed his charge as the Pakistan's High Commissioner to India, after his predecessor Abdul Basit announced retirement before his tenure was scheduled to end.

• Mahmood, who joined Pakistan's Foreign Service in 1985, had discharged his responsibilities in Islamabad's diplomatic mission in Washington, New York, Ankara and Bangkok.
• He is taking charge of his office at the time when bilateral ties between the two countries are tense.

8. GM India Appoints Sanjiv Gupta as President, MD

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

• The current President and Managing Director Kaher Kazem will hand over the reins of the company to Gupta, who is Chief Financial Officer, effective September 1.
• Kazem has been appointed as the President and CEO of GM Korea.
• Gupta will combine his role as GM India president and Managing Director with his finance leadership responsibilities.
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SPORTS

9. Lakshya Sen Wins Bulgaria Open International Series

Young Indian shuttler Lakshya Sen clinched the Bulgaria Open International Series title after notching up a hard-fought win over Croatia's Zvonimir Durkinjak in the men's singles final in Sofia, Bulgaria.

• In two months time, he will be playing Vietnam Grand Prix and then it would be junior World championship.
• Last year, the Indian had won the India International Series and clinched a bronze at the CPB Badminton and Sports Science Training Center in Thailand.

10. Virat Kohli Continues to Top ICC ODI Rankings for Batsmen

India captain Virat Kohli continued to be the world's top-ranked One-day batsman in the latest ICC ODI rankings, released in Dubai.

• Having 873 points in his kitty, Kohli will have a chance to increase the 12-point lead over second-placed Australian David Warner at the upcoming five-match ODI series against Sri Lanka, starting in Dambulla.
• Other Indian batsmen in the top-15 are former skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni 12th, Shikhar Dhawan 13th and vice -captain Rohit Sharma 14th.
• However, no Indian bowler figures in the top-10 list.
• Pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar 13th is the lone Indian in top 15.
• As for the ICC ODI Team Rankings, India are currently at number three.