18th August 2014 - Daily Current Affairs updates

18th August 2014 - Daily Current Affairs updates

 National Affairs

• The Enforcement Directorate (ED) questioned the West Bengal Textile Minister Shyamapada Mukherjee and Actor Aparna Sen in relation with the Saradha Chit Fund Scam today. 
• Tata Consultancy, country's largest software services exporter on Monday announced that it will earmark a budget of Rs 100 crore to be spent on Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government's 'Clean India' initiative.  
• Press Council of India (PCI) chairman Justice (retd) Markandey Katju today said that the country had been passing through a very painful and agonizing phase and exhorted the media to take leadership to combat feudal mindset and superstition in the society. 
• Angered by Pakistan's consultations with Kashmiri separatists, India today called off next week's talks (scheduled to be held on 25th August 2014 in Islamabad) between Foreign Secretaries, telling it bluntly to choose between an Indo-Pak dialogue or hobnobbing with the separatists. 
• India ranked fifth amongst top ten wind power producers in the world by adding 1,700 MW capacity in 2013. China topped with 16,100 MW capacity in 2013, followed by USA, Germany and Spain. 

International Affairs

• Afghanistan celebrates the 95th anniversary of its Independence Day.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has written to President Hamid Karzai extending greetings for Afghanistan’s Independence Day with a promise to continue India’s full support to the efforts to build a strong, united, peaceful, democratic and prosperous Afghanistan.
• The Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministers ended "difficult" talks on the Ukraine crisis on Sunday with no concrete advances but "some progress", hosts Germany said, as clashes continued on the ground.

Sports

• Cincinnati Masters 2014
  
• Men's singles - Roger Federer
• Women's Singles - Serena Williams
• India captain Mahendra Dhoni hinted he may stand down as skipper following his side's 3-1 Test series defeat in England.
• Rafael Nadal will not defend his title at the U.S. Open because of an injured right wrist (the tournament is going to begin next week).
• Veteran star Leander Paes dropped out of top-10 after losing a place in the doubles ranking, while Rohan Bopanna slid to 29 following a steep loss of eight places in the new chart issued today. 

Business & Economy

• Following a complaint, a case was registered by hyderabad police against Andhra Bank Chairman and Managing Director CVR Rajendran and four others for criminal conspiracy, cheating and other relevant offences under the Indian Penal Code. 
• A consortium of banks which lent money to Bhushan Steel, has decided to appoint three directors on the board of the company (The company is facing tough times after its Vice-Chairman and Managing Director Neeraj Singhal was arrested by the CBI in a bribery case on 7th August 2014)