Current Affairs Current Affairs May 2018

Indian pugilist Neeraj Goyat has been conferred with the 'WBC Asia Boxer of the Year Award'. Neeraj is the current WBC Asia champion in welterweight category. Since turning pro in 2011, Neeraj has won nine fights including two knockouts. Neerav Tomar, promoter of IOS Boxing Promotions which manages Neeraj and Vijender Singh, was bestowed with 'WBC Asia honorary Promoter of the year 2017 Award' by the Asian Boxing Council at WBC Asia and WBC Muaythai annual awards presentation ceremony in Bangkok, Thailand.

Source- The Times of India

The ‘Vibrant North East 2018', an event in which people would be made aware of central government’s schemes and programmes, was held in Guwahati, Assam. Players from the agriculture, food processing, consumer affairs, civil supply, drinking water and sanitation sectors participated in the three-day event. The event is organised by Delhi-based NGO, Centre for Agriculture and Rural Development (CARD). The main purpose of the event is to disseminate information about the schemes, grants and projects of the Central Government to ensure that they are implemented as envisaged officially.

Source- Press Trust of India (PTI)

Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has been named the Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year. Manchester City midfielder Kevin de Bruyne came second with Tottenham striker Harry Kane third. Salah, 25, has scored 31 goals in 34 league appearances for Liverpool this season. The Egypt star - the first African winner of the award - also won the Professional Footballers' Association player of the year award.

Source- DD News

According to the Wimbledon officials, the 2018 men's and women's singles champions will receive £2.25 million, an increase of £50,000 on last year. Lower-ranked players at Wimbledon will enjoy a greater uplift, with an increase of 10% across qualifying and the first to fourth rounds of the singles, boosting the overhaul prize money total to £34 million this year. Wimbledon officials warned players they face losing prize money if they withdraw after competing with an existing injury and are not perceived to have given maximum effort. There were a total of seven mid-match withdrawals in the 2017 tournament.

Source- DD News

Ravinder Sharma, fondly called Guruji, the founder of Adilabad's Kala Ashram died at the age of 65 years. A trained artist, Guruji had been awarded Kala Ratna by the Andhra Pradesh State government in 2014. After bifurcation of the State, the Telangana government awarded him the Ugadi Puraskaram in 2015.

Source- The Hindu

The controversial UK marketing analytics firm Cambridge Analytica, which has been at the heart of the Facebook data scandal, has announced to cease all its operations immediately and filing for insolvency in Britain and the United States. Cambridge Analytica, also said, its British parent firm SCL Elections Ltd is to shutting down immediately. The firm is currently facing allegations of improper use of data on 87 million Facebook users which was hired by President Donald Trump’s 2016 US election campaign.

Source- AIR World Service

ICICI Bank's board has appointed Radhakrishnan Nair as an additional (independent) director of the bank for five years.  The appointment is subject to the approval of shareholders. Mr Nair is also an independent director of three subsidiaries of the bank - ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company, ICICI Prudential Trust and ICICI Securities Primary Dealership.

Source- The Economic Times

IT firm Cognizant has acquired privately-held Belgium based Hedera Consulting, a move that will strengthen the former’s consulting and digital transformation capabilities for clients in Belgium and the Netherlands. The size of the deal was however not disclosed. Founded in 2009, Hedera specialises in business advisory and data analytics services across sectors, helping clients in areas like growth strategy, innovation, marketing, sales and customer service.

Source- The Livemint

 Every year, 3 May is a date which celebrated as the World Press Freedom Day to evaluate press freedom around the world, to defend the media from attacks on their independence and to pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the exercise of their profession. This year’s global theme for WPFD is ‘Keeping Power in Check: Media, Justice and The Rule of Law’.  In 2018, UNESCO will lead the 25th celebration of World Press Freedom Day. The main event, jointly organized by UNESCO and the Government of the Republic of Ghana, will take place in Accra, Ghana.  Background: World Press Freedom Day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 1993 following a Recommendation adopted at the twenty-sixth session of UNESCO's General Conference in 1991. This, in turn, was a response to a call by African journalists who in 1991 produced the landmark Windhoek Declaration on media pluralism and independence.

Source- The United Nations

Maharashtra became the first state to provide digitally-signed land record receipts (also known as 7/12 receipts), which Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis claimed would check irregularities and bring in transparency. The 7/12 receipt is the most important document which establishes the ownership of the land and is primarily used by farmers while applying for loans. It is also used by the government during crop surveys and to extend various facilities.

Source- The Hindu