DAILY CURRENT
AFFAIRS: 9TH DEC 2016
(Daily News India)
1. HARRY
POTTER TOPS AMAZON'S BEST-SELLING BOOKS OF 2016
i. Amazon
has announced Harry Potter and the Cursed Child as the best-selling book of
2016.
ii. The
playscript by JK Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany, was also named this
year's 'Most Wished For' and 'Most Gifted' book.
2. US
DESIGNATES INDIA AS MAJOR DEFENCE PARTNER
i. India and
the United States vowed to expand the bilateral defence cooperation.
ii. Outgoing
American defence secretary Ashton Carter met his counterpart Manohar Parrikar
in New Delhi for the record-breaking seventh time.
iii. He
termed New Delhi as a "major defence partner".
3. TWO
BANKS OF ABU DHABI TO MERGE AS THE BIGGEST BANK IN GULF NATION
i.
Stockholders of the National Bank of Abu Dhabi and First Gulf Bank on December
7, 2016, approved to merge into the biggest bank of all Gulf Countries with an
asset of $ 178 billion.
ii. After
the merger the combined company will be named as NBAD.
iii. The FGB
shareholders will receive 1.254 NBAD shares for each FGB share they hold and
FGB stockholders will own 52% of the new bank.
4. PAKISTAN
LIFTS UNDECLARED BAN ON IMPORT OF GINNED COTTON FROM INDIA
i. Pakistan
has removed an “undeclared” ban on import of ginned cotton from India.
ii. , The
Department of Plant Protection of the Ministry of National Food Security and
Research had banned the cotton imports from India through Wagah and Karachi
port as the shipments did not fulfil phyto- sanitary conditions.
5. INDIA
TO SET UP CENTER OF EXCELLENCE AT AL-AZHAR UNIVERSITY, EGYPT
i. In order
to enhance cooperation in education sector between India and Egypt, Center
government has decided to set up a
center of Excellence in Information Technology at the Al-Azhar University.
ii. Al-Azhar
University is the oldest and most prestigious the University of Egypt.
6. PR
SREEJESH APPOINTED AS GOALKEEPING MENTOR OF INDIAN JUNIOR HOCKEY TEAM
i. Captain
of the senior National Men’s Hockey Team and one of the finest hockey goal-PR
Sreejeshkeeper in the world, PR Sreejesh has been appointed as the Goalkeeping Mentor of the India
Under-21 Hockey Team.
7. 18
YEAR OLD MUMBAIKAR JEHAN DARUVALA SIGNED FOR FORMULA 3
i. Young
Indian racer Jehan Daruvala has been signed by Formula 3's top team Carlin for
the 2017 FIA F3 European Championship.
ii. The 18 year
old started his racing career in karting in 2009 and won his first national
title in 2010 aged 11.
