Current Affairs : 29 July 2014

Written By Admin on July 31, 2014 | Thursday, July 31, 2014

1) Eid – ul-Fitr celebrated across Nation: Eid-ul-Fitr, which marks the culmination of the fasting month of Ramzan, was celebrated across the country on 29 July 2014 (Tuesday). Ramzan, the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, is observed as a fasting period by Muslims who abstain from food and water from sunrise to sunset and it culminates in Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations.

2) International Tiger Day 2014 observed across the world: The World on 29 July 2014 observed the International Tiger Day. The day is celebrated as an awareness day. The goal of the Tiger Day is to promote protection and expansion of the wild tiger habitats and also to gain support awareness for tiger conservation.

3) Neel Mukherjee longlisted for Man Booker prize: Neel Mukherjee, a London-based writer whose recently published novel, The Lives of Others, won rave reviews, has been long-listed for the Man Booker prize 2014, which, for the first time, has admitted novels in English from across the globe. Kolkata-born Mukherjee's novel, set in 1960s West Bengal, is his third novel. His first, Past Continuous, won the Vodafone-Crossword Award in India, the Writers' Guild of Great Britain Award for best fiction, and was shortlisted for the inaugural DSC Prize for South Asian Literature. The longlist includes 13 books by four Americans, six Britons, two Irish writers and one Australian. Man Booker trustees decided this year to change the rules which had previously allowed only British and Commonwealth authors to be considered for the prize. One former Man Booker winner, Howard Jacobson, is on the longlist along with two previously shortlisted authors, Ali Smith and David Mitchell.

4) Reliance Power to buy Jaiprakash's hydropower business: Reliance Power Ltd will buy Jaiprakash Power Ventures Ltd's entire hydropower business, the companies said on Monday, in a deal that would make billionaire Anil Ambani's group the largest private hydropower provider in India. Reliance CleanGen Ltd, which with Reliance Power is part of Ambani's Reliance Group, has signed an exclusive memorandum of understanding with Jaiprakash to buy three power plants.

5) Flipkart raises $ 1bn in fund - highest in Indian e-commerce: Flipkart on Tuesday announced it has raised $1 billion (Rs 6,000 crore), the largest ever fund-raising by an Indian internet company. The company declined to disclose the valuation at which it has raised funding. However, according to multiple people involved in the deal, the Bangalore-based company is now valued at about $7 billion. "This is a great milestone for Flipkart and for internet companies in India. It is a whole new benchmark we have set," said Sachin Bansal, co-founder and chief executive. The seven-year-old firm was valued at $2.6 billion at the time.

6) ICC bans Moeen Ali from wearing 'Save Gaza' wristbands: England batsman Moeen Ali has been banned from wearing wristbands featuring the slogans "Save Gaza" and "Free Palestine", the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced on Tuesday. Moeen, who is Muslim and of Pakistani descent, helped raise funds for charities working with those affected by the three-week conflict with Israel. He wore the wristbands on Monday's second day of the third Test against India at Southampton. Moeen, 27, risked disciplinary action under the ICC Code of Conduct, which forbids players wearing, displaying or conveying messages through arm bands or other items on clothing or equipment without prior approval