1. China confers Confucius Peace Prize on Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe
(i) China’s Confucius Peace Prize was conferred on Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe.
(ii) As he has been criticised across the world for the use of systematic violence and torture to maintain power in the country, the announcement of his victory has angered not just the opposition groups in Zimbabwe but also human rights activists around the world.
(iii) However, the chairman of the award in China defended the decision saying that Mugabe is known for “injecting fresh energy” into the global quest for harmony.
2. Indian gangster Chhota Rajan arrested in Bali
(i) Indian gangster Rajendra Sadashiv Nikalje, also known as Chhota Rajan, was recently arrested in Indonesia.
(ii) Rajan, wanted for a series of murders, possession and use of illegal firearms, has been absconding for decades.
(iii) Based on a tip-off from the Australian police, the 55-year-old criminal was arrested by Indonesian authorities in Bali.
3. Madhya Pradesh declares 35 of its 51 districts drought-affected
(i) Madhya Pradesh recently declared 35 of its 51 districts to be drought-affected. It is the fourth state to have declared massive drought after Karnataka, Maharashtra and Odisha.
(ii) It has sought Rs.2,400 crore from the Centre as compensation for farmers. Further, the state has requested an additional Rs.300 crore for drinking water supply and Rs.750 crore for waiving off interest payments on loans.
(iii) As per government data, the deficit monsoon has affected over 4.8 million farmers across Madhya Pradesh.
4. JP Morgan Chase & Co.seek branch licences in India
(i) JP Morgan Chase & Co., the largest bank in the US, is in talks with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to get branch licences in India to boost its wholesale banking operations.
(ii) It seeks permits for centres to support corporate client services, including cash management, foreign-currency payments and trade finance.
(iii) The bank aims to open the centres by 2016 to add to its sole wholesale branch, which opened doors in Mumbai in 1994.
5. YES Bank becomes first private bank to begin operations at GIFT
(i) Yes Bank, one of India’s private banks, became the first to begin operations from its IFSC banking unit (IBU) at the Gujarat International Finance Tec City (GIFT).
(ii) The bank stated that this will bolster growth by giving it access to international financial markets, besides providing a comprehensive product suite to its corporate clients requiring foreign currency funding.
(iii) It will also enable the bank to raise foreign currency funding through medium term notes (MTNs) and other suitable routes.
6. HDFC Bank reduces its ATM networks
(i) India’s second largest private lender, HDFC Bank reduced its automated teller machine (ATM) network by 276 in the July-September quarter.
(ii) HDFC Bank’s deputy managing director said, ” There has been a change in customer behaviour. Now, more people are now comfortable using their debit cards as plastic money instead of withdrawing money from ATMs. Besides, people are also increasingly making payments in the digital mode via applications such as PayZapp and Chillar”.
(iii) Another issue raised by the management was that the cost of running ATM’s was going up and some leaders had been asking for an increase in interchange fee(the amount one bank charges another if the latter’s consumer uses the ATM of the non-home bank).
7. Deepika Kumari bags a silver at Archery World Cup Final
(i) Deepika Kumari bagged the silver medal in the recurve event at the Archery World Cup Final held in Mexico.
(ii) She lost 2-6 against World No. 1 Chou Misun of South Korea.
(iii) This is Kumari’s fourth silver medal in five years.
8. Lewis Hamilton wins the US Grand Prix
(i) Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton won the United States Grand Prix. This is his third Formula 1 World Championship title and 10th victory of the 2015 season.
(ii) The achievement makes Hamilton only the second British driver after Sir Jackie Stewart to have won three Formula 1 World Championships.
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