Daily Current Affairs- 8th May 2024

Daily Current Affairs- 8th May 2024

INTERNATIONAL

Ukraine unveils AI-generated foreign ministry spokesperson

• Ukraine presented an AI-generated spokesperson called Victoria who will make official statements on behalf of its foreign ministry.
• The ministry said it would “for the first time in history” use a digital spokesperson to read its statements.
• The foreign ministry’s press service said that the statements given by Shi would not be generated by AI but will be written and verified by real people. 

Putin begins new six-year term as President of Russia

• President Vladimir Putin began his fifth term at a glittering Kremlin inauguration Tuesday, embarking on another six years as leader of Russia after destroying his political opponents, launching a devastating war in Ukraine and concentrating all power in his hands.
• Putin won 87.3% of the vote on a record turnout of 77.5%, the Central Election Commission (CEC) reported Monday after all the ballots from the three-day presidential vote were counted. 

Dubai’s Ministry Of Tourism Launches ‘Cool Summers of India’ Campaign at the Arabian Travel Mart 2024

• In a bid to strengthen India’s presence in the Middle East tourism market, the Ministry of Tourism is participating in Arabian Travel Mart 2024, being held in Dubai from May 6 to 9, 2024, Aligning with it, ‘Incredible India’ pavilion was inaugurated on Monday, aiming to capture the entirety of the UAE market.
• Highlighting lesser-known yet refreshing destinations, the Ministry of Tourism also launched the ‘Cool Summers of India’ campaign at Arabian Travel Mart. The digital campaign challenges the notion of India being too hot for summer travel, emphasizing on its offerings in hill resorts, including the Himalayas. 

NATIONAL

Bajaj Auto is all set to launch World’s First CNG Motorcycle

• Bajaj Auto under Rajiv Bajaj's leadership, is ail set to launch the world's inaugural CNG-powered motorcycle on June 18, 2024. Anticipated to slash running costs by up to 50 per cent or more, this innovative Bajaj CNG motorcycle announcement came directly from Rajiv Bajaj, ( Managing Director of Bajaj ) during the recent Pulsar NS400Z launch event.
• This groundbreaking development has piqued the interest of budgetconscious commuters, offering an eco-friendly and cost-effective alternative. Yet, many details remain undisclosed about this upcoming CNG motorcycle. Recently leaked blueprints of the chassis, however, shed some light on its intriguing features.
• The prototype of Bajaj’s CNG motorcycle, which has been spotted multiple times during testing, resembles a typical commuter bike. It features halogen turn indicators, telescopic forks, and a monoshock unit for suspension. 

APPOINTMENS & RESIGNATIONS

Justice Sanjaya Kumar Mishra sworn in as President of GST Appellate Tribunal

• Justice (retired) Sanjaya Kumar Mishra was sworn in as the first President of the GST Appellate Tribunal on 6 May 2024. The Union Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman administered the oath of office in New Delhi. Justice (retired) Sanjaya Kumar Mishra has been appointed for a term of four years, With Justice Mishra's appointment, the GST Appellate Tribunal is expected to become operational on 1 July 2024.
• Qualification - According to section 110 of the Central Goods and Service Tax Act 2017, a person who has been the Judge of the Supreme Court or has been the Chief Justice of a High Court can be appointed as the President of the GST Appellate Tribunal. 

VISA Appoints Sujai Raina as India Country Manager

• Visa onboarded Sujai Raina as the country manager for India. In his new role, Raina will be responsible for the India business, taking on the responsibility of leading and executing Visa’s strategic initiatives for the market, partnering with clients and the payments ecosystem.
• Sandeep Ghosh will continue in his role as the group country manager for India and South Asia, overseeing operations in India and other markets in the subcontinent, including Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives. 

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day

• World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day is celebrated every year on May 8 to commemorate the birth anniversary of the founder of the Red Cross and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Henry Dunant. He was born on 8th May 1828 in Geneva and was the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize.
• World Red Cross Day's theme for the year 2024 is "I give with joy, and the joy I give is a reward." People are reminded of the significance of compassion, love, affection, support, and treatment on this day. 

World Thalassaemia Day

• World Thalassaemia Day is observed on May 8 every year to spread awareness about thalassaemia being a blood disorder, myths related to the disease, and to help the patients lead a normal life. The day also deals with the social stigma attached to the lives of individuals who are suffering from or living with this disease.
• The theme of World Thalassemia Day 2024 is ”Empowering Lives, Embracing Progress: Equitable and Accessible Thalassemia Treatment for All”. 

Rabindranath Tagore Jayanti 2024

• Every year, Tagore's birth anniversary is observed with a lot of respect and honour by the Bengalis. According to the Gregorian calendar, his birth anniversary – affectionately referred to as Rabindra Jayanti – falls on May 7. However, according to the Bengali calendar, Rabindra Jayanti will be observed on May 8 this year.
• Rabindranath Tagore is celebrated as a timeless poet, novelist, author, playwright, songwriter and philosopher in West Bengal. The poet is known all over the world for his huge volume of work. Tagore is the first non-European to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature in the year 1913. 

SUMMIT'S & MOU's

26th ASEAN-India Senior Officials’ Meeting (AISOM)

• The 26th ASEAN-India Senior Officials’ Meeting (AISOM) held in New Delhi welcomed the positive developments in the ASEAN-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) and shared mutual commitment to further augment the relations.
• The meeting was co-chaired by ASEAN-Singapore SOM Leader, Albert Chua, and the SOM Leader of India, Jaideep Mazumdar. Senior Officials of ASEAN Member States (AMS) or their representatives, the Deputy Secretary-General for ASEAN Political-Security Community were in attendance, along with representatives from Timor-Leste who were present as Observer. 

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

2024 Pulitzers Winner Announced, Check the Complete Winners List

• Columbia University of the United States of America announced the 2024 Pulitzer Prize winners on 7 May 2024. Columbia University announced the winners on the recommendation of the Pulitzer Prize Board. The award will be conferred by the president of Columbia University in a ceremony later.
• The Pulitzer Award is considered the most prestigious prize in the field of Journalism, It recognises work in 15 journalism categories and eight arts categories. It also gives special citations and awards.
• Some of the important winners of the 2024 Pulitzer Prize are as follows =

Journalism Category

Public Service -  Pro Publica.  Pro Publica is a non-profit investigative journalist body in California. It was given the award for the investigative work of its reporters Joshua Kaplan, Justin Elliott, Brett Murphy, Alex Mierjeski and Kirsten Berg.

Investigative Reporting -  Hannah Dreier of The New York Times

International Reporting -   Staff of The New York Times. The  award was given for its wide-ranging and revelatory coverage of Hamas’ lethal attack in southern Israel on October 7, Israel’s intelligence failures and the Israeli military’s response in Gaza.

Editorial Writing -  David E. Hoffman of The Washington Post Newspaper.

Breaking News Photography -   Photography Staff of Reuters news agency.

Feature Photography -  Photography Staff of Associated Press news agency.

Audio Reporting -  Staff of the Invisible Institute and USG Audio.

Book Drama and Music Category

Fiction -  Night Watch. The novel has been written by American novelist Jayne Anne Phillips.

Drama -  Primary Trust. The Primary Trust has been written by American playwright  Eboni Booth,

History -  No Right to an Honest Living: The Struggles of Boston’s Black Workers in the Civil War Era. The book was written by American historian Jacqueline Jones.

Biography - two books have been chosen this time.

King: A Life, by Jonathan Eig, is a biography of American Black civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr.

Master Slave Husband Wife: An Epic Journey from Slavery to Freedom, by Ilyon Woo

Memoir and Autobiography -   Liliana’s Invincible Summer: A Sister’s Search for Justice, by Cristina Rivera Garza.

Poetry -  Tripas: Poems, by Brandon Som. Brandom Som is an American poet.

Music - Adagio (For Wadada Leo Smith), by Tyshawn Sorey.

General nonfiction -   A Day in the Life of Abed Salama: Anatomy of a Jerusalem Tragedy, by Nathan Thrall.

 BANKING AND ECONOMY

ICICI Bank now lets NRIs use international numbers for UPI payments in India

• New Delhi, May 7 (IANS) ICICI Bank on Monday announced that it has enabled NRI (Non-Resident Indian) customers to use their international mobile number to make UPI payments instantly in India.
• This will allow the bank’s NRI customers to make payments for their utility bills, merchant and e-commerce transactions with their international mobile number registered with their NRE/NRO bank account held with ICICI Bank in the country.