T R Zeliang appointed new CM of Nagaland

1.    T R Zeliang appointed new CM of Nagaland

i. T R Zeliang has been appointed as the new Chief Minister of Nagaland.

ii. He will succeed Neiphiu Rio, who resigned along with his Council of Ministers earlier today after his election to the Lok Sabha..

2.    Kathleen Stephens Named Interim US Ambassador to India

i. In the wake of Nancy Powell`s retirement, Kathleen Stephens has been named the new interim US Ambassador to India as President Barack Obama is yet to nominate a diplomat for this important post.

ii. Stephens will serve as the charge until a new permanent ambassador is nominated and confirmed by the US Senate

iii. Powell, 67, who assumed charge as US Ambassador here in April, 2012, had announced ending of her tenure in India in March this year.

3.    South Africa to grant Indians business visas in four days 

i. South Africa will grant visas to Indian businessmen wishing to explore prospects in the country within four days of submitting an application.

ii. South Africa Flag“India’s relations with South Africa have flourished over the years. The bilateral trade between India and South Africa has grown substantially from $7.5 billion in 2008-09 to $11.15 billion in 2013-14,” Morule said, according to a statement from the industry forum.

iii. India ranks amongst the top 10 trading partners of South Africa and is now the country’s fifth largest export destination and sixth largest source of imports, he added.
iv. India’s investments in South Africa are estimated at around $6 billion, and are expected to rise to $7 billion in the coming years.

v. India and South Africa are also engaged in various multilateral fora such as IBSA (India, Brazil, South Africa), G-20, and BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) and have a common approach on many global issues.

4.    2 Indian firms win Ashden award

i. Two Indian firms won the Ashden award (the green energy award) in 2014. About 14 Ashden awards were presented at the Royal Geographical Society in London on Thursday.

ii. Infosys received the International Ashden Award for Sustainable Buildings.

iii. Another Indian firm Greenway Grameen won the Ashden Clean Energy for Women and Girls award.

iv. Infosys has cut more than $80 million of its electricity bills and reduced electricity consumption per staff member by 44 per cent since 2008. Its success lies in seizing every opportunity to reduce energy consumption in its existing buildings – from reducing the size of chiller plants for air-conditioning, to painting roofs white so they reflect the heat.

v. Greenway Grameen is a clean cookstoves business co-founded by entrepreneurs Neha Juneja and Ankit Matthur just two years after they completed their MBA in 2008.

5.    UN declares Boko Haram as Qaeda-linked terrorist group

i. The UN Security Council has officially designated Boko Haram as a terrorist group linked to al-Qaeda and slapped sanctions on the militant group that has carried out bombings and the recent abduction of over 200 school girls in Nigeria.

ii. The Security Council’s al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee approved the addition of Boko Haram to its list of individuals and entities subject to the targeted financial sanctions and arms embargo on Thursday.

iii. The blacklisting by UNSC means that any individual or entity that provides financial or material support to Boko Haram, including the provision of arms or recruits, will be eligible to be added to the al-Qaeda sanctions list and subject to the sanctions measures.

iv. The militant group has been condemned globally for its abduction of more than 200 girls from their school in Chibok on April 14. The group’s leader Abubakar Shekau had claimed responsibility for the abduction in a video released by Boko Haram and has threatened to sell the girls into slavery.