1. Germany meets Argentina in WC final in Rio
i. Germany and Argentina will slug it out for the prestigious Football World Cup at Rio de Janeiro on Sunday night.
ii. While three-time champions Germany advanced to the World Cup final after 2002, Argentina booked a final-2 berth for the first time after 1990, when they lost to West Germany, 1-0 in the final. Since then, Germany have never been the World Champions.
iii. Argentina, on the other hand, had last won the World Cup in 1986, the year Diego Maradona led his country to it's second World Cup.
iv. The Netherlands will take on Brazil in the third place match at Brasília tomorrow.
2. India unchanged at 135th spot in UN's HDI report
i. India is ranked 135 in Human Development Index, HDI report which was released by the United Nations Development Programme, UNDP in Tokyo today.
ii. Accoding to the report, the country's ranking in the HDI remained unchanged at 135 out of 187 countries in 2013, reflecting little improvement in the living standard of its people.
iii. The report also mentioned that India's HDI value for 2013 is 0.586 which falls in the medium human development category.
iv. Between 1980 to 2013, India's HDI value increased from 0.369 to 0.586.
v. The report further said that India is the lowest performing country among the BRICS nations in all categories of the HDI with the exception of life expectancy, which is lower in South Africa as a result of the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
3. Sujatha Singh is New Foreign Secretary
i. Sujatha Singh today assumed charge as India’s new foreign secretary.
ii. The 1976 batch Indian Foreign Service officer will have a fixed tenure of two years.
iii. 59 year old Mrs. Singh was earlier ambassador to Germany.
iv. She succeeds Ranjan Mathai who retired yesterday.
v. Sujatha Singh is the third woman to head the Forreign services after Chokila Iyer and Nirupama Rao.
4. First BRICS Business Council meets in South Africa
i. Business leaders from Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) are meeting here Monday to identify specific measures to eliminate barriers to growing trade and investment.
ii. Prominent business leaders from 19 other African countries are also taking part in the first BRICS Business Council meeting at the Sandton Convention Centre.
iii. The Council was established by the BRICS heads of state and government during their summit in Durban in March 2013, to develop and grow business, trade, manufacturing and investment ties amongst the group countries and between them and Africa.
iv. Council chairperson Patrice Motsepe said the two-day meeting would identify specific measures and initiatives to increase trade, business, manufacturing and investment ties among member-countries.
v. "The meeting will identify specific measures and initiatives to increase trade, business, manufacturing and investment ties amongst the BRICS countries and between the BRICS countries and Africa.
vi. Zuma has described the establishment of the BRICS Business Council as a key measure to further increase intra-Brics trade and investment.
vii. The Council would serve as a platform to strengthen and promote economic, trade, business and investment ties amongst the business communities of the five BRICS countries.
i. Germany and Argentina will slug it out for the prestigious Football World Cup at Rio de Janeiro on Sunday night.
ii. While three-time champions Germany advanced to the World Cup final after 2002, Argentina booked a final-2 berth for the first time after 1990, when they lost to West Germany, 1-0 in the final. Since then, Germany have never been the World Champions.
iii. Argentina, on the other hand, had last won the World Cup in 1986, the year Diego Maradona led his country to it's second World Cup.
iv. The Netherlands will take on Brazil in the third place match at Brasília tomorrow.
2. India unchanged at 135th spot in UN's HDI report
i. India is ranked 135 in Human Development Index, HDI report which was released by the United Nations Development Programme, UNDP in Tokyo today.
ii. Accoding to the report, the country's ranking in the HDI remained unchanged at 135 out of 187 countries in 2013, reflecting little improvement in the living standard of its people.
iii. The report also mentioned that India's HDI value for 2013 is 0.586 which falls in the medium human development category.
iv. Between 1980 to 2013, India's HDI value increased from 0.369 to 0.586.
v. The report further said that India is the lowest performing country among the BRICS nations in all categories of the HDI with the exception of life expectancy, which is lower in South Africa as a result of the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
3. Sujatha Singh is New Foreign Secretary
i. Sujatha Singh today assumed charge as India’s new foreign secretary.
ii. The 1976 batch Indian Foreign Service officer will have a fixed tenure of two years.
iii. 59 year old Mrs. Singh was earlier ambassador to Germany.
iv. She succeeds Ranjan Mathai who retired yesterday.
v. Sujatha Singh is the third woman to head the Forreign services after Chokila Iyer and Nirupama Rao.
4. First BRICS Business Council meets in South Africa
i. Business leaders from Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) are meeting here Monday to identify specific measures to eliminate barriers to growing trade and investment.
ii. Prominent business leaders from 19 other African countries are also taking part in the first BRICS Business Council meeting at the Sandton Convention Centre.
iii. The Council was established by the BRICS heads of state and government during their summit in Durban in March 2013, to develop and grow business, trade, manufacturing and investment ties amongst the group countries and between them and Africa.
iv. Council chairperson Patrice Motsepe said the two-day meeting would identify specific measures and initiatives to increase trade, business, manufacturing and investment ties among member-countries.
v. "The meeting will identify specific measures and initiatives to increase trade, business, manufacturing and investment ties amongst the BRICS countries and between the BRICS countries and Africa.
vi. Zuma has described the establishment of the BRICS Business Council as a key measure to further increase intra-Brics trade and investment.
vii. The Council would serve as a platform to strengthen and promote economic, trade, business and investment ties amongst the business communities of the five BRICS countries.
