Today's GK

Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker, Europe's longest-serving leader, tenders his resignation on Thursday in a scandal involving the tiny nation's secret services, alleged to have indulged in misconduct on his watch.

The government seems to be in agreement with Chief Justice of India-designate P Sathasivam on having reservation in the higher judiciary.

We have to give representation to OBCs,SCs/STs and other minorities in the appointment of judges to high courts and the Supreme Court. Though there is no reservation rule, the selection or appointing authority must keep this in mind. In a country like ours, where different communities, cultures are there, we have to give some latitude to them and fill up those pores," Justice Sathasivam had said.

Ireland's Parliament has passed the historic and ground breaking pro-abortion bill.Members of the Dail voted by 127 to 31 for the motion that will for the first time ever allow abortion in catholic Ireland.Abortion services, however, will not be open for one and all.The bill was introduced after Indian dentist Savita Halappanavar died in hospital in Galway in 2012 after being denied a termination.

The days of politicians fighting elections from jail are over. The Supreme Court has ruled that a person, who is in jail or in police custody, cannot contest elections to legislative bodies.An apex court bench of Justices A K Patnaik and S J Mukhopadhayay ruled that only an "elector" can contest the polls and he/she forfeits the right to vote during imprisonment or in police custody. However, the court said that disqualification would not be applicable to a person subjected to preventive detention under any law.

The court based its order on provisions of the Representation of the People Act. Sections 4 and 5 of the Act lay down that in order to be elected to Parliament or state legislatures, one must be an elector. The bench also referred to Section 62(5) of the Act which says that no person shall vote at any election if he is confined in a prison, whether under a sentence of imprisonment or transportation or otherwise, or is in the lawful custody of the police.

Reading Sections 4, 5 and 62(5) together, the apex court came to the conclusion that a person in jail or police custody cannot contest elections.

European Union (EU) states approved the adoption of the euro by Latvia as of January 1, 2014. The country will be the 18th member of the European Monetary Union.Latvia is the second Baltic republic to join the euro zone. In 2011, Estonia adopted the currency. Lithuania plans to do so as well, in 2015.

India and Tanzania have signed agreements on bilateral cooperation in several sectors, including agriculture, health and education, mines and minerals.All the agreements were signed between the Union Minister of State for External Affairs, Preneet Kaur and the Tanzanian Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Bernard K. Membe at Dar es Salaam.

Ecuador Starts new Aviation Radar System.Ecuadorian Vice President Jorge announced the Ecuadorian airspace will be covered in 95 percent by eight radars that will be located nationwide.The devices that form the Integrated Surveillance System Civil Radar will be located in the provinces of Guayas, Manabi, Pichincha, Cotopaxi, Pastaza, Azuay, Loja and the island of San Cristobal, in the Galapagos archipelago.Ecuadorian Vice President started this system at the offices of the Civil Aviation General Management (DAC) in Guayaquil.The investment to implement this high-technology equipment was $20 million USD.The eight radars would be part of a single system, meaning that the air-traffic controller can see all the trace of a plane in a monitor.Guerrero specified that it would be complicated to detect illegal flights of light aircraft, because for the crew to cheat these controls turn off a device that transmit data to the radars, as altitude and speed of the flight.

Hockey India (HI) appointed Olympic gold medallist Maharaj Kishan Kaushik as the men’s hockey team coach.The decision comes in the wake of Michael Nobbs’ removal as the team’s head coach.He was a member of the team when it won the gold medal at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow.Under the Coaching of MK Kaushik , India men’s hockey team had won their last major international tournament, the 1998 Asian Games, Bangkok. In 1998, he received the Arjuna Award.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah launched the ambitious ‘Anna Bhagya’ scheme in Bangalore.The scheme under which 30 kg of rice per month will be given to BPL (below poverty line) families across the state at Re 1 per kg. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had announced the scheme after taking oath on June 13.The government will spend Rs 4,300 crore every year on the scheme.