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Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 10 July 2015

Current Affairs for IAS Exams – 10 July 2015

Noting that it will not allow even one more death, the Supreme Court on Thursday transferred all criminal and death cases linked to the Vyapam scam to the Central Bureau of Investigation for a “fair and impartial” probe.
The CBI will effectively be in charge of the investigations from Monday.
A Bench of Chief Justice of India H.L. Dattu, Justices Arun Mishra and Amitava Roy said the question whether the probe should be monitored by the apex court can be decided later in consultation with the premier investigation agency.
Slamming the Madhya Pradesh High Court for deferring an application made by the State government for a CBI probe, Chief Justice Dattu said it seemed the High Court merely “wanted to wash its hands of the responsibility and lobbed the ball into the Supreme Court.”
The apex court made it clear that with the CBI on the case now, the High Court will not “touch” the Vyapam cases.
The Special Task Force, supervised by the High Court-monitored Special Investigation Team, has lodged a number of FIRs relating to illegal admissions/recruitment totalling 55 cases, of which 45 related to admissions in professional courses and 10 to recruitment in government services on the recommendation of high-profile persons.
The court scheduled the next hearing for July 24 even as senior advocate Kapil Sibal sought an early date, saying every day, people related to the scam were being found dead.

EU President Donald Tusk said on Thursday that Greece’s creditors must make a “realistic” proposal for managing the country’s huge debt, as Athens faced a midnight deadline to submit reform plans for an international bailout.
Greece’s calls for its debt to be tackled have been backed by the International Monetary Fund and U.S. Treasury Secretary, but Germany leads a hard-line group of Eurozone nations that are strongly opposed.
If Greece were to submit its proposals on time on Thursday, they will then be examined by the “troika” of creditor institutions — the European Commission, the European Central Bank and IMF — before going on to political leaders. Mr. Tusk has set a special EU summit on Sunday as the final deadline for a deal to bail out Greece.
Premier Tsipras has called for a reduction of Greece’s massive €320-billion debt mountain to be part of any deal for its third international bailout since 2010.
But Germany and many other Eurozone nations reject any move to write off Greek debts, especially after Greeks in a referendum last weekend backed Mr. Tsipras’s decision to reject the creditors’ demands for further austerity.

Luxury cruise liners will commence operations from Sri Lanka to Kerala on October 2, Gandhi Jayanthi Day, giving a fillip to the burgeoning tourism industry.
The launch of cruise ships between the island nation and Kerala follows the efforts of Kerala Tourism and Minister for Tourism A.P. Anil Kumar to increase the footfalls to the State during the Visit Kerala Year.
The services are being launched by the Colombo-based Herbilan Cruises Lanka Pvt Ltd (HCLPL) and will go on till March 2017.
The seven day-six night services using a cruise ship bearing Panama flag will be on the Colombo-Kochi-Maldives-Colombo sector.

Scientists have found that peppermint oil and cinnamon could help treat chronic wounds.
The researchers have found a way to package antimicrobial compounds from peppermint and cinnamon in tiny capsules that can both kill biofilms and actively promote healing. The new material could be used as a topical antibacterial treatment and disinfectant.
Many bacteria clump together in sticky plaques in a way that makes them difficult to eliminate with traditional antibiotics.
Doctors sometimes recommend cutting out infected tissues. This approach is costly, however, and because it's invasive, many patients opt out of treatment altogether.
Essential oils and other natural compounds have emerged recently as alternative substances that can get rid of pathogenic bacteria, but researchers have had a hard time translating their antibacterial activity into treatments. Vincent M Rotello and colleagues wanted to address this challenge.
The researchers packaged peppermint oil and cinnamaldehyde, the compound in cinnamon responsible for its flavour and aroma, into silica nanoparticles. The microcapsule treatment was effective against four different types of bacteria, including one antibiotic-resistant strain. It also promoted the growth of fibroblasts, a cell type that is important in wound healing.

Saddled with history and a ball-toss that rebelled, Maria Sharapova suffered for an hour and 19 minutes in the glare and heat of Centre Court before watching Serena Williams ease past her for the 17th time in a row and into the final of the 2015 Wimbledon. And then she suffered some more.
As feisty afterwards as she had been in enduring another public hammering against a rival with whom she shares mutual respect but little warmth, she rejected suggestions – daft ones during an uncomfortable press conference – that she either change her baseline strategy or even look for a new coach.
She seethed when asked to respond to David Cameron’s remarks that women players should wear earplugs to block out the screeching that plagues the women’s game, with Sharapova among the chief culprits. “Next question, please,” she said through pursed lips. She would probably give Cameron a run for his money at prime minister’s questions.
But it is harder than she makes it sound, and she does not lack for motivation – especially against Sharapova, who beat her to win the title when a teenager in 2004 and has won only five sets in 18 matches against her since. Williams gives the impression she would happily play her morning, noon and night.