1.Shashank Manohar to stay on as ICC Chairman till June 2018 :-
Shashank Manohar will continue as Independent Chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC) till June 2018.
Mr. Manohar, architect of the new ICC Constitution and Financial structure, acceded to the wishes of the majority of the 13-member ICC Board to complete his first two-year term as chairman of the world cricket body.
“Shashank Manohar will continue to function as the Independent Chairman of ICC until the end of his elected term, which is June 2018,” the ICC stated on Wednesday.
2.Gujarat Poll Run-Up: Vaghela-as-CM posters come up, Congress calls it BJP’s mischief :-
A day after hoardings projecting Shankersinh Vaghela as chief ministerial candidate appeared in Vadodara, the senior Congress leader on Wednesday said he was not in any such race, even as the party blamed the ruling BJP for it and demanded a police probe.
The hoardings in Gujarati, which started appearing in the city on Tuesday, carried text that played on recent rumours that Vaghela could join the BJP.
3.China urges U.S. to isolate Dalai Lama :-
China on Wednesday urged the United States to isolate the Dalai Lama following a meeting in Dharamsala between a congressional delegation and the Tibetan spirtual leader.
“We urge the relevant Congressmen of the U.S. to properly deal with the Tibetan related issues and stop all kinds of contacts with the Dalai Lama and take immediate measures to remove the negative impact,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said.
4.Apple tops $800 billion market cap for first time :-
Apple Inc. became the first U.S. company to top the $800 billion mark in market capitalization on Tuesday, slightly more than two years after it crossed the $700 billion threshold.
The iPhone maker’s shares have gained 33% this year and almost 50% since the U.S. election in November. The company represents about 4% of the $21.7 trillion that makes up the entire S&P 500 index.
5.Kulbhushan Jadhav: Hague hearings begin May 15, Pakistan Army says govt will respond :-
A day after it acted on an Indian petition and asked Pakistan to put on hold the execution of Kulbhushan Jadhav the International Court of Justice (ICJ) at The Hague announced it will hold public hearings on May 15 in the case of the retired Indian Navy officer who was convicted of espionage charges by a Pakistani military court.
“The hearings will be devoted to the request for the indication of provisional measures submitted by India,” the ICJ said in a release.
6.Kolkata police arrive in Chennai to arrest Justice Karnan :-
A Kolkata police team arrived in Chennai on Wednesday to arrest Calcutta High Court Judge Justice C. S. Karnan, a day after the Supreme Court sentenced him to six months’ jail in a contempt case.
Justice Karnan is at present not in Tamil Nadu but at Srikalahasthi in Andhra Pradesh. The judge was staying at the State guest house after his arrival in Tuesday before the apex court delivered its verdict.
7.After Wipro, Cognizant and Infosys, Tech Mahindra plans to lay off 1500 employees :-
Tech Mahindra on Wednesday joined its bigger rivals Wipro Cognizant and Infosys in laying off employees. The company is planning to lay off an estimated 1,500 employees across all levels.
With the appraisal season under way for IT firms and reports emanating of such planned layoffs, which the companies call a routine process for letting underperformers go, employees have started seeking government intervention to save their jobs.
8.Upcountry Tamils set to welcome Modi :-
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will arrive in Colombo on Thursday to participate in the international UN Vesak Day hosted by Sri Lanka.
During the two-day visit, he will address thousands of upcountry Tamils of the country, shining the spotlight on the 1.6 million-strong community inhabiting the island’s Central and Southern provinces.
9.Ed Sheeran to perform in Mumbai on November 19 :-
British singer Ed Sheeran will perform live in Mumbai on November 19, 2017, it was announced on Wednesday on his official website. The Grammy Award winner added nine new cities to his 2017 world tour, with Mumbai being one of them. The venue, however, was not mentiioned.
The news of Sheeran’s India tour comes on the same day of singer Justin Beiber’s first ever live performance in India, at Mumbai’s D. Y Patil Stadium.
10.Trump fires FBI chief amid Russia probe :-
President Donald Trump on Tuesday dismissed James Comey as director of the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), sparking criticism by Republicans and Democrats that the move could undermine the integrity of an ongoing agency probe into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
The president cited Mr. Comey’s handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation as the reason behind his decision, but Democrats were quick to question the move.
