Daily Current Affairs, 03rd September 2018

1) President Ram Nath Kovind Embarks On 3-Nation Tour

•President Ram Nath Kovind embarked on an eight-day three-nation tour to Cyprus, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic. He was accompanied by first lady Savita Kovind. President Kovind will hold talks with the leaders of the three European countries to deepen ties, particularly in the economic sphere. 

•He will hold talks with that President of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades. The President will also address Cyprus' House of Representatives, deliver a lecture at the University of Cyprus and address the Indian diaspora there. 

2) Bi-Annual Talks Between Indian And Bangladeshi Border Forces Begin In New Delhi

•The bi-annual talks between Indian and Bangladeshi border forces have begun in New Delhi. Director General of Border Security Force (BSF) KK Sharma represented the Indian side while Director General of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) Major General Md Shafeenul Islam led the Bangladeshi side in the talks.

•The meeting is aimed at increasing bilateral cooperation in checking trans-border crimes such as smuggling of drugs and narcotics, cattle lifting and gun running across the international border between the two countries. This is the 47th DG-level conference between the two sides since it began in 1975. 

3) International Tourist Arrivals Hit Record High In 2017: UN Report

•International tourist arrivals hit record high in 2017 with India leading the growth in South Asian region.According to data from the UN’s tourism organisation, a total of 1,323 million international tourist arrivals recorded in destinations around the world. The figure represents an 84 million increase over 2016, and a new record. 

•The sector also recorded an uninterrupted growth in arrivals for eight consecutive years. According to the UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), positive results in South Asia were largely driven by the strong performance of India, the subregion’s largest destination, which benefited from increasing demand from western source markets and simpler visa procedures. 

•In India, international tourists arrivals grew from 14.57 million in 2016 to 15.54 million in 2017. International tourism receipts for India grew from 22.42 billion dollars in 2016 to 27.36 billion dollars last year.

4) Mark Read Appointed WPP CEO In Place Of Martin Sorrell

•WPP Plc, the world’s largest communication services group, announced the appointment of Mark Read as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Executive Director (ED) to the company’s board with immediate effect. 

•He takes over the position from Martin Sorrell, who resigned from WPP, 33 years after founding the company, following allegations of personal misconduct and misuse of company assets. 

5) Ikee Rikako Named 'Most Valuable Player' Of Asian Games

•Japanese swimmer Ikee Rikako has been named as the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the recently-concluded 18th edition of the Asian Games. 

•The 18-year-old, who bagged six gold and two silver medals in the tournament, became the first female athlete to win the MVP title.