*CURRENT AFFAIRS (09:08:2014)

1. Islamic State makes inroads
into Kurdish territory; pushed
back regional 'Peshmerga'
fighters.
- The militant outfit has so far
managed to grab an oil field,
some towns, and nation's largest
'Mosul dam'.
- US, meanwhile, has begun the
airstrike to push back the
invaders so as to protect its
citizens trapped in the crossfire.
2. US brokers a deal between
Afghanistan feuding presidential
candidates (Abdullah Abdullah
and Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai) to
form a unity government till the
clear winner emerges after the
vote-recount.
- The UN is supervising the audit
of all eight million votes cast in the
run-off presidential vote.
3. Ajitpal Singh is the chairman of
the Dronacharya Award Selection
Committee for this year (2014);
Kapil Dev to head the Arjuna
Awards Selection Committee.
- Ajitpal Singh is the celebrated
Indian hockey captain who led
India to its first and only Hockey
World Cup in 1975.
- Dronacharya Award, instituted in
1985, recognizes excellence in
sports coaching.
- Arjuna Award is given annually
to outstanding sports-persons of
the country.
- Both the honours will be
presented on 29 August 2014
(National Sports Day).
4. The International Day of the
World's Indigenous Peoples is
observed across the globe on
August 9.
- The annual event is celebrated to
promote and protect the rights of
the world's indigenous
population.
- 2014 Theme: "Bridging the gap:
implementing the rights of
indigenous peoples".
5. Ebola death toll nears 1000;
declared as Global Health
Emergency by WHO.
6. There are 247 Unani hospitals
in the country; Uttar Pradesh tops
the list with 204 of them.
- There is also a 'National Institute
of Unani Medicine' (NIUM),
functioning at Bangalore since
2004.