CivilServiceArticle: 28 JUNE 2015 CURRENT AFFAIRS

Yevgeny Primakov, Russia's former Prime Minister died

Former Russian Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov died at the age of 85 on 26 June 2015
He died in Moscow after a prolonged illness
He headed the Russian government for just eight months (September 1998 and May 1999) appointed by then-president Boris Yeltsin
He was the chairman of Soviet parliament between 1989 and 1990 and was played a vital role in the negotiation with Saddam Hussein ahead of the Gulf War
He was appointed as the head of Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) and later foreign minister in January 1996
In 2003, he once again travelled to Iraq and met Saddam Hussein in an attempt to prevent war

External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj is in a visit to Thailand from 27-29 June 2015
She is to attend the 7th Meeting of India-Thailand Joint Commission (JCM) and to attend the 16th World Sanskrit Conference in Bangkok
And the external affairs ministry expected to meeting with various Insian Association and business leaders
By this visit, this should be the first higher level visit after the formation of the new government in both countries
India's 'Act East' policy is complemented by Thailand's 'Look West' policy in bringing the two countries closer.

Greek banks and the stock exchange will be shut on Monday after creditors refused to extend the country's bailout and savers queued to withdraw cash
The ECB had made it difficult for the banks to open on Monday because it decided to freeze the level of funding support it gives the banking system, rather than increasing it to cover a rise in withdrawals from worried depositors
Majority of people want to remain inside the euro, the next few days present a major challenge to the integrity of the 16-year-old euro zone currency