Daily GK Updates - 9th June, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Facial recognition system: Varanasi airport : Varanasi’s Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport will become India’s first airport to have an automated smart facial recognition system at its entry, security and boarding points.The initiative, which is part of the DigiYatra scheme, will ensure quicker entry into airports by facilitating automated check-ins.It will be functional within the next 4 months as per Airport Director AK Rai.

2. Tree museum in Vadodara : A landfill site in Gujarat’s Vadodara has been converted into a tree museum.The municipal corporation planted over 12,000 saplings of nearly 100 varieties in an area of 50,000 square metres.ardening on the site, which is reportedly worth ₹250 crore, began in 2016 after locals complained of the bad smell emanating from the landfill.

3. HP to scrap semester system in UG courses : The Himachal Pradesh government has decided to do away with semester system in undergraduate (UG) courses and revert to annual examination system.HP Govt had set up a review committee headed by former vice-chancellor to review RUSA (Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan) and it has recommended reverting back to annual examination system.The RUSA was introduced in the state in 2013.

4. Sikkim got its longest tunnel : Minister of State for Defence, Dr, Subhash Bhamre has dedicated a highway tunnel at Theng near Chungthang in north Sikkim to the nation.The tunnel will benefit the tourism and rapidly propel the growth of the state.

The double-lane tunnel stretching about 600 meters has been constructed by the Border Roads Organisation at cost of over 42 crore rupees.

5. CRPF jawan posthumously given PM’s medal : CRPF constable Harvinder Singh has been posthumously honoured with the PM’s police medal for saving the lives of Vaishno Devi pilgrims in 2016.Singh had been helping pilgrims reach the shrine when he saw some women and children trapped under a landslide.While saving them, he was hit by a huge rock, later succumbing to his injuries.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. PM Modi heads to China for SCO Summit : PM Narendra Modi departed for China’s Qingdao to attend the two-day long 18th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit.Modi will also hold a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the SCO summit.The SCO is a permanent intergovernmental international organisation that focuses on strengthening mutual trust and neighbourliness among the member states.

2. Peace Mission 2018 : India and Pakistan will take part in a joint military exercise for the first time, courtesy the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.The exercise, which is aimed at countering terrorism and will be conducted in Ural region of Russia.Member states of the SCO will participate in the joint military drill ‘Peace Mission 2018’ to promote mutual trust, cooperation and coordination against terrorist.

3. Indonesia wins UNSC vote : Indonesia was elected a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for a two-year term.Maldives and Indonesia had contested for a seat in the UNSC.Indonesia won the seat after securing 144 votes against 46 for the Maldives.The other newly elected non-permanent members of UNSC are Germany, Belgium, Dominican Republic and South Africa.

OTHER UPDATES:

DEFENCE:

1. 1st Indian-made artillery gun ready : India’s first indigenous, long-range artillery gun ‘Dhanush’ has cleared its final test and is ready to be inducted into the Indian Army.Earlier this month, fifty rounds of shells each were fired from six Dhanush guns, which are reportedly called ‘desi Bofors’.The gun also passed the tests in cold, humid, and hot conditions.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY:

1.Scientists in India discover a planet : Scientists at Ahmedabad’s Physical Research Laboratory have discovered an exoplanet, propelling India into a select group of countries which have found planets outside the solar system.The ‘super-Neptune’ is about 27 times the mass of Earth and six times its radius.It is most likely ‘uninhabitable’ due to the proximity to its star, 600 light-years away from Earth, scientists found.

2. Solar car to protect Taj from pollution : Students of ACE College of Engineering & Management in Agra have developed a four-seater solar car to help reduce air pollution which is damaging the Taj Mahal.Priced at ₹50,000, the car can attain a maximum speed of 30 kmph.The vehicle can be used at night and is also sturdy enough for rural areas, college officials said.

OBITUARIES:

1.Brazilian tennis great Maria Bueno dies : Brazilian tennis great Maria Bueno passed away after a battle with mouth cancer, according to a statement by the hospital. She was 78.Bueno was a former top-ranked player who spent most of her career on the court before the professional era.She won 19 Grand Slam titles overall, seven in singles, 11 in doubles and one in mixed doubles, between 1959 and 1966.

Daily GK Updates - 8th June, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Queen pineapple became Tripura’s ‘State Fruit’ : President Ram Nath Kovind declared Tripura’s queen variety pineapple as state fruit.The state holds good potential in world trade.Export of the pineapple to foreign countries is a major step in connecting with world trade.Tripura exported its first consignment of one-tonne pineapples to Dubai earlier this month.

2. Punjab govt launches business first portal : Punjab Industry Minister Sunder Sham Arora has launched a “Business First Portal” to give a big push towards the ease of doing business in the state. The online portal will facilitate the industrialists for Regulatory Clearances and Fiscal Approvals, real-time tracking of applications at a common platform.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. World Ocean Day: 8th June 2018 : On June 8th each year, we celebrate the ocean, its importance in our lives, and how we can protect it.World Oceans Day helps raise the profile of the ocean and inspire more involvement in helping to conserve this amazing resource we all depend on.The main action focus is to prevent plastic pollution and encourage solutions for a healthy ocean.

2. U.S. team to join Indian Ocean study : A team of 20 scientists, along with a key vessel of the United States NOAA, is arriving in Goa.It will mark the expansion of U.S.-Indian collaboration in the study of the Indian Ocean.Subtle changes on the surface and deep below in the western Indian Ocean have significant impact on weather in India in days, and in the United States, two to four weeks later.

OTHER UPDATES:

BANKING/FIANANCE:

1. L&T’s Nabha Power shuts 700 MW unit : L&T Group firm Nabha Power Ltd. (NPL) said it had been forced to shut a 700 MW unit of Rajpura thermal power station due to shortage of coal.The present crisis was triggered by disruption in the supply of coal rakes to the plant.NPL has been facing coal crisis since last year, forcing it to operate the plant at critical levels of coal stocks i.e. less than seven days.

SPORTS:

1. Jakhar claimed hammer gold : India won four medals a gold, a silver and two bronze on the first day of the four-day event in Gifu, Japan at the 2018 Asian Junior Athletics Championships.Ashish Jakhar set a new national record en route to winning a gold medal in the men’s hammer throw event.Jakhar, a former gold medalist at the 2016 Asian Junior Championships, threw the 6kg iron ball and chain to a distance of 76.86m.

OBITUARIES:

1. Renowned Lyricist Rasaraj Narayan Prasad Singh passes away : Renowned lyricist Rasaraj Narayan Prasad Singh passed away at his residence in Bhubaneswar(Odisha).He was the lyricist of several popular melodious songs in Odia cinema.Some of his soulful and melodious songs in Odia cinema are ‘Jeevan Jamuna re Juara uthere’, ‘Ratani gaja gamani’, ‘Ae ta kali kaal reeti biparita bhai re’.Singh penned songs for over 100 movies and radio programmes for which he earned many accolades.

Daily GK Updates - 7th June, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. First tropical storm of east Pacific : The first named tropical storm of the east Pacific hurricane season formed off the coast of Mexico.“Aletta”, the storm is expected to build to hurricane strength early, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said.It had maximum sustained winds of 45 mph (75 kph) and was moving west at 8 mph (13 kph).

2. Election Commission launches RTI portal : The Election Commission of India launched an online RTI portal to help applicants seeking information under the Right To Information Act.The portal can be accessed on the home page of the commission’s website‘eci.nic.in’.The portal also facilitates online reply to applications and also for making first appeal and reply thereto.

3. India ranks 137th on Global Peace Index 2018 : India has moved up four places to the 137th rank among 163 countries on the 2018 Global Peace Index.Iceland remains the most peaceful country in the world, a position it has held since 2008.New Zealand, Austria, Portugal and Denmark also sit in the top five most peaceful rankings.Syria remains the least peaceful country in the world, a position it has held for the past five years.

4. India’s Maternal Mortality Ratio drops to 130 : Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Jagat Prakash Nadda said India has seen a decline in its Maternal Mortality Ratio from 139 to 130.India’s MMR has significantly fallen from 167 in 2011-13 to the present figure of 130, as per the latest Sample Registration System figures.Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has implemented various schemes to increase access to quality healthcare

5. Outstanding power bill waiver for poors: MP The Madhya Pradesh government has announced a waiver scheme for outstanding power bills for labourers and poor families.The scheme is expected to benefit around 77 lakh people in the state.The state government also approved a scheme to subsidise electricity for registered labourers of the unorganised sector and Below Poverty Line (BPL) families

6. Geo-Intelligence Asia – 2018 : The Eleventh edition of GeoIntelligence Asia 2018 was held in New Delhi.The theme of Seminar was ‘GeoSpatial : A Force Multiplier for Defence and Industrial Security’.The seminar brought together BSF, Police Forces, Government and industry together to examine the latest technology solutions and on the critical role of geospatial technology in military and security applications.

  

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. World first EPR nuclear reactor begins : A third generation EPR reactor in China carried out its first nuclear chain reaction, an initial start up which is a world first for the much-delayed European technology.The European Pressurised Reactor (EPR) in China “carried out its first chain and therefore it has started.The reactor is not expected to be completed until the mid 2020s.

2. Cabinet approves MoU between India and Oman : The Union Cabinet approved a MoU signed between India represented by the ISRO and Oman represented by the Ministry of Transport and Communications.The MoU on Cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space was signed in February 2018 at Muscat.This MoU shall enable cooperation in space science, technology, and applications including remote sensing of the earth.

3. Issue of postage stamp between India & Russia : Cabinet has approved the agreement signed in connection with release of Joint Stamps between Department of Posts, India and Russia Post (MARKA) to establish postal cooperation.Bilateral relations between India and Russia are marked by broad understanding on issues of mutual interest.India and Russia enjoy enhanced levels of cooperation in almost all areas of the bilateral relationship.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. RBI to set up Public Credit Registry : In a bid to check loan defaults, RBI said that a Public Credit Registry (PCR) will be set up containing information on all borrowers to ensure financial stability.Following a report by Yeshwant M Deosthalee headed High Level Task Force, RBI said it has considered the recommendations and decided to set up a PCR.The PCR will serve as a registry of all credit contracts.

2. RBI allows banks to spread MTM losses : The Reserve Bank allowed banks to spread their mark-to-market (MTM) losses for the June quarter as well.The central bank had also asked banks to build an Investment Fluctuation Reserve (IFR) of 2% of their holdings.In April, RBI had given banks an option to spread provisioning for MTM losses recorded on their investment portfolio

Daily GK Updates - 6th June, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1.Ban on polythene in Uttarakhand from July 31 : In Uttarakhand, Polythene will be completely prohibited from 31st July in the state.All the polythene vendors have been asked to finish the polyethene stock before 31st July.One week before the ban, a mass awareness campaign about environmental damage caused by polythene would be undertaken in the entire state.

2. 539 species discovered in India in 2017 : 539 new species of plants and animals were discovered by scientists in the country in 2017, say publications from ZSI and BSI.Animal Discoveries, 2017 lists 300 new species of fauna.Plant Discoveries, 2017 lists 239 new flora species.Besides these discoveries, the biodiversity in the country recorded another 263 species with 174 new records of animals and 89 of plants found.

3. TRAI moots network to help in disaster relief : The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) recommended setting up of a pan-India broadband public protection disaster relief (PPDR) communications network based on 3GPP PS-LTE technology.It will be used for an ‘advanced, reliable, robust and responsive communication networks’ to be used during disasters.PPDR communication supports services such as maintenance of law and order.

4. JANAUSHADHI SUVIDHA’ launched : The government has launched the ‘JANAUSHADHI SUVIDHA’, the Oxo-biodegradable Sanitary Napkin, under the PM Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana.The affordable sanitary napkins will now become available at over 3600 Janaushadhi Kendras.‘JANAUSHADHI SUVIDHA’ comes with a special additive, which makes Sanitary napkin biodegradable when it comes in contact with oxygen after being discarded.

5. Haryana baned single-use water bottles : On the occasion of World Environment Day, the Haryana government has banned single-use water bottles in all government offices in the state.Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said that a five-point programme would be implemented for maintaining ecological balance in Haryana.It will include plantation of 20 lakh saplings and using LED bulb

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. China and India meet for fighting corruption : A six-member delegation of senior Chinese officials will meet their counterparts in Indian agencies.It is to deepen cooperation between the two countries on people wanted for corruption and asset recovery.During the Chinese presidency of G20 in 2016, the “High Level Principles on Cooperation on Persons Sought for Corruption and Asset Recovery” was initiated. India supported the initiative.

2. Saudi banned imports from Kerala : Saudi Arabia has temporarily banned processed and frozen fruit and vegetable imports from Kerala amid concerns over Nipah virus outbreak.On May 29, the United Arab Emirates also banned imports from Kerala and had earlier asked its citizens to avoid unnecessary travel to Kerala.The Nipah virus has claimed more than 15 lives in the state so far.

3. Fuego volcano erupted : Guatemala’s Fuego volcano erupted by shooting a dense cloud of ash into the sky.The death toll in the eruption rose to 62 as rescue workers recovered more bodies from devastated villages.Fuego has been erupting since 2002, and was continuously active in 2017.Guatemala, a Central American country, is home to volcanoes, rainforests and ancient Mayan sites. Its capital is Guatemala City.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. Prasar Bharati signs MoU with I&B Ministry : The Information and Broadcasting Ministry and Prasar Bharati, which runs Doordarshan and All India Radio (AIR), have inked an MoU required for the release of financial allocation.The MoU was signed in the last week of MayAutonomous bodies getting grants-in-aid from the government are required to sign a MoU with the ministry concerned for the release of the financial allocations.

SPORTS:

1. Virat Kohli among highest-paid athletes : India cricket captain Virat Kohli is among the world’s highest-paid athletes, according to a Forbes’ report.Kohli, the only sportsperson from India to be featured in the list, is ranked 83rd with earnings of USD 24 million.The ‘World’s Highest-Paid Athletes 2018’ list is topped by 41-year-old Mayweather, with USD 285 million earnings.

Daily GK Updates - 5th June, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1.India among top 5 in e-waste generation : India is among the top five e-waste generating countries in the world besides China, the US, Japan and Germany, according to a report.Among states, Maharashtra contributes the largest e-waste of 19.8% but recycles only about 47,810 tonne per annum (TPA), the report released by Assocham and NEC.Tamil Nadu with e-waste contribution of 13% recycled about 52,427 TPA

2.Tamil Nadu to ban on disposable plastic from 2019 : Tamil Nadu government announced a ban on manufacture, sales, storage and usage of disposable plastic across State with effective from January 1, 2019.However, the ban excludes using disposable plastic for packaging milk, curd, oil and medical utilities.

The ban was primarily on plastic carry bags, plastic plates, plastic cups, plastic flags, small plastic sachets used in packaging water.

3. NBFC for food processing sector : Food Processing Ministry will soon create its new financial institution which will exclusively fund food processing projects and create capacity building in the field of risk assessment and lending to food processing sector.The Agro-Processing Financial Institution will be a non-banking financial institution.The government is likely to hold a minority stake in this NBFC.

4. Heli-taxis between Shimla-Chandigarh : Himachal Pradesh CM Jairam Thakur flagged off a helicopter taxi service that will reduce the travel time between Shimla and Chandigarh to 20 minutes.The service, operated by Pawan Hans, can accommodate 19 persons and will charge ₹2,999 per person.The government is also planning to start heli-taxi service between Chandigarh and Manali and sortie service from Manali to the Rohtang Pass.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. World Environment Day 2018 : World Environment Day is the UN’s most important day for encouraging worldwide awareness and action for the protection of our environment.World Environment Day is the “people’s day” for doing something to take care of the Earth.The theme for the World Environment Day 2018 is “Beat Plastic Pollution”.Every World Environment Day has a different global host country. This year it is India

2. India, US, Japan to begin naval war game : India and its two strategic partners — the US and Japan — will hold the Malabar naval exercise from next week off the coast of Guam in the Philippine Sea.It will aim to deepen cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region where China has been expanding its military footprint.Malabar is a trilateral naval exercise involving the United States, Japan and India as permanent partners.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. Centre to start measuring green GDP of States : The government will begin a five-year exercise to compute district-level data of the country’s environmental wealth. The numbers will eventually be used to calculate every State’s ‘green’ Gross Domestic Product (GDP).The metric will help with a range of policy decisions, such as compensation to be paid during land acquisition, calculation of funds required for climate mitigation, and so on.

2. Telangana, LIC sign MoU for life insurance : Telangana government and the LIC signed a MoU for the implementation of a Rs five lakh life insurance scheme for the benefit of farmers in the state.The scheme will be implemented from August 15.

The agriculture department alone would implement the scheme and the AEOs (Agriculture Extension Officers) should get the insurance papers filled up by farmers before August 15.

BANKING/FINANCE:

1. Fitch downgrades PNB on credit profile : Fitch Ratings has downgraded the Viability Rating (VR) of Punjab National Bank to ‘b’ from ‘bb-’ and maintained negative ratings.The two-notch downgrade is a reflection of the significant deterioration in its standalone credit profile.Fitch said the deterioration in its core capitalisation was caused by a sharp increase in its non-performing loans (NPLs).

2. Mahesh Kumar appointed as Dy Governor of RBI : Mahesh Kumar Jain has been appointed as Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India for a term of three years.Presently, he is the Managing Director and CEO of IDBI Bank.Before his role in IDBI, Jain was the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Indian Bank.As per the RBI Act, the central bank should have four deputy governors.

Daily GK Updates - 4th June, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Ambulance service for infants  : The Gujarat government has decided to launch a dedicated ambulance service to shift critically ill infants to better equipped hospitals.

Under the ‘Neonatal ambulance service project for inter-hospital transfer’, the government would deploy 10 specially-equipped ambulances across the state.This facility will be linked to the ‘108’ service.

2. Humsafar Jodhpur Bandra Express flagged off : Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal flagged off Humsafar Jodhpur Bandra Express at Bhagat Ki Kothi Railway Station in Rajasthan’s Jodhpur.Adequate arrangements have been made in the trains, including mobile charging points, CCTV and Bio Toilets.Railway projects worth over Rs 13,000 crore has been undertaken in Rajasthan.Humsafar Express are completely 3-tier AC sleeper trains.

3. IAF chief BS Dhanoa to visit Brazil : IAF chief B S Dhanoa will begin a four-day visit to Brazil to explore possibilities of deeper defence cooperation between the two countries.The visit would also strengthen relationships and enable engagement in productive exchanges between the two air forces.The air chief marshal is embarking on the goodwill visit at the invitation of his Brazilian counterpart.

4. Taj Declaration to Beat Plastic Pollution : A ‘Taj Declaration to Beat Plastic Pollution’ was adopted. Efforts would be made to make the 500-metre area around the 17th-century monument litter-free.Steps would also be taken to phase out single-use plastic there.Minister of State for Environment Mahesh Sharma said India and the whole world was grappling with pollution due to plastics.

5. Flower named after Modi : An orchid at National Orchid Garden in Singapore was named ‘Dendrobium Narendra Modi’.Now three flowers are named after PM Narendra Modi.Last year, a fast-growing Israeli Chrysanthemum was named ‘MODI’ during the PM Modi’s visit to the nation.An orchid grown in Sikkim was named ‘Cymbidium Namo’ in 2016 by the state CM Pawan Chamling.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. World Bicycle Day was observed on 3 June : On June 3, 2018, the first official World Bicycle Day was celebrated.It was approved on 12 April 2018 as an official United Nations day of awareness about the multiple societal benefits of using the bicycle for transport and leisure.It encourages ​the Member States to include the bicycle in international, regional, national and subnational development policies and programmes.

2.PM Modi’s three Nations visit concluded : PM Modi returned to Delhi after concluding his 3-nation visit to Indonesia, Malaysia & Singapore.India & Indonesia signed 15 MoUs in the fields of defence, scientific & technological cooperation, railways and health, among others. In Malaysia Modi met his Malaysian counterpart Mahathir Mohamad and had “productive discussions” on bolstering the bilateral strategic ties. Modi launched three Indian digital payment systems – RuPay, BHIM app and UPI by SBI at the ‘Business, Innovation and Community Event’ in Singapore. PM Modi held wide-ranging talks with his Singaporean counterpart Lee Hsien Loong and delivered a keynote address at the Shangri-La Dialogue.He is the first Indian Prime Minister to address the Shangri-La Dialogue.

3. Asia’s first 13 ‘Blue Flag’ beaches : Environment-friendly, clean & equipped with amenities of international standards for tourists, 13 Indian beaches will soon get the Blue Flag certification.Beaches of Odisha, Maharashtra & other coastal states will be the 1^st in not just India, but in Asia, to get the Blue Flag certification.The Indian beaches are being developed by the Society for Integrated Coastal Management (SICOM).

OTHER UPDATES:

BANKING/FINANCE:

1. BBB to hold interviews for MDs and EDs : Newly constituted Banks Board Bureau, headed by former DoPT Secretary B P Sharma, will shortlist candidates for about 30 top-level vacancies in the public sector banks.The BBB has its genesis in the recommendations of The Committee to Review Governance of Boards of Banks in India, May 2014.The Bureau started functioning from April 01, 2016 as an autonomous recommendatory body.

2. Financial Literacy Week to begin on June 4:The Reserve Bank of India has chosen ‘customer protection’ as the theme for the Financial Literacy Week beginning on June 4.The event ending on June 8 will focus on creating awareness among customers of banks about financial products and services, good financial practices and going digital.Bankers, Financial Literacy Counsellors and other stakeholders will participate to create awareness.

DEFENCE:

1. India test-fires nuclear capable Agni-5 : India has successfully test-fired it’s indigenously developed nuclear capable long-range ballistic missile Agni-5 from Dr. Abdul Kalam Island off the Odisha coast.Unlike other missiles of the series, Agni-5 is the most advanced with new technologies in terms of navigation and guidance, warhead and engine.The missile has been developed by DRDO and has a strike range of 5,000 kilometers.

Daily GK Updates - 3rd June, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Deccan Queen completes 88 years of service : India’s first superfast train, Deccan Queen express from Mumbai to Pune has completed 88 years on June 1, 2018.

Also known as ‘Queen of Deccan’ the train started on June 1, 1930.This was the first deluxe train introduced on the railway to serve 2 important cities of the region.

2. Conference of Governors, LGs : A two day Conference of Governors and Lieutenant Governors (LGs) will be held at Rashtrapati Bhavan from 4th June.This will be the 49th such Conference which will be presided by President Ram Nath Kovind.

The first Conference of Governors was held at Rashtrapati Bhavan in 1949. It was presided over by C. Rajagopalachari, then the Governor General of India.

3. Maharashtra govt unveils ‘sandbox’ : The Maharashtra Government has announced the opening up of a ‘sandbox’ to boost start-ups.Sandbox is seen as a safe zone to test financial innovation which sees a limited rollout of new products to select customers.Reserve Bank panel had recommended introducing a “regulatory sandbox” to foster financial technology innovation.

4. Andhra introduces scheme for natural farming : The Andhra Pradesh government launched a Zero Based Natural Farming (ZBNF) scale-out scheme, aimed at benefitting around six million farmers by 2024.The state agriculture department also signed a MoU in this regard, with the Sustainable India Finance Facility (SIFF).The SIFF will extend financial and investment support to the farmers.

5. Padma Shri award given to Tommy Koh : Prime Minister Narendra Modi handed over the Padma Shri award, one of India’s highest civilian awards, to former Singaporean diplomat Tommy Koh in Singapore.Koh was among 10 ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) receipts of the prestigious award.Koh has served as Singapore’s ambassador to the US and the UN.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. US vetoes Arab-backed UN draft resolution : The United States vetoed an Arab-backed UN draft resolution calling for measures to protect the Palestinians.Ten countries including China, France and Russia voted in favor of the draft put forward by Kuwait on behalf of Arab countries at the Security Council.Four countries Britain, Ethiopia, the Netherlands and Poland abstained.

2. Cuba, US to restore direct postal service : Cuba and the US have agreed to permanently restore the direct postal service between the two countries.This service allows the postal delivery of mail, parcels, and express courier deliveries on direct flights between Cuba and the United States, and through post offices in both countries.The direct postal service between the two neighbouring nations was suspended by Havana in 1968.

3. Sushma Swaraj to visit South Africa : External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has left for South Africa on a five-day visit.During the visit, Mrs Swaraj is expected to have meetings with top leadership of South Africa.The Minister will participate in the BRICS Foreign Ministers Meeting on 4th and chair the IBSA Foreign Ministers Meeting.

4. Lamar Gets His Pulitzer Prize for ‘DAMN’ : Kendrick Lamar received the Pulitzer Prize for his 2017 album “DAMN”.Lamar became the first nonclassical or jazz musician to win a Pulitzer for music.Lamar had also notched four Grammys including best rap album this year for “DAMN”.

5. Giuseppe Conte sworn in as Italian PM : Giuseppe Conte was sworn in as prime minister of Italy’s new populist government.Conte will head a government of ministers from the anti-establishment Five Star Movement (M5S) and the far-right League Party.The first populist coalition in a founding EU member has raised concerns in some European quarters.

6. Pedro sworn in as Spain’s Prime Minister : Socialist leader Pedro Sanchez has been sworn in as Spain’s Prime Minister by King Felipe VI.Spain is the eurozone’s No. 4 economy and an influential member of the European Union (EU).Mr. Sanchez (46) is Spain’s seventh Prime Minister since the return to democracy following the death of dictator Gen. Francisco Franco in 1975.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1. Infosys completes acquisition of WongDoody : The country’s second largest IT services firm Infosys has completed the acquisition of US-based WongDoody.WongDoody Holding Company is a US-based digital creative and consumer insights agency.WongDoody has clients across industries like telecommunications, consumer electronics, healthcare and consumer packaged goods.WongDoody is headquartered in Seattle and has an office in Los Angeles.

DEFENCE:

1. Indian Navy sends ship to Socotra island : Indian Navy launched ‘Operation Nistar’ to evacuate 38 stranded Indians around Socotra island located close to the horn of Africa between the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea.The Navy has already deployed its ship INS Sunayna as part of the ‘operation Nistar’ to evacuate the Indians.Indian seafarers have been stranded due to Cyclone Mekunu.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY:

1. Successful launch of observation satellite :China successfully launched a new Earth observation satellite which will be mainly used in agricultural resources research and disaster monitoring.A scientific experiment satellite named Luojia-1 was sent into space at the same time.The Gaofen-6 satellite was launched on a Long March-2D rocket.