DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: FEBRUARY 16, 2018

NATIONAL

Tri-service maritime exercise ‘Paschim Lehar’ begins

• ‘Paschim Lehar‘, a tri-service maritime exercise begins in India’s western coast.
• Around 40 ships, submarines and fighter aircraft participated in ‘Paschim Lehar’.
• Units from Eastern Naval Command, Indian Army, Indian Air Force and the Coast Guard are also participating to build interoperability.
  

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India’s biggest global pharma conference begins

• India’s biggest Global Conference on Pharma Industry and Medical Devices began in Bengaluru.
• Union Minister for Chemicals & Fertilisers Ananth Kumar inaugurated the three-day event.
• The event is being organised by the Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP), Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers, along with Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI).

Theme: ‘Driving NextGen Pharmaceuticals’

INTERNATIONAL

China to host 2018 SCO Summit

• The 2018 Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit will be held in the city of Qingdao, China in June.
• The SCO focuses on security- related issues of the region specially on counter terrorism cooperation.
• The SCO is comprised of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India and Pakistan. India and Pakistan were admitted as full members of the organisation in 2017.

China

Capital: Beijing

Currency: Renminbi

President: Xi Jinping

UN Mission: Indian Army contributes 2,300 personnel

• About 2,300 Indian Army personnel are leaving for South Sudan to join the UN peacekeeping mission in the war-torn African country.
• The Army personnel joining the UN mission are from Infantry battalion of Garhwal Rifles regiment.
• Last year, a total of 7,606 Indian peacekeepers were deployed in UN missions.
  

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Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s visit to India

• Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has arrived in Hyderabad as a three day visit to India.
• He will visit Makkah Masjid and will meet Prime minister, President and Vice-President.
• They would exchange views on on regional and international issues.

Iran

Capital: Tehran

Currency: Iranian Rial

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

Yes Bank lists $600-mn MTN bond on India INX

• Yes Bank has listed $600 million bond issued under its maiden $1 billion MTN programme, on Global Securities Market (GSM) of India INX.
• India INX is the country’s first international exchange, located at International Financial Services Centre, GIFT City in Gujarat.
• The bond is also listed on London Stock Exchange International Securities Market (LSE ISM) and Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited (SGX).

Yes Bank

Headquarters: Mumbai

MD and CEO: Rana Kapoor

IPPB to enable Digital Payments in Post Offices

• The India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) announced that it will enable Digital Payments in Post Offices from April 2018.
• It will provide digital payment services at the doorstep with the help of Postmen and Gramin Dak Sevaks (GDS).
• The India Post Payments Bank was incorporated on August 17, 2016 under Companies Act, 2013 as a public limited company with 100 percent Government of India equity under Department of Posts.

IPPB

Headquarters: New Delhi

MD & CEO: Suresh Sethi

AWARDS AND HONOURS

India’s Aadhaar and Umang app win awards at World Government Summit

• India’s Aadhaar won the best emerging technology award at the recently concluded World Government Summit 2018 in Dubai. India was the ‘Guest of Honour’ country at the summit.
• Umang App won in Best m-Government Service Award for Accessible Government Category.
• The awards were presented by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior of UAE Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
  

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APPOINTMENTS

Haruhiko Kuroda re-appointed as Bank of Japan chief

• Japan’s government re-appointed Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda for another term.
• Wakatabe and Amamiya would replace incumbent deputy governors Kikuo Iwata, an academic, and Hiroshi Nakaso, a career central banker.
• The Bank of Japan (BOJ) is the central bank of Japan, headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.

Japan

Capital: Tokyo

Currency: Japanese Yen

President: Shinzo Abe

Ethiopia prime minister Hailemariam Desalegn resigns

• Hailemariam Desalegn resigns as both Ethiopia’s prime minister and chairman of the country.
• Hailemariam Desalegn has led Ethiopia since 2012.
• He will remain as prime minister until the ruling Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) and the country’s parliament accept his resignation.

Ethiopia

Capital: Addis Ababa

Currency: Ethiopian birr

Prime minister: Hailemariam Desalegn

SPORTS

Yuki Bhambri: First Indian to reach quarters of Chennai Open ATP Challenger Tournament

• In Tennis, Yuki Bhambri has become the first Indian to reach the quarter-finals of the Chennai Open ATP Challenger tournament.
• He defeated compatriot Sidharth Rawat to make this achievement.
• For a place in the semi-finals, Bhambri will meet Yasutaka Uchiyama of Japan.
  

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FEBRUARY 16, 2018 CURRENT AFFAIRS QUIZ WITH ANSWERS