DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: MAY 19, 2018

NATIONAL

MoS External Affairs General VK Singh Visits North Korea

Minister of State for External Affairs General VK Singh visits North Korea, first high-level visit from India in 20 years. The current year marks the 45th year of establishment of diplomatic relations.

He held talks with several leaders including Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho on key issues and raised New Delhi’s concerns over nuclear proliferation.

A range of bilateral issues covering political, regional, economic, educational and cultural cooperation figured in the talks.

North Korea

Capital: Pyongyang

Currency: North Korean won

MoS Defence Subhash Bhamre on 3 day visit to Nauru

Union minister Subhash Bhamre is on a three-day visit to Nauru- a tiny island-country in the central Pacific Ocean- amidst India’s increasing interaction with the region.

Bhamre, the minister of state for defence, was the chief guest at the 50th anniversary celebrations of Constitution Day of Nauru.

The two sides discussed projects relating to climate change, renewable energy, health, education, capacity building and infrastructure.

The minister conveyed that India will be offering 22 Mahindra SUVs and two Tata buses worth USD 706,000 to the country.The central Pacific country will be hosting the 49th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ meet.

Nauru

Capital‎: ‎Yaren‎

Currency: Australian dollar

PM Modi to lay foundation stones for Rs 100 bn projects in Kashmir

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone of Rs 68 billion strategic Zojila tunnel, Asia’s longest bi-directional tunnel, in Jammu and Kashmir.

He will also lay the foundation stones for ring road projects in Srinagar and Jammu costing nearly Rs 38.84 billion.

The 14-km long Zojila tunnel, which will be India’s longest road tunnel and Asia’s longest bidirectional tunnel, will provide all-weather connectivity between Srinagar, Kargil and Leh.

Chief minister: Mehbooba Mufti

Capitals: Jammu (Winter), Srinagar (Summer)

INTERNATIONAL

Netherlands PM Mark Rutte on 2 day official visit to India

Prime Minister of The Netherlands, Mark Rutte, will be on a two-day official visit to India from 24th of this month.

The visit is expected to boost the economic and political cooperation between the two countries. The India-Dutch CEOs forum will take place in New Delhi.

India and The Netherlands have a bilateral trade of 5.39 billion dollars. The Netherlands is the 5th largest investor in India.

Capital: Amsterdam

Currency: Euro, Dollar

SCO Cultural Ministers’ Meeting Held in Sanya, China

The Minister of State for Culture (I/c) and Minister of state for Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Dr. Mahesh Sharma will be attending Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Cultural Ministers Meeting at Sanya in China.

India to attend the SCO Culture Ministers’ meet for the first time.

The meeting will showcase India’s initiatives to actively pursue cultural cooperation with other countries including SCO countries.

India became full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in 2017 during the SCO Heads of State Summit in Astana, Kazakhstan.

China

Capital: Beijing

President: Xi Jinping

Currency: Renminbi

SCO

Headquarters: Beijing, China

Secretary General: Rashid Alimov

Member Countries: 8

AWARDS AND HONOURS

India’s Jagriti Yatra wins charity award in UK

India’s Jagriti Yatra, a Indian charity wins charity award in UK.

It organises 15-day train journeys around India to understand and build the India of smaller towns and villages through enterprise has won an award in London.

It has created some of India’s foremost social entrepreneurs and pioneers of enterprise-led development that cuts across socio-economic boundaries in India.

Actor sridevi Honoured At Cannes Film Festival

Veteran Bollywood actor Sridevi was honoured with the TITAN Reginald F Lewis Film Icon Award at the ongoing Cannes Film Festival.

The award traditionally celebrates women of the film industry all over the world and also salute the multi-cultural impact on the world of cinema.

The 71st annual Cannes Film Festival is currently being held at France.

NMDC bags S&P Platts Global Metals Award in CSR category

Iron ore mining major NMDC Ltd has bagged the S&P Global Platts Global Metals Award 2018 in the corporate social responsibility category. At an event held at London Grosvenor Square Marriott Hotel in the UK, N. Baijendra Kumar, Chairman-cum-Managing Director, and Sandeep Tula, Director (Personnel), NMDC Ltd, received the award.

S&P Global Platts is the leading independent provider of information, benchmark prices and analytics for the energy and commodities markets.
NMDC is the largest iron ore mining company in India with iron ore production of around 35 million tonnes per annum (MTPA).

APPOINTMENTS

Ambika Sharma: Head of USIBC India Office

The U.S India Business Council named Ambika Sharma as its head for India.

Ms. Sharma was Director General for International at the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).  As Director General of FICCI, Sharma is the highest ranked female executive of an Indian industry body.

The U.S.-India Business Council was formed in 1975 as a business advocacy organization to enlighten and encourage the private sectors of both India and United States to enhance investment flows.

USIBC

Headquarters: Washington, D.C., United States

Chairman: Nisha Desai Biswal

Dilip Tirkey: New chairman of OTDC

Former BJD Rajya Sabha member and former captain of the Indian national hockey team Dilip Tirkey has been appointed as the chairperson of Odisha Tourism Development Corporation (OTDC). Chief minister Naveen Patnaik approved the appointment of Tirkey.

OTDC is a state government undertaking, incorporated in 1979, to promote tourism in the state. He is a recipient of Padma Shri award in 2004.

Gina Haspel confirmed as first female director of CIA

Gina Haspel was confirmed to be the first female director of the CIA, Central Intelligence Agency. Haspel joined the CIA in January 1985 as a reports officer.Haspel’s nomination was confirmed in a 54-45 vote.

She was previously serving as Deputy Director under former CIA Director Mike Pompeo in the beginning of Trump’s administration.

Amit Khare named as I&B secretary

Senior bureaucrat Amit Khar has been appointed as the secretary to the information and broadcasting ministry.

Anup Wadhawan and former Delhi chief secretary M M Kutty have been named new commerce and petroleum secretaries respectively.

Rina Ray has been appointed secretary, the department of school education and literacy.

Sheila Dikshit, before becoming the chief secretary, has been appointed as OSD in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.

Moqtada al-Sadr’s bloc wins Iraq election

A political bloc led by populist cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, a long-time opponent of the United States, who also opposes Iranian influence in Iraq, has won the country’s parliamentary election

Sadr himself cannot become prime minister as he did not run in the election.

The Victory Alliance, headed by incumbent Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, took third place with 42.

Iraq

Capital: Baghdad

Currency: Iraqi dinar

SPORTS

1st Para-National Games to be Held Under Khelo India Scheme

The National Para Games, for able-bodied athletes, will be held under the Khelo India Scheme in bengaluru.

The Paralympic Committee of India will be responsible for the technical conduct of the Games while all the funding will be done by the sports ministry under the Khelo India Scheme.

There will be 416 medal events while the total number of participants has been fixed at 2192.

The events will be held at four venues — Kanteerava Stadium, Kanteerava Indoor Stadium, SAI Centre Bengaluru and Karnataka Badminton Association Stadium.

Himanta Biswa Sarma: Vice-President of BAC

BAI President Himanta Biswa Sarma was has been elected as the Vice-President of Badminton Asia Confederation (BAC) during the Annual General Meeting of the continental body in Bang.

Badminton Association of India is the governing body of badminton in India.

President: Himanta Biswa Sarma

Headquarters: New Delhi

IMPORTANT DAYS

International Museum Day – 18 May

International Museum Day is observed worldwide around May 18. This day is an occasion to raise awareness on how important museums are in the development of society.

Theme of 2018: Hyperconnected museum: New approaches, new publics.

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