Current Affairs Daily Digest – April 07 2020
1. Life Insurance Council: “Force Majeure” does not apply for COVID-19 cases
The Life Insurance council announced that the “Force Majeure” clause will apply to COVID-19 deaths. Apart from the council, Kolkata Port Trust has also invoked force majeure.
What is force Majeure?
Force Majeure clause was introduced for unforeseen circumstances. This includes natural disasters, accidents, epidemics, pandemics.
2. What is Lifeline UDAN?
The Lifeline UDAN was launched by the Ministry of Civil Aviation to help India fight against COVID-19. Under this initiative, flights were operated in transporting essential equipment and medicines all over the country.
The Lifeline UDAN initiative was a huge success as in just 5 days of its launch, more than 15.4 tonnes of essential supplies have been transported in 62 aircrafts. The products transported included masks and gloves, consumables, etc. In order help public to track Lifeline Udan flights, the status of the flights were uploaded in a portal. The portal was developed by National Informatics Centre.
3. Prana Vayu: Low Cost Portable Ventilator developed by IIT Roorkee
With only 40,000 ventilators in India, the demand for ventilators are increasing day by day as the number of cases of COVID-19 are increasing day by day. In order to fulfil the demands, IIT Roorkee has developed low cost portable ventilator called “Prana Vayu”.
4. Cabinet: Ordinance to cut salary of PM and MPs by 30% approved
The Union Cabinet approved to cut the salary of Prime Minister and other MPs by 30%. Apart from them, the salaries of president, governor and vice president are also to be cut.
5. Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik gets PETA award for allocating funds to feed community animals
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has been conferred with an award by animal rights body PETA India for allocating funds to feed community animals in Odisha during the lockdown over the novel coronavirus pandemic.
6. Aliens’ actor Jay Benedict, 68, passes away due to COVID-19
American actor Jay Benedict, known for his roles in the 1986 film ‘Aliens’ and TV show ‘Emmerdale’, has passed away aged 68 due to complications from the coronavirus (COVID-19). He passed away on April 4, a week before his 69th birthday. Benedict is survived by his wife, actress Phoebe Scholfield, their two sons and a daughter from his previous relationship.
7. World Health Day is observed on April 07
The World Health Day is a global health awareness day celebrated every year on 7 April, under the sponsorship of the World Health Organization (WHO), as well as other related organizations.
The World Health Day is held to mark WHO’s founding, and is seen as an opportunity by the organization to draw worldwide attention to a subject of major importance to global health each year
Theme – 2020: Support nurses and midwives
8. Former Test spinner Stephen O’Keefe forced to retire after becoming shock omission from NSW player contract list
Former Test spinner Stephen O’Keefe’s first-class career is over after he became a shock omission from the NSW player contract list for next summer. O’Keefe confirmed his retirement from Sheffield Shield on Sunday but said he would continue playing Big Bash for the Sydney Sixers.
9. Malaysia, Thailand weightlifters barred from Tokyo Olympics
Malaysia and Thailand have been banned from sending weightlifters to the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo because of multiple doping offences, the Independent Member Federations Sanctions Panel announced on Saturday (April 4).
10. Former Libya Prime Minister Mahmoud Jibril dies from coronavirus
Mahmoud Jibril, the former head of the Libyan rebel government that overthrew longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, has died from the coronavirus, his party said.
Jibril, 68, died on Sunday in Cairo where he had been hospitalised for two weeks, said Khaled al-Mrimi, secretary of the National Forces Alliance, founded by Jibril in 2012.
11. Arvind Kejriwal unveils ‘5T’ plan for Delhi to fight COVID-19
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Tuesday unveiled a five-point plan to tackle the coronavirus outbreak after speaking to experts and doctors. The “5Ts”, Kejriwal said, include testing, tracing, treatment, teamwork and tracking and monitoring of the virus.
The Delhi government will start conducting rapid anti-body tests, as recommended by the ICMR, in areas identified as coronavirus hotspots, Kejriwal said, taking into account a possibility of up to 30,000 active cases in the city.
12. NASA plans Artemis Base Camp to land human on moon by 2024
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has been working on the ‘Artemis Program’ that aims at landing humans on the moon by 2024.
Apart from unveiling this plan, NASA has also released the report, titled ‘NASA’s Plan for Sustained Lunar Exploration and Development’, mentioning what this achievement will do for US lunar presence all over the world.
