Current Affairs Daily Digest – April 19 2019
1. Mali’s PM resigns along with his entire government
Mali’s Prime Minister has resigned along with his entire government after it came under mounting pressure over handling the violence in the restive Mopti region.
A statement from President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita’s office said he had accepted Soumeylou Boubeye Maiga’s resignation, along with those of his ministers.
2. Alan Garcia, former Peru president, dies from self-inflicted gunshot wound
Former Peruvian president Alan Garcia died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head as police were preparing to arrest him on Wednesday morning.
Garcia, who served as president from 1985 to 1990 and from 2006 to 2011, was under investigation for money laundering and taking bribes in connection with a massive corruption scandal that has engulfed a number of former Latin American leaders.
3. Pakistan’s Finance Minister Asad Umar steps down
Pakistan’s Finance Minister Asad Umar, who was involved in extensive discussions with the IMF to finalise a bailout package for the cash-strapped country, quit the Cabinet after Prime Minister Imran Khan expressed his desire to shift him to the energy ministry.
4. Chandigarh to host Asian Billiards, Snooker C’ships
Chandigarh will host the 18th Asian Billiards, the 20th Under-21 Asian Snooker Championship and the 3rd Ladies Asian Snooker Championship from April 27 to May 3, officials of the Punjab Billiards and Snooker Association (PBSA) said .
The participating countries include India, China, Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong, Qatar, Syria, Korea, Japan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Iran and others.
5. Gagandeep Kang becomes first Indian woman to be elected Royal Society Fellow
The Royal Society of London has announced a list of 51 eminent scientists elected to its fellowship in the year 2019. Among these are Gagandeep Kang, who is now with the Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, Faridabad. Dr. Kang is the first Indian woman to be elected to the Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS).
Princeton professors Manjul Bhargava and Akshay Venkatesh have also been elected to the FRS.
6. India and France to hold largest ever ‘Varuna’ naval exercise off Goa coast
With the objective of expanding their strategic partnership in the Indian Ocean region (IOR), India and France will conduct their largest ever naval exercise ‘Varuna’. the exercise will be conducted early next month and will witness the participation of aircraft carriers, destroyers, submarines and fighters.
India will deploy its aircraft carrier, INS Vikramaditya with its MiG-29K fighters. Similarly, the French Navy will send its aircraft carrier FNS Charles de Gaulle with its Rafale-M naval jets, and other warships for the “Varuna” exercise.
7. 2 Indian Navy Warships To Take Part In Chinese Fleet Review
Two Indian Navy warships, namely the destroyer INS Kolkata and tanker INS Shakti, would be taking part in Chinese international fleet review to be held at Qingdao on April 23.
The celebrations are being held by the Chinese as part of the 70th Anniversary of the People’s Liberation Army’s Navy there and major navies are likely to take part in it.
International Fleet Review (IFR) is a parade of naval ships, aircraft, and submarines, and is organised by nations to promote goodwill, strengthen cooperation and showcase their organisational capabilities.
8. RBI signs up for FX global code
The RBI has signed a Statement of Commitment (SoC) to the FX Global Code. The code, launched on May 25, 2017, is a compilation of best market practices, formulated by central banks and market participants, developed under the auspices of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), Basel.
The RBI said the code is applicable to the wholesale FX market participants covering sell-side, buy-side and financial intermediaries, and is voluntary in nature. It does not impose any legal or regulatory obligations, and is intended to be a supplement to the local laws, rules and regulations. It is currently being implemented globally by the Global FX Committee (GFXC) in co-ordination with the Local FX Committee (LFXC) in each jurisdiction.
9. Ravinder Kumar Passi appointed chairman of EPCH
Ravinder Kumar Passi has been elevated to the post of chairman of the Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH). Passi, who was previously the vice chairman of EPCH, has taken charge as the chairman from his predecessor O P Prahladka.
Passi has been associated with EPCH since its inception and had earlier served as its chairman during 2001 and 2002.
10. 150 Indian peacekeepers in S Sudan awarded medal of honour for dedicated service
A total of 150 Indian peacekeepers serving with the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) have received medals of honour for their dedicated service and sacrifice.
The medals were given to the 150 Indian peacekeepers serving in UNMISS in Malakal during a ceremony filled with parades and performances by a piped band.
11. GRUH Finance, Bandhan Bank gain 3-4% on CCI approval
Shares of GRUH Finance and Bandhan Bank added percent 3-4 percent intraday after CCI approved merger of the companies. Competition Commission of India (CCI) has considered the proposed combination and approved the merger of GRUH Finance and Bandhan Bank.
12. General Elections 2019: This App From Election Commission Lets You See Voter Turnout In Real-Time
The Election Commission or EC has made it simpler for the common citizen to find out the voter turnout for all the phases of the 2019 general elections. An app for Android phones, known simply as ‘Voter Turnout’, now allows citizens to access the cumulative voter turnout percentage overall as well as for each state separately.
13. McAfee names Sanjay Manohar as managing director for India
McAfee, the device-to-cloud cybersecurity company, announced the appointment of Sanjay Manohar as managing director, India. He will be responsible for building and leading teams to drive product revenues, increase adoption of cloud-based products and strengthen customer relationships.
Sanjay brings over 25 years of proven industry experience spanning leadership roles across the APAC region. His career has been marked by continuous growth and recognition in marketing, sales and channel strategy. His core strengths include go-to-market strategy and execution, supplemented by his expertise in the areas of SaaS, enterprise software and networking.
14. 2019 World Press Freedom Index
India has dropped two places on a global press freedom index to be ranked 140th out of 180 countries in the annual Reporters Without Borders analysis released on Thursday.
Norway is ranked first in the 2019 Index for the third year running while Finland (up two places) has taken second place from the Netherlands (down one at 4th). An increase in cyber-harassment caused Sweden (third) to lose one place. In Africa, the rankings of Ethiopia (up 40 at 110th) and Gambia (up 30 at 92nd) have significantly improved from last year’s Index.
At the bottom of the Index, both Vietnam (176th) and China (177th) have fallen one place and Turkmenistan (down two at 180th) is now last, replacing North Korea (up one at 179th).
15. Deutsche Bank appoints Kaushik Shaparia as CEO to succeed Ravneet Gill
Deutsche Bank appointed Kaushik Shaparia as the chief executive officer for India to succeed Ravneet Gill. Gill left the bank to head private lender YES Bank earlier this year.
Shaparia’s appointment will be effective from May 2019, said a source. A representative from the bank confirmed the development.
Shaparia served as Asia Pacific Head of Corporate Banking Coverage within Institutional and Treasury Coverage, as well as Global Head of Subsidiary Coverage and has a 30-year experience at the bank. He took over from Khurshed Dordi, as Chief Operating Officer for India, who was serving as Deutsche Bank’s interim Chief Country Officer.
