Latest Current Affairs – June 13 2018
1. Truecaller makes first Indian acquisition, buys payments firm Chillr
Swedish caller ID service Truecaller has acquired Kerala-based payments startup Chillr, marking its first acquisition in India. As part of the deal, Chillr Co-founder Sony Joy will join as the Vice President of Truecaller Pay, and the entire team will be retained by the company. Founded in 2014, Chillr lets users send money directly between bank accounts using mobile numbers.
2. US approves $930-mn deal to sell attack helicopters to India
The US government has approved a deal to sell six AH-64E Apache attack helicopters to India for $930 million. The US will also provide night vision sensors, control radars, Hellfire Longbow missiles and Stinger air-to-air missiles to India under the deal. “(The helicopters) will increase India’s capability to counter ground-armoured threats and modernise its armed forces,” the US said.
3. Macedonia changes name, ends 27-year dispute with Greece
Greece has agreed to recognise Macedonia under the name ‘Republic of North Macedonia’, ending a 27-year deadlock between the two nations. Greece objected that the ‘Republic of Macedonia’ implies a claim to the whole geographic region of Macedonia, of which more than half is part of Greek territory. Greece vetoed Macedonia’s bid to join NATO and EU over the dispute.
4. Delhi air quality beyond ‘severe’ level due to dust storms
The air quality in Delhi deteriorated beyond the ‘severe’ level on Wednesday due to dust storms in western India which increased coarser particles in the air, according to Central Pollution Control Board data. The PM10 level was at 778 in the Delhi-NCR area and 824 in Delhi particularly, which led to hazy conditions and limited visibility.
5. Saweety Boora strikes gold at Russian boxing tournament
Saweety Boora, the former world championships silver-medallist, has defeated Russia’s Anna Anfinogenova and finished on top in the middleweight (75 kg) category. Saweety Boora was the lone Indian boxer to clinch a gold, while two others signed off with silver medals in the Umakhanov Memorial Tournament in Kaspiysk, Russia.
6. International Conference on ICT to be held in Kathmandu
An International Conference on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) will be held in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal from June 17. The Theme of the two-day conference is “Sustainable Development Goals for Smart Society”.
The conference is organized by the Federation of Computer Association Nepal (CAN). Around 500 delegates, including ICT users, trainers, professionals, experts, and researchers from Japan, China, Korea, India, and Nepal will attend the event.
The conference aims to bring government and private sector together for developing a plan of action using sustainable ICT applications. It also seeks to unleash the prospects of SMART Nepal by 2030.
7. Ten new iconic sites selected under Phase III of Swachh Iconic Places of Swachh Bharat Mission
The government has added ten Swachh Iconic Places (SIP) under phase III of its flagship programme, Swachh Bharat Mission.
- Raghavendra Swamy Temple (Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh),
- Hazardwari Palac (Murshidabad, West Bengal),
- Brahma Sarovar Temple (Kurukshetra, Haryana),
- Vidur Kuti (Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh),
- Mana village (Chamoli, Uttarakhand),
- Pangong Lake (Leh-Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir),
- Nagvasuki Temple (Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh),
- Ima Keithal/market (Imphal, Manipur),
- Sabarimala Temple (Kerala) and
- Kanvashram (Uttarakhand)
The above 10 places have been taken up under Phase III of the flagship project of Swachh Iconic Places (SIP) of the Swachh Bharat Mission. These sites have joined the 20 iconic places selected under Phase I and II where special sanitation work is underway.
The SIP project envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is being coordinated by the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation with the support of state governments and local administration.
8. Atal Tinkering Labs: NITI Aayog selects 3,000 more schools
NITI Aayog’s Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) has selected 3,000 additional schools for the establishment of Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs), bringing the total number of ATL schools to 5,441. The selected schools shall receive a grant of Rs. 20 lakh spread over the next five years to establish ATLs for nurturing innovation and entrepreneurial spirit among secondary school children across India.
ATLs will soon be established in every district of India, seeking to enable an innovation ecosystem, which will facilitate transformational change in technological innovation and pedagogy.
9. Surya Kiran-XIII: India-Nepal joint military exercise concludes in Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand
Exercise Surya Kiran-XIII, a joint military training exercise, between India and Nepal culminated at Pithoragarh. Troops of both the countries participated in 14-day long joint training based on counter terrorist operations. The training culminated with a 72-hour outdoor exercise in which troops of both contingents carried out a cordon and search operation in a mock counter-insurgency village.
The joint training besides promoting understanding and inter-operability between the two armies, also helped in cementing ties between both the nations. Besides training, both the contingents also participated in a number of extra-curricular activities including friendly football, basketball, volleyball matches and a cultural event on the final day to increase the bonhomie between troops.
10. President Ram Nath Kovind to embark on 3-Nation visit to Greece, Suriname and Cuba
President Ram Nath Kovind will embark on a three-nation tour to Greece, Suriname, and Cuba. On the first leg of the visit, the President will leave for Athens. President Kovind will leave for Suriname on the 2nd leg. A number of agreements and MoUs in the areas of health and medicine, elections, IT, Ayurveda are scheduled to be signed.
Suriname is a founding member of the International Solar Alliance. A Line of Credit of 54.5 million dollars is being offered to Suriname for solar-related projects.
On the last leg of the visit, the President will be in Cuba. A number of agreements and MoUs in the areas of biotechnology, research and education in homeopathic medicine, the traditional system of medicine and medicinal plants would be signed during the visit.
