Latest Current Affairs – June 30 2018
1. Canada imposes retaliatory tariffs on US imports worth $12bn
Canada has announced tariffs on US imports worth over $12 billion. The tariffs were imposed on items including coffee, ketchup and whisky as well as steel and aluminium products. Canada’s move came in retaliation to the 25% and 10% respective tariffs on its steel and aluminium imports imposed by the US.
2. Mumbai architectural site declared World Heritage by UNESCO
The Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai were declared as World Heritage site by UNESCO. The site consists of a 19th-century collection of Victorian structures and 20th century Art Deco buildings. These buildings include public buildings of the High Court, Mumbai University, Old Secretariat, Cricket Club of India, and iconic cinema halls of Eros and Regal.
3. Nobel laureate Satyarthi launches app to track missing kids
Nobel Peace Prize recipient Kailash Satyarthi, along with union minister Suresh Prabhu, launched a mobile application called ‘ReUnite’ that tracks missing or abandoned kids. The app is a collaboration between Bachpan Bachao Andolan led by the Nobel laureate and an IT company. The app will be linked with the Delhi Police’s database of missing children.
4. US names North Korea among worst human trafficking nations
The US has named North Korea as one of the worst human trafficking nations for reportedly the 16th consecutive year. In its ‘2018 Trafficking in Persons Report’, the US State Department said that the “North Korean government continued to use forced labour in prison camps and labour training centres”. Other nations on the list included China, Russia and Iran.
5. Odisha Government signs MoU with RIMES for effective management of all kinds of disasters
The Odisha government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Regional Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning System (RIMES) for effective management of disasters. The government also signed three more MoUs that would benefit the farmers and enhance their production.
Initially, the agreement will remain in force for five years with a cost involvement of about Rs 8 crore. RIMES and OSDMA collaboration will contribute to global efforts targeted to substantially increase the availability of and access to multi-hazard early warning systems as articulated in the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030.
6. Portugal’s Antonio Vitorino elected Director General of UN’s International Migration Office
António Manuel de Carvalho Ferreira Vitorino of Portugal has been elected by the member States of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to serve as the agency’s Director General, beginning on 1 October 2018. Mr. Vitorino succeeds William Lacy Swing of the United States, who will have served two five-year terms as IOM chief.
Established in 1951, IOM had been an observer to the UN since 1992. Mr. Vitorino is the first Director General elected since the agency joined the UN system as a related organization in September 2016, part of the outcome from the UN Summit for Refugees and Migrants, which took place at UN Headquarters in New York.
7. Indian Railways eliminates all unmanned level crossings from four zones
The railways has eliminated all unmanned level crossings from four zones this month. West Central Railway, Central Railway, Eastern Railway and South East Central Railway aggregating 11,545 route kilometers have now become Unmanned Level Crossings (UMLC) free on broad gauge route. As of January 1, 2018, 3,479 UMLC on broad gauge routes have been planned for elimination by September this year with a few exceptions.
8. PM lays foundation stone of National Centre for Ageing at AIIMS in New Delhi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the National Centre for Ageing at All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). The ward, with around 200 beds centre, will provide Multi-Speciality healthcare to the older people. The Prime Minister later inaugurated a 555-bed Super Speciality Block in Safdarjung Hospital. Apart from this, he also dedicated a 500-bed New Emergency Block in Safdarjung and 300-bed Power Grid Vishram Sadan in AIIMS. The PM also inaugurated Connection Motorable Tunnel between AIIMS, Ansari Nagar and Trauma Centre.
9. Integral Coach Factory launches first stainless steel bodied MEMU
Integral Coach Factory flagged off the first stainless steel bodied mainline electrical multiple unit (MEMU). MEMU is a suburban system of train that caters to the needs of medium distance inter-city passengers. Mainline Electrical Multiple Units with the Indian Railways is propelled by conventional DC traction system. ICF has now rolled out an eight car MEMU train set for the first time with on board state-of-the-art indigenous 3-phase AC propulsion system and stainless steel body.
10. IRDA approves LIC-IDBI Bank deal
The Board of Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) has approved Life Insurance Corporation’s (LIC) proposal to the acquisition of up to 51% stake in state-run lender IDBI Bank. The insurance regulator gave the insurer exemption from 15% investment cap.
The LIC is expected to invest Rs 10,000-13,000 crore in tranches in the NPA-mired state-run lender. The deal will also require approval from the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).
11. India will get Black Money Data from Swiss Bank by 2019
As part of a bilateral treaty signed between the India and Switzerland, India would start getting data on deposits made by Indians this year in Swiss Banks from 2019.
Strong action would be taken against those found guilty of wrongdoing. Under Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS) which was introduced by former Finance Minister P Chidambaram, an individual could remit up to USD 2,50,000 per year.
