Latest Current Affairs – May 10 2018
1. Malaysia’s Mahathir becomes world’s oldest leader aged 92
Malaysia’s Mahathir Mohamad became the world’s oldest PM at the age of 92. Mahathir, who earlier led the country from 1981-2003, defeated scandal-hit Najib Razak in the general election, ending six decades of rule by a coalition he once led. The veteran led the opposition coalition, Pakatan Harapan, to its first election victory since Malaysian independence in 1957.
2. President Ram Nath Kovind becomes 2nd President to visit Siachen base camp
President Ram Nath Kovind visited the Siachen glacier base camp in Jammu and Kashmir to interact with the soldiers posted there. He is the second President to visit the camp after former President APJ Abdul Kalam visited it in 2004. There is special respect in heart of Indians for the soldiers and officers guarding the borders, President Kovind said.
3. New Zealand’s female and male footballers to be paid equally
New Zealand’s female international football players are set to be paid the same as the male international football players. The female players will also receive equal prize money, equal rights for image use and will also have the same travel benefits as their male counterparts. The move has come after Norway took the decision for equal pay in December.
4. Pakistan passes landmark bill granting rights to transgenders
Pakistan’s Parliament has passed a landmark bill granting fundamental rights to transgenders and outlawing discrimination against them. The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act allows people to self-identify their gender and to have that identity recognised on official documents, including national IDs and passports. The bill is pending approval by President Mamnoon Hussain.
5. Govt approves green licence plates for electric vehicles
The government has approved green licence plates for electric vehicles bearing numbers in white fonts for private cars and yellow font for taxis, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has said. A notification in this regard will be out in a week’s time, Gadkari added. The government also plans to allow youth aged between 16-18 years to drive e-scooters, he further added.
6. US varsity to partner with UP to combat chronic diseases
Uttar Pradesh Health Minister Sidharth Singh has said that the Stanford University in the United States will partner with UP to combat diseases like Japanese encephalitis and acute encephalitis syndrome. Companies like Boeing, Lockheed Martin also want to set up their plants in India, Singh added. Singh had led a delegation to the US to get investments from the country.
7. New Ebola outbreak declared in Democratic Republic of Congo
The Democratic Republic of Congo declared a new outbreak of Ebola in the northwestern part of the country. The Health Ministry said there were two confirmed cases of the virus and 17 deaths in the Bikoro province. This is the ninth outbreak of Ebola since the discovery of the virus in Congo in 1976.
8. India, China contribute 45% to global growth: IMF
China and India should aim for ‘growth-friendly’ fiscal consolidation to promote sustainable, inclusive growth as they together contribute 45% to global growth, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said. Asia is the world’s fastest-growing region and the main engine of the world’s economy, it added. IMF has projected India’s growth at 7.4% in FY19 from an estimated 6.7% in FY18.
9. India, Panama sign two agreements
India and Panama have signed two agreements on exemption of Visas for holders of Diplomatic and Official Passports and in the field of Agriculture. These agreements were signed in the presence of Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu and President of Panama Juan Carlos Varela Rodrigues and Vice President and Foreign Minister Isabel de Saint Malo de Alvarado in Panama city last night.
Two centres for Biodiversity and Innovation will be setup by India in Panama worth US $10 mn. and US $15 mn. each.
10. Operation Insaniyat: India sends second relief consignment to Bangladesh for displaced Rohingyas
India has sent to Bangladesh its second relief consignment to help tens of thousands of displaced Rohingya Muslims who fled Myanmar following a military crackdown, triggering one of the world’s worst refugee crises. Over 6,00,000 Rohingya have fled Myanmar’s violence-hit Rakhine State to neighbouring Bangladesh since August when the military intensified crackdown against alleged militant outfits in the area.
Over 6,00,000 Rohingya have fled Myanmar’s violence-hit Rakhine State to neighbouring Bangladesh since August when the military intensified crackdown against alleged militant outfits in the area.
11. Government launches Digital India Internship Scheme portal
The Government of India has launched a limited period chance for students to earn up to Rs 20,000 with the Digital India Internship. With this internship, students can secure a first-hand practical work experience under the guidance of a qualified and experienced Supervisor/Mentor. It is a two-month internship that will be offered twice a year.
A token remuneration of Rs. 10,000/- per month would be paid to an Intern, subject to satisfactory performance, duly certified by his Supervisor/Mentor. The remuneration shall be paid after the completion of internship on submission of Report duly accepted by this Ministry.
12. Vijay Prahar exercise of Indian Army concludes in Suratgarh, Rajasthan
The Indian Army’s ‘Vijay Prahar’ exercise in which over 25,000 troops of strike formation of South Western Command (SWC) participated has concluded. The month-long exercise was conducted in the Mahajan Field Firing Ranges of Jaipur close to Suratgarh in Rajasthan. Operations were carried to validate the preparation of the army under a tactical Nuclear, Chemical or Biological attack by the adversary with advanced CBRN capability
13. Govt issues orders for extending assistance to sugarcane farmers
In order to help sugar mills to clear cane dues of farmers, the Government has decided to provide financial assistance at the rate of Rs. 5.50 per quintal of cane crushed in sugar season 2017-18 to sugar mills to offset the cost of cane. The said assistance shall be paid directly to the farmers on behalf of the mills and be adjusted against the cane price payable due to the farmers against Fair and Remunerative Price including arrears relating to previous years.
14. Cholera vaccination campaign begins in Yemen after a year-long delay: WHO
The first vaccine campaign against cholera in Yemen has started, the World HealthOrganization (WHO) said, a year and a half after an epidemic was triggered by war and a health and sanitation crisis. There have been more than one million suspected cases of cholera in Yemen, and 2,275 recorded deaths since Nov 2016, the WHO says. The oral vaccination campaign has begun in four districts in Aden, targeting 350,000 people, just a portion of 4.6 million vaccine doses allocated for the campaign.
