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CURRENT AFFAIRS: DAYS
National Technology Day
- Every year National Technology Day is observed on 11 May to highlight the important role of Science in our daily lives and encourage students to opt science as an option for career. On this day Shakti, the Pokhran nuclear test was held on 11 May, 1998.
| USEFUL INFO |
| Theme 2019 | Science and Technology for a Sustainable Future |
CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL
Australia central bank prints 184 million A$50 notes with spelling mistake
- The Reserve Bank of Australia confirmed a printing error on the new 50 dollar note after a radio station posted a photo on social media sent in by a listener.
- An Instagram post by radio station Triple M revealed the typo mistake on the note just above the shoulder of Edith Cowan
- The note came into circulation on Oct. 18, 2018 with new security features designed to deter counterfeiting and with tactile elements for the visually impaired.
- Cowan was the first Australian woman to serve as a member of parliament from 1921 to 1924. She has featured on the reverse of Australia”s 50-dollar note since 1995
‘World’s fastest bullet train’ starts test runs in Japan
- Japan has started testing its fastest-ever bullet train capable of reaching 400 kilometers per hour (249 mph) as it continues to develop the revolutionary mode of travel.
- The ALFA-X (Advanced Labs for Frontline Activity in rail eXperimentation) version of the Shinkansen train began three years worth of test runs
- Once it enters operation sometime around 2030, it will run at speeds of up to 360 kph (224 mph), comfortably making it the world’s fastest bullet train.
- It will also outpace China’s Fuxing train, which runs at 10 kph slower despite being designed with the same top speed capabilities as the ALFA-X.
- It’ll be tested on the line between the cities of Sendai and Aomori, which are about 280 kilometers apart
Ireland becomes second country to declare ‘climate emergency’
- Ireland has become the second country in the world to declare a climate and biodiversity emergency.
- Ireland followed in the footsteps of the United Kingdom, which declared a climate emergency earlier this month
- The governments of Wales and Scotland have also declared climate emergencies.
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| Ireland Capital | Dublin |
| Currency | Euro |
| President | Michael D. Higgins |
CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL
The first global science exhibition in Mumbai
- India’s first global science exhibition, ‘Vigyan Samagam’, began at the Nehru Science Centre in Mumbai.
- This multi-venue science exhibition, which will take place in planned in the four cities – Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kolkata and New Delhi – is scheduled to take place for a duration of 11 months.
- This is jointly organised by the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), Department of Science and Technology (DST), the funding agencies of theses projects, the National Council of Science Museums (NCSM) and Ministry of Culture.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENTS AND RESIGNATION
Iffco elects Balvinder Singh Nakai as Chairman, Dileep Sanghani as Vice Chairman
- Cooperative major Iffco elected Balvinder Singh Nakai as its Chairman and Dileep Sanghani as Vice Chairman.
- The election was held at the 48th Annual General Body meeting of the Indian farmers fertiliser Cooperative (Iffco).
- Balvinder Singh Nakai is a farmer – co-operator – who has been deeply involved in providing strength to Indian cooperative movement for the last three decades.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: SUMMIT AND CONFERENCE
WTO ministerial meeting of developing countries to take place on May 13-14
- The World Trade Organisation, WTO, ministerial meeting of developing countries will take place on 13-14 in New Delhi.
- It will provide an opportunity to the Ministers to discuss various issues and the way forward. On the first day, there will be a meeting of senior officers of the participating countries.
- Sixteen developing countries and six Least Developed Countries are participating in the meeting.
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| World Trade Organization |
| WTO Headquarters | Geneva, Switzerland |
| WTO Director General | Roberto Azevêdo |
CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS
Reliance to acquire British toy-maker Hamleys for Rs. 620 crore
- The Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries announced it will acquire iconic British toy maker Hamleys, a 259-year-old toy-maker, for around Rs. 620 crore (nearly 68 million pounds) in an all-cash deal
- It is currently owned by Chinese fashion conglomerate C Banner International, which had acquired it for 100 million pounds in 2015
- Hamleys started with a single-store shop, Noah’s Ark, in 1760. It now has 167 stores across 18 countries. Besides the UK, it has stores in China, Germany, Russia, India, South Africa and West Asia.
Facebook chooses London as base for WhatsApp payments
- Facebook has chosen London as the centre for the global roll-out of WhatsApp pay, before the social media giant launches its digital payments service on the mobile messaging platform in India
- WhatsApp, which has 1.5 billion users globally, would hire nearly 100 people in London to focus on the digital payments service and additional operations staff would be hired in Dublin
- Facebook chose the UK, where WhatsApp is far more popular than the US, because it attracts a multicultural workforce from many of the countries
CURRENT AFFAIRS: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
IIT-B researchers develop ‘Made in India’ microprocessor
- Engineers from the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay) have developed a microprocessor called AJIT, the first to be conceptualised, designed, developed and manufactured in India.
- The innovation, which has brought industry, academia and the government together, could reduce the country’s dependence on imports.
- The project was funded by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and IIT Bombay. Powai Labs, a Mumbai-based company, has invested in the venture, and will own, market and support the product.
Amazon’s Jeff Bezos unveils lunar lander project ‘Blue Moon’
- Jeff Bezos, the richest man in the world and head of space company Blue Origin, announced his intent to participate in the new race to the Moon with a high-tech lander to carry vehicles and equipment.
- Blue Moon is a vehicle and has been under development for the last three years. However, no specific date of launch has been announced by Jeff yet.
- The vehicle will be capable of carrying scientific instruments, four self-driving rovers and a future pressurised vehicle for humans.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: RANKING AND INDEX
Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi Airport ranked among top 10 in the world
- Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport has been ranked as the world’s eighth best in a survey conducted by AirHelp.
- According to the survey, Hamad International Airport in Doha in Qatar was rated the world’s best airport with 8.39 out of 10, followed by Tokyo International Airport in Japan and Athens International Airport in Greece.
- The Hyderabad airport was ranked eighth, with a score of 8.27 out of 10, just below Singapore’s Changi Airport and above the Tenerife North Airport in Spain
- Kuwait International Airport and Lisbon Portela Airport in Portugal were given the least scores in the survey.
- The New Jersey Hub was ranked as the worst airport in the United States (US) in the 2019.
- Qatar Airways ranked as the top airline for the second consecutive year, followed by American Airlines, Aeromexico, SAS Scandinavian Airlines, and Qantas in the top five.
- Hamad International Airport, Qatar (DOH) ranked as top.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOU
Konkan Railways signs contract agreement with Nepal to supply two 1600 HP DEMU train sets
- Konkan Railways Corporation Ltd has signed a contract agreement with Nepal’s Department of Railways to supply two 1600 HP DEMU train sets.
- These trains will be used to operationalise railway link between Jayanagar in India and Kurtha in Nepal.
- The train sets will be manufactured by the Integrated Coach Factory, Chennai. The 34 kms Jayanagar-Kurtha Railway Link has been built by IRCON with Government of India financial grant under India-Nepal Development Partnership programme.
- The agreement was signed in Kathmandu in the presence of Indian Ambassador Manjeev Puri and Nepal’s Secretary, Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport Madhusudan Adhikari
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| Nepal Capital | Kathmandu |
| Currency | Nepalese rupee |
| President | Bidya Devi Bhandari |
CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS
Mukesh Kumar wins PGTI Players Championship
- Seasoned golfer Mukesh win the TATA Steel PGTI Players Championship in Panchkula.
- This was his 20th title on the TATA Steel PGTI (Professional Golf Tour of India).
CURRENT AFFAIRS: OBITUARIES
Tamil writer Thoppil Mohamed Meeran passed away
- Noted Tamil novelist and Sahitya Akademi Award winner Thoppil Mohamed Meeran has passed away
- Meeran authored several novels in Tamil and Malayalam and won the Sahitya Akademi award for his novel “Saaivu Naarkkali” (reclining chair) in 1997.
- Meeran received a total of eight awards, including the Sahitya Akademi Award and Tamil Nadu Kalai Ilakkiya Perumantram Award (in 1992)