Current Affairs - May 12, 2018 Current Affairs

The Sikkim Government has nominated Bollywood singer Mohit Chauhan as the Green Ambassador of the state. Chauhan has been nominated as the Green Ambassador for promoting Sikkim as a Green Destination, nationally and internationally, on a voluntary basis. Sikkim is known for its rich biodiversity and abundant natural resources due to environment-friendly policies.

Yahoo has launched its own new group chat app named Squirrel. Squirrel Group Chat App is still in testing. It is available on Google Play and the App Store. If you need to start using the app, you need a friend who already uses the app to invite you into a group. Squirrel focuses on group chats. It has features that enables you to organise conversations with several people.

The IAF (Indian Air Force) successfully conducted its first online selection test for airmen. The first ever Scheduled Test for Airmen Recruitment (STAR) was held through computer based online tests in association with Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC) Pune. The first ever Scheduled Test for Airmen Recruitment (STAR) was held through computer based online tests in association with Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC) Pune. The first ever Scheduled Test for Airmen Recruitment (STAR) was held through computer based online tests in association with Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC) Pune. CDAC is a Government organisation functioning under the Ministy of Electronics and Information Technology. This is the first time any of the three services has conducted selection tests online. Overall 409169 candidates had registered for the online STAR examination for Airmen. The online examination was held at 439 centres in 102 cities of India.

India and Peru signed an agreement in the field of Renewable Energy at Lima. The pact was signed in the presence of Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu and the Prime Minister Cesar Villanueva Arevalo. This is the final leg of the 3-Nation visit to central America of Indian Vice- President. During the meeting, the leaders discussed various bilateral and international issues of mutual interest. Vice President's visit comes at a time when India is celebrating the 55th anniversary of the establishment of Diplomatic Relations with Peru.

Telangana Government launched Rythu Bandhu Scheme an investment support scheme to support the livelihood of farmers.it is first of kind investment support scheme for farmers to be launched by any state in India. Under this scheme, farmers will directly get financial training support twice every year. About 58 lakh farmers who till over 1.42 crores acres of land in the state are expected to be benefited from the initiative.

Tim Paine will lead the ODI side in the UK in the absence of banned former captain Steve Smith. Aaron Finch has been appointed as his one-day deputy captain for the five-match series. Aaron Finch will lead the T20 international team. Alex Carey has been appointed the vice-captain for a one-off T20 in England and a T20 tri-series in Zimbabwe. The appointment of Tim Paine as ODI captain is temporary. A long-term captain will be appointed later.

The California-based aerospace company, SpaceX has blasted off its most powerful Falcon 9 rocket, which is certified to carry humans to space later this year. The Block 5 Falcon 9 rocket's main goal for its maiden mission is to propel the first high-orbit communications satellite for Bangladesh, called Bangabandhu Satellite-1. The Block 5 Falcon 9 is eventually meant to carry astronauts to the International Space Station, with the first launch tentatively planned for December 2018.

Scientists have discovered world's second oldest grain of magnetic zircon ( a mineral that contains traces of radioactive isotopes ) from champuna from Singhbhum rock sample in Odisha's Kendujhar district. It is an estimated 4, 240 million years old, making it world's second oldest rock ever to be discovered. It is oldest magnetic zircon on earth.

Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu inaugurated the state's biggest solar power plant at Energy Awareness Park in the presence of Power Minister Tamiyo Taga in Itanagar. The plant, with a capacity of 1 MW, was commissioned on April 1 at an estimated investment of Rs 8.50 crore. The officials of Arunachal Pradesh Energy Development Agency (APEDA) successfully implemented the project.

Nobel laureate and noted economist Muhammad Yunus was honored with the 11th KISS Humanitarian Award 2018 at a function held in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. Yunus is the founder of Grameen Bank and is known as the Father of Microfinance.

US President Donald Trump's administration has cut off the funding for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Carbon Monitoring System (CMS). The move comes at a time when the world is struggling to combat climate change. According to Science Magazine, the United States has repeatedly proposed cuts to NASA's earth science budget, including NASA's Carbon Monitoring System (CMS). The NASA system monitors the flow of greenhouse gases. The system had till now used satellite and aircraft instruments to monitor carbon dioxide and methane levels remotely, spending $10m each year. However, it had been an obvious target considering Trump's decision to withdraw the United States from the landmark 2015 Paris agreement to fight climate change.

Israel and Iran were engaged in their most direct confrontation to date after Iranian forces stationed in Syria fired nearly 20 missiles targeting Israel-occupied territory and Israel Defence Forces responded with airstrikes. This marks Israel's most significant military action in Syria since the civil war started in 2011. The two countries have been engaged in a proxy war for years.

Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba purchased leading Pakistani online retailer 'Daraz', continuing its overseas expansion by gaining a foothold in the growing South Asian consumer market. China is seeking closer economic ties with Asian neighbors including Pakistan through its Belt and Road initiative, a strategy to increase trade links that are led primarily by infrastructure projects. Daraz, founded in 2012, was purchased from Rocket Internet, a Berlin-based incubator of online startups.

Kerala Government approved setting up of the Kerala Fibre Optic Network Limited, the Joint Venture, to implement the Kerala Fibre Optic Network (K-FON) project, as a part of its programme to offer free internet to over 20 lakh poor families. The Kerala government has decided to establish the Joint Venture company to launch its new optic fibre pathway. This decision was taken at a cabinet meeting chaired by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. The K-FON initiative is implemented to offer fast internet connectivity to government offices and educational institutions and quality internet service to public at an affordable rate. The cabinet also approved the Memorandum of Association and the Article of the Association of the new company, to be set up by the Kerala State IT Infrastructure Limited, the Kerala State Electricity Board and the state government.

G Sathiyan, India's top table tennis player, has officially signed with German Bundesliga's top division club ASV Grunwettersbach Tischtennis for 2018/19 season. He won three medals at his Commonwealth Games debut on April 2018. Sathiyan won a team gold, a silver in men's doubles alongside Sharath Kamal, and a bronze in mixed doubles with Manika Batra at the 2018 Gold Coast Games. Sathiyan will start playing in the Bundesliga from September after the Asian Games in Jakarta.

General Bipin Rawat, Chief of Army the Staff released the book 'Across the Bench - Insight into the Indian Military Judicial System' by Lt Gen Gyan Bhushan, former Army Commander, and Member 'A', Armed Forces Tribunal, Lucknow Bench. The book deals with military judicial system vis-a-vis command and management issues within the military establishments besides the whole gamut of issues relating to veterans, their families, and dependents.

Punjab has got a major fillip to the industrial development in the state.