11th May 2019 Current Affairs

1) India and United Kingdom (UK) hold Foreign Office consultations in which both countries have agreed to strengthen their ties in the field of Indo-Pacific cooperation, climate change, disaster resilience, development in third world countries and others. Foreign Secretary, Vijay Gokhale led the Indian delegation and Sir Simon McDonald, Permanent Under-Secretary Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the British government led the UK delegation. i. Besides the meeting, UK representative Sir Simon McDonald formally handed the instrument of ratification of the UK joining the International Solar Alliance (ISA) to Vijay Gokhale.

2) Antonov An-12 heavy cargo plane coming entered the Indian air space from an unauthorized air route & it was forced to land at Jaipur airport. It was left off after a thorough investigation.

3) Antonov An-12 heavy cargo plane coming entered the Indian air space from an unauthorized air route & it was forced to land at Jaipur airport. It was left off after a thorough investigation. The aircraft neither responded on international distress frequency nor to visual signals during interception. However, when challenged, the aircraft responded and informed that it was a non-scheduled An-12 aircraft that had got airborne from Tbilisi (Georgia) for Delhi via Karachi. The aircraft was shadowed and forced to land at Jaipur for necessary investigation.

4) United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has decided to hold Ocean Conference 2020 in Lisbon, Portugal from June 2 to 6, 2020. The objective of this conference is to support the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG 14) which stated as to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.

5)United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has decided to hold Ocean Conference 2020 in Lisbon, Portugal from June 2 to 6, 2020 with a theme of “Scaling up ocean action based on science and innovation for the implementation of Goal 14: stocktaking, partnerships, and solutions.” To support this conference, the resolution was adopted by the 80th plenary meeting of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) 73rd session.

6) Singapore, for the first time, has detected a case with the rare monkeypox virus which was brought in by a Nigerian man. He thought to have got this rare virus by eating bush meat. Monkeypox is a rare disease caused by the virus that is transmitted from animals, such as rodents and monkeys (through the hunting and consumption of bushmeat), to humans. It is usually found in the central and western parts of Africa’s tropical rainforest. Symptoms of the disease are lesions, fever, muscle ache, and chills. At least 23 persons have been traced and they were in the close contact of the infected Nigerian.

7) The US government has released first of its kind “Global Health Security Strategy”. The objective is to prevent, detect and respond to threats from infectious diseases occurring naturally or accidentally and make efforts to help improve the world’s ability to stop and contain deadly outbreaks before they spread to other countries. The “Global Health Security Strategy” focuses mainly on three interrelated goals: To strengthen partner country global health security capacities. To increase international support for global health security. Prepare and resilient against global health threats.

8) Japan has begun testing the ALFA-X version of its fastest-ever Shinkansen bullet train that could reach 400 km per hour (249 mph). The bullet train ALFA-X (Advanced Labs for Frontline Activity in Rail Experimentation) is scheduled to start its service in 2030, when, rail company JR East would operate it at 360 kilometers per hour (224 mph). This speed will make it 10 kph faster than China’s Fuxing Hao, which links Beijing and Shanghai and operates at the same top speed. This would make ALFA-X, the world’s fastest bullet train. The ALFA-X’s futuristic design features 10 cars and a sleek pointed nose. The bullet train will be tested (after midnight, when the line is quiet) twice a week on the line between Sendai and Aomori, 2 Japanese cities, which are 280 kilometers apart.

9) A PSU (Public Sector Undertaking) of the Indian government under the Railway Ministry, Konkan Railways Corporation Ltd (KRCL), signed an agreement in Kathmandu, with Nepal’s Department of Railways in the presence of Manjeev Singh Puri, Indian Ambassador to Nepal and Madhusudan Adhikari, Nepalese Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport Secretary. According to the agreement, KRCL will supply two 1600 HP DEMU train sets to Nepal’s Department of Railways. The trains were manufactured by the Integrated Coach Factory in Chennai. The trains each will consist of 3 coaches, including 1 A.C. (air-conditioned) coach. The 1600 HP DEMU trains will run between Jayanagar in India and Kurtha in Nepal, the 34 km long stretch.

10) On 9th May 2019, Croatia’s World Cupper and former manager Igor Stimac has been appointed as Indian men’s team coach after the All India Football Federation’s (AIFF) technical committee recommended him for the post. He succeeds Stephen Constantine. All India Football Federation (AIFF) interviewed Stimac, Albert Roca, Hakan Ericson and Lee for the post, but Stimac emerged as the number one choice. In his 14-year career span, Stimac coached the Croatian national team between 2012 and 2013.

11) On May 10, 2019, the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India announced the appointment of Shri Subhash Chand as the next Ambassador of India to the State of Eritrea. He is presently serving as the Deputy High Commissioner in the High Commission of India, Abuja. He is going to take up this responsibility very soon.

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