1. The Reserve Bank of India released ‘Payment and Settlement Systems in India: Vision 2019 – 2021’ for safe, secure, quick and affordable e-payment system. The main agenda of the doandent is the ‘no-compromise’ approach towards safety and security of payment systems.
2. The Austrian MPs on May 15, 2019, approved a law aimed at banning the headscarf in primary schools, a measure proposed by the ruling right-wing government.
3. US President Donald Trump has declared a national emergency to protect the US computer networks from foreign adversaries. The announcement was made through an executive order that effectively bars US companies from using foreign telecoms that are believed to pose a risk to the security of the nation.
4. US President Donald Trump is set to announce a new proposal to overhaul the legal immigration system to give preference to foreigners based on merit rather than family ties. The decision could largely benefit thousands of Indian professionals, who end up waiting for long to get the Green Card.
5. Alabama’s Senate has approved a stringent abortion law, which would make performing an abortion at any stage of pregnancy a crime punishable by up to 99 years or life in prison.
6. China would be hosting the Asian Cup Football tournament in 2023. Initially South Korea was also one of the bidders for the tournament, however, the Korean Football Associated decided to pull out to strategically focus on a joint bid with North Korea to host the Women’s World Cup in the same year.
7. The National Dengue Day is observed on May 16 every year in India, with the recommendation of Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The day aims to create awareness about dengue and calls to intensify preventive measures and preparedness for the control of the disease.
8. India recently joined the ‘Christchurch call to action’ initiative to combat terrorism and extremism online. The initiative was launched jointly by India, France, New Zealand, Canada, and several other countries. However, the USA has declined to be a part of the initiative as of now.
9. China blocked all the language editions of the online encyclopedia ‘Wikipedia’. China began the pro9cess of blocking language editions of Wikipedia in April 2019.
10. Arunachal Pradesh has 35 percent of the country’s Graphite deposits as per the Geological Survey of India (GSI). The State could become a leading producer of graphite in the country in the future.
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