VINTAGE

IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF APRIL 7^th, 2019

              IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF APRIL 7^th, 2019

1.      The World Health Day, a global health awareness day, is being observed today (7th April 2019).

a.      This day is being observed under the sponsorship of the World Health Organization (WHO).

b.       This day is held to mark the anniversary of the founding of World Health Organization (WHO), and is seen as an opportunity by the organization to draw worldwide attention to a subject of major importance to global health each year.

c.       World Health Day 2019 Theme : 'Universal health coverage: everyone, everywhere’.

2.      Malaysia is going to withdraw from the Rome Statute that established the International Criminal Court (ICC), a month after signing it. 

a.       Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said that the ratification would neither negate Malay rights nor undermine the monarchy, adding that the government was forced to withdraw out of pressure from opponents who spread unnecessary fear and confusion in public.

3.      Rwanda today began 100 days of mourning for over 800,000 people slaughtered in a genocide that shocked the world, a quarter of a century on from the day it began.

a.       President Paul Kagame will start a week of commemoration activities by lighting a remembrance flame at the Kigali Genocide Memorial, where more than 250,000 victims are believed to be buried, mainly from the Tutsi people.

4.      Foreign ministers from Group of Seven (G7) countries have called for a greater role for women in solving conflicts, saying that peace settlements with female involvement were more likely to endure.

a.       The world's seven most developed nations, G7 ministers, at their meeting in the northern French resort of Dinard to prepare a summit meeting under French presidency in August, also called on greater mobilisation worldwide to prevent sexual and gender-based violence in conflict.

b.       According to the UN Women's agency, between 1990 and 2017, women constituted only two per cent of mediators, eight per cent of negotiators, and five per cent of witnesses and signatories in all major peace process.

5.      The 2-day per week ban on movement of civilian vehicles on Jammu-Srinagar-Baramulla national highway for facilitating safe passage of security convoys came into effect from today. 

a.       The ban will be in force on Sundays and Wednesdays till May 31. 

6.      Election Commission has barred the political parties, candidates and other organizations from publishing advertisement in print media on the poll day and one day prior to poll day in all the election phases unless approved by it.

a.       The Election commission has said that such advertisements in the last stage of the election vitiate the entire election process. 

7.      World's richest man Jeff Bezos-led Amazon has confirmed it plans to launch a constellation of over 3,200 low-Earth orbit satellites for high-speed broadband connectivity. 

a.       "Project Kuiper" is aimed at communities that lack basic access to broadband internet globally, the e-commerce giant said. 

8.      Germany-based scientists have warned current Carbon dioxide levels are as high as three million years ago, when Greenland was mostly green, sea levels were up to 20 meters higher and trees grew on Antarctica. 

a.       As per computer simulations, CO2 levels shouldn't be over 280 parts per million (ppm) without human activity, but they are rising beyond 410 ppm, scientists said.

9.      The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) today announced that it hasn't yet approved Lakshmi Vilas Bank and Indiabulls Housing Finance's merger proposal. 

a.       This came amid media reports that the presence of two nominee directors of the RBI on the Chennai-based bank's board "implies" the regulator's indirect approval of the deal. 

b.       The central bank has announced that it will examine the proposal upon receiving it from the parties.

10. Justice Pradeep Nandrajog today took oath as the new Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court.

a.       He was administered the oath by Maharashtra Governor C Vidyasagar Rao at the Raj Bhavan.

11. ESPN, the one-stop destination for all things sports, has announced the winners of its 2nd annual Multi-Sport Awards, recognizing achievements across various sport disciplines in 2018.

a.       Olympic silver medallist P.V. Sindhu and star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra were named as female and male sportsperson of the year. Here is the complete winners list :

b.       ESPN Multi-Sport Awards 2018 Winners List 

i)       Sportsperson of the Year (Male) : Neeraj Chopra (Athletics)

ii)     Sportsperson of the Year (Female) : P V Sindhu (Badminton)

iii)   Comeback of the Year : Saina Nehwal (Badminton)

iv)   Coach of the Year : Jaspal Rana (Shooting)

v)     Emerging Sportsperson of the Year : Saurabh Chaudhary (Shooting)

vi)   Team of the Year : Women’s team (Table tennis)

vii) Match of the Year : Amit Panghal vs Hasanboy Dusmatov (Boxing)

viii)                   Differently-abled athlete of the Year : Ekta Bhyan (Para-athletics)

ix)    Moment of the Year : Women’s 4x400m relay

x)      Lifetime Achievement Award : Pradip Kumar Banerjee (Football)