NEWS 19-05-2019. NEWS FOR 20-MAY (MONDAY) April News National: 1. Under project ‘Mission-Shakti’, India successfully test fired an anti-satellite (A-SAT) missile by shooting down a live satellite in the Low Earth Orbit. India has joined the elite 3other countries U.S., Russia and China to have the A-SAT technology. · · 2. The indigenously developed Pinaka Guided Weapons System was successfully test fired at Pokhran. The successful trial gives a boost to the artillery capability of the Indian Army. The Pinaka Mark II has an increased range of 70-80km as opposed to the earlier 30-40km. 3. The Indian Air Force (IAF) will receive the first four of 22 Boeing AH-64E Apache Guardian attack helicopters in August. Already 4 Chinook (CH47) heavy lift helicopters have been received and inducted by IAF manufactured by US. 4. Virat Kohli and Smriti Mandhana have been declared the wisden leading cricketers consecutively for the third year. 5. Russia on April 12, 2019 awarded its highest state honour to the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Order of St Andrew the Apostle, the highest order of the Russian Federation, for promoting partnership and friendly relations between the two countries. 6. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) honoured PM Narendra Modi with its highest decoration, Zayed Medal in recognition of his "pivotal role" in strengthening ties between the two nations. 7. India was positioned as the world’s top recipient of remittances with its people sending USD 79 billion back home in 2018, according to the World Bank. The remittances in 2018 grew by over 14 percent in India, where natural disasters like Kerala floods likely boosted the financial help that migrants sent to their families. 8.The Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) is a method of providing feedback to voters using a ballot less voting system. The VVPAT is an independent printer system attached with Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) that allows the voters to verify that their votes are cast as intended. It generates a paper slip every time a voter casts his vote, recording the party to whom the vote was made. The VVPAT helps to detect potential election fraud or malfunction in the Electronic Voting Machine. It provides a means to audit the stored electronic results. It serves as an additional barrier to change or destroy votes.INTERNATIONAL: 1. Pakistan Govt has approved a proposal to establish a corridor which would allow Hindu pilgrims from India to visit Sharda Peeth in the region of Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK).2. India and Russia have signed an agreement for the leasing of Chakra III, an Akula Class nuclear-powered attack submarine for the Indian Navy for a period of 10 years. The Chakra III will be delivered to the Indian Navy by 2025. 3. Libya an oil rich country has been torn by violence and political instability since long-time ruler Muammar Gaddafi who was toppled and killed by rebels in 2011. The crisis was triggered by the Arab Spring protests, a series of anti-government protests, uprisings and armed rebellions that spread across the Middle East in late 2010. Presently the PM Fayez-al-Seraj of Libiya who is backed by UN, has vowed to defend the capital Tripoli as forces loyal to rival advance led by Gen Khalifa Haftar are on the outskirts of the city and have seized the air port of Tripoli. 4. Sudan's long-time president Omar al-Bashir has been removed from office and arrested following months of protests against Bashir's regime. The army general also announced the dissolution of the government, the suspension of the 2005 constitution, along with a three-month state of emergency. 5. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), World Food Programme (WFP) and EU “Global Report on Food Crises 2019”, shows that more than 100 million people worldwide are facing acute hunger and number is rising. Report finds that around 113 million people. Nearly two-thirds of those facing acute hunger are in just 8 countries: Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Nigeria, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. 6. The United States has approved the sale of 24 multi-role Seahawk helicopters to India at an estimated cost of 2.4 billion US dollars. < < Back