Current Affairs 06 February 2018 1. Hossain appointed as Chief Justice of Bangladesh ● Syed Mahmud Hossain has been appointed Chief Justice of Bangladesh barely three months after Surendra Kumar Sinha resigned from the post. ● President Md Abdul Hamid administered the oath for Hossain as the 22nd chief justice of the Supreme Court in Dhaka. ● Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, senior members of her cabinet, top judges and lawyers of the Supreme Court, among others, were present at the oath-taking ceremony. Important points: Bangladesh ➢ Capital: Dhaka ➢ Currency: Bangladeshi Taka ➢ Prime minister: Sheikh Hasina ➢ President: Abdul Hamid
2. Japan launches smallest rocket ever to carry tiny satellite into orbit ● The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) launched the world’s smallest rocket with the ability to put a tiny satellite into orbit. ● The rocket lifted off from the Uchinoura Space Center in Kagoshima prefecture, south-western Japan. ● At around 35 feet (10.5 meters) long and 20 inches (0.5 meters) wide, it’s a fraction of the size of a typical 230 foot (70 meters) long Falcon 9 rocket, but it flew all the same. ●
It carried a microsatellite TRICOM-1R, a three-unit CubeSat weighing about 3 kilograms.
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This satellite launch was a re-flight of the TRICOM-1 mission, which was lost in SS-520’s failure in 2017.
Important points: Japan ➢ Capital: Tokyo
➢ Currency: Japanese Yen ➢ Prime minister: Shinzō Abe ➢ Source: Outer Place
3. Sushma Swaraj to embark on a three day visit to Saudi Arabia ● External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to embark on a three-day visit to Saudi Arabia. ● The Ministry of External Affairs, during the visit, Mrs Swaraj will be leading the Indian delegation for the inauguration of the prestigious National Festival of Saudi Arabia Janadriyah. India has been invited as the Guest of Honour country for the festival. ● The EAM will also participate at the inauguration of the prestigious National Heritage and Culture Festival ‘Janadriyah’ being held in Saudi Arabia, at which India is the guest of honour country. Important points: Saudi Arabia ➢ Capital: Riyadh ➢ Currency: Saudi riyal ➢ King: Salman of Saudi Arabia
4. India successfully test fires advanced variant of nuclear-capable Agni-I ● India successfully test-fired nuclear capable surface-to-surface short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) Agni-I from a defence test facility off Odisha coast for an extended range proving its robustness. ● The Strategic Forces Command of the Indian Army conducted the user trial of the 700 km range missile from launch pad-4 of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Abdul Kalam Island in Balasore. ●
It was 18th version of Agni-I, which could achieve all parameters within the stipulated time period.
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The test came two weeks after successful flight testing of longest range Inter-Continental Range Ballistic Missile (ICBM) Agni-V from the same test facility.
5. Shubhankar Sharma becomes top-ranked Indian golfer with world
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As Panchkula youngster 21-year-old Shubhankar Sharma became the top-ranked Indian golfer with a rank of 72 in the world golf rankings released.
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It was also a time when five Indian golfers, including another Chandigarh golfer Ajeetesh Sandhu, were placed in the top 200 in the world.
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Sharma has enjoyed a golden run over the past few months on the international stage. Nothing reflects the 21-year-old’s meteoric rise more than the giant strides he’s made in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) since his first European Tour win at the Joburg Open in December 2017.
6. Ola inks MOU with government of Assam to pilot app-based river taxi ● Homegrown cab-hailing company Ola has inked MOU with Government of Assam to pilot an app-based river taxi service in Northeast India’s financial hub Guwahati. ● The MoU has been signed in the presence of Chandra Mohan Patowary, Minister for Transport Industry and Commerce and Vijay Ghadge, Vice President Operations of Ola at the on-going ‘Global Investors Summit: Advantage Assam in Guwahati. ●
Ola will pilot high-speed taxis on the Lachit Ghat, Machkhowa to North Guwahati route, bringing the commute time down 2 to 5 minutes from 45 minutes by road.
Important points: Assam ➢ Capital: Dispur ➢ Chief minister: Sarbananda Sonowal ➢ Governor: Jagdish Mukhi
7. India contributes $1 mn to UN Development Partnership Fund ● India contributes $1 mn to a UN development partnership fund launched to support sustainable development projects across the developing world. ● The India-UN Development Partnership Fund was set up as a partnership between India and the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC). ● India had made an initial contribution of a million dollars when the fund was created and the amount was allocated for the implementation of a project benefiting seven Small Island Developing States in the South Pacific.
8. Maldives ex-President arrested as Yameen declares emergency ● Maldives Chief Justice and ex-President arrested as Yameen declares the emergency before heavily armed troops stormed the country’s top court and a former leader was arrested in a deepening political crisis. ● The island nation has been plunged into chaos, with the president pitted against the Supreme Court after he refused to comply with its order to release nine political dissidents. ●
The standoff comes amid a years-long government crackdown on dissent that has battered the image of the upmarket holiday paradise, with the president jailing almost all the political opposition since he came to power in 2013.
Important points: Maldives ➢ Capital: Malé ➢ President: Abdulla Yameen ➢ Currency: Maldivian rufiyaa