Weekly Current Affairs (29th April 2019 – 04th May 2019)

National

1. The government has hiked the customs duty on wheat to 40% from 30% to curb imports and protect the domestic industry.
2. Stockholm International Peace Research Institute’s (SIPRI) report said that India is the world’s 4th biggest military spender in 2018.
3. Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu unveiled a postage stamp to commemorate the 750th birth anniversary of Sri Vedanta Desikan in New Delhi on May 2, 2019.

International

1. US President Donald Trump stated that his administration is withdrawing the U.S. signature from the U.N. Arms Trade Treaty, in response to concerns from gun rights activists that it could impinge on Americans’ right to bear arms.
2. Japan’s new emperor Naruhito has formally ascended the Chrysanthemum Throne (replacing his father) Akihito, who had abdicated a day earlier.
3. US secretary of state Mike Pompeo has hailed the listing of Pakistan-based Jaish e Mohammed group chief Maulana Masood Azhar as a terrorist.
4. Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed into law a new measure that aims to expand government control over the Internet.
5. The UK parliament became the first national legislative body in the world to declare a climate change emergency.
6. Japan’s Emperor Akihito formally abdicated on 30 April 2019 in Tokyo.

Economy and Business

1. Wipro Consumer Care has announced to acquire Philippine largest personal care company ‘Splash’, deal value is yet to be disclosed.
2. Bharti AXA General Insurance, a private non-life insurer, has tied up with financial marketplace Wishfin’s insurance arm Wishpolicy, to offer two-wheeler insurance to customers via WhatsApp.
3. Huawei Technologies Co overtook Apple Inc. to claim the No. 2 spot in smartphones making in the first quarter, moving a step closer to its avowed ambition of displacing Samsung at the top of the market.
4. State Bank of India (SBI) has moved to a new interest rate regime on large savings account deposits as well as short-term loans.

Sports

1. Australia’s Claire Polosak (31-year) has become the first female umpire to stand in a men’s one-day international (ODI).
2. Hima Das was named in India’s women 4x400m relay team for the World Relays to begin in Yokohama, Japan next month.
3. The 2019 Asian Athletics Championships was the 23rd edition of the Asian Athletics Championships.
4. The Wrestling Federation of India recommended Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat for the country’s highest sporting honour the Rajeev Gandhi Khel Ratna award.
5. Asian champion Bajrang Punia (25-year) will be the first Indian wrestler to fight at New York’s iconic Madison Square Garden.
6. Arjuna awardee and star Indian golfer Gaganjeet Bhullar won the outstanding achievement as a player award at the fourth edition of the annual India Golf Industry Association (GIA) awards at the Delhi Golf Club.

Awards

1. Ex-South Africa all-rounder Jacques Kallis has been honoured with the Order of Ikhamanga in the Silver Division.
2. Rapper Drake set a record with the most wins ever, taking home 12 honours at the Billboard Music Awards.
3. Former ISRO chairman A S Kiran Kumar was conferred with France’s highest civilian honour, Chevalier de l’Ordre national de la Legion d’Honneur, for his contribution to India-France space cooperation.
4. Padma Bhushan Dr Devi Prasad Shetty has been honoured with the 27th Lifetime PC Chandra Puraskaar 2019 at the Biswa Bangla Convention Centre.

Appointments

1. Senior IAS officer Dilip Kumar was appointed as the Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in the office of Lokpal.
2. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has hired Sanjay Ubale, head of infrastructure and urban solutions at Tata Sons, as its policy director for India.
3. Bhushan Patil, president at Paytm, has quit the company.

Important Days

1. World Press Freedom Day (WPFD) is celebrated all over the world on the 3rd of May.
2. Coal Miners Day is observed every year on 4 May to highlight the conditions of coal miners as it is the toughest profession known.

Science and Tech

1. In 2029, a massive asteroid called 99942 Apophis will fly past earth at an approximate distance of 19,000 miles within the distance of some orbiting spacecraft.
2. Scientists have discovered the first small-molecule inhibitors of the Streptococcus pyogenes Cas9 (SpCas9) protein.

Defence

1. Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (Kolkata-based defence shipyard) signed an Rs. 6,311-crore contract with the Defence Ministry to build eight anti-submarine warfare shallow watercraft for the Indian Navy.
2. Defence ministry has approved the procurement of 10 Kamov Ka-31 Airborne Early Warning and Control helicopters for the Indian Navy.
3. The first part of the Indo-French joint naval exercise, ‘Varuna 19.1’ has begun at Goa coast (from 1 to 10 May 2019).

Obituaries

1. Mark Medoff, whose acclaimed play “Children of a Lesser God,” which won the Tony Award for best play in 1980 and was turned into a 1986 movie that won an Oscar for its female lead, Marlee Matlin, recently passed away at the age of 79.
2. John Singleton, an Academy Award-nominated filmmaker has passed away following complications from a stroke.
3. The former Ethiopian president, Dr Negasso Gidada had passed away in Germany where he was undergoing medical treatment.
4. English-American actor Peter Mayhew (74-years) passed away at his North Texas home.

States

1. The Gujarat health department has issued an ‘Orange Alert’ for two-days as the temperatures are likely to touch 44 degrees.
2. From the 428-year-old Charminar, a huge chunk of lime-plaster from its south-west minaret broke and fell to the ground.
3. Mangaluru City Police has launched an all-women police patrol unit ‘Rani Abbakka Force’.

Miscellaneous

1. Ministry of Home Affairs ordered an advance release of Rs 1086 crore to four states from the State Disaster Response Fund to deal with the preventive measures for cyclonic storm ‘Fani’.
2. Tuberculosis is one of India’s deadliest infectious diseases.
3. Cyclone FANI is expected to cross Odisha Coast between Gopalpur and Chandbali around Puri during forenoon of 3rd May.
4. Archaeologists excavated a rare life-size stucco Buddhist sculpture in Phanigiri, Suryapet district in Telangana.

Agreements

1. The income tax department and Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN) signed an agreement to facilitate the exchange of data to nab tax evaders and reduce black money generation.