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International Current Affair April 4th Week
Category : International Current Affairs
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1) China to build floating nuclear power plants in South China Sea.
  • China is planning to construct up to 20 floating nuclear power plants for remote locations, including the South China Sea, where China has been building man-made islands.
  • All the radar systems, lighthouses, barracks, ports and airfields that China has set up on its newly built island chain in the South China Sea require tremendous amounts of electricity, which is hard to come by in a place hundreds of miles from the country’s power grid.
  • China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation is planning to build a fleet of the vessels to provide electricity to remote locations including offshore oil platforms and the contentious man-made islands.
  • The construction of these first trial maritime nuclear platforms is expected to be completed by 2018 and be put into use by 2019, and will cost upwards of 3 billion yuan.
2) India lays foundation for final phase of Housing Project in Central and Uva Provinces of Sri Lanka.
  • India initiated the third and final phase of the Indian Housing Project laying foundation stone to construct 4,000 houses in the Central and Uva Provinces of Sri Lanka.
  • As part of Government of India`s commitment to construct 50,000 houses in Sri Lanka, 4000 houses will be constructed in the Central and Uva Provinces as the third and final phase of the project.
  • Government of Sri Lanka has earmarked an area of 7 perches per family for 1,134 houses and hence only 1,134 houses will be taken up for construction initially. Government of India will commence construction of the remaining 2,866 houses as soon as land is made available.
3) India, Mongolia Joint Military Exercise, Nomadic Elephant - 2016.
  • The Eleventh Indo-Mongolia joint training Exercise, ‘Nomadic Elephant - 2016’ to promote military associations between India and Mongolia has commenced at Mongolia.
  • The aim of this exercise is to develop synergy and inter operability between the two armies to fight in Counter Insurgency and Counter Terrorism environment under the United Nation mandate.
  • A platoon of the Kumaon Regiment of the Indian Army along with a team of two observers will be taking part in the event.
  • A total of 60 personnel from the Mongolian Armed Forces, will take part in the exercise.
  • The event will culminate in a 48 hours joint outdoor exercise covering specialised operations in Counter Insurgency and Counter Terrorism environment.
  • The Indian contingent will share their practical experiences of Counter Insurgency and Counter Terrorism operations through a series of classroom lectures and outdoor demonstrations.
4) Bangladesh cabinet clears draft to impeach Supreme Court judges.
  • Bangladesh Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina approved a draft of the Bangladesh Supreme Court Judge (Investigation Act) 2016.
  • The approval was made under a constitutional obligation as Parliament in September 2014 had unanimously passed the 16th constitutional amendment bill, empowering the Parliament to remove Supreme Court judges.
  • Introducing a law with provision to impeach Supreme Court judges if allegation of misconduct or incapacity is proved.
  • The draft law says any citizen with evidence will be able to submit allegations of misconduct or incapacity against a Supreme Court judge to the Speaker of Parliament.
  • A 10-member parliamentary body will investigate the allegations. The Speaker will then form a high-powered committee with former a Supreme Court judge, a former Attorney-General and noted jurists to review the primary report. The committee’s findings will be placed before Parliament which will forward its recommendations to the President for necessary action.
About Bangladesh :
Capital: Dhaka
Prime minister: Sheikh Hasina
President: Abdul Hamid
Currency: Bangladeshi taka
 
5) India bans import of mobile phones, milk products from China.
  • India has banned import of milk and milk products, certain mobile phones and a few other items from China after finding them sub-standard or not following security codes.
  • Union Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced in the Lok Sabha that India has banned import of these items from China over quality concerns.
  • Mobile phones, which do not carry International Mobile Station Equipment Identity number or other security features, and some steel products have also been banned from importing from China.
  • Complete ban of import from any country is not possible now due to WTO rules even if we have problems diplomatically, territorially or militarily.
About China :
Capital: Beijing
Currency: Yuan Renminbi
President: Xi Jinping 

6) Saudi Arabia unveiled Vision 2030 cutting reliance on oil.

  • Saudi Arabia`s cabinet has agreed on a broad-based economic reform plan, known as Vision 2030, revealing how the oil-reliant state plans to diversify its economy over the next 14 years.
  • Saudi Arabia`s economy has suffered over the past 12 months in line with the falling price of oil.
  • Vision 2030 is built around three themes: A vibrant society, a thriving economy and an ambitious nation.
  • Vision 2030 envisages forming public investment fund, boosting affordable housing and giving expats long-term residence among others.
  • The reforms will involve selling shares in the state-owned oil giant Aramco and allowing women more of a role in building the economy.
  • The plans centre on a Public Investment Fund, boosted by money from selling shares in Aramco that will be used to invest in companies and other projects abroad.
  • It would raise the capital of the fund from 600 billion riyals ($160 billion) to 7 trillion riyals ($2 trillion).
7) Pakistani Sikhs Reopen 73-Year-Old Gurdwara In Peshawar.
  • The Gurdwara in Peshawar’s crowded Old City opened its doors to worshippers for the first time in 73 years.
  • The reopening was celebrated by Pakistan’s tiny Sikh minority, but security is a constant concern.
  • An armed policeman stood guard outside the 300-year-old Sikh temple, known as a gurdwara, in northwest Pakistan.
  • The newly-opened gurdwara has a 24-hour Sikh Security detail as well as police guards, but their Muslim neighbors believe an attack is inevitable.
  • Under the Pakistani government’s guardianship, the gurdwara went through many incarnations. At one point, it housed a vocational school and it has been used for private homes. Several members of the Evacuee Trust still work and live there.
  • In the 73 years it stood empty, the gurdwara was administered by the government’s Evacuee Trust, an organisation that looks after properties vacated by those who left for India during partition in 1947. Sometimes the buildings are returned to their original owners as happened with the gurdwara and at other times they are given to those who migrated from India to Pakistan, provided they can prove they owned property of a similar value in India.
8) PM Narendra Modi to address US Congress.
  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been invited to address a joint meeting of the US Congress on June 8 during his visit to the United States by Speaker of the US House of Representative Paul Ryan.
  • Narendra Modi was invited by President Barack Obama for a bilateral visit during the fourth nuclear summit.
  • Narendra Modi would be the fifth Prime Minister to address a joint meeting of Congress.
  • The tradition of foreign leaders and dignitaries addressing Congress began with the Marquis de Lafayette of France, who spoke in the House chamber in 1824.
9) Endangered Asiatic wild dogs spotted in China.
  • Asiatic wild dogs or Dholes were caught on camera in a nature reserve in China’s Gansu province.
  • Infrared cameras in Yanchiwan National Nature Reserve on the north margin of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau photographed the animals, which are rarely seen in the inland province.
  • Dholes are highly social animals that live in central, south and Southeast Asia.
  • The International Union for Conservation of Nature has put the animal on the Red List of Threatened Species.
10) Iraq declares state of emergency as protestors storm into Parliament.
  • Protesters stormed Iraq’s parliament in a dramatic culmination of months of demonstrations, casting uncertainty over the tenure of the country’s prime minister and the foundations of the political system laid in place after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion.
  • Iraq government has declared a state of emergency after supporters of Shiite Muslim cleric Moqtada al-Sadr stormed parliament.
  • Protesters have been demanding government reform inside the parliament building, waving flags, chanting and breaking chairs.
  • Demonstrators climbed over blast walls and broke through cordons to enter Baghdad’s fortified Green Zon.
  • Under huge political pressure, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has attempted to reshuffle his cabinet and meet the demands of the demonstrators.
About Iraq :
Capital: Baghdad
Currency: Iraqi dinar
Prime minister: Haider al-Abadi
President: Fuad Masum.