Current Affairs

Putin, Erdogan launch construction of Turkey's first nuclear power plant

  • Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Tuesday launched the construction of Turkey's first nuclear power plant in the Mediterranean Mersin region.

 

  • State television TRT showed workers already starting work on the ground as fireworks went off to mark the event.

  • Once completed the power station will provide 10 percent of the electricity needs of Turkey, which has few energy resources of its own. 

  • The first stage is due to come online in 2023, the 100th anniversary of modern Turkey's founding, and be completed entirely in 2026.


Government launches digital platforms for ease of farm export

  •  In line with the Digital IndiaBSE -4.44 % initiative, the government has developed three online portals to make it easier to export farm products from India and reduce transaction costs.

  • The digital platforms, developed by the Export Inspection Council, have integrated the entire export food chain by linking primary production, chain catch, aquaculture pond, dairy farms and apiaries. 




MS Dhoni, Pankaj Advani Among Padma Awardees At Rashtrapati Bhavan

  •  Former Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and billiards champion Pankaj Advani today received Padma Bhushan Award from President Ram Nath Kovind. Weightlifter Saikhom Mirabai Chanu and former Asian Games gold medallist tennis player Somdev Devvarman were honoured with the Padma Shri award at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

  • Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh -- who had last night hosted a dinner for the 41 awardees who were honoured today -- and Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan were also present at the ceremony. 


Chinese Space Station Tiangong-1 Falling to Earth Now, But Where?

  • China's Tiangong-1 space station fell to Earth above the southern Pacific Ocean today (April 1) at 8:16 p.m. EDT (0016 GMT on April 2).

  • It's almost crash time for China's falling space station Tiangong-1. As school bus-sized space station began what should be its last day in orbit today (April 1), experts weighed in on the possibilities of space debris – and whether this situation should have happened in the first place.

  • Chinese space officials lost contact with the 9.4-ton (8.5-metric ton) station in 2016 after five successful years of operations, including two visits by Chinese crews of astronauts. China did not make it clear if they cut off contact with the station deliberately, or if they lost telemetry with Tiangong-1 due to a technical issue. Whatever the cause, the result was the same: Tiangong-1 began an inevitable descent into Earth's atmosphere


Power failure may be the reason ISRO?lost contact with GSAT-6A communication satellite

  • Scientists from Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) are still trying to find out why they lost contact with the communication satellite GSAT-6A on Saturday after its launch on Thursday.

  • Power failure is the most likely cause, according to officials grappling with the second setback in just over half a year.


Kerala lifts their sixth Santosh Trophy

  • Kerala has lifted their sixth Santosh Trophy Football title. In a thrilling final at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata on Sunday, Kerala held their nerves to beat defending champions and 32-time winners Bengal via penalty shootout.

  • Locked 2-2 after extra time, Kerala goalkeeper V Mithun put up a stellar show in the tie-breaker to help his side win 4-2.



Former Guatemala dictator Rios Montt, accused of genocide, passes away

  • Efrain Rios Montt, a former military dictator who ruled between 1982 and 1983 and who was facing retrial on genocide charges, died on Sunday aged 91, sources close to his family said.

  • One of his lawyers, Luis Rosales, told reporters that Rios Montt “died in his home, with the love of his family and a clear conscience.”

  • Rios Montt is accused of being responsible for the murders of 1,771 indigenous Ixil-Maya people during his short reign, which came at the height of a brutal 36-year civil war.


Delhi Becomes First Indian City to Roll-Out Euro-VI Ultra Clean Petrol, Diesel

  • Ultra-clean Euro-VI grade petrol and diesel, at no additional price, supply has been started in the national capital in a bid to combat alarming levels of air pollution.

  • Delhi is among the first city in the country to leapfrog from Euro-IV grade petrol and diesel to Euro-VI. Cities in the national capital region like Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurugram and Faridabad as well as 13 major cities including Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Pune will switch over to cleaner Euro-VI grade fuel from January 1 next year. Rest of the country will follow suit from April 2020.


Mithali Raj adjudged 'Sportsperson of the Year'

  • Hyderabad: Indian women's cricket team captain Mithali Raj was adjudged 'Sportsperson of the Year' while ace shuttlers Kidambi Srikanth and PV Sindhu bagged the best senior male and female athletes at the Telangana Sports Journalists Association annual awards for 2017.

  • Mithali Raj was not present to receive the award and her parents received it on her behalf from BV Papa Rao, Advisor to the Telangana government.


U.S., South Korea begin joint military exercises as tensions thaw on Korean Peninsula

  • SEOUL — The United States and South Korea began their joint military training exercises Sunday as diplomatic relations have been thawing on the Korean Peninsula, according to the South Korean defense ministry.

  • The planned drills, known as Foal Eagle and Key Resolve, take place before the April 27 summit between North and South Korea and ahead of a meeting with President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un expected in May.