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Current Affairs 23 May 2019
India Successfully Test-Fires Air Launched Version of BrahMos From Su-30 MKI Fighter Jet
- The Indian Air Force (IAF) successfully conducted the test firing of the air version of BrahMos missile from its frontline Su-30 MKI fighter aircraft on May 22, 2019.
- This was the second successful test of the missile, while the first testing was done on November 22, 2017 making IAF the first air force in the world to successfully fire an air launched 2.8 Mach surface attack missile of this category on a sea target.
- The air-launched version of BrahMos missile is a 2.5 ton supersonic air to surface cruise missile with a range of approximately 300 km on any target at sea or on land with pinpoint accuracy by day or night in any weather condition.
Singapore-India Bilateral Maritime Exercise SIMBEX-2019 Concludes
- The Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercise (SIMBEX-2019) concluded on May 22, 2019.
- The bilateral naval drill, consisting of both harbour phase and sea phase, was conducted by the Indian Navy and the Republic of Singapore Navy from May 16 to May 22.
- India’s Kolkata Class Destroyer (INS Kolkata), Fleet Tanker (INS Shakti) and Poseidon-8I (P8I) Maritime Patrol Aircraft participated in the exercise conducted mostly in waters off Singapore and South China Sea.
U.S., Japan, South Korea & Australia Holds 1st Naval Drill “Pacific Vanguard”
- The navies of United States, Japan, South Korea, and Australia commenced their first ever combined naval drills named “Pacific Vanguard”, near the U.S. island of Guam in the Western Pacific region on May 23, 2019.
- The six-day exercise will see as many as 3,000 sailors participating and will involve two Japanese destroyers, two Australian frigates and a destroyer from South Korea along with five ships as well as fighter jets and maritime patrol planes from U.S. Navy.
ADB to provide USD 750 mn loan to India for Electrification of Railway Track
- Asian Development Bank (ADB) has signed an agreement to provide USD 750 million equivalent in Indian rupee long-term financing to electrify railway tracks in India.
- ADB has committed this amount to Indian Railway Finance Corporation (IRFC) to fund the railways track electrification project. This is the largest single non-sovereign loan ever committed by ADB to IRFC.
- IRFC will use the proceeds from the loan to install electric traction equipment along about 3,378 kilometres of existing railway lines to enable migration of passenger and freight traffic from diesel to electric traction.
Bharti AXA wins FICCI Claims Excellence Award
- Private Life Insurer, Bharti AXA Life Insurance has been conferred with the FICCI Claims Excellence Award.
- It has won the award for its customer-friendly claims services in the life insurance sector. The number of claims paid to the number of claims received was 96.85 percent in the financial year 2017-18 for Bharti AXA.
- Vikas Seth is the MD and CEO of Bharti AXA Life Insurance
India Ranks 117th; Iceland Tops in KidsRights Index 2019
- India has secured 117th position out of 181 countries in the KidsRight Index 2019.
- It is an annual global index which ranks how countries adhere to and are equipped to improve children’s rights.
- The KidsRights Index is published by the international children’s rights organization KidsRights and the Erasmus University Rotterdam.
- Iceland has topped the international rankings followed by Portugal (2), Switzerland (3), Finland (4) and Germany (5).
- Countries like United Kingdom and New Zealand ranked 170 and 169 on the list respectively
Cyril Ramaphosa Re-elected As President of South Africa
- The African National Congress (ANC) Party President Cyril Ramaphosa has been re-elected as the president of South Africa by the legislators of the country.
- ANC won 57.50% of the vote ( 230 out of 400 seats) in the 2019 South African general election on May 8, 2019.
- Ramaphosa will be sworn in on May 25.
Bhawana Kanth becomes 1st Female pilot to qualify to go on combat missions
- Flight Lieutenant Bhawana Kanth has become the first woman pilot of the Indian Air Force to qualify to undertake combat missions on a fighter jet.
- Kanth has completed operational syllabus for carrying out combat missions on Mig-21 Bison aircraft during day time.
- She is from the first batch of women fighter pilots of the IAF. Three women — Kanth, Avani Chaturvedi and Mohana Singh — were commissioned as flying officers in July 2016
World Turtle Day: May 23
- The World Turtle Day is held on May 23 every year to raise awareness and increase knowledge and respect for turtles and tortoises and encourage human action to help them survive and thrive
- The Day is sponsored since 2000 by American Tortoise Rescue.
- The theme for 2019 World Turtle Day is “Adopt, Don’t Shop.”
Former Malaysian King Sultan Ahmad Shah passed away at 88
- Malaysia’s seventh King Sultan Ahmad Shah passed away at the age of 88 years.
- Ahmad Shah was also the fifth Sultan of Malaysia’s central Pahang state. He was deeply interested in the sports of football.