19 February 2016 Current Affairs
US imposed new sanctions on North Korea
U.S. President Barack Obama signed into law a piece of legislation passed by Congress imposing new sanctions against North Korea for testing a nuclear device on January 6, 2016 and launching a satellite on February 7, 2016 using ballistic missile technology.
Harper Lee passed away
Author Nelle Harper Lee has died at the age of 89. She won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1961 for her book, “To Kill a Mockingbird.” .Lee was born April 28, 1926, in Monroeville. On July 11, 1960, Lee’s novel “To Kill a Mockingbird” was published by J.B. Lippincott & Co..
Five new ‘hot Jupiters’ discovered
Scientists have discovered five new Jupiter-like planets that are similar in characteristics to our solar system’s biggest planet and orbit very close to their host stars. Researchers from Keele University in the United Kingdom used the Wide Angle Search for Planets-South (WASP-South) instrument — an array of eight cameras observing selected regions of the southern sky, to study five stars showing planet-like transits in their light curve. The newly discovered planets were designated WASP-119 b, WASP-124 b, WASP-126 b, WASP-129 b and WASP—133 b. The orbital periods of the planets vary from 2.17 to 5.75 days, and their masses range from 0.3 to 1.2 the mass of Jupiter, with radii between one to 1.5 Jupiter radius.
Obama first US President in 80 years to visit Cuba
U.S. President Barack Obama is to make a historic visit to Cuba next month — the first sitting American president to go to the island nation in 80 years . “The trip is planned for March 21-22 before the president flies to Argentina,”. Republican presidential hopeful Marco Rubio, who is of Cuban descent, slammed Obama for his planned trip to Cuba.
Modi to attend summit of EU, India in Brussels
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Brussels for the EU-India summit on March 30, which is being held after a long gap of four years that have also seen the suspension of talks on the Bilateral Trade and Investment Agreement (BTIA). PM conduct one more meeting on the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) on March 30 at the level of Commerce Ministers on the sidelines of the his visit. India’s import duty on cars range from 60-120 per cent as against the EU’s 10 per cent.
Nepal PM Sharma Oli arrives on 6-day visit
Nepalese Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli arrived in New Delhi on 19 February 2016 on a six-day visit during which he will hold extensive talks with the Indian leadership with a major focus on mending ties hit by issues relating to the Himalayan nation’s new Constitution. Union external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj received Mr Oli,. Mr Oli and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold extensive talks on a range of issues on 20 February 2016 following which both sides are expected to sign a number of pacts to step up cooperation in several key sectors. It is expected that India will ask Nepal to complete the “unfinished task” of making the Constitution more inclusive to address the concerns of the Madhesi community which share close family and cultural ties with Indians. Meanwhile, the two Armies are also strengthening defence ties. The Ninth Indo-Nepal Combined Battalion level Military Training Exercise “Surya Kiran” is being conducted at Pithoragarh from February 8 to 21, 2016, under the aegis of Panchshul Brigade of Central Command.