Current Affairs May 22, 2019
In this post, GKToday presents Current Affairs of May 22, 2019 in Short Notes form for preparation of IBPS, Banking, CLAT, SSC, Railway, UPSC, IAS/PCS, UPPSC, BPSC, MPPSC, RPSC, TNPSC, MPSC, KPSC and all other competitive examinations of India.
1. Joko Widodo has been officially re-elected to a second term as President of Indonesia. His win is a victory for stability and continuity in Indonesia, Southeast Asia’s largest country and a geopolitical anchor for the region. Widodo and his vice-presidential running mate Ma'ruf Amin won the election by a 55.5% to 44.5% margin over rival Prabowo Subianto and Sandiaga Uno. The two rival election campaigns focused on the economy, infrastructure and corruption. Religion was also a core issue. Though Indonesia has no official state religion and the right to practise other faiths is enshrined in the constitution, some 80% of the country is Muslim.
2. India has recently signed the new global anti-terror initiative ‘Christchurch Call to Action’, which is the brainchild of New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and French President Emmanuel Macron to fight terrorism. The document was signed and adopted with participation from 26 nations, including France, New Zealand, European Commission, Ireland, Norway, Senegal, Canada, Jordan, UK, Indonesia, Australia, Germany, Japan, Spain, Netherlands and Sweden. The agreement came in the backdrop of the attacks on mosques on 15th March 2019 and is aimed at stopping abuse of the Internet by extremists. The dissemination of such content online has adverse impacts on the human rights of the victims, on collective security and on people all over the world. The meeting held in Paris was attended by representatives of online giants like Microsoft, Google, Twitter, Facebook and Amazon. India was represented by Ajay Prakash Sawhney, Secretary.
3. On May 17, Taiwan has become the first in Asia to legalise same-sex marriage with the passage of legislation giving gay couples the right to marry. Lawmakers comfortably passed part of a bill that would allow gay couples to enter into exclusive permanent unions and apply for marriage registration with government agencies. The vote allows same-sex couples full legal marriage rights, including in areas such as taxes, insurance, and child custody. Taiwan is a self-governing democracy with a vibrant civil society.
4. An American politician, Nancy Pelosi has been honored with the 2019 John F Kennedy Profile in Courage Award at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston. She has been recognized for her efforts to pass former President Barack Obama's 2010 health care law and for helping Democrats reclaim control of the U.S. House during last year's elections. Pelosi is serving as Speaker of the United States House of Representatives since January 2019. First elected to Congress in 1987, she is the only woman to have served as Speaker and is the highest-ranking elected woman in United States history.
5. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has celebrated the 2nd edition of International Day of Light (IDL-2019) on 16th May to mark the role light plays in our daily lives. IDL aims to raise awareness of the critical role light-based technologies play in our lives, elevating science, technology, art, and culture to help achieve the goals of UNESCO – education, equality, and peace. The day marks the anniversary of the first successful operation of the laser beam in 1960 by famous physicist and engineer - Theodore Maiman.
6. Mueenul Haq, the current ambassador to France, has been appointed as the new Pakistan High Commissioner to India. Mueen is a career diplomatic and previously served as the chief of protocol at the foreign office. The post of high commissioner to India fell vacant after Sohail Mehmood was appointed the foreign secretary in March 2019. Prime Minister Imran Khan has recently approved the appointments of over two dozen ambassadors in various countries including India and China.
7. Niki Lauda (70), the 3-time Formula One world champion, has passed away in Vienna, Austria on May 20, 2019. One of the best-known figures in motor racing, Lauda took the title for Ferrari in 1975 and 1977 and McLaren in 1984. He is also remembered for his remarkable recovery and return to racing after being badly burned in a crash in the 1976 German Grand Prix.
8. The researchers at NASA space agency has found evidence for a unique mixture of methanol, water ice, and organic molecules on the surface of Ultima Thule, which is located in the Kuiper Belt - beyond the orbit of Neptune. The mixture is very different from most icy objects explored previously by spacecraft. Ultima Thule (also known as 2014 MU69) is 4 billion miles from Earth and has captured scientists' curiosity since they discovered it had a snowman-like appearance. It has two distinct, flat segments and is thought to be an "ancient relic," likely forming "billions of years ago”. The research also sheds new light on Ultima Thule's geology and composition. The 22-mile-long object probably formed after the two lobes orbited each other. However, it's still unknown what caused them to merge into the object seen today. Scientists have also found new features on Ultima Thule, including several bright spots, patches and craters, including a 5-mile-wide depression that likely formed from some kind of impact.
9. PCT Humanity, a charity run by an Indian in the UAE, has set the new Guinness Book of World Records for its hunger relief efforts during the holy month of Ramzan in Abu Dhabi. Joginder Singh Salaria, founder of Pehal charitable Trust (PCT), said the efforts were in continuation to the vegetarian iftar held daily at the premises of his company Pehal International, Dubai Industrial Park. The charity set the new Guinness World Records for “Longest Line of Hunger Relief Package” in Abu Dhabi. Besides the record, the main aim of charity is to feed people pure vegetarian food to stay healthy and fit and also save animals.
10. The International Museum Day (IMD) is observed every year on May 18 to raise awareness about the importance of museums as means of cultural exchange, enrichment of cultures and development of mutual understanding, cooperation and peace among peoples. The 2019 theme is 'Museums as Cultural Hubs: The Future of Tradition'.
