Muhammadu Buhari has been re-elected as president of which country?

Muhammadu Buhari has been re-elected as president of which country?

Options

1) Nigeria

2)Cameroon

3) chad

4) Benin

answer
1) Nigeria

Other details

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has been re-elected for a second four-year term, after the election commission on Wednesday declared the results of the poll 

Nigeria, an African country on the Gulf of Guinea, has many natural landmarks and wildlife reserves.

Muhammadu Buhari GCFR is a Nigerian politician currently serving as the President of Nigeria, in office since 2015.

He is a retired major general in the Nigerian Army and previously served as the nation's head of state from 31 December 1983 to 27 August 1985, after taking power in a military coup

Capital: Abuja Trending
Continent: Africa
Currency: Nigerian naira

Which sri lankan cricket was banned from cricket for two years?

Which sri lankan cricket was banned from cricket for two years?

Options

1) Sanath Jayasuriya

2)Tillakaratne Dilshan

3)Marvan Atapattu

4)Romesh Kaluwitharana

answer

1) Sanath Jayasuriya


Other details

Former Sri Lanka Cricket captain Sanath Jayasuriya has been banned from cricket for two years.

ICC said Jayasuriya admitted to breaching two counts of the ICC Anti-Corruption Code.

The charges include refusal to cooperate with an Anti Corruption Unit (ACU) investigation, obstructing or delaying the investigation, including concealing, tampering with or destroying any documentation or other relevant information.

Sri Lankan cricket has been under investigation by ICC for last few years and Jayasurya was served a notice a few months back.
 

where will Second summit between US ,North Korea take place tomorrow ?

where will Second summit  between US ,North Korea   take place tomorrow ?

Options

1) Hanoi

2)Seoul

3)Tokyo

4)Beijing


answer




1) Hanoi


Other details

Second summit between US President Donald Trump  and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will take place in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi tomorrow.

During their two days of talks, the two leaders are expected to have several rounds of discussions in multiple settings, including a one-on-one, aimed at normalising ties and complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula.

They are also likely to review the progress made after their first historic summit in Singapore last summer.

 

which country began export to India through Iran’s Chabahar port?

which country began export to India through Iran’s Chabahar port?

Options

1) Afghanistan

2)Iran

3)UAE

4)none of the above

answer


1) Afghanistan


Other details

Afghanistan has begun exports to India through Iran’s Chabahar port,

with the opening of the Chabahar route, Afghanistan’s exports will increase to two billion dollar from the current one billion dollar in the next year.

Afghanistan’s exports to India have increased by 40 percent after the launch of air corridor between Kabul and New Delhi.

23 trucks carrying 57 tonnes of dried fruits, textiles, carpets and mineral products were dispatched from Zaranj to Chabahar port to be shipped to Mumbai.

The Iranian port provides easy access to the sea to Afghanistan and India has helped developed this route to allow both countries to engage in trade 

where will Organisation of Islamic Cooperation meeting be held which India will attend for the first time?

where will Organisation of Islamic Cooperation meeting be held which India will attend for the first time?

Options

1) Abu Dhabi

2)jeddah

3)baghdad

4)none of the above

answer

1) Abu Dhabi


Other details

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has been invited to deliver an address at the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Abu Dhabi next month.

This is the first time that a leader of the non-Muslim country has been invited to the OIC conference.

Ms Swaraj will be the Guest of Honour and address the inaugural plenary of the 46th Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of OIC on the 1st and 2nd of next month.

She will attend the two-day meeting at the invitation by Foreign Minister of the UAE, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
 

Where was New Tyrannosaur species discovered?

Where was New Tyrannosaur species  discovered?

Options

1) US

2)Russia

3)China

4)Japan

answer

1) US


Other details

Scientists have discovered a new species of tiny tyrannosaur which helps explain how the dinosaurs evolved

The species called Moros intrepidus is a small tyrannosaur who lived about 96 million years ago in the lush, deltaic environment of what is now Utah during the Cretaceous period.

where did US, China top officials begin fresh round of negotiations?

where did US, China top officials begin fresh round of negotiations?

Options

1) Washington

2)New York

3)Chicago

4)Los Angeles

answer

1) Washington


Other details

Top trade officials from the US and China have started their latest, and possibly the last round of talks in Washington to negotiate a comprehensive trade deal before  deadline of 1st March.

The Chinese delegation is led by Vice- Premier Liu He, while US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin chaired the talks on behalf of the US.


US  and  Chinese President during in  December last year had agreed to temporarily pause their trade war and arrive at a trade deal by 1st March.

where did Month-long Festival of India began?

where did Month-long Festival of India  began?


Options

1) nepal

2) Sri Lanka

3) Bangladesh

4) Maldives

Answer

1) nepal

Other details

In Nepal, a month-long 'Festival of India' began in Kathmandu yesterday to familiarise the new generation of the country about the similarities between the two countries.

The festival, organised by the   Indian Embassy is being held in Kathmandu and other major cities of Nepal from February 19th to March 21st.

Climate scientist Wallace Smith Broecker

Climate scientist Wallace Smith Broecker

Wallace Smith Broecker was an American geophysicist.

He was the Newberry Professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Columbia University, a scientist at Columbia's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and a sustainability fellow at Arizona State University

 He developed the idea of a global "conveyor belt" linking the circulation of the global ocean and made major contributions to the science of the carbon cycle and the use of chemical tracers and isotope dating in oceanography.

Broecker received the Crafoord Prize and the Vetlesen Prize.

  Wallace Smith Broecker,  popularised the term "global warming"

Broecker brought "global warming" into common use with a 1975 paper that correctly predicted rising carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere would lead to pronounced warming.

He joined Columbia's faculty in 1959 and was known in science circles as the "Grandfather of Climate Science".

Iran launched new locally-made submarine capable of firing cruise missiles

Iran launched new locally-made submarine capable of firing cruise missiles

Iran has launched a new locally-made submarine capable of firing cruise missiles.

the submarine, named the Fateh, Persian for 'conqueror', is Iran's first in the semi-heavy category.

the near 600-tonne underwater vessel is equipped with torpedoes and naval mines in addition to cruise missiles, and can operate more than 200 metres below sea level for up to 35 days.

iran unveiled a new ballistic missile with a range of 1,000 kilometres (620 miles)

The surface-to-surface missile -- called Dezful -- is an upgrade on the older Zolfaghar model that had a range of 700 kilometres

UAE funded US military hospital to be built in Abu Dhabi

UAE funded US military hospital to be built in Abu Dhabi

A US military hospital funded by the United Arab Emirates will be built in Abu Dhabi to treat Emirati soldiers and regionally based American troops.

The United Arab Emirates has not yet announced any plans for such a hospital.

The US has a number of military bases across the Gulf -- the largest in Qatar with about ten thousand troops.

The UAE is a key regional ally of the United States and maintains close ties with the adminstration of President Donald Trump.

British author Andrea Levy

British author Andrea Levy

Andrea Levy was an English author


Awards

    2004: Orange Prize for Fiction, winner, Small Island
    2004: Whitbread Book of the Year, winner, Small Island[
    2005: Commonwealth Writers Prize, winner, Small Island
    2010: Man Booker Prize, shortlist, The Long Song
    2011: Walter Scott Prize, winner, The Long Song

Levy's last novel, ‘The Long Song,’ was published in 2010 and was shortlisted for the Man Booker prize

UN appointed Chandramouli Ramanathan as ASG in Management Strategy dept

UN appointed Chandramouli Ramanathan as ASG in Management Strategy dept

The UN has appointed an Indian official in one of the top most positions in its Department of Management Strategy, Policy and Compliance.

UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said at the United Nations  that Chandramouli Ramanathan has been appointed as Controller, Assistant Secretary-General for Programme Planning, Budget and Finance in the management strategy, policy and compliance department.

Dujarric said he takes place of Bettina Tucci Bartsiotas of Uruguay,

Ramanathan brings to the position nearly 40 years of executive international experience in diverse organisational settings in finance and budget, management and information technology.

Egypt's Parliament to vote on extending president's term

Egypt's Parliament to vote on extending president's term

Egypt's Parliament has begun deliberations over constitutional amendments that could allow President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi to stay in office till 2034.

The amendments will provide 12 more years after his current, second term expires in 2022.

The discussions are to lead to a vote later

The 596-seat assembly has already given its preliminary approval to the changes last week.

Chinese President Xi Jinping plans to meet with top US officials in Beijing this week

Chinese President  Xi Jinping plans to meet with top US officials in Beijing this week

Chinese President Xi Jinping plans to meet with top US officials in Beijing this week, to patch up their trade differences before the 1st March deadline when additional US tariffs on Chinese imports are set to go into effect.


Xi will meet on Friday with officials including US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin

The US officials and their Chinese counterparts will meet for talks on Thursday and Friday.


The Chinese delegation will be led by Vice Premier Liu He, and central bank governor Yi Gang. Earlier,

US suggested that it might extend the deadline for reaching a trade deal with China beyond March 1st.


US indicated that it will wait and see what will come of the ministerial meeting on Thursday in Beijing.

 In December, Washington suspended for three months US 's plan to increase tariffs on 200 billion dollars worth of Chinese imports to allow time for negotiations.

India called for adequate resources for troops in UN peacekeeping missions

India called for adequate resources for troops in UN peacekeeping missions

India's Permanent Representative to the UN  Syed Akbaruddin has called for adequate resources for the Indian troops in UN peacekeeping missions.


He was speaking at a General Debate on Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations.

He said that under-resourced Blue Helmets cannot accomplish their mandated tasks.


The three-week session will focus on some of the pressing issues facing the more than 100,000 military, police and civilian personnel from 125 countries currently serving in 14 operations

US President signs executive order to prioritize research & development in Artificial Intelligence

US President signs executive order to prioritize research & development in Artificial Intelligence

US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order directing federal agencies to prioritize research and development in Artificial Intelligence (AI).

The plan, called the American AI Initiative, follows big investment pledges from China and other countries intended to advance and apply AI technology in fields ranging from warfighting to health care.

The order directs federal agencies to make government data and computing resources more available to AI experts while maintaining security and confidentiality.

 The order also calls on agencies to protect civil liberties, privacy and American values in applying AI technologies, and to help workers gain relevant skills through fellowships, apprenticeships, training programs and computer science education.

72ND BRITISH ACADEMY FILM AWARDS

72ND BRITISH ACADEMY FILM AWARDS

BEST FILM

ROMA
ALFONSO CUARÓN, GABRIELA RODRÍGUEZ

LEADING ACTRESS

OLIVIA COLMAN
THE FAVOURITE

LEADING ACTOR

RAMI MALEK
BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY

DIRECTOR

ROMA
ALFONSO CUARÓN

OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM

THE FAVOURITE
YORGOS LANTHIMOS, CECI DEMPSEY, ED GUINEY, LEE MAGIDAY, DEBORAH DAVIS, TONY MCNAMARA

OUTSTANDING DEBUT BY A BRITISH WRITER, DIRECTOR OR PRODUCER

BEAST
MICHAEL PEARCE (WRITER/DIRECTOR), LAUREN DARK (PRODUCER)

FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

ROMA
ALFONSO CUARÓN, GABRIELA RODRÍGUEZ

DOCUMENTARY

FREE SOLO
ELIZABETH CHAI VASARHELYI, JIMMY CHIN

ANIMATED FILM

SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE
BOB PERSICHETTI, PETER RAMSEY, RODNEY ROTHMAN, PHIL LORD

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

THE FAVOURITE
DEBORAH DAVIS, TONY MCNAMARA

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

BLACKKKLANSMAN
SPIKE LEE, DAVID RABINOWITZ, CHARLIE WACHTEL, KEVIN WILLMOTT

SUPPORTING ACTRESS

RACHEL WEISZ
THE FAVOURITE

SUPPORTING ACTOR

MAHERSHALA ALI
GREEN BOOK

ORIGINAL MUSIC

A STAR IS BORN
BRADLEY COOPER, LADY GAGA, LUKAS NELSON

CINEMATOGRAPHY

ROMA
ALFONSO CUARÓN

EDITING

VICE
HANK CORWIN

PRODUCTION DESIGN

THE FAVOURITE
FIONA CROMBIE, ALICE FELTON

COSTUME DESIGN

THE FAVOURITE
SANDY POWELL

MAKE UP & HAIR

THE FAVOURITE
NADIA STACEY

SOUND

BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY
JOHN CASALI, TIM CAVAGIN, NINA HARTSTONE, PAUL MASSEY, JOHN WARHURST

SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS

BLACK PANTHER
GEOFFREY BAUMANN, JESSE JAMES CHISHOLM, CRAIG HAMMACK, DAN SUDICK

BRITISH SHORT ANIMATION

ROUGHHOUSE
JONATHAN HODGSON, RICHARD VAN DEN BOOM

BRITISH SHORT FILM

73 COWS
ALEX LOCKWOOD

EE RISING STAR

LETITIA WRIGHT

OUTSTANDING BRITISH CONTRIBUTION TO CINEMA

STEPHEN WOOLLEY AND ELIZABETH KARLSEN

BAFTA FELLOWSHIP

THELMA SCHOONMAKER

US cargo spacecraft Cygnus released from International Space Station

US cargo spacecraft Cygnus released from International Space Station

The US cargo spacecraft Cygnus was released from the International Space Station (ISS) on Friday.

 the cargo spacecraft was successfully released at 4:16 GMT.

at the time of release, the station was flying over the Pacific Ocean, just west of the coast of Peru.

The operation was controlled by US astronaut Anne McClain and her Canadian colleague David Saint-Jacques.

 It will now perform a 17-day nanosatellite deployment mission and after that, on February 25, will burn over the Pacific Ocean while entering the atmosphere.

Cygnus, belonging to American aerospace company, Northrop Grumman, was launched on Nov. 17, 2018, on an Antares 230 rocket from Virginia and arrived at the station on  November 19 for the company’s 10th NASA-contracted commercial resupply mission to the station.

Red Cross called for total ban on nuclear weapons

Red Cross called for total ban on nuclear weapons

The Red Cross today called for a total ban on nuclear weapons, warning of the growing risk that such arms could again be used with devastating effect.

The International Committee of the Red Cross and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies launched a global campaign to raise awareness about the rising nuclear threat facing the world.

In a statement in Geneva, they said some nuclear-armed states were straying from their "long-standing nuclear disarmament obligations".

The statement said these nuclear-armed nations were also upgrading their arsenals, developing new kinds of nuclear weapons and making them easier to use.

The campaign comes after the United States and Russia announced to abandon the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty.

The campaign aims to encourage people to lobby their governments to sign and ratify the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which has so far been signed by 70 nations and ratified by 21.

France recalled Italy envoy

France recalled Italy envoy

France recalled its ambassador to Rome yesterday in a move unprecedented since World War II

The move came amid mounting tensions between the two European Union members after Italy's deputy Prime Minister met French yellow vest protesters.

France's foreign ministry recalled its ambassador to Rome for consultations after a series of comments from Italy's two deputy prime ministers, Luigi Di Maio and Matteo Salvini.

Macedonia signs accord to join NATO

Macedonia signs accord to join NATO

Macedonia signed an accord to join NATO to become the 30th member of the US-led alliance.


NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the admittance of a new member highlighted that all European nations who meet the entrance criteria could join the regional alliance.

Moscow has continually rejected NATO's position, saying that by taking in Balkan members, the alliance is undermining security in the region.

The Macedonia-NATO accord follows a deal with Greece ending a 27-year-old dispute over Macedonia's name.

 The accord must now be ratified by allied governments.

EU Countries endorse Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido

EU Countries endorse Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido

Nearly 20 European Union countries have endorsed Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido as the country's interim President.

Germany, France and Britain and Spain publicly supported Guaido after a Sunday deadline to call a presidential election passed without action.

Other European nations, such as Portugal, Denmark, Holland, Hungary, Austria, Finland, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Czech Republic, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland, Sweden and Croatia also supported Guaido, who last month declared himself interim President with the support of the United States and many South American nations.


Nicolás Maduro Moros won the election in Venezuela but defeated candidate Juan Guaidó declared himself president with help of US and European nations

 the Lima Group of Latin American countries and Canada has called for a peaceful change in government in Venezuela, without military intervention.

Foreign ministers belonging to the group, met at Ottawa in Canada to discuss additional steps to pressure Maduro.

The group also urged Venezuela's military to support Guaido as interim president and not to impede the entry and transit of humanitarian assistance to Venezuelans.

ramit Tandon defeats Mohamed El Sherbini to win Seattle Open

ramit Tandon defeats Mohamed El Sherbini to win Seattle Open

Top seeded Ramit Tandon defeated Egyptian Mohamed El Sherbini to win the final of the Seattle Open, a Professional Squash Association challenger squash Tour event

The Indian won 11-4, 11-7, 2-11, 11-2 for his first PSA title in 2019 and fourth title overall in his career.

Tandon was ranked 58th in the world but was seeded first for the Seattle Open.

In the semi-finals, Tandon defeated Lyell Fuller, seeded seventh for this tournament. Tandon won 11-6, 11-5, 11-2.

Tandon had also won his quarter-finals in straight games.

The Indian defeated Sebastien Bonmalais 11-2, 11-4, 11-4.

 In the first round, Tandon registered victory as he defeated the unseeded Englishman Ben Coates 11-2, 11-1, 11-9.

World Cancer day

World Cancer day

World Cancer Day is an international day marked on February 4 to raise awareness of cancer and to encourage its prevention, detection, and treatment.

World Cancer Day was founded by the Union for International Cancer Control to support the goals of the World Cancer Declaration, written in 2008.

 The Day aims to save millions of preventable deaths each year through education, raising awareness and by pressing governments and individuals across the world to take action against the deadly disease.

 Union for International Cancer Control, which organizes World Cancer Day, is launching a new 3-year campaign with the theme: “I Am and I Will.”

 ‘The campaign is an empowering call-to-action urging for personal commitment and represents the power of individual action taken now to impact the future.

Over 9.6 million People die each year from cancer which is  more than HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined.
    
On the occasion of the observance of World Cancer Day today,  Punjab  government is  to initiate door to door screening programme from today. 

 Special Screening and Awareness Camps would be organized  in which general Public will be screened for common Cancers
    
In Telangana, the ''sixth Yashoda Cancer Awareness 5K Run  -2019" was held at  Saroornagar stadium, In Hyderabad .

It was aimed to spread   awareness and Fight Cancer.' 

More than 7000 people across from all walks of life  participated in the walk and made it a grand success.


Tobacco is one of the biggest causes of cancer accounting for more than 10 per cent of the 13.5 lakh Indians who die every year due to tobacco-related illnesses.

In Mumbai,   marathon   aiming  at bringing  awareness on 'World Cancer Day' with over 3500 participants taking part was organized.

Hoveizeh- Long-Range Surface to Surface Missile Unveiled by Iran

Hoveizeh- Long-Range Surface to Surface Missile Unveiled by Iran

Iran Launched a  new cruise missile, that has a 1,350-kilometre range.

the missile hit its target  test after travelling 1,200 kilometres.

it is capable of hitting fixed targets, travel in low altitude for use waging electronic war.

Iran has missile capability of up to 2,000 kilometres

Since 1992, Iran has developed a self-sufficient military weapons program, producing mortars to missiles.

2019 - International Year of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements

2019 - International Year of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements

The United Nations General Assembly during its 74th Plenary Meeting proclaimed 2019 as the International Year of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements (IYPT 2019) on 20 December 2017.

Based on the 202 EX/Decision 43, the IYPT2019 was adopted by the UNESCO General Conference at its 39th Session (39 C/decision 60).

1869 is considered as the year of discovery of the Periodic System by the Russian scientist, Dmitri Mendeleev.

 The IYPT 2019 also commemorates the 150th anniversary of the establishment of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements.

The International Year aims to recognize the importance of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements as one of the most important and influential achievements in modern science reflecting the essence not only of chemistry, but also of physics, biology and other basic sciences disciplines.

The IYPT 2019 is an opportunity to reflect upon many aspects of the periodic table, including its history, the role of women in research, global trends and perspectives on science for sustainable development, and the social and economic impacts of this field.

Polar vortex

Polar vortex

A polar vortex is an upper level low-pressure area lying near the Earth's poles.

There are two polar vortices in the Earth's atmosphere, overlying the North and South Poles

The United States has lowest temperatures due to a  cold snap known as a polar vortex.

Temperatures fell to minus 30 degree Celsius in Chicago, colder than parts of Antarctica and minus 37 degree Celsius in North Dakota.

More than 1,600 flights have been cancelled at Chicago airport.

States of emergency have been declared in the Midwestern states of Wisconsin, Michigan and Illinois, and even in the normally warmer deep south states of Alabama and Mississippi.

The US Postal Service has called a halt to mail deliveries in parts of 10 states in the Great Plains and Midwest region.

Hundreds of schools, as well as colleges and universities, have been closed in the affected states