CURRENT AFFAIRS WEEKLY ONE LINERS: AUGUST 8 – 14, 2018

INTERNATIONAL

• Google has officially released Android 9 Pie on the Google Pixel and will roll out the update to other phones throughout the year.
• Pacific Endeavor-2018, a communication exercise under the Multinational Communications Interoperability Program (MCIP) started in Kathmandu, Nepal
• Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong called on the member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations(ASEAN) to stay united against protectionism and brace multilateralism at the opening ceremony of the 51st ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Singapore.
• The communication exercise ‘Pacific Endeavor-2018 (PE-18)’ under the Multinational Communications Interoperability Program (MCIP) started in Kathmandu, Nepal.
• As part of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) initiatives, SCO Peace Mission Exercise is conducted biennially for SCO member states.The joint exercise for the year 2018 will be conducted by Central Military Commission of Russia from 22 August to 29 August 2018 at Chebarkul, Chelyabinsk, Russia.
• The Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman met her South Korean counterpart Young-Moo Song and discussed ways to strengthen bilateral ties in security and strategic sphere
• Nasa is preparing to launch a $1.5 billion spacecraft designed to “touch” the sun, which will help scientists learn more about the scorching atmosphere of our favourite star, known as the corona.
• The embassy of Israel has opened a visa application centre in kolkata for tourists from West Bengal and the north eastern states. It aims to encourage more Indian travellers to visit Israel.
• The Axis Bank has become the first bank in the country to introduce Iris Scan Authentication feature forAadhaar-based transactions through its micro ATM tablets.
• The Industrial production in India expanded at a five-month high in June with all three major sectors —manufacturing, mining and electricity — contributing to the recovery.
• The Nepal-India Literature Festival 2018 has begun in Birgunj, Nepal. Inaugurating the festival Chief Minister of Province 2 Mohammad Lalbabu Raut said that it will play an important role in further strengthening Indo-Nepal ties.