NEWS 14-04-2019. NEWS FOR 15-APR (MONDAY) National and International Events 1. Under mission Shakti India Shoots down its own Satellite microsat-1 satellite with ASAT missile made indigenously making it the 4th country after US , Russia & China. The microsat-1 satellite was at a height of 275 km above the earth surface and travelling at 7.20 km/s. 2. First ever images of black hole captured by various Telescopes in the world located in Hawaii , Arizona , Mexico ,Antarctica, Chile and in Spain and then those pictures were integrated to get the whole picture. The image was taken by event horizon of the galaxy M 87, 50 lac Light years away. 3. The 2019 Indian general election is scheduled to be held in seven phases from 11 April to 19 May 2019 to constitute the 17th Lok Sabha. The counting of votes will be conducted on 23 May, and on the same day the results will be declared. Also first five VVPAT (Voter-Verified paper Audit Trail) will be counted manually so it can take additional time in announcing results. Legislative Assembly elections in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha and Sikkim will be held simultaneously with the general election. China is trying to create its own globally decisive naval force through the ambitious multi-billion dollar Belt and Road Initiative, the Pentagon has told the US Congress, warning that Beijing's "unfavourable deals" strangle a nation's sovereignty. Defense News 1. The Indian Air Force (IAF) will receive the first four of 22 Boeing AH-64E Apache Guardian attack helicopters in August, according to Boeing sources. Already 4 Chinook (CH47) heavy lift helicopters have been received and inducted by IAF manufactured by US. 2. The navy wants Indian steel, missiles, torpedoes and an indigenously developed air independent propulsion system for its Rs 40,000-crore project to construct six new submarines domestically, one of the largest ‘Make in India’ military orders currently being processed by the government at Mazgaon dockyard. 3. Benjamin Netanyahu became Prime Minister of Israel for the fifth time, India may find it difficult to adhere to its decades-old two-state theory, something that every successive government in New Delhi has followed. 4. India has conducted talks with Sri Lanka for Defense Cooperation and is approaching Bangladesh very soon, as a counter move to China’s surge in its Naval Power in South East Asia region. 5. United Arab Emirates (UAE), see India as a growing defense market providing opportunities for collaboration. UAE inked a few defense cooperation agreements with India to deepen their ties and at the recent IDEX military exhibition in the UAE, Indian Ordnance Factories signed a deal to supply ammunition to the Emirati military.” 6. A defence delegation led by UAE Minister of State for Defence Affairs, Ahmed Al Bowardi had expressed interest in buying `Made in India’ Akash surface-to-air missile system. India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) had made a presentation for the ‘Akash’ surface to air missile system to the visiting minister of UAE. 7. The campaign for an international ban on Masood Azhar, the Pakistan based leader of UN-designated terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), is gaining steam at the UN Security Council and asked China to respond by 23rd April. The proposers of the resolution to ban Azhar - US, UK and France - have asked China to lift its "technical" hold on the ban proposed in the UNSC 1267 sanctions committee in the next couple of weeks or face another resolution for the same in the Council. Sports News 1. Virat Kohli and Smriti Mandhana have been declared the wisden leading cricketers consecutively for the third year. 2. Paralympian Deepa Malik named for New Zealand Sir Edmund Hillary Fellowship. 3. Fourth seeded Sindhu took 39 minutes to get the better of world number 22 Mia 21-13 21-19, her second straight win over the Danish girl, who had clinched the Spain Masters this year. 4. PV Sindhu , Srikant and Saina reaches quarter final in Singapore Open. 5. Indian Men’s Hockey Team to be playing King’s Cup in Thailand in June. < < Back