Daily Current Affairs, 10th April 2019

1) President Launches ‘CRPF Veer Parivar’ App For Families of Martyred CRPF Troops

•President Ram Nath Kovind launched ‘CRPF Veer Parivar’ app, a mobile application for families of CRPF personnel killed in the line of duty. The app was launched after the President paid his tributes to the fallen troops at the National Police Memorial in Delhi on the occasion of the CRPF’s ‘Valour Day’.

•It will render all assistance to the families of the martyred CRPF personnel with regard to issuance of ex gratia, pensionary benefits and all information regarding the welfare schemes introduced for them by the government.

2) Google Launches Its 1st Drone Delivery Service In Australia

•Google parent Alphabet has beaten Amazon to launch one of the first commercial drone delivery businesses. Alphabet made its first delivery in Canberra after getting approval from the country’s civil aviation authority.

•Wing, the company’s drone delivery arm, was testing drone delivery in Australia since 2014 and delivered medicines, chocolate to 3,000 homes in the last 18 months.

3) 17th MENA World Economic Forum Held In Jordan

•The World Economic Forum in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) took place at Jordan’s Dead Sea. The forum assembled more than 1,000 government, business and civil society leaders from more than 50 countries.

•The forum was themed on three major visions: generating job opportunities, empowering Arab women and promoting the most intriguing startups that have joined the region’s industry over the past years.

4) IMF Cuts India’s GDP Growth Forecast To 7.3% For FY20

•The International Monetary Fund (IMF) cut its economic growth forecasts for India by 20 basis points (bps) each from its January predictions to 7.3% for FY20 and 7.5% for the next fiscal.

•Citing persistent risks from the trade war, it lowered 2019 global growth forecast by 20 basis points to 3.3%, the weakest since 2009 when the subprime crisis had flared up.

5) London Becomes 1st City To Use Pollution Charge Zone

•London (capital city of the UK) is the first city in the world to implement a 24-hour, seven day a week Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), inside which vehicles will have to meet tough emissions standards or face a charge.

•Introduction of the ULEZ aims to reduce toxic air pollution and protect public health, according to a press release from the office of Sadiq Khan, mayor of London. Vehicles are responsible for around half of harmful nitrogen oxide air emissions in the British capital.

6) Emirates Islamic Becomes World’s 1st Islamic Bank To Launch Banking Via WhatsApp

•Emirates Islamic has announced the launch of Chat Banking services for customers via WhatsApp, marking a global first in the Islamic banking sector. The bank’s customers will now able to conduct daily banking activities via WhatsApp in a seamless and hassle-free manner.

•The Chat Banking solution, supported by Infobip, further enhances Emirates Islamic’s suite of digital banking channels and allows customers to use features such as checking account balances and temporarily blocking or unblocking of an existing card.

7) HDFC AMC Ranks 1st In Terms Of Assets: AMFI Report

•India’s asset management companies (AMCs) own assets under management (AUM) worth Rs24.46 trillion, according to data released by the Association of Mutual Funds in India (Amfi). HDFC Asset Management Co. Ltd has claimed the top spot with an average AUM of Rs3.42 trillion, overtaking ICICI Prudential Asset Management Co. Ltd with an average AUM of at Rs3.20 trillion. Out of the total industry assets, a huge 82.7% is owned by the top 10 AMCs, who have owned around 80% of the industry assets over at least three years now.