Sunday 25 July 2010

CURRENT AFFAIRS QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS –JUNE 2010

1. Name of the super computer developed by China that runs at more than one quadrillion (one thousand million million) calculations per second, making it the fastest one in the country?
Xingyun.
Xingyun", has been developed in Tianjin, and works at double the speed of "Tianhe-1", the previous fastest machine in China.

2. Which country attacked a flotilla of ships in international waters carrying food, medicine and other aid to Gaza, killing at least 10 civilians on board?
Israel
A flotilla of ships is a formation of small warships that may be part of a larger fleet.

3. Name of the powerful tropical storm hit in Central America which killed more than 100 people in floods and mudslides?
Agatha.
Tropical Storm Agatha was a weak, but catastrophic tropical cyclone that brought widespread floods to much of Central America.

4. Court of which country has ordered the authorities to restore the Facebook, social networking site?
Pakistan

5. Mexican singer who was murdered while on a national tour at the weekend, just hours after denying reports of his death?

Sergio Vega.
The 40-year-old singer is popularly known as El Shaka.

6. German President who unexpectedly resigned on 31 May due to a storm over comments he made about military action abroad?
Horst Koehler.
It was the first time in German history that a president has resigned.

7. India recently signed three MoUs with an Asian country to expand cooperation, under which leading Indian firms Infosys and Wipro committed to undertake projects in that country. Which is that country?
China.
Under the agreement, Wipro will set up a plant that will manufacture high pressure precision hydraulic cylinders, and an R&D facility will be established to enable this centre. Infosys will set up an education centre at Jiaxing to develop software talent in huge numbers to meet its growing business demand.

8. Top financial chief of Al Qaeda, and was considered by American intelligence officials to be the organization’s No. 3 leader, behind Osama bin Laden and his deputy, Ayman al-Zawahri, who was killed in an American missile strike in Pakistan’s tribal areas in the last two weeks?
Mustafa Abu al-Yazid.

9. Which country recently filed a lawsuit with the International Court of Justice to halt Japanese whaling for ‘‘scientific research’’ in Antarctic waters?
Australia.

10. Man of the match winners of Triangular ODI Cricket Series (India-Sri Lanka-Zimbabwe) held in Zimbabwe.
Third ODI between Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka played on June 1, 2010:
Man of the match: Suraj Randiv (Sri Lanka). He took 3 wickets for 23 runs.
Result: Sri Lanka beat Zimbabwe by 9 wickets.
Fourth ODI between Zimbabwe and India played on June 3, 2010:
Man of the match: Brendan Taylor (Zimbabwe). He scored 74 runs.
Result: Zimbabwe beat India by 7 wickets.
Fifth ODI between India and Sri Lanka played on June 5, 2010:
Man of the match: Dinesh Chandimal (Sri Lanka). He scored 111 runs.
Result: Sri Lanka beat India by 6 wickets.
Sixth ODI between Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka played on June 7, 2010:
Man of the match: Brendan Taylor (Zimbabwe). He scored 119 runs.
Result: Zimbabwe beat Sri Lanka by 8 wickets.

Final of the Triangular Series between Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka played on June 9, 2010.
Man of the match: Tillakaratne Dilshan (Sri Lanka). He scored 108 runs.
Result: Sri Lanka beat Zimbabwe by 9 wickets.

11. Who won the Man of the series award in the triangular series held in Zimbabwe (India-Zimbabwe-Sri Lanka)?
Brendan Taylor (Zimbabwe).
He has already received 3 Man of the Match awards in this tournament, has been named as the Man of the Series

12. President's rule was imposed in a state in eastern India on 01-06-2010 two days after resignation of its chief minister and none of the three major political parties in that state showing willingness to form an alternate government. Which is that state?
Jharkhand.
Jharkhand was placed under president’s rule for the second time less than six months after Shibu Soren’s second stint as Chief Minister. The Centre imposed President's rule in Jharkhand for the first time on 19 Jan 2009, when Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) chief Shibu Soren resigned as CM after he lost the Tamar Assembly by-election to Gopal Krishna Patar (Jharkhand Party) by more than 9,200 votes.

13. Which organization has been awarded the Indira Gandhi Paryavaran Award, the highest award for environmental initiative in India, for its unique Project Green Hands that has revitalised vast tracts of fallow countryside in Tamil Nadu?
Isha Foundation.
It is a Coimbatore-based spiritual organisation - led by seer Jaggi Vasudev.

14. Putting commercial interests above national pride, cricket board of which country recently decided to skip the inaugural cricket tournament in the Asian Games in China?
India.
BCCI has announced that it will not send a cricket team from India, in both men and women categories, for the 2010 Asian Games which will be held in Guangzhou, from November 12 to 27 because of the international schedule.

15. One of the most prolific writers of contemporary Indian Literature who won the Kendra Sahitya Academy award in 1998 and the Kerala Sahitya Academy award in 1972 and 1977 died recently due to respiratory problems?
Kovilan.
His real name is V.V.Ayyappan. He was also a recipient of the Kerala state government's highest literary honour Ezhuthachan Puraskaram in recognition of his outstanding contribution to Malayalam literature.

16. Prime Minister of Japan who steps down over failure to honour election promises including relocation of Okinawa's US air base?
Yukio Hatoyama.

17. Tata Motors recently inaugurated the world's cheapest car, the Nano's, manufacturing facility in Gujarat. Where is it located?
Sanand.

18. Who has been appointed as chairman of National Human Rights Commission?
K.G. Balakrishnan, former chief justice of India.

19. Who is appointed as new Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Petronet LNG, the nation's largest liquefied natural gas importer?
Ashok Kumar Balyan.

20. Who has been appointed as Head of Audi India (car) effective July 1st, 2010?
Michael Perschke.

21. France's most prestigious newspaper which is likely to put on sale its group operations, which include the newspaper, its website and its television listings?
Le Monde.

22. Which airline has apologized for a picture in a company magazine that showed a boarding pass in the name of Osama bin Laden?
British Airways
The image of the fake boarding pass in the name of Osama bin Laden appeared in LHR News, a biweekly publication for British Airways employees at London Heathrow airport.

23. Who is Japan’s new Prime Minister?
Naoto Kan.

24. The government declared an organisation which is believed to be a shadow outfit of banned “Students Islamic Movement of India” and Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Tayiba as a terrorist organisation on June 4, 2010. Which is that organisation?
Indian Mujahideen.

25. Man of the Match winners of ODI Cricket Series between West Indies and South Africa held in West Indies.
Fifth ODI played on 3 June 2010:
Man of the match: Jacques Kallis. (South Africa) He scored 57 runs and took 1 wicket.
Result: South Africa beat West Indies by 1 wicket
Series Result: South Africa won the series 5-0.

26. Who won the Man of the series award in the 5 match ODI cricket series between West Indies and South Africa held in West Indies?
Hashim Amla.
He scored 402 runs in the series.

27. The 3rd International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala were held at?
Thiruvananthapuram. (From June 11 to 15)

28. Indian American technocrat who has been nominated by the Obama administration for the post of Director of the National Science Foundation?

Subra Suresh.
He is an IIT graduate, currently the dean of the School of Engineering and the Vannevar Bush Professor of Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

29. Who became the first Italian woman to win a Grand Slam title, beating Samantha Stosur in the French Open-2010 final?
Francesca Schiavone.

30. Goa Tourism Minister who recently resigned from the Cabinet over allegations about involvement in the death of a woman friend?
Fransisco Pacheco

31. Indian- American who won the 83rd Scripps National Spelling Bee Contest held in Washington?
Anamika Veeramani.

32. Who won French Open Men’s title-2010, defeating Robin Soderling in the final?
Rafael Nadal.
He beats Robin Soderling 6-4, 6-2 and 6-4 to win his fifth French Open title at Roland Garros.

33. Which building has been certified as the world’s ‘furthest leaning manmade tower’ by the Guinness World Records?

The Capital Gate tower in Abu Dhabi.

34. Who has been sworn in as the 15th president of the Philippines?
Benigno Aquino III

35. Which states won the 27th National Youth Basketball Championships held in Tamil Nadu from June 1-8?
Punjab, Kerala.
Punjab and Kerala won the competition in the boys’ and girls’ divisions respectively. In the final, Kerala beat Utharpradesh. Punjab beat Chhatisgarh in the boy’s event.

36. Which countries signed seven agreements covering spheres of legal, women's affairs, cultural, power and electricity on June 9, 2010?
India and Sri Lanka.
The signed agreements are listed below.
First agreement is the renewal of Memorandum of Understanding on small scale enterprises. The second and third agreements were on Transfer of Sentenced Prisoners and on Mutual Legal Assistance on Criminal Matters.
Other agreements are
The MOU on Setting up of a Women's Trade Facilitation Centre and Community Learning Centre, Renewal of Cultural Exchange Programmes and Interconnection of Electricity Grids .
The Memorandum of Understanding on Talaimannar-Madhu Railway Line.

37. The UN Security Council voted recently to impose a fourth round of sanctions on an Islamic nation over a nuclear program the West suspects is aimed at developing the means to build atom bombs. Which is that country?
Iran.

38. Which country decided to freeze a contract to sell S-300 missile systems to Iran after the United Nations Security Council imposed a fourth round of sanctions on the Islamic Republic?
Russia

39. Which country recently decided to ban people under 18 years of age from climbing Mount Everest?
China.

40. The rocket of which country carrying a satellite for studying Global Climatic Change and Greenhouse Effect exploded in flight after the successful take-off on June 10,2010?
South Korea

41. The managing director of Rs 8,000-crore Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) that owns country’s largest food brand Amul, resigned recently amid a controversy over cancellation of two board meetings?
B.M. Vyas.

42. Which country has successfully designed, developed & carried out the user trials of laser guided bomb kits on June, 2010?
India.
The Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), a laboratory of India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in Bangalore has successfully tested the user trials of laser guided bomb kits at Pokhran with the participation of the IAF (Indian Air Force).

43. Which company bought Infotel Broadband, the only company to win a national license in the broadband wireless spectrum auction of India?
Reliance Industries.
Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries agreed to pay Rs 4,800 crore ($1.02 billion) to buy 95% stake in Infotel.

44. Who has been appointed the new Chief Justice of the Madras High Court in Chennai?
M.Y. Iqbal

45. U.S.President Barack Obama recently has agreed to write the foreword for a book named “Conversations with Myself”. The book is written by?
Nelson Mandela.
The book draws on Mr. Mandela’s journals from the early 1960s, his diaries written while in prison, speeches and recorded conversations.

46. Former minister of New Zealand who used his official credit card for watching pornographic movies while he stayed in hotels during his tenure as minister for building and construction in 2007-08?
Shane Jones.
He admitted using his ministerial credit card to charter a plane and buy wine, magazines and books and pornographic movies when he stayed at hotels. Jones had spent about USD 5,000 on his credit card.

47. Which country decided to introduce a Mother Teresa commemorative coin to mark the nun’s birth centenary in August, 2010?
India

48. Man of the match winners of Twenty-20 Cricket series between India and Zimbabwe held in Zimbabwe:
First 20-20 played at Harare sports club on 12 June 2010:
Man of the match: Pragyan Ojha. (He took 2 wickets for 11 runs (4overs))
Result: India won by 6 wickets.
Second 20-20 played at Harare sports club on 13 June 2010:
Man of the match: Suresh Raina. (He scored 72 runs)
Result: India won by 7 wickets.

Man of the series: Suresh Raina
Series Results: India won the series 2-0.

49. Former President of Switzerland who is elected as President of the United Nations General Assembly for its 65th session in 2010?
Joseph Deiss.

50. Which Indian origin painter’s painting named “Saurashtra” on 10th June, 2010 obtained a record amount of USD 3,486,965 at the famous auction house Christie’s in London, United Kingdom?
Syed Haider Raza

51. Which country signed an agreement with Iran on June 13, 2010 to go ahead with a $US7.6 billion gas pipeline between the two countries?
Pakistan.
The deal was signed between the two countries in Turkey. Under the terms of the deal, Iran will provide 750m cubic feet of gas per day to Pakistan. The line should become operational by 2015.

52. Who won the Yonex-Sunrise India Open Grand Prix badminton tournament held in India beating Wong Mew Choo of Malaysia in the final?
Saina Nehwal (India)

53. The United. States military recently has found $1 trillion worth of mineral deposits in a landlocked country in South-Central Asia. Which is that country?
Afghanistan.

54. Man of the Match winners of Asia Cup ODI Cricket series held in Sri Lanka.
First ODI between Pakistan and Sri Lanka on June 15, 2010.
Man of the match: Shahid Afridi (He scored 109 runs from 76 balls and took 1 wicket)
Result: Sri Lanka won by 16 runs
Second ODI between Bangladesh and India on June 16, 2010.
Man of the match: Gautham Gambhir (He scored 82 runs)
Result: India won by 6 wickets
Third ODI between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka on June 18, 2010.
Man of the match: Tilakaratne Dilshan (He scored 71 runs from 76 balls and took 3 wickets)
Result: Sri Lanka won by 126 runs
Fourth ODI between Pakistan and India on June 19, 2010.
Man of the match: Gautham Gambhir (He scored 83 runs)
Result: India won by 3 wickets
Fifth ODI between Pakistan and Bangladesh on June 21, 2010.
Man of the match: Shahid Afridi (He scored 124 runs from 60 balls and took 1 wicket)
Result: Pakistan won by 139 runs
Sixth ODI between India and Sri Lanka on June 22, 2010.
Man of the match: Farveez Maharoof (Sri Lanka)
(He took 5 wickets)
Result: Sri Lanka won by 7 wickets
Seventh ODI (FINAL) between India and Sri Lanka on June 24, 2010.
Man of the match: Dinesh Karthik (India)
(He scored 66 runs)
Result: India won by 81 runs
India won the Asia Cup -2010 beating Sri Lanka in the final.

55. Who won the Man of the series award in the Asia Cup-2010 held in Sri Lanka?
Shahid Afridi.
He got this award for his 2 centuries in the series.

56. Despite voices of protest in India, a set of 12 paintings by an Indian Nobel laureate, sold off for a whopping 1.6 million pounds at an auction house in London recently. Name of that Nobel laureate?
Rabindranath Tagore.

57. Which country decided to investigate the alleged misuse of funds in the Indian government’s flagship program called Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA)?
Britain.
The United Kingdom., through its Department for International Development, funds 2 percent of SSA. It has provided 1,500 crore Indian rupees out of the total budget of 50,000 crore Indian rupees. The inquiry initiated following reports in the British media about “millions of pounds of aid for education and the ‘Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan’ that has disappeared into the depths of corruption without any benefit to the poor children”.

58. Who tops in the Forbes' list of the world's self-made female billionaires?
Wu Yajun,
This Chinese lady stands as the first richest self-made woman in the world with a wealth of $3.9 billion, according to Forbes. .
Others in the list, compiled by Forbes magazine, are as follows, depicted by the name, nationality, industry, and net worth in dollars:
1. Rosalie Mera, Spanish, Clothing, 3.5 billion
2. Elena Baturina, Russian, Construction, 2.9 billion
3. Doris Fisher, American, Clothing, 2.4 billion
4. Xiu Li Hawken, UK citizen, property development, 2.4 billion
5. Oprah Winfrey, American, Media, 2.4 billion
6. Giulana Benetton, Italian, Clothing, 2.1 billion
7. Chu Lam Yiu, Chinese, Flavourings and fragrances, 2.1 billion
8. Zhang Xin, Chinese, property development, 2 billion
9. Yan Cheung, Chinese, Waste paper, 1.7 billion
10. Meg Whitman, American, Internet commerce, 1.3 billion
11. Chan Laiwa, Chinese, property development, 1.1 billion
12. Lei Jufang, Chinese, Medicines, 1.1 billion
13. J.K. Rowling, British, Books, 1 billion (ANI)
59. European Union recently has imposed new sanctions on an Islamic nation, including curbs on equipment sales for its vital oil and gas industries, in protest at its disputed nuclear programme. Which is that country?
Iran.

60. Which country has won an interim ruling over the United States ban on its poultry exports from World Trade Organisation?
China.
The WTO interim ruling said the US import ban on China's poultry violates Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures.

61. More than 138 people have been killed and over 1750 injured due to the Kyrgyz-Uzbek ethnic clash in a Central Asian nation. Which is that nation?
Kyrgyzstan.

62. Government of which country recently apologized to the families of 329 victims of the 1985 Air India Kanishka bombing and decided to pay further compensation to them?
Canada.
The decision comes after the John Major Commission report on the causes of the bombing blasted the government and its various agencies for failing to stop the plot hatched by Khalistani elements seeking revenge for the 1984 army action at the Golden Temple. All 329 people aboard Kanishka flight 182 from Montreal to Delhi were killed when it was blown off mid-air near the Irish coast June 23, 1985.

63. Portuguese Nobel literature laureate who died on June 18, 2010 at his home on the Spanish Canary Island of Lanzarote?
Jose Saramago.
He is the first Portuguese writer awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1998 for novels that combine Surrealist experiments pragmatism and a kind of sardonic farmer. Saramago's 1982 novel, Baltasar and Blimunda, was the first to be widely translated, and his work began attracting international attention. In 1991, his novel “The Gospel According to Jesus Christ", which depicts a very flawed, human Jesus, was condemned by the Catholic Church and the Portuguese government ordered the removal of The Gospel According to Jesus Christ from the European Literary Prize's shortlist, claiming the work was religiously offensive. Saramago complained of censorship and moved to Lanzarote in the Canary Islands, Spain, where he resided until his death.

64. The indigenously developed, nuclear-capable, ballistic missile successfully test fired by India on 18th June, 2010 from a launch complex of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur-on-sea?
Prithvi-II

65. In a span of 14 years, a country has carried out its first firing squad execution with the dismissal of the convicted murderer ‘Ronnie Lee Gardner’. Which is that country?
U.S.A.
In 1985, Ronnie Lee Gardner was convicted for murdering a lawyer while trying to run away from court where he was facing charges against another murder conducted in 1984. In the last 33 years, Ronnie Lee Gardner has become the third person to be executed by firing squad shooting.

66. The United Nations recently decided to launch US$71 million humanitarian appeal to assist more than one million people affected by the ethnic clashes in a country in Central Asia. Which is that country?
Kyrgyzstan.

67. Iran recently hanged Pakistan-based Jundallah terror group's chief whose outfit was responsible for killing 153 people, including some top Revolutionary Guard commanders. Name of that leader of the Pakistan-based Jundallah group?
Abdolmalek Rigi.

Rigi, whose Sunni Baloch group Jundallah (soldiers of God) is closely linked to Taliban and active in Iran's Sistan-Balochistan province bordering Pakistan, was charged with 79 counts of various crimes.

68. Indian badminton ace who won the second Super Series title of her career by winning the Singapore Open with a straight-game triumph over qualifier Tzu Ying Tai (China) in the finals?
Saina Nehwal.

69. Which country tops the list of nations named in Foreign Policy Magazine's annual index of "failed states."?
Somalia.
Somalia is followed by four other African nations - Chad, the Sudan, Zimbabwe, and the Democratic Republic of Congo - in the top five.

70. France's broadcasting watchdog has instructed satellite operator Eutelsat SA to stop broadcasting an Arab channel because some programs violate French laws against promoting racial hatred and religious violence. Name of that channel?
Al-Aqsa
The Islamist movement Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, runs Al-Aqsa TV.

71. Who is elected as the new President of Columbia?
Juan Manuel Santos

72. Which country is elected as President of United Nations Human Rights Council?
Thailand.
Cuba is elected as Vice President of United Nations Human Rights Council.

73. Chairman of Railway Recruitment Board, Mumbai who was arrested by Central Bureau of Investigation in Hyderabad in connection with a multi-crore Railway Recruitment Board scam?
S. N. Sharma.

74. Which country has enriched 17 kg of uranium to 20 percent purity despite new international sanctions?
Iran.

75. Indian-American who has bagged the Republican nomination for South Carolina's gubernatorial elections to be held in November?
Nikki Haley.
If elected in the November elections, Haley would be the first Indian American female and also the first ever female governor of South Carolina.

76. First-ever edition of the World Classical Tamil Conference held in?
Coimbatore
The conference held from 23rd June10 to 27th June10. The chairman of the conference is Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu M.Karunanidhi. Tamil Internet Conference also is organized along the Tamil conference.

77. Who won the man of the match award in the only ODI Cricket between Ireland and Australia played at Dublin, England on June 17, 2010?
James Hopes. (Australia)
He took 5 wickets for 14 runs.
Result: Australia won the match by 39 runs.

78. Man of the Match winners of ODI Cricket between Australia and England.
First ODI played at Southampton on June 22, 2010.
Man of the match: Eoin Morgan (England). He scored 105 runs from 85 balls.
Result: England won the match by 4 wickets.

Second ODI played at Cardiff on June 24, 2010.

Man of the match: Stuart Broad (England). He took 4 wickets for 44 runs.
Result: England won the match by 4 wickets.
Third ODI played at Manchester on June 27, 2010.
Man of the match: Graeme Swan (England). He took 4 wickets for 37 runs.
Result: England won the match by 1 wicket.

Fourth ODI played at Manchester on June 30, 2010.
Man of the match: Ryan Harris (Australia). He took 5 wickets for 32 runs.
Result: Australia won the match by 78 runs.

79. Indian Cricketer who is to be given an honorary rank in the Indian Air Force in recognition of his contribution to the nation and to encourage young people to join up?
Sachin Tendulkar.
Indian President Pratibha Patil had agreed to confer the rank of group captain on Tendulkar in Indian Airforce.

80. Who is the first female prime minister of Australia?

Julia Gillard.

81. Who is named as the new commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, replacing General Stanley McChrystal?
General David Patraeus.

82. Which country recently has banned YouTube, Yahoo and 7 other sites for offending Quran?
Pakistan.
The sites banned are Yahoo, MSN, Bing, YouTube, Hotmail, Amazon and Google.

83. G-20 Summit which is the fourth meeting of the G-20 heads of government, in discussion of the global financial system and the world economy took place at?
The Metro Toronto Convention Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
The summit held during June 26–27, 2010.

84. Career diplomat who is appointed as the new ambassador to Iraq by U.S.President Barack Obama?
James Jeffrey.
He, serves as the current US ambassador to Turkey, will replace Christopher Hill as his ambassador to Iraq at a critical juncture in the seven-year war.

85. Who won Indonesia Open Super Series 2010 badminton title?
Saina Nehwal.
She completed a spectacular hat-trick of titles by clinching the Indonesia Open Super Series with a three-game triumph over Japan’s Sayaka Sato in the final at Jakarta. This was Saina’s third successive title. She has won the Indian Open Grand Prix and the Singapore Open Super Series Tournament.

86. The film technician who has been included in the Oscar Voting committee by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences?
Resul Pookutty.

87. Which country hosted the G8 summit -2010 held from June 25 - 27, 2010?
Canada. The summit held at the Deerhurst Resort in Huntsville.

88. Which country will host the next Group of Eight (G8) summit in 2011?
France.
France to host next G8 summit in Nice.

89. Who is the new prime minister of Czech Republic?
Petr Necas.

90. Which countries signed a civil nuclear cooperation agreement on June 27, 2010?
India and Canada.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the first Indian Head of the Government to visit Canada after I K Gujral's trip 16 years ago, and his counterpart Stephen Harper hailed the signature of the nuclear agreement.

91. Indian origin doctor held guilty of manslaughter and causing grievous bodily harm on patients at an Australian hospital who was sentenced to seven years in prison?
Jayant Patel.
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