Current Affairs – Today’s Headlines: June 18, 2021

Here are Today’s News Headlines by GK Today for June 18, 2021

– Union Minister Thaawarchand Gehlot inaugurates 14 Cross Disability Early Intervention Centres across the country to provide support to infants and young children at risk of or with disabilities

– Defence Minister inaugurates 12 strategic projects of Border Roads Organisation (BRO)

– Home Ministry operationalizes national helpline (155260), reporting platform for preventing cyber fraud

– Government releases Desertification and Land Degradation Atlas of India

– Haryana announces Rs 5,000 one-time aid for labourers, shopkeepers hit by pandemic

– Zeinorin Stephen Angkang of Manipur selected by the Geneva-based Kofi Annan Foundation as one of world’s 12 ‘exceptional young leaders’ for the Kofi Annan Changemakers 2021 initiative

– Possible 3rd Covid wave not more likely to affect kids: WHO-AIIMS survey

– Pashupati Kumar Paras elected president of Lok Janshakti Party

– Govt. approves restructuring of Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) into 7 new corporate entities

– Govt slashes tariff value for edible oil import, may lead to lower domestic prices

– Union Cabinet approves Inland Vessels Bill, 2021, which will replace the Inland Vessels Act, 1917; provides a unified law for the entire country, instead of separate rules framed by the States

– India extends USD 100 million Line of Credit to Sri Lanka for solar energy projects

– Montek Ahluwalia named member of World Bank-IMF High-Level Advisory Group

– Govt. appoints Aashish Chandorkar as ‘Counsellor’ in India’s Permanent Mission in WTO

– Indians’ funds in Swiss banks rise to 2.55 billion Swiss francs (over Rs 20,700 crore) in 2020

– India maintains 43rd rank on IMD’s World Competitiveness Index; Switzerland tops chart

– 15th edition of Global Peace Index (GPI) released by Sydney-based Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP); Iceland world’s most peaceful country, Afghanistan least peaceful

– U.S. President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin conclude summit meeting in Geneva

– China sends astronauts to its new space station Tiangong onboard spacecraft Shenzhou-12

– Microsoft names CEO Satya Nadella as its new Chairman

– World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought observed on June 17; theme: “Restoration.Land.Recovery”

– British lawyer Karim Khan sworn in as chief prosecutor for the International Criminal Court

– Former Karnataka all-rounder B. Vijayakrishna dies at 71; was member of Karnataka team that won three Ranji Trophy titles

– IOA signs MPL Sports Foundation as principal sponsor events till 2022 including Tokyo Olympics and the 2022 Asian Games & Commonwealth Games