Current Affairs - Sep 11, 2018

39th session of UN Human Rights Council

UNHRC Headquarters in Geneva is all set to host the 39th session of UNHRC. The 38th session was held a few months ago in June-July this year. It holds regular sessions three times a year, in March, June, and September.
UNHRC was formed in 2007 after replacing UNCHR (UN Commission on Human Rights) as under the UN system of the intergovernmental body, with the mission to promote and protect human rights around the world.
In this session, it is expected to adopt a resolution on the human rights situation in Myanmar as session follows the report by the UN Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar, which detailed crimes against humanity, war crimes, and genocide by Myanmar’s security forces in Rakhine State.
It has 47 seats with tenure of 3 years, and no member can occupy a seat for more than two terms. Also, these 47 seats are divided on the basis of the group of countries from various continents.
Earlier its report on the human rights situation in Kashmir and urged the Indian government to repeal Armed Forces (Jammu & Kashmir) Special Powers Act, 1990. But the Indian government rejected the report.

Nomura's new index Damocles has assessed that assessed the risk of exchange rate crises for 30 emerging market economies and predicted seven countries to be at risk.
Seven countries namely Sri Lanka, South Africa, Argentina, Pakistan, Egypt, Turkey and Ukraine are at risk of exchange rate crises as investors re-assess their risks.

MILEX - 2018, the first BIMSTEC military exercise began in Pune. Amongst all BIMSTEC members, Nepal and Thailand sent their observers only.
Nomadic Elephant, Indo-Mongolia joint military exercise to be held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
Yudh Abhyas 2018, Indo-US joint military exercise (14th edition) to be held in Chaubattia in Uttarakhand between 16-29 September.

Kepler Space Telescope of NASA has discovered a new exoplanet Wolf 503b.
Exoplanet Wolf 503b is located in the Virgo constellation, is twice as big as the Earth, its distance from earth is about 145 light years, and it orbits its star every 6 days.
Kepler telescope is a space observatory launched in 2009 to discover planets outside our solar system (exoplanets). Apart from it, TESS spacecraft is also aimed at finding planets that can support life.

Indian food regulator FSSAI (The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) has envisaged audits of food business operators by third-party private auditing agencies recognized by the regulator.
During 3rd meeting of the ‘Joint Working Group on Political and Security Cooperation’ between India and Afghanistan in Kabul, India had announced taking up 116 “high impact community developmental projects” in Afghanistan and enhance cooperation under 'New Development Partnership'.
India-Bangladesh jointly inaugurated three projects including Rehabilitation of the Kulaura-Shahbazpur section of Bangladesh Railways, 500 MW additional power supply from India to Bangladesh, Akhaura – Agartala Rail Link.
Snow leopard was spotted at height of 4,000m in Lippa-Asra wildlife sanctuary in Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh.