#Latest Current Affairs 28th February 2019 1 March 2019

IAF: Pakistan aircraft targeted military installations: Air Force presents evidence of AMRAAM missiles used only on F-16s to nail Pakistan’s lies; Also says Pakistan targeted military installations but PAF bombs failed to hit any target; Blames Pakistan for escalation; All services say they are state of readiness for any security challenge.

Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman to be released on Friday: In a big diplomatic victory for India, Pakistan Prime Minister has told the joint session of Pakistan national assembly that the Indian Air Force pilot is being released on Friday.

Vice President presents Kalam Innovation in Governance Award 2019: Vice President M Venkaih Naidu presented Kalam Innovation in Governance Award 2019, at third edition of Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Summit on Innovation and Governance, in New Delhi on Wednesday.

PM confers Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prizes for Science & Technology: Prime Minister Narendra Modi confers Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Awards in New Delhi; Award is given to recognize outstanding Indian work in various disciplines of Science and Technology.

Link PAN with bank account for refunds: Income Tax Department: The Income Tax Department has said it will only issue refunds via e-mode into bank accounts of taxpayers, linked with PAN which will begin on Friday.

Supreme Court stays order on eviction of forest dwellers: Supreme Court has stayed the implementation of its February 13 order by which more than 11 lakh tribals and forest dwellers faced eviction in states.

Nitin Gadkari to inaugurate, lay foundation stone for projects in Bihar: Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone for projects worth 9,726 crore rupees in Bihar on Thursday. These include highway projects worth  6,900 crore rupees.

PM Modi: India will live as one, fight as one: Prime Minister Narendra Modi exhorts the countrymen to thwart any attempt of the enemy for halting the progress of India; Interacting with BJP karyakartas under ‘mera Booth, Sabse Mazboot’ campaign, PM says, India will live as one, work as one, grow as one, fight as one and win as one; Says, whole nation unitedly stands with its soldiers today and the country has full faith on their capabilities.

Kim-Trump nuclear talks end abruptly without deal: US-North Korea nuclear summit in Hanoi ends abruptly without a deal; President Donald Trump says he had decided to “walk” in the face of Kim Jong Un’s demands to drop sanctions.

China invests 3.2 trillion yuan in transport: China invested 3.2 trillion yuan (about 479 billion U.S. dollars) in transport fixed assets in 2018, according to Chinese Transport Minister Li Xiaopeng.

US, Britain, and France move UNSC to ban Masood Azhar: United States, the UK, and France have moved a fresh proposal in the UN Security Council to designate Pakistan-based terror group JeM chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist.

US requests UN vote on Venezuela: The United States has requested a vote at the UN Security Council on a draft resolution calling for presidential elections in Venezuela.

Union Minister Suresh Prabhu calls on states to join Udan: Union Minister Suresh Prabhu on Thursday called upon state governments to join the regional air connectivity scheme, Udan, to realise the growth benefits from the multiplier effect of travel and tourism.

ICC assures BCCI of security during World Cup: The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Wednesday assured BCCI that all security concerns at the upcoming ODI World Cup, in the wake of Pulwama terror attack, will be addressed adequately.

Rami Malek to play role in ‘Bond 25’: Rami Malek, who recently won an Oscar for Best Actor, is in final negotiations to play the antagonist in the latest installment of James Bond franchise.

Novel ‘upcycling’ process to give plastic second life: Scientists have developed a recycling process that transforms single-use plastic bottles, and fabrics made from a common polyester material into more valuable products with a longer lifespan.

Airbus & OneWeb to kick off new satellite: A rocket carrying six satellites built by Airbus SE and partner OneWeb blasted off from French Guiana.

Antibacterial products boosting drug-resistance in bacteria: Triclosan, an ingredient commonly added to many ‘antibacterial’ consumer products such as mouthwash and baby products, may inadvertently make bacteria tolerant to normally lethal concentrations of antibiotics, scientist say.