Top 5 Current Affairs: 24 April 2018

Jailed Egyptian photographer Mahmoud Abu Zeid wins UNESCO Press Freedom Prize

Jailed Egyptian photographer Mahmoud Abu Zeid, popularly known as Shawkan, on April 23, 2018 won the 2018 Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO).

Abu Zeid was arrested in August 2013 for covering deadly demonstration between the security forces and supporters of ousted Islamist president Mohammed Morsi at Rabaa Al-Adawiya Square in Cairo, Egypt. He is one among the 700 defendants facing charges of killing police and vandalising property during the clashes.

Explained: AFSPA removed from Meghalaya and few parts of Arunachal Pradesh

The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (AFSPA) was completely removed from Meghalaya and some areas of Arunachal Pradesh with effect from April 1, 2018. Till September 2017, 40 percent of Meghalaya was under AFSPA including the 20 km stretch of the state’s 884.9 km border with Assam.

However, AFSPA has been restricted to eight police stations of Arunachal Pradesh bordering Assam and three districts adjoining Myanmar namely Tirap, Longding and Changlang. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) also relaxed the Protected Area Permit (PAP) for foreigners visiting Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland. The PAP will be valid for five years, but residents from Pakistan, Afghanistan and China will not be allowed to visit these areas.

India received highest remittances of USD 69 billion in 2017: World Bank

As per World Bank’s Migration and Development Brief, India received the highest remittances of USD 69 billion from its diaspora in 2017. Indian remittances rose sharply by 9.9 percent in 2017. India had received remittances of USD 68.91 billion in 2015, which fell to USD 62.74 billion in 2016.

The top remittance recipients were India with USD 69 billion, followed by China at second (USD 64 billion), the Philippines at 3rd (USD 33 billion), Mexico at 4th (USD 31 billion), Nigeria at 5th (USD 22 billion) and Egypt at 6th (USD 20 billion).

Government panel suggests one-window solution for inter-country removal of children

A panel that was appointed by the Union Government has recommended one window solution in cases of inter-country removal and retention of children. The committee is headed by Justice Rajesh Bindal of Punjab and Haryana High Court.

The committee recommended addressing the problems of parents and children involved. The committee also recommended that the suggested dispute resolution authority may be chaired by a retired High Court Judge, with members being from legal and social sector background and representatives from key ministries.

Supreme Court seeks government’s response on plea against Section 377

The Supreme Court of India on April 23, 2018 sought a response from the Central Government on pleas challenging the Indian Penal Code’s Section 377, which criminalises homosexuality.

The response was sought by a 3-judge bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice A M Khanwilkar and Justice D Y Chandrachud on a plea by hotelier and LGBT activist Kesav Suri. The bench tagged Suri's plea with an earlier pending challenge to Section 377. Following this, senior counsel Mukul Rohatgi urged the court to ask the government to respond to the plea.