Current Affairs for IAS Exams

Current Affairs for IAS Exams – 08 November 2016

In whirlwind campaigning across battleground states, Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump have the same message to their supporters in the last hours ahead of polling in the U.S.
Country is at a crossroads, and their opponent is the worst presidential candidate in history.
Hillary Clinton is the most corrupt person ever to seek the presidency of the United States, and if she were to win, it would create a constitutional crisis like no other,” Mr. Trump said in Virginia.
Thirty-seven million Americans have already voted, and between 70 and 80 million are expected to vote.
FBI stood by its earlier decision not to press charges against Ms. Clinton for mishandling classified information have given a boost to the Democrats in the final hours.
Multiple opinion polls that appeared also indicate that Ms. Clinton holds a modest but steady lead over Mr. Trump nationally.

Sunlight and wind helped lift the smog cover over Delhi slightly during the day, though average pollution levels remained severe.
After days of consistently hazardous levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), concentration levels across the city dipped considerably during the afternoon.
As per data from the Central Pollution Control Board for R.K. Puram, Anand Vihar, Mandir Marg and Punjabi Bagh monitoring stations, the average PM2.5 level at 5 p.m. was 131 micrograms per cubic metre, or twice the standard of 60.
As per SAFAR index, PM levels are expected to decrease after 9th of November.

China said there was “no change” in its stand on India’s membership bid which, it has indicated, would be considered only after rules for the entry of non-Nuclear Proliferation Treaty countries are finalised by the elite group.
Referring to the November 4 meeting of the NSAs of India and China in Hyderabad, Mr. Lu said China was in close contact with the relevant parties, including India, and has been having constructive dialogue and coordination on this issue.
India’s NSA Ajit Doval had held talks with his Chinese counterpart and State Councillor Yang Jiechi in Hyderabad, during which the issue had reportedly figured.
The talks were held ahead of the meeting of the 48-member NSG in Vienna on November 11-12, where the group could discuss the two-stage process to admit new members who have not signed the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.
India and Pakistan, which have applied for NSG membership, have not signed the NPT.
The issue had also been discussed between Joint Secretary (Disarmament and International Security) Amandeep Singh Gill and his Chinese counterpart Wang Qun on October 31.