GST rates slashed on 23 goods and services

  • GST rates were slashed from 18% to either 12% or 5% on 23 items.
  • The items include cinema tickets, television, computers parts, auto parts among others.
  • The government said that the GST rates were cut to streamline the tax code and make it more people friendly.

Indonesia islands, Java and Sumatra, hit by volcano-triggered tsunami

  • Around 280 people lost their lives and more than 1000 people were injured by the tsunami.
  • The tsunami is said to have been triggered by an underwater landslide caused by the eruption of Anak Krakatau volcano in the Sunda Strait.
  • Officials have asked the residents to be on alert as more tsunami can happen.
  • Indonesian Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency, BMKG, is the only website now giving information related to any future events.
  • The other two tsunami warning agencies, U.S. Geological Survey and Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre, are from the USA and have been releasing limited data due to US government shutdown.  

Burundi gets a new capital, Gitega

  • Gitega (formerly known as Kitega) will be country’s new political capital, as promised by the President in 2007.
  • The previous capital, Bujumbura, will remain an economic centre.
  • Bujumbura is considered to be an opposition stronghold and thus this move has received criticism.
  • The population of the new capital is around 23,000 whereas the previous capital has a population of around 497,000.

China launches its first satellite for space-based broadband service

  • The satellite is China Aerospace Science and Industry Cooperation (CASIC)‘s first satellite launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre.
  • The main aim of the satellite is to provide broadband service throughout the world.
  • The satellite aims to compete with tech companies with similar plans to Google and SpaceX.