Top 5 Current Affairs: 15 February 2018

India clinches number spot in ICC ODI Team rankings

The Indian cricket team rose to the top of the ICC ODI Team Rankings with 122 points after they took a 4-1 lead in the six-match ODI series against South Africa on February 13, 2018.

The men in blue were placed second in the ICC team rankings chart with 119 points when they came into the series, two points behind top-ranked South Africa who had 121 points. However, India moved to 122 points after it won the fifth ODI at Port Elizabeth by 73 runs, sealing a series win, while South Africa fell to 118 points.

The win marks India’s first-ever bilateral ODI series win against South Africa in their home ground.

PNB detects India’s biggest bank fraud

India’s Punjab National Bank (PNB) on February 14, 2018 stated that it has detected fraudulent transactions worth over Rs 11,300 crore at its Mumbai branch.

The state-owned lender has suspended 10 of its officers and lodged a complaint against celebrity jewellery designer Nirav Modi for committing fraudulent transactions worth over USD 1.77 billion in one of its Mumbai branches.

Swedish researchers find new tool to fight cancer

According to a new study by Swedish scientists, small molecules that specifically restrain a selenium-containing enzyme in the human body may become an important tool to fight cancer.

The study revealed that researchers at Karolinska Institute in Sweden treated cancer in mice with these molecules and observed rapid tumor-killing effects.The researchers expressed hope that this new principle could be extended to treat cancer in humans as well.

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Government extends anti-narcotics scheme for 3 more years

The Union Government has extended the anti-narcotics scheme, 'Assistance to States and UTs for Narcotics Control' for a further period of three years, from 2017-18 to 2019-20 with an estimated budget of Rs 21 crore.

The main objective of the scheme is to assist states and Union Territories that are contributing in controlling the inter-state and cross-border drug trafficking.  The scheme aims to combat illicit trafficking in drugs and psychotropic substance.

Scientists discover enormous reserves of mercury in permafrost

Scientists have discovered massive reserves of mercury hidden in permafrost. Permafrost is a thick subsurface layer of soil that remains below freezing point throughout the year, occurring primarily in the polar regions.

The scientists measured mercury concentrations in permafrost cores from Alaska. They estimated the amount of mercury that has been trapped in permafrost north of the equator since the last Ice Age.

Between 2004 and 2012, researchers drilled 13 permafrost soil cores from various sites in Alaska, and measured the total amounts of mercury and carbon in each core.