Latest Current Affairs – July 27 & 28 2018
1. US plans to establish ‘Arab NATO’ to counter Iran
The US is planning to establish an “Arab NATO” force to counter Iran’s military expansion in the region, a spokesperson for the US National Security Council said. The proposed security and political alliance, known as the Middle East Strategic Alliance (MESA) will consist of the US, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Egypt and Jordan.
2. UN verifies 7,000 child casualties in Syria war since 2013
More than 7,000 children have been killed or injured in Syria’s civil war since 2013, the United Nations has confirmed. Virginia Gamba, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, said the first quarter of 2018 saw a 348% increase in the killing and maiming of children. The recruitment and military use of children rose by 25%.
3. Scientists claim to revive 41,700-year-old frozen worm
A group of Russian and Princeton University scientists claim to have revived a pair of frozen roundworms that were 32,000 and 41,700 years old and were found buried in Siberia. Around 300 prehistoric worms were defrosted, brought to 20ºC, and surrounded by food. After weeks of cultivation, two nematodes reportedly showed signs of life by starting to move and eat.
4. Srikrishna panel submits data protection report to govt
A panel headed by retired SC judge BN Srikrishna submitted its report to the government on suggestions for a data protection law that will also cover Aadhaar. The panel recommended certain measures for protecting personal information, defining obligations of data processors and the rights of individuals. It also suggested various penalties for violation of data privacy.
5. Indian women’s compound archery team reaches world rank 1
Indian women’s compound archery team created history by becoming the world rank one side in the category. The team is six points ahead of Chinese Taipei team. The Indian Archery team had recently shocked the Chinese Taipei team in 2018 archery World Cup in Berlin, defeating them to reach the final of the tournament.
6. DMK’s Karunanidhi becomes first to lead a party for 50 years
DMK President M Karunanidhi became the first Indian political figure to lead a party for 50 years. Elected as DMK chief on July 27, 1969, the 94-year-old leader has served as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu five times. However, as his health started deteriorating, his son MK Stalin was appointed as DMK’s Working President in 2017.
7. Somalia announces 1st female genital mutilation prosecution
Somalia will prosecute a female genital mutilation (FGM) case for the first time in the country’s history after a 10-year-old girl died from the procedure. Deeqa Dahir Nuur suffered severe bleeding after her mother took her to a traditional cutter. Deputy PM Mahdi Mohamed Gulaid said that the practice is not a part of the Islamic religion.
8. Entire island of Vanuatu told to evacuate again as volcano erupts
The Pacific nation of Vanuatu on Friday reimposed emergency and ordered a mandatory evacuation of residents of Ambae island as a volcano erupted and filled the sky with ash. Ambae, once home to about 10,000 people, was temporarily evacuated last September when the eruption cycle began. People are being encouraged to permanently relocate to two neighbouring islands since March.
9. DoT gives final approval to Vodafone-Idea merger
The Department of Telecom has given its final approval to the merger of Vodafone India and Idea Cellular, which will create India’s largest mobile operator with around 430 million subscribers. The firms made a joint payment of Rs 7,268.78 crore “under protest” to DoT. Commenting on this, Idea Chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla said it marks the beginning of an “exciting journey”.
10. Sixth India-UK Science & Innovation Council Meeting Held In New Delhi
The 6th India-UK Science & Innovation Council (SIC) meeting held in New Delhi discussed a range of issues on S&T cooperation between the two countries. Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Minister of Science & Technology, Earth Sciences & Environment, Forests and Climate Change, India and Mr. Sam Gyimah, Minister for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation, UK led the Indian and UK delegations respectively.
11. India’s Bharat Vatwani, Sonam Wangchuk among 2018 Ramon Magsaysay award winners
Two Indians Bharat Vatwani, Sonam Wangchuk won 2018 Ramon Magsaysay Award, the Asian version of the Nobel Prize. Bharat Vatwani is a psychiatrist who works for the mentally-ill street persons. Sonam Wangchuk works to harness science and culture creatively for economic progress that has improved the lives of the Ladakhi youth. Vatwani and Wangchuk are among the six individuals who were declared as the winners of this year’s Ramon Magsaysay Award.
12. Veteran Sports Journalist Swapan Sarkar passed away
Veteran sports journalist Swapan Sarkar passed away due to diabetic complications. He was 67 years old. He worked for a number of dailies and was also the Delhi sports correspondent of Ananda Bazaar Patrika (ABP) from mid-1990’s. He was a regular in the Delhi sports circuit having covered events like 1982 Asian Games, 2010 Commonwealth Games along with tournaments like Nehru Cup, Federation Cup, Durand Cup and DCM.
13. Venkaiah Naidu is appointed as the Chancellor of Pondicherry University
Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu is appointed as the Chancellor of Pondicherry Central University by the President, Ram Nath Kovind, in his capacity as Visitor of the university. The term of the Chancellor will be five years.
14. KTDC launches country’s first State-Run All-Woman Hotel
The hotel which is named as hostess launched by Kerala Tourism minister Kadakampally Surendran. A flagship project of the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC). The hotel will come up within six months at the KTDC complex. India’s public sector hotel run entirely by women for women is claimed to be the first such in the country. The project was a ‘milestone initiative’ of KTDC, considering its purpose, security features and facilities of global standards at affordable rates.
15. World’s Oldest Person, Chiyo Miyako, died at age 117 in Japan
Miyako, born on May 2, 1901, became the world’s oldest person in April after Nabi Tajima, a fellow Japanese national from the southern Kikai island, died at age 117. Guinness World Records has confirmed that she was the world’s oldest person. Her replacement is yet to be announced by Guinness, but according to media reports, the new oldest person is Kane Tanaka, a 115-year-old woman who lives in a nursing home in Fukuoka, a city in southern Japan.
16. Youngest Indian girl scales Kilimanjaro in 3 days
Shivangi Pathak, the 17-year-old from Haryana, who became the youngest woman from India to reach the peak of Mount Everest from Nepal side, has now scaled Africa’s highest peak, Mount Kilimanjaro, in three days. Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro measures 5,895 metres in height.
17. BAN2401, a new drug for Alzheimer disease
BAN2401, a new drug that reduces plaques in the brain and slows down the cognition for Alzheimer disease has been introduced by Eisai, a Japan-based company and Biogen, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It is hoped that this drug may be the first to successfully attack both the brain changes and the symptoms of Alzheimer’s dementia.
18. NASA to launch world’s first mission to touch the Sun
Mankind’s first mission to the Sun, Parker Solar Probe, a car sized probe, will study the Sun closer than any human-made object ever has. This mission is expected to take off no earlier than August 6. This probe will swoop to within 4 million miles of the solar surface, facing heat and radiation like no spacecraft before.
Parker Solar Probe will explore the corona, a region of the Sun only seen from Earth when the Moon blocks out the Sun’s bright face during total solar eclipses.
19. New Ebola virus has been found in bats in Sierra Leone
A new Ebola virus has been found in bats in Sierra Leone. Two years before an outbreak of Ebola killed over 11,000 across West Africa. Researchers who found the new virus in the northern Bombali region are now working with the Sierra Leone government to determine whether any humans were infected. As precautionary measures, people have been asked to refrain from eating bats.
