Latest Current Affairs – November 14 & 15 2018
1. Planet 3 times the mass of Earth found orbiting nearby star
Astronomers have discovered a planet, which is 3.2 times the mass of the Earth, orbiting one of the closest stars to the Sun, Barnard’s star. The potentially rocky planet, known as ‘Barnard’s star b’, orbits around its host star every 233 days. The planet’s surface temperature is estimated to be around -150°C, making it impossible for life to exist.
2. China builds ‘artificial sun’ 6 times hotter than Sun’s core
Scientists at a Chinese institute announced that their nuclear fusion reactor dubbed ‘artificial sun’ reached 100 million°C, the temperature required to carry out fusion on Earth. The record-high temperature is six times the temperature of Sun’s core of 15 million°C. The reactor is designed to mimic processes occurring at the Sun to turn hydrogen into cost-effective clean energy.
3. Andhra gets state emblem nearly five years after bifurcation
Nearly five years after the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, the state has finalised its new emblem for official use. The state emblem consists of the Dhamma Chakka embellished with a ring of Triratnas alternating with pinnate leaves and precious stones. Further, the national emblem is placed at the bottom of the Andhra emblem.
4. Hima Das appointed first ever youth ambassador of UNICEF India
Asian Games 2018 triple medallist Hima Das was appointed as the first ever youth ambassador of United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) India on the occasion of Children’s Day on Wednesday. “I’m honoured to be chosen as UNICEF India’s Youth Ambassador, and I hope I will be able to inspire more children to follow their dreams,” the 18-year-old said.
5. India’s heaviest rocket launches GSAT-29 satellite into orbit
India’s heaviest and most powerful rocket GSLV Mk-IIIsuccessfully launched ISRO’s latest communication satellite GSAT-29. Expected to function for 10 years, the 3,423-kg satellite was placed into a geostationary orbit at 35,786 km from the Earth. The rocket is expected to carry Indian astronauts for the 2022 mission and also India’s second Moon mission Chandrayaan-2 in January 2019.
6. 38th India International Trade Fair begins in New Delhi
The 38th edition of the India International Trade Fair began at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi. It will run till the 27th of November. The main theme is – Rural Enterprises in India.
Eight hundred domestic and foreign companies are participating in the trade fair which will showcase their products. Entrepreneurs from South Africa, Thailand, China, Hong Kong, Iran, and Myanmar are participating in the fair. Afghanistan is the partner country, while Nepal is the focus country.
7. Dr Debabhuson Borah Gets Munin Barkotoki Literary Award
Munin Barkotoki Literary Award 2018 in Assam has been given to young writer-critic Dr Debabhuson Borah for his book on literary criticism titled ‘Nirbochon’. The Munin Barkotoki Memorial Trust announced the annual Award instituted to encourage young and promising writers in Assamese.
8. Lewis Hamilton Won Brazilian Grand Prix
Lewis defeated Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in a collision with backmarker Esteban Ocon (Force India). The incident dropped the Dutchman back to second place and although he came back at Hamilton, he could not quite catch him.
9. Centre extended ban on 8 Meitei extremist for five years
The Centre extended the ban on eight Meitei extremist organizations for five years as they continued involvement in unlawful and violent activities. The extremist organizations were advocating secession of Manipur from India, employing and engaging in armed means to achieve their goal besides attacking security forces, police and government employees.
The 8 banned organizations under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act:
♦ Peoples’ Liberation Army,
♦ Revolutionary Peoples’ Front
♦ United National Liberation Front
♦ The Manipur Peoples’ Army
♦ Peoples’ Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak and its armed wing Red Army
♦ Kangleipak Communist Party and its armed wing Kanglei Yaol Kanba Lup
♦ The Coordination Committee
♦ Alliance for Socialist Unity Kangleipak
10. World Antibiotic Awareness Week is observed from Nov 12 to Nov 18
The main aim is to increase global awareness of antibiotic resistance and to encourage best practices among the general public. For 2018, the World Health Organization developed a range of materials for WAAW in all UN languages to help countries reflect their unique priorities.
It would consist of a multi-day messaging campaign focusing on 5 “focus” days of tailored social media messaging around each of the Objectives. According to this, Ministries of Health will participate in WAAW 2018 by marking all or just some of these “focus” days by speaking up on social media.
11. UP cabinet approved the name chage of Faizabad to Ayodhya
The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath approved the proposal to change the name of Faizabad district to Ayodhya and the Allahabad division as Prayagraj. The approval comes after the announcement made by the Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on the eve of Diwali.
12. Stanford study says that human lifespan is increasing
A Stanford study said that the human lifespan is increased by approximately three years every generation. The researchers analyzed life expectancy data from the past 50 years and found that people who survive to age 65 are continuing to live longer than their parents. Also, people can expect to live about six years longer than their grandparents, on average.
13. Odisha government signed MoU with AIFF
Odisha government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the All India Football Federation (AIFF) at the Kalinga Stadium complex, Bhubaneswar, Odisha in the presence of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. As per the agreement, the State government will host National team camps and also I-League side Indian Arrows.
The training and connected infrastructure like gymnasiums, swimming pool, etc, will be housed at the Kalinga Stadium Complex.
14. UK and the European Union agree on Brexit agreement draft
The British Cabinet is set to have an important meeting as the U.K. and EU negotiators agreed on the text of a draft withdrawal agreement in Brussels.
The Cabinet meeting is due to take place to decide the next steps, following discussions in Brussels. The development will put the spotlight firmly on the internal battles within the U.K. government over the terms under which Britain will leave the EU.
15. Special Train to cover major spots related to Ramayana Flagged Off
The Shri Ramayana Express, a special tourist train to run on the Ramayana circuit to cover major spots related to the Hindu epic was flagged off from Safdarjung Railway Station in New Delhi.
The train will complete its journey till Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, in 16 days covering all important destinations associated with the life of Lord Shri Ram.
16. NASA to put people in Mars within 25 years
NASA officials said that it is planning to send people to Mars within 25 years. The deadly radiation from the cosmos, atrophying bones, and potential vision loss are just some of the challenges, the scientists need to overcome.
NASA, the U.S. space agency, believes it can place humans on the Red Planet within 25 years, but the technological and medical hurdles are immense. With the current rocket technology, it would take an astronaut up to nine months to reach Mars. The physical toll of floating that long in zero gravity would be huge. It is now focusing on cutting down the travel time to Mars.
17. NGT imposed Rs.50 crore fine on Odisha government
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) ordered the Punjab government to submit a penalty of Rs.50 crore as environmental compensation for polluting rivers Sutlej and Beas due to industrial discharge. The bench, headed by Justice AK Goyal, has asked the Punjab government to recover the fine from industries in two weeks.
The bench considered several similar cases, including the one dealing with the death of fish due to untreated discharge from sugar Industries and passed the penalty to the State government.
18. BIS Names Siddharth Tiwari as Chief Representative for Asia
Bank for International Settlements (BIS) announced a new addition to its team, with Siddharth Tiwari joining as the Chief Representative for Asia and the Pacific.
19. Karnataka govt proposes to build 125 ft Mother Cauvery statue in own Disneyland
The statue will be built in Krishnarajasagara Reservoir in Mandya district. The project which is expected to cost ₹1,200 crore, includes a museum and two glass towers measuring 360 feet to provide a bird’s eye view of the reservoir.
The statue proposal was approved by Water Resources Minister D K Shivakumar and Tourism Minister Sa Ra Mahesh during a meeting in Bengaluru.
20. Union Agriculture Minister launched NCDCs new scheme to promote young entrepreneurs in cooperatives
The main objective is to provide cheaper loans to startups in the cooperative sector. This scheme will be implemented by National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) by linking it to Rs 1000 crore ‘Cooperative Start-up and Innovation Fund (CSIF) created by it.
More incentives will be provided for cooperatives of North Eastern region, Aspirational Districts and cooperatives with women or SC or ST or PwD members.
