Latest Current Affairs – October 25 & 26 2018
1. Tata Motors’ Jaguar opens $1.6 billion plant in Slovakia
Tata Motors-owned British luxury carmaker Jaguar Land Rover on Thursday officially launched its new $1.6 billion manufacturing plant in Nitra, Slovakia. The company said it will shift the production of its Discovery model to the Slovakia plant, built with an initial capacity of 150,000 vehicles. Jaguar has manufacturing facilities in the UK, Austria, Brazil, China and India.
2. Ethiopia elects its first female President
The Ethiopian parliament elected 68-year-old Sahle-Work Zewde as the country’s first female President. A veteran diplomat, Zewde is currently the UN Under-Secretary-General and Special Representative of the Secretary-General to the African Union. Zewde has become the only female head of state in Africa following her appointment to the ceremonial post of the President.
3. NATO begins largest military exercise since Cold War
The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) began its largest military exercise since the Cold War in Norway. Around 50,000 troops from all 29 NATO nations as well as Finland and Sweden are taking part in the exercise named ‘Trident Juncture’. The exercise will also be held in the surrounding areas of the North Atlantic and the Baltic Sea.
4. Trump appoints Indian-American as US energy regulator head
US President Donald Trump has appointed Neil Chatterjee as the Chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) which oversees electricity transmission and interstate natural gas pipelines and facilities. Chatterjee, a Republican from the state of Kentucky, is currently serving as a Commissioner of the FERC. His parents had moved to the US from Kolkata around 50 years ago.
5. Pooja Dhanda – 1st female Indian wrestler in 6 yrs to win WC medal
India’s 24-year-old Pooja Dhanda became the first Indian female wrestler in six years to win a medal at the Wrestling World Championships. Dhanda, who secured a bronze medal at the event, had earlier won the silver medal at the Commonwealth Games 2018 in Australia. “It’s a very proud moment for my country,” Dhanda later said.
6. UK opens all military roles for women
Women in the UK will now be able to apply for all roles in the military, Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said. Women will now be able to apply to join the special forces units including the SAS and the SBS. “(F)or the first time in history, our armed forces will be determined by ability alone and not gender”, Williamson added.
7. UK fines Facebook $645,000 over Cambridge Analytica scandal
The UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has fined Facebook a maximum amount of around $645,000 allowed under the country’s law over the Cambridge Analytica scandal. ICO said the data of around 1 million UK users had been put at risk by the social network. “A company of its size and expertise should have known better,” Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham said.
8. Cricketer Bravo retires from int’l cricket at 35
All-rounder Dwayne Bravo, who won World T20 in 2012 and 2016 with Windies, has announced his retirement from international cricket aged 35. Bravo, who last played an international match in 2016, represented Windies in 40 Tests, 164 ODIs and 66 T20Is, scoring 6,310 runs and taking 337 wickets. He made his international debut in an ODI against England in 2004.
9. Government to set up National Sports Stadium for differently-abled in Meghalaya
The Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment, Thaawarchand Gehlot announced that a stadium of international standard for differently-abled persons will be set up in Meghalaya.
The stadium will be constructed at an estimated cost of over Rs 200 crore. The announcement was made by the Minister while speaking at the Samajik Adhikarita Shivir, aids and assistive devices distribution camp, for differently-abled persons.
10. IDFC Bank to be renamed as IDFC First Bank
IDFC Bank has proposed to change its name to ‘IDFC First Bank Ltd’ in the wake of its amalgamation with the non-banking financial company Capital First. The decision was taken during the meeting of the Board of Directors of IDFC Bank.
The proposal now needs the approval of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). It would further require the approvals of statutory or regulatory authorities including the Registrar of Companies, Shareholders and other Stakeholders.
IDFC was incorporated on January 30, 1997. It founded as a non-operative financial holding company (NOFHC) in 2014. It manages its five subsidiaries – IDFC Bank, IDFC MF, IDFC Alternatives, IDFC IDF & IDFC Securities as per the RBI guidelines.
11. India and Bangladesh sign agreements
India and Bangladesh signed several milestone agreements for enhancing inland and coastal waterways connectivity for trade and cruise movements. Bangladesh agreed to open its Chattogram and Mongla ports for trade with India.
The decisions were taken during the 19th Standing Committee meeting under ‘Protocol on Inland Water Transit and Trade’ (PIWTT) held at New Delhi.
12. Centre launched two schemes, IMPRESS and SPARC
The Centre, the Ministry of Human Resource Development, launched two schemes, Impactful Policy Research in Social Sciences (IMPRESS) and Scheme for Promotion of Academic and Research Collaboration (SPARC). The aim is to promote higher education research in India.
IMPRESS deals with social science research projects and coordinated by the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR). SPARC involves the foreign collaboration mainly in science research, coordinated by IIT Kharagpur.
13. Punjab banned use of glyphosate herbicide
According to Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), the systemic herbicide is a group 2A cancer-causing material and has the potential to damage the human DNA. Punjab was the fourth State after Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Maharashtra to regulate the sale of herbicide.
14. Paytm Payments Bank appoints Satish K Gupta as MD and CEO
Paytm Payments Bank has appointed veteran banker Satish Kumar Gupta as its new Managing Director and CEO. The post was lying vacant after Renu Satti stepped down in July 2018. Satti now heads the company’s new retail business. The veteran banker had earlier served as the Deputy General Manager at State Bank of India where he worked for over three decades.
