Current Affairs Daily Digest -September 18 2019

1. India Post Starts Speed Post Service to Six New Foreign Countries

India Post expanded speed post service to six new foreign destinations in Asia, Europe, and South America. The Department of Posts announced commencing of International Speed Post EMS Service to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Ecuador, Kazakhstan, Lithuania and North Macedonia.

2. World Patient Safety Day is observed on September 17

World Health Organization (WHO) declared September 17, 2019 as the first World Patient Safety Day. Globally, 134 million adverse events contribute to 2.6 million deaths each year due to unsafe care. There are 28,000 deaths per year in Canada, patient harm ranks third in mortality after cancer and heart disease. The slogan for the day is Speak Up for Patient Safety.

3. ISRO, DRDO signs MoUs to provide technologies for Human Space Mission

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) signed Memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to provide technologies for development of human centric systems for Human Space Mission to demonstrate its human space flight capabilities.

4. Bangladesh PM receives Dr Kalam Smriti International Excellence Award 2019

Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina was conferred Dr Kalam Smriti International Excellence Award 2019 in Dhaka (Bangladesh Capital). She received the prestigious award for vision of a peaceful and prosperous South Asia, free of tension, conflicts and terrorism. The award also acknowledged her contribution in fostering cooperation between India and Bangladesh.

5. ‘Astra’ air-to-air missile successfully flight tested from Su-30 MKI

Indian Air Force (IAF) and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully flight tested indigenous air-to-air missile, ‘ASTRA’, off the coast of Odisha. The beyond-visual-range missile was launched from Su-30 MKI as a part of User trials.

6. Sri Lanka unveils South Asia’s tallest tower in Colombo

Sri Lanka unveiled a 350-metre-tall Lotus Tower which is now being dubbed as South Asia’s tallest tower in Colombo city. Though the tower is still under construction President of Sri Lanka Maithripala Sirisena decided to open the tower to public.

As per the President, Lotus Tower is foreseen to be open the tower to public. As per the President, Lotus Tower is foreseen to be one of the significant landmarks and an epitome of island country’s culture, economy and development.

7. Rustom-2: DRDO’s UAV crashes in Karnataka’s Chitradurga

An Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) called ‘Rustom-2’ belonging to Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) crashed during a trial in an agriculture field in Chitradurga district of Karnataka. No casualties were reported from the crash. According to state government officials, the testing of ‘Rustom-2 UAV was in progress when the incident occurred.

8. 5th International Ramayan Festival organized in New Delhi

The 5th International Ramayan Festival organized by Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) is being held from 17-19 September 2019 in New Delhi. The maiden day of festival was presided by Union Minister for Home Affairs Amit Shah as Chief Guest.

9. Hyderabad-Karnataka region Renamed ‘Kalyana Karnataka’

After completing the official procedure for renaming Hyderabad Karnataka region Chief Minister of Karnataka B.S. Yediyurappa made the official proclamation to rename the region as Kalyana Karnataka. The Hyderabad Karnataka region comprises six north-eastern districts of Karnataka: Bidar, Kalaburagi, Koppal, Ballari, Yadgir and Raichur.

10. Russia holds Center-2019 International Command Exercise

Russia is holding its annual Center-2019 International Command Exercise involving six other nations from 16 to 21 September 2019. Center-2019 is an annual strategic and operational military exercises which aren’t aimed at any third-party country rather focus on counterterrorist operations and is purely defensive in nature.

11. World Water Monitoring Day observed on September 18 2019

World Water Monitoring Day was originally celebrated annually on September 18. The program, subsequently named the “World Water Monitoring Challenge” and “EarthEcho Water Challenge,” aims to build public awareness and involvement in protecting water resources around the world by empowering citizens to carry out basic monitoring of their local water bodies

12. Greta Thunberg wins Amnesty International award

Climate change activist Greta Thunberg has won Amnesty International’s Ambassador of Conscience Award.

Amnesty International is a human rights charity and it recognised Swedish teenager Greta, and the Fridays for Future Movement, for their work in bringing people’s attention to the problem of climate change.

13. Airtel Payments Bank launches Bharosa savings account scheme

Airtel Payments Bank has launched ‘Bharosa savings account’ which enables customers to withdraw cash, check their balance or access a mini statement of their account at over 6,50,000 Aadhaar-enabled payment system (AePS) enabled outlets across India. These services have been designed for deepening financial inclusion in the country.

14. Maiden India, Singapore, Thailand Naval Exercise SITMEX-19 Begins in Port Blair

The Navies of Singapore, India and Thailand began their first joint maritime exercise ‘SITMEX-2019’ in Port Blair, Andaman and Nicobar Islands on September 16, 2019.

8+The Singapore’s Navy (RSN), Royal Thailand Navy (RTN) and Indian Navy (IN) will conduct the five-day exercise till 20 September 2019.

15. IIT Kharagpur researchers generate electricity with clothes

Researchers from IIT Kharagpur have developed a unique approach of generating electricity from drying clothes in natural ambiance, which is otherwise a part and parcel of our daily livelihood.

By utilizing tiny channels, so called nanochannels, in the cellulose-based fabric network traditionally woven, electrical power generation has been made possible by achieving guided movement of saline water amidst a continuous evaporation, very much analogous to water transport across the parts of a living plant.

16. Cokie Roberts, renowned US political journalist, dies at 75

Cokie Roberts, the daughter of politicians who grew up to cover the family business in Washington, DC, for ABC News and NPR over several decades, died of complications from breast cancer. She was 75.

17. India to achieve 26 bn dollars Defence Industry by 2025: Rajnath Singh

Defence minister Rajnath Singh has said, India will achieve 26 Billion dollars Defence Industry by 2025. Speaking at the annual function of Society of Indian Defence Manufactures in New Delhi, Mr Singh said.

Defence sector has been identified as one of the most prominent sectors under Make in India initiative to realize 5 Trillion dollar Economy by 2024. He said, performance of Indian defence industry has not been commensurate with its potential in past.