22 September 2017 Current Affairs
INS Kalavari: India’s first home built submarine handed over to Indian Navy
India’s first ingenuously built INS Kalavari submarine was handed over to Indian Navy by state-owned Mazagon Dock Limited in Mumbai, Maharashtra. This is Indian Navy’s first new conventional submarine in two decades. Its induction will be landmark milestone in India’s bid to build its underwater warfare capabilities with an eye on China and Pakistan. INS Kalavari is first of six Scorpion class submarines built in India under Project-75 by Mazagon Docks Limited with technology transfer from France’s DCNS (Direction des Constructions Navales Services), a naval shipbuilder.
Himachal Pradesh becomes first state to launch Electric Bus service
The Himachal Pradesh government has launched first-of-its-kind electric bus service in the ecologically fragile 51 km – long stretch between Manali and Rohtang Pass. The bus service was flagged off by State Transport Minister GS Bali along with Kullu Deputy Commissioner Yunus. The move was made amidst concern over increasing environmental degradation in the Rohtang Pass area due to plying of diesel taxis. With this initiative, the state has become the first in the world to ply electric buses at an altitude of 13 thousand feet.
Liliane Bettencourt, Richest Woman in the World dies at 94
French businesswoman and heiress of cosmetics giant L’Oreal Liliane Bettencourt, 94, has died. In March 2017, Forbes ranked Bettencourt the world’s richest woman, putting her net worth at $39.5 billion.
Newton’ India’s Official Entry for Oscars 2018
Newton’ will be India’s official entry for the Best Foreign Film category at the Oscars 2018, according to the Film Federation of India. The movie directed by Amit Masurkar movie, starring Rajkummar Rao, tells the story of a polling officer Newton Kumar who is bent on conducting free and fair elections in the conflict ridden jungles of Chhattisgarh.
Kuldeep Yadav becomes First Indian spinner to take hat trick in ODIs
Chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav (22-year-old from Kanpur) became the first Indian spinner to take a hat-trick in ODI cricket during the second match of the ongoing series against Australia at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. Yadav took the wickets of Matthew Wade, Ashton Agar and Pat Cummins in consecutive balls in his eighth over. This was the first ODI hat-trick by an Indian in over 26 years. He becomes the third Indian to achieve this feat, after Kapil Dev and Chetan Sharma. Yadav had also become the first Indian to take a hat-trick in the U-19 World Cup, achieving the feat against Scotland in 2014.
Yesteryear Bollywood actress Shakila passes away
Yesteryear Bollywood actress Shakila was passed away following a massive heart attack. She was 82. Shakila was best known for her roles in Aar Par and CID. Shakila’s nephew Nasirr Khan announced the death of her aunt on social media website Facebook.
Britain and Saudi Arabia sign Military Cooperation deal
Saudi Arabia and Britain signed a framework deal for military cooperation. The agreement came after Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman discussed security ties with visiting British Defence Secretary Michael Fallon in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah. The agreement comes as Britain seeks to explore lucrative trade deals outside Europe, including energy-rich Gulf monarchies, after voting to leave the European Union.
Australia invited for 2022 Asian Games for 1st time in history
Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) invited Australia to compete at Asiad (Asian Games) in 2022, for the first time. The invite is for selected sports like football and basketball to enable athletes to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Australia, New Zealand and a group of Pacific islands – has not taken part in the Asian Games before, but sporting ties with Asia (Olympic Council of Asia) have been growing.
Qatar Airways becomes Worlds First Airline to launch Double beds in Business Class
Qatar Airways has launched double beds in the business class sections of aeroplanes from London to Doha in Qatar. Such cabins, called Qsuites will be rolled out next in flights from Paris and New York.
Legendary Boxer, Jake LaMotta passes away
Jake LaMotta, former boxing champion whose life of violence in and out of the ring was portrayed in the movie “Raging Bull” passed away in Miami. He was in his 90s and died of complications of pneumonia. Fighting mostly as a middleweight and known as the “Raging Bull” and “Bronx Bull,” LaMotta finished his 13-year career with 83 victories (30 by knockout), 19 losses and four draws. He was ranked 52nd in the list of 80 best fighters in the year 2002.
India third among countries that faced most natural disasters
According to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres India ranked third among the countries that have faced the most natural disasters in the last half century. United States, followed by China, India, the Philippines and Indonesia, have experienced the most disasters since 1995 – more than 1,600, or once every five days. Climate change was among the seven global threats that listed needing immediate global action.
China bans use of anti-Islam words on social media
Islamophobic terms used by Chinese internet users to stigmatise Muslims have been blocked by authorities to prevent bias against Islam. The move is aimed at removing radical phrases that discriminate against Islam and are biased against Muslims to prevent worsening online hatred towards the group. The ban came after an alleged brawl involving Muslim people at a toll booth went viral. Following which netizens inundated the official Weibo accounts of Tangshan city government departments with complaints of partial treatment of Muslims for the sake of social stability.
Sindhu jumps to World No 2 in BWF women’s singles rankings
India shuttler P V Sindhu has jumped two places to second spot in the Badminton World Federation (BWF) women’s singles rankings, riding on her Korea Open Series title. This is the second time in her career that Sindhu, the Olympics silver medalist, occupied the second spot. Chinese Taipei’s Tai Tzu Ying retained her top spot.