21 September 2019 - Daily Current Affairs

21 September 2019 - Daily Current Affairs

1. Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarks on 7-day visit to the United States

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarked on a 7-day visit to the United states.
• During his visit, Mr. Modi will be in Houston & New York and address the United Nations General Assembly on 27th of this month.
• On 22nd September, Prime Minister Modi will address the Indian community at the NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas at 8.30 pm (India Standard Time) and President Donald Trump will also be there.
• Around 50,000 people are expected to attend the event Howdy, Modi!’.
• "Howdy", short for 'How do you do?' is a friendly greeting commonly used in the south-western US.
• On 23^rd September, PM Modi will participate in a leaders’ dialogue on the issue of terrorism, hosted by the King of Jordan.
• On 24th September, India will organize an event to commemorate the 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi in the UN
• PM Modi will be joined by heads of some countries including President of South Korea, Prime Ministers of Singapore, New Zealand, Bangladesh and Jamaica as well as the UN Secretary-General.
• During the visit, Mr. Modi will also be honoured with Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation's Global Goalkeeper's Award for his leadership in the field of sanitation through Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.

Source: AIR News

2. 38th Sharjah Intl. Book Fair to be organized from 30th Oct to 9th of Nov

• The 38th edition of the Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) will be organized from 30th October to 9th November 2019.
• The book fair will be held at the ‘Expo Center’ in Sharjah, with the participation of selected writers, novelists and artists from around the world.
• Authors, publishers, intellectuals and artists worldwide will bring their experiences and expertise to this prominent event and partake in a vibrant cultural programme.
• UNESCO has named Sharjah as the World Book Capital City for the year 2019 in recognition of the city’s continuous efforts in promoting books and literacy.
• Aligning itself with the title of the World Book Capital, the SIBF will be organized under the theme 'Open Books, Open Minds'.
• It will be an exceptional edition of the book fair, where the events and discussions will all shine a spotlight on the book’s ability to ignite peoples' minds, appreciate cultural differences and bring them closer.

Source: AIR News

3. Algeria to hold Presidential election on 12^th December

• Algeria will hold the Presidential election on 12^th December this year.
• Abdelkader Bensalah, the interim successor of ailing President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who resigned in April following mass protests.
• Mr Bensalah in a televised address, he has decided that the date of the presidential election.
• The announcement comes after Army chief General Ahmed Gaid Salah insisted that polls be held by the end of this year, despite ongoing protests demanding the creation of new institutions ahead of any elections.

Note:

• Algeria is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa.
• Algeria is bordered to the northeast by Tunisia, to the east by Libya, to the west by Morocco, to the southwest by the Western Saharan territory, Mauritania, and Mali, to the southeast by Niger, and to the north by the Mediterranean Sea.
• The country is a semi-presidential republic consisting of 48 provinces and 1,541 communes (counties).

Important Days

4. International Day of Peace observed today

• The International Day of Peace is observed around the world annually on 21st September.
• It is dedicated to world peace and specifically the absence of war & violence such as might be occasioned by a temporary ceasefire in a combat zone for humanitarian aid access.
• The theme for 2019 is “Climate Action for Peace”.
• The theme draws attention to the importance of combatting climate change as a way to protect and promote peace throughout the world

Note:

• In 1981, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) had designated 21st September as the International Day of Peace.

5. 21st Sep: World Alzheimer’s Day

• World Alzheimer’s Day is observed every year on 21st September to raise awareness about Alzheimer’s and dementia.
• Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, a group of disorders that impairs mental functioning.
• Some of the most common signs of Alzheimer’s Disease include memory loss, problems with language, difficulty performing familiar tasks, changes in personality and difficulty keeping track of things.

Appointment

6. RBS picks the first woman to lead major UK bank

• Britain's bailed-out Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has appointed long-serving banker ‘Alison Rose’ as chief executive, making her the first female boss of a major UK lender.
• Currently, Rose is deputy head of the group's NatWest Holdings retail business and its commercial and private banking division.
• She will replace Ross McEwan on 1^st November.
• Alison Rose will become the only woman to have lead one of Britain's so-called "Big Four" banks (Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds Banking Group and RBS).

Note:

• The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), is one of the retail banking subsidiaries of The Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc, together with NatWest and Ulster Bank.
• The Royal Bank of Scotland was established in 1724 to provide a bank with strong Hanoverian and Whig ties.

Source: The Hindu

Honour & Awards

7. Raghu Rai chosen as the first recipient of international photography award

• Noted Indian photographer Raghu Rai (77-years) has been chosen as the first recipient of the inaugural edition of the Acadmie des beaux-arts Photography Award ‘William Klein’.
• The award is in honour of the celebrated American-born French photographer and filmmaker William Klein, best known for his unusual photography techniques.
• As a consecration award, the prize is intended to reward a photographer for their entire career and commitment to photography.
• It rewards one photographer of all nationalities and ages.

Know about Raghu Rai:

• Raghu Rai was born in the village of Jhang, Punjab, British India (now in Pakistan).

• He is known for his books, Raghu Rai's India: Reflections in Colour and Reflections in Black and White.

National Affairs

8. Govt allows SAIL to sell 25% of iron ore output

• Ministry of Mines has allowed Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) to offload in a year up to a quantity equivalent to maximum 25% of total iron ore production in the previous year.
• It will be subject to clearance from the respective State Governments, where the mines are located, after following due procedure.
• It is valid for a period of 2 years.
• Around 7 million tonnes of iron ore, produced at its different mines in the States of Jharkhand, Odisha and Chattisgarh, can be offloaded by SAIL to the domestic market after getting necessary clearance from the State Governments.
• This will enable SAIL to not only fulfil its own requirement but also to partially cater to a shortfall in domestic iron ore requirement.

9. Kerala govt inks MoU with the Maldives on cancer care

• Kerala inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Maldives to strengthen cancer care in the island nation.
• Maldives has also sought RCC's support to create a cancer registry in that country.
• The MOU was signed between Abdulla Ameen (Maldivian Minister) and K K Shylaja (Kerala Health Minister) in the presence of the state Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

10. First Jammu International Film Festival to be held in Jammu

• The first-ever “Jammu International Film Festival” will be held in Jammu.
• 37 short films and documentaries from 11 countries will be screened at the inaugural edition of Jammu International Film Festival.
• The festival will also present an annual ‘Inspiring Icon Award‘, which will be given to a person, who hails from the region and has made it big in the film industry.

Source: DD News

Honour & Award

11. Anand Kumar felicitated with Education Excellence Award 2019

• Noted mathematician Anand Kumar (Super 30 founder) has been felicitated in the US with a prestigious Education Excellence Award 2019.
• The Foundation For Excellence (FFE) awarded him on the occasion of the organisation’s 25th anniversary gala in San Jose, California.
• Anand has been running a highly innovative Super 30 programme for the last 18 years to mentor 30 student free of cost through year-long residential coaching for India’s premier IIT-JEE.

Sports

12. 2020 Women's FIFA U-17 World Cup to be held from Nov 2-21

• The FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup (7th edition) will be held from 2nd to 21st November 2020 in India.
• It will mark the first time that India has hosted a FIFA women's football tournament.
• The tournament is held in even-numbered years, starting in 2008.
• Spain is the defending champions, having won the title of the biennial tournament in 2018.
• On 27th August, Kalinga Stadium (in Bhubaneswar, Odisha) got provisional clearance as the first venue for the 2020 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup
• Kolkata, Bhubaneswar, Ahmedabad, Goa and Navi Mumbai are the five venues that were inspected by the FIFA team for the tournament.

Note:

• The FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup is an international association football tournament for female players under the age of 17.
• It is organized by the Federation International de Football Association (FIFA).