Current Affairs 27 September, 2019

1. World's biggest transport space ship carrying over 4 tons of supplies lifts off from Japan

• Japan launched an unmanned H-2B rocket towards the International Space Station.
• The H-2B rocket lifted off with cargo vessel Kounotori8, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.
• The launch took place from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s Tanegashima Space Center in southwestern Japan.
• This Rocket is considered as the world’s biggest transport spaceship. It intends to deliver about 5.3 tonnes of supplies to astronauts at the ISS.

Foot Notes:
About Japan
1. Japan Capital: Tokyo
2. Currency: Japanese yen
3. PM: Shinzo Abe.
 

2. Goa govt bans single-use plastic in its offices from Oct 2

• Goa government imposed a ban on the usage of single-use plastic in its offices from October 2. The Government of Goa decided to ban the usage of single-use plastic water bottles, glasses, plates, etc in the government offices, canteens, meetings and functions from October 2, 2019. The directive has been issued following approval from Chief Minister Pramod Sawant.
• The government wants to promote eco-friendly and re-usable items in the coastal state. The Goa Legislative Assembly passed a bill banning manufacture, sale and use of single-use plastic items and carry bags, with a penalty ranging from 2,500 to 3 lakh for violators.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed to people to shun single-use plastic

Foot Notes:
About Goa
1. Chief Minister: Pramod Sawant

3. Deepak Punia reached first rank in Wrestling Ranking

• World Championship silver medallist wrestler Deepak Punia jumped to world number one position in 6kg. He lost the top rank in the 65kg category in the latest rankings issued by the international federation (UWW).
• He settled for a silver after an ankle injury forced him to pull out of the final against Iranian great Hasan Yazdani. The 20-year-old now has 82 points, four more than World Champion Yazdani.
• Deepak won a silver Yasar Dogu and bronze medals at Asian Championship and at Sassari tournaments. He has been rewarded for his consistent show. The 25-year-old now has 63 points while Russia's Gadzhimurad Rashidov, who won gold in Nur Sultan, is the new world number one in 65kg.
• Ravi Dahiya has entered the top-five bracket. He is ranked exactly five with 39 points while Rahul Aware's bronze medal has pushed him to world number two.

4. Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat to be new Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee

• Army chief Gen Bipin Rawat will take over as the new Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee.  He succeeding Indian Air Force (IAF) chief, Air Chief Marshal B.S. Dhanoa, who retires from service by end of this month.
• The Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC) comprises chiefs of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force and the senior-most member is appointed its chairperson.
• The Chairman of COSC is tasked with ensuring synergy among the three services and evolve a common strategy to deal with external security challenges facing the country.

5. Mahatma Gandhi’s 80-year-old letter wishing Jews era of peace unveiled in Israel

• The handwritten letter by Mahatma Gandhi 80-years-ago unveiled for the first time by the National Library of Israel, NLI. Gandhi ji was wishing the afflicted (Jewish) people an era of peace in the letter, written on the same day World War II broke out.
• Gandhi wrote the letter to Head of the Bombay Zionist Association, A E Shohet trying to enlist support of Indian leaders in favour of the movement to establish a national home for the Jewish people.
• Written on Rosh Hashana Jewish new year on September 1, 1939, the letter marked the beginning of the War when Germany invaded Poland. It also set the stage for the despicable atrocities of the Holocaust.

Foot Notes:
About Israel
1. Capital: Jerusalem
2. Currency: Israeli new shekel

6. Pranab Mukherjee launches the book titled ‘Reset: Regaining India’s Economic Legacy’

• Former president Pranab Mukherjee released a book named ‘Reset: Regaining India’s Economic Legacy’.
• The book was written by BJP MP Subramanian Swamy that tracks the country’s economic development over the years and offers solutions for future growth. The book has been published by Rupa Publications India.

7. World Tourism Day: 27 September

• The United Nations observes 27 September every year as World Tourism Day. The UN World Tourism Organization expects that tourism will continue to grow at an average of 3% annually until 2030.
• The sector also represents an estimated 10% of the world’s GDP and 1 in 10 jobs globally. UN World Tourism Organization organizes the special event every year on the occasion of World Tourism Day, and this year it will be held in New Delhi, India. Theme for 2019: Tourism and Jobs: A Better Future For All.

Foot Notes:
About  United Nations
Headquarters of United Nations: New York
Founded: 24 October 1945.
Secretary General of the United Nations: Antonio Guterres

8. Bangladesh lifts ban on Hilsa export to India

• Bangladesh has lifted the ban on the exports of Hilsa fish to India as a goodwill gesture during the Durga Puja.
• Bangladesh will allow 500 tonnes of Hilsa fish for the occasion as a one time arrangement.  Export of the popular Hilsa or ‘Ilish’ fish from Bangladesh was banned in 2012 after local business establishments called for controlling the price of fishes.
• Bangladesh accounts for nearly 75 percent of world Hilsa production and nearly 2 million people get direct and indirect employment from its cultivation.

About Bangladesh
1. Capital: Dhaka
2. Currency: Taka
3. PM: Sheikh Hasina

9. Saudi Arabia to offer visa for the first time

• Saudi Arabia announced that it will offer tourist visas for the first time. It aims to diversify its economy away from oil. Female tourists are required to wear modest clothing.
• The announcement comes as a part of the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's Vision 2030 reform programme.
•  The programme aims to prepare the biggest Arab economy for a post-oil era. The move is after the devastating attacks on Saudi Arabia’s oil infrastructure. This has spurred the global energy markets and raised wider regional conflict.

Foot Notes:
About Saudi Arabia
1. Capital: Riyadh
2. Currency: Saudi riyal

10. NASA releases the new visualization of the image of a black hole

• NASA has released the new visualization of the image of a black hole. The new visualization of the image was created by Jeremy Schnittman. It is hoped that the visualization will make Einstein's theory of special relativity a bit easier to understand. The visualization shows the black hole appearance.
• The infalling objects or matter gets collected into a thin, hot structure called an accretion disk.
• The extreme gravity skews light that is emitted from the black hole by different regions of the disk, produces the misshapen appearance.

Foot Notes:
About NASA
1. Headquarters: Washington, D.C., United States
2. Founder: Dwight D. Eisenhower
3. Founded: 29 July 1958, United States