26th October Current Affairs

• Military exercise ‘Iron Magic 19’ begins
  • The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the US on 21 October 2018 kicked off a two-week military exercise named ‘Iron Magic 19’.
  • The exercise seeks to reinforce cooperation, joint actions and exchange of expertise in military areas.

  

  
  

  • The last ‘Iron Magic’ military exercise was held in 2017.
• European Parliament bans single-use plastics
  • The European Parliament has voted for a complete ban on a range of single-use plastics in an effort to tackle pollution in seas, fields and waterways.
  • Items such as plastic straws, cotton swabs, disposable plastic plates and cutlery would be banned by 2021.

  

  • There are also measures to ensure that 90% of plastic bottles are recycled by 2025.
• Malayalam author won first JCB Prize 2018
  • Malayalam author Benyamin has bagged the inaugural ‘JCB Prize for literature’ for his book ‘Jasmine Days’.
  • The book explores the lives of South Asians in the Middle East.
  • Benyamin was awarded a cash prize of ₹25 lakh and a trophy.
  • JCB Prize for Literature is an Indian literary award established in 2018 and the award is funded by the construction manufacturing group JCB.
• IFFCO biggest cooperative in the world
  • Fertiliser major ‘IFFCO’ has been ranked as the biggest cooperative in the world by ‘Word Cooperative Monitor’ report 2018.

  

  • The report has been published by the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) and the European Research Institute on Cooperative and Social Enterprises (Euricse).
  • IFFCO has nearly 36,000 member co-operatives and a turnover of nearly USD 3 billion (FY 2017-18).
• Virat Kohli becomes fastest to 10,000 ODI runs
  • India cricket captain Virat Kohli became the fastest batsman to reach 10,000 one-day international runs.
  • Kohli made 10,000 ODI runs in 205 innings while Sachin Tendulkar took 259 innings.
  • Kohli became the fifth Indian batsman and 13th ever to reach 10000 ODI runs.
  • Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and MS Dhoni have scored over 10,000 runs in ODIs.
• Gogha- Dahej Ferry service ready to start
  • Gogha- Dahej Ro-Pax Ferry service will be inaugurated in Gujarat on 27 October 2018.
  • The ferry service is a part of Sagarmala programme of the Ministry of Shipping.
  • The ferry service has a carrying capacity of 100 vehicles and 500 passengers.
  • The ferry will travel through the sea route by crossing the Gulf in Cambay.
• Creation of FIDF approved by Union Cabinet
  • The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has given its approval for the creation of special  Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund (FIDF).
  • FIDF would provide concessional finance to State Governments / UTs and State entities, cooperatives, individuals and entrepreneurs etc.
  • The credit from the fund will help generate over 9.40 lakh direct and indirect jobs for fishermen.
• MoU amongst BRICS nations approved
  • The Union Cabinet has approved the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) among BRICS regarding cooperation in the social and labour sphere.
  • The MoU was signed on 3 August 2018 during BRICS Labour and Employment Ministers (LEM) Meeting.

  

  • In the MoU, the parties including India have agreed to cooperate and hold mutual events in the prominent areas viz. labour legislation and enforcement.