IMPORTANT
CURRENT AFFAIRS OF AUGUST 15th, 2018
1.
For the first time, Vienna (Austria's
capital) has topped the Economist Intelligence Unit's Global
Liveability Index 2018, beating Australian city Melbourne, which had topped
the list for the past seven years.
a. Syrian
city Damascus was placed at the bottom of the list, while Bangladesh's capital
Dhaka, and Nigeria's Lagos were placed at the second last and third last
position respectively.
b. Top 10
Cities in Global Liveability Index 2018
i) Vienna
ii) Melbourne
iii)Osaka
iv) Calgary
v) Sydney
vi) Vancouver
vii) Toronto
viii) Tokyo
ix) Copenhagen
x) Adelaide
2.
Australia has
resumed the adoption of children from India after 8 years.
a. The
sovereign country had suspended the adoptions over reports of trafficking of
children.
b. Not it
has resumed the adoption as India had "improved its processes" to
comply with the Hague Convention on Adoption.
3.
Nation celebrates it's 72nd
Independence Day today (15th August) with patriotic fervour.
a. The
last Viceroy of India Lord Mountbatten chose August 15 for making India
independent to mark the second anniversary of Japan's surrender in the World
War II.
b. He was
the Supreme Allied Commander of South-East Asia Command and had accepted
Japan's surrender to the Allied Forces himself on August 15, 1945, marking the
end of the World War II.
4.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing
the nation on the 72nd Independence Day, announced that the prestigious public
healthcare scheme Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Abhiyaan / Ayushman Bharat Healthcare Scheme will
be launched on September 25 this year.
a. The
scheme will provide health insurance of ₹5 lakh annually
to over 10 crore poor families.
b. The
beneficiary families will be chosen on the basis of the Socio-Economic Caste Census database.
c. Important
Note : This is the world's largest government-funded
public healthcare scheme.
5.
During his speech at the Red Fort on the
Independence Day, PM Narendra Modi announced that Women recruited
through Short Service Commission in the Armed
forces will be given status of permanent commission like their male
counterparts.
6.
A 10-day Pineapple Festival showcasing
different varieties of the fruit has been organised in Thayong, a
remote village in Manipur’s Imphal.
a. The
festival aims at encouraging farmers and locals to plant and cultivate
pineapples. The village produces 20-30 tonnes of pineapple in a year, said an
official of the organising committee.
7.
Elon Musk-led SpaceX has
unveiled its Crew Dragon spacecraft and
introduced four NASA astronauts for its first
manned mission.
a. The
startup also unveiled its custom-built SpaceX Space Suit, which features a 3D
printed helmet that comes with microphones and air cooling.
b. Note : The
mission is part of NASA's commercial crew program, aimed at
building spaceships to reach low-Earth orbit.
8.
Iran today unveiled the
next-generation of its 'Fateh' short-range ballistic missile amid
ongoing tensions with the US.
a. The new
missiles have a range of between 300 and 500 kilometres.
9.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has
rejected Kotak Mahindra Bank's plan to dilute promoter Uday
Kotak's shareholding by allotting preferential shares.
10.
The Turkish lira has become
more volatile than world's largest cryptocurrency Bitcoin amid the country's
ongoing currency crisis.
a. The
10-day swings in the lira relative to the US dollar now exceed those for
Bitcoin.
b. Year to
date, the digital currency has fallen 55% compared to 45% for the lira.
11.
Bengaluru-based e-commerce startup Flipkart today
shut down eBay India, more than a year after acquiring it.
12.
Major Aditya Kumar and
rifleman Aurangzeb (posthumously) were awarded
the Shaurya Chakra, the 3rd highest peacetime gallantry award in
India.
a. Major
Aditya's unit had fired on a stone-pelting mob in Shopian in January, leaving
three civilian protesters dead.
b. Martyred
rifleman Aurangzeb was killed by terrorists in June in Pulwama while he was on
his way home to celebrate Eid.
13.
Madhya Pradesh Governor Anandiben
Patel was sworn in as Chhattisgarh Governor in
Raipur today.
a. The
Centre announced she was given additional charge of
Chhattisgarh after governor Balram Das Tandon died yesterday.
14.
Pakistan-born Mehreen Faruqi became 1st
Muslim woman senator in Australia.
15.
Former Indian team spinner Ramesh
Powar has been named as the Indian women's cricket team
coach.
16.
Facebook has won
the rights to show Spanish top-flight soccer league in
the Indian subcontinent.
a. The
company has signed an agreement to show the 'La Liga' games free
of charge for the next three years.
b. Note : This
deal will allow Facebook to show all 380 matches for the new season to users in
eight countries including India, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Bhutan.
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