Important Current Affairs 21st October 2019

NATIONAL AFFAIRS

UP police on alert ahead of Supreme Court verdict of Ayodhya issue

Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police OP Singh has said that security arrangements in Ayodhya and the rest of the state are being assessed and upgraded as needed ahead of the Supreme Court verdict on Ayodhya.

Heavy rains create flood scare in parts of Karnataka

Torrential rains in many parts of the state and Maharashtra have created a flood scare afresh as many rivers are in spate, especially in north Karnataka and Chikkamagaluru.

INX Media: Delhi court takes cognisance of CBI chargesheet against Chidambaram

A Delhi court has took cognisance of the CBI chargesheet in the INX Media corruption case accusing former finance minister P Chidambaram of causing loss to the exchequer by violating PMLA.

Over 100 terrorists were ready to infiltrate from six launch pads in PoK near Tangdhar

Over 100 terrorists were waiting in six launch pads in Pakistan occupied Kashmir across Tangdhar sector to infiltrate Jammu and Kashmir in small batches, sources said.

Pakistan stops postal service to India: Breach of international law

 Ravi Shankar Prasad said Pakistan took the decision of stopping the postal mail services between the two countries without prior information.

Siachen area from Base to Kumar post open for tourists

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday declared Siachen area from Base to Kumar post open for tourists from across the world.

Pakistan to levy fees on Kartarpur pilgrims

Pakistan to levy service fee on pilgrims visiting Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, Pakistan, considering the maintenance and development work going on in the Kartarpur Corridor. The Pakistan government said that it will charge $20 fee per pilgrim.

India to go ahead with Kartarpur agreement as Pak insists on levying $20 fee on pilgrims

In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said, "If Pakistan wants to levy a service charge despite India's objections, India will go ahead with the Kartarpur Corridor agreement keeping religious sentiments and longstanding demand in mind." The Kartarpur agreement between India and Pakistan will be signed on October 23.

Freedom, conditions apply: Detained J&K leaders can't comment or hold rallies on Art 370 for a year, says bond

While some detained Jammu and Kashmir leaders have been freed, they have had to sign a bond that forbids them from making any comments, issuing statements, giving public speeches or participating in any public event "related to the recent events in the state of Jammu and Kashmir" for one year.

Court allows ED to interrogate Ratul Puri in Tihar

A Special court at the Rouse Avenue Court Complex here on Monday allowed the Enforcement Directorate to further interrogate businessman Ratul Puri in Tihar jail for three days in connection with Rs 3,600 crore AgustaWestland VVIP chopper money laundering case.

-Puri, who is the nephew of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath, is accused of allegedly receiving kickbacks in the deal. He was arrested by the ED on September 3.

Zomato fined Rs 1 lakh for breeding mosquitoes in Chennai office

Food delivery giant Zomato has been fined by Greater Chennai Corporation for discarding bags used by its delivery executives on the terrace of its Chetpet office in Chennai.

The food delivery app has been asked to pay Rs 1 lakh for failing to destroy mosquito breeding sources.

IRCTC to pay around Rs 1.62 lakh as compensation for late running of Tejas Express

A delay of more than three hours in the running of Delhi-Lucknow Tejas Express on October 19 has cost IRCTC around Rs 1.62 lakh which the railway subsidiary will pay through its insurance companies as compensation to around 950 passengers, a first in the history of Indian Railways.

Heavy rains batter Kerala, IMD issues 2-day orange alert for several districts

According to the weather forecast agency, an orange alert has been issued in 12 districts, including Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Idukki, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, and Wayanad, which will receive heavy to very heavy rainfall today accompanied with thunderstorm and lightning.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

Imran Khan govt faces united opposition's march, over 1.5 million turnout expected

Political party Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) called for the anti-government protest, demanding the Imran Khan-led government to step down from power as they have failed to cater to the needs of the people of the country, who the party claimed, were under severe stress due to "government's policy failure".

North Korea says US, South Korea must present new solutions for conflict

The United States and South Korea must produce new solutions for the current standoff on the Korean Peninsula, a senior North Korean military official said on Monday, warning that hostile policies towards Pyongyang would lead to serious consequences.

China's defence minister says resolving Taiwan question is national priority

•           No force can prevent 'reunification' of China, he says

•           He calls China-US military relationship 'generally stable'

•           Taiwan says China has endangered world peace

All taxis in Dubai now fitted with surveillance cameras

The system has sensors that automatically activate the camera once the customer steps into the vehicle.

Egypt reveals details of 30 ancient coffins found in Luxor with inscriptions, paintings

The coffins were for men, women and children from the 22nd dynasty (945-715 B.C.) and had been collected and hidden by a priest for fear of being looted, secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities .

China's next space rockets likely to make test flights in 2020, 2021

At about 116 tonnes and with a length of 31 meters, the Smart Dragon-3, set for a test flight in 2021, will be capable of sending 1.5 tonne payloads into orbit.

1984 Sikh Genocide Memorial in US removed after India protests

About three months after a '1984 Sikh Genocide Memorial' to the Sikh victims of the 1984 riots in India was installed at Otis Library here, the memorial was removed - in part following the urging of the Indian government.

HISTORICAL EVENTS

•           1805 Battle of Trafalgar: British Admiral Horatio Nelson defeats combined French and Spanish fleet. Nelson shot and killed during battle.

•           1854 Florence Nightingale with a staff of 38 nurses is sent to the Crimean War

•           1944 World War II: US troops capture Aachen, 1st large German city to fall

•           1948 UN rejects Russian proposal to destroy atomic weapons

•           1950 Chinese forces occupy Tibet

•           1993 Military coup by Burundi President Ndadaye; 525,000 Hutus flee

In Film and TV

1964 Film version of "My Fair Lady" directed by George Cukor and starring Rex Harrison and Audrey Hepburn premieres in New York (Academy Awards Best Picture 1965)

Music

1858 Jacques Offenbach's operetta " Orpheus in the Underworld" (Orphée aux Enfers) premieres in Paris, includes "Infernal Galop" (can-can tune)

Sports

1980 Phillies win their 1st World Championship in their 98-year history

EVENTS

Oct 21 St Eusebius ends his reign as Catholic Pope