Important Current Affairs 26th October 2019

NATIONAL AFFAIRS

-UP CM Yogi Adityanath launches new emergency helpline number 112

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday launched an all-encompassing emergency helpline number '112'. He also launched a senior citizen safety initiative 'Savera'.

-Marigold flowers worth Rs 2 crore to be sold on Diwali

-Marigold flowers worth Rs 2 crore are estimated to be sold in Uttar Pradesh's   Meerut on Diwali

-Even though the harvest of the flower has been good this year, retailers are selling them at high prices to earn profits.

Migrating eagle's foreign trip makes Russian scientists bankrupt as bird flew to Iran

After some migrating eagles flew from Russia to Iran, scientists ran out of money for tracking the birds. They had to start crowdfunding to pay off the debts drawn by the SMS messages.

-India, China coordinate patrolling of disputed area 

Fish Tail-I and II are in the easternmost corner of Arunachal Pradesh. Fish Tail -I is largely glaciated terrain, and patrols from either side are few and far between.

India and China are for the first time patrolling Fish-Tail II, one of the 13 disputed areas along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in south-east Arunachal Pradesh, in coordination with each other in an attempt to build mutual confidence and maintain peace along the border, a senior official in the security establishment said on condition of anonymity.

Fish Tail-I and II are in the easternmost corner of Arunachal Pradesh. Fish Tail -I is largely glaciated terrain, and patrols from either side are few and far between.

-Centre appoints 29 joint secretaries in major reshuffle

Of these, 13 are from the Indian Administrative Services (IAS) and the rest from the Indian Revenue Service (IRS), Indian Forest Service (IFoS), Indian Information Service (IIS) and the Central Secretariat Service (CSS), among others.

Alaknanda Dayal, Punjab-cadre IAS officer, was appointed a joint secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs, an order issued by the personnel ministry said.

Ashutosh Jindal, joint secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, has been transferred to the Cabinet Secretariat at the same post.

IAS officer Puneet Aggarwal will be joint secretary in the Department of Defence.

-5.4 lakh earthen lamps light up in Ayodhya for Deepotsav

More than 500,000 diyas or earthen lamps were lit on Saturday at Ram Ki Paidi on the banks of the Saryu River in Uttar Pradesh’s Ayodhya as part of the BJP government’s Deepotsav celebrations this year.

Fiji’s minister Veena Bhatnagar, the chief guest at this year Deepotsav, lit the first earthen lamp as chief minister Yogi Adityanath and Governor Anandiben Patel and several ministers of the state government were present.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

-Washington banning US flights to all Cuban cities but Havana

Two people briefed on the matter say the Trump administration is banning U.S. flights to all Cuban cities but Havana in the latest move to roll back Obama-era easing of relations.

The people say the Transportation Department will announce that JetBlue and American Airlines flights to Santa Clara in central Cuba and Holguin and Camaguey in the island’s east will be banned starting in December. Flights to Havana account for the great majority of U.S. flights to Cuba and will remain legal.

Renewed anti-government protests in Iraq leave 42 dead

Renewed anti-government protests across Iraq left more than 40 people dead on Friday through tear gas, live rounds and fires, a watchdog and security sources told AFP.

The protests represent a second phase of a week-long movement in early October that ended with more than 150 people dead.

Rallies had been set to resume on Friday, with a range of actors from Iraq’s highest Shiite authority to the United Nations urging restraint.They began early and calm on Thursday evening, with protesters exchanging flowers with security forces and the interior minister insisting police would “protect” protesters.

But by Friday evening, demonstrations across the country had descended into violence that left 42 protesters dead -- at least half of them as they attacked the headquarters of armed factions or government bodies.Twelve died in the southern city of Diwaniyah alone, while setting fire to the headquarters of the powerful Badr organisation, part of the Hashed al-Shaabi paramilitary force.

SPORTS AFFAIRS

Tamim Iqbal pulls out of India tour, Imrul Kayes named replacement for T20s

Tamim Iqbal has pulled out of Bangladesh's upcoming tour of India as his wife is expecting their second child later this month, and the national selectors have called up Imrul Kayes as his replacement for the three T20Is.

IMPORTANT DATES

-26 Oct, 1959 - Space Moon Photos

1959 : The first photographs are seen on earth of the far side of the moon when the Lunik III, a Soviet satellite which are sent back to earth via radio signals.

-26 Oct, 1956 - Hungary October Revolution

1956 : The Hungarian October Revolution is now in it's third day with demonstrators fighting in the streets of Budapest with Soviet Troops. Estimates range from 3,000 to 5,000 dead and many lying in the streets where they have fallen. They are protesting for economic reforms and the withdrawal of Soviet troops and tanks. The new Prime Minister is appealing for calm.

-October 26th, 1965 : The Beatles were made members of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by the Queen in a ceremony at Buckingham Palace.

-26 Oct, 1994 - Israel Jordan Peace TreatyIsrael and Jordan signed a peace treaty to end 46 years of war. The treaty was signed by Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin of Israel and Prime Minister Abdel Salam Majali of Jordan and the ceremony was attended by President Clinton.

-26 Oct, 1998 - Honduras Hurricane....Hurricane Mitch the most deadly storm in modern times hits a number of Central American countries including Mexico, Honduras and Nicaragua leaving a trail of destruction and death in the area caused from a combination of very heavy winds and rain causing flooding and huge landslides. The death toll at the end of the storm was over 3,000 with tens of thousands left homeless.

AWARDS

World largest School

Lucknow-based City Montessori School (CMS) has won the Guinness World Record for becoming the ‘world’s largest school’ in terms of strength of students.City Montessori School (CMS) has won the global award for having largest number of students in 2019-20. At present, the CMS has 18 branches and approximately 56,000 students all over the city.