DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: OCTOBER 28&29, 2018

Daily Current Affairs ( Oct 28&29, 2018) like many other sections is inevitable and this also helps to score in the Banking awareness , Static GK and Financial Awareness sections. Remember, Banking Awareness and Static Awareness Questions are asked from the General Awareness section. This will also help you to ride your preparations for the forthcoming exams.

NATIONAL

India, Japan sign $75 bn currency swap agreement

India and Japan has concluded a $75 billion bilateral currency swap agreement. The move that will help in bringing greater stability in foreign exchange and capital markets in the country.

The agreement will further strengthen and widen the depth and diversity of economic cooperation between the two countries.

This facility will enable the agreed amount of foreign capital being available to India for use as and when need arises.

Japan

Capital: Tokyo

Currency: Japanese yen

India, Japan ink pact to promote cooperation in Ayurveda, Yoga

India and Japan has decided to cooperate for the first time in the areas of Indian traditional medicinal systems such as Yoga and Ayurveda to provide holistic healthcare and wellness in both the countries.

The Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) between India’s Ministry of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy) and the Kanagawa Prefectural Government was signed during the ongoing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Japan.

The MOC will also complement another MoC to promote cooperation in the areas of National Health Protection Mission.

India to become third Largest Aviation Market

India is all set to be among top three aviation market by 2024 according to International Air Transport Association (IATA). Currently India is at seventh position in the aviation market.

According to the IATA, China would displace the United States as the world’s largest aviation market in the mid-2020.

The present trends in air transport suggest passenger numbers could double to 8.2 billion in 2037.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is the trade association for the world’s airlines, representing some 290 airlines or 82% of total air traffic.

EAM Sushma Swaraj begins her 2-Nation Visit

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will be on a four-day visit to Qatar and Kuwait.

During her visit to Qatar, the External Affairs Minister will interact with her counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and also call on Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani.

During her visit to Kuwait, Mrs Swaraj will hold a bilateral meeting with her counterpart Sheikh Sabah Al Khalid Al Sabah.

The visit is in pursuit of India’s objective of enhanced engagement with the Gulf region which is in India’s extended neighbourhood.

Qatar

Capital: Doha

Currency: Qatari riyal

Kuwait

Capital: Kuwait City

Currency: Kuwaiti dinar

Gujarat’s First Mega Food Park Inaugurated In Surat

Union Minister for Food Processing Industries Smt Harsimrat Kaur Badal has inaugurated the first Mega Food Park in Gujarat.

It is  promoted by Gujarat Agro Infrastructure Mega Food Park Pvt. Ltd and the Park is located at Village Shah and Vasravi, Surat district.

This Mega Food Park has been set up in 70.15 acre of land at a cost of Rs. 117.87 crore.

A 2nd Mega Food Park has been sanctioned by the Ministry in Mehsana District of Gujarat.

INTERNATIONAL

Michael D Higgins re-elected President of Ireland

Michael D Higgins has been re-elected as Irish president after receiving 56% of the country’s election vote.

Businessman Peter Casey came second with 23.1%, while none of the other four candidates polled more than 10%.

Mr Higgins, the first incumbent in 50 years to face a challenge in his bid for a second term, won with 822,566 votes.

Ireland

Capital: Dublin

Currency: Euro

Arunachal Pradesh and British Council sign MoU for cultural cooperation

The Arunachal Pradesh government has signed a MoU with the British Council to strengthen educational and cultural cooperation.

It will enhance the opportunities for young people in Arunachal Pradesh and connect them to international expertise and ideas

As per the MOU, as many as 50 faculty members from government higher education institutions will be trained by the British Council every year, starting from December.

Further, 50 students of higher and technical education institutes will be trained in English language skills annually.

Jair Bolsonaro Won Presidential Election In Brazil

Jair Bolsonaro, a far-right firebrand former Army captain, won Brazil’s presidential election.

Bolsonaro won 55.2 percent of votes in a run-off election against left-wing hopeful Fernando Haddad of the Workers Party (PT), who garnered 44.8 percent.

Jair Bolsonaro, aged 63, is a retired army officer and member of the Social Liberal Party (PSL), an anti-establishment group that combines social conservatism and pro-market policies.

Brazil

Capital: Brasília

Currency: Brazilian real

BANKING AND ECONOMY

Microsoft overtook Amazon as world’s 2nd most valuable company

Amazon is overtaken by Microsoft as world’s second most-valuable company after shares plunge 10 per cent.

Amazon reported a disappointing third quarter, losing $65 billion from its market capitalization. Microsoft’s, on the other hand, have risen by 13% – from a close of $95 on May 1 to $106.5

Apple remains the top with a 2018 market value of 926.9 billion U.S. dollars.

SBI, Hitachi to set up card acceptance, digital payment platform

India’s largest lender State Bank of India(SBI) and payments solution provider Hitachi Payment Services India has entered into an agreement to form a joint venture for establishing a card acceptance and digital payment platform.

SBI will have a majority stake in the proposed joint venture.The JV will provide various payment options to customers and merchants focusing on areas such as rollout of a nationwide card acceptance infrastructure, quick response (QR) code acceptance, Unified Payment Interface (UPI), mass transit sector and e-commerce businesses.

Hitachi Payment Services India, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi Group, Japan.

IBM to acquire software company Red Hat

IBM Corp had agreed to acquire U.S. software company Red Hat Inc for $34 billion, including debt, as it seeks to diversify its technology hardware and consulting business into higher-margin products and services.

The transaction is by far IBM’s biggest acquisition. It is to expand the company’s subscription-based software offerings, as it faces slowing software sales and waning demand for mainframe servers.

IBM, which has a market capitalization of $114 billion, will pay $190 per share in cash for Red Hat, a 63 percent premium to closing share price.

Founded in 1993, Red Hat specializes in Linux operating systems, the most popular type of open-source software, which was developed as an alternative to proprietary software made by Microsoft Corp.

SPORTS

Golf: Indian Khalin Joshi Clinches Panasonic Open India Title

Indian golfer Khalin Joshi clinched the Panasonic Open India title at the Delhi Golf Club. With this win, Joshi became the seventh Indian to win the Panasonic Open India title in the last eight editions of the tournament.

It was also his maiden Asian Tour title. Bangladesh’s Siddikur Rahman finished second best after finishing with a par on the 18th.

Ayhika Mukherjee Wins Silver Medal At Under-21 Belgium Open

Indian table tennis player Ayhika Mukherjee has won a silver medal in the under-21 women’s singles category of the ITTF Challenge Belgium Open.

She lost 1-3 to Korea’s Youjin Kim in the final.

Simona Halep becomes first recipient of Chris Evert WTA World No.1 Trophy

The World number one Simona Halep has become the first recipient of the Chris Evert Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) World No.1 Trophy, named after WTA’s first-ever world number one, Chris Evert.

The 27-year-old, who lifted her maiden Grand Slam title at the Roland Garros and claimed the WTA Year-End world number one singles award for the second consecutive year, said that she is delighted to become the first receiver of the trophy.

The Chris Evert WTA World No.1 Trophy has a silver star-map tennis ball that represents the tennis universe.

Basel Open 2018: Roger Federer Won 99th Career Title

The World number three Roger Federer beat Romanian qualifier Marius Copil 7-6(5) 6-4 to win the Swiss Indoors and claimed his 99th career title in front of his home crowd in Basel.

Note: American Jimmy Connors (109) is the only player to have won more than 100 career titles in the professional era.