Daily Current Affairs Updates from 29 September 2013

Daily Current Affairs Updates from 29 September 2013

Days

1) World Heart Day observed across the world: World Heart Day was created in 2000 to inform people around the globe that heart disease and stroke are the world’s leading cause of death, claiming 17.3 million lives each year and the numbers are rising. This year’s theme addresses the importance of a life-course approach to the prevention and control of cardiovascular disease (CVD) with a focus on women and children. 

National

1) 5 killed as private chopper crashes near Mumbai: All five persons including the pilot and other crew members were killed when a private chopper crashed in Thane today after coming in contact with high tension wires, police said.

2) Brand Khadi set to get exclusive mark: Khadi is set to get a new push in its brand identity with the introduction of an exclusive mark from 2014, Khadi and Village Industry Commission (KVIC) announced.

3) Shut down terror machinery: PM tells Pakistan: In a hard-hitting speech, the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh today asked Pakistan to shut down “terrorist machinery” on its soil while making it clear that there can “never, ever” be a compromise on the territorial integrity of India of which Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part.

4) Over 39% of country receives excess rainfall: With the performance of monsoon improving this week, over 39 per cent of the country received excess rainfall this year, an increase by six per cent over last week.

International

1) China launches first free trade zone in Shanghai: China today launched a major free trade zone in its commercial hub Shanghai as the world’s second—biggest economy braces for the boldest reform move to liberalise regulations on finance, investment and trade.

2) Britain plans hi-tech cyber army: Britain is working on creating an army of hundreds of tech-savvy recruits to tackle cyber-attacks.

3) Twin blasts tear through Pakistan market killed 38: Twin blasts in the north-western Pakistan city of Peshawar killed at least 38 people on Sunday at a market near a police station, the third attack in the provincial capital in a week.

4) PM Manmohan Singh met his Pakistan counterpart Nawaz Sharif in New York.

Science

1) Earth’s Moon originate from Venus: Moon may have originated from Venus, after Earth’s gravity captured its natural satellite from the planet, a new theory on lunar history suggests. The theory is in contradiction to the belief that the Earth’s moon formed some 4.5 billion years ago when a planet-size body slammed into nascent Earth at high speed.

Sports

1) N. Srinivasan elected unopposed as BCCI President for 3rd year: Brushing aside intense criticism and questions of probity, N Srinivasan was elected unopposed as BCCI President for a third year during the Board’s AGM even though he will not take charge until further orders from the Supreme Court. Srinivasan was the lone Presidential candidate put forward by the South Zone, from where he got the proposer and the seconder.

2) Resurgent Nadal says will be 'tough' to become No. 1.

3) Chennai Super Kings became the first team to qualify for the semifinals of the Champions League Twenty20 after scoring a comprehensive eight-wicket victory over Brisbane Heat in a Group B match.

Technology

1) Mobile games, apps market to touch Rs 2,700 cr by 2016: Report: Mobile games and applications market in India is expected to touch Rs 2,700 crore by 2016, driven by strong smartphone growth and expanding 3G user base, a report by Avendus Capital said today.

2) Panasonic to launch below Rs 5,000 mobiles by Nov:  In a bid to strengthen its position in the Indian mobile phone market, Japanese electronics major Panasonic plans to come out with devices below Rs 5,000 by November this year.

3) India made 321 user data requests to Microsoft during Jan-Jun: India made 321 user data requests between January to June this year to software giant Microsoft (including Skype), which disclosed subscriber/ transactional data for nearly 80 per cent of those requests.

4) Indian-origin scientist develops 'brain' for robots: An Indian-origin scientist in US has developed a new feedback system that allows robots to operate with minimal supervision and could eventually lead to autonomous machines. Developed by Dr Jagannathan Sarangapani, from Missouri University of Science and Technology, the system makes use of current formation moving robots and introduces a fault-tolerant control design to improve the probability of completing a set task.

Banking/Economy

1) Govt targets coal block auction by Dec: Government has set a target to auction at least six coal blocks to private firms by December. “The Coal Ministry has set an internal target to auction the coal blocks by December,” said an official source.

2) Average GDP growth in 12th Plan likely to be cut to 6%: Planning Commission is likely to cut the annual average economic growth rate target of 8 per cent for the 12th Plan (2012-17) to around 6 to 6.5 per cent in its mid-term review of the five-year policy document.

3) Siemens to cut up to 15,000 jobs worldwide: Germany engineering company Siemens says it will cut up to 15,000 jobs worldwide by the end of 2014.