DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS

By admin: Sept. 10, 2023

Parliament of Vanuatu elects Sato Kilman as the new Prime Minister

Tags: Person in news International News

Vanuatu Parliament elects Sato Kilman as Prime Minister amid political change. 

An Overview of the News

• The decision came after a court upheld a no-confidence motion against Kilman's predecessor.

• Former Prime Minister and People's Progressive Party leader Sato Kilman took the position with 27 votes in favor.

• In the secret ballot, his rival Kalsakau got 23 votes.

• Kilman, 65, held the post of deputy prime minister in Kalasakau's government before he was ousted in May.

About Vanuatu

• It is an archipelago consisting of 83 islands, 16 of which are inhabited.

• Its largest islands include Espiritu Santo, Malacula, Efate, Eromango, Ambrym, Tanna, Pentecost, Apé, Ambe (also known as Aoba), Gaua, Vanua Lava, Maevo, Malo, and Anitium (or Anatome).

• Its capital is Port Vila, located on the island of Efate.

• Its other important cities include Luganville on Espiritu Santo and Isangel on Tanna.

• Vanuatu has three official languages: Bislama, English and French.

• Bislama is a Creole language spoken by the majority of the population of Vanuatu.

• The official currency used in Vanuatu is the vatu (VUV), which is pegged to the Australian dollar, resulting in a relatively stable exchange rate.

"Fire on the Ganges: Life among the Dead in Banaras" a book written by Radhika Iyengar

Tags: Books and Authors

Radhika Iyengar wrote the book "Fire on the Ganges: Life among the Dead in Banaras", published by HarperCollins.

An Overview of the News

• The book highlights the city of Banaras, also known as Varanasi, in India, with a particular emphasis on the relationship between death and the afterlife.

• "Fire on the Ganges" represents the first attempt to document the daily experiences of Doms in Banaras.

• It provides an insight into the historical background of Banaras by taking a look at some of the resilient individuals of the Dom community.

• Through their stories of hardship, survival, tragedy, and aspirations, the book narrates an often poignant and sometimes uplifting narrative of a community attempting to carve out a place for itself beyond the boundaries of ancient traditions.

Author's Background:

• Radhika Iyengar is an accomplished journalist who holds a Master's degree in Journalism from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in New York.

• She has received several awards, including the Red Ink Award for Excellence in Indian Journalism (2018), the Charles Wallace India Trust Fellowship at the University of Kent, UK (2020), the Bianca Pancott Patton Fellowship (2019), and Sanskriti-Prabha Dutt Fellowship (2016-17).

India Drone Shakti 2023

Tags: Defence

The Indian Air Force (IAF) is co-hosting 'Bharat Drone Shakti 2023' with the Drone Federation of India at IAF's Hindon Airbase in Ghaziabad on September 25 and 26, 2023.

An Overview of the News

• The event serves as a platform to showcase the significant impact of drone technology in both civil and defense applications, revolutionizing efficiency, reducing risks, and enhancing capabilities.

• India is experiencing a rise in the adoption of drones across various sectors, including military and civilian applications, highlighting the country's growing interest in unmanned aerial platforms.

About Bharat Drone Shakti 2023:

• The event will include live aerial demonstrations organized by the Indian drone industry.

• These aerial demonstrations will showcase a diverse range of drone applications, including survey drones, agricultural drones, firefighting drones, tactical surveillance drones, heavy-duty logistics drones, rotating munition systems, drone swarms, and anti-drone solutions.

• More than 75 drone startups and corporate entities participated in the event.

• The primary goal of the event is to highlight and showcase the capabilities of Indian-made drones.

• Additionally, the event serves as a platform for networking, knowledge exchange, and collaboration among industry leaders, innovators, and drone enthusiasts.

New genus and species Igai Semkhu of titanosaurian dinosaur discovered in Egypt

Tags: Science and Technology

Paleontologists led by Eric Gorscak of Midwestern University recently discovered Igai Semkhu, a new genus and titanosaurian dinosaur species in Egypt.

An Overview of the News

• This dinosaur species, Igai Semkhu, lived during the Campanian era of the Late Cretaceous era, about 75 million years ago.

• Igai Semkhu belongs to the titanosaurian group, a diverse category of herbivorous dinosaurs that are known for their large body size, extended neck, and wide stance.

• The titanosaurian group includes a wide range of species, from the largest terrestrial vertebrates ever known, to 'dwarf' species no larger than elephants.

• Igai Semkhu is one of the most informative dinosaurs yet recovered from the latest Cretaceous of Afro-Arabia.

Cretaceous-era:

• This is the third and last period of the Mesozoic era.

• This is often called the "Age of the Dinosaurs".

• Extending from about 145 million years ago to about 66 million years ago.

• It is one of the most extended geological eras in Earth's history.

• Mass Destruction:

  • The Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) mass extinction event marks the end of the Cretaceous era.

  • This end occurred approximately 66 million years ago.

  • This resulted in the extinction of approximately 75% of Earth's species, including non-avian dinosaurs.