Current Affairs 11th November for ssc and bank exams

Odisha and West Bengal to organize joint security exercise ‘Sagar Kavach’.

• The governments of Odisha and West Bengal will organize a joint security exercise called ‘Sagar Kavach’ to tighten the coastal security along their 630 km long coastline.
• “Sagar Kavach” exercise is a drill to check the efficiency and preparedness of various security forces like the Indian Navy, Marine police force, Indian Coast Guard (ICG), Forest Department, Fisheries and district administration.
• Personnel from the Indian Navy, Coast Guard at Paradip and Haldia, 18 marine police stations in Odisha and 12 police stations of West Bengal will be participating in the exercise.
• The teams of Customs and port officials, fisheries department officials will also take part in the drill.
• West Bengal Coast Guard Commander MA Warsi said the drill is to re-evaluate the existing Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) mechanisms.

Government approves creation of National Testing Agency.

• The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, cleared a proposal for creation of a National Testing Agency (NTA).
• Except the Board exams, the CBSE will be relieved of entrance tests like the Joint Engineering Entrance (JEE), NEET, UGC’s National Eligibility Test, Central Teacher Eligibility Test and entrance test for Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas.
• The NTA will be created as a society registered under the Indian Societies Registration Act, 1860, and as an autonomous and self-sustained premier testing organization.
• NTA will be chaired by an educationist appointed by Human Resources Development Ministry, the CEO will be the Director General, who will be appointed by the government and Board of Governors with members from user institutions.

South Korea and United States conducts joint naval drill.

• South Korean warships joined US aircraft carriers in a strong display of naval force aimed at North Korea.
• The four-day joint exercise in the Pacific ocean involves three flattops — USS Ronald Reagan, USS Nimitz and USS Theodore Roosevelt and seven South Korean warships including three destroyers.
• It is the first such triple-carrier drill in the region in a decade.
• The exercise was aimed at enhancing deterrence against North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats.

Former French culture minister to head UNESCO.

• UNESCO member states approved the nomination of France’s former culture minister Audrey Azoulay to head the agency.
• Audrey Azoulay, 45, became UNESCO’s second woman director general.
• Azoulay, was the culture minister under former president Francois Hollande, she will succeed Irina Bokova, who was UNESCO’s first woman director and whose second term expires this month.
• Azoulay narrowly defeated Hamad bin Abdulaziz Al-Kawari of Qatar, also a former culture minister, in last month’s election.

Current Affairs – Business Updates

Belgian beer brands Delirium, Chimay to enter India.

• Two Belgian beer companies are entering India, to sell premium beer in the country.
• Chimay makes Trappist beers, it is brewed within the walls of a Trappist monastery, under the responsibility of community of monks, who manufacture and market the beer.
• Most of the income generated by this activity is devoted to the needs of the community and social works. The company is one of the 11 trappist beer makers in the world.
• Brewery Huyghe, a century old family brewery which will bring its Delirium brand. While India will be the 97th country for Delirium, it will be the 60th country for Chimay.
• Both Chimay and Delirium will be imported, distributed and marketed in India by New Delhi-based Hema Connoisseur Collections.
• The companies will sell two variants of Chimay—Gold (4.8% alcohol) and Red (7% alcohol), and Delirium’s Tremens and Nocturnum (both 8.5% alcohol) in India. The bottles are priced at a premium of Rs 550 and Rs 1,000.
• Delirium will be available in the four major metros of New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chennai, whereas, Chimay’s MD Edwin Dedoncker said they will only target New Delhi and Mumbai for now.

Tata Sons to invest 36,000 crores in Tata Teleservices.

• Tata Sons plans to infuse over Rs 36,000 crore in Tata Teleservices.
• Bharti Airtel will acquire Tata Tele’s consumer mobile services business on a no-cash, no-debt basis. Tata Tele will use the money to clear its debt, which stands over Rs 40,000 crore.
• The Tata Sons board had approved investments in various group companies whose estimated value for fund infusion was Rs 36,400 crore.
• The investment will be largely invested in Tata Tele. In October, Tata Tele’s listed subsidiary Tata Tele had said it plans to raise up to Rs 20,000 crore through various sources, including from Tata Sons.
• Currently, the company has an AAA long-term rating from Crisil, indicating the highest level of safety.

U.S. toymaker Hasbro Inc has made an takeover offer for rival Mattel Inc.

• U.S. toymaker Hasbro Inc has offered a takeover approach for it’s rival Mattel Inc.
• Hasbro makes Disney Princess dolls and Star Wars action figures.
• Mattel makes Barbie and Hot Wheels, has been struggling to boost sales.
• Both toy makers have been struggling with waning demand and the recent bankruptcy ofToys’R’Us, a major outlet for toy sales.

Appointment News – November 11th 2017 Current Affairs

Indian origin doctor, Vasant Narasimhan, will take over as the CEO of Novartis.

• Vasant Narasimhan, the chief medical officer and global head of drug development at Novartis will take over as the CEO of Europe’s largest drug maker.
• Current CEO Joseph Jimenez is leaving after eight years of service. Narsimhan, a Harvard-trained doctor will succeed Jimenez from February 1.
• Joseph, a former Heinz executive helped Novartis through a series of complex transactions worth more than $30 billion in 2015.
• Last week, the company secured US regulatory clearance for a $475,000-breakthrough oncology therapy, a triumph for both Jimenez and Narasimhan.
• Prior to his current role, Narasimhan served as head of development for Novartis Pharmaceuticals. Before joining the company in 2005, he worked at McKinsey.
• He received his medical degree from Harvard Medical School in the US and obtained a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard’s John F Kennedy School of Government.
• He holds a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences from the University of Chicago.

Sports Events – Current Affairs November 11 2017

Romelu Lukaku helps Belgium draw 3-3 with Mexico.

• Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku scored twice in an entertaining 3-3 draw in a friendly international against Mexico.
• Belgium are now undefeated in 14 games. PSV Eindhoven striker Lozano scored twice for Mexico and Andres Guardado converted a penalty before the break.
• Lukaku, endured a dry run with Manchester United in the Premier League after an explosive start to his Old Trafford career.
• Mexico could not hold on for the win but were impressive as they put down a marker for next year’s World Cup finals.

Sweden defeated Italy in the first leg of the World Cup play-offs.

• Sweden won 1-0 over Italy in the first-leg of their World Cup play-off at Stockholm.
• Substitute Jakob Johansson grabbed the only goal scored in the game.
• The last time Italy failed to reach the World Cup was for the 1958 tournament in Sweden.
• With a vociferous home crowd, Sweden put Italy under pressure with their direct style of play and Emil Forsberg went close with a curling effort that flew over the crossbar.
• Italy suffered a blow when key midfielder Marco Verratti was handed a booking that ruled him out of Monday’s second leg for a lunging tackle on Marcus Berg.
• Veteran goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, who will retire from international duty after the World Cup campaign, showed excellent pace off his line to claw the ball away from Toivonen.