KERALA

The Indian Railway is set towithdraw Kerala’s first Diesel Electrical Mainline Unit (DEMU) train service. This was introduced 10 days ago between Ernakulam Junction and Harbour Terminus on Willingdon Island. The IR cited very poor patronage as the reason. It also said that less than 15 people are travelling in the three-coach train during each trip in the 8-km corridor and the operational expenditure per day is over Rs. 35,000 whereas the daily income is around Rs.500.

INTERNATIONAL

The 2018 Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to Denis Mukwege and Nadia Murad for their efforts to end the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war and armed conflict.

Mukwege, a gynecologist and surgeon, has long worked to treat thousands of women and girls affected by rape and sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Murad is a Yazidi woman from the northern Iraqi town of Sinjar, who was held as a sex slave by ISIS.

· India and Russia signed S 400 missile deal

India and Russia after the annual summit concluded the contract for five S-400 ‘Triumf’ missile systems. The deal is one of the biggest defence deals in recent times.

The deliveries of S-400 will begin in 24 months, at the end of 2020. The agreement for the estimated $5.43 billion (Rs.40,300 crores) S-400 system was not referred to by either leader.

The S-400 has three components — the missile launchers themselves, a powerful radar and a command centre.

NATIONAL

Alphonso from Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Palghar, Thane and Raigad districts of Maharashtra, is registered asGeographical Indication (GI).
A Geographical Indication or a GI is an indication used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin.

Darjeeling Tea, Mahabaleshwar Strawberry, Blue Pottery of Jaipur, Banarasi Sarees and Tirupati Laddus are some of the GIs.

The king of mangoes, Alphonso, better known as ‘Hapus’ in Maharashtra, is in demand in domestic and international markets not only for its taste but also for pleasant fragrance and vibrant colour.

The first product to get a GI tag in India was the Darjeeling tea in 2004. There are a total of 325productsfrom India that carry this indication.

India’s Strategic Forces Command successfully test-fired its indigenously developed nuclear capable Prithvi-II missile during night time as part of a user trial by the Army from a test range in Odisha.

The surface-to-surface missile, which has a strike range of 350 km, was launched from a mobile launcher from launch complex-3 of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur near Balasore.

The missile is capable of carrying 500 to 1,000 kilogramme of warheads and is thrusted by liquid propulsion twin engines.

· Flipkart teams up with Bajaj Allianz to offer insurance for smartphones

Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDAI) gave Flipkart the license to go on a pact with Bajaj Allianz General Insurance for the scheme.
According to the scheme, Customers who buy the plan will be offered either a cash payout or a free pickup, service, and drop facility if their devices get damaged or stolen.
The minimum insurance price for the scheme is Rs. 99for a year which will be operational the day the device is delivered to a customer.
The insurance offering will be available from October 10, 2018.

The Indian Under-19 boys registered a comfortable victory over Sri Lanka in the final to win the U-19 Asia Cup for the sixth time.

India thrashed Sri Lanka by 144 runs in the summit clash in Dhaka thanks to spinner Harsh Tyagi’s six-wicket haul.

Chasing a mammoth 305 for a victory, Sri Lanka kept losing wickets and crumbled for 160 in 38.4 overs as Tyagi finished with an impressive figures of 6/38.