CURRENT AFFAIRS ENGLISH AUGUST 26

1. NASA Honours Rolling Stones by naming rock on Mars after the band

NASA announced that it has named rock on Mars in honour of the iconic English band, The Rolling Stones

• The "Rolling Stones Rock" was a stone that was sent rolling after NASA's InSight lander touched down on the Mars' surface.
• When NASA Insight touched down on the Red Planet, its engines sent a rock rolling across Mars' surface.
• The popular band, which consists of Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood, were delighted to hear the news.

2. NASA investigating a first crime committed in space

The US space agency NASA is reported to be investigating a claim that an astronaut accessed the bank account of her estranged spouse from the International Space Station.

• This is the first such allegation of a crime committed in space.
• The Astronaut Anne McClain is accused of identity theft and improperly accessing her estranged spouse's private financial records while on a sixth-month mission aboard the International Space Station.

3. Iran to let women attend football World Cup qualifier

In Iran, women fans will now be allowed as spectators into the stadium for next football World Cup qualifier match in October.

• FIFA has been stepping up pressure on Iran to ensure entry of women to watch the match.
• Iran barred women spectators at matches since the 1979 Islamic revolution, with clerics arguing that women must be protected from the masculine atmosphere.
• The authorities have allowed foreign women to go to matches in the country in the past.

4. Harsh Vardhan inaugurates FSSAI's National Food Laboratory in Ghaziabad

Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan inaugurated FSSAI's National Food Laboratory (NFL) in Ghaziabad.

• It was inaugurated on the occasion of 13th anniversary of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
• This national lab is a result of a Public-Private-Partnership (PPP), the first-of-its-kind in the food laboratory sector.
• It houses state-of-the-art collaborative training centres, namely, The Food Safety Solution Centre (FSSC) and the Centre for Microbiological Analysis Training (C-MAT).

5. Statue of Unity, Mumbai's Soho House among Time's 100 greatest places in the world

The 597-ft tall 'Statue of Unity' in Gujarat and Mumbai's Soho House have been featured by the Time magazine in its second annual list of the 2019 World's greatest places.

• The 'Statue of Unity', the world's tallest statue, is a tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, independent India's first home minister as well as deputy prime minister.
• Mumbai's chic Soho House is located in an 11-­storey building overlooking the Arabian Sea.
• It houses a library, a cinema with 34 seats and a rooftop bar and pool.

6. CVC constitutes a panel to examine bank fraud

The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) has constituted the Advisory Board for Banking Frauds (ABBF) to examine bank fraud of over 50 crore rupees and recommend action.

• The panel in its previous avatar called the Advisory Board on Bank, Commercial and Financial Frauds.
• The ABBF is headed by former Vigilance Commissioner T M Bhasin.
• The banks will refer all large fraud cases above 50 crore rupees to ABBF and on receipt of its recommendation, they concerned will take further action in such matter.

7. Shri Prabhakar Singh chosen for ‘Eminent Engineer Award- 2019’

Shri Prabhakar Singh, Director General, Central Public Works Department has been chosen for the ‘Eminent Engineer Award for the Year 2019’ by the Institution of Engineers (India) for his distinguished and exemplary service in the field of Engineering and Technology.

• This Elite and Prestigious Award shall be conferred to him on the ‘Engineers Day’ on September 15, 2019, in New Delhi.
• Shri Prabhakar Singh, an IIT graduate and MBA from one of the Premier Business Institute of the Country.
• His enormous contributions and dedicated service to the Nation as an Eminent Technocrat has been instrumental in transforming the Premier Engineering Organisation of the Central Government – CPWD. 

8. PV Sindhu becomes first Indian to win BWF World Championships

P V Sindhu became the first Indian to win badminton World Championships gold by beating familiar rival Nozomi Okuhara of Japan in Basel, Switzerland.

• The Indian won 21-7 21-7 in the summit clash that lasted just 38 minutes.
• Sindhu has also won Olympic silver in 2016 Rio Games, silver at Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, an Asian Games silver at Jakarta and the BWF World Tour Finals last year.

9. Komalika Bari wins World Archery Youth Championships

The 17year-old Indian Komalika Bari defeated Japan's Waka Sonoda in the recurve cadet women's final to win a gold medal at the 2019 World Archery Youth Championships.

• Bari won her first major event and became the third Indian archer to hold a world title.
• She is the second Indian archer to become world champion in the Under-18 recurve women's category.
• Deepika Kumari held the title in 2009 and then won the junior (U21) gold in 2011.

10. Former Finance Minister, Arun Jaitley passes away

Former Finance Minister Shri Arun Jaitley passed away at the age of 66 due to health-related ailments at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi.

• Jaitley was accorded full state honours in the presence of several leaders from BJP as well as the Opposition.
• His most important legacy will be rolling out of Goods and Services Tax (GST) in 2017, the biggest tax reforms after Independence.
• Arun Jaitley stepped down from contesting in the 2019 loksabha election citing health issues.