CURRENT AFFAIR FOR 18 SEPTEMBER

1) Air India tied up with which public-sector bank to launch a co-branded credit card that provides numerous privileges to the holder? – SBI (This newly launched credit card has been named Air India SBI Credit Card and it allows a customer spending Rs 5 lakh in a year to earn up to three Delhi-Mumbai return tickets on Air India. The launch of this credit card marks the beginning of a new collaboration between the two major public sector entities (Air India and SBI). State Bank of India is also the leader of a consortium of banks that have helped Air India in its financial restructuring exercise. SBI Cards is a joint venture between SBI and GE Capital)

2) Union Govt. on 17 September, 2013 hiked the import duty on gold jewellery to

15% to provide a level playing field to domestic jewellery manufacturers. What was the import duty on gold jewellery till now? – 10% (Import duty on gold jewellery has been successively increased since January, 2012 when it was just 2%. After numerous increases it was brought to the level of 10% on 13 August, 2013. This hike is also a part of measures to contain the current account deficit (CAD))

3) What is the name of the top leader of Bangladesh’s Jamaat-e-Islami party who was sentenced to death by the Bangladesh Supreme Court on 17 September, 2013? – Abdul Quader Mollah(Mollah was delivered this sentence for his active role in 1971 war crimes. Earlier a special tribunal had sentenced him to life imprisonment. The Supreme Court revised this sentence to death penalty. Mollah is the fourth-highest leader of Jamaat-e-Islami)

4) 13 people died in a mass shooting by a gunman at the US Navy Yard in Washington on 16 September, 2013. What was the name of the gunman involved in this shooting spree, in which he too died? – Aaron Alexis (US military records show Alexis was an active Navy Reserve member from 2007-11 and was discharged after reaching the rank of aviation electrician’s mate)

5) The report of U.N. chemical investigators investigating the Syrian chemical attack episode has in its report confirmed that a chemical was used in the deadly attack of 21 August, 2013 outside Syrian capital Damascus. This report, which was released on 16 September, 2013, named which chemical to have been used in that attack? – Sarin Nerve Agent (The US had claimed that around 1400 people including 400 children died in that attack)

6) Who recently became the first Indian-origin contestant to win the Miss America pageant? –Nina Davuluri (Nina won the Miss America pageant which was held on 15 September, 2013 at Atlantic City. She took part in the pageant by virtue of being Miss New York 2013 and won the Miss America 2014 title. Nina was born to the Telugu parents and hails from Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, India)

7) Which corporate company on 16 September, 2013 launched ‘Skinn’, a new range of perfume for both men and women? – Titan Company Limited (Titan is famous watch company of India which also entered into the eye-care category sometime back. The company also makes available range of accessories under its ‘Fastrack’ brand)