DAILY GK UPDATES 18, 19 JANUARY 2015

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS-18-19 JANUARY 2015
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1) LIGHT COMBAT AIRCRAFT ‘TEJAS’ HANDED OVER TO IAF
Ø  The first of the indigenously-built Light Combat Aircraft (LCA)Tejas Series Production-1 was handed over to the Indian Air Force (IAF) byDefence Minister ManoharParrikar at the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in Bengaluru. 
ABOUT TEJAS:
Ø  Tejas is a Light Combat Aircraft that uses fourth generation technologies.
Ø  It is built from CFCmaterials.
Ø  It is fitted with Open Architecture Computer (OAC) 
Ø  LCA Tejas is a lightweight multi-role jet fighter developed by India under a project that commenced in 1983 and had cost 17000 crore rupees to the exchequer.
Ø  It came from the LCAprogramme that was initiated to replace the ageing MiG-21 fighters in Indian AirForce’s combat.

2) AB DE VILLIERS HIT FASTEST CENTURY IN ODIS

Ø  South Africa’s cricketer AB de Villiers on 18 January 2015 hit the fastest century in One-Day International (ODI) cricket.
Ø  The 30-year-old South African captain scored the century in just 31 balls.
Ø  He achieved the feat against West Indies. 
Ø  The previous record was held by New Zealand’s Corey Anderson who scored a century in 36 ballsagainst the West Indies on 1 January 2014.
Ø  Villiers made fastest ODI half-century in just16 balls
Ø  Villiers 149 included 16 sixes helped South Africa to score 439, the second highest total in one-dayinternationals.

3) YEAR 2014 RANKED AS EARTH'S HOTTEST YEAR SINCE 1880
Ø  The year 2014 was ranked as the Earth’s hottest year since 1880 as per the two separate analyses done by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) scientists and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) scientists. The global average temperature for 2014 was roughly 1.24°F (or 0.69°C) warmer than the 20th-century average that included record heat in the western United States, Europe, Australia, and much of the Pacific Ocean.

4) DEEP KUMAR UPADHYAY APPOINTED NEPAL'S AMBASSADOR TO INDIA

Ø  Nepali Congress leader Deep Kumar Upadhyay was appointed as Nepal's Ambassador to India.
Ø  Earlier, Upadhyay has served as an AssistantFinanceMinisterof Nepal.
Ø  The post was lying vacant for more than 3 years when the Maoist-led government called back its ambassador to India RukmaShukshereRana in August 2011.
Ø  She was called back after she was found serving as the Managing Director of Indian joint venture Dabur Nepal.

5) SANIA MIRZA, BETHANIE MATTEK-SANDS WON SYDNEY INTERNATIONAL

Ø  SaniaMirza and her partner BethanieMattek-Sands of the US won the women’s doubles title of the Sydney International Tennis Tournament.
Ø  With this win, the duo earned 470 ranking points each and split 39000 US Dollar as prize money.
Ø  This was the fifth WTA title for Sania and Bethanie together
Ø  It is one of the oldest professional tennis tournaments of the world. It started in 1885.