4TH AUGUST
Contents
ALLOCATION OF $650 BN IN IMF SPECIAL DRAWING RIGHTS
WORLD 1ST COMMERCIAL REPROGRAMMABLE SATELLITE
WORLD’S YOUNGEST MOUNTAINEER TO SCALE K2
TOP 100 QS BEST STUDENT CITIES RANKING
ORDNANCE FACTORY LAUNCHED ‘TRICHY CARBINE’
INDIAN BOXER LOVLINA BORGOHAI WINS BRONZE MEDAL
BVLGARI ROPES-IN PRIYANKA CHOPRA AS GLOBAL BA
2021 FORTUNE’S GLOBAL 500 LIST
ALLOCATION OF $650 BN IN IMF SPECIAL DRAWING RIGHTS
- The Board of Governors of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have approved a record general allocation of $650 billion in IMF Special Drawing Rights (SDR), to help boost global liquidity.
- The $650 billion SDR allocation aims to support member countries, especially emerging and developing nations, battling the coronavirus pandemic and the economic downturn it has caused.
- This allocation is the largest-ever distribution in the IMF’s 77-year history, in terms of monetary reserves assets.
- The allocation will become effective from August 23, 2021. The newly created SDRs will be credited to member countries in proportion to their existing quotas shareholding in the Fund.
- IMF Headquarters: Washington, D.C. U.S.
- IMF Managing Director and Chairman: Kristalina Georgieva.
- IMF Chief Economist: Gita Gopinath.
(SOURCE: THE REUTERS)
WORLD 1ST COMMERCIAL REPROGRAMMABLE SATELLITE
- European Space Agency (ESA) launched ‘Eutelsat Quantum’, the world’s 1st commercial reprogrammable satellite into space aboard Ariane 5 rocket from French Guiana.
- It is a fully flexible software-defined satellite. The satellite has been developed under a European Space Agency partnership project with satellite operator Eutelsat, Airbus & Surrey Satellite Technology.
- A reprogrammable satellite allows the user to repurpose it even after being launched into orbit. It can be reprogrammed in real-time to suit the changing purposes of the user.
- The Quantum satellite is capable of responding to changing demands for data transmission and secure communication during its lifespan of 15 years and will cover the areas from West Africa to Asia.
- The satellite will remain in geostationary orbit for its 15-year lifespan, after which it will be safely placed in a graveyard orbit away from Earth to avoid becoming a risk to other satellites.
- About the Satellite: Eutelsat Quantum is a UK flagship project with most of the satellites developed and manufactured by British industry.
- Airbus is the prime contractor and was responsible for building the satellite’s innovative payload, while Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd manufactured the new platform.
- The innovative phase array antenna was developed by Airbus in Spain.
- European Space Agency is an intergovernmental organization of 22 member states.
- European Space Agency was established in 1975 and headquartered in Paris.
(SOURCE: THE WIRE)
WORLD’S YOUNGEST MOUNTAINEER TO SCALE K2
- A 19-year old Pakistani climber Shehroze Kashif became the youngest person in the world to reach the summit of K2, the second-highest peak in the world.
- Shehroze Kashif from Lahore achieved the feat of scaling the 8,611-metre high peak with the aid of bottled oxygen. Before Kashif, Sajid Sadpara, the son of the legendary climber Muhammad Ali Sadpara, was the youngest person to have climbed K2 at the age of 20.
- Kashif also scaled the world’s 12th-highest mountain, the 8,047-meter Broad Peak, at the age of 17. In May this year, he became the youngest Pakistani to scale Mount Everest.
- Pakistan, Nepal, and China are home to the 14 highest peaks in the world, also known as the 8,000ers. Five 8,000-metre peaks, including K2 and Nanga Parbat, are in Pakistan.
- Pakistan President: Arif Alvi.
- Pakistan Prime minister: Imran Khan.
(SOURCE: INDIAN EXPRESS)
TOP 100 QS BEST STUDENT CITIES RANKING
- Mumbai and Bengaluru are out of the global top-100 list and are currently ranking at 106 and 110, respectively in the latest edition of the QS Best Student Cities Ranking.
- While Mumbai lost 29 places, Bengaluru fell by 21 places in the ninth edition of the rankings brought out by global higher education analysts QS Quacquarelli Symonds.
- Globally, the results, which enable students to compare 115 premier educational destinations, see London retain its status as the world’s best student city for the third consecutive edition.
- It is followed by Munich, which rises from 4th to 2nd. Seoul, which jumps from 10th to joint-3rd, shares the bronze-medal position with Olympic hosts Tokyo.
- About the QS rank cities: QS rank cities with a population of at least 250,000 and with at least two universities placing in the QS World University Rankings.
- The ranking offers a powerful lens into the sentiments of both prospective and former students, with over 95,000 survey responses contributing to the Desirability (prospective students) and Student View (former students) indexes.
- As part of its methodology, QS covers metrics like university rankings, student mix, desirability, employer activity, and affordability, among others.
(SOURCE: JAGRAN JOSH)
ORDNANCE FACTORY LAUNCHED ‘TRICHY CARBINE’
- The Ordnance Factory Tiruchirappalli (OFT) in Tamil Nadu launched a new high-tech and low sound weapon called TriCa (Trichy Carbine), a mini version of the Trichy Assault Rifle (TAR).
- It was unveiled by General Manager of OFT Sanjay Dwivedi, IOFS (Indian Ordnance Factories Service) during a function.
- Features of TriCa: Size of TriCa: 7.62 X 39 mm portable weapon launched on the carbine platform
- Weight of TriCa:17 kg (including the magazine) and Range of TriCa: 150 to 175 metres
- The lighter and compact weapon, carbine TriCa is designed for the infantry combat vehicle, helicopter crew and security personnel for operations that call for a compact and relatively powerful individual automatic weapon.
- The weapon is also for paratroopers, police and security personnel guarding highly secure facilities such as airports, and for use by the Special Operation Forces.
(SOURCE: TIMES OF INDIA)
INDIAN BOXER LOVLINA BORGOHAI WINS BRONZE MEDAL
- Indian Boxer, Lovlina Borgohain has failed to reach the gold medal final match. She settles for a bronze medal.
- This is India’s third medal of the ongoing Tokyo Olympics. She lost to Busenaz Surmeneli of Turkey by unanimous decision in the women’s welterweight (69 kg) semifinal at Tokyo 2020.
- Lovlina had already assured India of their first boxing medal at the ongoing Olympic Games when she upstaged former world champion, Nien-Chin Chen of Taiwan, to enter the semis.
(SOURCE: HINDUSTAN TIMES)
BVLGARI ROPES-IN PRIYANKA CHOPRA AS GLOBAL BA
- Italian luxury brand Bvlgari has appointed actor Priyanka Chopra Jonas as global brand ambassador.
- She will support the Roman high jewellery house in amplifying the brand around the world, with a particular focus on themes of women empowerment, diversity and inclusion.
- Bvlgari is known for its gemstone jewellery, watches, fragrances, accessories and leather goods.
- Priyanka Chopra Jonas is also a global UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, and recipient of the prestigious Danny Kaye Humanitarian award, serving as a symbol of power and strength for millions of young women.
- In 2020, the company partnered with perfume and taste company Firmenich on a sustainable flower farming project called “Flower Gems of India.”
- The goal was to create a new jasmine farming model involving 100 family-owned farms in Tamil Nadu, offering local communities an alternative approach to jasmine production to increase their profits and enhance the quality of their flowers.
(SOURCE: MONEY CONTROL)
2021 FORTUNE’S GLOBAL 500 LIST
- Seven Indian companies have found a place in 2021 Fortune’s Global 500 list.
- The Fortune Global 500 is an annual ranking of the top 500 enterprises globally, as measured by business revenues. Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries Ltd is the highest-ranked Indian company on the list in terms of revenue, with revenues of nearly $63 billion. It is placed at 155th spot globally.
- Globally, Walmart has topped the list in terms of revenue for the eighth consecutive year and the 16th time since 1995.
- China has dominated this years list for the highest number of companies featuring in the list at 143, including those from Taiwan. This is followed by the S. with 122, and Japan with a total of 53, respectively.
- Indian Companies in the list:
- Reliance Industries (155)
- State Bank of India (205)
- Indian Oil (212)
- Oil & Natural Gas (243)
- Rajesh Exports (348)
- Tata Motors (357)
- Bharat Petroleum (394)
(SOURCE: LIVE MINT)