Daily GK Update : 15-16th August 2017

By Vijay Kumar|Updated : August 16th, 2017

International Affairs

1. Melbourne named the world's most liveable city once again

  • Melbourne (Australia) has once again been named the world's most liveable city by Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), receiving a perfect score for healthcare, education, and infrastructure.
  • Vienna once again came second and Vancouver third.
  • It was a record seventh time in a row from 2011 to 2017 in the top spot for Melbourne.
  • The Economist Intelligence Unit's (EIU) Liveability Index ranks 140 cities each year on those topics, as well as stability, culture, and environment.

Top five most liveable cities:

  • 1st: Melbourne
  • 2nd: Vienna
  • 3rd: Vancouver
  • 4th: Toronto
  • 5th: Adelaide

2. Italy to host G-7 interior ministers summit on security

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  • Italy will host a summit of Group of Seven Interior Ministers centered on security issues in the fall.
  • Italy currently holds the rotating helm of the G-7 industrialized nations.
  • These countries are the seven major advanced economies as reported by the International Monetary Fund.
  • The 43rd G7 summit was held in Taormina, Italy on May 2017.

Note:

  • The group consists of seven major advanced economies including Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom and the United States.
  • The European Union is also represented within the G7.
  • The G7 countries represent more than 64% of the net global wealth.

3. Norway has world's fastest mobile Internet

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  • According to a global leader in broadband testing 'Ookla', Norway has the fastest mobile Internet in the world.
  • Average internet connection speed of Norwegians' mobile phones has increased by 69% during the last year and ha the speed of 52.6 megabits per second.
  • In only 13 months, Norway has jumped from 11th to 1st place on the list of world best providers of fast Internet connection.
  • The Netherlands and Hungary are ranked number two and three on the list of the world's fastest mobile networks,

4. Nepal & China sign three pacts to boost their ties

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  • Nepal and China have signed three pacts to further boost their ties in power and energy sectors.
  • The pacts were signed to undertake a feasibility study to excavate natural gas and petroleum in the Himalayan country.
  • The agreements signed will cover economic and technological cooperation, oil and gas resources exploration, and promotion of investment.

Science 

5. More effective and safer Zika vaccine developed

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  • Scientists have developed the world's first plant-based Zika vaccine, which may be more effective, safer and cheaper than other vaccines against the mosquito-borne virus.
  • Presently, there are no licensed vaccines or therapeutics available to fight Zika.
  • The vaccine works against a part of a Zika viral protein, called DIII, which plays a key role for the virus to infect people.
  • All Flaviviruses have the envelope protein on the outside part of the virus.
  • The domain III has a unique stretch of DNA for the Zika virus, and we exploited this to generate a robust and protective immune response that is unique for Zika

Obituaries

6. Australia's Olympic champion Stephen Wooldridge passes away

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  • Australia's former Olympic and world cycle champion ‘Stephen Wooldridge’ (39-year) passed away.
  • He won gold for Australia in the 2004 Athens Olympics, was also a four-time world champion in the discipline and the 2002 Commonwealth Games champion.
  • In 2005, Wooldridge was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia for service to sport as a gold medallist at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.
  • He was inducted into the NSW Hall of Champions in 2015.

National Affairs

7. Govt. asks Google, FB, Microsoft, others to remove Blue Whale links

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  • The Union govt. has directed internet majors Google, Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, Microsoft, and Yahoo to immediately remove links of the dangerous online game ‘Blue Whale Challenge’.
  • There are instances of children committing suicide in India while playing this online game.
  • Now, the internet majors to ensure that any such link of this deadly game should be removed immediately from a social media platform.

Note:

  • The Blue Whale Challenge is a suicide game in which the player is given certain tasks to complete for a period of 50 days and the final task leads to suicide.
  • The player is asked to share photos after finishing the different levels of the game.

8. India's first online course on Infusion Therapy launched

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  • A global authority in infusion therapy ‘Infusion Nurses Society (INS)’ has launched India's first online course on Infusion Therapy for nurses.
  • The Infusion Nurses Society aims to train over 3000 nurses in the vital medical procedure.
  • The course will enable members to access the various infusion therapy modules and presentations through its website.

Note:

  • Infusion therapy deals with all aspects of fluid and medication infusion, via an intravenous or subcutaneous application.

9. Odisha govt. launches Facebook programme ‘SheMeansBusiness’

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  • Chief Minister of Odisha 'Naveen Patnaik' has launched Facebook's program 'She Means Business' for women entrepreneurs in the state.
  • The ‘SheMeansBusiness program’ has been launched in 16 countries across the world including India.
  • The program was launched in partnership with Odisha’s micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) department and Project Mission Shakti.

Note:

  • Around 25000 women entrepreneurs and Self-Help Group (SHG) members will get training on digital marketing skills by the end of 2018.

Banking & Finance

10. Indian export grows 4% in July

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  • According to the Official data, country's exports grew 3.9% in July this year to 22.5 billion dollars.
  • Exports rose due to an increase in shipments of petroleum, chemicals, and marine products.
  • The country's trade deficit widened to 11.4 billion dollars during the month under review, from 7.8 billion dollars in July last year.
  • Gold import spurted 95% (2.1 billion dollars) and oil imports increased 15% in July.

National Appointments

11. Santosh Sharma appointed Hindustan Copper CMD

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  • Santosh Sharma has been appointed as Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Hindustan Copper Limited (HCL) for a period of five years.
  • Currently, He is Director (operations) in the same company.

Note:

  • Hindustan Copper Ltd. is a Government-owned corporation in the Central Public-Sector Enterprise under the Ministry of Mines (India), Government of India.
  • HCL is the only vertically integrated copper producer in India engaged in a wide spectrum of activities ranging from Mining, Beneficiation, Smelting, Refining and Continuous Cast Rod manufacturer.

Sports

12. Alexander Zverev wins Rogers Cup championship

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  • German Alexander Zverev (20-year) has won fifth Rogers Cup championship
  • He defeated Swiss Roger Federer in straight set 6-3, 6-4 at the Rogers Cup final to claim his second Masters 1000 title in Montreal, Canada.
  • The events alternate from year to year between the cities of Montreal and Toronto.

13. Indian boxers clinch 10 medals at Serbian tourney

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  • India bagged two Gold medals in the 6th Golden Glove Women's Boxing Tournament at Vojvodina, Serbia.
  • Jyoti won Gold in 51 kg category, and Vanlalharitpuii bagged it in 60 kg category.
  • Now, India won two Gold, four Silver and four Bronze medals in the tournament.
  • The silver medals were clinched by Anjali (48kg), Sakshi (54kg), Ashtha (69kg) and Anupama (81kg).
  • The bronze medals were clinched by Mandeep (57kg), Nisha (64kg), Shruti(75kg) and Neha (81kg) category.

14. Cristiano Ronaldo banned for five matches over Referee Shove

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  • Real Madrid star ‘Cristiano Ronaldo’ (32-year) has been banned for five-match by the Spanish football federation after pushing the referee following his red card.
  • Ronaldo received an automatic one-match ban and an extra four games for his reaction towards referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea.
  • He has also been fined USD 4,500.

 "Thought of the Day"

“Everything you’ve ever wanted is on the other side of fear.”

  >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

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Daily GK Update : 15-16th August 2017

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