Important Current Affairs 7th May 2019

Important Current Affairs 7th May 2019

• Microsoft unveiled its Blockchain service
  • Microsoft has unveiled Azure Blockchain Service that would simplify the formation, management and governance.
  • Azure Blockchain Service will let businesses develop their applications on its Cloud-based platform.
  • Microsoft has also announced a partnership with J.P. Morgan to make “Quorum” (an enterprise-focused version of open-sourced platform Ethereum).
• 40% amphibian species threatened
  • Relentless pursuit of economic growth, twinned with the impact of climate change, has put one million species at risk of extinction, as per a report.
  • Known as the Global Assessment, the report found that up to 1 million of Earth’s estimated eight million plants, insect and animal species are at risk of extinction within decades.
  • The study is compiled by 145 expert authors from 50 countries.
• Mahashakti temple to be relocated
  • The Madras HC directed the State government to relocate the Mahashakti Mariamman Temple following its removal last year from the ‘Girivalam’ path in Tiruvannamalai.
  • Justice K. Ravichandrabaabu directed the Tiruvannamalai Collector to assign the temple at about 270 metres from the original location.
• Tiger Woods awarded Presidential medal
  • US President Donald Trump bestowed Tiger Woods with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honour.
  • Woods is only the fourth and the youngest golfer ever to have received the highest American civilian award.
  • Mr. Trump praised Mr. Woods as one of the greatest athletes in the history of sports.
• Google to launch privacy tools
  • Alphabet Inc’s Google is set to roll out a dashboard-like function in its Chrome browser to offer users more control in fending off tracking cookies.
  • Cookies are small text files that follow internet users and are used by advertisers to target consumers on the specific interests they have displayed while browsing.
• Apple, Google removed 3 dating apps
  • Apple and Google have removed 3 dating apps from their online stores after the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) alleged the apps allowed kids as young as 12 to access them.
  • In a recent letter, the FTC warned Ukraine-based Wildec LLC, which operates the apps Meet24, FastMeet, and Meet4U. 
  • These apps appeared to be in violation of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).
• Notto nod must for organ allocation
  • In the last one year, the number of Indian patients receiving organs from brain-dead donors has gone up by 56% in Tamil Nadu.
  • The number of lungs transplanted on Indians went up from 43 in 2017 to 84 in 2018.
  • The National Organ & Tissue Transplant Organisation (Notto) has mandated that an organ could be allocated to a foreign national only after it gives its approval. 
• Nepali teenager created new record
  • Bandana Nepal danced continuously for 126 hours to set a Guinness World Records on Longest Dancing Marathon by an Individual, a feat previously hold by an Indian.
  • Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli honoured the 18-year-old girl, Bandana Nepal, for achieving the feat.
  • Bandana Nepal beat the record set by Kalamandalam Hemlatha, who danced continuously for 123 hours and 15 minutes in 2011.
• ISRO to launch RISAT-2BR1 on 22 May
  • ISRO is set to launch its Radar Imaging Satellite, the RISAT-2BR1, on May 22, 2019 from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.
  • The RISAT, a remote sensing satellite, provide all-weather surveillance using synthetic aperture radars (SAR).
  • RISAT’s are the first all-weather observation satellites from ISRO and are designed to provide a continuous view of earth either at day or night.
• Appointments
  • Visa has announced the appointment of Sujatha V Kumar as Head of Marketing for India and South Asia. 
  • Reza Baqir, an economist with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), has been appointed as Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) for three years.
• Gregor appointed global ambassador
  • Gregor Robertson has accepted an ambassador role with the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy.
  • The Global Covenant of Mayors is a coalition of over 9,000 cities and is the largest global alliance for climate leadership.
  • In his role as ambassador, the former mayor will be taking his knowledge of urban climate change strategies to organizations around the world.
• Obituaries
  • Mappilappattu singer and Kerala Folklore Akademi vice chairman Eranholi Moosa died at his residence at Gopalpeta in Thalassery in May 2019.
  • Popular folk singer and activist Rama Rao passed away while undergoing treatment for a heart-related ailment in Hyderabad’s Durgabai Deshmukh Hospital in May 2019.
• RBI raised caps on home loans by SFBs
  • The RBI has increased the eligibility cap on home loans extended by regional rural banks and small finance banks to ₹35 lakh in metropolitan areas and ₹25 lakh in other centres.
  • All such loans will be now classified by these banks as priority sector loans.
  • In addition, the existing family income limit of ₹2 lakh per annum is revised to ₹3 lakh per annum for EWS and ₹6 lakh per annum for LIG.
• Indian boxers won 6 medals
  • Indian boxers finished with six medals, including two gold at the 36th Feliks Stamm International Boxing Tournament in Warsaw, Poland.
  • Gaurav Solanki and Manish Kaushik bagged one gold each.
  • Indian boxers also clinched a silver and three bronze.
  • The six-day competition saw boxers from all over the world participating in 10 categories in the men’s section.
• Mali President named new government
  • In Mali, the president has named a new government after its predecessor resigned in April 2019.
  • President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita announced the new executive of 37 members under Prime Minister Boubou Cisse.
  • He was appointed on April 22, 2019, to oversee the formation of a broad-based government.
• PM announced Rs 1000 cr assistance for Odisha
  • PM Narendra Modi announced to provide manpower, machine, material and money for restoration work in cyclone FANI affected areas in Odisha.
  • Rs 1000 crore financial assistance will be given to Odisha.
  • Before the cyclone, 381 crore rupees assistance in advance was declared by the Prime Minister.
  • Eastern Command of the Indian Navy is also providing relief materials in Puri and Khurda districts.
• Mumbai’s last captive white tiger died
  • Bajirao, the last captive white tiger, died recently at Sanjay Gandhi National Park, in Borivali, Mumbai.
  • He was 18 years and died due to old age related issues.
  • Bajirao was born at the Sanjay Gandhi National Park in 2001.
  • There are six remaining Royal Bengal tigers at the park, four female and two male, all above 10 years of age.
• G D Robert honored with V K Menon Award
  • Indian-origin journalist G D ‘Robert’ Govender was conferred with V K Krishna Menon Award 2019 in the UK for his contribution as a pioneer of decolonised journalism.
  • The award is given to mark the 123rd birth anniversary of V K Krishna Menon, Indian diplomat and politician.
  • He is the first person who has been awarded the V K Krishna Menon posthumously.
• Roger climbed 3rd in men’s rankings
  • Former world number one Roger Federer has returned to third in the ATP Men’s rankings released on 6 May 2019.
  • He replaced Alexander Zverev after he was knocked out of the Munich Open at the quarter-finals stage.
  • Novak Djokovic remains first ahead of Rafael Nadal to mark the Serb’s 250th week as world number one.
• India and US held Bilat. Trade Meeting
  • India and the United States held the India-U.S. Bilateral Trade meeting in New Delhi on 6 May 2019.
  • India appreciated the US Trade Winds Indo-Pacific Business Forum and Mission initiative 2019, being held at New Delhi.
  • The forum will bring together distributors, representatives and partners and enable them to increase sales by taking part in business-to-business meetings from 8-10 May 2019.
• INS Ranjit decommissioned
  • INS Ranjit, a Rajput class destroyer was decommissioned at Visakhapatnam on 6 May 2019.
  • The ship commissioned on 15 September 1983 by Captain Vishnu Bhagwat has rendered yeoman service to the nation for 36 years.
  • The ship since her commissioning has sailed for 2190 days covering a distance of over 7,43,000 nautical miles.