Current Affairs Quiz - July, 2020

Notes:
A 23-year old chess player from Tamil Nadu, G. Akash has recently become the 66th Grandmaster of India.
Akash’s Grand Master title was confirmed at the second council meet of International Chess Federation (FIDE) of the year 2020. The Chennai-based player won the National title in the year 2012. His present FIDE rating is 2495.

Notes:
The World Health Organization (WHO) has acknowledged the evidence that the novel coronavirus spreads through air.
WHO has previously said the virus spreads through small droplets expelled from nose and mouth of an infected person that quickly sinks to the ground. A group of 239 scientists from 32 countries wrote an open letter to the WHO, in which they claimed the airborne spread of the virus and urged WHO t update its guidance.

Notes:
China has successfully completed its maiden flight of aircraft fitted with its own high-speed satellite internet system.
The internet system was tested on Qingdao Airlines aircraft and during its flight, passengers could access internet services at speeds higher than 100 MB at a height above 10,000 meters. China also conducted its first ever live broadcast during flight.

Notes:
Reliance Industries (RIL) and the UK-based oil company BP, to start their new fuel retail and mobility joint venture (JV).
As per the joint statement released by the companies, the newly launched JV company is named as Reliance BP Mobility (RBML). Moreover, the JV will begin to rebrand RIL fuel retail outlets to Jio-BP. The new company also aims to provide electric vehicle charging facilities.

Notes:
Manila-based Asian Development Bank (ADB) has renewed its memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the International Energy Agency (IEA).
The aim of the 3-year agreement is to scale up collaboration on sustainability and energy sector resilience in Asia and the Pacific. The first three-year agreement was signed in March 2017, for knowledge sharing of sustainable energy systems in ADB’s developing member countries.

Notes:
The Chinese embassy in the central Asian country Kazakhstan has recently issued a statement, in which it has warned its citizens living in Kazakhstan, about a local ‘unknown pneumonia’.
The embassy also announced that this unknown disease has a higher fatality rate than the Covid-19 disease. As per the statement, the disease has caused 1772 deaths in the first six months of the year, which also included several Chinese citizens.

Notes:
The Asia Cup is a popular cricket tournament organised by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC). It was established in 1983 and includes men’s One Day International and Twenty20 International cricket tournament.
Recently, the Asian Cricket Council announced that the tournament that was scheduled to be held in September this year in Sri Lanka, has been postponed till June 2021.

Notes:
The ‘World Population Day’ is observed across the world, on July 11 every year. The day was first celebrated in the year 1990.
Inspired by the awareness created by ‘Five Billion Day’ on the same day in 1987 when the world’s population reached 5 billion, UNDP recommended the observance of Population Day on July 11. “Putting the brakes on COVID-19: how to safeguard the health and rights of women and girls now” is the theme of the campaign for 2020.

Notes:
The state of Chhattisgarh has the become the first in the country, to organise an state-wide e-Lok Adalat, through video conferencing.
As per the State Legal Services Authority, more than 3,000 cases will be taken up for virtual hearing in over 200 benches of various districts, including the High Court. This step is expected to clear pending cases by following precautionary measures amidst Covid-19.

Notes:
The head of Reliance Industries Ltd, Mukesh Ambani has moved up to become the fifth richest man in the world, as per the Hurun Research.
Last month, the billionaire was at eighth position in the list. Now, he surpassed Warren Buffet and shares 5th rank with Tesla founder Elon Musk and Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. His net-worth rose to USD 78 billion. Earlier, Jio platforms had raised Rs 117,588 crore from global investors.