Current Affairs Quiz - July, 2020

Notes:
Major Global companies including Microsoft, Nike, Starbucks, Unilever and Mercedes-Benz among others are collaborating to form a new consortium.
The group named ‘Transform to Net Zero’ pledges to share resources and strategies for curbing carbon emissions. It has planned to work with the non-profit Environmental Defense Fund for implementing this programme.

Notes:
Gurugram-headquartered Indian air carrier SpiceJet has recently aqui-hired Bengaluru-based airline technology company Travenues.
Trevenues is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the famous travel application ixigo. As per the pact, SpiceJet will absorb the travel technology team of the company and airline commerce platform. This will strengthen the e-Commerce exposure of SpiceJet.

Notes:
The United States has recently ordered China to close its consulate in Houston. This is a sequel of punitive measures against China including the travel bans, strict registration requirements among others.
The State Department said it ordered the consulate to shut down within 72 hours to protect American intellectual property and the private information of Americans. China has its embassy in Washington, its mission to the United Nations in New York, and consulates in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles.

Notes:
The Defence Institute of High-Altitude Research (DIHAR) is a life science laboratory of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) working on cold arid agro-animal technologies.
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has established a COVID-19 testing facility at the DIHAR in Leh. The testing facility is capable of screening 50 samples per day and it enhances the capacity of testing in the Union Territory of Ladakh.

Notes:
E-Commerce Giant Flipkart has announced that it will acquire parent Walmart’s wholesale business, ‘Best Price’.
The loss-ridden cash-and-carry business of Walmart in India is the last part of Walmart to be acquired by Flipkart marking a complete consolidation. This acquisition is expected to help Flipkart to expand its business-to-business vertical.

Notes:
The Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) is to set up its own Cotton warehouse in Vietnam, to boost Exports.
A government-to-government Memorandum of Understanding is also being prepared to export 1.5-2 million bales of cotton to Bangladesh. CCI holds surplus stocks of cotton before the next harvest season and this plan has been made.

Notes:
The United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson has launched a strategy to encourage the citizens to be physically fit.
A new evidence showed that obese people who are being infected by coronavirus are more likely to die or develop severe illness. Under the drive, Doctors prescribe cycling or running to patients. There will be ban on junk food advertisements and calorie warnings will be provided on food items.

Notes:
The world’s first electrified rail tunnel fit to run double-stack containers is being constructed by the Indian Railways in Haryana.
Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Ltd (DFCCIL) has recently conducted a tunnel-breaking ceremony on completion of caving work for the tunnel of Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (WDFC) through Aravalli mountain range. One among the biggest railway tunnels, it connects Rewari and Dadri and itwill be completed within a year.

Notes:
Australia’s consumer regulator, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has accused Google of privacy breaches.
It has alleged that Google has misled millions of Australians in collecting their personal information. To target advertising, Google is alleged to have obtained consent and expanded the scope of personal information collected on internet activity of the users.

Notes:
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has recently attended the 5th Annual Meeting of Board of Governors of Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).
A roundtable discussion was conducted on the theme ‘AIIB 2030-Supporting Asia’s Development over the Next Decade’. The bank had earlier provided a financial assistance of about USD 10 billion to combat Covid-19.