Focus Merit

Category: International Current Affairs

China launched its first Mars Probe

July 23, 2020
China launched its first Mars Probe
  • China successfully launched its first Mars Probe named ‘Tianwen 1’from the Wenchchang Spacecraft launch site. The Spacecraft was carried by the biggest and powerful rocket of China, Long March 5.
  • Its Objective is a comprehensive observation and investigation of the soil, atmosphere, environment and water on Mars.

“Emergency Medical Services” to be established in Male

July 22, 2020
Emergency Medical Services
  • India and Maldives signed an agreement to establish “Emergency Medical Services” in Male.
  • The Emergency Medical Service is financed by India under grant assistance of 20 million USD for neighboring countries to increase the collaboration between the countries.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has launched its first mission to Mars

July 20, 2020
  • The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has launched its first mission to Mars on 20th July 2020. The UAE is striving to develop its scientific and technological capabilities and move away from its dependence on oil.
  • The Hope Probe was launched from Japan’s Tanegashima Space Center on 20 July for a seven-month journey to Mars. The satellite will orbit around Mars and send back data about the atmosphere.
  • The total cost of the Emirates Mars Mission is $200 million.

Iran drops India from Chabahar Rail Project due to funding delay

July 15, 2020
  • Iran has dropped India from the Chabahar rail project, for the construction of railway line from Chabahar port to Zahedan, along the Iran-Afghanistan border.
  • The reason that Iran gave for dropping India was delays from the Indian side in funding and starting the construction of the project.
  • Iran has now decided to move ahead with the construction of Chabahar railway line to Zahedan on its own.
  • For this $400 million will be sanctioned by the Iranian National Development Fund and the entire project will be completed by March 2022, without any assistance from India.
  • It must be noted that this decision has been taken by Iran at a time when it is seeking to finalise a 25-year economic and security partnership with China worth $400 billion.

United States remains India’s top trading partner for 2nd consecutive year in 2019-20

July 14, 2020
india united states
  • The United States has retained its position as India’s top trading partner for the second consecutive financial year in 2019-20.
  • As per the data of the Ministry of Commerce, the bilateral trade between the US and India in 2019-20 stood at $88.75 billion as against $87.96 billion in 2018-19.
  • In 2018-19, the US for the first time surpassed China to become India’s top trading partner.
  • China was India’s top trading partner since 2013-14 till 2017-18 and before China, UAE was the largest trading nation in India.
  • The bilateral trade between India and China dropped to $81.87 billion in 2019-20 from $87.08 billion in 2018-19.

India becomes second-largest source of FDI in United Kingdom

July 13, 2020
Foreign direct investment (FDI)
  • Based on the latest figures, released by the government of United Kingdom, India has moved up one place to become the second-largest source of foreign direct investment (FDI) in UK in the financial year 2019-20. It was the third largest FDI source in 2018-29.
  • United States remained the top source of FDI for UK in 2019-20.
  • The top five largest source of FDI in UK included US, India, Germany, France and China and Hong Kong.

WHO sets up independent panel to review its handling of COVID-19 pandemic

July 13, 2020
WHO
  • The World Health Organization (WHO) has set up an independent panel to review its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and the response by governments.
  • The panel will be co-chaired by former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark and former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
  • The panel will provide an interim report to an annual meeting of health ministers in November and present a substantive report in May 2021.

Russia becomes first nation to complete clinical trials of Coronavirus vaccine

July 12, 2020
coronavirus vaccine
  • Russia has become the first nation to successfully complete the human trials of COVID vaccine. Russia’s COVID-19/coronavirus vaccine has proven to be effective, as per the results of the trials.
  • Chief Researcher Elena Smolyarchuk informed on July 12, 2020 that the human trials of Russia’s COVID vaccine have been completed and the volunteers will be discharged soon. Smolyarchuk is the head of Center for Clinical Research on Medications at Russia’s Sechenov University

Google Plus is now ‘Google Currents’ in playstore

July 11, 2020
google currents
  • Google has officially shut down its ‘Google Plus’ social networking platform and it has rebranded the app as “Google Currents”.
  • Google Currents is a platform which enables its users to connect with their colleagues, exchange documents and interact with like-minded people who have similar interests

High-throughput communication satellite launched from China

July 10, 2020
Xichang Satellite Launch Centre, China
  • The Xichang Satellite Launch Centre, China Great Wall Industry Corporation has successfully launched the high-throughput communication satellite ‘APSTAR-6D’ on 9th July 2020.
  • China Academy of Space Technology (CAST) has developed the commercial satellite ‘APSTAR-6D’