India, Russia declared joint winners of 2020 Online FIDE Chess Olympiad

 India, Russia declared joint winners of 2020 Online FIDE Chess Olympiad

India and Russia were declared joint winners of the 2020 Online FIDE Chess Olympiad .
 
the international chess federation Fide's president Arkady Dvorkovich decided to award the gold medal to both the teams.
 
This was the first time Fide was holding the Olympiad in an online format.

India had reached the finals of the FIDE Chess Olympiad for the first time.

The Fédération Internationale des Échecs is an international organization based in Switzerland that connects the various national chess federations and acts as the governing body of international chess competition. It is usually referred to by its French acronym FIDE.  
Headquarters: Lausanne, Switzerland
Founded: 20 July 1924, Paris, France
President: Arkady Dvorkovich
CEO: Geoffrey D. Borg
Membership: 195 national associations
Formation: July 20, 1924;

Dwayne Bravo becomes first bowler to take 500 wickets in T20 cricket

 Dwayne Bravo becomes first bowler to take 500 wickets in T20 cricket

West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo on Wednesday became the first bowler to reach the mark of 500 wickets in T20 cricket.

The pacer achieved the feat in the ongoing Caribbean Premier League (CPL) match between Trinbago Knight Riders and St Lucia Zouks.

While representing Trinbago Knight Riders, Bravo scalped the wicket of Rahkeem Cornwall (18) to register his 500th wicket in the shortest format of the game.

Bravo achieved the feat of 500th wicket in his 459th match in the shortest format.

He has taken his wickets at an average of 24.62 and an economy rate of 8.25.

National sports day

 National sports day

The National Sports Day in India is celebrated on 29 August, on the birth anniversary of hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand .

This day marks the birthday of Major Dhyan Chand Singh, the hockey player who won gold medals in Olympics for India in the years 1928, 1932 and 1936.

He score 570 goals in his career, from 1926 to 1949 (according to his autobiography, goals)

After putting his stamp on international hockey arena, and having served his country to reach its pinnacles of glory multiple times.

He is a legendary figure in the Indian and world hockey. The most noted memorials for him is the Major Dhyan Chand Award ,the highest award for lifetime achievement in sports and games in India , and the National Sport day celebrations on his birthday.

Major Dhyan chand learnt the game of hockey from his coach Pankaj Gupta.

The birth anniversary of hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand is on 29 August 1905.

BRICS Industry Ministers attend video meeting to discuss ways to boost cooperation in 5G, AI

BRICS Industry Ministers attend video meeting to discuss ways to boost cooperation in 5G, AI

Industry Ministers of BRICS countries attended a video meeting yesterday to discuss ways to boost cooperation in areas including 5G and Artificial Intelligence.

the meeting adopted a joint statement on cooperation in new industries such as 5G, AI and the industrial Internet, among BRICS countries - five members bloc which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

BRICS is the acronym coined for an association of five major emerging national economies: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The BRICS members are known for their significant influence on regional affairs. Since 2009, the BRICS nations have met annually at formal summits.

Founded: June 2006

Formation: 2009

Official language: Portuguese, Russian, Hindi, Chinese, English

Founders: India, China, Brazil, Russia
 

 

England’s James Anderson becomes the first fast bowler to take 600 wickets in Test cricket

 England’s James Anderson becomes the first fast bowler to take 600 wickets in Test cricket

England fast bowler James Anderson became the fourth player to take 600 wickets in Test cricket

Anderson made his Test debut in May 2003, with a match against Zimbabwe at Lord’s. He had played his first international game in December 2002 – an ODI against Australia.

The 38-year-old is the highest wicket-taker in Tests among fast bowlers and only has Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan, Australia’s Shane Warne and India’s Anil Kumble ahead of him on the all-time list.

World Water Week

 World Water Week

World Water Week organized by SIWI is the annual focal point for global water issues.

World Water Week 2020 was scheduled to take place in Stockholm 23-28 August.

This year would have been the 30th anniversary of World Water Week

Stockholm International Water Institute is a Stockholm-based policy institute that generates knowledge and guides decision-making towards water wise decisions.

Headquarters location: Stockholm, Sweden
Founded: 1991

Indian Coast Guard Ship C-449 Commissioned at Chennai

 Indian Coast Guard Ship C-449 Commissioned at Chennai

K Shanmugam, Chief Secretary to Government of Tamil Nadu commissioned Indian Coast Guard Ship C-449 at Chennai on August 20th.

The ship is Forty Ninth amongst the Fifty Four in their series being indigenously designed and built by M/s Larsen and Toubro Ltd, Hazira (Surat).

This ship is 27.80 Mtrs long, with a displacement of 105 tons and Max Speed of 45 knots (85 kmph).

It is capable of undertaking multifarious tasks including Surveillance, Interdiction, Search and Rescue, in addition to rendering assistance to boats and craft in distress at sea.

The vessel is provided with advanced navigation and communication equipment for safe navigation.

The ship is commanded by Assistant Commandant Ashish Sharma and will be based at Krishnapatnam under the administrative and operational control of the Commander, Coast Guard District Headquarters No. 6 at Visakhapatnam.

2019–20 UEFA Europa League

 2019–20 UEFA Europa League

The 2019–20 UEFA Europa League was the 49th season of Europe's secondary club football tournament organised by UEFA, and the 11th season since it was renamed from the UEFA Cup to the UEFA Europa League.

The final was played at the RheinEnergieStadion in Cologne, Germany

Sevilla defeated Inter Milan in the final for a record sixth title in the competition

As winners, Sevilla earned the right to play against the winners of the 2019–20 UEFA Champions League in the 2020 UEFA Super Cup.

Champion: Sevilla FC Trending
Top scorer: Bruno Fernandes
Matches played: 194
Goals scored: 543

Ashwani Bhatia named as new Managing director of State Bank of India

 Ashwani Bhatia named as new Managing director of State Bank of India

The Centre has named Ashwani Bhatia as the new Managing Director (MD) of India’s largest public sector lender State Bank of India (SBI).

Bhatia appointment as the MD will be valid till May 31, 2022

Currently, Bhatia is working as the managing director and chief executive officer at SBI Mutual Fund.

Bhatia will succeed P K Gupta who superannuated on March 31.

Ronnie O'Sullivan won his sixth World Championship

 Ronnie O'Sullivan won his sixth World Championship title with a dominant 18-8 victory over Kyren Wilson at Sheffield's Crucible Theatre.

O'Sullivan, 44, is the oldest champion since Reardon, who was 45 in 1978.

The Englishman collects £500,000 in prize money

It was the biggest winning margin in a final since 2008, when O'Sullivan defeated Ali Carter by the same scoreline.

Luis Rodolfo Abinader sworn in as 54th President of Dominican Republic

 Luis Rodolfo Abinader sworn in as 54th President of Dominican Republic

Luis Rodolfo Abinader has been sworn in as president of the Dominican Republic following his election win last month.

He had finished second in the 2016 presidential election.

Luis Rodolfo Abinader Corona, better known as Luis Abinader, is a economist, businessman and politician from the Dominican Republic.

The Dominican Republic is a Caribbean nation that shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti to the west.



Capital: Santo Domingo
Currency: Dominican peso
Continent: North America

World Humanitarian Day

 World Humanitarian Day

World Humanitarian Day is an international day dedicated to recognize humanitarian personnel and those who have lost their lives working for humanitarian causes

t was designated by the United Nations General Assembly as part of a Swedish-sponsored GA Resolution A/63/L.49 on the Strengthening of the Coordination of Emergency Assistance of the United Nations,[and set as 19 August.

The First World Humanitarian Day was observed on 19th August 2009.

Pandit Jasraj

 Pandit Jasraj was an Indian classical vocalist, belonging to the Mewati gharana

His musical career spanned more than 80 years resulting in national and international fame, respect and numerous major awards and accolades.

His legacy includes memorable performances of classical and semi-classical vocal music, classical and devotional music, albums and film soundtracks, innovations in various genres including Haveli Sangeeth and popularizing the Mewati Gharana - a school of thought in Hindustani classical music.


Awards and honours

    Padma Shri (1975)
    Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1987)
    Padma Bhushan (1990)
    Padma Vibhushan (2000)
    Swathi Sangeetha Puraskaram (2008)
    Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship (2010)
    Pu La Deshpande lifetime achievement award (2012)
    Bharat Ratna Bhimsen Joshi Classical Music Life Achievement Award (2013)

Indian Railways constructing world’s tallest pier bridge across river Ijai in Manipur

 Indian Railways constructing world’s tallest pier bridge across river Ijai in Manipur

Indian Railways is constructing the world’s tallest pier bridge in Manipur.

The bridge which is being constructed across river Ijai near Noney is an engineering marvel because the tallest pier height will be 141 meter.

It will surpass the existing record of 139 meter of Mala - Rijeka viaduct, Montenegro in Europe.

The Manipur bridge is located at the hilly terrain of Marangching village in Noney district, about 65 km west of Imphal.

The total estimated cost of the bridge is 280 crore rupees, and it will be completed by March 2022.

The bridge is a part of Jiribam-Tupul-Imphal new BG line project. The total length of the bridge will be 703 meter.

The piers of the bridge are constructed using hydraulic augers, the tall piers needed specially designed “slip-form technique" to ensure efficient and continual construction.

The steel girders used in the construction of the bridge are pre-fabricated in a workshop, transported in segments and erected at the site by Cantilever launching scheme.

A North East Frontier Railway official said, there are a total of 45 tunnels in the project.

The longest is Tunnel No. 12 with a length of 10.280 km. This will be the longest railway tunnel in the North East.

RBI to pay Rs 57,128 crore dividend to govt

 RBI to pay Rs 57,128 crore dividend to govt

he Reserve Bank of India board  approved a dividend payout of Rs 57,128 crore to the government.

The surplus transfer of Rs 57,128 crore for the accounting year 2019-20 compared with Rs 1.76 lakh crore transferred last year, which included Rs 1.23 lakh crore as dividend and Rs 52,637 crore excess provisions identified as per the revised Economic Capital Framework (ECF).

The Board also approved the transfer of Rs 57,128 crore as surplus to the Central Government for the accounting year 2019-20, while deciding to maintain the Contingency Risk Buffer at 5.5 per cent

Finance Ministry in the budget for 2020-21 had provisioned receipt of Rs 60,000 crore in dividend from the RBI and other banks to bridge the fiscal deficit

MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina quit International Cricket

MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina quit International Cricket

Former Indian Cricket Team Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni announced his retirement from International Cricket.

Under his captaincy, India won the 2007 ICC World Twenty-Twenty, the 2010 and 2016 Asia Cups, the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup and the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy.

A right-handed middle-order batsman and wicket-keeper, Dhoni is one of the highest run scorers in One Day Internationals (ODIs) with a score of more than 10 thousand runs.

Suresh Raina, another Indian Cricketer has also announced his retirement from International Cricket. 

India announces $500mn for Maldives' biggest infrastructure project

 India announces $500mn for Maldives' biggest infrastructure project

ndia on Thursday unveiled a $500-million package to help the Maldives build a connectivity project linking its capital Male with three islands, and provided $250 million as budgetary support to help the Indian Ocean archipelago cope with the Covid-19 crisis.

A new cargo ferry service will be launched between the two countries, and people familiar with developments said this will help India replace other countries to become the Maldives’ top trade partner.

An air travel bubble between the two sides will become operational from August 18, and India also renewed quotas for supplying essential commodities to the Maldives during 2020-21.

 India announced  decision to back the Greater Male Connectivity Project (GMCP) through a package comprising a grant of $100 million and a new line of credit for $400 million.

‘Khaje’, ‘Harmal Chilli’ and ‘Moira banana’ get GI tag

 ‘Khaje’, ‘Harmal Chilli’ and ‘Moira banana’ get GI tag

 Goa’s traditional festive sweet dish ‘Khaje’, spicy Harmal Chilli and Myndoli Banana (Moira Banana) has obtained Geographical Indication (GI) tag in last three months, thus giving the local producers exclusive brand protection rights. Earlier, the State’s popular ‘Cashew Feni’ and ‘Khola Red Chilli’, had obtained GI tag.

The State government is now in the process of filing applications with GI Registry, Chennai to obtain GI tags for more products like famous fish curry rice, cashew nuts, ‘Mankurad Mango’, Goan ‘Bebinca’- a sweet dish with several layers, ‘Khatkhatem’- dish made up of various local veggies and the ‘Taleigao Brinjal’.

Khaje,  the State’s traditional festive sweet treat at temple zatras and church feasts, received the GI notification, under food stuff falling in Class-30, on Thursday.

International Youth Day

International Youth Day (IYD) is an awareness day designated by the United Nations.

The purpose of the day is to draw attention to a given set of cultural and legal issues surrounding youth.

 The first IYD was observed on 12 August, 2000.

nternational Youth Day is observed annually on August 12th.

 It is meant as an opportunity for governments and others to draw attention to youth issues worldwide.

During IYD, concerts, workshops, cultural events, and meetings involving national and local government officials and youth organizations take place around the world.

IYD was designated by the United Nations in 1999 with the adoption of Resolution 54/120

2020 Theme: Youth Engagement for Global Action

Mohamed Ould Bilal Appointed as Prime Minister of Mauritania

 Mohamed Ould Bilal Appointed as Prime Minister of Mauritania

Mohamed Ould Bilal   is a Mauritanian politician serving as the 16th and current Prime Minister of Mauritania since 6 August 2020.

 Bilal was appointed by the President of Mauritania Mohamed Ould Ghazouani

Before his appointment he served as a political adviser and headed several state agencies

Mauritania,is a country in Northwest Africa.

It is the eleventh largest sovereign state in Africa

Capital: Nouakchott
 Population: 44 lakhs (2018)  
Currency: Mauritanian ouguiya
Official language: Arabic

India, Maldives ink contract for development of five eco-tourism zones in Addu atoll

 India, Maldives ink contract for development of five eco-tourism zones in Addu atoll  

India and Maldives today signed a contract for development of five eco-tourism zones in Addu atoll of the island nation.
 
These eco tourism zones are part of grant projects being implemented under the High-Impact Community Development project (HICDP) scheme which involves a total grant assistance of  5.5 million US dollars to the Maldives.
 
Currently, there are 9 such high-impact projects being implemented in the Maldives.
 
other three HICDP projects in Addu, relating to setting up of fish-processing plants, were awarded last month.
 

International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples

 International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples

The International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples is observed on 9 August each year to raise awareness and protect the rights of the world's indigenous population.

This event also recognizes the achievements and contributions that indigenous people make to improve world issues such as environmental protection

first Kisan Special Parcel Train flagged off from Devlali Railway Station of Maharashtra

 Country's first Kisan Special Parcel Train flagged off from Devlali Railway Station of Maharashtra

the railways began the Kisan Rail service to transport perishables at affordable cost.

Union Agriculture Ministry flagged off the First Kisan Rail train from Maharashtra's Devlali station to Danapur in Bihar.

the Kisan Rail will run through public-private-partnership mode to provide a seamless supply chain of perishable goods.

The train will cover a distance of 1,519 kilometers in almost 32 hours on a single trip and will halt at 14 stations, including Nashik Road, Manmad, Itarsi, Satna, Prayagraj and Buxar.
 
Apart from carrying fruits and vegetables like capsicum, onion, chillies, banana and grapes; the Indian Railways’ first ever multi commodity trains will have frozen containers to ensure a cold supply chain even for fish, meat and milk.

the inaugural Kisan Rail train carried 22 tonnes of perishables from Nashik and 26.5 tonnes of food items from Manmad.

World Lion Day

 World Lion Day

Each year on August 10, Lion Day is celebrated to  bring awareness to the declining population of lions

Lions are listed as a vulnerable species according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species

Currently, there are about 30,000 to 100,000 lions left on earth.  In the past few decades, lion populations have decreased almost by half.

Iker Casillas

 Iker Casillas

Iker Casillas Fernández is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper.

Having spent the majority of his career at Real Madrid, Casillas is one of the few players to achieve over 1000 professional career matches, and holds the record for the most clean sheets in the UEFA Champions League, as well as for the Spanish national team.

During his highly successful career in Madrid, Casillas won all major club titles, including five La Liga titles, four Supercopa de España titles, two Copa del Rey titles, three UEFA Champions Leagues, two UEFA Super Cups, one Intercontinental Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup.

UAE became first country in Arab World to produce nuclear energy

UAE became  first country in Arab World to produce nuclear energy

As the Barakah Nuclear Plant's 1st Unit got operational on Friday, UAE became the first country in the Arab World to produce nuclear energy.

The new plant is part of the UAE's graph  to become less reliant on oil and gas, the current source of the vast majority of its energy. UAE is among the world's biggest fossil fuels producers.

Barakah plant situated  in the Al Dhafrah region of Abu Dhabi started producing heat on Saturday, the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation said in a statement.

The plant, powered by South Korean technology , hopes to produce 5.6 gigawatts of electricity and supply up to 25% of the UAE's electricity needs, the corporation said.

 

Haryana will host 4th Khelo India Youth Games

Haryana will host 4th Khelo India Youth Games

Haryana will host the 4th Khelo India Youth Games.

Khelo India Youth Games is scheduled to take place after Tokyo Olympics next year.

The Games will be held at Panchkula in Haryana.


there will be participation of all states and over 10 thousand participants.

 

World Lung Cancer Day

 World Lung Cancer Day

World Lung Cancer Day is observed annually on August 1

it is observed to raise awareness about the causes and treatment of lung cancer and its global impact

Lung cancer is responsible for nearly 1 in 5 cancer deaths according to the World Health Organization

2020 British Grand Prix

2020 British Grand Prix

The 2020 British Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 2 August 2020 at the Silverstone Circuit in Silverstone, United Kingdom. It was the fourth round of the 2020 Formula One World championship.

Lewis Hamilton was the defending race winner who aimed for his seventh British Grand Prix win in total, having won the 2019 event

 It was the seventy-first running of the British Grand Prix as part of the World Championship.

The race was the first of two consecutive Formula One races at Silverstone in 2020 with the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix due to follow a week later.

Hamilton won the Grand Prix, being his third successive win of the 2020 season, and Mercedes' fourth.

World Ranger Day 2020

World Ranger Day 2020

World Ranger Day is celebrated on 31 July to commemorate Rangers who were killed or injured in the line of duty and to celebrate the work Rangers do to protect the world's natural and cultural heritage.

It’s estimated there are more than 100,000 reserves, parks and protected areas around the world. World Ranger Day was created by the International Ranger Federation and was first held in 2007.

A Ranger typically refered to as a forest ranger or a park ranger,  is a person that is charged with preserving and protecting parklands and natural protected areas.

NASA launched Mars rover "Perseverance"

NASA launched Mars rover "Perseverance"

"Perseverance" and its fly-along helicopter  will land in February 2021.


On July 30, 2020, the United States’ (US) 5th Mars Mission “Mars 2020” initiated by NASA  after launching  the biggest Mars rover named “Perseverance”, which was lifted off by United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V 541 rocket from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, United States (US).

The rover will land on Jezero Crater of Mars on Feb. 18, 2021 with duration of at least one Mars year (about 687 Earth days).

The outlay of mars mission 2020 is around $2.7 billion.

7 Instruments carried by Rover along with 1st ever Spacesuit Material & Helicopter Ingenuity, and Mars Chunk (SaU008).

England Won the Wisden Trophy against West Indies 2-1

England Won the  Wisden Trophy against West Indies 2-1

England beat the West Indies by 269 runs to claim a series-clinching win in the third Test at Old Trafford on Tuesday.

Victory saw England take the three-match series 2-1 and regain the Wisden Trophy they lost in the Caribbean last year.

England paceman Stuart Broad became just the seventh bowler to take 500 Test wickets as the West Indies, set 399 for victory, collapsed to 129 all out in under 38 overs.