Daily GK Updates - 7th July, 2019

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Pink City Jaipur gets UNESCO World Heritage tag: In a remarkable achievement, India gets its 38th UNESCO World Heritage Site as Pink City Jaipur. India’s nomination of the Jaipur City, Rajasthan got inscribed on the World Heritage List of UNESCO during the 43rd Session of the World Heritage Committee held at Baku, Azerbaijan. The nomination of Jaipur City has successfully been done by complying with the various UNESCO guidelines of 2017. With Successful inscription of Jaipur City, India has 38 world heritage sites that include 30 Cultural properties, 7 Natural properties, and 1 mixed site.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Bahrain to partner with UK to pilot new AI guidelines: Bahrain has announced that it is to pilot new guidelines by the World Economic Forum (WEF) Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The announcement was made during the WEF Annual Meeting of the New Champions in Dalian, China. The Country aims that the project with WEF will build a global knowledge-base that can be used by other governments as AI can deliver huge benefits to citizens.

Note: Bahrain Capital: Manama, Official language: Arabic, King: Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Crown Prince: Salman Bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Prime Minister: Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, Currency: Bahraini dinar (BHD)

2. Leonardo DiCaprio helps create new environmental alliance: Leonardo DiCaprio is joining with billionaire investors and philanthropists Laurene Powell Jobs and Brian Sheth to create Earth Alliance. It is a non-profit environmental organization. It will work globally to protect ecosystems and wildlife, ensure climate justice, support renewable energy and secure indigenous rights to the benefit of all life on Earth.” It will provide grants, educational opportunities and fund campaigns and films, as well as work with grassroots organizations and individuals in places most affected by biodiversity loss and climate change.

3. Russia withdrew from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty: The Russian President Vladimir Putin  has signed a bill that suspends Russia's participation in the nuclear arms treaty. Putin's decree  formalizes the withdrawal of Russia from the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces treaty (INF) with the United States.

Why Russia withdrew from INF Treaty?: Russia's withdrawal from INF treaty is a response to the U.S. withdrawal from the key arms control pact signed by the Soviet Union and the United States in 1987. US accused Russia of violating the treaty with impunity, covertly developing and fielding a prohibited missile system that poses a direct threat to the allies and troops abroad. The U.S. and Europe said that the range of the new cruise missiles from Russia violate the treaty.  Russia denied the accusations.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. USA repeats as World Cup champions, beating Netherlands 2-0: United States’ Megan Rapinoe lifts trophy after winning the 2019 Women’s World Cup final against The Netherlands in Lyon, France. The United States Women’s National team is celebrating victory as World Cup champions. After beating the Netherlands 2-0 in Sunday’s final, they hoisted the trophy for the second consecutive tournament.

2. Central Govt to set up three CoE in Sports at Itanagar in AP: Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Youth Affairs and Sports Kiren Rijijuinformed that the central government is going to set-up three Sports Centre of Excellence in Itanagar very soon. The three center of excellence will be for Martial Arts, Weight Lifting and Boxing. These centers will have a capacity of 300 sportspersons with the residential facility. This year Arunachal Pradesh will host the North East Youth Festival. The government will also set up 12 to 15 football stadiums with Astro-turf football pitches across the state in the next three years.

3. Elavenil Valarivan won the gold medal in 10m women's air rifle at ISSF World Cup 2019:  Indian shooter Elavenil Valarivan won the gold medal in 10m women's air rifle event of the season's first junior ISSF World Cup 2019. She defeated Chinese Taipei's Lin Ying-Shinto win the title. She shot 249.8 in the women's final. Her 631.4 in the qualification was a new world record.China's Wang Zeru managed to win the bronze medal with a score of 228.4 in her first World Cup appearance. Elavenil Valarivan is a sport shooter from Cuddalore, Tamilnadu. She had also won a bronze medal at the FISU World Shooting Sport Championship 2019.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. Centre announces RBI as the regulator of housing finance Companies (HFCs): Centre has announced that the Reserve Bank of India will now be the regulator of housing finance Companies (HFCs). The HFC were regulated by the National Housing Bank. It aims to strengthen oversight of the shadow banks and improve their access to funding by providing guarantees for purchases of their assets. The government has announced to provide a one-time partial credit guarantee for loan losses to state banks if the bank buy Rs.1 trillion ($14.6 billion) of high-rated pooled assets of non-banking finance companies (NBFCs).