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Top Current Affairs of the week (7 July – 13 July 2019)

1. Brazil wins the Copa America 2019 Title

• Brazil defeated Peru 3-1 to win its first Copa America title since 2007. • Jesus scored the decisive goal after a penalty from Peru captain Paolo Guerrero cancelled out Everton’s opener for hosts Brazil at Rio de Janeiro’s Maracana stadium. • A last-minute penalty from substitute Richarlison sealed a win for Brazil which handed the South American giantstheir ninth Copa triumph and first since 2007. • Argentina took third place by beating Chile 2–1 in the third-place match. • Brazil's veteran right-back Dani Alves was player of the tournament.

Related Information:

• The 2019 Copa América (46th edition) was the international men's association football championship organized by South America's football ruling body CONMEBOL. • It was held in Brazil (between 14 June to 7 July 2019) at 6 venues across the country.

2. Vinesh Phoga & Divya Kakran wins the Gold medal at Grand Prix of Spain

• ’s wrestler Vinesh Phogat (in 53 Kg category) and Divya Kakran (in 68 kg category) have won Gold Medal at the Grand Prix of Spain. • Vinesh comfortably beat Peru's Justina Benites and 's Nina Minkenova before getting the better of Dutch rival Jessica Blaszka in the final. • Among others, Championship bronze medallist Pooja Dhanda (57kg), Seema (50kg), Manju Kumari (59kg) and Kiran (76kg) won silver medal. • India finished second with 130 points in team championship behind Russia (165- points)

3. Hima Das clinches gold in Kutno Athletics Meet in Poland

• Indian sprinter Hima Das (19-years) won her second international gold in women's 200m with a top finish at the Kutno Athletics Meet in Poland. • Hima clocked 23.97 seconds to clinch the gold while VK Vismaya bagged the silver in 24.06 seconds. • This was Hima's second competitive 200m race of the year. • She has a personal best of 23.10 seconds, which she clocked in 2018. • Hima is the reigning world junior champion and national record holder in 400m. • National record holder Muhammed Anas also won the gold in men's 200m race with a time of 21.18 seconds. • MP Jabir won the gold in men's 400m hurdles in 50.21 seconds while Jithin Paul was third in 52.26 seconds.

3. India gets its 38th UNESCO World Heritage Site as Pink City Jaipur

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• The Walled City of Jaipur, known for its iconic architectural legacy and vibrant culture, on made its entry into the UNESCO World Heritage Site list. • The announcement was made after the 43rd Session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, underway at Baku (). • The committee examined the nomination of the Walled City of Jaipur for inclusion in the World Heritage list. • With this, India now has 38 World Heritage Sites (30 cultural properties, 7 natural properties and one mixed site).

4. Bonalu festival kicks off at Golconda Fort

• The annual Bonalu festival kicked off in the city at the historic Golconda Fort of Hyderabad. • Bonalu is an annual festival of Telangana celebrated in Twin Cities Hyderabad, Secunderabad and other parts of Telangana. • It is celebrated every year in a grand manner in the state during the first month of the monsoon season. • The famous Sri Ujjaini Mahankali Bonalu celebrations at Secunderabad will be held on July 21 and 22.

Related Information:

• Bonalu is celebrated to ward off diseases and usher in good health, peace and prosperity. • Women, attired in colourful robes, carry the 'Bonalu' (decorated pots containing food) on their heads to the temples for offering them to the Goddess.

5. India ranked 86th in the Henley Passport Index 2019

• According to the latest Henley Passport Index 2019, Japan and Singapore have ranked on top which means that these two countries have the most powerful passports in the world. • India stands at 86th position in this index with a mobility score of 58. • Afghanistan has once again been labelled by the index as the least powerful passport in the world.

Related Information:

• The HPI consists of a ranking of passports according to how many other territories can be reached 'visa-free'. • The index includes 199 passports and 227 travel destinations including micro-states and territories.

Rank Citizenship Score 1st Singapore, Japan 189

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2nd South Korea Germany Finland 187 3rd Denmark, Italy, Luxembourg 186 4th France, Spain, Sweden 185 86th India, Sao Tome and Principe, Mauritania 58 109th Afghanistan 25

6. Italy's Prosecco hills added to UNESCO World Heritage list

• Italy's north-eastern Conegliano and Valdobbiadene hills (home to the world-famous sparkling wine prosecco) have been added to the UNESCO World Heritage list. • The region became Italy's 55th World Heritage site. • The landscape is characterised by hogback hills, ciglioni -- small plots of vines on narrow grassy terraces -- forests, small villages and farmland. • The prosecco sparkling white, which has the highest classification available to Italian wine, is produced in a territory spread over nine provinces in Italy's northeast. • Prosecco has become the most popular Italian wine abroad, with its exports seen rising by a record 21% in 2019 in foreign markets.

Related Information:

• A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area which is selected by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as having cultural, historical, scientific or another form of significance and is legally protected by international treaties. • The sites are judged important to the collective interests of humanity.

7. Kyriakos Mitsotakis becomes 's new PM

• Kyriakos Mitsotakis (51-year) was sworn in as the Prime Minister of Greece. • Mitsotakis’ New Democracy party won an outright majority with 158 seats in the 300-seat legislature. • Earlier, he was Leader of the Opposition (from 2016 to 2019) and also served as Minister of Administrative Reform (from 2013 to 2015). • Mitsotakis is the son of former Prime Minister Constantine Mitsotakis, one of the country’s longest-serving parliamentarians.

Related Information:

• The Prime Minister of Greece is the head of government of the Hellenic Republic and the leader of the Greek cabinet.

8. BSF launches Operation ‘Sudarshan’ to fortify anti-infiltration along Pak Border

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• The Border Security Force (BSF) has launched massive exercise, code-named 'Sudarshan', to fortify the 'anti-infiltration grid' along the border in Punjab and Jammu. • The exercise will see the entire BSF's senior field brass, thousands of troops and machinery being deployed in these forward areas. • It will cover the entire over the 1,000 km length (Jammu shares 485-km and Punjab shares 553-km) of the India-Pakistan International Border. • It further runs down towards Rajasthan and Gujarat on India’s western flank. • A fleet of heavy and small all-terrain vehicles has been mobilised in these areas as the field commanders are moving in those localities.

Related Information:

• The BSF is the primary force guarding this frontier as the ‘first line of defence’.

9. India successfully tests vertical steep dive version of Brahmos missile

• India has successfully tested the vertical steep dive version of the Brahmos supersonic cruise missile that changes the dynamics of conventional warfare. • The upgraded version of the world’s fastest supersonic cruise missile with an enhanced range of up to 500 km is also ready. • Brahmos missile, which cruises at almost three times the speed of sound at Mach 2.8, is the heaviest weapon to be deployed on the Su-30 fighters.

Related Information:

• The BrahMos is a medium-range ramjet supersonic cruise missile that can be launched from submarine, ships, aircraft, or land. • It is a joint venture between the Russian Federation's NPO Mashinostroyeniya and India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) who together have formed BrahMos Aerospace. • The name BrahMos is a portmanteau formed from the names of two rivers, the Brahmaputra of India and the Moskva of Russia.

10. Magnus Carlsen wins 2019 Croatia Grand Chess Tour title

• Norwegian chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen (28 years) defeated Maxime Vachier- Lagrave (France) to reach 8/11 and win the Croatia Grand Chess Tour. • The world champion Carlsen won his eighth straight tournament and earned USD 90,000. • He scored a 2943 performance and returned to his highest rating of 2882. • India’s Viswanathan Anand ended up with 4.5 points and finished 11th.

Related Information:

• The 2019 Croatia Grand Chess Tour tournament is the second stop on the 2019 Grand Chess Tour.

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• The tournament is hosted in partnership between the Grand Chess Tour and Chess Club e4 from Zagreb.

11. DRDO successfully tests armour-piercing Nag missiles at Pokhran range

• The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) carried out three successful test firings of the Nag missiles in the Pokhran firing ranges in Rajasthan. • The ‘Nag missile’ is an Indian third generation "fire-and-forget" anti-tank guided missile. • The speed of this missile is 230 metres per second (range - 3 to 7 km). • Nag missile has top attack capabilities that can effectively engage and destroy all known enemy tanks during day and night.

Related Information:

• The ‘Nag missile’ is being developed by India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Program and is manufactured by Bharat Dynamics Limited. • The Defence Acquisition Council (in 2018) had approved the procurement of DRDO- designed-and-developed NAG Missile System (NAMIS) at a cost of Rs 524 crore.

12. Sri Lanka: Annual festival at historic Kataragama temple attracts devotees

• The annual festival at historic Kataragama temple attracts devotees from all faiths in Sri Lanka. • The fortnight-long festival began last week and is joined by people all over Sri Lanka and abroad. • The festival will end next week on full moon night with a water cutting ceremony, • Thousands of devotees travel for hundreds of kilometres on foot to attend the fortnight-long festival. • The place finds mention in Skanda Purana and is popular for centuries-old Hindu temple of Lord Kartika, known locally as Katargama Deviyo. • Kataragama (multi-religious city) contains a mosque within the temple complex and a Buddhist temple nearby, considered to be one of the 16 main places of Buddhist pilgrimage in Sri Lanka.

13. Sunil Chhetri and Ashalata Devi wins AIFF Player of the Year

• Indian captain Sunil Chhetri (34-years) has won the AIFF Men’s footballer of the year 2018-19 award. • Sunil Chhetri has already won Player of the Year award in 2007, 2011, 2013, 2014 and 2017. • Currently, Chhetri plays for Bengaluru FC in the Indian Super League (ISL). • India midfielder Abdul Samad was named the AIFF Emerging Men's Player of the Year. • Ace Indian Women’s footballer Ashalata Devi has won the Women’s footballer of the year award.

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Related Information:

• The AIFF Player of the Year is an annual association football award presented to the best footballer in India over the previous year (2018-19 season). • It has been awarded by All India Football Federation since 1992.

14. 11th July : World Population Day being observed

• World Population Day is observed across the world every year on 11th July to increase the awareness of the people towards the worldwide population issues. • This year's World Population Day calls for global attention to the unfinished business of the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development. • The main aim behind having a World Population Day is to focus attention on the consequence of population issues and how it affects overall development plans and programs.

Related Information:

• In 1989, the Governing Council of the United Nations Development Programme recommended 11th July as World Population Day to draw attention to the urgency and importance of population issues.

15. RPF launched “Operation Thirst” to crack down selling of unauthorised Packaged Drinking Water

• The RPF (Railway Protection Force) has launched an All India Drive “Operation Thirst” to crack down selling of unauthorised Packaged Drinking Water. • The objective of the “Operation Thirst” is to curb the menace of unauthorized PDW (Packaged Drinking Water) in Railway premises. • Almost all major stations over Indian Railway were covered during this operation. • The special drive will be followed by continuous action by concerned PCSCs on this issue.

16. Uttarakhand to get Asia’s first six sigma Institute of Mountain Medicines & high- altitude rescue

• According to Trivendra Singh Rawat (Uttarakhand Chief Minister), Asia’s first Six Sigma Institute of Mountain Medicines and High-Altitude Rescue will be established at Rudraprayag in Uttarakhand. • The institute would train armed forces as well as para-military personnel in Mountain Medicines. • The mountain institute will be Specialised healthcare, advance education and Rescue Training in the state.

17. World’s Largest Movable Metal Dome Unveiled in Ukraine

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• The world's largest movable metal structure has been unveiled as the covering for the destroyed reactor at Ukraine's Chernobyl nuclear power plant. • Volodymyr Zelenskiy (President of Ukraine) along with his European partners formally inaugurated a new metal dome called as New Safe Confinement. • The new Safe Confinement shelters the remains of the Reactor No. 4 of Chernobyl nuclear power plant that exploded and burned on April 26, 1986. • The 1.7 billion was paid through a special fund launched by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and sponsored by 45 countries.

18. Dutee Chand bags Gold medal in 100-metres event at World

• India's sprinter Dutee Chand (23-years) has clinched a Gold medal in the 100-metre dash event at the World Universiade at Napoli in Italy. • She clocked 11.32 seconds as she led the race from start to finish. • Del Ponte of Switzerland won the Silver, while German Lisa Kwayie took home the Bronze. • With the Gold, Dutee has become the first Indian woman track and field athlete to win the coveted yellow metal at the event. • Now, she is the only second Indian sprinter to win a Gold in a global event after 19- year old Hima Das. • Hima Das had clinched the top spot in the 400-metres race in the World Junior Athletics Championships last year.

19. Taylor Swift emerges as a highest-paid celebrity on Forbes Celebrity 100 list

• Singer Taylor Swift has topped the Forbes' Celebrity 100 list and emerged as the highest-paid celebrity with her 2019 estimated earnings to be over USD 185 million. • This is the second time after 2016 that Swift has surpassed all the celebrities which makes her first music artist to outstrip others twice on the list, reported Variety. • Swift's 2018 'Reputation' tour became the highest-grossing tour in the US history collecting over USD 266.1 million. • Other celebrities on the list include beauty mogul, Kylie Jenner leading the list at No. 2 with estimated earnings of USD 170 million and Kanye West who stood at No.3 with earning over USD 150 million.

20. Army International Scout Masters Competition

• The fifth edition of International Army Scout Masters Competition is being held at Jaisalmer Military Station under the aegis of Southern Command of Indian Army. • The competition is a part of International Army Games and consists of five stages of competitions which will be conducted over a period of nine days from 06 August 2019 to 14 August 2019 at Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. • It is the first time that India has got an opportunity to host and participate in this prestigious event. • Elite teams from eight participating countries including India will undergo a gruelling experience

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• The other seven countries are , , , , Russia, and .

21. India to host 14th Conference of Parties

• According to Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar, India is set to host the 14th Conference of the Parties (COP). (from 02 to 13 September) • The global conference will be hosted at India Expo Mart Limited in Greater Noida. • As many as 197 countries are expected to participate in the conference. • The 14th session of COP will stress on three crucial issues - desertification, land degradation and drought,"

22. Devika Sethi pens books titled ‘War over Words: Censorship in India, 1930-1960’

• The book named “War over Words: Censorship in India, 1930-1960” has been authored by Devika Sethi. • This book recovers narrates and interrogates the history of censorship of publications in India over three crucial decades – encompassing the Gandhian anti-colonial movement, the Second World War, Partition, and the early years of Independent India. • Devika Sethi teaches modern Indian history at IIT-Mandi, Himachal Pradesh. • The book has been published by Cambridge University Press.

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