News Flash (17th July 2020): Top 10 Stories Of The Day

1. UP Government decides to conduct only final year, last semester exams in state universities

The Uttar Pradesh Government has decided to cancel all state university exams of both undergraduate and postgraduate students, except those of the final year and last semester, in the wake of the rising coronavirus cases in the state. Deputy CM of Uttar Pradesh, Dinesh Sharma said that students of other classes will be promoted based on internal assessment. 

2. Manipur, Jharkhand and West Bengal announce class 12 board exam results.

The West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education, Jharkhand Academic Council, and Council of Higher Secondary Education, Manipur have all announced the class 12 board exam results on Friday. More than 7 lakh students from all these states appeared in the Higher Secondary examinations this year. The students can check their results on the respective education board websites.

3. Oxford’s COVID-19 vaccine trail ‘absolutely on track’, likely to be available by Sept.

Oxford University’s coronavirus vaccine trial team is ‘absolutely on track’ and the vaccine could be available as early as September, David Carpenter, Chairman of the Berkshire Research Ethics Committee, which approved the Oxford trial has said. This comes as a big breakthrough in the fight against coronavirus. The development of the vaccine, by the university’s Jenner Institute, is being backed by the UK government and AstraZeneca, which will support the production phase. 

4. NASA’s Solar Orbiter shares closest pictures ever taken of the Sun

NASA on Thursday made the first images from European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA’s Solar Orbiter available to the public, including the closest picture ever taken of the Sun by a spacecraft. The Solar Orbiter is an international collaboration between the two space agencies  to study the Sun. “These unprecedented pictures of the Sun are the closest we have ever obtained,” said Holly Gilbert, NASA project scientist for the mission. The images were taken in mid-June when the spacecraft flew within 58 miles of the star. Images also show tiny solar flares dotting the Sun’s surface which scientists dubbed ‘campfires’.

5. Spain to cull over 90,000 mink after 87% of them test COVID-19 +ve

As many as 92,700 mink at a farm in north-eastern Spain are to be culled after 87% of them tested positive for coronavirus according to health authorities. Mink, which are bred for their prized fur, belong to the family Mustelidae, which also includes weasels, otters, and ferrets. The outbreak of the virus was discovered in Aragon province after the wife of a farm employee tested positive in May.

6. Apple’s iPhone-maker Pegatron to set up a factory in India, registers subsidiary

Apple’s second-largest contract manufacturer, Pegatron, has registered a subsidiary in India, setting the stage for increasing the manufacturing capacity of iPhones in the country. The Taiwanese contract manufacturer is reportedly in discussion with several state governments to find land for setting up its first plant. The two other iPhone makers, Wistron and Foxconn, are already present in the country.

7. Probe launched into Urals mine after videos of streams running orange, surfaced in Russia

Prosecutors are investigating a facility supposed to treat acid runoff from an abandoned Urals mine after videos of streams of running orange surfaced in Russia. An Instagram travel blogger uploaded drone footage last week that showed a bright-orange landscape near the disused copper-sulphide mine close to the village of Lyovikha. The regional government had earlier reportedly asked for the mine to be sealed but Moscow refused.

8. Delhi extends ban on manufacture, storage, sale and distribution of tobacco for one more year

The Delhi government has extended the ban on the manufacture, storage, sale, and distribution of gutkha, pan masala, and other forms of tobacco for one more year. Food Safety Commissioner DN Singh issued a notification on the ban of these products on Wednesday. The city government’s Food Safety Department has been issuing a notification on the ban of gutkha and pan masala for the last four years. However, there is no ban on cigarettes in the city.

9. Pakistan offers Kulbhushan Jadhav 3rd consular access, says security won’t be present

Pakistan has granted India the third consular access for retired Indian Navy officer Kulbhushan Jadhav, Pakistani media reported. It quoted Pakistan Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi saying that a note verbale has been sent to India, meeting its demand to not have security personnel during the meeting with Jadhav.

10. FBI confirms it is investigating Twitter bitcoin scam

The FBI has confirmed that it is investigating the Twitter bitcoin scam that affected high profile accounts like Barack Obama, Elon Musk, and Bill Gates. The San Francisco Division in a statement said, “At this time the accounts appear to have been compromised in order to perpetuate cryptocurrency fraud. We advise the public not to fall victim to this scam by sending cryptocurrency or money in relation to this incident.” Twitter has said that around 130 accounts were targeted by hackers in the breach.