News Flash (18th June 2020): Top 10 Stories Of The Day

1. Class 12 results of Himachal Pradesh declared with highest scorer scoring 99.40%

The Himachal Pradesh Board of School Education (HPBOSE) announced the results of 2020 class 12 board exams on Thursday. Prakash Kumar from the Science stream has become the Board 12th topper with 99.40%. Shruti Kashyap has topped in Arts with 98.20% and Meghna Gupta has topped in field of Commerce with 97.60%. Shubam Jaiswal (99.20%) and Tanisha (99.00%) have secured second and third ranks respectively. To check the results, you can visit Himachal Pradesh board’s official website, hpbose.org. 

2. PM Modi launches auction of 41 coal mines. Says big step to make India self-reliant

Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi has launched the auction of 41 coal mines for commercial mining and said that this is a big step in making India self-reliant in the energy sector by reducing imports. Even though India is the world’s fourth-largest coal reserve and second-largest producer, the country is the second-largest importer. “India will turn this Covid-19 crisis into an opportunity. The country will reduce its dependence on imports. To make India self-reliant in the energy sector, a major step is being taken today,” PM Modi said during the launch of auctioning 41 coal mines.

3. Stop endorsing Chinese brands: CAIT to Deepika, Amir, Ranbir and other celebs

CAIT (The Confederation of All India Traders) has pointed out celebrities that include Deepika Padukone, Ranbir Kapoor, Aamir Khan, Ranveer Singh and Virat Kohli and has asked them to should stop endorsing Chinese products including mobile phones. CAIT General Secretary Praveen Khandelwal has said “Most Indian celebrities are endorsing Chinese mobile and electronic brands on one hand, while our soldiers are dying fighting the Chinese on the border.”  

CAIT has called for a complete boycott of Chinese products in India, after the violent face-off with Chinese soldiers in eastern Ladakh caused the death of 20 Indian soldiers. 

4. India elected as non-permanent UNSC member for 8th time, PM Modi deeply grateful

On 17th June, India was elected to the UN Security Council as a non-permanent member with 184 of the 192 votes for a two-year term starting January 1, 2021, for the 8th time. In response to this, Prime Minister, Narendra Modi thanked the global community for supporting India’s membership to the United National Security Council. “Deeply grateful for the overwhelming support shown by the global community for India’s membership of the @UN Security Council. India will work with all member countries to promote global peace, security, resilience and equity,” he tweeted. The UNSC is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations, that is responsible for maintaining international peace and security, recommending the admission of new UN members to the General Assembly, and approving any changes to the UN Charter.

5. Zoom app valued more than GE, Uber & Unilever after its stock rises 250% this year

Zoom, the video conference app is valued more than General Electric, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Uber and Unilever after its stock rose to a record high of 9% earlier this week, leading to an increase in its market cap to $67.43 billion. The company’s stock is up 250% since the start of 2020, from $68.72 to $239.02. Further, Zoom’s revenue rose 169% year-on-year to $328.2 million in the last quarter. 

6. New ‘Air-Venti’ app to help citizens of Mumbai get information about the availability of ICU beds & ventilators

After the launch of the ‘Air-Venti’ app,  Mayor Kishori Pednekar said that this newly launched app will help the citizens of Mumbai to check the availability of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds and ventilators in hospitals of the city. It would help people during emergency situations, she added on Wednesday. Mumbai with 61,587 coronavirus cases, is the worst hit in the country. 

7. Netflix CEO and wife decide to donate $120mn to historically black colleges & unis

Reed Hastings, Netflix CEO and his wife Patty Quillin are soon to donate $120 million to historically black colleges and universities, the single largest individual gift ever given to the institutes. “Both of us had the privilege of a great education and we want to help more students – in particular students of color – get the same start in life,” the Hastings said in a statement.   Reed Hastings has also said that the wealthy white have donated their capital to predominantly white universities. They have donated the money to Spelman College and Morehouse College, two of Atlanta universities and the United Negro College Fund. Its the biggest ever donation anyone has made to educational institutes. 

8. Twitter’s new ‘140-second voice tweet’ feature tested on iOS

Micro-blogging platform Twitter will soon be making available for its users a new and quite exciting feature of posting a 140-second long audio tweet, along with the 280 characters as text.”Have more to say? Keep talking. Once you reach the time limit for a (textual) Tweet, a new voice Tweet starts automatically to create a thread. Once you’re done, tap the Done button to end your recording and go back to the composer screen to Tweet,” a company representative said in a statement. The feature has been tested in the US with a few users and will soon be made available for all. Each voice Tweet records up to 140 seconds of audio. Twitter initially had a 140-character limit for tweets and was later increased to 280. The audio will be added only in original tweets, and not in replies or retweets. 

9. Indian Navy raises its alert level in the Indian Ocean Region after Galwan Valley clash

After the worst border clash between Indian and Chinese troops in Galway Valley in eastern Ladakh that resulted in the death of 20 Army personnel, the front-line bases of the Indian army and the air force along the de-facto border with China, were placed under high alert. As a vigilant step, the Indian Navy has also been asked to raise its alert level in the Indian Ocean Region where the Chinese Navy has been spotted making regular incursions. 

10. Actress Kangana attacks Bollywood, says everyone knows B’wood biggies ganged up on Sushant

Queen actress, Kangana Ranaut known for picking up on Bollywood and its nepotism has spoken up about actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s suicide. She told the media, “He had a fallout with the biggies. Everyone knows how they ganged up to corner him, everyone has seen it.” She further went on to courageously say “If the investigations are done, I will speak about it freely because there is enough proof of the same in the media. Everyone is aware of the people who ganged up on him.”