1. When was the 30th anniversary of Hubble’s telescope observed?
a. 22 April 2020
b. 23 April 2020
c. 24 April 2020
d. 25 April 2020
S-c
EXPLANATION-
• Hubble Space Telescope celebrates the 30th anniversary on 24 April 2020. The unique design of the telescope has allowed being repaired and upgraded with advanced technology by astronauts.
• The telescope is one of NASA's longest-living and most valuable observatories. It has beamed transformational astronomical images to Earth for decades.
• Hubble is expected to sustain through the 2020s. Also, a second-generation space telescope named "James Webb Space Telescope" has been scheduled to launch in 2021.
2. Which country will grant the additional USD 30 million to WHO ?
a. Russia
b. France
c. China
d. United States
S-c
EXPLANATION-
• China announced an additional USD 30 million grant to the World Health Organisation, days after Beijing expressed "serious concern" over US President Donald Trump's decision to freeze the funding for the global health agency over its handling of the COVID-19 crisis.
• The grant will be in addition to the USD 20 million provided by China earlier to the WHO.
• China hinted at stepping up its monetary contribution to the UN health agency on April 15. Beijing's response came a day after Trump announced to put a "very powerful" hold on US' funding to the WHO, accusing the UN agency of being "very China-centric" and criticising it for having "missed the call" in its response to the coronavirus pandemic.
• Both China and the WHO faced serious criticism over lack of transparency especially about the discovery of the coronavirus in December last year and its silent spread in Wuhan until Beijing imposed lockdown in the city on January 23.
• By that time, over five million people from Wuhan were reported to have left for holiday destinations at home and abroad to celebrate the Chinese new year, which many allege resulted in the spreading of the deadly virus worldwide.
• China has denied the allegations of any cover-up, saying it was the first country to report the COVID-19 to the WHO.
3. Which of the following countries have received an emergency loan of USD 1.39 billion from the IMF to boost its foreign exchange reserves?
a. Afghanistan
b. Bangladesh
c. Pakistan
d. Sri Lanka
S-c
EXPLANATION-
• Cash-strapped Pakistan has received an emergency loan of USD 1.39 billion from the IMF to boost its foreign exchange reserves in the wake of the further economic downturn due to the coronavirus crisis.
• The USD 1.39 billion loan is in addition to the USD 6 billion bailout package that Pakistan has signed with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in July last year to stave off a balance of payment crisis.
• Pakistan in March had requested the global money lender for a low-cost, fast-disbursing loan under its Rapid Financing Instrument (RFI) to deal with the adverse economic impact of COVID-19.
• The RFI is used to provide financial assistance to IMF member countries facing an urgent balance of payments need without requiring them to put a full-fledged programme in place. The USD 1,39 billion loan will push Pakistan's foreign currency reserves apparently to a one-month high above USD 12 billion.
• The World Bank has earlier approved USD 1 billion and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) USD 1.5 billion for Pakistan to keep its economy afloat.
4. Which of the following countries had decided to strap electronic wristbands on people ignoring home-quarantine orders?
a. Pakistan
b. South Korea
c. Afghanistan
d. Myanmar
S-b
EXPLANATION-
• South Korea will strap electronic wristbands on people ignoring home-quarantine orders.
• Those who refuse to wear the bands after breaking quarantine will be sent to shelters where they will be asked to pay for accommodation. Around 46,300 people are currently under self-quarantine.
• The number ballooned after the government began enforcing 14-day quarantines on all passengers arriving from abroad on April 1.
• Although quarantined individuals have been required to download a tracking app that s authorities if they leave their homes, some of them have been caught slipping out by leaving their phones behind.
• The wristbands will communicate with the phone apps through Bluetooth and authorities when people leave home or attempt to remove the bands.
5. In which of the following countries have two pets cats tested positive for the novel coronavirus?
a. United States
b. United Kingdom
c. Russia
d. France
S-a
EXPLANATION-
• Two pet cats in New York state have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, marking the first confirmed cases in companion animals in the United States.
• The cats, which had mild respiratory illnesses and are expected to recover, are thought to have contracted the virus from people in their households or neighbourhoods, the US Department of Agriculture and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
• The finding, which comes after positive tests in some tigers and lions at the Bronx Zoo, adds to a small number of confirmed cases of the virus in animals worldwide. US authorities say that while it appears some animals can get the virus from people, there's no indication pets are transmitting it to human beings.
• Still, the CDC is recommending that people prevent their pets from interacting with people or animals outside their homes -- by keeping cats indoors and dogs out of dog parks, for instance.
