1.
World Population Day 2014 Observed Today
i. World Population Day is being observed today, an annual event on 11 July to raise awareness of global population issues.
ii. Established by the Governing Council of the United Nations Development Programme in 1989, it was inspired by the interest in Five Billion Day on 11 July 1987 – approximately the date when the world's population reached five billion.
iii. This year, the theme is "Investing in Young People."
GLOBAL POPULATION FACTS:
- As of 1 January 2014, the world's population was estimated to be 7,137,661,030, and increases by 2.3 people every second.
- The total number of people who have ever lived has been estimated by the Population Bureau to be around 108 billion.
- The world population is estimated to have reached one billion in 1804, with two, three and four billion in 1927, 1960 and 1974 respectively.
-China, India, USA, Indonesia, Pakistan and Brazil account for half the world's people.
-More than one in three people are Chinese or Indian.
2.
Grand old lady of Bollywood Zohra Sehgal passes away at 102
i. Family and friends bid farewell to veteran actress Zohra Sehgal, who was cremated in New Delhi on Friday.
ii. The last rites of the 102-year-old actress, who died yesterday, were performed at the Lodhi Road crematorium by her son Pawan in the presence of her daughter Kiran and grandchildren.
iii. Former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit, Shabana Azmi, Javed Akhtar, theatre personality MK Raina and Prasar Bharti CEO Jawahar Sircar were among those who turned up to pay their last respect.
iv. Sehgal had a great innings as an artiste, performer and actor that spanned more than seven decades. She started her career as a dancer with Uday Shankar in 1935. She had appeared in many Bollywood films as a character actor as well as in English language films besides television series and plays.
v. Often called the grand old lady of Bollywood, she last appeared in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's "Saawariya" in 2007. She worked with some of the biggest stars of this era be it Amitabh Bachchan in "Cheeni Kum", Shah Rukh Khan in "Dil Se" or Salman in "Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam".
vi. A Padma Shri awardee, she also received the Padma Vibhshan in 2010.
3.
Delhi becomes world's second most populous city
i. Delhi has become the world's second most populous city in 2014 after Tokyo, more than doubling its population since 1990 to 25 million, according to a UN report.
ii. The 2014 revision of the World Urbanisation Prospects launched yesterday said that India is projected to add the highest number of people to its urban population by 2050, ahead of China.
iii. The Indian capital is expected to retain the spot of the world's second most populous city through at least 2030, when its population is expected to rise swiftly to 36 million.
iv. Tokyo topped UN's ranking of the most populous cities in 2014 with 38 million inhabitants and while its population is projected to decline, it will remain the world's largest city in 2030 with 37 million people.
v. Mumbai, which ranks sixth on the list of the world's most populous cities in 2014, is projected to become the fourth largest city in 2030 when its population would grow to 28 million from the current 21 million.
vi. Tokyo and New Delhi were followed by Shanghai with 23 million, and Mexico City, Mumbai and Sao Paulo, each with around 21 million inhabitants in 2014.
vii. The report said that the largest urban growth will take place in India, China and Nigeria between 2014 and 2050, with the three countries accounting for 37 percent of the projected growth of the world's urban population.
viii. By 2050, India is projected to add 404 million urban dwellers, way more than China's projection of 292 million.
4.
Germany meets Argentina in WC final in Rio
i. Germany and Argentina will slug it out for the prestigious Football World Cup at Rio de Janeiro on Sunday night.
ii. While three-time champions Germany advanced to the World Cup final after 2002, Argentina booked a final-2 berth for the first time after 1990, when they lost to West Germany, 1-0 in the final. Since then, Germany have never been the World Champions.
iii. Argentina, on the other hand, had last won the World Cup in 1986, the year Diego Maradona led his country to it's second World Cup.
iv. The Netherlands will take on Brazil in the third place match at Brasília tomorrow.
5.
US diplomat William Burns meets Prime Minister
i. US Deputy Secretary of State William Burns met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday and delivered US President Barack Obama's invitation for him to visit Washington.
ii. Modi is scheduled to visit US in September for the UN General Assembly. The Prime Minister will also hold summit meeting with Obama to take the India-US relationship forward.
iii. Burns had met Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, yesterday, and discussed the bilateral ties between the two countries.
iv. "As the world two largest democracies and two largest economies, the US and India shares an interest in each other's success. The success in our partnership can contribute enormously to a safer and prosperous world," said Burns after the meeting.
v. "President Barack Obama looks forward to Prime Minister's visit to US in September, which is a very valuable opportunity to renew strategic partnership between our two countries," he said.
vi. "It is a very valuable opportunity to renew the strategic partnership between our two countries. It's an opportunity to renew our mutual determination to spur economic growth," said Burns.
vii. The visiting US official said Modi-led BJP has won a very a strong mandate to invigorate India's development and its rise on the world stage
6.
Bhullar becomes first Indian-origin player to join NBA
i. Sim Bhullar has become the first player of Indian origin to be a part of the National Basketball Association (NBA) after he signed a summer contract with the Sacramento Kings, a professional basketball team in the US.
ii. 21-year-old Bhullar, who is 7.5 feet tall and weighs 360 pounds, is a centre from New Mexico State University.
iii. Originally from Canada, Bhullar's parents hail from Punjab. His height is in his genes with his father 6.5 feet tall and his being mother's height 5.10 feet.
iv. Bhullar's younger brother Tanveer, who is 7.2 feet, also plays college basketball at New Mexico State.
v. Bhullar's name was not originally drafted in last month's NBA Draft, and that might deter him from playing for the Kings when the 2014-2015 season begins later this year.
7.
Mizoram Governor Vakkom Purushothaman resigns
i. Resenting his transfer from Mizoram "without consulting him", Nagaland Governor Vakkom B Purushothaman on Friday resigned from the post.
ii. The 86-year-old Congress veteran said that he sent his resignation to President Pranab Mukherjee this morning.
iii. Though he did not raise any political or procedural issue in his resignation letter, Purushothaman told reporters that governors had been treated in a manner which was "not fair" after the NDA Government assumed power. "Governors are constitutional authorities. It is grossly improper to transfer them just like any other government official.That is not fair," he said.
8.
Amul to sponsor Indian contingent for Commonwealth, Asian Games
i. Amul has inked an agreement with the Indian Olympic Association to sponsor the Indian contingent for the upcoming Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games to be held later this year in South Korea.
ii. R S Sodhi, Managing Director, Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (Amul), said that the company is leveraging on the synergies of milk and sports through this partnership.
iii. Amul, which has recently started its 'Eat Milk with Every Meal' campaign, had also sponsored the Indian contingent for the London Olympics in 2012 and has been investing in football, cricket and Formula 1 in the past.
9.
World Bank to give $153 mn loan for Odisha project
i. India has inked a loan agreement with World Bank for an assistance of $153 million (about Rs 920 crore) for the Odisha Disaster Recovery Project.
ii. “The Loan Agreements for World Bank (International Development Association (IDA) assistance of $153 million for Odisha Disaster Recovery Project were signed here on Friday between the Government of India and the World Bank,” an official statement said.
iii. The objective of the project is to restore and improve housing and public services in targeted communities of Odisha, and increase the capacity of the state entities to respond promptly and effectively to an eligible crisis of emergency, the statement said.