Current Affairs for SSC CGL Exams - 27 September 2021

SSC CGL Current Affairs

Current Affairs for SSC CGL Exams - 27 September 2021

::NATIONAL::

PM Modi addresses 76th UNGA in New York

Prime Minister NarendraModi arrived in New York night (EST) to address the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly. PM Modi, who is on a three-day visit to the US, is expected to highlight the issues related to coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic, climate change, and global terrorism.
The prime minister spent the first two days of the three-day visit in Washington DC where he participated in the Quad Leaders' Summit and held separate bilateral meetings as well. On Thursday, PM Modi met US vice president Kamala Harris followed by meetings with Australian and Japanese counterparts.
Apart from the meeting with the Quad leaders, PM Modi also met CEOs of five multinational companies.
The visit will now be capped with his address at the UN General Assembly.

::INTERNATIONAL::

What is China's Evergrande Debt Crisis?

China Evergrande's electric car unit warned it faced an uncertain future unless it got a swift injection of cash, the clearest sign yet that the property developer's liquidity crisis is worsening in other parts of its business.
Evergrande (3333.HK) owes $305 billion, has run short of cash and investors are worried a collapse could pose systemic risks to China's financial system and reverberate around the world.
The company missed a payment deadline on a dollar bond this week and its silence on the matter has left global investors wondering if they will have to swallow large losses when a 30-day grace period ends.
China Evergrande New Energy Vehicle Group (0708.HK), meanwhile, said without a strategic investment or the sale of assets its ability to pay staff and suppliers and mass produce vehicles would be hit.
Evergrande's silence on this week's $83.5 million interest payment contrasts with its treatment of its domestic investors.
On Wednesday, Evergrande's main property business in China said it had privately negotiated with onshore bondholders to settle a separate coupon payment on a yuan-denominated bond.
"This is part of the tactics of any sovereign-driven restructuring process - keeping people in the dark or guessing," said Karl Clowry, a partner at Addleshaw Goddard in London.
"The view from Beijing is offshore bondholders are largely Western institutions and so can justifiably be given different treatment. I think people think it's still a falling knife."

::ECONOMY::

HAL inks agreement with Alliance Air for deployment of civil DO-228 aircraft in Arunachal Pradesh

State-run aerospace behemoth Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) on Sunday said it has signed a lease agreement with Alliance Air Aviation Limited for the supply of two Civil Do-228 aircraft for regional operations in Arunachal Pradesh, aimed at giving a boost to India's Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS).
The HAL Do- 228 is a versatile aircraft well-suited for operations in the North East and has the capabilities of short take-off and landing, ability to land and take-off from semi-prepared runways, the company said in a release.This development opens a new vista in civil aviation for HAL, it said, adding the company is keen to increase its footprint in regional civil aviation by engaging more numbers of HAL Do-228 by air operators of the country.Apurba Roy, General Manager, Transport Aircraft Division, Kanpur, HAL and Arun Kumar Bansal, Head of Engineering, Alliance Air Aviation Limited signed the deal papers in Bengaluru.
HAL's Transport Aircraft Division, Kanpur has been in the business of transport and trainer aircraft for defence customers. The division has ventured into the manufacturing of Hindustan-228 aircraft.The Hindustan-228 is a 19-seat multirole utility aircraft built for various applications such as VIP transport, passenger transport, air ambulance, flight inspection roles, cloud seeding, and recreational activities like para jumping, aerial surveillance, photography and cargo applications.

::SCIENCE AND TECH::

WHO revises air quality norms for the first time since 2005

New WHO Global Air Quality Guidelines (AQGs) provide clear evidence of the damage air pollution inflicts on human health, at even lower concentrations than previously understood. The guidelines recommend new air quality levels to protect the health of populations, by reducing levels of key air pollutants, some of which also contribute to climate change.
Since WHO’s last 2005 global update, there has been a marked increase of evidence that shows how air pollution affects different aspects of health. For that reason, and after a systematic review of the accumulated evidence, WHO has adjusted almost all the AQGs levels downwards, warning that exceeding the new air quality guideline levels is associated with significant risks to health. At the same time, however, adhering to them could save millions of lives.
Every year, exposure to air pollution is estimated to cause 7 million premature deaths and result in the loss of millions more healthy years of life. In children, this could include reduced lung growth and function, respiratory infections and aggravated asthma. In adults, ischaemic heart disease and stroke are the most common causes of premature death attributable to outdoor air pollution, and evidence is also emerging of other effects such as diabetes and neurodegenerative conditions. This puts the burden of disease attributable to air pollution on a par with other major global health risks such as unhealthy diet and tobacco smoking.
Air pollution is one of the biggest environmental threats to human health, alongside climate change. Improving air quality can enhance climate change mitigation efforts, while reducing emissions will in turn improve air quality. By striving to achieve these guideline levels, countries will be both protecting health as well as mitigating global climate change.
WHO’s new guidelines recommend air quality levels for 6 pollutants, where evidence has advanced the most on health effects from exposure. When action is taken on these so-called classical pollutants – particulate matter (PM), ozone (O₃), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) sulfur dioxide (SO₂) and carbon monoxide (CO), it also has an impact on other damaging pollutants.
The health risks associated with particulate matter equal or smaller than 10 and 2.5 microns (µm) in diameter (PM₁₀ and PM₂.₅, respectively) are of particular public health relevance. Both PM₂.₅ and PM₁₀ are capable of penetrating deep into the lungs but PM₂.₅ can even enter the bloodstream, primarily resulting in cardiovascular and respiratory impacts, and also affecting other organs. PM is primarily generated by fuel combustion in different sectors, including transport, energy, households, industry, and from agriculture. In 2013, outdoor air pollution and particulate matter were classified as carcinogenic by WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).

::SPORTS::

SaniaMirza and her Chinese partner Shuai Zhang won the women's doubles title at the Ostrava Open Tennis

India's tennis veteran, SaniaMirza wins the doubles title at the Ostrava Open with her Chinese partner Shuai Zhang. They defeated the pair of Kaitlyn Christian and Erin Routliffe by 6-3, 6-2, and clinched the title in just over an hour. The final was held at the ČEZ Aréna in Ostrava in the Czech Republic.
This is the first title of this season for SaniaMirza and the 43rd title of her career.
Mirza-Zhang duo was seeded second for the tournament. They defeated the Japanese duo of EriHozumi and Makoto Ninomiya in straight sets 6-2, 7-5 in the semi-finals. Although they were broken in the fifth set in the semis, they had a considerably easy way into the final.