Current Affairs for BANK, IBPS Exams - 22 August 2021

::NATIONAL::

India's tallest herbal park inaugurated near India-China border

India’s highest altitude herbal park, located at the height of 11,000 feet near the Indo-China border in Uttarakhand’sChamoli district, was inaugurated on Saturday. Under the central government’s Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act (CAMPA), the Uttarakhand forest department’s research wing established the park on 3 acres of land donated by Mana Van panchayat.
As per officials, this is under the central government’s CAMPA scheme, the Uttarakhand forest department’s research wing established the park on three acres of land donated by Mana Van panchayat.
According to Chief Conservator of Forest (research) SanjivChaturvedi, the herbal park comprises roughly 40 species found in high altitude alpine locations in the Himalayan region. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list and the State Biodiversity Board, many species are endangered or threatened. It also contains several valuable medicinal herbs, added Chaturvedi.
The park is divided into four segments. The BadriTulsi, BadriBer, Badri Tree, and the sacred tree of Bhojpatra are linked with Badrinath (Lord Vishnu) in the first section. BadriTulsi, scientifically known as OriganumVulgare, grows in this location and is vital to Lord Badrinath’s offerings. Various studies have shown that it has a wide range of therapeutic properties.
According to Chaturvedi, BadriBer, also known as HippophaeSalicifolia and locally as Amaesh, is another nutrient-dense fruit that is extensively consumed. The second section is dedicated to Ashtavarga species, which include Riddhi (HabenariaIntermedia), Vriddhi (HabenariaEdgeworthii), Jeevak (MalaxisAcuminata), Rishbhak (MalaxisMuscifera), Kakoli (FritillariaRoylei), KsheerKakoli (LiliumPolyphyllum), Maida (PolygonatumVerticillatum). There are the most important ingredients of Chyawanprash, he said.

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::International::

Singapore offers tanker aircraft to US for Afghan evacuation

Singapore offered America one of its tanker aircraft to airlift stranded civilians from war-torn Afghanistan, Prime Minister Lee HsienLoong said as he held talks with US Vice President Kamala Harris during which the two countries signed a number of key agreements to enhance cooperation, including in defence and cybersecurity.
Vice President Harris' visit to Singapore is part of a diplomatic charm offensive by the Biden administration in Southeast Asia, a region that is crucial to the future prosperity and security of the United States, amidst China's aggressive actions in the region.
Harris thanked Lee for the “very generous offer” to assist the US in its evacuations from Afghanistan.
“We look forward to following up on that discussion,” she said.
The A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft of the Singapore Air Force, which attained full operational capability in April, is capable of conducting air-to-air refuelling and airlift roles simultaneously.
The MRTT aircraft of the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) can carry up to 266 passengers or 37,000 kgs of cargo, and can be used to evacuate sick or injured personnel.

::Economy::

AurobindoPharma jumps nearly 7% after cancelling ₹420-cr Cronus Pharma deal

AurobindoPharma shares climbed over 6 per cent on Monday after the company said it has cancelled its ₹450-crore deal to acquire a 51 per cent stake in Cronus PharmaSpecialities India Pvt Ltd Analysts believe the deal led to concerns over Aurobindo’s capital allocation strategy.
"The board of directors in its meeting held today has approved the termination of the aforesaid agreements, and the parties have mutually agreed and terminated the said agreements,” AurobindoPharma said in In a regulatory filing on Friday without disclosing the reasons for the termination of the proposed deal.
AurobindoPharma announced on August 12 that it had entered into definitive agreements to subscribe to fresh equity shares in Hyderabad-based Cronus. The company said it entered into binding agreements with the generic veterinary pharmaceutical products firm for the acquisition of 51 per cent ownership by subscribing to 95,059,963 equity shares of ₹10 each at a premium of ₹34.18 per equity share aggregating to ₹420 crore.

::Science and tech::

How AI-powered technology landed Chicago man in jail with scant evidence

Michael Williams’ wife pleaded with him to remember their fishing trips with the grandchildren, how he used to braid her hair, anything to jar him back to his world outside the concrete walls of Cook County Jail.
His three daily calls to her had become a lifeline, but when they dwindled to two, then one, then only a few a week, the 65-year-old Williams felt he couldn’t go on. He made plans to take his life with a stash of pills he had stockpiled in his dormitory.
Williams was jailed last August, accused of murdering a young man from the neighborhood who asked him for a ride during a night of unrest over police brutality in May. But the key evidence against Williams didn’t come from an eyewitness or an informant; it came from a clip of noiseless security video showing a car driving through an intersection, and a loud bang picked up by a network of surveillance microphones. Prosecutors said technology powered by a secret algorithm that analyzed noises detected by the sensors indicated Williams shot and killed the man.

::Sports::

Tokyo Games is going to be our best outing at Paralympics, says Deepa Malik

Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) chief Deepa Malik is expecting the country's para-athletes to create history by recording its best-ever performance at the Tokyo Games beginning.
"Absolutely, my expectations have already gone beyond what I was expecting. This year, India is sending the largest-ever contingent. I am very hopeful that we are going to create history," Malik said when asked if she is expecting the best-ever display.
"It's a contingent which is three times bigger in number, we have added four more sports in the past 4-5 years of gap between 2016-21..