1. World’s first malaria vaccine gets regulatory approval
(i) After more than 30 years of research, world’s first malaria vaccine, named Mosquirix got a regulatory approval from London-based European Medicines Agency (EMA) on July 24.
(ii) The vaccine is now being examined by the WHO, which will give its recommendations in November this year. If approved, the vaccine could be used to treat children across Africa in the next few years.
(iii) Globally, malaria kills around 600,000 people every year. Most of the victims are children below the age of five, and from sub-Saharan Africa.
2. Govt. to decide on draft Indian Financial Code based on public view
(i) Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said that the government will take a view on the draft Indian Financial Code (IFC), which proposes to dilute powers of the RBI chief, after receiving comments from stakeholders.
(ii) The draft proposed taking away RBI chief’s authority to veto the interest rate decision of the central bank’s monetary policy committee. In addition, it proposed that the committee would have four government representatives and only three RBI representatives, including the ‘RBI Chairperson’.
3. Gold prices plummet to 5-year low in global markets
(i) Gold prices hit lowest level since March 2010 early on July 24, recording deepest loss in nine months. In Mumbai, prices fell 4%.
(ii) Amid rising speculations of further losses, the Federal Reserve (US’s central bank) is considering raising interest rates.
(iii) India (accounts for over a fifth of global gold demand) spent a record $15.2 billion on gold imports in April-May 2013. If the price fall continues, people across the country will rush to buy given the lower rates, as per World Gold Council’s projection.
(iv) India consumes around 800-900 tonnes of gold annually and depends on imports to meet its entire demand.
4. Japanese Encephalitis outbreak in Assam
(i) The Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare J P Nadda, held a review meeting with senior ministry officials on July 25 to address the outbreak of Japanese Encephalitis in Assam.
(ii) Till date 365 positive cases and 66 deaths have been reported in the state.
5. NASA’s Kepler telescope discovers evidence of Earth-like planet
(i) Evidence from NASA’s Kepler telescope indicates existence of a planet that closely resembles Earth.
(ii) The planet is about 60 percent bigger than Earth in size and is located about 1,400 light years away in the constellation Cygnus.
(iii) Though planets nearly the Earth’s size have been found previously, the latest one, known as Kepler-452b, circles a star very similar but older than the Sun, at a distance about the same as the Earth’s orbit.
6. Mexico wins CONCACAF Gold Cup for a record seventh time
(i) Mexican team, El Tri, won the CONCACAF Gold Cup 2015 final with a dominant 3-1 triumph over Jamaica at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field on July 25.
(ii) Mexico
has won the cup for the seventh time this year,
having previously won it in 1993, 1996, 1998, 2003, 2009 and 2011.
However, the team’s arch rival the United States, has only five titles.
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