Daily Current Affairs November 12 2022

 

CURRENT AFFAIRS: IMPORTANT DAYS

World Pneumonia Day: 12th November

• World Pneumonia Day 2022 is observed on the 12th of November 2022.
• World Pneumonia Day 2022 Theme for this year is “Pneumonia affects Everyone”.
• The main purpose of observing World Pneumonia Day is to create awareness about the disease Pneumonia.
• Pneumonia is one of the oldest and deadliest diseases among the children age group less than 5 and older age group more than 50.
• World Pneumonia Day was first observed on 12 November 2009.
• It was observed under the “Stop Pneumonia” initiatives by the Global Coalition Against Child Pneumonia, a coalition of various institutions all together to fight child mortality due to respiratory infection.
• Streptococcus Pneumoniae is the most common bacterial Pneumonia in Children.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

The First National Life Science Data Repository in India is Unveiled by the Center:

• The Minister of Science and Technology, Shri Jitendra Singh, presented India’s first National Repository for Life Science Data.
• India’s publically financed research produced the data for the National Repository for Life Sciences.
• An “Indian Biological Data Centre” (IBDC) was created at the Regional Biotechnology Center.
• The “Brahm” High-Performance Computing facility is located there, and it has a storage capacity of four petabytes.
• Science data was formerly held in data repositories in Europe and the US until the National Repository for Life Science Data was announced.
• Researchers interested in doing computationally intensive analysis can now access the IBDC’s computing infrastructure.
• Moreover, IBDC has begun offering nucleotide data submission services through two data portals, including
• The Center also provided an online “Dashboard” for the INSACOG labs’ genomic monitoring data.
• These INSACOG laboratories offer specialized data submission, access, data analysis services, and nationwide real-time SARS-CoV-2 variant monitoring.

The Atal New India Challenge program was started by Atal Innovation Mission:

• Under phase II of the second edition of the Atal New India Challenge, the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog, has issued challenges focused on women (ANIC).
• Through a grant-based mechanism of up to INR 1 crore, ANIC is an initiative of AIM, NITI Aayog that seeks out, selects, supports, and nurtures technology-based innovations that address sectoral challenges of national importance and societal relevance.
• The major concerns that women from all walks of life encounter are addressed by ANIC’s Woman-Centric Challenges.
• These include advancing women’s hygiene through innovation, enhancing women’s safety through innovation, providing professional networking opportunities for women, improving the lives of working mothers through innovation, and improving the quality of life for rural women.
• ANIC created these challenges to address the major problems experienced by women from all walks of life.

South India’s first “Vande Bharat” train was launched by PM Modi:

• At Bengaluru’s Krantiveera Sangolli Railway station, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi signalled the departure of the first Vande Bharat Express Train on the Mysuru-Chennai route.
• The “Bharat Gaurav Kashi Darshan” train, which is run by the Muzrai Department of Karnataka by the Railways’ “Bharat Gaurav” rail policy, was also flagged off by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.
• The first semi-high-speed train in India is the fifth Vande Bharat Express Train.
• The Vande Bharat Express Train is exceptional in terms of speed and other cutting-edge amenities, which will assist in shorten travel times and provide passengers with a novel experience.
• The Vande Bharat Express Train is marketed as an improved version of the trains that the Indian Railways independently created.
• The 108-foot-tall bronze statue of the city’s founder, Nadaprabhu Kempegowda, known as the “Statue of Prosperity,” will also be unveiled by PM Modi.

The UMEED Program is Changing the Future of Rural Women in J&K:

• The Jammu and Kashmir Rural Livelihoods Mission’s (JKRLM) UMEED Scheme supports rural women’s aspirations in the Union Territory to achieve economic independence.
• The Jammu and Kashmir Rural Livelihoods Mission seeks to end poverty in Jammu and Kashmir by creating effective grass-roots institutions for the underprivileged, involving them in interventions that promote gainful livelihoods and assuring a discernible increase in their income.
• In Jammu and Kashmir, UMEED supports hundreds of women in their efforts to escape poverty and succeed as business owners.
• UMEED has been a huge aid to female entrepreneurs as they exhibit and advertise their goods.
• The Jammu Kashmir Rural Livelihoods Mission (JKRLM) is accelerating J&K women’s transformation into progressive, independent businesswomen.
• A centrally funded initiative to promote women’s independence and self-sufficiency is the UMEED program under the JKRLM.
• Additionally, it encourages women to start small savings plans to eventually make their self-help groups (SHGs) bankable at lower interest rates.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Lewis Hamilton becomes an honorary Brazilian Citizen & named eight-time F1 world champion

• Seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton was officially declared an honorary citizen of Brazil in a ceremony at the Chamber of Deputies in Brasilia ahead of the Brazilian Grand Prix.
• Congressman Andre Figueiredo first suggested this in November 2021 after Hamilton won the Brazilian GP for a third time at
• The British driver carried a green and yellow Brazilian flag on his victory lap and at the podium to celebrate with local fans.

About Lewis Hamilton :

• Hamilton was born on 7 January 1985 in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, England.
• He is a British racing driver currently competing in Formula One for Mercedes.
• In Formula 1, he has won a joint-record seven World Drivers’ Championship titles ( (2008, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020) (tied with Michael Schumacher).
• He holds the records for the most wins (103), pole positions (103), and podium finishes (190).

CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATE NEWS

Jaipur set to host 11th edition of India StoneMart international exhibition

• The 11th edition of India Stonemart 2022 will be held from November 10 to 13 at the Jaipur Exhibition and Convention Center (JECC) in Sitapura Industrial Area, Jaipur, Rajasthan.
• India Stonemart will be the biggest international exhibition of the stone industry, in which the world of natural stones, ancillary products, and services will be showcased.
• The exhibition is being organized by the Center for Development of Stones (CDOS), with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) as co-organizer.
• Rajasthan State Industrial Development and Investment Corporation Limited (RIICO) is its major sponsor.
• More than 350 exhibitors from India and abroad are expected to participate in the exhibition.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING & FINANCE

NPCI introduces BHIM App open source license model

• The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) an initiative by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Indian Banks Association (IBA), has announced the launch of the BHIM App open-source license model.

Aim :

• In a step ahead towards attaining the goal of ‘Digital Payments for All’
• The NPCI will licence the source code of the BHIM app to regulated entities which do not yet have a Unified Payments Interface (UPI) app of their own, to empower them to launch their own UPI app.
• NPCI intends to bridge this gap by extending all the readily available features of UPI to these entities through this BHIM App licensing model which will be an economical and quick-to-market solution for these entities
• BHIM licensing model will empower these entities to offer the benefits of UPI to their customers with a ready UPI application that will help reduce time, effort, and costs for the entities.

About NPCI :

• Founded: 2008
• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
• MD & CEO : Dilip Asbe
• The NPCI is the specialized division of the Reserve Bank of India which is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Finance, GoI.

NIIFL signs pact with JBIC to boost Japanese investments in India

• The National Investment and Infrastructure Fund Limited (NIIFL) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) to promote and enhance Japanese investments in India.
• The MoU sets a framework for collaboration between NIIFL and JBIC, which is considering the creation of a bilateral India-Japan Fund (IJF). 

Key Highlights :

• JBIC and the Government of India will invest in the India-Japan Fund, which will make equity investments in environmental preservation and low carbon emission strategies
• The fund will also enhance cooperation between the two countries by investing in strategic partnerships between Japanese and Indian companies and promoting business collaboration across multiple sectors in India.
• JBIC will consider providing debt financing under their Global action for Reconciling Economic growth and Environmental preservation (GREEN) initiative to investee companies of funds managed by NIIFL.

About NIIFL :

• Founded: February 2015
• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
• Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer: Sujoy Bose
• The NIIF is India’s first infrastructure-specific investment fund or a sovereign wealth fund.

Objective :

• To maximize economic impact mainly through infrastructure investment in commercially viable projects, both greenfield, and brownfield.
• NIIFL is an active investor in sustainable and climate-friendly technologies and solutions through its investments in Ayana Renewable Power, IntelliSmart Infrastructure, Ather Energy, and the Green Growth Equity Fund.

About JBIC :

• Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan
• President & CEO : Tadashi Maeda
• JBIC is a Japanese public financial institution and export credit agency that was created on October 1, 1999, through the merger of the Japan Export-Import Bank (JEXIM) and the Overseas Economic Cooperation Fund (OECF)

SEBI receives lesser complaints on average till Oct FY23 – SCORES data

• According to data shared by SCORES, the markets regulator  Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) received an average of 3,011 complaints every month so far in the financial year 2022-23 (FY23).
• Further analysis shows that there is a 15.4% decline over the 3,558 average monthly complaints in FY21-22. 

Key Highlights :

• The average monthly figure was higher in FY21 (4,906), FY20 (4,627), and the pre-pandemic year of FY19 (3,517).
• There are now over 100 million investor accounts compared to 40 million in FY19.
• Even as complaints decrease, the number of days it takes to resolve one has dropped from 36.8 days in October 2021 to 29 days as of September 2022.
• The lowest average resolution time was in April 2022 when it hit 24 days.
• According to yearly data from the Sebi annual report, The majority of investor complaints are against stock brokers.
• There were 11,261 complaints filed against stock brokers in FY22.
• The next biggest source of complaints were issues related to refund, allotment, dividend, transfer, bonus, rights, interest, and redemption matters which accounted for 6,789 complaints.
• Registrars to an issue and share transfer agents were the source of 3,877 complaints; mutual funds were next with 3,866 complaints followed by depository participants with 3,794 complaints.

About SCORES :

• SCORES – SEBI Complaints Redress System platform
• SCORES is an online platform designed to help investors to lodge their complaints, about the securities market, online with SEBI against listed companies and SEBI-registered intermediaries. 
• All complaints received by SEBI against listed companies and SEBI-registered intermediaries are dealt with through SCORES. 

About SEBI :

• Established: on 12 April 1988 as an executive body and was given statutory powers on 30 January 1992 through the SEBI Act, 1992
• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
• Chairman: Madhabi Puri Buch
• The SEBI is the regulatory body for the securities and commodity market in India under the ownership of the Ministry of Finance within the Government of India.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS

LIC buys additional stake, in Voltas for Rs 635 crore

• Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) has increased its shareholding in Voltas by buying an additional 2% stake.
• LIC has acquired Voltas’ shares worth Rs 634.50 crore through open market transactions during the period from August 10 to November 4, 2022.
• The LIC increased its shareholding from 2,27,04,306 shares (equivalent to 6.862%) to 2,93,95,224 (8.884%) in Voltas.
• Voltas is engaged in the business of air conditioning, refrigeration, and electro-mechanical projects as an EPC (engineering, procurement, and construction) contractor both in the domestic and international markets.
• The stock of LIC closed at Rs 633.30 apiece on BSE, up by 0.84%, while Voltas scrip ended 1.24% lower at Rs 834.40 apiece.

About LIC :

• Founded: 1 September 1956
• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
• Chairperson : M R Kumar

The LIC is an Indian central public sector undertaking under the ownership of the Ministry of Finance, GoI.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONOURS

Dr. Subhash Babu, a prominent Indian physician, will receive the Bailey K. Ashford Medal:

• Subhash Babu, a well-known Indian doctor, and scientist have been honoured with the Bailey K. Ashford Medal and the Fellow of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (FASTMH) awards for 2022.
• He receives this honour in recognition of his remarkable work in tropical medicine and research.
• The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH), the largest scientific organization in tropical medicine in the world, awards the medal every year to one or more mid-career researchers for outstanding contributions to tropical medicine.
• The prize has never been granted to an Indian scientist or an Indian institution for work throughout its 82-year history. Dr. Subash Babu is the first Indian to win both the FASTMH award and the Bailey K. Ashford medal.
• He serves as the International Centre for Excellence in Research’s (ICER) Scientific Director for the India Program.
• He is a pioneer in the study of tuberculosis and helminth infections.

The Kuldip Nayar Patrakarita Samman Award will be given to Arfa Khanum Sherwani in 2022:

• Arfa Khanum Sherwani, the senior editor of The Wire, has been given the renowned Kuldip Nayar Patrakarita Samman for 2022, according to the Gandhi Peace Foundation.
• The well-known academic and novelist, Ashis Nandy, made the statement at a press conference held at New Delhi’s Press Club of India.
• The award for 2021 went to independent journalist and YouTuber Ajit Anjum, according to Nandy’s announcement.
• The honour is given to journalists who work in Indian languages and contribute to democratic values and independent media.
• It honours the legacy of journalist, author, and human rights campaigner Kuldip Nayar.
• Later in the year, there will be a formal ceremony where the prizes will be presented.
• One lakh rupees in cash are awarded to the chosen journalists as part of this Gandhi Peace Foundation award.
• In addition to this, he receives a citation in recognition.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Olympic Gold Medalist Neeraj Chopra Is The New Friendship Ambassador Of Switzerland

• Switzerland Tourism has appointed Olympic gold medalist Neeraj Chopra as its ‘Friendship Ambassador’ to showcase and promote locations in the country to Indian travellers.
• Chopra will share his experiences in the country to showcase it as the ideal destination for outdoors and the best destination for hiking, biking, soft and extreme adventure, and of course snow sports.
• Tourism in Switzerland occupies rank no. 4 in terms of export revenues following the chemical and metal industries and luxury watch-making industry.

About Neeraj Chopra :

• Neeraj Chopra was born in Khandra Panipat, Haryana.
• He is the first Asian athlete to win an Olympic gold medal in Men’s Javelin throw.
• He is the first track and field athlete from India to win at the IAAF World U20 Championships, where in 2016 he achieved a world under-20 record throw of 48 m, becoming the first Indian athlete to set a world record.
• In July 2022, Chopra won a Silver medal in the 2022 World Athletics Championships with a throw of 88.13m, making him the second Indian to win a medal at World Athletics Championships after Anju Bobby George.
• In September 2022 he donated his gold-winning javelin to the museum in Lausanne, Switzerland.
• The museum was established in 1993 by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and it already consists of Mary Kom‘s gloves and Dhyan Chand’s hockey

Aruna Miller becomes the first Indian American to be Maryland Lieutenant Governor

• Indian American Aruna Miller become the first immigrant to hold the office of Lieutenant Governor In Maryland after winning the United States midterm elections.
• Miller, 58, a former delegate to the Maryland House, was on the Lieutenant Governor ticket along with Wes Moore the Democratic Governor-elect.
• Miller will be the first South Asian woman elected lieutenant governor in the United States, & the first Asian American lieutenant governor and the first immigrant to hold statewide office in Maryland, and the second female lieutenant governor after Kathleen Kennedy Townsend.
• The Lieutenant Governor is the state’s highest official following the Governor and assumes the role when the Governor is out of state or incapacitated.

About Aruna Miller :

• Aruna Miller was born in Hyderabad on November 6 in 1964 & she migrated to the United States from India when she was 7.
• She became a US citizen in 2000.
• She spent 25 years working at the local Department of Transportation in Montgomery County.
• She represented District 15 in the Maryland House of Delegates from 2010 to 2018.
• She ran for Congress in 2018 in Maryland’s 6th Congressional District and secured the second spot among eight candidates.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

ISRO successfully conducts tests of the CE20 cryogenic engine for the LVM3 launch

• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully conducted the hot test of the CE20 cryogenic engine indigenously developed for Launch Vehicle Mark 3 (LVM3) or GSLV-Mk3 at an uprated thrust level of 21.8 tonnes for the first time.
• This will enhance the LVM3 payload capability up to 450kg with additional propellant loading.

Key Highlights :

• The CE20 cryogenic engine that was tested has gone through major modifications compared to previous engines with Thrust Control Valve (TCV) for thrust control being introduced in the system.
• In addition to this 3D printed LOX (Liquid Oxygen) and LH2 (Liquid Hydrogen) turbine exhaust casings were inducted into the engine for the first time
• ISRO has redesignated the launch vehicle as LVM-3 from GSLV Mk-III, which is India’s heaviest launch vehicle.
• The GSLV Mk3 rocket or LVM3 is a three-stage heavy lift launch vehicle developed by ISRO.
• The vehicle has two solid strap-on motors(burns solid fuel), a core-stage liquid booster (burns a combination of liquid fuels), and a ‘C25’ cryogenic upper stage(burns liquid hydrogen with liquid oxygen). 
• LVM3 is designed to carry a 4-ton class of satellites into Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) or about 8 tons to Low Earth Orbit (LEO), which is about twice the capability of its predecessor, the GSLV Mk II.

About ISRO :

• Established: 15 August 1969
• Headquarters: Bangalore, Karnataka, India
• Chairman: S Somanath
• The ISRO is the national space agency of India and operates under the Department of Space (DOS).

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS NEWS

The men’s singles champion at the 2022 Paris Masters was Holger Rune

• Holger Rune, a 19-year-old Danish player, overcame six-time winner Novak Djokovic to win the 2022 Masters Men’s Singles title in Paris.
• Since Boris Becker in 1986, he has won the Paris tournament as the competition’s youngest winner.
• He will be the first Danish guy to enter the top 10 and the fifth first-time winner of the Masters this season.
• While Wesley Koolhof (Netherlands) and Neal Skupski won the Men’s Double (United Kingdom).
• Djokovic appeared to be on track for his 91st career victory.
• The sixth-seeded Serb won the opening set with a love hold, and in the second set’s first service game, he had Rune down 0-40.
• In the 12th game, which lasted nearly 20 minutes, he applied pressure on Rune using his experience as a 21-time Grand Slam singles champion, but Rune maintained his composure to win his third championship of the year and his burgeoning career.

The 2023 Women’s World Boxing Championships will take place in India:

• The IBA Women’s World Boxing Championship will take place in India in 2023.
• An agreement was struck between the International Boxing Association (IBA) and the Boxing Federation of India during a press conference held in New Delhi (BFI).
• IBA President Umar Kremlev and BFI President Ajay Singh were present when the MoU was signed.
• World champion Nikhat Zareen also expressed his gratitude on the occasion.
• The Women’s World Boxing Championship in 2023 will mark the official debut of the groundbreaking bout review system developed by BFI and IBA.
• The entire prize money for the Women’s World Boxing Championship in 2023 will be around INR 19.50 crore, and the gold medalist will receive INR 71 lakh.
• India’s hosting of the Women’s World Boxing Championship in 2023 will be a significant milestone for the nation since boxing in India has experienced remarkable growth.
• In the past seven years, India has hosted three major championships, displaying its capacity to develop facilities and capacities.
• It will be the second Women’s World Boxing Championship that India has held in the last six years, and it will be the third overall.

India’s Virat Kohli is the first player to amass 4,000 runs in T20 International matches:

• Virat Kohli, the great cricketer for India, made history by becoming the first player to score 4,000 runs in T20 Internationals.
• Against England in Adelaide’s second semifinal of the T20 World Cup 2022, Kohli achieved the milestone.
• Earlier, Kohli surpassed Mahela Jayawardene’s 2014 record of 1016 runs to become the all-time greatest run-scorer in men’s T20 World Cup matches against Bangladesh in Adelaide.
• Amazingly, Kohli reached the wonderful milestone quickly while batting at a 53.34 average.
• He achieved the milestone in 115 matches and is the only batter in the shortest format to average over 50.
• The only male cricketer to receive Player of the Tournament honours in both the 2014 and 2016 T20 World Cups was Kohli.
• Additionally, Kohli has scored the most runs in T20I cricket history.
• He is listed before Paul Stirling, Martin Guptill, Babar Azam, and skipper Rohit Sharma.
• At the moment, Kohli has a strike rate of about 140 and an average of over 50.
• With over 270 runs in 6 games during the T20 World Cup 2022, Kohli is also the leading scorer.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: OBITUARIES

Iconic Brazilian singer Gal Costa Passes away

• An icon in the Tropicalia and Brazilian singer, Gal Costa has passed away at the age of 77.

About Gal Costa :

• Gal Maria da Graça Costa Penna Burgos was born on 26 September 1945, in Bahia, Brazil.
• In more than 55 years of her career, Costa released 40-plus albums including the iconic Fa-tal- Gal a Todo Vapor (1971) and Índia (1973) – 4 of which have been nominated for Latin Grammys in the best Musica Popular Brasileira album category.
• She is best known for lending her unique voice to compositions such as Ary Barroso’s “Aquarela do Brasil” (Watercolor of Brazil), Tom Jobim’s “Dindi,” Jorge Ben Jor’s “Que Pena” (What a Shame) and Caetano Veloso’s “Baby.”
• She was widely referred to as the “muse of the Tropicália.”

Awards & Honors :

• In 2011, she was honoured with the Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

Daily CA on November 12:

• World Pneumonia Day 2022 is observed on the 12th of November 2022.
• The Minister of Science and Technology, Shri Jitendra Singh, presented India’s first National Repository for Life Science Data.
• Under phase II of the second edition of the Atal New India Challenge, the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog, has issued challenges focused on women (ANIC).
• At Bengaluru’s Krantiveera Sangolli Railway station, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi signalled the departure of the first Vande Bharat Express Train on the Mysuru-Chennai route.
• The Jammu and Kashmir Rural Livelihoods Mission’s (JKRLM) UMEED Scheme supports rural women’s aspirations in the Union Territory to achieve economic independence.
• Subhash Babu, a well-known Indian doctor, and scientist have been honoured with the Bailey K. Ashford Medal and the Fellow of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (FASTMH) awards for 2022.
• Arfa Khanum Sherwani, the senior editor of The Wire, has been given the renowned Kuldip Nayar Patrakarita Samman for 2022, according to the Gandhi Peace Foundation.
• Holger Rune, a 19-year-old Danish player, overcame six-time winner Novak Djokovic to win the 2022 Masters Men’s Singles title in Paris.
• The IBA Women’s World Boxing Championship will take place in India in 2023.
• Virat Kohli, the great cricketer for India, made history by becoming the first player to score 4,000 runs in T20 Internationals.
• Seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton was officially declared an honorary citizen of Brazil in a ceremony at the Chamber of Deputies in Brasilia ahead of the Brazilian Grand Prix.
• The 11th edition of India Stonemart 2022 will be held from November 10 to 13 at the Jaipur Exhibition and Convention Center (JECC) in Sitapura Industrial Area, Jaipur, Rajasthan.
• The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) an initiative by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Indian Banks Association (IBA), has announced the launch of the BHIM App open-source license model.
• The National Investment and Infrastructure Fund Limited (NIIFL) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) to promote and enhance Japanese investments in India.
• According to data shared by SCORES, the markets regulator  Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) received an average of 3,011 complaints every month so far in the financial year 2022-23 (FY23).
• Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) has increased its shareholding in Voltas by buying an additional 2% stake.
• Switzerland Tourism has appointed Olympic gold medalist Neeraj Chopra as its ‘Friendship Ambassador’ to showcase and promote locations in the country to Indian travellers.
• Indian American Aruna Miller become the first immigrant to hold the office of Lieutenant Governor In Maryland after winning the United States midterm elections.
• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully conducted the hot test of the CE20 cryogenic engine indigenously developed for Launch Vehicle Mark 3 (LVM3) or GSLV-Mk3 at an uprated thrust level of 21.8 tonnes for the first time.
• An icon in the Tropicalia and Brazilian singer, Gal Costa has passed away at the age of 77.