1. ISRO launches 'cloud-proof' earth observation spy satellite RISAT-2B to keep an eye on Pakistan

• Indian space research organisation (ISRO) today successfully launched an earth observation spy satellite RISAT-2B that can take high resolution images of the earth during day and night, and also under cloudy conditions to keep an eye also on terror camps across the border in Pakistan.
• This would enhance the country's surveillance capabilities many times. The satellite is equipped with a synthetic aperture radar that can take pictures in any condition.
• The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C46) lifted-off from the First Launch Pad and injected RISAT-2B into an orbit of 556 km, about 15 minutes and 25 seconds after lift-off. The RISAT-2B is a radar imaging earth observation satellite, weighing about 615 kg.

Foot Notes:

About ISRO
♦ The Indian Space Research Organisation
♦ ISRO Director: K. Sivan,
♦ Headquarters: Bengaluru,
♦ Established in: 1969.

2. Saray Khumalo First Black Woman To Climb Mount Everest Says It "Needed To Be Done"

• South African climber Saray Khumalo, 47, reached the peak of the 8,848-metre mountain last week after three previous failed bids to conquer the world's highest peak.
• She has also climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Aconcagua in Argentina and Mount Elbrus in Russia.
• In 2003, South African park ranger Sibusiso Vilane became the first black person to summit Mount Everest.

Foot Notes:

About Mount Everest
♦ Mount Everest is the world's highest mountain
♦ First ascenders: Edmund Hillary, Tenzing Norgay Trending
♦ Elevation: 8,848 m
♦ First ascent: 29 May 1953
♦ Countries: Nepal, China
♦ Mountain range: Himalayas, Mahalangur Himal

About South Africa
♦ President: Cyril Ramaphosa 
♦ Capitals: Cape Town, Pretoria, Bloemfontein
♦ Currency: South African rand

3. International Day for Biological Diversity: 22 May

• The UN General Assembly proclaimed 22 May, the date of the adoption of its text, as the International Day for Biological Diversity on 20 December 2000.
• The theme for International Day for Biological Diversity 2019 is 'Our Biodiversity, Our Food, Our Health'.

Foot Notes:

About UN General Assembly
♦ President: María Fernanda Espinosa
♦ Headquarters: New York, United States
♦ Founder: United Nations
♦ Founded: 1945, New York, United States
♦ Abbreviation: GA; UNGA; AG
♦ Subsidiaries: UNICEF, United Nations Development Programme, United Nations System Staff College

4. Oman Author Jokha Alharthi Wins Booker International Prize

• Omani author Jokha Alharthi has become the first Arabic-language writer to win the prestigious Man Booker International Prize for Celestial Bodies, a novel that deals with family connections and history in the coming-of-age account of three sisters.
• Alharthi's book beat five other shortlisted novels from Europe and South America to take the prize, which celebrates translated fiction from around the world and included a $64,000 award divided equally between author and translator.

Foot Notes:

5. World Bank, CommBank Team Up for ‘World First’ Blockchain Bond Transaction

• The World Bank and the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CommBank) have teamed up to enable recording of secondary market bond trading using blockchain tech.
• The institutions announced that their successful recording of a secondary transaction for bond-i, a blockchain-operated debt instrument, on a distributed ledger shows the “vast potential” of the technology, and marks the first bond to have both issuance and trading recorded on a blockchain platform.
• Bond-i was first issued last year in August by the World Bank, with the CommBank being a sole arranger. The experiment helped the World Bank raise $81 million at the time.

Foot Notes:

6. Mumbai at topmost risk of cyber attack

• In India, the financial capital Mumbai faces the highest highest threat from cyberattacks, which makes Maharashtra top the list of Indian states vulnerable to risk.
• Top 10 Indian Cities At Most Risk

1. Mumbai
2. Delhi
3. Bengaluru
4. Kolkata
5. Pune
6. New Delhi
7. Hyderabad
8. Jaipur
9.  Ahmedabad
10. Chennai

7. Tech Mahindra signs Rs 300 crore defence contract with Indian Navy

• IT major Tech Mahindra said it has signed a defence contract worth Rs 300 crore, its biggest till date.
• As part of the 'Armed Forces Secure Access Card' (AFSAC) Project, Tech Mahindra will implement RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) based access control system across all naval bases and ships, a statement said.
• The new AFSAC card will replace the existing paper based identity card for all Navy personnel, including dependents and ex-servicemen, it added.

Foot Notes:

♦ Defence Minister: Nirmala Sitharaman