SUMAN
- Ministry of Health and Family Welfare launched Surakshit Matritva Aashwasan (SUMAN) initiative.
- It aims to end all preventable maternal and newborn deaths by assuring dignified, respectful & quality health care at no cost.
UNICEF Cryptocurrency Fund
- UNICEF becomes first UN organisation to hold and make transactions in cryptocurrencies ether and bitcoin.
- UNICEF will use cryptocurrencies to fund open source technology benefiting children and young people around the world.
ICON Satellite
- NASA has recently launched Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON) spacecraft from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
- It is designed to probe Earth’s upper atmosphere (Ionosphere), a massive layer that overlaps with the boundary of space.
- Its measurements will help scientists better understand the link between space weather and terrestrial weather, and how the two interact in the ionosphere.
C40 world summit
The C40 World Mayors’ Summit is being held from 9th-12th October 2019 in Copenhagen, Denmark.
- It is a conference where city leaders from around the world share ideas on green urban development and on ways to get national governments to act on climate issues.
- The group is committed to delivering on climate targets set under the 2016 Paris Agreement, and sets the bar for cities to develop and implement local level plans that comply with those targets.
Mamallapuram
- Mamallapuram, or Mahabalipuram is in focus as the venue for the informal summit between Indian PM and Chinese President.
- It is the ancient Pallava port city which has its origins in the word Mamallan (great wrestler), title of a Pallava King Narasimhavarman II (3rd – 9th century).
- The king’s story was immortalised by Tamil writer Kalki in the novel Sivagamiyin Sapatham
- The town was originally called Mamallai or Kadalmallai and Mallai means prosperity