Current affairs 06 May 2024

India ranks at 159 among 180 countries in World Press Index.

• India ranked 159 among 180 countries in the latest annual World Press Freedom Index released by Reporters Without Borders.
• India had ranked 161 in the 2023 list.
• Norway topped the ranking, while Denmark was in the second rank and Sweden ranked third on the list.
• The Reporters Without Borders's analysis mentioned that India’s media has fallen into an unofficial state of emergency .

Palestinian journalists awarded 2024 Guillermo Cano World Press Prize.

• UNESCO awarded its World Press Freedom Prize to all Palestinian journalists covering the war in Gaza.
• Mauricio Weibel - Chairman of the international jury of media professionals.
• The Award Ceremony occurred in the margins of the World Press Freedom Conference in Santiago, Chile.
• This Prize, Created in 1997, honors the press freedom anywhere in the world.

ICICI market cap tops Rs 8 trillion, become the 2nd bank after HDFC.

• ICICI Bank's market capitalization surpassed the 8-trillion mark and into the league of the top 5 companies by market value.
• It has become the 2nd bank to cross this milestone, after HDFC Bank.
• Reliance Industries - the most-valued Indian company - Rs 19.8 trillion.
• Tata Consultancy Services - Rs 14 trillion.
• HDFC Bank - Rs 11.6 trillion
• State Bank of India - Rs 7.4 trillion.

India’s first indigenous bomber UAV unveiled in Bengaluru.

• Flying Wedge Defence and Aerospace Technologies launched FWD-200B in Bengaluru, marking India's entry into indigenous UAV manufacturing.
• This medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) drone is designed for both surveillance and precision strikes, boasting a 100 kg payload.
• It reduces dependency on costly imports of UAVs with a 12-20 hour endurance, 370 kmph speed, and 200 km station range.

Oldest evidence of Earth’s magnetic field found in Greenland rocks.

• Scientists have found Earth’s magnetic field, from 3.7 billion years ago, in ancient features that were set just 800 million years after Earth is thought to have formed.
• These rocks were collected at Isua Supracrustal Belt, Greenland.
• The scientists used uranium-lead dating to get an age estimate for the rocks.
• The iron oxides in rocks were preserved in pristine condition.