Current Affairs for IAS Exams – 22 September 2015

:: International ::

Britain pledges £2bn for N-plant

The British government said on Monday it will underwrite 2 billion pounds in Chinese financing for a new nuclear power plant in southwest England, as it encourages major Chinese investment in the U.K. nuclear sector.
British officials hope Monday’s announcement will encourage France’s EDF Energy which is backed in the project by China General Nuclear Corporation and China National Nuclear Corporation to make a final decision this year to build Britain’s first new nuclear power station in two decades.
The plant, which had been due to start producing electricity in 2023, has been mired in delays, and critics say it is uneconomical.

:: Science & Technology ::

ISRO set to launch first space observatory satellite ‘ASTROSAT’

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is all set to launch India’s first fully dedicated astronomical satellite — ASTROSAT. The satellite will be launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota at 10 am on September 28, revealed ISRO chief A S Kiran. It is a 1.5 ton satellite that will blast off into space by a PSLV C-30 rocket.
India’s first space observatory Astrosat will be accompanied by six foreign co-satellites including one micro satellite each from Canada and Indonesia and four nano satellites from the US.
According to an ISRO official, “The mission envisages an earth orbiting scientific satellite with payloads capable of simultaneously observing the universe in the visible, ultraviolet and X-ray regions of the electromagnetic spectrum.”
The satellite has the capability to observe multiple wavelengths including ultraviolet and X-rays which will help scientists in studying distant star, white dwarfs and pulsars. In addition, it will also study the super massive black hole situated at the centre of our galaxy Milky Way. According to ISRO, equipments of satellite are designed to train itself while observing the black hole.
While explaining about the ASTROSAT, ISRO chief said that the satellite will be launched into a 650 km orbit and is equipped with one UV telescope, a charge particle monitor and will carry four X-ray payloads. Canadian Space Agency and University of Leicester, UK have helped in designing two of the payloads.
Payload of the satellite was developed by ISRO along with four other Indian institutions — Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics and Raman Research Institute.

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:: Sports ::

Richardson inducted into Elite Panel of match referees

Former West Indies captain Richie Richardson was inducted into the Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees, replacing Sri Lanka’s Roshan Mahanama who stepped down last week.
Following his appointment, Richardson said he was excited and honoured to have been selected for “one of the most important jobs in cricket”.
Richardson, 53, represented the West Indies in 86 Tests and 224 One-Day Internationals from 1983 to 1996 in which he scored 5,949 and 6,248 runs, respectively. He captained his side in 24 Tests and 87 ODIs. He played in the ICC Cricket World Cup in 1987, 1992 and 1996.