Corona cases rise in China 21.12.2022

1. So far, two cases have been reported from Gujarat, two from Odisha, in which the BF.7 variant has been detected. It has already been detected in several other countries, including the US and UK and European nations such as Belgium, Germany, France and Denmark.
2. The government, though advising people to wear masks in crowded places, has said that there is no need to panic — a suggestion repeated Adar Poonawalla of vaccine maker Serum Institute of India (SII).
3. After a review today, Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya tweeted, "COVID is not over yet. I have directed all concerned to be alert and strengthen surveillance. We are prepared to manage any situation."
4. The union government has also asked states to send samples to labs for genome sequencing, which can help identify the variant or sub-variant.
5. "ln view of the sudden spurt of cases being witnessed in Japan, United States of America, Republic of Korea, Brazil and China, it is essential to gear up the whole genome sequencing of positive case samples to track the variants," read a letter from Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan to all states.
6. At the Covid review meet chaired by the minister on Wednesday, experts said that though there is no overall increase in Covid caseload as of now in India, there is a need for continued surveillance to keep a track of existing and emerging variants.
7. BF.7 is a sub-lineage of the Omicron variant BA.5, and has the strongest infection ability since it is highly transmissible, has a shorter incubation period, and has a higher capacity to cause reinfection or infect even those vaccinated, news agency PTI reported.The high degree of spread in Chinese cities — including the capital city of Beijing — is also being attributed to a "low level of immunity", possbly due to previous infections.
8. When the first case of BF.7 infection showed up, health expert Dr Rajeev Jayadevan had said, "Ever since Omicron arrived in November 2021, it has been giving off branches which divide into smaller branches. Of these, BA.2 and BA.5 proved to be stronger than the rest. BA.5.1.7 and BF.7 are names given to downstream descendants of BA.5."
9. India reported 129 fresh infections over the last 24 hours, as reported on Wednesday, and the number of active cases currently stands at 3,408. One death was recorded over the last 24 hours.

Meghalaya Government launches ‘Asia’s first Drone delivery hub for easy access to healthcare’

08 December 2022
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Meghalaya Government launches ‘Asia’s first Drone delivery hub for easy access to healthcare’

The Meghalaya government in partnership with startup TechEagle has unveiled Asia’s first drone delivery hub and network which is aimed at providing universal access to healthcare for the people in the state. The project is aimed at delivering vital supplies like drugs, diagnostic samples, vaccines, blood and blood components quickly and safely to different regions of the state using a dedicated drone delivery network.

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Important points:

• The first official drone flight took off from Jengjal Sub Divisional Hospital, which will act as the hub, and delivered medicines to Padeldoba primary health centre in less than 30 minutes, which would otherwise have taken 2.5 hours by road, TechEagle said in the release.
• TechEagle’s Vertiplane X3 Drone delivered different healthcare products in its first flight which was five times faster in comparison to ground transportation.
• Meghalaya Drone Delivery Network (MDDN) and hub in Phase 1 is a combination of one central hub and 25 spokes (supply chain nodes) in a radius of 50 kilometres where the drone hub at Jengal hospital will act as the centre point, according to TechEagle.
• TechEagle’s drones are capable of vertical takeoff and landing from small areas which enables both forward and reverse logistics of healthcare products in the network, as per the company.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams: 

• Meghalaya Capital: Shillong;
• Meghalaya Chief Minister: Conrad Kongkal Sangma;
• Meghalaya Governor: B. D. Mishra.

New York Film Critics Circle awards 2022: Filmmaker SS Rajamouli won Best Director

05 December 2022
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New York Film Critics Circle awards 2022: Filmmaker SS Rajamouli won Best Director

New York Film Critics Circle 2022:

Filmmaker SS Rajamouli won the Best Director Award for RRR at the New York Film Critics Circle 2022. The group is one of the first critics’ groups to weigh in on the awards season. Rajamouli’s win surprised many as his competitors included Steven Spielberg, Darron Aronofsky, Sarah Polley, and Gina Prince-Blythewood. A pre-Independence fictional story, “RRR” stars Ram Charan and Jr NTR as real-life Indian revolutionaries in the 1920s Alluri Sitarama Raju and Komaram Bheem, respectively.

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Notably: After earning more than Rs 1200 crore at the worldwide box office, the film emerged as one of the most successful films at the box office in India and received rave reviews from Indian film critics. However, it was not selected as India’s official entry for Oscars 2023.

At the New York Film Critics Circle:

• Todd Field’s Tar has won the Best Picture of the year, also nabbing Best Actress for Cate Blanchett’s leading performance.
• Colin Farrell won Best Actor for two of his performances this year — Kogonada’s future-set sci-fi drama After Yang and Martin McDonagh’s The Banshees of Inisherin.
• Ke Huy Quan has won the Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Everything Everywhere All At Once,
• Keke Palmer won the Best Supporting Actress for Nope.

World Soil Day observed on 5th December

05 December 2022
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World Soil Day observed on 5th December

World Soil Day 2022

December 5 is celebrated annually as World Soil Day to highlight the importance of healthy soil and promote sustainable management of soil resources. The event aims to raise awareness of the importance of soil quality for human well-being, food security and ecosystems, and events are held at the UN FAO offices and through community based events. The day was first considered by the International Union of Soil Sciences in 2002, but was not officially endorsed by FAO until 2013.

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World Soil Day 2022: Theme

The theme for 2022 World Soil Day is ‘Soils: Where Food Begins’. It emphasises upon the importance of maintaining healthy ecosystems and human well-being. The theme aims to highlight the growing changes in soil management, increase soil awareness, and inspire efforts and people to improve soil health.

World Soil Day 2022: History

• World Soil Day (WSD) is held annually on 5 December as a means to focus attention on the importance of healthy soil and to advocate for the sustainable management of soil resources. An international day to celebrate soil was recommended by the International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS) in 2002.
• Under the leadership of the Kingdom of Thailand and within the framework of the Global Soil Partnership, FAO has supported the formal establishment of WSD as a global awareness raising platform. The FAO Conference unanimously endorsed World Soil Day in June 2013 and requested its official adoption at the 68th UN General Assembly. In December 2013, the UN General Assembly responded by designating 5 December 2014 as the first official World Soil Day.
• The date was chosen as it coincides with the official birthday of the King of Thailand, H.M. King Bhumibol Adulyadej. He had officially sanctioned the event. World Soil Day was first officially marked in memory of the monarch in 2016, the year he passed away after serving as the head of state for seven decades.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• International Union of Soil Sciences Headquarters: Vienna, Austria;
• International Union of Soil Sciences Founded: 1924;
• International Union of Soil Sciences President: Laura Bertha Reyes Sánchez (Mexico).

International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development: 5 December

05 December 2022
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International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development: 5 December

International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development 2022:

International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development is observed on December 5 ever year. The day is also referred to as International Volunteer Day (IVD) to recognize and promote the tireless work, not just of UN Volunteers, but of volunteers across the globe. The international observance was mandated by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in 1985. The day commemorates 80 countries in the world.

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International Volunteer Day 2022: Theme

International Volunteer Day (IVD) 2022 celebrates the theme of solidarity through volunteering. This campaign highlights the power of our collective humanity to drive positive change through volunteerism.

International Volunteer Day 2022: Significance

International Volunteers Day gives individuals, organisations and communities to promote the contributions made by them at the local, national and international levels. The best way that one can celebrate this day is by contributing or rather volunteering at organisations, government agencies, non-profit institutions, community groups and academia. Each year hundreds of millions of people volunteer their time and skills to help improve the lives of others.

International Volunteer Day 2022: History

• The General Assembly invited governments to observe the day as the International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development under resolution 40/212 on December 5. It was a result of their resolution from December 17, 1985, that guided all government, civil society organizations, and communities to work together with volunteers all around the world to celebrate the day.
• The Assembly also urged to take measures to heighten awareness of the important contribution of volunteer service. The UN Generally Assembly proclaimed 2001 as the International Year of Volunteers. The year was regarded for the recognition of volunteers, facilitating their work, creating a communication network and promote the benefits of voluntary service.
• In November 2002, the UN Assembly beseeched UNV to ensure the potential of International Volunteer Day. Through the years many countries have focused on volunteers’ contribution to achieving Sustainable Developments Goals to combat, poverty, hunger, disease, health, environmental degradation and gender equality.

“World’s 1st Hydrogen-Run” Aircraft Engine Tested by EasyJet, Rolls-Royce

01 December 2022
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“World’s 1st Hydrogen-Run” Aircraft Engine Tested by EasyJet, Rolls-Royce

Airline EasyJet and Aircraft Engine maker Rolls-Royce announced that they have successfully tested a hydrogen-powered aircraft engine, which is described as the World’s First for aviation. They had set a new aviation milestone with the world’s first run of a modern aero engine on hydrogen in a test carried out on land earlier this month.

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“World’s 1st Hydrogen-Run” Aircraft Engine Tested by EasyJet, Rolls-Royce- Key Points

• The company tested a turboprop fan engine that is used a small regional flights aircraft.
• Green hydrogen for the tests had been generated using tidal and wind energy from Orkney Islands, Scotland.
• Rolls-Royce is eventually hoping to conduct a full-scale ground test of a Pearl 15 jet engine.
• Britain’s Minister for Business and Energy, Grant Shapps has said that it is a true British success story, and it was a prime example of how they worked together to make aviation cleaner while driving jobs across the country.
• Britain earlier this year identified the need for major investment to help unlock green hydrogen from water using renewable energy.
• Blue hydrogen is far more available than its green hydrogen however it is opposed by environmentalists as it is produced from natural gas in a processing releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

FIFA World cup 2022: Stephanie Frappart to be 1st woman referee

01 December 2022
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FIFA World cup 2022: Stephanie Frappart to be 1st woman referee

22nd FIFA World Cup 2022:

FIFA has announced that Stephanie Frappart of France will be the first woman to referee a men’s’ World Cup match. She will officiate the match to be played between Germany and Costa Rica in Group E on 2 December 2022. France’s Frappart is one of three women referees among the 36 selected for the tournament in Qatar, alongside Rwandan official Salima Mukansanga and Japan’s Yoshimi Yamashita. Three other female officials have travelled to the World Cup as assistant referees.

22nd FIFA World Cup 2022 Kick Starts In Al Khor, Qatar

About the Stephanie Frappart:

For the 38-year-old Frappart, refereeing her men’s World Cup match is the latest step in a rapid rise to the top level in Europe. She was the first woman to referee in France’s Ligue 1 in 2019, the same year she took charge of the women’s World Cup final in her home country. Frappart also officiated the 2019 Uefa Super Cup final between Liverpool and Chelsea, before refereeing the Champions League in 2020 and then the French Cup final last season.

Related news:

• Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar Attends FIFA World Cup Inauguration In Qatar
• FIFA World Cup 2022 Man Of The Match Award Winner List