Current Affairs Quiz-December, 2019

Notes:
The Golden Jubilee Edition of International Film Festival of India, IFFI, culminated in Goa. The festival saw screening of 300 films of various languages from India and abroad for delegates from different parts of the world.The IFFI was awarded the ICFT-UNESCO Fellini medal at the closing ceremony which was received by Information and Broadcasting Secretary Amit Khare and Director of festivals Chaitanya Prasad. Governor of Goa Satyapal Malik, Chief Minister of Goa Dr. Pramod Sawant, Union minister Babul Supriyo and others were present on the occasion.

Notes:
The Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow became the second neutral venue in India to host a Test match. Afghanistan and the West Indies are playing in a one-off Test at the stadium.
Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Dehradun became the first neutral venue to host a Test in the country. Afghanistan and the host Ireland for a one-off Test in March 2019.

Notes:
India has become the first country in the world to completely digitize the Haj process. Various services have been added to the online application service like e-visa, haj mobile app, e-messiah health facility, stay and traffic information in Mecca Medina and Haj pilgrimage information. It is for the first time when digital pre-tagging has been arranged by the airlines so that Haj pilgrims will get all kinds of information in India itself. Haj pilgrims will get prior information about which room of which building in Mecca Medina and what number bus will have to be taken after landing at the airport.

Notes:
Carolina Marin won second title in 71 days but Sourabh Verma faltered at the final hurdle of the $150,000 Syed Modi International badminton tournament on December 1,2019. Marin, a three-time World champion and ranked 18th in the world, went about her job in a business-like manner. She was comfortably ahead in the opening game. In the second, she easily bridged a five-point deficit. In fact, she won 15 of the last 20 points. In January, Marin suffered a nasty fall during the Indonesia Masters final against Saina Nehwal and underwent a surgery on her right knee. Following an eight-month layoff, in six tournaments, Marin won the China Open in September, lost the French Open final and now added a second title.

Notes:
Lewis Hamilton ended another title-winning Formula One season by cruising to victory at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. In his 250th grand prix, Mercedes’ six-time world champion qualified on pole for the first time since July’s German Grand Prix and eased clear of the field to claim an easy victory at the Yas Marina Circuit. It marked Hamilton’s 11th triumph of the campaign in a race where there was little on the line for most on the grid. Max Verstappen was second to ensure he finished third in the drivers’ championship, with Charles Leclerc completing the podium, though Ferrari were due to meet with the stewards after the race over a fuel discrepancy in his car.

Notes:
NASA satellite orbiting the Moon has found India’s Chandrayaan-2 Vikram lander which crashed on the lunar surface in September. NASA released an image taken by its Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) that showed the site of the spacecraft’s impact (September 6 in India and September 7 in the U.S.) and associated debris field, with parts scattered over almost two dozen locations spanning several kilometers.

Notes:
International Day of Persons with Disabilities (December 3) is an international observance promoted by the United Nations since 1992. It has been observed with varying degrees of success around the planet. The observance of the Day aims to promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilize support for the dignity, rights and well-being of persons with disabilities. It also seeks to increase awareness of gains to be derived from the integration of persons with disabilities in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life. It was originally called “International Day of Disabled Persons” until 2007.Each year the day focuses on a different issue. The theme for 2019 is “The Future is Accessible”

Notes:
A powerful typhoon is blowing through the central Philippines, damaging homes and heading toward the capital, Manila. Typhoon Kammuri hit the eastern coast overnight and was moving west through Quezon province ripping off roofs, toppling trees and knocking out power. It had maximum sustained winds of 155 km per hour and gusts of up to 190 kmph. Nearly 90,000 residents were evacuating coastal and low-lying areas prone to flash floods and landslides.

Notes:
The U.S. House of Representatives on December 3, 2019 overwhelmingly approved a bill that would require the Trump administration to toughen its response to China’s crackdown on its Muslim minority, demanding sanctions on senior Chinese officials and export bans. The purpose of the bill is to address gross violations of universally recognized human rights, including the mass internment of over 1,000,000 Uighurs. It also accuses China of systematically discriminating against Uighurs by denying them a range of civil and political rights, including the freedoms of expression, religion, movement and a fair trial.

Notes:
Government launched the Operation Clean Art across India. The operation aimed to crackdown illegal trade in the mongoose hair. This is the first time such an operation is happening in India. It was initiated by the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB).The mongoose is a small carnivoran found in southern Eurasia and mainland Africa. It is listed in Schedule II (Part II) of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. As per the act, smuggling Mongoose or possession of its body part is a non-bailable offence. International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has placed Mongoose on the Least Concern category in the Red List.