Current Affairs Quiz - December, 2020

Notes:
US President-elect Joe Biden has recently appointed the country’s first all-female White House communications team.
He also appointed Jen Psaki, who earlier served as the spokesperson in Barack Obama administration, as the White House Press Secretary. Six other women who had held important positions, were appointed in the official Press Team.

Notes:
Sadiq al-Mahdi was Sudan’s last democratically elected prime minister and also the leader of the nation’s largest political party. He died recently of COVID-19 at United Arab Emirates.
He was 84 years old. Al-Mahdi was overthrown from power in a 1989 by an autocrat Omar al-Bashir. Al-Mahdi’s party allied with pro-democracy uprising and the military overthrow al-Bashir in April 2019.

Notes:
The insurance sector regulator – Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has accorded “in principle” approval for merger of Bharti AXA General Insurance with ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company.
On successful merger, the consolidated entity would have a market share of 8.7% in non-life business. Bharti Enterprises own 51% share in Bharti AXA General Insurance and the remaining 49% is owned by French insurer AXA.

Notes:
As per the recent statement, India recorded the highest reduction in Malaria cases, in the South-East Asian region.
As per the ‘World Malaria Report 2020’, India reduced the number of cases from 20 million in 2000 to about 5.6 million in 2019. India also recorded a reduction in the number of deaths from malaria. Globally there were 229 malaria cases in 2019.

Notes:
As per the US Air Quality Index released recently, Lahore is named the most polluted city in the world, followed by Delhi and Kathmandu.
Lahore, the cultural capital of Pakistan, has reported a particulate matter (PM) rating of 423. The The United States Environmental Protection Agency registers air quality as ‘satisfactory’ if the AQI is under 50.

Notes:
Mount Semeru is an active volcano located in East Java, Indonesia. It is the highest mountain on the island of Java. This is also known as Mahameru, meaning ‘The Great Mountain’.
Recently, hot ash fell as far as 3,000 metres down the slopes of Mount Semeru. Earlier, Mount Ili Lewotolok of the country spew out hot clouds for 4,000 metres into the sky. The country’s disaster management team evacuated thousands of people.

Notes:
The Goldman Environmental Prize is awarded to 6 individuals each year to recognize their efforts to save and protect environment. The prize is selected by an international jury among nominations submitted by global environment organisations and individuals.
Leydy Pech, Kristal Ambrose, Paul Sein Twa, Lucie Pinson, Chibze Ezekiel, Nemonte Nenquimo are the six personalities chosen for this year’s award.

Notes:
The Interior Ministry of Germany has recently banned the far-right group named “Wolf Brigade 44”, which openly pledged loyalty to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.
The Government also banned the symbols of the group including a skull with two grenades marked with the number 44. In Nazi code, the number 44 was an abbreviation for the so-called “Division Dirlewanger”.

Notes:
The Chardham highway project is a 900-km strategic projects, which aims to provide all-weather connectivity to four holy towns in the state of Uttarakhand- Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri.
Recently, the Supreme Court has asked the committee monitoring the Chardham highway project, to consider the Defence Ministry’s application to widen three highways in the Indo-China Border up to 7 metres.

Notes:
INS Vikrant is the first indigenous aircraft carrier of India. The sea trials are expected to begin in 2021 and it will be commissioned by 2022.
Also called as the ‘Indigenous Aircraft Carrier 1 (IAC-1)’, INS Vikrant has been constructed by Cochin Shipyard Limited in Kochi, Kerala for the Indian Navy. Recently, the two organisations completed the Basin Trials of the aircraft carrier.