Current Affairs Quiz - December, 2023

Notes:
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recently approved a pair of gene therapies for sickle cell disease.
It includes the first treatment based on the breakthrough CRISPR gene editing technology. Both the therapies were approved for people aged 12 years and older. The Vertex/CRISPR gene therapy uses the breakthrough gene editing technology that won its inventors the Nobel Prize in 2020.

Notes:
Nearly 1,000 seals and sea lions in southern Brazil have died from bird flu outbreaks. The southernmost state of Rio Grande do Sul has confirmed 942 sea mammal deaths following infection by the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI).
The infection was reported for the first time ever in the South American country this year.

Notes:
Captain Fatima Wasim created history by becoming the first woman medical officer to be deployed at an operational post in the world’s highest battlefield, the Siachen Glacier. After rigorous training at the Siachen Battle School, she was inducted to a post at Partapur sector at an altitude of 15,200 feet in the Union Territory of Ladakh. Her posting is seen as a major milestone for women empowerment in the armed forces.

Notes:
Alliance of Small Island States is an intergovernmental organization of small island and low-lying coastal countries. The AOSIS criticized the COP28 draft agreement for lacking transparency and clarity on phasing out fossil fuels. Small island nations are most vulnerable to rising seas and global warming and sought much stronger commitments on rapidly cutting greenhouse gas emissions.Cedric Schuster, an Australian politician from the Pacific island nation of Samoa, is the current chairperson of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) inter-governmental organization.

Notes:
Argentina has devalued its currency Peso steeply, with the exchange rate going from 381-391 Pesos per US Dollar to 800 Pesos per Dollar. The sharp devaluation is part of emergency measures announced by Argentina’s government to control sky-high inflation running at almost 100 percent annually.

Notes:
The Indian Navy recently re-inducted the 22-year old fast attack craft INS Tarmugli in a commissioning ceremony in Visakhapatnam. Originally named INS Tillanchang when first commissioned in the Indian Navy, the ship was gifted to the Maldives National Defence Force in 2006 and renamed MCGS Huravee. After being decommissioned by the Maldives in May 2023 and returned to India due to changing diplomatic relations between the two countries following the election of President Mohamed Muizzu, the ship underwent refurbishment and upgrades before being recommissioned into the Indian Navy as INS Tarmugli. The re-induction ceremony marked the return of the ship to active duty over 15 years after it was first gifted to the Maldives.

Notes:
India plans to establish a goods showcase and distribution facility named Bharat Mart spanning over 100,000 sq meters in the UAE by 2025. Modeled on China’s enterprises, it will integrate warehousing, retail and hospitality offerings under one roof in the Jebel Ali free trade zone. This aims to boost exports of Indian products to West Asia, Africa and Europe leveraging the UAE’s connectivity and stimulate two-way India-UAE trade eyed to reach $100 billion by 2030.

Notes:
China has achieved a significant milestone in its quest to shift away from traditional coal-fired power plants and decrease its reliance on foreign technologies. Recently, the Shidao Bay nuclear power plant in eastern Shandong province commenced commercial operations, heralding the era of next-generation gas cooled nuclear reactors. This development is crucial for China’s commitment to reducing carbon emissions and securing a sustainable energy future.

Notes:
The first Indian Art, Architecture & Design Biennale (IAADB) 2023 was held from December 9–15, 2023 at the Red Fort in New Delhi. The event was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The IAADB is a cultural introduction to Delhi, and acknowledges the “invisible edges between reality and fiction, memory and design, and past and present”. The event also marked the launch of the student Biennale, Samunnati, and the “Aatmanirbhar Bharat Centre for Design”.

Notes:
Kas Plateau is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Maharashtra. Renowned for its vibrant Kas Flower festival, the plateau features a rich tapestry of flora and fauna.
Often referred to as Maharashtra’s Valley of Flowers, Kaas Plateau is a place that turns into a floral wonderland during the monsoon season. It falls under the Sahyadri Sub Cluster of the Western Ghats, and it became a part of a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site in 2012.