Current Affairs for SSC CGL Exams -15 August 2022

Current Affairs for SSC CGL Exams – 15 August 2022

::NATIONAL::

Indian defence attaché now has unescorted access to Pentagon: US Air Force

• Indian defence attaché now has unescorted access to the Pentagon, a top US Defense Department official has said.
• Such a move is aligned with the trust and cooperation that we share with India, US Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said on at a reception hosted by India’s Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu at India House on Independence Day.
• “As of today, the Indian (defense) attaché team now has unescorted access in the Pentagon which is commencement with our close relationship with India’s status as a major defense partner,” Kendall said.
• “And if you don’t think unescorted access to the Pentagon is a big deal, I can’t get into the Pentagon without an escort,” he said.
• The Pentagon, the headquarters of the US Department of Defense, is considered one of the most difficult places to get access. Even American citizens have no access to the building without high-level security clearances.
• “It turns out that India is the country with whom we do more joint exercises than any other country, have a long close relationship and we’ve been able to build it up and strengthen it over the years as we work together for integrated deterrence in the region and around the world,” he said.
• The Defense Trade and Technology Initiative, he said, has grown over the years and is continuing to this day.
• “We recently just a year ago started a new cooperative programme for unmanned aerial vehicles. We’ve been able to share technology and work together in any number of programs. So it’s been a remarkable journey that I know will continue,” he said.

::INTERNATIONAL::

UK clears 1st Covid vaccine tweaked for Omicron variant

• The UK became the first country on Monday to approve a variant-adapted coronavirus vaccine as it cleared Moderna’s so-called bivalent dose that targets the original as well as the Omicron version of the virus.
• The UK medicines regulator (MHRA) gave the conditional approval for its use as a booster for adults, after clinical trial data showed the booster triggered “a strong immune response” against both Omicron (BA.1) and the original 2020 virus.
• Moderna in June said trial data showed that when given as a fourth dose, the variant-adapted shot raised virus-neutralising antibodies by eight-fold against Omicron.
• “The first generation of COVID-19 vaccines being used in the UK continue to provide important protection against the disease and save lives. What this bivalent vaccine gives us is a sharpened tool in our armoury to help protect us against this disease as the virus continues to evolve,” MHRA’s chief executive, Dr June Raine, said, in a statement released by the regulator.
• “This represents the first authorisation of an Omicron-containing bivalent vaccine… mRNA-1273.214 has consistently shown superior breadth of immune response over mRNA-1273 in clinical trials,” said StéphaneBancel, chief executive of Moderna, in a statement released by the company.
• In December 2020, UK’s MHRA was the first regulator to approve a coronavirus vaccine in the world, which at the time was Moderna’s original dose.
• According to Moderna, trial data showed its variant-adapted booster generated virus-neutralising antibody levels against the subvariants that were 1.69 times higher than those given the original booster.
• While correlation between neutralising antibody levels and vaccine effectiveness against disease is not straightforward, it generally serves as an indicator.

::ECONOMY::

Average housing prices rise 5% in April-June across 8 cities: Report

• Revival in housing demand and rise in construction cost have led to a 5 per cent average annual increase in residential property prices across eight major cities during the April-June quarter, according to a report.
• Delhi-NCR saw the maximum rise in housing prices at 10 per cent.
• Realtors’ apex body Credai, real estate consultant Colliers India and data analytic firm LiasesForas have come out with ‘Housing Price-Tracker Report 2022’ for eight major cities — Delhi-NCR, Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune and Ahmedabad.
• “During Q2 (April-June) 2022, housing prices in India have surpassed pre-pandemic levels, indicating robust demand and supply that is well-aligned with the demand,” the report said.
• As per the data, housing prices in Ahmedabad rose 9 per cent year-on-year (y-o-y) to Rs 5,927 per square foot during the April-June quarter of this calendar year.
• Bengaluru saw a 4 per cent price appreciation to Rs 7,848 per square foot, while Chennai witnessed only one per cent increase to Rs 7,129 per square foot.
• Housing rates in Hyderabad stood at Rs 9,218 per square feet in April-June, up 8 per cent from the year-ago period.
• Prices of residential properties in Kolkata too increased 8 per cent to Rs 6,362 per square foot.
• MMR, the costliest real estate market, saw only a 1 per cent rise in housing prices at Rs 19,677 per square foot.
• Housing prices in the Delhi-NCR property market saw the highest annual increase of 10 per cent to Rs 7,434 per square foot.

::Science and tech::

Scientists reveal using sound; bubbles make bandages stick on wet skin

• Researchers have discovered that using ultrasound waves and bubbles, they can control the stickiness of adhesive bandages. This discovery could pave the way for new advances in medical adhesives, particularly in situations where adhesives are difficult to apply, such as on wet skin.
• The findings of the research were published in the journal ‘Science’.
• “Bandages, glues, and stickers are common bioadhesives that are used at home or in clinics. However, they don’t usually adhere well to wet skin. It’s also challenging to control where they are applied and the strength and duration of the formed adhesion,” said McGill University Professor Jianyu Li, who led the research team of engineers, physicists, chemists, and clinicians.
• “We were surprised to find that by simply playing around with ultrasonic intensity, we can control very precisely the stickiness of adhesive bandages on many tissues,” said lead author Zhenwei Ma, a former student of Professor Li .
• In collaboration with physicists Professor OutiSupponen and Claire Bourquard from the Institute of Fluid Dynamics at ETH Zurich, the team experimented with ultrasound-induced microbubbles to make adhesives stickier. “The ultrasound induces many microbubbles, which transiently push the adhesives into the skin for stronger adhesion,” said Professor Supponen. “We can even use theoretical modelling to estimate exactly where the adhesion will happen.”
• Their study, published in the journal Science, shows that the adhesives are compatible with living tissue in rats. The adhesives can also potentially be used to deliver drugs through the skin. “This paradigm-shifting technology will have great implications in many branches of medicine,” said University of British Columbia Professor Zu-HuaGao. “We’re very excited to translate this technology for applications in clinics for tissue repair, cancer therapy, and precision medicine.”

::Sports::

Supreme Court to hear issue related to FIFA ban on AIFF on August 17

• The Centre sought urgent hearing in the Supreme Court on the All India Football Federation matter in the wake of FIFA suspending India for ‘undue influence from third parties’ and stripping the country of the right to host the Under-17 Women’s World Cup. The country is scheduled to host the FIFA tournament from October 11-30.
• A bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and AS Bopanna was told by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, that “important development” has taken place and FIFA has sent a letter suspending India which is in public domain and needs to be brought on record.

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