Current Affairs for SSC CGL Exams - 31 December 2020

SSC CGL Current Affairs

Current Affairs for SSC CGL Exams - 31 December 2020

::NATIONAL::

Home ministry declares Nagaland as ‘disturbed area’ for a further period of 6 months under AFSPA

The union home ministry on Wednesday declared Nagaland as a ‘disturbed area’ for the next six months under the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958.
The home ministry in its notification said that the ‘use of armed forces in aid of civil power is necessary.”
The home ministry is its release said, “Whereas the Central government is of the opinion that the area comprising the whole of the State of Nagaland is in such a disturbed and dangerous condition that the use of armed forces in the aid of civil power is necessary.”
“Therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred by Section 3 of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (No 28 of 1958) the Central government hereby declares that whole of the State of Nagaland to be ‘disturbed area’ for a period of six months with effect from 30th December, 2020 for the purpose of the said Act,” the notification further said.

::ECONOMY::

China's bottled water king Zhong Shanshan replaces Mukesh Ambani as Asia's richest person

Zhong Shanshan is a private billionaire who’s rarely quoted in the press.
Now, after an improbable career spanning journalism, mushroom farming and health care, he’s become Asia’s richest person, eclipsing India’s Mukesh Ambani and a group of Chinese tech titans including Jack Ma.
Zhong’s net worth has surged $70.9 billion this year to $77.8 billion, making him the 11th-richest person on the planet, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. It’s one of the fastest accumulations of wealth in history, and all the more remarkable considering that until this year he was little known outside of China.
He owes his success to two unrelated fields. He took vaccine maker Beijing Wantai Biological Pharmacy Enterprise Co. public in April, then months later Nongfu Spring Co., a maker of bottled water, became one of Hong Kong’s hottest listings.

::INTERNATIONAL::

50.7% of Chinese adults either Overweight or Obese: Govt. report

More than half of Chinese adults are either overweight or obese, a study conducted by the country's National Health Commission (NHC) revealed recently.
Obesity rates among Chinese adults have also more than doubled in less than two decades, from 7.1% in 2002 to 16.4% this year and health authorities are warning of a surge in chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and cancer. As China’s economy grows, rising overweight and obesity rates pose an additional burden to its public health.
As per reports, Obesity has also emerged as a major indicator of the severity of coronavirus symptoms in patients with both diseases.
The study found that 34.3% of adults were overweight and 16.4% were obese based on a survey of a group of 600,000 Chinese residents between 2015 and 2019.
By comparison, 30% of Chinese adults were overweight and 11.9% obese in 2012, according to a government survey released in 2015. In 2002, 29.9% of Chinese adults were overweight, including obese. In 2012, that figure rose to 42%, according to previous reports released by Chinese health authorities and 2020 saw this figure jumping to 50.7%.
Li Bin, deputy director of the NHC, told media that the overweight and obesity rates among residents in both urban and rural areas and across all age groups are steadily rising and it is a severe problem. Li cited sugar-sweetened beverages as prominent cause of childhood obesity.
According to the latest data, 19% of children aged 6 to 17 are overweight or obese. Zhao Wenhua, the chief nutritionist at China’s Center for Disease Control, said that officials would encourage manufacturers to produce snacks and beverages that are low in fat and sugar.

Science and Tech

Japan developing wooden satellites to cut space junk

A Japanese company and Kyoto University have joined forces to develop what they hope will be the world's first satellites made out of wood by 2023.
Sumitomo Forestry said it has started research on tree growth and the use of wood materials in space.
The partnership will begin experimenting with different types of wood in extreme environments on Earth.
Space junk is becoming an increasing problem as more satellites are launched into the atmosphere.
Wooden satellites would burn up without releasing harmful substances into the atmosphere or raining debris on the ground when they plunge back to Earth.
Orbiting space junk collision 'avoided'
Balloon 'taxi service' to take satellites to space
UK Space Agency funds tech for orbital awareness
As an astronaut he visited the International Space Station in March 2008.
During this mission, he became the first person to throw a boomerang in space that had been specifically designed for use in microgravity.

Sports

India vs Australia Women's ODI series postponed

3-match ODI series between the Australian and Indian women’s teams originally scheduled for January 2021 will be postponed until next season, with plans to expand the tour to include an additional three Twenty20 Internationals.
Nick Hockley, CA’s Interim CEO, said the Australian women’s team looked forward to hosting India next season.