Current Affairs – 09 October, 2022
Trump warns Ukraine war could escalate into WWIII, calls for negotiations
Oct 09, 2022
Former US President Donald Trump has called for an immediate “peaceful end” to the seven-month war in Ukraine, warning that the conflict could escalate into another world war.
Russia hails OPEC+ for slashing output, says it countered US ‘mayhem’ in global energy markets
Oct 09, 2022
Russia has hailed a recent decision by the member states of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries as well as non-OPEC producers led by Russia, collectively known as OPEC+, to reduce oil production in a bid to stabilize the energy markets despite the United States’ strong opposition.
Yellen cries foul over OPEC+ production cuts ahead of US midterms
Oct 09, 2022
US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has cried foul over this week’s decision by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies (OPEC+) to lower oil production, saying it will hurt the global economy.
Paris protesters call on France to leave NATO as energy crisis deepens
Oct 09, 2022
Thousands of protesters have gathered in Paris to call for an end to France’s membership in the US-led NATO, chanting “Let’s get out of NATO.”
Russia: West long-range weapons deliveries to Uraine ‘Moscow’s red line’
Oct 09, 2022
A senior Russian Foreign Ministry official has warned the Western countries that supplying long-range and more advanced weapons to Ukraine would cross Russia’s red lines and in that case they have to be ready for a response.
Massive rallies held in EU against Russia sanctions, soaring energy prices
Oct 09, 2022
Protests have been held across the European Union against soaring inflation and the rising costs of living caused by sanctions imposed on Russia.
N Korea fires more ballistic missiles following US, allies military drills
Oct 09, 2022
North Korea has conducted two ballistic missile launches following back-to-back military exercises involving the United States and its regional allies, Japan and South Korea.
US Navy jet flew near Nord Stream 2 pipeline hours after rupture
Oct 09, 2022
A US Navy reconnaissance aircraft flew near the site of sabotaged Nord Stream 2 pipeline in the Baltic Sea hours after the first rupture was detected at the site, according to tracking data cited in press reports.
US military to resume F-35 deliveries after discovery of Chinese parts
Oct 09, 2022
The US military has reportedly approved a national security waiver to resume deliveries of F-35 war planes after its manufacturer discovered a metal component in the jet had come from China.
Assange supporters rap US, form human chain at UK parliament
Oct 09, 2022
Supporters of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange gathered to form a human chain outside the UK parliament in London to demand his release, and an end to an attempt by the United States to have him extradited to face criminal charges.
WORLD NEWS TODAY
– Bridge connecting Crimean Peninsula to mainland Russia damaged in explosion
– World Migratory Bird Day observed on October 8
– Rare pink diamond sold in Hong Kong for a record price of $57.7 million, 11.15-carat diamond named Williamson Pink Star
08.10.2022
– 2022 Nobel Peace Prize awarded to human rights advocate Ales Bialiatski from Belarus, Russian human rights organisation Memorial and Ukrainian human rights organisation Center for Civil Liberties
– World Cotton Day celebrated on Oct 7; theme: ‘Weaving a better future for cotton’
– SpaceX capsule carrying Russian cosmonaut docks with ISS
07.10.2022
– French author Annie Ernaux wins 2022 Nobel Prize for Literature
– OPEC, Russia-led allies to cut oil production by 2 million barrels per day
– Thailand massacre: Ex-policeman attacks day care centre, shoots dead 36 people including 24 children
– Mexico: At least 18 people killed as miscreants open fire in city hall in San Miguel Totolapan
– US’ death toll from Hurricane Ian crosses 110
06.10.2022
– Nobel Prize in Chemistry jointly awarded to Carolyn Bertozzi (US), Morton Meldal (Denmark) and Barry Sharpless (US) for their work on snipping molecules together, known as ‘click chemistry’
– World Teachers’ Day celebrated on Oct 5; theme: “The transformation of education begins with teachers”
– WTO slashes global 2023 global trade growth forecast to 1%, ups 2022 forecast to 3.5%
– Russian cosmonaut Anna Kikina launched to space from US in SpaceX flight along with 3 other astronauts
– Charles Fuller, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright of acclaimed ‘A Soldier’s Play’, passes away at 83
05.10.2022
– Nobel Prize in Physics awarded to Alain Aspect (France), John F Clauser (US), Anton Zeilinger (Austria) for work on quantum science
– Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel given Nansen Award given by UN High Commissioner for Refugees
– World Space Week being observed from Oct 4 to 10; theme: “Space and Sustainability”
04.10.2022
– 2022 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine awarded to Svante Pääbo of Sweden for research on evolution
– World Habitat Day celebrated on Oct 3; theme: “Mind the Gap. Leave No One and Place Behind”
– Brazil Presidential election: 2nd round to be held after no candidate gets more than 50% in 1st round; race between former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and incumbent Jair Bolsonaro
03.10.2022
– Russia announces withdrawal of its troops from city of Lyman in Ukraine’s Donetsk region
– Indonesia: 125 killed in stampede after football match in Malang city of East Java province
02.10.2022
– India abstains on UNSC resolution condemning Russia’s referenda and annexation in Ukraine
– International Day of Older Persons observed on Oct 1; theme: “Resilience of Older Persons in a Changing World”
– Another coup in Burkina Faso: New leader Captain Ibrahim Traore topples President Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba’s military regime
01.10.2022
– Russian President Vladimir Putin declares annexation of 4 Ukrainian regions: Donetsk & Luhansk in east and Kherson & Zaporizhzhia in South
– International Translation Day celebrated on Sept 30
– Sabotage suspected after leaks in Russia-Europe gas pipelines
– Thailand’s Constitutional Court rules PM Prayuth Chan-Ocha can stay, did not exceed term limit.
Svante Pääbo was conferred the Nobel Prize in Medicine on October 3, 2022.
Key facts
Svante Pääbo received the Nobel Prize in Medicine for his pioneering works in the field of paleogenomics – a branch of science dealing with the reconstruction and analysis of genomic information obtained extinct species.
The most notable achievements of this Swedish geneticist the sequencing of the entire genome of Neanderthal and the discovery of Denisova – an extinct hominin species.
He also discovered that genes from the extinct hominins were transferred to Homo Sapiens after they left Africa some 70,000 years ago.
This discovery of Denisova has modern significance since, the EPAS1 gene found in these hominins was found to provide the capacity to survive in high altitude. This gene is common among Tibetans.
As a postdoctoral student, Pääbo helped in the development of methods to conduct scientific research of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) from Neanderthals in collaboration with Allan Wilson, major pioneer in the field of human evolution.
Pääbo continued the research on archaic DNA in 1990, when he was recruited as a professor in the University of Munich.
He was able to sequence a part of mitochondrial genome from a 40,000-year-old piece of bone using the methods he refined.
The use of mitochondrial genome increases the chances of success because it exists in thousands of copies.
His research provided the access to a genome sequence from an extinct human relative for the first time.
This genome was compared with the modern-day humans and chimpanzees and it was found that Neanderthal was genetically unique from these two species.
Pääbo was also able to successfully sequence the nuclear genomes of Neanderthal and publish it in 2010 at the New Max Planck Institute in Leipzig, Germany.
This led to discovery that the most recent common ancestor of Neanderthal and present-day humans roamed the Earth 800,000 years ago.
The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2022
1. Carolyn R. Bertozzi
Stanford University, CA, USA
2. Morten Meldal
University of Copenhagen, Denmark
3. K. Barry Sharpless
Scripps Research, La Jolla, CA, USA
“for the development of click chemistry and bioorthogonal chemistry”
The Nobel Prize in Physics 2022
Alain Aspect, John F. Clauser and Anton Zeilinger “for experiments with entangled photons, establishing the violation of Bell inequalities and pioneering quantum information science”
The Nobel Prize in Literature 2022
Annie Ernaux
The Nobel Prize in Literature for 2022 is awarded to the French author Annie Ernaux “for the courage and clinical acuity with which she uncovers the roots, estrangements and collective restraints of personal memory”.
In her writing, Ernaux consistently and from different angles, examines a life marked by strong disparities regarding gender, language and class. Her path to authorship was long and arduous.
The Nobel Prize in in Physiology or Medicine 2022
The 2022 medicine laureate
The Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institutet has decided to award the 2022 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine to Svante Pääbo “for his discoveries concerning the genomes of extinct hominins and human evolution”.
Nobel Peace Prize for 2022 to Ales Bialiatski
The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the Nobel Peace Prize for 2022 to one individual and two organisations.
The Peace Prize laureates represent civil society in their home countries. They have for many years promoted the right to criticise power and protect the fundamental rights of citizens. They have made an outstanding effort to document war crimes, human right abuses and the abuse of power. Together they demonstrate the significance of civil society for peace and democracy.
This year’s Peace Prize is awarded to human rights advocate Ales Bialiatski from Belarus, the Russian human rights organisation Memorial and the Ukrainian human rights organisation Center for Civil Liberties.