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1. The Anti-Personnel Landmines Convention (1997), also known as the Ottawa Convention, is an international treaty aimed at eliminating the use, production, stockpiling, and transfer of anti-personnel landmines. Adopted in Oslo on September 18, 1997, and entering into force on March 1, 1999, the treaty is signed by 164 countries, but notably, the US, Russia, and India are not parties. It prohibits the use of anti-personnel landmines (designed to injure or kill soldiers) but does not cover anti-vehicle mines. Ukraine is a signatory. The US has recently approved sending these banned landmines to Ukraine. Additionally, the US supplied the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) to Ukraine, capable of striking targets up to 300 km inside Russian territory. ATACMS are ballistic missiles following a trajectory influenced by gravity.
2. Avian botulism is a neuromuscular disease caused by toxins from the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, affecting wild birds, particularly waterfowl and fish-eating species. Outbreaks occur under specific environmental conditions, such as high water temperatures, low oxygen levels, and stagnant water. The disease spreads when birds ingest toxins from decaying invertebrates or fish infected with the bacteria. Symptoms in birds include muscle weakness, paralysis, and difficulty flying. There is no treatment for avian botulism, but controlling outbreaks involves removing carcasses and managing water levels. Recently, a mass death of migratory birds at Sambhar Lake in Rajasthan, likely caused by avian botulism, was triggered by high temperatures, reduced salinity, and low oxygen levels in the lake. Sambhar Lake, India’s largest saline wetland, is a vital habitat for migratory birds and a Ramsar site.
3. India recently launched Nafithromycin, the country’s first indigenous antibiotic aimed at combating Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR). Developed with support from the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), Nafithromycin is marketed by Wockhardt under the brand name Miqnaf. This antibiotic is the first new drug in its class in over 30 years, representing a significant breakthrough in AMR treatment. Nafithromycin is specifically designed to treat Community-Acquired Bacterial Pneumonia (CABP), caused by drug-resistant bacteria like Streptococcus pneumoniae. The launch coincides with World AMR Awareness Week (November 18-24, 2024), which focuses on the theme "Preventing Antimicrobial Resistance Together," emphasizing global efforts to combat AMR.
4. The decennial exposition of the sacred relics of Saint Francis Xavier has begun and will run until January 5, 2025. The relics, housed at the Basilica of Bom Jesus in Old Goa since 1624, have shown minimal decay despite being exhumed multiple times. Saint Francis Xavier, a Spanish Jesuit missionary and one of the founders of the Jesuit order, arrived in Goa in 1542 to restore Christianity among Portuguese settlers. He died in 1552 on Shangchuan Island off China's coast. His body was initially buried there, later moved to Malacca, and finally to Goa in 1554. The Feast of St. Francis Xavier, celebrated on December 3, is Goa's largest Christian festival, commemorating his death.