Top 5 Current Affairs of the Day: 29 November 2022 - Bharat Biotech,Mauna Loa, Palestine

Vistara to merge with Tata-owned Air India

Singapore Airlines said that Vistara will be merged with TATA group-owned Air India. Tata Group owns a 51 percent stake in Vistara, and the remaining 49 percent shareholding is with Singapore Airlines. As part of the transaction, Singapore Airlines (SIA) will also invest Rs. 2058.5 crores in Air India. This would give SIA a 25.1 percent stake in an enlarged Air India group with a significant presence in all the key market segments. Singapore Airlines and Tata Group aim to complete the merger by March 2024. 

India’s first private space vehicle launchpad

India’s first launchpad and mission control center operated by a private player has been inaugurated at the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota. The announcement was made by Agnikul Cosmos on November 28, 2022. The startup which is incubated at the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras also plans on launching its customizable Agnibaan Rocket from the launchpad at the end of 2022.

World’s first nasal COVID vaccine by Bharat Biotech gets clearance

Bharat Biotech International Limited announced on November 28, 2022, that its COVID-19 intranasal vaccine iNCOVACC (BBV154) has received approval from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) under the ‘Restricted Emergency Use’ for ages 18 and above in India.  iNCOVACC, a recombinant replication-deficient adenovirus vectored vaccine with a pre-fusion stabilized SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, is the world’s first intranasal vaccine to receive both primary series and heterologous booster approval.

Hawaii’s Mauna Loa: World’s largest active volcano erupts for first time in nearly 40 years

The world’s largest active volcano, Hawaii’s Mauna Loa began erupting on November 27, 2022, for the first time since 1984. It ended its longest quiet period in recorded history. With the eruption of the volcano, the night sky above Hawaii’s largest island glowed a hellish red as bright, hot lava sprang forth at the Volcano’s summit at around 11.30 pm. 

Palestine Cultural Day

The International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian people is observed every year on November 29 since 1978. The particular date was chosen because of its significance to the people of Palestine. It was on this day in 1947 that the United National General Assembly adopted the resolution on the partition of Palestine.