News in Short

• The Chang'e-4 lunar lander with a German instrument for measuring space radiation on board, the Lunar Lander Neutron, and Dosimetry (LND) instrument has measured temporally resolved cosmic radiation for the first time.
• Space radiation on the moon is two to three times higher than that on the International Space Station (ISS). This could be one of the biggest dangers for future moon explorers.
• The discovery provides the first full measurements of radiation exposure from the lunar surface, vital information for NASA, and others aiming to send astronauts to the moon.

• A small study of 1,140 pregnant women in Maharashtra found that 141 women were infected with novel coronavirus, translating to 12.3%.
• The study by researchers from the Mumbai-based ICMR-National Institute for Research in Reproductive Health (NIRRH) also found that nearly one in 10 pregnant women did not show any symptoms of coronavirus infection at the time of presenting in a hospital.
• Pregnant women generally have low immunity and are at increased risk of getting infected. It is therefore important to test pregnant women for coronavirus infection.

• The government has issued a notification operationalising ‘Faceless Income Tax Appeals’ system which seeks to honour honest taxpayers of the country and promote transparency in tax collection.
• Under faceless appeals, all Income Tax appeals will be finalised in a faceless manner under the faceless ecosystem with the exception of appeals relating to serious frauds, major tax evasion, sensitive and search matters, international tax, and Black Money Act.
• In recent years, the Department has carried out several reforms for simplification of the tax process and ease of compliance.

• President Donald Trump intends to name Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, who if confirmed would cement a solid conservative majority on the high court.
• If she is confirmed the court would shift to a 6-3 conservative majority.
• Democratic opponents, led by presidential candidate Joe Biden, have demanded that Republicans to postpone the nomination until after the November 3 election.
• Leaders of the Republican majority in the Senate, which is tasked with confirming Supreme Court nominees, said they have enough support to hold a vote on the nomination.

• Vodafone Group Plc said that it had won an international arbitration case against the Indian government, ending one of the most high-profile disputes in the country involving a $2 billion tax claim.
• An international arbitration tribunal in The Hague ruled that India's imposition of a tax liability on Vodafone, as well as interest and penalties, were in a breach of an investment treaty agreement between India and the Netherlands.
• India had claimed a total of ? 27,900 crore ($3.79 billion) including about $2 billion in tax, as well as interest and penalties.