{"id":15572,"date":"2021-06-08T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-06-08T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/current_affairs\/uncategorized\/08-06-2021\/facts-in-news-172\/"},"modified":"2024-07-04T16:35:16","modified_gmt":"2024-07-04T11:05:16","slug":"facts-in-news-172","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/08-06-2021\/facts-in-news-172","title":{"rendered":"Facts in News"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Facts in News<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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New variant T478K<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<\/td>\n

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  • Recently, Italian researchers have identified a new coronavirus mutation, whose scientific name is<\/span><\/span><\/span> T478K<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
      \n
    • An analysis of more than one million <\/span><\/span><\/span>SARS-CoV-2 genome<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> sequences has led to the identification of a <\/span><\/span><\/span>new variant<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
        \n
      • Like other strains, this <\/span><\/span><\/span>presents a mutation<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> in the<\/span><\/span><\/span> spike protein.<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
          \n
        • This variant covers <\/span><\/span><\/span>more than 50%<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> of the existing viruses in this area.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
        • The variant spreads evenly across <\/span><\/span><\/span>males<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> and <\/span><\/span><\/span>females<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> and age ranges.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
        • This variant has been increasingly spreading among people in <\/span><\/span><\/span>North America, particularly in Mexico.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
        • \u00a0This variant represents <\/span><\/span><\/span>52.8%<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> of all sequenced coronaviruses in Mexico, whereas in the US it shows up only in <\/span><\/span><\/span>2.7% of the sequenced samples<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

          What is Spike Protein?<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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          • It is a protein that protrudes from the surface of a coronavirus, like the spikes of a crown or corona hence called <\/span><\/span><\/span>\u2018coronavirus\u2019<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
          • In the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, it is the spike protein that initiates the process of infection in a human cell.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
          • \u00a0It attaches itself to a <\/span><\/span><\/span>human enzyme, called the ACE2 receptor<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>, before going on to enter the cell and make multiple copies of itself.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<\/td>\n

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  • New Zealand is pushing Asia-Pacific trade group APEC to remove all tariffs on COVID-19 vaccines and related medical products<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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    • The A<\/span><\/span><\/span>sia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>is a regional economic forum established in 1989 to l<\/span><\/span><\/span>everage the growing interdependence of the Asia-Pacific<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
    • \u00a0It aims to create <\/span><\/span><\/span>greater prosperity<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> for the people of the region by promoting balanced, inclusive, sustainable, innovative and secure growth and by accelerating regional economic integration.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
    • APEC has 21 members.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
    • It ensures that <\/span><\/span><\/span>goods, services, investment and people <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>move easily across borders.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
    • \u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>Members facilitate<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> this trade through <\/span><\/span><\/span>faster customs<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> procedures at borders; more favourable business climates behind the border; and aligning regulations and standards across the region.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
    • APEC works to help all residents of <\/span><\/span><\/span>the Asia-Pacific<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> participate in the growing economy.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
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      • For example, APEC projects provide <\/span><\/span><\/span>digital skills training <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>for rural communities and help indigenous women export their products abroad.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
          \n
        • \u00a0APEC members also implement initiatives to increase energy efficiency and promote sustainable management of forest and marine resources<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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Incredible India Tourist Facilitator Certification Programme (IITFC)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<\/td>\n

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  • The Incredible India Tourist Facilitator Certification (IITFC) Programme is a <\/span><\/span><\/span>digital initiative of the Ministry of Tourism (MoT)<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> for the citizens of India to become a part of the booming Tourism Industry.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  • It is an online programme where one can learn about tourism at their own time, space, path and pace.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  • The successful completion of this programme would enable the learner to become a Certified Tourist Facilitator of the Ministry of Tourism.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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37th anniversary of Operation Blue Star\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<\/td>\n

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  • Recently, the 37th anniversary of Operation Blue Star was observed.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  • The 1984 Operation Blue Star was the biggest <\/span><\/span><\/span>internal security mission <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>ever undertaken by the<\/span><\/span><\/span> Indian Army<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
      \n
    • The Indian military entered into the premises of the Golden Temple to drive out the Sikh extremist religious leader, <\/span><\/span><\/span>Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> and his armed followers.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
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      • It was carried out between June 1 and June 8, 1984, in Amritsar.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
      • Operation Blue Star was divided into two parts:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
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        • Operation Metal:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> It was limited to Golden Temple but it also led to Operation Shop – the capturing of suspects from the outskirts of Punjab.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
        • Operation Woodrose <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>was launched throughout Punjab. The operation was carried out by the Indian Army, using tanks, artillery, helicopters and armoured vehicles.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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          • Origin\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
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            • Operation Blue Star took birth after the rise of<\/span><\/span><\/span> the Khalistan movement in India.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
            • The Khalistan movement was a <\/span><\/span><\/span>political Sikh nationalist <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>movement that aimed at creating an <\/span><\/span><\/span>independent state for Sikhs inside the current North-Western Republic of India.<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
            • Operation Blue Star was Indira <\/span><\/span><\/span>Gandhi’s solution<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> to maintain the law and order situation in Punjab.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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              • Indira Gandhi, the then Prime Minister of India, ordered the military operation to remove <\/span><\/span><\/span>Sikh militants who were accumulating weapons<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> in the Harmandir Sahib Complex (Golden Temple).<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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                • Prime Minister<\/span><\/span><\/span> Indira Gandh<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>i was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards after <\/span><\/span><\/span>Operation Bluestar,<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> triggering a further wave of retaliation.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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Lynetteholm Island<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/td>\n

Recently, <\/span><\/span><\/span>Denmark <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>has approved the building of <\/span><\/span><\/span>Lynetteholm<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>, an <\/span><\/span><\/span>artificial island <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>off the coast of <\/span><\/span><\/span>Copenhagen <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>(capital of Denmark, located near Baltic Sea).<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
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  • The 275-hectare project was designed as a <\/span><\/span><\/span>housing and business district<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> for around 35,000 people.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  • It will be built<\/span><\/span><\/span> using soil from construction projects<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> in Copenhagen and the surrounding area.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  • The artificial island will be located <\/span><\/span><\/span>between Nordhavn and Refshale\u00f8en<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  • It will <\/span><\/span><\/span>protect the city’s harbour from rising water<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> masses<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> and from more<\/span><\/span><\/span> frequent storm surges<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  • Concerns Raised<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
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    • Include a <\/span><\/span><\/span>dam system<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> around the perimeter.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
    • Transportation<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> of materials by road will involve a large number of <\/span><\/span><\/span>vehicles<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
    • Movement of sediment<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> at sea and the possible impact on water quality, <\/span><\/span><\/span>ecosystems of the Baltic Sea<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> environment.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

      (Image Courtesy: <\/span><\/span><\/span>Twitter<\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a>)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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World Oceans Day<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/td>\n

Every year, World Oceans Day is celebrated on<\/span><\/span><\/span> 8<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>th<\/sup><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> June.<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
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  • It was <\/span><\/span><\/span>designated <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>by the <\/span><\/span><\/span>United Nations General Assembly<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> in <\/span><\/span><\/span>2008<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  • Aim:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> To create awareness about the benefits that mankind gets from the ocean and calls for conservation efforts.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  • Theme for 2021:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> The Ocean: Life and Livelihoods.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
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    • It leads up to the <\/span><\/span><\/span>UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>, which will run from <\/span><\/span><\/span>2021 to 2030<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
    • Significance of Oceans<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
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      • Covers over 70 per cent of the planet and holds 97 per cent of the planet\u2019s water.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
      • Provides life source, supporting humanity\u2019s sustenance and that of every other organism on earth.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
      • More than 90 per cent of trade is done using sea routes and an estimated 40 million people will be employed by ocean-based industries by 2030.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
      • Absorb about 30 per cent of carbon dioxide produced by humans, buffering the impacts of global warming.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
      • Produces at least 50 per cent of the planet\u2019s oxygen.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
      • The <\/span><\/span><\/span>Sustainable Development Goal 14<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> is \u2018Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development\u2019.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
      • Threats<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
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        • Plastic waste, pollution, oil spills and increasing oven acidity, overfishing, invasive species, development plans hampering the natural ecosystems.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
        • With 90 per cent of big fish populations depleted, and 50 per cent of coral reefs destroyed, humans are taking more from the ocean than can be replenished.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
        • Suggestions<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
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          • Strengthen international cooperation to develop the scientific research and innovative technologies that can connect ocean science with the needs of society.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
          • Other Related Days and Observations<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
              \n
            • World Wildlife Day<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>: <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>3rd March<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
            • Earth Day<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>: <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>22nd April<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
            • World Water Day:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> 22nd March<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
            • Earth Hour<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> Second-to-last and last weekend of March, every year. (27th March in 2021)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
            • World Biodiversity Day:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> 22nd May<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
            • World Environment Day:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> 5th June<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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Aducanumab<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/td>\n

Recently, the <\/span><\/span><\/span>Food and Drug Administration<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> (FDA), US\u2019s pharma regulator, has <\/span><\/span><\/span>conditionally approved the use of Aducanumab<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
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  • Aducanumab is a <\/span><\/span><\/span>drug for Alzheimer\u2019s disease<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> and goes by the brand name <\/span><\/span><\/span>Aduhelm<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  • Aducanumab is <\/span><\/span><\/span>based on the amyloid hypothesis<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> of the disease, that plaques made of beta amyloid peptide (a type of protein) form in the patient’s brain leading to cognitive decline and problems with thinking.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  • The drug, a <\/span><\/span><\/span>monoclonal antibody<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>, supposedly <\/span><\/span><\/span>binds to beta amyloid molecules<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> and removes them.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  • It is <\/span><\/span><\/span>given monthly via injection<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> to patients who suffer from early stages of Alzheimer\u2019s with mild cognitive challenges.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  • It was<\/span><\/span><\/span> pulled out of trials<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> in 2019 after it was thought not to be working.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  • Alzheimer\u2019s Disease<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
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    • A <\/span><\/span><\/span>progressive brain disorder <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>that typically affects people <\/span><\/span><\/span>older than 65<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> and it is also <\/span><\/span><\/span>irreversible<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
    • It slowly <\/span><\/span><\/span>destroys brain cells<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> and nerves, disrupting the message-carrying neurotransmitters which leads to <\/span><\/span><\/span>compromised memory, thinking ability and the capability to carry out simple tasks<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
    • Drugs can delay cognitive decline<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> by months but there is <\/span><\/span><\/span>no cure<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> for the diseases because the exact cause is not known yet.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
    • An estimated <\/span><\/span><\/span>44 million people globally<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> have Alzheimer\u2019s.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Facts in News New variant T478K Recently, Italian researchers have identified a new coronavirus mutation, whose scientific name is T478K. An analysis of more than one million SARS-CoV-2 genome sequences has led to the identification of a new variant. Like other strains, this presents a mutation in the spike protein. This variant covers more than […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15573,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[30,26,25,42],"class_list":["post-15572","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-current-affairs","tag-gs-2","tag-gs-3","tag-gs1","tag-literature"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2023\/07\/225038HOD current-affairs.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15572","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15572"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15572\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26212,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15572\/revisions\/26212"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15573"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15572"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15572"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15572"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}