International Current Affairs January 4th Week 2021
Operation Sard Hawa by BSF:
On the western frontier of Rajasthan, Operation Sard Hawa was initiated by border guards. Checking the penetration of dense fog in the region is the main objective of this activity. The operation was also launched before Republic Day to reinforce stability. Until January 27, 2021, the operation will begin.
Highlights:
♦ To keep an eye on the international borders, this operation was carried out. These jaws will be used in this operation to patrol the police station area along the border using advanced weapons.
♦ The amount of Khoba deployed at the border was increased by this action. During Operation Thad Hawa, the border troops` intelligence department will also be involved.
♦ There is a risk of infiltration in this area because of the thick fog in the desert region in winter. Attempts were made to use this haze from the border to penetrate. In this scenario, under special operations like Operation Thaad Hawa, border guards have increased their patrols.
♦ By means of vehicles and on foot, they also track the border. Jaws go on foot walks, too. Camels, cars and pedestrians used by intruders will be marked during the trek.
♦ The border troops of India are often referred to as "the first line of defence in Indian territory." It was established in 1965 after the Indo-Pakistani War.
♦ The Border Protection Force`s key role is to ensure the safety of the Indian border. It is operated by an Indian Police Service officer. In order to free the Indian Army from attack, the BSF also carried out defensive operations during the war.
♦ The BSF also assists in counter-insurgency operations with the Central Reserve Police Force and the Indian Army. A naval wing, air wing, commando and artillery regiments are available to the BSF. BSF is actually the world`s largest border guard.
Intergovernmental Negotiations Framework - India:
The Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations has reported that it has been 13 years since the beginning of the intergovernmental negotiations. Because of its lack of inclusiveness, the UN Security Council has found itself unable to take meaningful steps to address international peace and security problems.
Highlights:
♦ The Intergovernmental Negotiation System (IGN) is a coalition of nation-states working to further reform the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) within the United Nations, which is the highest body in the world and consists of 15 members.
♦ Composition: IGN is composed of several different international organizations, namely:
(1) African Union;
(2) G4 nations (India, Brazil, Japan and Germany);
(3) Unified Consensus Group (UfC);
(4) L.69 Group of Developing Countries;
(5) Arab League;
(6) Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
♦ Each party reflects a different position compared with the reform of the UN Security Council.
♦ In 2016, a "oral decision" was passed by the United Nations General Assembly that approved a declaration called "elements of convergence" detailing the consensus status reached at that time by members of the IGN network.
Global Climate Survey done by UN:
The "United Nations Global Climate Survey." was the largest public opinion survey on climate change in history. The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) held a People`s Climate Vote with 1.2 million people from 50 countries/regions to prepare the study.
Highlights:
♦ The United Nations found in the investigation that two-thirds of people claimed this was a "global emergency." The survey stressed that climate change is supported by people around the world. They also offer a strong mandate to leaders to take major steps to find solutions.
♦ Young individuals showed the greatest concern, according to the study. There was a climate emergency, 69 percent of people aged 14-18 said, while 58 percent of people over 60 agreed. Therefore, on climate problems, there is no generation difference.
♦ People strongly advocate renewable energy in countries where fossil fuels are the main source of emissions. For instance, 65 percent of U.S. citizens support renewable energy, 76 percent of Australians support Russia, and 51 percent of Russians support renewable energy.
♦ In countries where deforestation is the principal cause of pollution, people still support the conservation of trees. Brazil received 60% of the assistance and Indonesia received 57%.
♦ The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), based in New York City, is the global development network of the United Nations. The organization promotes technology and collaboration between countries in the field of investment. It is committed to providing developing countries with professional guidance, training and funding. It partners with countries to create their own strategies to resolve global and national developments challenges.
♦ UNDP only offers assistance to countries when assistance is needed by various countries. UNDP is entirely funded by voluntary contributions from Member States of the United Nations. In 177 countries, UNDP operates. It also helps nations meet the Sustainable Goals for Growth (SDG).
###Global Climate Litigation Report by UNEP:
"The "2021 Global Climate Litigation Report" was released by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The report was written by UNEP in collaboration with Columbia University`s Sabin Center for Climate Change Law. The study emphasizes that in recent years, climate law suits have increased. The cases make the courts more and more important to attempts to combat global climate change.
Highlights:
♦ Climate occurrences have almost doubled in the past three years, according to estimates. More and more cases of climate change are pushing government and business players to meet their climate commitments.
♦ These cases often push the government to follow more aggressive objectives to mitigate and respond to climate change.
♦ 884 lawsuits were filed in 24 countries/regions in 2017, according to the data given in the study. The number of cases obtained in 38 countries and the courts of the European Union has risen to 1,550, as of 2020.
♦ The study found that climate litigation in high-income countries tends to be concentrated, and this pattern is likely to escalate in the global South.
♦ Trends in climate litigation, such as violations of "climate rights." were also reported in the study. This means that cases increasingly depend on fundamental human rights, such as the right to life, food, health and water.
♦ After the United Nations Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment in 1972, Maurice Strong founded the United Nations Environment Programme (also known as the United Nations Environment Programme). The organization participates in the coordination of the response within the United Nations framework to environmental issues.
♦ It provides leadership, provides scientific expertise and creates solutions to problems such as climate change, management of marine and terrestrial habitats and green economic growth. Governmental environmental agreements were also established which helped achieve environmental targets. UNEP`s primary aim is to help the planet reach 17 targets for sustainable growth.
♦ UNEP has organized environmental agreements such as the Convention on Water and Mercury, the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Wild Fauna and Flora Species, and the Convention on Migratory Species.
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International Current Affairs January 3rd Week 2021
US National Rifle Association filed for Bankruptcy:
Under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code, the National Rifle Association has recently filed for bankruptcy. To stop being sued by the New York Attorney General, the association filed for bankruptcy.
Highlights:
♦ In August 2020, the Attorney General of New York sued the National Rifle Association on the grounds that the senior management of the association was embezzling millions of dollars for personal travel.
♦ The American Rifle Association, founded in 1871 by veterans of the Civil War, General George Wingate and Colonel William C. Church, is a non-profit organization. To promote and encourage scientific rifle shooting, the organization was founded.
♦ It is considered the United States` most powerful gun group. Critics assume that the corporation is a contributing factor to gun violence in the country.
♦ The NRA teaches gun safety and skills. It has published numerous magazines and sponsored competitive contests for marksmanship. The NRA consists of more than 5 million members as of December 2018.
♦ The main initiatives of the NRA are the Gun Owners Rights Act, which removes the limitations of the 1968 Gun Control Act, and the Dickey Amendment that prohibits federal funding from being used by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to support gun control.
♦ The creation of the American National Rifle Association is in line with the creation of the British National Rifle Association, set up a year and a half ago.
♦ From 1861 to 1865, the American Civil War occurred. The product of the long-term enslavement of blacks was the civil war. The NRA is considered a civil war artifact.
♦ The Arms Trade Deal was opposed by the National Rifle Association. The Arms Trade Treaty is a multilateral treaty which governs international trade. The treaty was ratified by more than 109 nations. The treaty aims to regulate the international trade in conventional arms.
Construction of Village In Arunachal Pradesh By China:
China said that the villages established in Arunachal Pradesh across the Line of Actual Control (LAC) were "out of reproach" because Arunachal was "never recognized." India`s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also confirmed that it understood the construction process.
Highlights:
♦ The village was built between November 2019 and November 2020.
♦ It is situated on the banks of the Tsari Chu River in the Upper Subansiri District of Arunachal Pradesh, just a few kilometers across the LAC, beyond the border that India considers to divide Arunachal Pradesh and Tibet.
♦ The village site is near to the place where, in the so-called Longju incident in 1959, China attacked the Assam rifle post. It is at least 2 miles south of the McMahon Line and it is not recognised by China.
♦ India stopped patrolling the area after the 1962 war. Another village established last year, named Pangda, was built within 2-3 kilometers of Bhutan`s territory in another disputed area.
Ndrangheta from South America to Europe:
Italian authorities claim that the Ndrangheta Mafia is responsible for managing South America`s huge amounts of cocaine entering Europe. The Italian government announced this after the large-scale Mafia trial against the Ndrangheta party.
Highlights:
♦ In the region of Calabria, Ndrangheta is a popular Italian mafia. In the 18th century, the Mafia began.
♦ The first official report of the Ndrangheta was submitted in 1792 during the reign of the Bourbons of Naples.
♦ Drug trafficking accounts for 3% of Italy`s GDP, according to U.S. money laundering operations. The annual turnover of Ndrangheta is roughly US$50 billion to US$60 billion.
♦ Ndrangheta also operates in other countries, including Germany, Albania, Australia, Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Brazil, Colombia, the Netherlands, Malta, Switzerland, the Republic of Slovakia, Uruguay, the United Kingdom and the United States.
♦ According to EUROPOL (European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation), the most powerful organized crime organization in the world is Ndrangheta.
♦ The province of Calabria is situated in southern Italy. The area is bordered east by the Ionian Sea and west by the Tyrrhenian Sea. The Messina Strait divides Calabria from Sicily. One of Ndrangheta`s closest associates is known to be the Mafia in Sicily.
♦ The Camorra, Sacra Corona Unita, Societa foggiana, Stidda, Albanian Mafia, American Mafia, Primeriro Comando da Capital are the Allies of the Ndrangheta Mafia.
♦ In Italy, there are the Camorra, Safian Mafia, Sacra Corona Unita, Stidda and Societa Foggiana. In Brazil, Primeiro Comando da Capital is located.
###LongOps Project Between UK and Japan:
A partnership between the UK and Japan is the LongOps initiative. Japanese and British scientists will develop new protection technology in this operation to remove old nuclear facilities, such as Fukushima, which have been badly damaged by tsunamis and earthquakes.
Highlights:
♦ The project will use robotic arms that are remote, so it is called the "LongOps Project" The project would minimize risks to human health and accelerate the decommissioning of nuclear reactors that are not in use.
♦ The cost of implementing the LongOps project is Euro 12 million (1.2 billion rupees). It will concentrate on the rapid decommissioning of nuclear installations.
♦ The project will also concentrate on the partial automation of the nuclear fusion power generation process, in addition to dismantling the nuclear fission sector.
♦ In addition, the initiative would help to develop and uninstall nuclear fusion facilities, such as the Circle of the European Union. A nuclear fusion experiment located at the Culham Fusion Energy Center in the United Kingdom is the United European Ring.
♦ This is the first reactor to be developed using both 50-50 and deuterium mixed fuel. To follow the principles used in the ITER project, it was closed in 2009.
♦ ITER is the Experimental International Thermonuclear Reactor. India is part of ITER as well. China, Russia, Japan, the European Union, the United States, and South Korea are the other countries involved in the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor.
♦ The LongOps project is part of Digital Twin Technology. At the decommissioning site, it will evaluate data and forecast barriers to operation and maintenance.
♦ More than 21 extreme radioactive release events occurred in Sellafield between 1950 and 2000. The location of Sellafield is in the United Kingdom. This is a former nuclear facility. Activities at the site as of August 2020 include the reprocessing of nuclear fuel, nuclear decommissioning and disposal of nuclear waste.
♦ In 2011, during the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear reactor was seriously damaged. More than 150,000 individuals were displaced by the incident. Furthermore, animals and plants are severely poisoned in the surrounding environment.
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International Current Affairs January 2nd Week 2021
India Chairs 3 Key Subsidiary Bodies of the UNSC:
India will host the three-key subsidiary bodies of the UNSC (United Nations Security Council).
Highlights:
♦ The parties include the Counter-Terrorism Committee, the Sanctions Committee of the Taliban, and the Sanctions Committee of Libya.
♦ A special response was evoked in India by the Chairman of the Counter-Terrorism Committee. India has not only been at the forefront of the battle against terrorism, especially cross-border terrorism, but it is also one of India`s greatest victims. Considering the strong interest and commitment of India to Afghanistan`s stability, security, growth and progress.
♦ The Taliban Sanctions Committee has always been India`s highest priority. When the international community pays attention to Libya and thus to the social process, India, at a crucial juncture, will assume the chairmanship of the Libya Sanctions Committee.
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International Current Affairs January 1st Week 2021
Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action - JCPOA:
Iran has informed the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) that it plans to produce up to 20% pure enriched uranium, well above the level set by the 2015 Vienna Accord (also known as JCPOA).
About JCPOA:
♦ An agreement between Iran and the P5+1 (the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council-China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, United States-plus Germany) together with the European Union on the Iranian nuclear programme concluded in Vienna on 14 July 2015 is widely used as the Iran nuclear deal or Iran deal.
♦ Iran agreed to reduce its enriched uranium stocks, decrease its low-enriched uranium stocks by 98%, and decrease its gas centrifuges by around two-thirds within 13 years, according to the JCPOA.
♦ Iran could only enrich uranium by up to 3.67 percent in 15 years . During the same time, Iran agreed not to build any new heavy-water facilities.
♦ The operations of uranium enrichment are limited to a single facility that uses 10 years of first-generation centrifuge. To prevent proliferation threats, other facilities will be changed.
♦ The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will periodically use all Iran`s nuclear facilities in order to track and verify Iran`s compliance with the agreement.
♦ The agreement specifies that Iran will obtain relief from the U.S., European Union, and UNSC nuclear-related sanctions in exchange for verifiable compliance with its commitments.
♦ On 5 January 2020, following the Baghdad Airport airstrike that targeted and killed Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, Iran announced that it would no longer comply with the agreement`s limitations, but would continue to work with the IAEA to restore compliance.
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