LAW ENTRANCE COACHING

XII – (2024-2025)

GENERAL AWARENESS

MODULE- 5
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NAME : ..........................................................................................

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DATE : .......... / ............... / ................

The following are the contents of the module. When in class, please go through each section as and
when it is being taught in class.

CURRENT AFFAIRS MAY 2024

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 The Month of May 2024

Important Days

May 1: Labour Day/ International Workers’ day ( It has its origins in the
Labour movement which advocated eight hours of work, eight hours of
recreation and eight hours of rest)
May 3: World Press Freedom Day.
May 8 : World Red Cross Day [The three emblems in use are the Red Cross,
Red Crescent and the Red Crystal.] It is observed on the birth
anniversary of the founder of the Red Cross Movement, Henry
Dunant. Henry Dunant was the first recipient of the Nobel Peace
Prize in 1901.
May 11 : National Technology Day
[India’s first Nuclear test – 18th May 1974 (Indira Gandhi -PM)
code named smiling Buddha
Second 1998, 11th May and 13th May (Vajpayee -PM) codenamed
Shakti
May 12 : International Nurses Day (Birthday of Florence Nightingale)
May 21 : Anti - terrorism day (the death anniversary of Rajiv Gandhi)
May 22 : World Bio diversity day (2024 theme is “Be Part of the Plan”)
May 29 : The international Day of United Nations Peacekeeper (2024 theme:
“Fit for the Future: Building Better Together”
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May 31 : Anti - Tobacco Day

National GK
Events

In a setback for India’s human rights record, the Geneva-based, United Nations-
linked Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions deferred the
accreditation of the National Human Rights Commission-India for the second year in
a row.
The decision, which can affect India’s ability to vote at the Human Rights Council
and some UN General Assembly bodies, was taken on May 1, during the meeting of
the Subcommittee on Accreditation , which included representatives from New
Zealand, South Africa, Honduras, and Greece.
The NHRC’s “A-status” has only been deferred once before, in 2016, but it was
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restored in 2017. This is the first time India’s status has been suspended for two years
in a row.
The GANHRI also cited the “lack of pluralism” in the composition of the NHRC,
which has just one woman in its top body right now. While the Chairperson of the
National Commission for Minorities Iqbal Singh Lalpura is an ex-officio member, the
GANHRI had pointed out that the composition of the committee should reflect the
“diversity of the society” it operated in, indicating the lack of any member
representing India’s largest minority religions.

Eight years after concluding the general framework of cooperation on the Chabahar
port, India and Iran signed a 10-year contract for its operation, enabling operation of
the Shahid-Behesti terminal.

The Union government granted citizenship certificates to more than 300 people who
applied under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019. At least 14 people who came
to India from Pakistan in 2013 were handed their certificates .A government source
said that most applicants were Pakistani Hindus.

The Supreme Court gave a fillip to the right to personal liberty by holding that a
person summoned by a designated special court under the Prevention of Money
Laundering Act (PMLA), is presumed to be not in custody and need not apply for
bail under the draconian conditions posed by the anti-money laundering law.
The judgment limits the power of arrest by the Directorate of Enforcement after a
special court takes cognizance of a case.
The Bench said the ED would have to separately apply for the custody of a person
once he or she appears in court. The Central agency would have to show specific

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grounds that necessitated custodial interrogation.

In the 2024 World Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without borders,
India ranked 159.
Norway and Denmark topped the RSF table while Eritrea was at the bottom, with
Syria just ahead of it.

Cyclone Remal made landfall between West Bengal’s Sagar Island and Bangladesh’s
Khepupara. It was the first pre-monsoon tropical cyclone in the Bay of Bengal this
year.
The name Remal, meaning ‘sand’ in Arabic, was chosen Oman, and assigned
according to the standard convention of naming tropical cyclones in the region

In 2023, India overtook Japan to become the world’s third-highest producer of solar
power, according to a report by international energy analytics agency Ember. India
generated 113 billion units of solar power in 2023 compared to Japan’s 110. The
leading producer of solar power in the world is China which produced 584 of solar
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 power in 2024 – more than the next four countries combined — the United States,
Japan, Germany and India.

Doordarshan Kisan, a doordarshan channel, has become the first Indian government
TV channel to launch AI anchors, AI Krish and AI Bhoomi, which can speak 50
different languages and provide informational about agricultural research. The
channel will be available to farmers across India.

Chennai-based startup Agnikul Cosmos has achieved a remarkable feat by

successfully launching the world’s first space rocket with a single-piece three-
dimensional (3D) printed engine. his launch marks India’s first semi-cryogenic
engine-powered rocket, which was completely designed and manufactured
indigenously.
It successfully conducted the first test flight of its rocket ‘Agnibaan’ in a mission
called ‘Suborbital Tech Demonstrator’ (SOrTeD).
Agnibaan SOrTeD is India’s first launch from a private launchpad, called ‘Dhanush’,
established by Agnikul.
Vikram-S is India's first privately built rocket.
The flights of ‘Agnibaan’ — and Skyroot’s ‘Vikram’ in 2022 — herald two prospects
more valuable than commercial fortune. ISRO and/or scientists trained there have
shared technical know-how and provided physical systems for many private missions,
which these startups are now testing, cutting short the time and expenses required.
Likewise, these startups are poised now to light the way for ISRO and others,
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potentially accelerating innovation in the sector.

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India voted in favour of a draft UN General Assembly resolution that said Palestine
is qualified and should be admitted as full member of the United Nations and
recommended that the Security Council “reconsider” the matter “favourably”.
India was the first non-Arab State to recognise the Palestine Liberation Organisation
as the sole and legitimate representative of the Palestinian people in 1974. India was
also one of the first countries to recognise the State of Palestine in 1988 and in 1996,
Delhi opened its Representative Office to the Palestine Authority in Gaza, which was
later shifted to Ramallah in 2003.
The resolution got 143 votes in favour, including by India, nine against and 25
abstentions.

The International Olympic Committee in partnership with Reliance Foundation

Abhinav Bindra Foundation launched “Let’s Move India” campaign , inviting
everyone to join the joy of movement and celebrate athletes participating at the 2024
Olympic Games scheduled to be held in Paris.
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Arunachal Pradesh’ s Sela Tunnel , the world’s longest bi-lane tunnel constructed on
the road, connecting Assam(Tezpur) and Arunachal Pradesh (Tawang) , was
recognized as India’s highest tunnel, underscoring the achievement of the Border
Roads Organization. The tunnel was constructed at an altitude of 13000 ft, under
Project Vartak.
Project Vartak is an infrastructure development initiative aimed at improving
connectivity and transportation in the northeastern region of India, particularly in the
state of Arunachal Pradesh.

Indian milk producer Amul was appointed as the 'Official Sponsor' of the Sri Lanka
Men's Team for the duration of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024.

Amul has been named the Lead Arm sponsor for the USA and South Africa cricket
teams during the T20 World Cup in June.

According to data from the Global Trade Research Initiative , an economic think
tank, China has emerged as India’s largest trading partner in the fiscal year 2023-24,
surpassing the United States.

India completed the withdrawal of its military personnel from the Maldives. Under
President Mohamed Muizzu, elected in 2022, the Maldives has been moving closer to
China, a significant shift from its earlier pro-India stance. Muizzu’s “India Out”
campaign aimed to remove Indian troops from Maldivian soil.

The Indian Air Force conducted Bambi Bucket operations to combat forest fires in
Uttarakhand. This method revolutionized aerial firefighting by enabling helicopters to

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Transport large volumes of water beneath the aircraft offering a quick way to
extinguish wildfires from the air.

The demand for adding Ladakh to the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution has
gained a lot of support in recent years. The Sixth Schedule lists parts of the Indian
Constitution that allow tribal places in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram to
be managed in a way that protects their rights. One of these rules is the development
of Autonomous District Councils, which can make laws about things like land,
forests, and agriculture. These councils can also set up village courts to settle small
disagreements between tribes.

India is poised to become the third nation to land on Mars with the unveiling of
Mangalyaan-2, an ambitious mission by ISRO showcasing advanced space
exploration capabilities. Mangalyaan-2 will place India alongside the US and China
as a significant player in interplanetary exploration. One of the most exciting aspects
of Mangalyaan-2 is the helicopter designed to navigate Mars’ thin atmosphere. This
rotorcraft will be equipped with scientific instruments, including the “MarBLE”
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 (Martian Boundary Layer Explorer), which will study the Martian atmosphere during
its 100-meter flights. This helicopter promises to provide unprecedented aerial
exploration and scientific data from the Red Planet.

India climbed to the 39th spot in the World Economic Forum’s Travel & Tourism
Development Index 2024 showcasing resilience and competitiveness in various
aspects of its travel and tourism industry.

Mission ISHAN aims to unify India's fragmented airspace regions into a single,
centralized system managed from Nagpur. This integration will enhance air traffic
efficiency, safety, and capacity. Currently, India’s airspace is divided into four flight
information regions and a sub-FIR, each managed independently.

India has taken on the chairmanship of the Colombo Process for the first time since
the forum’s establishment in 2003. The Colombo Process is a regional consultative
forum consisting of 12 member states from South and Southeast Asia focused on the
management of overseas employment and the protection of migrant workers.

India has successfully flight-tested the indigenously developed anti-radiation missile

Rudram-II, developed by DRDO, from a Su-30 MKI fighter aircraft off the coast of
Odisha. This missile is set to become a crucial asset for the Indian Armed Forces,
enhancing their capabilities in suppressing enemy air defenses (SEAD) missions.
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Reliance Industries Limited and Tata Group, two of India’s prominent business
conglomerates, have been named among the World’s 100 ‘Most Influential

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Companies’ by the renowned TIME magazine.

Persons

NewsClick editor Prabir Purkayastha was released from Tihar jail after a Delhi Court
granted him bail following a Supreme Court order. Arrested under the Unlawful
Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in October 2023 for allegedly using Chinese
funding to promote anti-national propaganda, his detention was deemed invalid.
Justice Mehta, in the judgment, emphasized that the right to be informed about the
grounds of arrest and detention is protected under Articles 22(1) and 22(5) of the
Constitution, and any infringement of this right invalidates the arrest and remand
process.

16-year-old Kaamya Karthikeyan, from Mumbai, became India’s youngest and

world’s second youngest to scale Mount Everest from the Nepal side.
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India-born aviator and commercial pilot Gopi Thotakura along with five other space
tourists became the latest set of individuals to make a short recreational trip to space.
Thotakura, who is based in the United States, is the first space tourist from India.
Thotakura flew aboard a spacecraft of Blue Origin, one of the few private space
companies offering a joy ride to people wanting to venture into space. The whole
journey, from take off to landing lasted only about ten minutes.

Bollywood actress Kareena Kapoor Khan was appointed as the National Ambassador
for UNICEF India.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal was elected as the president of the Supreme Court Bar
Association.

In the Forbes list of Top 10 Richest Women in the World, 2024 Savitri Jindal
occupied the 5th spot.

Jyoti Ratre, an entrepreneur and fitness enthusiast from Madhya Pradesh, has become
the oldest Indian woman to conquer Mount Everest, surpassing the previous record
set by Sangeeta Bahl in 2018 at age 53.

Awards

Dipa Karmaker , from Tripura, became the first Indian gymnast to win a gold medal
in the women’s vault apparatus at the Asian Gymnastic Championships 2024, held in
Uzbekistan.

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Twelve-time Indian National Drag Race champion Hemanth Muddappa became the
fastest rider on Indian soil to record a quarter mile, at a staggering 9.2 seconds,
beating the previous record held by Jordanian Fahim Zahrani. This year, Vroom
Motorsports collaborated with Speedway Motorsports to host the FMSCI Indian
National Drag Racing Championship (INDRC). Over 600 entries were received from
across the country, with an audience of over 10,000 spectators to watch the three-day
event at Taneja Aerospace & Aviation Ltd. facility in Hosur. Drag racing consists of
vehicles tearing down a quarter-mile track

For the first time in 30 years, an Indian film played in main competition for the Palme
D’or, the highest prize at the Cannes Film Festival Awards. “All We Imagine as
Light” is a Malayalam language film directed by Payal Kapadia which follows three
Indian women and how they navigate their lives in Mumbai. This film ended up
taking home the Grand Prix, which is considered the second most prestigious award
at Cannes.
The film was an international co-production involving companies from India, France,
Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Italy.
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 The last time an Indian movie competed for the prize was in 1994 with another
Malayalam movie Swaham, directed by Shaji N. Karun.

Actor Kani Kusruti posed with a watermelon clutch at the Cannes Film Festival,
during the screening of her highly acclaimed “All We Imagine As Light”. Amidst
Israel’s ongoing assault on Gaza, this is being viewed as an expression of solidarity
with Palestinians, with the humble watermelon long considered a symbol of their
struggle. A watermelon when sliced shows the colours of the Palestinian flag — red,
green, black, and white. This makes it a useful symbol of Palestinian identity,
especially since carrying and displaying the Palestinian flag has often been barred by
Israeli authorities.

Sean Baker's 'Anora' clinched the prestigious Palme d'Or and Mohammed Rasoulof's
'The Seed of the Sacred Fig' secured the Special Prix award , respectively.
Mr. Rasoulof’s film, made underground in Iran on a tiny budget, tells the story of a
court prosecutor, whose family life is torn apart by the “Women, Life, Freedom”
protests that convulsed the country in 2022-23.
Anasuya Sengupta, one of the lead stars of the film “The Shameless”, bagged the
Best Actress award in the Un Certain Regard category.
The Un Certain Regard celebrates films with unusual styles and non-traditional
stories.

Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof walked the red carpet after fleeing a prison
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sentence just days before the film festival. Having made a hair-raising escape from

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Iran on the eve of the Cannes Film Festival, he presented the premiere of his latest
film, The Seed of the Sacred Fig, which is competing for the top Palme d’Or prize.

Major Radhika Sen, who served with the United Nations Organisation Stabilisation
Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo received the prestigious ‘2023
United Nations Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award’ from Mr. Guterres,
during a ceremony at the world body’s headquarters on May 30, the International
Day of UN Peacekeepers.

Eminent author Ruskin Bond was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Fellowship, the
highest honour given by the literary organisation.

Dr. Purnima Devi Barman of Assam received the Whitley Gold Award 2024 for
conservation efforts benefiting the endangered Greater Adjutant Stork and its habitat.

Books
“Sultana’s Dream” by Begum Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain was recently added to
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UNESCO’s “Memory of the World” list. Begum Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain, a

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feminist author from British India, wrote “Sultana’s Dream” in 1905. It was one of
the first works of science fiction and feminist writing.

Three of India’s literary treasures – the Ramcharitmanas by Tulsidas, Panchatantra

by Vishnu Sharma , and Sahṛdayaloka-Locana by Acharya Anandvardha – have also
been inscribed on UNESCO’s Memory of the World Asia-Pacific Regional Register.
This recognition celebrates India’s rich literary heritage and cultural legacy.

International
Events

Palestinians marked the 76th year of their mass expulsion from what is now Israel, an
event that is at the core of their national struggle.
Palestinians refer to it as the Nakba, Arabic for catastrophe. Some 7,00,000
Palestinians — a majority of the pre-war population — fled or were driven from their
homes before and during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war that followed Israel’s
establishment.
After the war, Israel refused to allow them to return because it would have resulted in
a Palestinian majority within its borders. Instead, they became a seemingly permanent
refugee community that now numbers some 6 million, with most living in slum-like
urban refugee camps in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Niger announced that it was ending a military cooperation agreement with

Washington, saying the presence of U.S. soldiers in the country was now ‘illegal’; the
nation, which hosts a major U.S. base that cost around $100 million, has been
important for counter-terrorism operations in the Sahel.

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A U.S. delegation is discussing the withdrawal of its troops from military-led Niger
as Washington prepares to abandon its strategic position in the Sahel region where
Russia and Iran are gaining ground. But Niger’s position as the world’s seventh-
largest uranium producer plays an important role in the shifting relations.
The US and Niger have agreed that American troops will leave the country "no later"
than 15 September,

The demand for U.S. troops to exit comes after French troops were also forced to
withdraw last year by Niger’s new ruling generals following a coup in July 2023.

The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Karim Khan, is seeking
arrest warrants for leaders of Israel and Hamas, including Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu, for being responsible for war crimes and crimes against
humanity in the Gaza Strip and Israel.
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 Ireland, Norway, and Spain announced that they will formally recognise the state of
Palestine. Ireland’s Prime Minister Simon Harris of Ireland linked the recognition to
Ireland’s own freedom struggle from Britain.
Norway was involved in peace talks between Israel and Palestine for decades,
including hosting the beginning of the Oslo process, which culminated in the Oslo
Peace Accords in the early- to mid-1990s, agreements that were meant to usher in a
resolution to the conflict and a two-state solution.
The announcements by the European countries come weeks after 143 of 193
countries in the United Nations General Assembly voted for full membership to the
UN for the state of Palestine.

World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) members approved a new WIPO

treaty on Intellectual Property (IP) , Genetic Resources, (GR) and Associated
Traditional Knowledge (ATK). For the first time the system of knowledge and
wisdom, which supports economies, societies and culture are now inscribed in the
global IP system. This will benefit the global south and India, a mega biodiversity hot
spot with abundance of traditional knowledge.

Armenia and Azerbaijan came to a deal on several border areas in the Nagorno-
Karabakh region that were being disputed. This agreement is a big step toward
ending problems that have been going on for decades. Nagorno-Karabakh is a
landlocked area in the South Caucasus that has been the center of a long-running
dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan ever since the Soviet Union broke up. The
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area is mostly made up of native Armenians, but it is officially part of Azerbaijan.

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Since the late 1980s, there have been random acts of violence in the area.

UN war crimes investigators said they were tracking the escalating fighting in
conflict-torn Myanmar’s Rakhine State, and were probing reports that thousands from
a persecuted minority, the Rohingyas had been displaced. Clashes have rocked
Rakhine since the Arakan Army attacked junta forces in November.

The "Foreign Agents Bill" introduced in Georgia mandates NGOs and media
receiving over 20% of their funding from abroad to register as "agents of foreign
influence," with non-compliance leading to heavy fines. Critics liken it to Russia’s
law used to stifle dissent, fearing it will restrict free expression and threaten
democratic values, undermining Georgia's EU aspirations.

Palestinian film director Rashid Masharawi presented “They are the story” - a
collection of short films called “Ground Zero” at the Cannes Film Festival ,
recounting the Israeli bombardment of Gaza and the ensuing humanitarian disaster
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from the perspective of civilians on the ground. He was abroad when the Gaza war

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broke out last year, so he decided to hand over the camera to other filmmakers still
inside the besieged territory.

NASA announced its plan to build the first railway station on Moon and named is as
FLOAT (Flexible Levitation on a Track). This is part of NASA’s Moon to Mars
Mission – Robotic Lunar Surface Operations 2 (RLSO2).
The FLOAT System will be integrated with NASA’s Artemis program.

The Council of Europe took a big step by adopting the Framework Convention on
Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law, also
known as the ‘AI convention’.
A ‘framework convention’ is a legally binding treaty that specifies the broader
commitments and objectives under the convention, and sets mechanisms to achieve
them.
The AI convention doesn’t create new and/or substantive human rights specific to AI.
Instead, it asserts that existing human and fundamental rights that are protected by
international and national laws will need to stay protected during the application of
AI systems as well.

Desperate to halt a money crisis underlining the country’s economic troubles, the
Zimbabwe government launched the gold-backed ZiG (an abbreviation for Zimbabwe
Gold), the latest attempt to replace the Zimbabwe dollar, which had been battered by
depreciation and often outright rejection by people unwilling to put their faith in it.

Bhutan will build the Gelephu Smart City Project in the Gelephu Special
Administrative Region to facilitate more foreign investment for Bhutan. ‘Gelephu

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Mindfulness City’ will be spread over 1,000 sq.km. (bigger than Singapore), and is
expected to attract non-polluting companies, IT centres, hospitals, schools and
resorts, dams and hydro-power projects

Japan launched the world’s first high-speed 6G prototype device with data
transmission rate of 100 gigabits per second, 20 times faster than 5G technology.
The new Dutch government, which is run by Geert Wilders’ nationalist Party for
Freedom , wants to break the rules set by the European Union for immigration. One
important part of their plan is to add an “opt-out” clause to European policies on
migration and asylum. This is meant to make the Netherlands less appealing to
people from Africa and the Middle East who are looking for asylum.
The decision made by the Dutch government is expected to cause a fight with the
European Union because it goes against EU rules on migration and asylum

Blockout 2024 is a new online movement that wants people to stop following celebs
and other influential people on social media sites like Instagram and TikTok. It
became more well-known after the Met Gala, a fancy fashion show that happened
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 while Gaza was still in the middle of a humanitarian crisis. People who back the
movement criticize famous people for doing nothing about the situation in Gaza.

Venezuela is the first modern country to lose all of its glaciers, which is a huge
change in the environment.

The United Arab Emirates recently added the Blue Residency visa in 2023 as an
addition to the Golden Visa system (to bring in investors, business owners, and other
highly skilled workers. The program lasts for 10 years). The Blue Residency visa is
for people who work in several environmental fields, such as protecting sea and land
life, improving air quality, using sustainable technologies, and promoting the circular
economy.

Large-scale Chinese military drills near Taiwan took place just days after William Lai
Ching-te, of Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), was sworn in as
president of the self-governing democratic island. The leadership of the People’s
Republic of China under President Xi Jinping considers self-ruled Taiwan as Chinese
territory that must be “reunited” with the mainland, by force if necessary.

Hollywood actor Scarlett Johansson accused OpenAI, the artificial intelligence

company behind ChatGPT, of using her voice despite her earlier declining licensing
requests from company CEO Sam Altman.
OpenAI unveiled its latest AI model called GPT-4o with a new feature named Voice
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Mode, which lets users have voice conversations with the AI chatbot, and lets them
choose from five kinds of voices. Johansson said one of these voices, named ‘Sky’,

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was allegedly copying her voice.

An independent inquiry into the UK's contaminated blood scandal, published in May
2024, found the government covered up errors leading to thousands being infected
with HIV or hepatitis. Inquiry chair Brian Langstaff stated that successive
governments concealed the truth to "save face and expense," describing the cover-up
as subtle and chilling. Launched in 2017 under Prime Minister Theresa May, the
inquiry investigated how tens of thousands contracted deadly diseases from infected
blood products in the 1970s and 1980s, resulting in nearly 3,000 deaths by 2019. The
scandal is one of the deadliest in NHS history.

NASA's PREFIRE (Polar Radiant Energy in the Far-InfraRed Experiment) mission

aims to improve climate change predictions by using two small satellites to measure
heat emitted from Earth's polar regions. This data will enhance understanding of
Earth's heat loss to space, aiding studies on global warming. The information will
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refine weather and climate models, helping predict changes in ice, sea levels, and

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weather patterns. Developed with the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the was
mission launched from New Zealand.

Russia is set to remove the Taliban from its list of banned terrorist organizations,
three years after the group regained power in Afghanistan. This move comes after
years of Russia fostering relations with the Taliban, including holding multiple
rounds of talks and boosting trade despite international sanctions.

In a historic move, the United Nations General Assembly unanimously proclaimed

May 25 as the World Football Day, marking a significant milestone in the global
celebration of the world’s most popular sport. The resolution coincides with the 100th
anniversary of the first international football tournament with representation from all
regions – the 1924 Summer Olympic Games held in Paris.

Six NATO nations—Finland, Norway, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania—plan

to build a "drone wall" to bolster defenses against Russian provocations. This
initiative will use drones and advanced technologies for continuous border
surveillance, addressing threats like hybrid attacks and forced migration. The project
reflects growing concerns over Russian aggression, highlighted by the Ukraine
conflict, and aims to improve security along NATO’s eastern flank

China's "One Person, One File" initiative proposes creating detailed personal profiles
for each resident using AI and facial recognition technology to enhance digital
surveillance and censorship. This initiative, part of a broader trend of increasing
authoritarianism under President Xi Jinping, will document individuals' daily
activities, social interactions, and political opinions, updating automatically to aid in

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tracking and managing perceived threats to state security.
The program has raised significant human rights concerns, including potential unfair
detentions and suppression of minorities like the Uyghurs and Tibetans. Critics argue
that this extensive surveillance infringes on privacy rights and can lead to arbitrary
accusations based on automated data analysis
The Dubai Gaming Visa was just made available as part of the Dubai Program for
Gaming 2033. The goal of this project is to make Dubai a major player in the world
gaming market by 2033. The visa is meant to bring in talented gamers, content
makers, and experts from all over the world.

The University of Tokyo has inaugurated the Atacama Observatory , which has been
awarded a Guinness World Record for being the highest observatory in the world. It
is situated at 5,640 meters above sea level.

According to the Henley Passport Index 2024, France with the visa free score of 194,
stands as the most powerful passport in the world.
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 Persons

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian

were killed in a helicopter crash. Search and rescue efforts were made harder by bad
weather and darkness. The European Union used its Copernicus Emergency
Management Service rapid reaction mapping to help with the search.

The International Cricket Council, the global governing body of cricket, appointed
the Pakistani cricketer Shahid Afridi as the brand ambassador for ICC Men’s T20
World Cup co-hosted by the West Indies and the United States of America.
Awards
The People's Republic of China has reclaimed its throne as the top badminton nation,
clinching both the men's and women's titles at the prestigious 2024 BWF Thomas &
Uber Cup Finals in Chengdu.

Palestinian journalists covering the Gaza crisis received the 2024

UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize as a show of solidarity and
recognition for their dedication.
Established in 1997, the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize
recognizes individuals who have made exceptional contributions to the defense and
promotion of press freedom, especially in the face of danger. Named after Colombian
journalist Guillermo Cano Isaza, the prize honors his legacy and is funded by various
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foundations and organizations committed to press freedom.

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German author Jenny Erpenbeck and translator Michael Hofmann won the 2024
International Booker Prize for their novel "Kairos." The book tells the story of a
tangled love affair during the final years of East Germany’s existence.
The International Booker Prize recognizes fiction from around the world that has
been translated into English and published in the UK or Ireland. The £50,000 prize
money is divided equally between the author and the translator.

Mr. Clarence Jones was awarded the US Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s
highest civilian honor. He was honoured for his activism during the Civil Rights
Movement.
He’s a lawyer who provided legal counsel to Martin Luther King Jr. and helped write
the opening paragraphs of the “I Have a Dream” speech that King delivered at the
Lincoln Memorial at the 1963 March on Washington.
Summits and Conferences
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G7 summit was held from 13 to 15 June 2024 in Fasano in Italy. The G7 leaders
committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, balancing greenhouse gas

heritage, VNRA-20, Doctor’s Lane, Vidya Nagar, Kochi – 20; PH: 04842315115; www.heritageclasses.com
emissions with offsets. The 2015 Paris Agreement set temperature goals of 1.5°C and
2°C and included net zero as a target. The IPCC’s Special Report on 1.5°C
emphasized the need for global net-zero emissions by 2050 to mitigate extreme
climate change. Currently, Bhutan and Suriname are the only countries absorbing
more CO2 than they emit.

The India – Middle East -Europe Economic Corridor (IMEEC) meeting aimed at
creating efficient alternative supply routes, was held in New Delhi.

The 2024 World Water Forum, themed “Water for Shared Prosperity,” was held in
Bali, Indonesia.

Delegates from over 60 countries are attending the 46th Antarctic Treaty Consultative
Meeting in Kochi, Kerala. This annual meeting involves the 29 Consultative Parties
with voting rights on Antarctic management issues.
Military Exercises
India-US joint counter -terrorism exercise ‘Tarkash’ was held between the national
Security Guard and US Special Operation Forces in West Bengal.

The Indian Army concluded a three-day joint military exercise Gagan Strike-II with
the Indian Air Force in Punjab.
India and France conducted the the Joint Military Exercise ‘Shakti’ in the Umroi
region of Meghalaya.

The Indian Air Force joined a 16-day multi-nation mega military exercise in Alaska,

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United States, designed to provide realistic training to participating forces in a
simulated combat environment. The exercise is known as known as ‘Red Flag 24’.

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heritage, VNRA-20, Doctor’s Lane, Vidya Nagar, Kochi – 20; PH: 04842315115; www.heritageclasses.com