Nepal's flash flood death toll has reached 675, with 2,498 people still missing and over 7,514 rescued. Rescue operations are hindered by remote regions. More than 900 people from 11 hydropower projects are missing, with 279 rescued from tunnels in two days. India and China have dispatched tunnel rescue experts. Nepal's Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal clarified that specific, specialized assistance was requested, not rejected. Six Indian forensic teams are also expected to help identify mortal remains.
Nepal is grappling with severe flash floods, resulting in a high death toll and a significant number of missing persons.
International assistance, including tunnel rescue experts from India and China, is crucial due to the complex nature of the disaster, especially in hydropower project tunnels.
The Nepalese government is actively managing rescue and identification efforts, including preserving DNA for unidentified bodies.
Exam Points
Death toll: 675; Missing: 2,498; Rescued: 7,514.
167 Indian nationals were among the 261 tourists rescued.
Over 900 people associated with 11 hydropower projects remain unaccounted for.
Supreme Court Justice B.V. Nagarathna stated that a Bar Council losing its members' respect is detrimental to the legal profession. Speaking at National Law University Delhi, she urged Bar Councils to introspect on their role in upholding ethics and competence. Her remarks gained resonance following the BCI's aborted attempt to restrict professional enrolment for NALSAR University students, which the CJI called 'unwarranted interference.' Justice Nagarathna stressed the importance of legal professionals safeguarding their autonomy and adapting to changing realities.
Bar Councils must uphold professional ethics, morality, and competence to earn and maintain the respect of their members.
The NALSAR University of Law controversy highlighted concerns about the Bar Council of India's (BCI) overreach and interference.
The legal profession is a liberal pursuit where disagreements should lead to civilised implications.
Exam Points
Justice B.V. Nagarathna made these remarks at the 13th convocation of National Law University Delhi.
The controversy involved the Bar Council of India (BCI) and NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad.
BCI chairperson and senior advocate: Manan Kumar Mishra.
A Russian strike on a weapons depot near Kyiv killed 37 people and wounded dozens, sparking fires and explosions. This marks the second such incident near the capital in under two months. Ukrainian officials, including President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime Minister Sergiy Koretsky, expressed anger over ammunition being stored close to residential areas, calling it 'criminal negligence.' An investigation into serious failings by a state-owned company regarding proximity regulations has been opened. The incident contributes to the highest civilian tolls since the 2022 invasion.
A Russian strike on a Ukrainian weapons depot near Kyiv resulted in significant civilian casualties and property damage.
Ukrainian leadership strongly condemned the storage of ammunition near residential areas, citing 'criminal negligence' and previous similar incidents.
An investigation has been launched into the state-owned company responsible for the depot's location and compliance with safety regulations.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump announced an oil deal with Venezuela, claiming U.S. majority control over 65 billion barrels of proven petroleum reserves. He stated the deal, facilitated by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth with Venezuelan Vice-President Delcy Rodriguez, would bring nearly $100 billion in private investment to Venezuela. This agreement, which Rodriguez confirmed as 'historic,' comes amidst intense U.S. pressure on Venezuela and its leader Nicolas Maduro. Experts like Jorge Pinon questioned the unconventional nature of transferring oil assets to another country.
Donald Trump announced a deal granting the U.S. majority control over a significant portion of Venezuela's oil reserves.
The deal, touted as the 'biggest oil deal in world history,' is expected to attract substantial private investment into Venezuela.
The agreement was negotiated amidst ongoing U.S. pressure and sanctions against Venezuela and its leadership.
Exam Points
U.S. claimed majority control over 65 billion barrels of Venezuela's proven petroleum reserves.
The deal is projected to bring nearly $100 billion in private investment.
Key U.S. negotiators: Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Iranian leaders have admitted the economic hardship caused by U.S. sanctions, with President Masoud Pezeshkian reporting a 35% slump in foreign trade and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei urging the government to address inflation and unemployment. Despite the economic toll, Tehran vowed to stand firm against U.S. pressure, pursue diplomacy, and maintain control over the strategic Strait of Hormuz. Iran emphasized that diplomacy and defense are complementary strategies for protecting national interests, indicating a balanced approach to its foreign policy and economic challenges.
Iran's leadership has publicly acknowledged the severe economic impact of U.S. sanctions, including significant drops in foreign trade.
Despite the economic challenges, Iran remains resolute in its stance against U.S. pressure and is committed to defending its interests.
The Strait of Hormuz is highlighted as a strategic asset, giving Iran leverage in global energy markets.
Exam Points
Iranian President: Masoud Pezeshkian.
Supreme Leader: Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei.
Iranian exports and imports slumped nearly 35% due to U.S. sanctions.
Attributing localised, short-duration extreme weather events to climate change is challenging due to limited weather records, insufficient computing power, and the complexity of natural variability. While groups like World Weather Attribution assess the human fingerprint on extreme weather, scientists like J. Srinivasan and Vimal Mishra point out that current climate models struggle to capture fast-changing processes and that events can occur without anthropogenic influence. The debate also touches on whether single-event attribution is scientifically possible and the potential for assigning legal liability, with many experts emphasizing preparedness over solely blaming climate change.
Attributing short-duration, sub-daily extreme weather events to climate change is more difficult than attributing longer-duration events like heatwaves.
Limitations in long-term weather records, computing power, and climate model resolution hinder accurate attribution of localised events.
Scientists debate the scientific validity of single-event attribution and the challenge of separating natural variability from human influence.
Exam Points
World Weather Attribution (WWA) assesses the impact of climate change on extreme weather.
J. Srinivasan, professor emeritus at the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru.
Vimal Mishra, Bikram Sarabhai Chair Professor at IIT-Gandhinagar.
The Supreme Court intervened to ensure journalist Abhishek Upadhyay received a copy of his FIR, highlighting the accused's right to access it. While the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (BNSS), stipulates FIR access at later stages, judicial precedents (Delhi HC, Himachal Pradesh HC, SC) have established the right to obtain it sooner. The Supreme Court directed that FIRs be uploaded on police websites within 24-72 hours, with an exception for 'sensitive offences' like sexual or terror crimes, which require a reasoned decision by a DCP-rank officer and a three-member committee for grievances. Timely access is crucial for pre-trial remedies and a fair trial.
The Supreme Court has consistently affirmed an accused person's right to obtain a copy of the FIR soon after its registration, not just at later stages.
Police are mandated to upload FIRs on their official websites within 24-72 hours of registration to ensure transparency and access.
An exception exists for 'sensitive offences' (e.g., sexual, terror crimes), where FIRs can be withheld, but this requires a reasoned decision by a senior police officer.
Exam Points
Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (BNSS) Sections 173(2) and 230.
Key judgments: Court on its Own Motion through Mr. Ajay Choudhary v. State (2010) (Delhi HC), Rama Nand Rathore v. State of Himachal Pradesh (2014) (HP HC), Youth Bar Association of India v. Union of India (2016) (SC).
Online FIR upload deadline: 24 hours (extendable to 48-72 hours for connectivity issues).
Meta reached a landmark $17.1-billion settlement with 47 U.S. States, resolving a lawsuit alleging the company designed addictive platforms, harmed children, and violated privacy laws. Internal documents revealed during the trial indicated Meta's awareness of issues like social comparison and exposure to harmful content. While Meta denied wrongdoing, it agreed to implement safety features for teens, including a default two-hour daily limit, 'school' and 'night' modes, and options to curate feeds. Critics, however, argue that these features are rudimentary and may not lead to fundamental change without altering Meta's revenue model.
Meta settled a major lawsuit concerning allegations of designing addictive platforms and causing harm to children, including mental health issues.
Internal company documents and witness testimonies revealed Meta's awareness of the negative impacts of its platforms on young users.
The settlement mandates Meta to introduce several new safety features for teens on Instagram and Facebook, such as daily time limits and notification controls.
Exam Points
Meta reached a $17.1 billion settlement with at least 47 U.S. States.
Lawsuit alleged violations of child privacy laws and deliberate design for addiction.
Arturo Béjar, a former Meta safety engineer, was a key witness.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has proposed red hexagonal warning labels for packaged foods high in sugar, salt, and saturated fat. However, nutrition advocate Arun Gupta criticized the framework, particularly the 'two or more' nutrients threshold, which could allow unhealthy products low in fat and salt to escape warnings. He called for simpler rules, alignment with ICMR-NIN Dietary Guidelines 2024, and clearer definitions of high fat, sugar, and salt (HFSS) foods. Concerns were also raised about the proposed small size of the warning labels, advocating for a link to the principal display area of the package.
FSSAI has proposed red hexagonal warning labels for packaged foods high in sugar, salt, and saturated fat.
The 'two or more' nutrients threshold in the proposal is criticized for potentially allowing some unhealthy products to avoid warning labels.
Experts advocate for simpler, single-nutrient-based warning rules and alignment with the ICMR-NIN Dietary Guidelines 2024.
Exam Points
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) proposed red hexagonal warning labels.
Nutrition advocate: Arun Gupta, convener of Nutrition Advocacy in Public Interest (NAPI).
Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR-NIN) Dietary Guidelines, 2024, provide thresholds for total sugar and total fat.
Former Orissa High Court Chief Justice S. Muralidhar stated that the irreverence of Gen Z is a 'sure sign of democratic progress,' assuring that democracy in India will be safeguarded. Speaking at a memorial lecture, he advocated for a future where honest criticism of the government is not criminalized, and peaceful protests are not labeled as conspiracies. Justice Muralidhar also called for judicial swiftness in addressing state excesses and criticized the Collegium system for judicial appointments, citing unexplained executive interference and a lack of transparency in the past 12 years. He also advocated for a reformed, democratic, and independent BCI.
Gen Z's irreverence and willingness to protest are seen as positive indicators for the future of democracy in India.
Justice Muralidhar emphasized the importance of not criminalizing honest criticism of the government or peaceful dissent.
He called for a judiciary that acts swiftly on complaints of state excesses and ensures constitutional validity.
Exam Points
Justice S. Muralidhar is the former Chief Justice of Orissa High Court.
He spoke at the 28th D.S. Borker Memorial Lecture on 'My Vision of India 2047'.
The Collegium system for judicial appointments was adopted in 1993.
A decade-old study published in the Journal of Threatened Taxa revealed that relocating a livestock carcass dump 2.4 km away from high-tension power infrastructure in Dehradun significantly reduced vulture mortality from electrocution. Between 2011 and 2014, 46 vulture carcasses from five species were documented near power lines. Following the relocation in April 2015, no mortality events were recorded during subsequent monitoring. This practical conservation measure, identified by researchers from the Wildlife Institute of India, could be applied in other affected areas to mitigate electrocution risk, which is a major under-reported threat to globally threatened vultures.
Electrocution from power infrastructure is a significant, yet under-reported, threat to vulture populations globally.
A study in Dehradun documented substantial vulture mortality due to proximity to high-tension power lines.
Relocating livestock carcass dumping sites away from hazardous power infrastructure proved to be an effective conservation measure.
Exam Points
Study published in the Journal of Threatened Taxa.
Location of study: Sudhauwala region of Dehradun, Uttarakhand.
46 vulture carcasses documented between May 2011 and February 2014.
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