1. Commonwealth Games Federation Renamed As Commonwealth Sport.
Tags: International News
Why in the news?
- The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) changed its name to Commonwealth Sport.
Important points:
- The decision to change its name was announced on the occasion of Commonwealth Day March 10.
- “From Commonwealth Day 2025 onwards, the Commonwealth Games Federation will be known as Commonwealth Sport," the governing body of the Commonwealth Games and Commonwealth Youth Games said in a media release.
- “The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) is changing its public brand name to Commonwealth Sport.
- This brand development signifies the organisation’s transition from a ‘Sports Federation’ to a ‘Sports Movement’.
- Commonwealth Sport CEO Katie Sadleir said, “The brand name Commonwealth Sport demonstrates a stronger, more unified purpose that resonates with our audience on a deeper level."
- The ‘Commonwealth Games Federation’ will be retained as the name of the legal entity only.
- Meanwhile, King Charles, the Patron of Commonwealth Sport, will officially launch the inaugural Commonwealth Sport King’s Baton Relay for the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games at Buckingham Palace on Commonwealth Day .
2. Cyclone Alfred hits eastern Australia.
Tags: International News
Why in the news?
- Torrential rain from the remnants of Cyclone Alfred flooded swathes of Australia's east coast on March 10, 2025 as workers battled to restore power to more than 200,000 homes and businesses.
Important points:
- Authorities issued a string of flood and severe weather warnings across a 400-kilometre (250-mile) stretch of coast straddling Queensland and New South Wales.
- Utility companies said more than210,000 homes and businesses were still blacked out in Queensland, and another 10,000 in New South Wales.
3. DeepSeek’s ‘Sputnik moment’ exposes holes in U.S. curbs on chip export
Tags: International News
Why in the news?
- U.S. export controls on high-tech chips may have inadvertently fuelled the success of start-up DeepSeek’s AI chatbot, sparking fears in Washington there could be little it can do to stop China in the push for global dominance in artificial intelligence.
Important points:
- For years many hadassumed U.S. supremacy in AI was a given, with the field dominated by big Silicon Valley names like OpenAI and Facebook-parent Meta.
- The firm, based in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou, has stunned investors and industry insiders with its R1 programme, which can match its American competitors seemingly at a fraction of the cost.
4. SpaceX launches two lunar landers toward moon for U.S., Japanese companies
Tags: International News
Why in the news?
In a two-for-one moonshot,SpaceX launched a pair of lunar landers on January 15, 2025 for U.S. and Japanese companies looking to jumpstart business on Earth’s dusty sidekick.
Important points:
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from pad 39A with a payload of a pair of lunar landers at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. on January 15, 2025.
Only five countries have successfully placed spacecraft on the moon since the 1960s: the former Soviet Union, U.S., China, India and Japan
The two landers rocketed away in the middle of the night from National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)’s Kennedy Space Center, the latest in a stream of private spacecraft aiming for the moon.
They shared the ride to save money, taking separate roundabout routes for the monthslong journey.
5. Santa Ana winds
Tags: International News
Why in the news?
- Santa Ana winds rise in Southern California; new wildfire warnings issued.
Important points:
- Nearly 90,000 households lost electricity as utilities shut off power to prevent their lines from sparking new blazes
- Millions of Southern Californians faced new wildfire warnings on Tuesday (January 14, 2025), and tens of thousands saw their power shut off as strong winds blew across the parched landscape around Los Angeles where two massive blazes have been burning for a week.
- Santa Ana winds that began gusting over the mountains before sunrise were forecast to continue until Wednesday (January 15, 2025) morning with enough force to carry fire-sparking embers for miles and stoke new outbreaks in a region where at least 25 people have already been killed.
About Santa Ana winds:
- Santa Ana winds are strong, dry winds that blow from the Great Basin desert into Southern California and northern Baja California.
- They are a natural part of California's climate and are most common from October to January.
6. Russia Introduces New Tourist Tax
Tags: International News
Russia Introduces New Tourist Tax
Why in the news?
Russia Introduces New Tourist Tax To Boost Regional Growth Starting January 1, 2025
Important points:
Russia launched a new tourist tax on January 1, 2025, replacing the previous resort fee.
This measure forms part of a broader phased plan to strengthen regional tourism infrastructure and stimulate local economic growth.
Under the updated system, travelers staying in hotels and other accommodations willpay an additional 1% of their lodging costs as a tax. This rate is set to rise gradually, reaching 3% by 2027.
To guarantee a baseline contribution, a minimum daily charge of 100 rubles (roughly $0.90 USD) has been established by the government.
In July 2024, amendments to the Russian Tax Code introduced a new chapter titled “Tourist Tax,” laying the groundwork for the enactment of the levy.
About Russia:
Russia, the largest country in the world, occupiesone-tenth of all the land on earth . It spans 11 time zonesacross two continents (Europe and Asia) and has coasts on three oceans (the Atlantic, Pacific, and Arctic).
Moscow is the capitaland largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia
7. 'Brain Rot’ named Oxford Word of the Year 2024
Tags: International News
'Brain Rot’ named Oxford Word of the Year 2024
Why in the news?
- Oxford University Press (OUP) has announced ‘brain rot’ as the Oxford Word of the Year for 2024.
Key points:
- The selection process for the word of the year 2024 involved over 37,000 public votes from a shortlist of six words compiled by Oxford University.
- The word‘Brain Rot’ highlights the growing concerns around the effects of consuming trivial social media content on mental health.
- Other words in OUP’s shortlist were demure, dynamic pricing, lore, romantasy, and slop.
About Oxford University Press (OUP) :
- Oxford University Press (OUP) is a department of the University of Oxford that publishes academic and educational resources.
- OUP's mission is to create high-quality resources and make them available to as many people as possible.
- Oxford University Press Headquarters is situated at Oxford, United Kingdom.
8. China Opens First Atmospheric Monitoring Station in Antarctica
Tags: International News
China Opens First Atmospheric Monitoring Station in Antarctica
Why in the news?
- China has inaugurated its first atmospheric monitoring station in Antarctica, marking a significant expansion of its research presence on the continent.
Objectives:
- Located in Larsemann Hills, East Antarctica ,the Zhongshan National Atmospheric Background Station aims to provide continuous and long-term observations of atmospheric components, contributing valuable data on climate change and the impact of human activity on the environment.
- This station supportsChina's growing role in Antarctic research, aligning with its broader goals as a 'polar power.'
About Antarctica:
- Antarctica, the southernmost continent and site of the South Pole, is a virtually uninhabited, ice-covered landmass.
- Most cruises to the continent visit the Antarctic Peninsula, which stretches toward South America. It’sknown for the Lemaire Channel and Paradise Harbor, striking, iceberg-flanked passageways, and Port Lockroy, a former British research station turned museum.
- The peninsula’s isolated terrain also shelters rich wildlife, including many penguins.
9. Government of India and ADB sign $98 million loan to promote plant health management in India’s horticulture.
Tags: International News
Government of India and ADB sign $98 million loan to promote plant health management in India’s horticulture.
Why in the news?
- The Government of India and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed a $98 million loan to improve horticulture crop farmers’ access to certified disease-free planting materials, which will boost their crops’ yield, quality, and resilience to climate impacts.
Key points:
- “The project supports theGovernment of India’s Atmanirbhar Clean Plant Programme (CPP) that enhances plant health management.
- It will help develop regulatory framework and institutional systems to effectively implement the CPP for horticulture in India.
- It will be implemented bythe Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare through the National Horticulture Board and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research.
- The project will involve close consultation with private nurseries, researchers, state governments, and growers’ associations to ensure its success and sustainability.
- The plant health management promoted through the project will also help farmers adapt to climate change, as rising temperatures not only cause extreme weather events but also affect pest and disease behaviour.
- This will be achieved through establishing clean plant centres dedicated to maintaining disease-free foundation materials.
- These centres will feature laboratories equipped with cutting-edge diagnostic testing methods and will be staffed with experts who are trained in clean plant centre operating procedures and diagnostic testing protocols.
- The project will roll out a clean plant certification scheme, accrediting private nurseries, and testing and certifying their planting materials.
10. Notre Dame Cathedral reopens on December 7
Tags: International News
Notre Dame Cathedral reopens on December 7
Why in the news?
- Notre Dame Cathedral reopens on December 7, marks a new dawn for the architectural marvel of Parisian culture.
- In 2019, a devastating fire destroyed the cathedral's roof and iconic spire, leaving the world in mourning.
About the Notre Dame Cathedral
- Studded in gothic grandeur, the Notre Dame Cathedral as an enduring symbol of French identity.
- Largely completed by 1345, this architectural marvel has witnessed centuries of pivotal historical events and remains a cornerstone of Parisian culture.
- From safeguarding sacred relics in the 13th centuryto its transformation into the“Temple of Reason”during the French Revolution, the Cathedral has played an integral role in shaping
- history.
- It captured global attention in 2019 when a devastating fire destroyed its roof and iconic spire, leaving the world in mourning.
- After five years of global support, tremendous restoration efforts, and unwavering determination, the cathedral is set to reopen its doors on December 7, 2024, integrating modern safety standards alongside the preservation of historical integrity.
