20th August 2024 Current Affairs

INTERNATIONAL

Germany Joins United Nations Command in South Korea as 18th Member State.

• Germany’s recent inclusion in the U.S.-led United Nations Command (UNC) in South Korea marks a significant expansion of the command’s member states, now totaling 18 nations. This move underscores Berlin’s commitment to global security, linking European stability to the broader Indo-Pacific region.
• Germany’s accession to the UNC, which oversees the heavily fortified border between North and South Korea, highlights Berlin’s view that European security is intertwined with the security of the Indo-Pacific region.
• China and North Korea, historical adversaries of the UNC, have criticized the command’s role. North Korea has labeled the UNC as a U.S. tool for confrontation, while China has expressed concern over NATO’s growing influence in Asia.
• Germany aims to reopen its embassy in Pyongyang, closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, and is exploring opportunities within the UNC framework. The specific role of German troops on the Korean Peninsula is yet to be defined.

Sweden Reports Mpox Clade I; WHO Calls for Global Action.

• Sweden has confirmed its first case of the mpox Clade I variant, marking the first occurrence of this more dangerous strain outside Africa. The World Health Organization (WHO) has called for enhanced surveillance, data sharing, and international cooperation to manage and control the outbreak.
• Sweden’s Health and Social Affairs Minister, Jakob Forssmed, announced the detection of the Clade I variant, a more severe form of mpox that spreads through close contact. This case represents a significant development as it is the first instance of this variant being reported outside the African continent.
• The WHO declared mpox a global public health emergency for the second time in two years, following recent outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This declaration underscores the need for a coordinated international response to curb the spread of the virus.

UN Human Rights Team To Visit Bangladesh To Investigate Human Rights Violations.

• A human rights team from the United Nations will visit Dhaka next week to discuss with the Bangladesh interim government, investigations into the human rights violations during the recent unrest in Bangladesh.
• The team visiting Bangladesh will discuss with the interim government areas of support and the modalities for an investigation of human rights violations in the context of the recent violence and unrest

ECONOMY

China takes measures to prevent Mpox imports.

• Chinese authorities have intensified efforts to prevent the import of the mpox virus as global cases continue to rise.
• Effective from the 15th of this month for six months, arrivals in China from countries and regions with confirmed mpox infections must declare their condition to customs if they have been exposed to mpox or exhibit symptoms such as fever, headache, back pain, muscle pain, swollen lymph nodes, or rashes.
• According to China’s General Administration of Customs, for such individuals, customs officers will implement medical measures and conduct sampling and mpox testing. Vehicles, containers, cargo, and other items from countries and regions with reported mpox cases will be sanitised if they are contaminated or potentially contaminated.

S&T

Hubble Detects Mysterious Radio Burst Originating From Halfway Across the Universe.

• Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs) are brief yet incredibly bright cosmic events, with one recently detected FRB, FRB 20220610A, standing out due to its distance and energy, located in a galaxy cluster from when the Universe was only 5 billion years old. This event challenges existing models of FRBs, as its origin, pinpointed with the help of Hubble’s advanced imaging, hints at complex interactions among up to seven merging galaxies.
• Fast Radio Burst (FRB) is a fleeting blast of energy that can – for a few milliseconds – outshine an entire galaxy. Over the past few years hundreds of FRBs have been detected. They pop off all over the sky like camera flashes at a stadium event, but the sources behind these intense bursts of radiation remain uncertain.
• This FRB is particularly weird because it erupted halfway across the Universe, making it the farthest and most powerful one detected to date.