1) Asia Pacific Forum (APF): President of India inaugurated Annual General Meeting and Biennial Conference of the APF on Human Rights in New Delhi.
- In 2021, the Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence was adopted by UNESCO. It aims to fundamentally shift the balance of power between people, and the businesses and governments developing AI.
- The Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysala, the famed Hoysala temples of Belur, Halebid and Somanathapur in Karnataka have been added to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage list.
- The eruption of Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano in 2022 produced a plume 58 km high, and produced the biggest atmospheric explosion ever recorded
2) Asian Premium: Saudi Arabia, the world’s second largest oil producer, has slashed the premium charged on exports to India.
- Asian premium is an extra amount levied by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) from Asian countries above the actual selling price.
- It is believed to be discriminatory pricing mechanism that Asia pays higher prices for crude oil exported from the Middle East relative to their counterparts in Europe and the US.
- Also Asian countries, dependent heavily on oil imports, are essentially price-takers here.
3) SIMBEX: Singapore India Maritime Bilateral Exercise (SIMBEX) is an annual bilateral naval exercise between India and Singapore.
4) Agumbe forest: The amount of rainfall received in Agumbe has reduced as compared to the other towns in the region.
- Agumbe is in the Shivamogga district of Karnataka and referred as “Cherrapunji of South India”, with an average rainfall of 8000 mm
- It is situated at an elevation of 650 meters within Central Western Ghats and has a distinctive tract of tropical moist evergreen forest.
- It is also located adjacent to the Someshwara Wildlife Sanctuary and the Kudremukh National Park.
- It is the world’s only natural habitat of the King Cobra and referred as “The Cobra Capital”
Places in News:
1) Tungareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary: Tungareshwar Sanctuary is situated in the Vasai-Virar area of the Thane district, Maharashtra.
- Spread over 85 sq.km, it forms a corridor between Sanjay Gandhi National Park (also known as Borivali National Park) and Tansa Wildlife Sanctuary.
- It is home to famous Tungareshwar Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva.
- The sanctuary’s diverse habitats including littoral forests and hills, which are home to leopards, wild boars, barking deer, langurs, bonnet and rhesus macaques, among other animals.
- Sanctuary is home to numerous birds including the Crested Serpent-eagle, Jungle Owlet, White-eyed Buzzard, Oriental Honey-buzzard, Emerald Dove and Heart-spotted Woodpecker.
