Ballast Water
According to Scientists, ballast water carried by ships is providing a vehicle to bring in exotic and invasive species in coastal areas.
- Fresh or saltwater held in the ballast tanks and cargo holds of ships to provide stability and maneuverability.
- Releasing untreated ballast water could potentially introduce a new invasive marine species.
- Dealt under – International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments (BWM Convention), 2004
Exercise Tarang Shakti
Indian Air Force (IAF) hosted Phase-I of the Exercise Tarang Shakti at Sulur airbase in Tamil Nadu.
- India’s 1st multinational air exercise.
- Aim – To showcase India’s defense prowess and provide a platform for participating militaries to foster interoperability.
- IAF announced to conduct it biennially.
DDoS Cyber attack
Recently, a massive Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack resulted in glitches in interview of a former US President over Social Media platform X.
- A malicious attempt to disrupt the normal traffic of a targeted server, service or network by overwhelming the target or its surrounding infrastructure with a flood of Internet traffic.
- Attacker uses a single internet connection to barrage a target with fake requests or to try and exploit a cybersecurity vulnerability.
- It can utilize multiple compromised computer systems as sources of attack traffic.
Jiyo Parsi scheme
Minister of Minority Affairs launched the Jiyo Parsi scheme Portal.
- Type – Central Sector Scheme
- Objective – To reverse the declining trend of Parsi population by adopting a scientific protocol and structured interventions to stabilize their population.
- 3 components – Medical, Health of Community, and Advocacy Component.
Forever chemicals
Researchers from the US found methods to trace the origin and destination of the Forever Chemicals, scientifically known as Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS).
- Human-made toxic compositions which are not depleted naturally and can stay in the environment for thousands of years.
- Applications – Water-proofing, heat resistance, detergents, food packaging and non-stick technologies, etc.
- Concerns – Adverse health effects such as liver damage, low infant birth weights, hormonal imbalance, fertility issues, immune system effects, and even cancer.