The United States is getting ready to lift COVID-19 restrictions that have blocked migrants caught at the U.S.-Mexico border from seeking asylum since 2020, a major policy shift with humanitarian and political implications. What is Title 42? The COVID restrictions, known as Title 42, were first implemented in March 2020 at the beginning of the pandemic. Title 42 allowed …

In unanimous decision, Arab League readmits Syria after 11-year absence What is Arab League? The Arab League is a regional organization in the Arab world. The Arab League was formed in Cairo in 1945. Initially it had six members: Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Syria Currently, the League has 22 members. Syria’s participation was suspended from 2011 till recently. Each …

The Commission for Scientific and Technical Terminology (CSTT) is working on technical and scientific terminology in 10 Indian languages that are under-represented in the learning landscape. Key details: The CSTT will bring out what it calls fundamental (basic) dictionaries with 5,000 words per language. These will be in digital, searchable format, and free of cost. Which …

Credit Suisse has announced buying Ecuadorian bonds worth $1.6 billion (€1.45 billion) in a debt-for-nature swap that cost the Swiss bank just $644 million and in return, Ecuador’s government had pledged to spend about $18 million annually for two decades on conservation in the Galapagos Islands. The Galápagos Islands are …

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first vaccine, Arexvy for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) to lower respiratory tract disease in people older than 60 years. This is the first RSV vaccine to be approved anywhere in the world. The trial showed that a single dose of the vaccine reduced the risk of people, older than 60 years, developing lower respiratory tract disease caused …

Two drugs to treat Alzheimer’s disease showed promising results. Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive neurologic disorder that causes the brain to shrink (atrophy) and brain cells to die. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia — a continuous decline in thinking, behavioral and social skills that affects a person’s ability to function independently. The early signs of the disease include …

The findings of the first-ever water body census, conducted by the Ministry of Jal Shakti, was published recently. Need for a water body census India is facing a water crisis with groundwater decline, biodiversity loss, and climate change increasing the frequency of floods and droughts. Water bodies buffer against climate variability, holding flood waters for use in …

Bluesky has come to the fore as a potential claimant to Twitter’s throne. What is Bluesky? Bluesky is a micro-blogging platform and social website. It is built on the AT Protocol (Authenticated Transport Protocol). Bluesky might be classified as a Twitter competitor but it is different in terms of its structure, as it is meant to form part of …

The Petersberg Dialogue on Climate Change was held in Berlin recently. It was hosted by Germany and the United Arab Emirates. The focus of the Petersberg Climate Dialogue is on laying the groundwork for the COP28 Climate Change Conference in the United Arab Emirates. Ministers from 40 countries attended the conference to discuss the way forward towards COP28. …