Current affairs 29 June 2024

Pench Tiger Reserve launches first advanced AI System for forest fire.

• The Pench Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra has launched an advanced AI system for early detection of forest fires.
• This state-of-the-art system features a high-resolution camera, with a visual range of 15 kilometres.
• The hill, on which the tower is located, is near the Kirringisarra village.
• Part of the project was funded by Solar Industries India Ltd, Nagpur and Maharashtra government.

Arundhati Roy won PEN Pinter Prize amid Indian prosecution threat.

• Arundhati Roy, 62, received the 2024 PEN Pinter prize, expressing her delight and honoring Harold Pinter's legacy.
• The award, established in 2009, recognizes writers of outstanding literary merit and unflinching world views.
• Roy, the first Indian Booker Prize winner for The God of Small Things, was praised for her impactful storytelling and internationalist perspective.

SEVENTEEN Named UNESCO's 1st Youth Goodwill Ambassadors.

• SEVENTEEN was inaugurated as UNESCO's inaugural Goodwill Ambassadors for Youth at Paris headquarters.
• They pledged 1 million USD to the Global Youth Grant Scheme, emphasizing global youth empowerment.
• SEVENTEEN aims to foster inclusive communities through their #GoingTogether campaign, promoting unity and support worldwide.
• UNESCO Director-General: Audrey Azoulay

India's Largest Leopard Safari Opens at Bannerghatta Biological Park.

• India's largest and third leopard safari was opened to the public at Bannerghatta Biological Park (BBP), located 25 kilometers south of Bengaluru.
• The safari spans 20 hectares and currently houses eight leopards, with plans for expansion.
• BBP was carved out of Bannerghatta National Park in 2004 and brought under the administration of the Zoo Authority of Karnataka.

A world-first emissions tax is going after gassy cattle.

• Denmark plans to levy nearly €100 annually per cow for greenhouse gas emissions starting from 2030.
• The tax aims to achieve a 70% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 compared to 1990 levels.
• A broad consensus among government, farmers, industry, and environmental groups supports the tax, expecting parliamentary approval.