jaishankar meets Putin says he is confident to return of annual summit

External Affairs minister is on visit to Russia . Here he held meeting with his counterpart Sergei Lavrov . The meeting yielded a numberof agreements signed between the two leaders , which included trade , technology , nuclear energy , military technology and arms supply .

EAM S Jaishakr also met  Russia’s.  President Vladimir Putin.

Putin invited PM Modi to visit Russia next year for India Russia Leadership summit .

EAM S. Jaishankar told that he was “ confident “ that India Russia Leadership summit will be held next year .

India Russia held annual  summit in which one leader visit to other country , but due to Ukraine war the summit  is held from two years now .

 The other ares of talk between S Jaishakr and Sergei Lavrov were

Transport

●     North South Transport Corridor that connects India and Russia via Bandar Abbas port

●     Chennai Vlodibostok shipping route

●     Polar Nothern Sea route

Trade

●     Forming a bilateral investment treaty was discussed

●     The two leader agreed to resume talk on “ Eurasian Economic Union – India Free Trade Agreement in the “second half of January “.

●     Trade between the two leaders has crossed 50 billion dollar in past years on the back of increased Indian imports on Russian oil and fertilizer in the wake of Ukraine war .

●     S Jaishankar told that trade was going to increase this year .

Ammonia leak triggers scare at night ; 52 admitted to hospital in Chennai

On Wednesday Ammonia leaked from Water supplying pipe of Coromandal International Ltd , A fertilizer plant . Hundreds of residents around the plant faced burning eyes and faces , difficulty in breathing . They have been hospitalized.

A total 52 people has been hospitalized .

Teams from Fire and Services rushed to the spot the people and evacuate . The Fertilizer company in a statement  told that Ammonia was relaesed from one of its plants . The plant has been shut down temporarily .

NGT had taken suO Motu cognisance of the T.N. leak , it has asked Central Pollution control board ( CPCB ) to file a report on the incident and has registered the case for January 2 .

Hurriyat Chief’s outfit an unlawful association : Center

The home Ministry has declared the “ Muslim League Jammu and Kashmir ( Masrat Alam Faction “ an unlawful organisation .

Home Minister Amit Shah posted on X that the organisation and it’s members are involved in anti national activities .

Masrat Alam is in jail fro 20 yearsunder UAPA , he had been appointed Chief of Hurriyat Conference after death of Syed Ali Shah Geeloani in 2021 .

Delhi Police trying totrave the source of ‘ explosive ‘ used near Israel  embassy

Rajnath meets the kin of dead civilians , promises Justice

Defense Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday visited Jammu and Kashmir , he visited Dera ki Gali where army vehicles were ambushed , he also visited Topa peer village of which 3 civilians died after getting detained by Army .

He assured the villagers of “ expeditious investigation into the incident , culminating the deliverance of Justice “ . Addressing g troops in Rajauri ,he said “ All commanders should have zero tolerance for violation of well established standard operating procedures “ .

Rahul to begin Bharat Nyay Yatra on.  Jan 14

Rahul Gandhi will start Bahrat Nyay Yatra from Manipur to Mumbai on January 14 .

6200 km Yatra will cover 14 states , travelling through Manipur , Nagaland , Assam , Meghalaya , West Bengal , Bihar , Jaharkhand , Odisha , Chhatisgarh , Uttar Pradesh , Madhya Pradesh , Rajsthan , Gujrat a d Maharashtra .

The Yatra will be mostly covered by Bus with some distance by foot .

Attempts are on to stall high profile corruption cases in Tamilnadu , says ED

Center hikes Copra MSP by ₹250 – ₹300 per quintal for 2024

The Cabinet Committee for Economic Affairs ( CCEA ) which met here on Wednesday , has decided to increase the Minimum Support Price ( MSP ) of copra . The New MSP for milling copra will be ₹11,160 a quintal an increase of ₹300 from the 2023 season .

The New MSP for ball copra will be ₹12000 per quintal an increase of ₹250 per quintal .

Milling copra is used to extract oil , while ball copra is a dry fruit and for religious purposes .

Kerala and TamilNadu are major producers of milling copra , while ball copra is produced predominately in Karnataka .

Only ₹23 crore new Booster dose provided

Ministry of health has released data on CoVID 19 related doeses.

●     A total of 220 .67 crore CoVID 19 Doses has been administered across country as on December 21 this year .

●     However , only 22. 88 crore precautionary or booster doeses has been administered .

●     97% eligible citizens got first does whole 90% got second. dose .

●     Under CoVID19 vaccination programme , three vaccines has been approved ,these are Covaxin – Manufactured by Bharat Biotech , Covishield – manufactured by Serum Institute of India and CorBEvax – manufactured by Biological E

   JN.1 cases spike

     Recently. 109 cases of new Variant of JN.1 cases , the health ministry has ruled out the need for additional new Booster doeses. .However , it has directed states to increase surveillance and testing . Gujrat , Karnataka , Maharashtra got major portion of recent surge of JN.1 variant .

The cases of JN.1 was reported

A total of 220 crore CoVID doeses have been administered across country , as on December 21 this year .

However only 22.88 crore of precautionary or bookster doses have been administered across the country ,

World

War on Hamas to grind to grind on for months ; Israel Military chief

Israel pummeleld central Gaza by land , sea and air . The death toll reached 21,110  , while 55,243 people have been wounded .

Russian strike kill 6 , knock out power in Ukriane city

Russia fired almost 50 Shahed drones at targets in Ukriane , 5 persons were killed in this .

Overnight , artillery and drone bombardment killed one person in Kherosan .

PTI leader rearrested after being released from Pakistan Jail ,

Pakistan’s Tahreek E Insaaf Party’s chief Imran Khan and his aide Shah Mahmood Quraishi was manhandled and rearrested by the police as they arrested him outside a Jail in Rawalpindi . Police has not given any official comment about the arrest

On Friday Supreme Court of Pakistan had released the two on bail in cipher case .

China sanctions US research firm , 2 person over reports in Xinjiang .

China banned US research company Khanon , its director and human rights analyst over abuses committed against Uighurs .

Text / Context

Will SLIM ( Smart Lander for Investigating Moon )

JApan’s SLIM spacecraft  entered lunar orbit on  December 25 , it aims landing on January 19 , Potentially making Japan the fifth country to land on moon . India became fourth country to land after Russia, US and China .

SLIM weighs 590 kg at launch which is significantly lighter than ( 3900 kg ) , emphasising fuel efficiancy and carrying fewer instruments .

SLIM will land on Moon’s Shioli crater , It will eject SELENE orbiter at height of 100 m , and after that it will eject Rover and Lander surface analysis .

SLIM’s success or failure will inform Japan’s collaboration with India’s LUPEX mission , which will explore Moon’s South pole region.

LUPEX ( Lunar Polar Exploration Mission ) is planned for 2026 .

SLIM  smart lander