Current Affairs - International

South Africa has declared a 'National Disaster' in response to a significant outbreak of food poisoning, which has resulted in over 890 reported cases and 23 child fatalities since September 2024. The declaration provides the government with greater regulatory powers to implement emergency measures to control the crisis.

India signed the Final Act of the Riyadh Design Law Treaty, demonstrating its commitment to promoting intellectual property protection and supporting inclusive growth. The treaty aims to harmonize industrial design protection frameworks, simplify registration processes and provide significant benefits to SMEs, startups, and independent designers. This move aligns with India's impressive 120% increase in design registration filings over the past two years.

Operation Tamarisk was a clandestine operation where agents from the U.S., U.K., and France rummaged through Soviet waste to uncover valuable secrets. The operation involved sifting through discarded materials, including food scraps, letters, and even used toilet paper, which was sometimes used by Soviet troops as a substitute for official documents.

COP30, the next major UN climate conference, will be hosted by Brazil in 2025. This announcement follows the commitments made at COP29 in Baku, which included a $1.3 trillion climate finance goal and the establishment of a Loss and Damage Fund starting in 2025. Brazil's selection reflects its critical role in global environmental discussions, particularly concerning the Amazon rainforest and climate change mitigation efforts.

The United Kingdom is set to relaunch FTA negotiations with India in early 2025, as announced by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer after meeting with Indian PM Modi. This move aims to strengthen bilateral ties and boost economic growth, with the bilateral trade between the two countries currently valued at GBP 42 billion annually. The negotiations, which began in January 2022, will pick up from the progress made in the 14th round of discussions. A successful trade deal is expected to benefit both economies, with India being the fifth-largest economy globally and a crucial trade partner for the UK.