Daily Current Affairs – 17-01-2025

Tamil Nadu

China to build dam on Brahmaputra

® China has approved the construction of a hydropower project on the lower reaches of Yarlung Tsangbo River (also known as Brahmaputra River) in Tibet, near the Indian border. ® The project is expected to cost over $137 billion . ® It will be the world’s largest dam and infrastructure project . ® The project was a part of China’s 14th Five-Year Plan ( 2021-2025 ) and National Economic and Social Development plan.

UNCCD COP16 in Riyadh

® The 16th session of the Conference of the Parties ( COP16 ) of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) was held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia . ® It was the first UNCCD COP in the Middle East and North Africa region. ® UNCCD COP17 will held in Mongolia in 2026 . ® The conference theme was “Our Land. Our Future” . ® Nearly 200 countries participated, making it the largest UN land conference to date. ® Saudi Arabia announced five new projects worth $60 million to enhance its climate and environmental efforts under the Saudi Green Initiative. ® COP16 secured over $12 billion in pledges to combat drought and land degradation. ® Saudi Arabia pledged $150 million to the Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership. ® The prototype of the International Drought Resilience Observatory (IDRO) was launched at COP16. ® It is an AI-driven platform to help countries assess and improve their drought coping abilities. ® Saudi Arabia launched the Young Researchers Award , offering $70,000 in prize money. ® An international sand and dust storm monitoring initiative was also launched by Saudi Arabia.

Indonesia joins BRICS

® Indonesia has joined the BRICS group as its 10th member. ® The 16th BRICS Summit was held in Kazan, Russia in 2024. ® The 17th BRICS Summit will be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in July 2025 .

Interpol issues first Silver Notice

® Interpol has issued its first-ever Silver Notice to track assets laundered across borders. ® This is part of a pilot project involving 52 member countries, including India . ® The first notice was issued based on a request from Italy . ® The request seeks information on the assets of a senior mafia member. ® Each participating country can request up to 500 notices under the project.