1) Australia’s Finke River recognised as the world’s oldest river
- The Finke River, located in Central Australia, has been recognised as the world’s oldest river, estimated to be over 300–350 million years old.
- Unlike most rivers that change course over time, the Finke River has maintained its original path, even older than many mountain ranges it cuts through.
- It flows mainly during heavy rains and is often called an ephemeral river.
Exam angle: World geography, geomorphology, natural heritage.
2) Kakinada (Andhra Pradesh) to host the world’s largest Green Ammonia project
- Kakinada has been selected to host the world’s largest Green Ammonia project.
- Green ammonia is produced using renewable energy-based green hydrogen, making it carbon-free.
- The project supports:
- India’s National Green Hydrogen Mission
- Clean fuel exports
- Decarbonisation of fertiliser and shipping sectors
Exam angle: Green energy, hydrogen economy, climate commitments.
3) India’s first state-funded BSL-4 laboratory to come up in Gandhinagar
- India’s first state-funded Biosafety Level-4 (BSL-4) laboratory is being established in Gandhinagar.
- BSL-4 labs handle highly dangerous pathogens like Ebola and Nipah viruses.
- Significance:
- Strengthens public health preparedness
- Enhances advanced virology research
- Boosts India’s biosecurity infrastructure
Exam angle: Health infrastructure, biosafety levels, pandemic preparedness.
4) Google launched TranslateGemma, an open translation AI model
- Google launched TranslateGemma, an open-weight translation AI model.
- It supports 55 languages, aiming to improve multilingual AI accessibility, especially for low-resource languages.
- The model allows developers and researchers to:
- Build custom translation systems
- Promote linguistic inclusivity
Exam angle: Artificial Intelligence, digital inclusion, language technology.
