Notes:
The United Kingdom, Canada, Sweden and Ukraine have jointly launched a case against Iran at the United Nations’ International Court of Justice over the downing of a Ukrainian passenger jet in the year 2020, resulting in death of all 176 passengers and crew
The four countries want the International Court of Justice to rule that Iran illegally shot down the Ukraine International Airlines plane and to order the country to pay compensation to the families of the victims.

Notes:
The Assembly Judiciary Committee of California recently held a hearing regarding Senate Bill 403 (SB403), a proposed legislation aiming to forbid caste discrimination.
If this bill is approved, California would be the first state in the United States to explicitly prohibit caste-based discrimination, extending protections to caste as a recognized category within the state’s Unruh Civil Rights Act, fair housing laws, and employment laws.

Notes:
Latvia’s long-serving foreign minister Edgars Rinkēvičs was sworn in as the Baltic nation’s president for a four-year term.
He is known for his tough line on neighbouring Russia and strong support for Ukraine. In 2024, he announced that he is gay, and hence Edgars Rinkēvičs is EU’s first openly gay President.

Notes:
Saudi Arabia has deposited USD 2 billion in Pakistan’s central bank, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar announced.
This was done just a day before the International Monetary Fund’s board is expected to give the final nod to the provision of USD 3 billion in bailout funds under a stand-by arrangement.

Notes:
Julius Robert Oppenheimer was an American theoretical physicist who served as the director of the Los Alamos Laboratory during World War II.
He is widely recognized as the key figure behind the development of the atomic bomb and is often referred to as the “father of the atomic bomb.”  Christopher Nolan’s highly anticipated film, Oppenheimer, is set to be release on July 21.

Notes:
Recently, the G20 Independent Expert Group on Strengthening Multilateral Development Banks has proposed that multilateral development banks (MDBs) embrace a triple mandate focused on eradicating extreme poverty, promoting inclusive growth, and financing global public goods.
Additionally, they have suggested the establishment of a ‘Global Challenges Funding’ mechanism specifically dedicated to funding global public goods.

Notes:
A research titled “More losers than winners: Investigating Anthropocene Defaunation through the Diversity of population trends” was recently published in Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society.
The planet’s sixth mass extinction, fuelled by human activities, may trigger a rapid biodiversity imbalance. After studying over 71,000 animal species across five strata, which include mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and insects, the mass extinction is expected to be more severe than previously anticipated.

Notes:
The Italian parliament has given its approval to a contentious bill that makes it a criminal offense for citizens to travel abroad to pursue surrogacy arrangements.
This law, which has faced significant opposition, is specifically aimed at discouraging Italians from participating in surrogacy arrangements, and it carries the possibility of substantial fines exceeding USD 1 million and potential prison sentences of up to two years for those found guilty.

Notes:
A Coup by group of soldiers is currently underway in Niger. Soldiers appeared on state TV to announce they had removed the President from power, seized control of the government and suspended the constitution.
Recently, the commander of the guard, Gen Abdourahmane Tchiani has declared himself the leader of Niger in a televised address.

Notes:
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres delivered a powerful message on climate change, urging immediate radical action to address the record-shattering July temperatures.
He said that this phenomenon indicate that the Earth has entered an ‘era of global boiling’ surpassing warming phase.