Today in History (June 10th, 1939)
On 10th June 1940, Italy entered World War II by declaring war against Great Britain and France. In 1939, Adolf Hitler (Germany) and Benito Mussolini (Italy) signed the ‘Pact of Steel,’ which formalized the Rome-Berlin Axis, which linked the two European countries militarily and politically.
Summary of Today’s News
Maritime Partnership Exercise
The Indian Navy, in collaboration with the French Navy and the United Arab Navy, held the maiden trilateral maritime partnership exercise in the Gulf of Oman. The exercise strengthened maritime ties and interoperability to address traditional and non-traditional maritime threats for ensuring freedom of navigation and the safety of mercantile trade at high seas in the region. The Indian Navy deployed INS Tarkash stealth frigate for the exercise.
International Court of Justice
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) recently issued an order clearing 32 countries, including France, Germany, and Britain, to support Ukraine’s legal fight against Russia. Ukraine dragged Russia to the ICJ shortly after Russia invaded it on 24th February 2022. ICJ is a permanent organ of the United Nations, which is headquartered at the Peace Palace, the Hague, Netherlands.
Russia to deploy nuclear weapons in Belarus.
Russia will start deploying tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus after special storage facilities are ready in July 2023. It will be Russia’s first such movement of nuclear bombs outside Russia since the disintegration of the USSR in 1991.
Electricity Act, 2003
The Electricity Act of 2003 provides for dismantling the State Electricity Boards and separating generation, transmission, and distribution into separate companies. Under the Act, transmission, and distribution remained regulated activities, whereas electricity generation was delicensed. The key objectives of the Act are promoting competition, protecting consumer interests, and the supply of electricity to all.
Piped potable water across India will avert four lakhs of diarrhoea deaths.
As per the modelling study by the World Health Organisation (WHO), implementing the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) by the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti will help avert nearly four lakhs diarrhoea deaths in India. The Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) aims to achieve 100% Functional Tap water Connection (FTC) to every rural household by 2024.
