1)Financial Action Task Force (FATF) decided to retain Pakistan on “grey list”
till next performance review :- It is an intergovernmental body created in 1989 during the G7 Summit in Paris as a watchdog of global money laundering and terrorist financing.

Curbing Terror Financing work was included in 2001, in the start it was only there for countering the money laundering.

Significance – Continuation on ‘grey list’ means Pakistan will not be able to access finances in form of investments and aid from international bodies.

2)Ramgarh Vishdhari wildlife sanctuary :– Rajasthan is all set to get its fourth tiger reserve (TR) after Ramgarh Vishdhari wildlife sanctuary in Bundi received a nod from the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).

Other TR in Rajasthan: Ranthambore, Sariska, and Mukundra
It would offer an incomparable military instrument with its ability to project air power over long distances,
airborne anti-submarine warfare and airborne early warning etc.
The sanctuary currently has leopards, sambhars, chitals, wildboars, smaller cats, caracals, chinkaras and nilgai

It will be 52nd TR of India.

3) INS Vikrant- First Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC) :- India’s first IAC- INS Vikrant is likely to be commissioned in 2022.
It will operate MiG-29K fighter aircraft, Kamov-31 Air Early Warning Helicopters, the soon-to-be-inducted
MH-60R multi-role helicopter, and the indigenously manufactured Advanced Light Helicopters.

It would offer an incomparable military instrument with its ability to project air power over long distances,
airborne anti-submarine warfare and airborne early warning etc.

IAC has a STOBAR (short take-off but arrested recovery) configuration with a ski jump capability.

4) Itat-e-Dwar : ITAT e-filing portal :-Taking a step towards Digital India and bringing in more transparency and comfort, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Friday launched e-filing portal of Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT). Dubbed as ‘itat e-dwar’, will not only enhance the accessibility, accountability and transparency in the day to day working of the ITAT, but will also allow taxpayers to file online appeals, applications, documents etc from the comfort of their home.   

5) What is Ambergris? :-

In the past few weeks, there have been two cases where the Mumbai Police has arrested five persons trying to sell Ambergris or whale vomit.

What is Ambergris?

• Ambergris, French for grey amber, is generally referred to as whale vomit.
• It is a solid waxy substance that floats around the surface of the water body and at times settles on the coast.
• A sperm whale eats several thousand squid beaks a day.
• Occasionally, a beak makes it way to the whale’s stomach and into its looping convoluted intestines where it becomes ambergris through a complex process, and may ultimately be excreted by the whale.

Is it Ambergris valuable?

• This excretion is so valuable it is referred to as floating gold.
• As per the latest estimates given by Mumbai Police, 1 kg of ambergris is worth Rs 1 crore in the international market.
• The reason for its high cost is its use in the perfume market, especially to create fragrances like musk.
• It is believed to be in high demand in countries like Dubai that have a large perfume market. Ancient Egyptians used it as incense.
• It is also believed to be used in some traditional medicines.

Why are the laws on Ambergris?

• Due to its high value, Ambergris has been a target for smugglers especially in coastal areas.
• There have been several cases where the coastline of Gujarat has been used for such smuggling.
• Since the sperm whale is a protected species, hunting of the whale is not allowed.
• However, smugglers are known to have illegally targeted the fish in order to obtain the valuable Ambergris from its stomach.
• However, Ambergris is produced only by an estimated one per cent of sperm whales.

6) Why is black Sea in News :-

Russia accused Britain of spreading lies over a warship confrontation in the Black Sea.

What is the issue?

• Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula in 2014, a move that was not recognized by most countries in the world.
• Russia has frequently responded at NATO warships visits near Crimea, casting them as destabilizing.
• NATO members Turkey, Greece, Romania and Bulgaria are in the Black Sea, but warships from the US, UK and other NATO allies also have made increasingly frequent visits in a show of support to Ukraine.

About Black Sea

• The Black Sea is a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia; east of the Balkans (Southeast Europe), south of the East European Plain in Eastern Europe, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia in Western Asia.
• It is supplied by major rivers, principally the Danube, Dnieper, and Don.
• The watersheds of many countries drain into the sea beyond the six that share its coast.
• The Black Sea is bordered by Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, Russia, Turkey, and Ukraine.