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- Three Bodies Found in Manipur's Barak River, Linked to Missing Persons from Displacement Camp
- Three bodies recently recovered from the Barak River in Manipur are feared to be connected to the mysterious disappearance of six individuals from a local displacement camp.
- About Barak River:
- The Barak River is the second longest river in Northeast India, after the Brahmaputra. It flows through several states in India—Manipur, Nagaland, Mizoram, and Assam—before entering Bangladesh.
- Course & Origin:
- The Barak originates in the Manipur hills, south of Mao in the Senapati district at an elevation of 2,331 meters. The river travels through hilly terrain along the Manipur-Nagaland border before entering Assam. Upon reaching Bangladesh, it is known as the Surma and the Kushiyara, before merging with the Meghna River. The Meghna eventually joins the Ganga and Brahmaputra rivers before outfalling into the Bay of Bengal.
- Length & Drainage Basin:
- Spanning around 900 kilometers, with 564 kilometers within India, the Barak River’s basin is largely forested, covering approximately 72.58% of its area, while only 1.92% is water bodies. It is bordered by the Barail Range to the north, the Naga and Lushai hills to the east, and the borders of Bangladesh to the south and west.
- Tributaries:
- The major tributaries of the Barak include the Jiri, Dhaleswari, Singla, Longai, Sonai, and Katakhal rivers.
- The Barak River is part of the larger Ganga–Brahmaputra–Meghna basin, which covers nearly one-third of the land area of India.
- Massive Drug Bust in Gujarat: 700 kg of Methamphetamine Seized from International Syndicate
- In a significant operation targeting drug trafficking, law enforcement agencies recently confiscated around 700 kg of methamphetamine from an international drug syndicate operating in Gujarat.
- About Methamphetamine:
- Methamphetamine, commonly known as meth, is a powerful and highly addictive stimulant that affects the central nervous system. It appears as a white, odorless, bitter-tasting crystalline powder that dissolves easily in water or alcohol.
- Originally developed in the early 20th century from its parent compound, amphetamine, methamphetamine was initially used in nasal decongestants and bronchial inhalers. However, its potential for misuse soon became apparent.
- Like amphetamine, methamphetamine increases activity levels, promotes talkativeness, suppresses appetite, and induces feelings of euphoria. However, methamphetamine is far more potent than amphetamine. At similar doses, it enters the brain in much larger quantities, amplifying its stimulant effects.
- In higher doses, methamphetamine use can lead to severe health consequences, including psychosis, brain hemorrhage, muscle breakdown, and seizures. Chronic use may also cause violent behavior, severe mood swings, paranoia, hallucinations (both auditory and visual), and delusions. Over time, it has devastating effects on the brain and the central nervous system, leading to long-lasting damage.
- The drug’s potent nature and ease of production make it highly susceptible to widespread abuse. Methamphetamine addiction can be particularly difficult to overcome, with withdrawal symptoms that may persist for months after cessation of use.
- US and China Warn of Challenging Times Ahead at Asia-Pacific Economic Summit
- At a recent Asia-Pacific economic summit in Lima, the Presidents of the United States and China issued stark warnings about the turbulent times ahead, emphasizing the growing challenges facing the global economy and the importance of continued cooperation.
- About Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC):
- The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) is a regional economic forum founded in 1989, aimed at promoting free trade, investment, and cooperation to foster sustainable and inclusive economic growth across the Asia-Pacific region.
- What Does APEC Do?
- APEC works to facilitate the smooth flow of goods, services, investment, and people across borders. The forum helps streamline customs procedures, improves business environments, and aligns regulations and standards among its members to make cross-border trade more efficient.
- Over the years, APEC has played a key role in reducing trade barriers in the region, contributing to greater economic integration, increased trade, and expanded growth opportunities.
- Member Economies:
- APEC currently comprises 21 members, but these are not necessarily 21 individual countries. Instead, each member is referred to as an "economy," reflecting APEC's focus on economic and trade relationships rather than political boundaries.
- The 21 member economies are: Australia, Brunei, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Indonesia, China, Japan, South Korea, Russia, Canada, the United States, Mexico, Peru, Chile, Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand, and Taiwan.
- Together, these economies represent nearly 40% of the global population, about half of the world's trade, and roughly 60% of global GDP.
- APEC Activities:
- APEC holds an annual Economic Leaders' Meeting, where heads of state from all member economies gather to discuss and make decisions on key economic issues. These decisions are reached through consensus, with commitments made on a voluntary basis.
- The forum's activities are coordinated by the APEC Secretariat, which is based in Singapore. In 2021, the APEC Economic Leaders endorsed the Putrajaya Vision 2040, a roadmap outlining APEC's future direction, with three main priorities:
- Promoting open trade and investment,
- Advancing innovation and digitalization, and
- Fostering sustainable and inclusive economic growth.