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INTERNATIONAL

(May 2018 - Oct 2019)

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Members of European Parliament Visit Kashmir  A delegation of European Union Members of Parliament (MEPs), comprising 27 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) from Italy, Britain, France, Germany, Czech Republic, and Poland, visited Srinagar on 29th October.  The non-profit organizations, Women's Economic and Social Think Tank and the International Institute for Non-Aligned Studies (IINS) invited and sponsored, this visit to Kashmir.  The decision to allow the MEPs to visit J&K marked a significant turnaround in the government's policy after it faced considerable criticism in the EU and in the US over the Article 370 move.  The Indian government presented the EU lawmakers' visit as an attempt to let the outside world see the ground situation in Kashmir, which Delhi has labeled as normal.  The visit also gave a better understanding of the cultural and religious diversity of the region of Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh; apart from giving them a clear view of the development and governance priorities of the region.  The European Union (EU) Embassy in Delhi has clarified that the MEPs were in India in their "personal capacity", and not as part of an official delegation.

Joint Exercise Shakti-2019  The bilateral 'Exercise SHAKTI' between India and France was conducted from 31 Oct to 13 Nov 2019.  The exercise will be conducted at Foreign Training Node at Mahajan Field Firing Ranges, Rajasthan.  A contingent of the Sikh Regiment of Sapta Shakti Command will represent Indian Army in this exercise. The French Army delegation will be represented by troops of 21" Marine Infantry Regiment of 6th Armoured Brigade.

Wild poliovirus type 3 strains eradicated  In an historic announcement on World Polio Day, an independent commission of experts-the Global Commission for the Certification of Poliomyelitis Eradication concluded that wild poliovirus type 3 (WPV3) has been eradicated worldwide.  Following the eradication of smallpox and wild poliovirus type 2, this news represents a historic achievement for humanity.  There are three individual and immunologically-distinct wild poliovirus strains: Wild Poliovirus Type I (WPV 1), Wild Poliovirus Type 2 (WPV2) and Wild Poliovirus Type 3 (WPV3).  WPV3 is the second strain of the poliovirus to be wiped out, following the certification of the eradication of WPV2 in 2015. The last case of WPV3 was detected in northern Nigeria in 2012. Now wild poliovirus type 1 remains in circulation in just two countries: Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Harvard Business Review list 2019  The Best-Performing CEOs in the World, 2019 list compiled by the Harvard Business Review (HBR) features 100 CEOs.  The list has been topped by American technology company NVIDIA's CEO Jensen Huang.  Among the top 10 chief executives on the list, 3 spots have been occupied by the Indian-origin CEOs.  Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen was ranked 6th, followed by MasterCard CEO Ajay Banga was ranked 7th and Microsoft chief Satya Nadella on the 9th spot.  The list also features India-born CEO of DBS Bank Piyush Gupta on the 89th spot.  Apple CEO Tim Cook was ranked 62nd in the list.  The 2019 list has 4 female CEOs in the top 50 of the rankings.

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Indians no longer require Visa to visit Brazil  Indian tourists will be now be exempted from visas to enter Brazil for tourism or business purposes. The exemption is also available for Chinese tourists. Both India and China are part of BRICS, an association of 5 major emerging national economies. Other three are Brazil, Russia and South Africa.  The announcement in this regard was made by Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro during an official visit to China. This was the first time Brazilian government has expanded that policy to the developing world.

'Feed Our Future' Campaign  United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has launched its cinema ad campaign 'Feed Our Future' against hunger and malnutrition in India. It has been launched by WFP in collaboration with UFO Moviez — India's largest in-cinema advertising platform and SAWA -the Global Cinema Advertising Association.  It is also supported by Showbox Music TV Channel. LF (Living Foodz TV Channel) and Red FM 93.5.11 will help drive the message of zero hunger deeper into the hearts & minds of India.  This is for second time WFP has launched this campaign in India to raise awareness on hunger and malnutrition, a reality facing millions of people around the world. It is based on success of previous campaign in collaboration with UFO Moviez and SAWA

UNICEF: The State of World's Children Report 2019  Hie United Nations Children's Emergency Fund-UNICEF provides emergency and healthcare to children and mothers in countries that were devastated by World War II.  The report stated that despite of 40% drop in stunting of children in poor countries between 1990 and 2015  149 million are still too short for their age.  A third of world's children less than five years of age, which is around 700 million, have nutrition problems.  They are undernourished or face overweight problems.  50 million are affected by wasting. Wasting is chronic thinness of the body which is mainly due to poverty.  Only 2 out of 5 infants of breast fed. This is also a primary cause for increased undernourished children Japan have the least Infant Mortality Rate.  In Japan no packed lunches are allowed in schools. School lunches are created by nutritionists and are provided in all schools throughout Japan.  Each meal is designed to have 600 to 700 calories.  Japan has the lowest IMR. Out of children that are under age 5, 14.42% are obese or overweight.  The US tops the UNICEF ranking with 41.86%, followed by Italy with 36.87% and France at 30.09%

Sri Sathya Sai SanathanaSamskruti project  The President Shri Ram Nath Kovind on October 23, 2019 laid the foundation stone for Sri Sathya Sai Sanathana Samskruti Project at Sai no Sato, Kakegawa, Japan.  Sai no Sato will be developed as a temple on the lines of Akshardham and Swaminarayan Temple to promote Indian traditional culture.  The President planting the Maha Bodhi Tree, during his visit to Tsukiji Hongwanji Buddhist Temple at Tokyo

President attends enthronement ceremony of Emperor Naruhito  In Japan, Emperor Naruhito has formally proclaimed his ascension to the throne in an elaborate ceremony on Oct 22,2019.  The emperor officially began his reign in May after the abdication of his father, the then-Emperor Akihito.  But, after a series of traditional rituals inside the imperial palace in Tokyo, his ascension has now been formalized.  As about 2,000 people looked on, the curtains of the Imperial Throne called 'Takamikura' were opened, revealing Emperor Naruhito dressed in a traditional robe.

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G20 Health Ministers' Meeting  Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr Harsha Vardhan, attended the G20 Okayama Health Ministers' Meeting on October 19-20, 2019, held under the Presidency of Japan in Okayama City, Japan.  The deliberations of the G20 Health Ministers focused on four major global health issues, namely 1. Achievement of Universal Health Coverage 2. Response to population aging 3. Management of health risks and 4. health security management including Anti-Microbial Resistance (AMR) and its containment.  Okayama Declaration of the G 20 Health Ministers: The G20 Health Ministers meeting concluded by adopting the "Okayama Declaration of the G 20 Health Ministers".  The declaration, having 52 articles endorses the Commitment of G20 countries to address the major global health issues, as highlighted above and to pave the way towards an inclusive and sustainable world, as envisioned in the 2030 agenda for sustainable development.  Further, G20 members have committed to continue this dialogue during the upcoming G20 presidency in Saudi Arabia.

29th BASIC Ministerial Meet on Climate Change  The 29th ministerial meet of BASIC countries was held at Beijing between October 25-26, 2019.  The BASIC countries include Brazil, South Africa, India and China.  The ministers emphasized comprehensive implementation of Paris agreement. They also underlined the importance of effective and sustained implementation of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).  The countries announced their implementations of climate actions as follows: 1. China reduced its carbon dioxide emissions by 45.8% from 2005 level 2. India achieved its 21% reduction plan in 2014 as compared to 2005. 3. In 2015, Brazil achieved its 58% emission reduction 4. South Africa has launched carbon tax and has reduced its consumption by 14.3%  The countries also upheld multi-lateralism and expressed their willingness to nature-based solutions, innovation and technology.  They appreciated Polish Presidency contribution to the Paris Agreement Work Program.  They also appreciated Costa Rica for hosting the upcoming Pre-COP25. They underlined their commitment to NDCs.  The reiterated that a balanced allocation of funds towards Green Climate Funds should be made by the developed countries for adaptation and mitigation.  The BASIC countries are a grouping of Brazil, South Africa, India and China. The BASIC group was formed as the result of an agreement signed by the four countries on November 28, 2009.

India will host Interpol General Assembly in 2022  India will host the 91stInterpol General Assembly in 2022. It will be held as part of celebrations of the 75th anniversary of Indian Independence. A proposal received the overwhelming support of member countries at this year's congregation at Santiago in Chile on October 18.  A proposal in this regard was given to Interpol Secretary General Jurgen Stock by Union Home Minister Amit Shah when the two met in New Delhi during Mr. Stock's official visit in August.  The International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) had hosted the general assembly, where representatives of all member countries converge, in India in 1997.

World Bank Project to Support Climate Resilient Agriculture  The Government of India, Government of Odisha and the World Bank on October 24, 2019 signed a US$165 million loan agreement to support smallholder farmers strengthen the resilience of their production systems as well as diversify and improve the marketing of their produce, for increased income.

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 The Odisha Integrated Irrigation Project for Climate Resilient Agriculture will be implemented in rural areas vulnerable to droughts and largely dependent on raided agriculture.  It will benefit about 125,000 smallholder farmer households from 15 districts of Odisha managing 128,000 ha of agricultural land.  The project will strengthen the resilience of smallholder farmers against adverse climate by improving access to resilient seed varieties and production technologies, diversifying towards more climate-resilient crops, and improving access to better water management and irrigation services.

World's first research-based AI university  The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has announced the establishment of the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence(MBZUAI), the first graduate-level research-based AI university in the world.  The University will enable graduate students, businesses and governments to advance the artificial intelligence field.  Graduate students can now apply to MBZUAI via the University's website with registration set to open in August 2020.  The first class of graduate students will commence coursework at MBZUAI's Masdar City campus in September 2020.

Joint Exercise EASTERN BRIDGE-V  Indian Air Force (IAF) is participating in a Bilateral Joint exercise with Royal Air Force Oman (RAFO), named EX EASTERN BRIDGE-V, scheduled from 17-26 Oct 19, at Air Force Base Masirah (Oman).  The last exercise, EX EASTERN BRIDGE-IV was held in 2017 at Jamnagar.  For the first time, MiG-29 fighter aircraft will be participating in an International Exercise outside India. IAF contingent comprises of MiG-29 and C-17 aircraft.  MiG-29 will be exercising with Royal Air Force Oman's Eurofighter Typhoon, F-16 and Hawk.  The exercise will enhance inter-operability during mutual operations between the two Air Forces and will provide an opportunity to learn from each other's best practices.

China leases island of Tulagi  According to the recent media reports, a Chinese company has signed an agreement to lease an entire island in the Solomon Islands a day after Beijing recruited the Pacific nation as its latest ally in the strategically important region, according to documents.  The island of Tulagi has served as a South Pacific headquarters for Britain then Japan, and during

LOTUS-HR Project  The second phase of the Local Treatment of Urban Sewage streams for Healthy Reuse (LOTUS-FIR) program was done by the Union Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan, on October 14, 2019.  The launch programme was held during the visit of Netherlands King & the Queen to the India- Netherlands water laboratory at the Barapullah drain in Delhi.  In the second phase, 10 thousand liter sewage water will be treated per day.  Dutch and Indian companies are contributing to the project by sharing their existing technologies and will showcase how one can treat urban waste water into clean water for various purposes.  The project was initiated in July 2017 and aims to demonstrate a novel holistic (waste) water management approach that will produce clean water which can be reused for various purposes.  The LOTUS-HR project is jointly supported by Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India and Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research, Government of Netherlands.

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DHARMA GUARDIAN  DHARMA GUARDIAN-2019 the Joint Military Exercise between India and Japan was conducted at counter Insurgency and Jungle Warfare School, Vairengte Mizoram, from 19 Oct 2019 to 02 Nov 2019.  Indian Army and Japanese Ground Self Defence Forces (JGSDF) comprising 25 soldiers each will participate in the exercise with an aim to share experience gained during various Counter Terrorism Operations in respective Countries.  Exercise DHARMA GUARDIAN is an annual training event which is being conducted in India since 2018.

Chennai Connect: 2nd India-China Informal Summit  The Prime Minister Modi and the President of the China Mr. Xi Jinping met at Arjuna's Penance, in Mamallapuram.  It was the Second Informal Summit in India, on 11-12 October 2019.  The Informal Summit was called as 'Chennai Connect'.  The first such summit is called as 'Wuhan Spirit' held in China in 2018.  The two Leaders have decided to designate 2020 as Year of India-China Cultural and People to People Exchanges and agreed that the 70th anniversary of the establishment of India-China relations

39th World Congress of Poets 2019  39th World Congress of Poets based on the theme "Compassion through Poetry" was held from the 2nd to 5th of October 2019 at Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology and Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KIIT & KISS) in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.  It was held in English, Spanish and Chinese.  This year's motto "Compassion through Poetry" was consciously thought of and agreed upon by the executive board of World Congress of Poets.  The World Congress of Poets (WCP) was founded in 1969 and the first congress was held in Manila in 1969.

Cotton Technical Assistance Programme (TAP)  Union Minister of Textiles, Smriti Zubin Irani announced the launch ofthe second phase of the Cotton Technical Assistance Programme (TAP) for Africa at the Partners Conference in Geneva on Octr 7, 2019.  In the five year long second phase, the programme will be scaled up in size and coverage and will be introduced in five additional countries, namely Mali, Ghana, Togo, Zambia and Tanzania  The Cotton TAP programme will now cover 11 African countries including the C4 (Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad and Mali).  India implemented a Technical Assistance Programme (TAP) for cotton in 6 African countries, namely - Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Malawi, Nigeria and Uganda from2012 to 2018.  WTO hosted the first World Cotton Day (WCD) celebrations in Geneva on October 7, 2019.

India and Bangladesh signed Sevenagreements  India and Bangladesh have signed an MoU that will enable Delhi to set up a coastal surveillance system radar in Bangladesh.  The coastal surveillance system will pave way for Indo-Bangladesh White Shipping Agreement in future. This will be useful amid growing terror threats via seas.  Following seven agreements were signed between two countries during Bangladesh PM India visit: 1. Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) on the use of Chattogram and Mongla ports 2. MoU on withdrawal of 1.82 cusec of water from Feni river by India for drinking water supply, scheme for Sabroom town, Tripura, India. 3. Agreement concerning implementation of Gol Line of Credits (LOC) extended to Bangladesh 4. MoU between University of Hyderabad and University of Dhaka 5. Cultural Exchange Programme- Renewal 6. MoU on Co-operation in Youth Affairs 7. MoU on providing Coastal Surveillance System

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Youth Co:Lab  Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) India on October 4, 2019 launched Youth Co:Lab which aims at accelerating social entrepreneurship and innovation in young India.  To mark thelaunch, a Letter of Intent (LOl) was signed between AIM, NITI Aayog and UNDP India.  Through Youth Co:Lab, young entrepreneurs and innovators will get a chance to connect with governments, mentors, incubators and investors, who will help equip them with entrepreneurial skills.  The initiative will also convene a series of youth dialogues across several cities such as New Delhi, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Mumbai to promote entrepreneurship across India.

Military Exercise Ekuverin 2019  10th edition of the Joint Military Exercise Ekuverin between the Indian Army and the Maldives National Defence Force was organised from 07-20 October 2019 at Aundh Military Station in Pune, Maharashtra.  The 14 days Joint Exercise held alternatively in India and Maldives focuses on enhancing interoperability between the two forces for carrying out counter insurgency and counter-terrorism operations in a semi- urban environment under the United Nations mandate.  The Indian Army and the Maldives National Defence Forces have been conducting Exercise Ekuverin meaning 'Friends' in the Dhivehi language since 2009.

"World's Biggest Transport Space Ship"  Japan launched an unmanned H-2B rocket towards the International Space Station.  The H-2B rocket lifted off with cargo vessel Kounotorl8, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.  The launch took place from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Tanegashima Space Center in southwestern Japan.  This Rocket is considered as the world's biggest transport spaceship.  It intends to deliver about 5.3 tonnes of supplies to astronauts at the ISS.

PM Modi inaugurated Metro Express and ENT hospital in Mauritius  On Oct 32019 the Prime Minister of India and Prime Minister of Mauritius jointly inaugurated the phase 1 of Metro Express and new ENT(ears, nose and throat) Hospital in Mauritius through a video link.  This ENT hospital is also the first paperless E-Hospital in Mauritius.  The event was first such occasion bringing both national leaders together through a video link across the Indian Ocean. The Light Rail Transit metro express project will help transform efficient, faster and cleaner mode of transport while the ENT hospital will expand quality healthcare in the nation.  PM Modi also conveyed Government of India's decision in supporting Mauritius by constructing a Renal unit as well as Medi-Clinics and Area Health Centers through its grant assistance.

Ecuador to quit OPEC in 2020  Ecuador will quit Organization ofthe Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) from January 1, 2020 due to fiscal problems.  It will continue to support efforts to stabilize the world oil market. It is one of the smallest members of the OPEC.  Ecuador produces about 545,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude and is attempting to increase crude production to raise more income.  Since January 1, 2019, OPEC, Russia and other producers have implemented a deal to cut output by 1.2 million bpd. The alliance is known as OPEC+. It is renewed until March 2020.  The country had joined OPEC in 1973, withdrew in 1992, then rejoined in 2007.

Exercise Nomadic Elephant 2019  Exercise Nomadic Elephant-XIV-14th edition of Indo-Mongolian joint military training being conducted over a period of 14 days, will commence from 05 Oct 2019.  The exercise was conducted from 05-18 Oct 19 at Bakloh.

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 Nomadic Elephant-XIV is aimed at training troops in counter insurgency &counter terrorism operations under United Nations mandate. The Joint Exercise will enhance Defence co-operation and military relations between the two nations.  It is an ideal platform for the armies of both the nations to share their experiences & best practices and gain mutually during the joint training.

`Bada Dashain'-Biggest festival of Nepal  The biggest festival of Nepal 'Bada Dashain' began in Nepal.  The festival starts on first day of Navaratri with Ghatsthapana (traditional urn).  Devotees performed Ghatsthapana and sowed maize and barley seeds for germination of the auspicious Jamara (barley shoots) in various parts of the country.

Gandhi's letter wishing Jews "Era of Peace"  The National Library of Israel unveiled 80-years old short handwritten letter by Mahatma Gandhi for the first time.  Gandhi ji was wishing the "afflicted (Jewish) people" an "era of peace" in the letter, written on the same day World War II broke out.  The letter was addressed to the Head of the Bombay Zionist Association who was trying to enlist support of Indian leaders in favour of the movement to establish a national home for the Jewish people.  Gandhi wrote that letter on Rosh Hashana (Jewish New Year) on September 1, 1939, the letter also marked the beginning of the War when Germany invaded Poland. It also set the stage for the despicable atrocities ofthe Holocaust.

Palestine issues commemorative stamp to honour Gandhi  Palestine has released a commemorative postage stamp on Mahatma Gandhi, honoring his legacy and valuesto mark the 150 birth anniversary of the world leader in RamaIlah.  Palestine's issuance of the commemorative stamp comes in honor of Gandhi's memory, legacy, and values that guided and shall continue guide humanity.

Exhibition on Gandhi and Tolstoy at YasnayaPolyana  Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) inaugurated a unique exhibition on Mahatma Gandhi and Leo Tolstoy at Yasnaya Polyana, the birth place of Tolstoy at Russia.  The exhibition presented and highlighted their correspondence and their thought process in a very artistic manner.

Military Exercise KAZIND-2019  Joint Military Exercise KAZIND-2019 between India and Kazakhstan was conducted at Pithoragarh from 02 to 15 October 2019.  Exercise KAZIND-2019 is the fourth edition of an annual event which is conducted alternatively in Kazakhstan and India.  The aim of this exercise is to conduct company level joint training with emphasis on counter terrorism operations in mountainous terrain. During the exercise, aspects of emerging trends of global terrorism and hybrid warfare have also been included.

Exercise MALABAR 2019  The 23rd edition of the Trilateral Maritime Exercise MALABAR, wasconducted between the navies of India, Japan and USA from 26 Sep to 04 Oct 19 off the coast of Japan.  The Exercise would encompass conduct of complex maritime operations in the surface, sub-surface and air domains, and focus on Anti-Submarine Warfare, Anti-Air and Anti-Surface Firings, Maritime Interdiction Operations (MIO) including Visit Board Search and Seizure (VBSS) and tactical scenario based Exercise at Sea.

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Gandhi Solar Park at UN Headquarters  Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with other world leaders inaugurated the Gandhi Solar Park at the UN headquarters in New York and released a commemorative stamp issued by the UN on the occasion of Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary.  The 50 kilowatt hour (kWh) roof-top solar park has 193 solar panels—each representing a member of the United Nations.

COP 14 of UNCCD Held At The India Expo Centre & Mart, Greater Noida, Delhi  The 12-day, 14th Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) was held at the India Expo Centre & Mart, Greater Noida, Delhi NCR, India from September 2-13, 2019 under the theme "Investing in Land, Unlocking Opportunities".  It was for the first time, India had hosted the conference.  lt was hosted by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) of India.  The objective of the COP 14was to discuss on various issues of land such as sustainable land management, reversing land degradation, mitigating draught, halting desertification, addressing sand and dust storms, linkages with gender, tenure, etc. and guide the Convention as global and national circumstances need's change.

Southeast Asia's largest solar power farm  Vietnam has inaugurated Southeast Asia's largest solar power farm which has the capacity to produce 688 million kWh of electricity annually.  The Dau Tieng Solar Power Complex, a joint venture with the Thai industrial group B.Grimm Power Public Company, occupies 540 hectares in Tay Ninh province, Vietnam.  It will also prevent the emission of 595,000 tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every year.

Pulathisi Express, a 'Make in India' Train  The tie-up between India and Sri Lanka received a boost when a newly 'Make in India' train "Pulathisi Express" rake was flagged off from Colombo Fort Railway station.  The rake of the train was manufactured in the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai.  The train which has been inducted under an Indian Line of Credit has an on-board entertainment system, modular interiors and fully-rotating seats in Air Conditioned Chair cars for passenger comfort.

Largest flying animal of all time  Scientists have unveiled a newly discovered species of a pterosaur, the largest ever flying animal according to a study conducted by Queen Mary University in London.

Hurricane Dorian  India announced humanitarian assistance of USD 1 million to help people in the Bahamas affected by Hurricane Dorian.  According to reports, the death toll from the calamity has risen to over 40 and is likely to increase even more, even as search and rescue teams are still trying to reach out to Bahamian communities isolated by floodwaters and debris in the wake of Hurricane Dorian.

WHO South-East Asia Region to eliminate measles and rubella by 2023  World Health Organization South-East Asia Region has resolved to eliminate measles and rubella by 2023.  The resolution to eliminate the highly infectious childhood killer diseases "measles and rubella" was taken at the 72nd session of the WHO Regional Committee for South-East Asia in Delhi.  The member-countries resolved to strengthen the immunization systems against the two diseases to achieve the new targets.

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World Travel and Tourism Competitiveness index 2019  According to the World Economic Forum (WEF) report, India has jumped 6 places to claim 34th spot on world Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index 2019.  The WEF report shows, over 1.5 crore international tourists arrived in India while the share of travel and tourism industry was 3.6 per cent and that of industry employment was 5.1 per cent.  Spain tops the ranking index followed by France and Germany. Other countries in the top 10 include Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Italy, Canada, and Switzerland.

Eastern Economic Forum 2019  5th Eastern Economic Forum held in Vladivostok, Russia. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated as the Chief Guest at the Eastern Economic Forum.  During the plenary session, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the "Act Far East" policy for Russia. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also announced a $1 Billion line of credit to Russia for the development of the resource-rich region.

Asia's first 5th Generation VR based simulator center  Asia's first 5th Generation— Virtual Reality based Advanced Driver Training Simulator Centre was launched at the Automobile Association of Southern India Centre (AASI), Chennai. In the first 6 months, AASI will train 200 Ambulance drivers free of cost, under 'Safe Drivers Campaign'. The simulator was ideated, designed and developed by Chennai based Red Chariots Technologies Pvt Ltd.

Namaste Pacific  The High Commissions ofAustralia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and Fiji jointly organised a cultural event `Namaste Pacific' held in Delhi, India.  This event is organised to showcase the culture of the Pacific countries.  There was also showcase of the International Solar Alliance and Pollinate Energy based in Australia, Nepal and India and solar lanterns from Barefoot College in Rajasthan.

Rashtriya Poshan Maah  The entire month of September 2019 was celebrated as the Rashtriya Poshan Maah.  This year the theme is Complementary Feeding. Prime Minister's Overreaching Scheme for Holistic Nourishment- POSHAN Abhiyaan is a multi-ministerial convergence mission with the vision to address malnutrition with a targeted approach by 2022.

India‟s first garbage Cafe  In a unique initiative, the Ambikapur municipal corporation of Chhattisgarh opened a first-of-its-kind `Garbage Cafe'. This initiative is a step towards making the city plastic-free. In this unique Cafe' poor people and rag pickers will get free food in exchange for one kilogram of plastic, while breakfast will be provided if half a kilogram of plastic is brought to the cafe.

World Safe Cities Index 2019  According to a report of Economist Intelligence Unit, Mumbai has been ranked as the 45thsafest city on the Safe Cities Index (SCI) 2019, while Delhi stood at the 52nd position.  Tokyo taking the top spot, while Singapore and Osaka came 2nd and 3rd in the list.  The Safe Cities Index (SCI) 2019 ranks 60 countries worldwide across five continents and measures the multi-faceted nature of urban safety, with indicators categorised as digital, infrastructure, health and personal security.

Global Happiness Survey 2019  According to a "Global Happiness Survey", Indian has been ranked 9thon the happiness index among 28 global markets.  For India, there has been a six per cent drop (from 83 per cent in 2018 to 77 per cent in 2019).

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 Australia and Canada at the top spot (at 86 per cent) have emerged as the happiest nations of the world, While Russia (47 per cent) emerged at the bottom of the heap, among the 28 markets.

Narendra Modi launches RuPay card in UAE  Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi has launched the RuPay card, making the UAE the first country in the Middle East to initiate the Indian indigenous system of electronic payment.  RuPay card scheme was launched in 2012 to fulfil the Reserve Bank of India's vision to have a domestic, open and multilateral system of payments.  RuPay facilitates electronic payment at all Indian banks and financial institutions. India has already launched the RuPay card in Singapore and Bhutan.

One-fourth of the world's population is facing extreme water crisis  The World Resources Institute's (WRI) President and CEO (Chief Executive Officer) Andrew Steer releaseda report on Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas stating that 17 countries in the world which hold a quarter of the earth's population is facing extremely high water crisis.  India is one among those 17 countries facing extremely high water stress. All these countries are close to "Day Zero".  WRI ranked 189 countries and their respective states and union territories based on water stress, drought risk and riverine flood risk. India is ranked at 13th place among the top 17 countries.  India has a population thrice more than that of the other 16 countries. India's current scenario For the first time, Northern India was included in the calculation for water stress, as the groundwater in Northern India has been severely depleted.  Many places in India are experiencing chronic water stress especially the Chennai region of Tamilnadu gained global attention this year as it was severely hit by the water crisis.

FATF Blacklisted Pakistan Against Terror Financing And Money Laundering  The Asia Pacific Group (APG) of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has blacklisted Pakistan for non- compliance and non-enforcement of safeguards against terror financing and money laundering.  The action was taken in the FATF APG meeting held in Canberra, Australia.  Previously Pakistan was greylisted by FATF for failing to curb anti-terror financing.  Action demanding Pakistan's review is pushed by the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and France. Pakistan was put on grey list by FATF on January 28 2018 just after the day a 26 point action plan was submitted to the FATF by Pakistan in order to avoid being blacklisted for its activity of funding militant groups including Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed's terrorist activities. • The country was also on greylist from 2012-2015 period.

Iceland commemorates first glacier lost due to climate change  Iceland has marked it’s first-ever loss of a glacier to climate change. The glacier lost was, Iceland's Okjokull glacier. People commemorated this loss with a plaque.

Water Stress Index 2019  According to the Water Stress Index 2019, formulated by London-based risk analytics firm India is the 46th highest risk country in the world.  It measured the water consumption rates of households, industries and farm sectors and the available resources in rivers, lakes and streams and plotted the index with projected population growth trends to rank the cities facing the biggest threat to their water resources. Chennai is the "tip of the iceberg" for India's water-stressed cities.  11 out of India's 20 largest cities face an 'extreme risk' of water stress and 7 are in the 'high risk' category.  Delhi, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Nashik, Jaipur, Ahmedabad and Indore are among the cities facing 'extreme risk'. Bengaluru and Surat are experiencing the greatest surge in demand for water and are most at risk of facing scarcity. Chennai and Delhi are also extremely vulnerable.

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 India is rated 'high risk' in the Climate Change Vulnerability Index. The effects of climate change like an 'extended dry season' would deteriorate water stress situation in Indian cities and many Indian cities are projected to experience a higher number of consecutive drought days.

Earth has lost 53% of its wildlife since 1970  According to the first-ever global assessment of forest biodiversity, "Below the Canopy: Plotting Global Trends in Forest Wildlife Populations" by World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), the number of forest wildlife populations have declined on average by 53% since 1970 due to Habitat loss and degradation, over exploitation and Climate change.  The report was based on Forest Specialist Index, which was developed based on the method for the Living Planet Index (LPI), an indicator of global biodiversity.  455 populations of birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians were monitored & out of that 268 species were available because of decline at an annual rate of 1.7 %, on average between 1970 and 2014.

South Asia Air Quality Tech Camp  The U.S. Embassy in Nepal has organized a South Asia Air Quality Tech Camp in Kathmandu. The aim of camp is to address political, social, and scientific facets of the problem and improve the ability of civil society, media, and other influencers to engage governments, empower the public and take action to improve air quality in South Asia.

Miss Deaf World 2019  Vidisha Baliyan, a 21 year old girl from Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar city, was crowned the Miss Deaf World 2019 title. The international beauty pageant was held in Mbombela, South Africa.  She is a former international tennis player who represented India in the Deaflympicsand also won a silver medal.

Tamil Nadu girl wins gold medal in World Deaf title  Tamil Nadu girl Jerlin Anika has won the gold medal in the World Deaf Youth Badminton Championships held in Taipei.  15-year-old Anika bagged four medals in the championship, including the gold, two silver and one bronze.

7th Economic Census  The Government of India begins the 7th Economic Census from Tripura.  Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) will conduct the census. It will be conducted after a gap of 5 years.  The fieldwork is expected to be completed by December and the results at the national level is expected to be available by March 2020.

NAM Ministerial Meeting  The Non Aligned movement ministerial meeting was held in Caracas, Venezuela.  The ministerial meeting brought together 120 member nations as well as 7 observer countries, 10 multilateral international organizations including the United Nations (UN), and 14 specially invited nations.  India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin represented India in the meeting.

Global Innovation Index2019  Commerce and Industry Minister will launch the Global Innovation Index (Gil) on 24th July 2019 in New Delhi. The launch of GII will reveal the innovation rankings of economies. Theme for 2019: Evaluating the Medical Innovation Scenario of the Next Decade.  The Gil has been a charter for assessing the innovation capabilities of national economies worldwide.

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76th Country to Join ISA  Palau, an archipelago of over 500 islands in Oceania, became the 76th signatory country to join the International Solar Alliance. The International Solar Alliance is a group of 121 solar resource-rich countries with headquarters in Gurugram, India.  Organisation aims to deploy over 1,000 gigawatts of solar energy and mobilise more than USD 1,000 billion into solar power by 2030, according to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Israel Aerospace signs $50 million deal with Indian navy  Israel Aerospace signs $50 million follow-up deal with Indian navy. Under the deal, Israel Aerospace Industries will provide complementary missile systems to the Indian navy and India's MDL Shipyard.  The agreement also involves a range of maintenance and other services for sub-systems of Israel Aerospace's naval medium range surface-to-air missile

13th Meeting of India-UK Joint Economic and Trade Committee  13th meeting of the India-UK Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO) was held in London. Union Minister of Commerce & Industry and Railways and Secretary of State for International Trade of the UK participated in the meeting.  The 14th meeting of the JETCO would take place in New Delhi in 2020.

The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World  A UN report has said, more than 821 million people suffered from hunger worldwide last year. It is the third year in a row that the number has risen.  The report named, 'The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World', produced by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization and other UN agencies, including WHO, was released.  The report is part of tracking progress towards Sustainable Development Goal to Zero Hunger, which aims to end hunger, promote food security and end all forms of • malnutrition by 2030. Number of hungry people in the world in 2018: 821.6 million (or 1 in 9 people) 1. in Asia: 513.9 million 2. in Africa: 256.1million 3. in Latin America and the Caribbean: 42.5 million

Global Multidimensional Poverty Index 2019  UN Development Programme (UNDP) has released the 2019 global Multidimensional Poverty Index.  India's MPI value reduced from 0.283 in 2005-06 to 0.123 in 2015-16.  India has lifted 271 million people out of poverty between 2006 and 2016, recording the fastest reductions in the multidimensional poverty index.  India and Cambodia has reduced their MPI values the fastest among the 10 selected countries for which changes over time were analysed.

World's largest Metal Dome  Ukraine has inaugurated the world's largest movable metal dome encasing the destroyed reactor at the infamous Chernobyl plant. It is a 108-meter high dome which weighs 36,000 tonnes.

India-Myanmar: Exchange crucial information on drug trafficking  4th Director General level talks between Narcotics Control Bureau (India) and Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control (Myanmar) was held in New Delhi.  India and Myanmar have resolved to exchange crucial information relating to drug trafficking and precursors.

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Forbes Celebrity List 2019  The Pop singer Taylor Swift topped the Forbes Celebrity 100 list 2019 for the second time after 2016. She is the highest-paid celebrity with her 2019 estimated earnings to be over $185 million.  Her 2018 'Reputation' tour became the highest-grossing tour in the history of the United States collecting over $266.1 million.  Second name in the list was of Kylie Jenner, with estimated earnings of $170 million followed by Kanye West with earning over $150 million.  Top 20 included Roger Federer, Howard Stern (No. 12, with $93 million), J.K. Rowling (No. 13, with $92 million), Russell Wilson, Aaron Rodgers, LeBron James, Rush Limbaugh, Elton John (No. 19, with $84 million), and Jay-Z and Beyonce (tied at No. 20 through marriage and business alliances, with an estimated $81 million each).  Akshay Kumar was the only Indian in the Forbes Highest-Paid Celebrities 2019. He stood at the 33rd spot with earnings of Rs. 444 crore ($65 million).

Green tax on plane tickets  France will impose green tax up to €18 on plane tickets from 2020. The move aims to fund less-polluting transportation projects.  A similar tax was introduced in Sweden in April 2018, which imposed an added charge of up to €40 on every ticket in a bid to lessen the impact of air travel on the climate.

Sri Lanka eliminates measles  Sri Lanka has become fifth country in the World Health Organization (WHO) Southeast Asia region to eliminate measles.  The other countries in the region which have achieved this feat are Bhutan, Maldives, DPR Korea and Timor-Leste.

Sri Lanka inaugurates model village built with Indian assistance  Sri Lanka has inaugurated first model village built with Indian assistance. The village is a part of housing project meant for war affected people. India has partnered with the ministry of housing and construction and cultural affairs of Sri Lanka to build 100 model villages with Indian grant of Rs. 1,200 million.

Tata Steel joins WEF's Global Lighthouse Network  Tata Steel Kalinganagar has been included in World Economic Forum's Global Lighthouse Network.  in Odisha's Jajpur district is the first and the only Indian manufacturing plant to be included in the WEF's Lighthouse Network.  Global Lighthouse Network is a community of manufacturers showing leadership in applying Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies to drive financial and operational impact.

Henley Passport Index 2019  The Henley Passport Index 2019 have ranked the Indian passport on the 86thpositionwith a mobility score of 58.  score points out that Indian passport holders can access 58 countries around the world without a prior visa. Japan and Singapore holds the top spot with a score of 189.  index includes 199 passports and 227 travel destinations including micro-states and territories.

Iraq's Babylon listed as World Heritage Site by UNESCO  UNESCO's World Heritage Committee has listed Iraq's Babylon as a World Heritage Site.  Babylon is developed as a walled city of mudbrick temples and towers, constituting the Tower of Babel, and the Ishtar Gate.  The city was the centre of the ancient Babylonian empire more than 4,000 years ago.

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Baloch Liberation Army  The Department of State of USA has designated the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA)and Hizballah operative Husain AnHazzima as Specially Designated Global Terrorists.  The USA has also blamed the organizations for the attacks on Chinese assets amid an ongoing civil war like situation in Pakistan's biggest province Balochistan.

U.S. Senate passes provision to give India NATO ally-like status  The U.S. Senate has passed a legislative provision National Defense Authorization Act for India.  The act will bring India at par with America's NATO allies which will increase U.S.-India defence cooperation in the Indian Ocean in the areas of humanitarian assistance, counter terrorism, counter- piracy and maritime security. The act has been passed for the fiscal year 2020.

India to contribute USD 5mn in 2019 to UN Palestine refugee agency  India has pledged to contribute USD 5 Million in 2019 to the UN Palestine refugee agency. The Indian Government is assisting 150 Palestinian professionals every year under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation programme.

The G20 Summit 2019, Osaka, Japan  The G20 (Group of 20) Summit 2019 was held at the International Exhibition Center, Osaka, Japan on June 28-29, 2019.  It was the 14th meeting of the G20.  The 2018 G20 Summit was held in Buenos Aires, Argentina and the 2020 G20 Summit will be held in the city of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Anti money laundering platform 'goAML'  The UAE has become the first country in the Gulf to launch `goAML', a new anti-money laundering reporting platform developed by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimeto curb organised crimes.  All financial entities and Designated Non-Financial Businesses or Professions have to register on `goAML'.  The platform will help the Financial Intelligence Unit of UAE to prevent money laundering, financing of terrorism and other illicit financial activities.

World Population Prospects Report 2019  United Nation released its "World Population Prospects Report 2019". Findings of the report are: India will overtake China as the most populous country by 2027 and will have almost 1.64 billion inhabitants by 2050.  The Central and the Southern Asia region is expected to see a 25% increase in population till 2050.  The rate of population growth is the highest in sub-Saharan Africa, where the fertility rate stand at 4.6 births per woman over a lifetime.  India is still among the countries where the working-age population (25-64 years) is growing faster than other groups. People aged above 65 are the fastest growing age group.

Global Peace Index 2019  India's rank has slipped five places to 141 among 163 countries on the Global Peace Index 2019, while Iceland remains the most peaceful country and Afghanistan the least peaceful nation, as per the report by Australian think tank Institute for Economics & Peace.  In South Asia, Bhutan topped the index with 15th rank, followed by Sri Lanka 72, Nepal 76 and Bangladesh 101.  The neighboring country Pakistan has been ranked 153rd on the index.

Forbes list of World's highest-paid athletes 2019  Star Cricketer Virat Kholi remains the only Indian in the Forbes list of World's highest-paid athletes 2019 with the annual earnings of $25millon (mn).

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 He has slipped 17 spots (ranked 83rd on 2018) to be on 100th in the list.  The list has been topped by the Barcelona and Argentina professional Footballer Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo (Football) ranked second while Neymar (Football) ranked third.

Cyclonic Storm „NAYU'  The Very Severe Cyclonic Storm `VAYU' over East-central Arabian Sea moved nearly northwards with a speed of about 13 kmph in last six hours and lay centred over East-central Arabian Sea, about 470 km west-northwest of Goa, 280 km south-southwest of Mumbai (Maharashtra) and 340 km nearly south of Veraval (Gujarat).  It is very likely to move nearly northwards and cross Gujarat coast between Porbandar and Mahuva around Veraval & Diu region as a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm with wind speed 145-155 kmph gusting to 170 kmph around morning of 13th June 2019.

Global Gender Equality Index 2019  India ranked 95th out of 129 countries in a new index that measures global gender equality looking at aspects such as poverty, health, education, literacy, political representation and equality at the workplace.  The list was topped by Denmark. Chad was placed at bottom most position (129th).

World's Southernmost City  Puerto Williams in Chile has become the southernmost city in the world after getting its status upgraded to city category.  Previously, the southernmost city was Ushuaia in Argentina.

Bangladesh, South Korea state channels now on DD Free Dish  India has signed agreements with Bangladesh and South Korea for DD India to be telecasted on the state platforms of the respective countries.

Annie Zaidi wins USD 100,000 Global Book Prize 'Nine Dots'  Indian writer Annie Zaidi was announced as the 2019 winner of the USD 100,000 Nine Dots Prize, a prestigious book prize created to award innovative thinking that addresses contemporary issues around the world.  Mumbai-based Annie Zaidi, a freelance writer whose work includes reportage, essays, short stories, poetry, and plays, won for her entry 'Bread, Cement, Cactus'- combining memoir and reportage to explore concepts of home and belonging rooted in her experience of contemporary life in India.

US removed India, from its currency monitoring list  The Trump administration removed India from its currency monitoring list of major trading partners, citing certain developments and steps being taken by New Delhi addressing some of its major concerns.  Switzerland is the other nation that has been removed from the list. However, this list includes China, Japan, South Korea, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Singapore, Malaysia, and Vietnam among others.

Scott Morrison sworn in as Australia's PM  Scott Morrison has been sworn in as Australia's Prime Minister, 11 days after retaining the position in the country's general election.

India elected to executive board of first UN-Habitat assembly  India has been elected to the Executive Board of the first UN-Habitat Assembly, announced by Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.  India has been elected to the Executive Board of the first UN-Habitat Assembly at the Plenary Session of the Assembly being held in Nairobi.  The special theme for the UN-Habitat Assembly is "Innovation for Better Quality of Life in Cities and Communities".

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WHO Declares Algeria, Argentina Malaria-Free  The World Health Organization (WHO) declared Algeria and Argentina as malaria-free, with no recorded cases of indigenous transmission of the disease since 2013 and 2010 respectively.  It accounted for an estimated 219 million cases from 87 countries and over 400,000 related deaths in 2017, according to WHO's World malaria report 2018.

US, Japan, South Korea, Australia Hold 1st Naval Drills in Western Pacific  U.S. Navy ships conducted joint drills with warship allies Japan, Australia and South Korea in their first combined exercise in the Western Pacific.  The Pacific Vanguard exercise near the U.S. island of Guam takes place ahead of President Donald Trump's visit to Japan, as Washington looks to allies in Asia to help counter China's military might in the region.

SIMBEX-19 Naval Exercise  The 26th Edition of Singapore India Maritime Bilateral Exercise (SIMBEX)-19 has commenced in the South China Sea.  In addition to INA Ships Kolkata and Shakti, Long Range Maritime Patrol Aircraft P81 will also participate in the exercise.  The naval exercise will include van, us maritime combat drills such as advanced aerial tracking, coordinated targeting tactical exercises and weapon firing on aerial and surface targets.

Taiwan Becomes first country in Asia to Legalise Same-Sex Marriage  Taiwan has approved a bill legalizing same-sex marriage, a landmark decision that makes the self-ruled island the first place in Asia to pass gay marriage legislation.  The successful bill includes limited adoption rights for same-sex couples.

Ireland becomes 2nd country to declare climate emergency  Ireland has declared a climate emergency in their country, to be the second country after Britain to do so.  Britain's parliament became the first in the world to declare a climate emergency passing the largely symbolic motion on May 1.

UK Parliament 1st in World to declare Climate Emergency  The UK parliament became the first national legislative body in the world to declare a climate change emergency. It also calls for the government to work towards carbon neutrality before 2050 and create a "zero waste economy."

Huawei Overtakes Apple to become 2nd Biggest Smartphone Maker  Huawei Technologies Co. overtook Apple Inc to claim the No. 2 spot in smartphones making in the first quarter, moving a step closer to its avowed ambition of displacing Samsungat the top of the market.  Huawei's been steadily gaining on Apple and Samsung Electronics Co. with an increasingly high-end line- up of devices.

Etihad becomes first Airline to fly plastic-free  Etihad Airways, UAE based flag carrier, has become the first major airline in the Gulf region to operate a flight without any single-use plastics on board. The objective is to raise awareness about pollution.  Etihad Airways has pledged to reduce single-use plastic usage by 80% across the entire organization by the end of 2022.

World's 1st Malaria Vaccine  The world's first-ever malaria vaccine was launched in a pilot project in Africa's Malawi.  The country is the first of three in Africa in which the vaccine, known as RTS, S, will be made available to children up to 2 years of age.

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 Ghana and Kenya will introduce the vaccine soon. About 93% of the world's malaria-related deaths in 2017 occurred in Africa.

Israel to name town in Golan heights after Donald Trump  Israeli Prime Minister has announced that he would name a new community in the Golan Heights after US President Donald Trump, who officially recognised the disputed area as Israeli territory.  Israel has also stated that in appreciation of the U.S. president, it intends to name a proposed train station near Jerusalem's Western Wall after him.  Israel captured the Golan from Syria in 1967 war and annexed it, in a move not recognized internationally.

Indonesia Releases Special Stamp on Theme of Ramayana  Indonesia has released a special commemorative stamp on the theme of Ramayana to mark the 70th anniversary of the establishment of its diplomatic ties with India.  The stamp is designed by renowned Indonesian sculptor Padmashri Bapak Nyoman Nuarta, featured a scene from Ramayana in which Jatayu valiantly fought to save Sita.

Cancer Preparedness Index 2019  India was ranked 19thout of 28 countries in the Index of Cancer Preparedness (ICP) released by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).  It was released as part of the report titled "Cancer preparedness around the world: National readiness for a global epidemic" prepared by EIU.  Top 3 countries are Australia (1st), Netherlands (2nd) and Germany (3rd). Bottom 3 are Saudi Arabia (28th), Romania (27th) and Egypt (26th).

World Press Freedom Index 2019  India ranked 140th out of 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index 2019, released by Reporters Without Borders.  The index is topped by Norway.  Paris-based Reporters Without Borders, is a non-profit organization that works to document and combat attacks on journalists. 1st: Norway, 2nd: Finland, 179th: North Korea, 180th: Turkmenistan.

Resilient Cities Asia-Pacific 2019  The Resilient Cities Asia-Pacific (RCAP) 2019 Congress is being organised by ICLEI — Local Governments for Sustainability and hosted by South Delhi Municipal Corporation in New Delhi, India.  event offered a combination of high-level plenaries and technical sessions on the implementation and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), and the New Urban Agenda of 2016.

World's First Armed Amphibious Drone Boat  The world's first armed amphibious drone boat named `Marine Lizard' and guided by China's BeiDou Navigation Satellite System, has been successfully tested by China.  The drone ship has been built by Wuchang Shipbuilding Industry Group under China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (CSIC). The drone ship has a maximum operation range of 1,200 km and can be remotely controlled with the help of satellites.

Chain-melted state  On 10th April 2019, a new state of matter which can be solid and liquid at the same time has been discovered by scientists of the University of Edinburgh.  The study was led by Dr. Andreas Hermann of the university's School of Physics and Astronomy and was published in the journal named 'Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

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 This distinct state of matter named as the "chain-melted state". In this study, scientists found that more than half a dozen other elements, including sodium and bismuth. were able to reach the 'the chain- melted state' if they were put into the right environments. Also, Potassium is one of the simplest metals which can form very complicated structures under extremely high pressures and temperatures. The study was carried out in collaboration with scientists from Xi'an Jiantong University in China and was supported by the European Research Council and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.

London becomes 1st city to use pollution charge Zone  London (capital city of the UK) is the first city in the world to implement a 24-hour, seven day a week Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), inside which vehicles will have to meet tough emissions standards or face a charge. Introduction of the ULEZ aims to reduce toxic air pollution and protect public health, according to a press release from the office of Sadiq Khan, mayor of London.

World Press Freedom Index 2019  India ranked 140thout of 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index 2019, released by Reporters Without Borders.  The index is topped by Norway. Paris-based Reporters Sans Frontiers (RSF), or Reporters Without Borders, is a non-profit organization that works to document and combat attacks on journalists around the world.

Resilient Cities Asia-Pacific 2019  The Resilient Cities Asia-Pacific (RCAP) 2019 Congress is being organized by ICLEI — Local Governments for Sustainability and hosted by South Delhi Municipal Corporation in New Delhi, India. The event offered a combination of high-level plenaries and technical sessions on the implementation and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), and the New Urban World's First Armed Amphibious Drone Boat  The world's first armed amphibious drone boat named `Marine Lizard' and guided by China's BeiDou Navigation Satellite System, has been successfully tested by China.

Chain-melted state  On 10th April 2019, a new state of matter which can be solid and liquid at the same time has been discovered by scientists of the University of Edinburgh.  'This distinct state of matter named as the "chain-melted state". In this study, scientists found that more than half a dozen other elements, including sodium and bismuth were able to reach the 'the chain-melted state' if they were put into the right environments. Also, Potassium is one of the simplest metals which can form very complicated structures under extremely high pressures and temperatures.

London becomes 1st city to use Pollution Charge Zone  London (capital city of the UK) is the first city in the world to implement a 24-hour, seven day a week Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), inside which vehicles will have to meet tough emissions standards or face a charge.

Zuzana Caputova  Anti-graft lawyer Zuzana Caputova won Slovakia's presidential election, making her the country's first female head of state.

Global Environment Outlook 2019  The UNEP has released the sixth edition of the Global Environment Outlook (2019) titled 'Healthy Planet, Healthy People'.  The report calls on the decision makers to take immediate action to address pressing environmental issues to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

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Malaysia joins International Criminal Court (ICC)  Malaysia has become a member of the ICC.  The ICC is the world's only permanent war crimes court and aims to prosecute the worst abuses when national courts are unable or unwilling.  Malaysia becomes the 124thmember of the court since its establishment in 2002. But the tribunal in Hague has come under fire over high-profile acquittals, while Burundi became the first country to quit the court in 2017 and the Philippines has announced its intention to withdraw.

World Employment and Social Outlook Trends-2019  On 14'" February, 2019, the International Labour Organization released World Employment and Social Outlook Trends-2019, Report.  The report says 1. Unemployment rates will fall to 4.9% in 2019 and remains steady in 2020. 2. It took 9 years to recover from the shock of 2007-08 global financial crisis during which the unemployment rate was fallen to 5.6 per cent. 3. Progress on closing the gender gap in participation rates has stopped after a period of rapid improvement which tasted to 2003. 4. In the global labour market 2 billion out of 3.3 billion people worked keeping their economic security at risk in informal employment. 5. Among the age group 15-24, the global unemployment stood at 11.8% which is much higher than it among other age groups.

India Withdrawn 'Most Favoured Nation' Status from Pakistan  On 15 February, 2019, India has withdrawn Most Favoured Nation or MFN to Pakistan just a day after the terror attack in Pulwama, Jammu & Kashmir in which 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CPRF) personal lost their lives.  MFN is a status or level of treatment accorded by one state to another in international trade to ensure non-discriminatory trade between all partner countries of the WTO.  It was in 1996 India granted MFN status to Pakistan. Decades of conflict, mistrust and war has resulted in the withdrawal of MFN status.

Macedonia Officially Changed its Name  The country, formerly known as the Republic of Macedonia officially changed its name to the Republic of North Macedonia, on paper ending a decades-long dispute that should pave the way for NATO membership.  The freshly named country celebrated the event with a flag-raising ceremony marking its prospective - and long-awaited - accession to NATO.

World's Largest Airport 'Under One Roof  The world's largest airport terminal "under one roof' with a capacity to serve 90 million passengers has officially opened on October 29 in Istanbul, which marks the Republic Day of Turkey.  The airport has been envisioned to have a total capacity of up to 200 million passengers, once all four phases are completed in the next 10 years.

Abu Dhabi Includes Hindi as Third High Court Language -  Hindi is included as the third official language in the Abu Dhabi court system with a motive to improve access to justice for foreign workers.  Authorities have created bilingual language guides to explain complex legal terms in an effort to help people understand court process.

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International IP Index-2019  India has jumped eight places to 36th position on the International Intellectual Property (IP) Index, which analyses the IP climate in 50 global economies, this year.  US, UK, Sweden, France and Germany remained the top five economies on the intellectual property index in 2019 retaining their spots from the last Year.  The index brought out by the US Chamber of Commerce's Global Innovation Policy Center (GIPC) ranks countries based on 45 indicators that are critical to an innovation-led economy supported by robust patent, trademark, copyright, and trade secrets protection.

Macedonia Signs Accord to Join NATO  Macedonia signed an accord to join NATO to become the 30th member of the US-led alliance.  The NATO stated the admittance of a new member highlighted that all European nations who meet the entrance criteria could join the regional alliance.

The International Year of the Periodic Table  UN announced 2019 as the International Year of the Periodic Table of the Chemical Elements to highlight its first publication in 1869.  The periodic table was first designed by the Russian Scientist Dmitri Mendeleev.  The announcement by the United Nations will help to raise the profile of how chemistry can provide solutions to global challenges in agriculture, education, energy and health.  This year marks the 150th anniversary of the first publication of the periodic table by Mendeleev.

Italy, UN Launch Africa Centre for Climate and Sustainable Development  The Italy along with UN has launched Africa Centre for Climate and Sustainable Development.  The new center is located near the Food and Agriculture Organization headquarters in Rome.  The major objective is boosting the agricultural sectors and promoting rural development in Africa.  It will help in implementing the goals of the UN's 2030 Agenda and the landmark-2015 Paris Climate Agreement to stop depending on fossil fuel and global warming.

Common Digital Currency 'Aber'  The central banks of the UAE and Saudi Arabia have launched a common digital currency called "Aber", which will be used in financial settlements between the two countries through Blockchains and Distributed Ledgers technologies.

Dubai Airport Retains top Position as World's Busiest Airport  Dubai International Airport (DXB) retained its position as the world's busiest airport for international customer numbers for the fifth consecutive year with annual traffic for2018.  It overtook the crown of the world's busiest hub for international travel from London's Heathrow in 2014.

India, China Sign Protocol for Exports of Indian Tobacco Leaves to China  India and China have signed the protocol for exports of Indian Tobacco Leaves to China. The protocol was signed during the recent visit of Commerce Secretary, Dr. AnupWadhawan to Beijing. Dr.Wadhawan also had the bilateral meeting with the Vice Minister of General Administration of China Customs, Zhang Jiwen for examining market access and quarantine issues for India's agriculture and allied products.

National Drink of Pakistan  The Pakistan government declared sugarcane juice as the "National Drink" of the country. They came at this decision after asking people's opinion in twitter to choose one among orange, carrot and sugarcane.

Global Talent Competitiveness Ranking  India has moved up one position to rank 80th on the global talent competitive index, but remains a laggard among the BRICS nations.  Switzerland continues to top the list, released on the first day of the World Economic Forum (WEF)

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Global Trust Index-2019  India is among the most trusted nations globally when it comes to government, business, NGOs and media.  The 2019 Edelman Trust Barometer report, noted that the Global Trust Index witnessed a marginal increase of 3 points to 52.  China topped the Trust Index among both the informed public and the general population segments.  India was at the 2nd place in the informed public category and 3rd place in the general population category. The findings are based on an online survey in 27 markets covering over 33,000 respondents.

1st World Capital of Architecture for 2020  UNESCO has named the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro as the World Capital of Architecture for 2020.  Rio will be the first city to receive the title under a programme launched together by UNESCO and the International Union ofArchitects (WA) in November 2018.  The city beat Paris and Melbourne to get the position.

Su Tseng-chang Appointed PM of Taiwan  Su Tseng-changis appointed as the Prime Minister of Taiwan during a Cabinet reshuffle following the ruling Democratic Progressive Party's heavy losses in local elections.  Su is a former premier appointed in 2006 by the then-President Chen Shui-bian and was a chairman of Tsai's Democratic Progressive Party for two terms.

1stIndian to Head Global Solar Council (GSC)  A visionary in the field of Solar Energy and the Chairman of National Solar Energy Federation, Pranav R. Mehta, has taken over as the President of Global Solar Council (GSC).  He has become the first Indian to head the GSC.  The Global Solar Council (GSC) was launched on December 6, 2015, following the historic United Nations Climate Change Conference (UN COP 21).

Sheikh Hasina Sworn-in as Bangladesh PM for 4th Term  Sheikh Hasina sworn-in as the Bangladesh Prime Minister for the fourth term. It is her third consecutive term after her victory in the 11th Parliamentary elections. The President Mohammad Abdul Hamid administered the oath of office to Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka.  This is the first time Hasina is forming a cabinet with the members of her own party. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's alliance won Bangladesh's election with a thumping majority, the country's Election Commission announced.

Burundi Names Gitega as New Capital  Burundi declared the small central city of Gitega the country's new political capital, in line with a presidential promise, made a decade ago.  A government spokesman named Gitega while also stating that the previous capital Bujumbura, on the north-eastern shore of Lake Tanganyika, would in future function solely as the country's economic centre.

Gender Gap Index-2018  India has been ranked 108thin World Economic Forum (WEF) Gender Gap Index-2018, same as 2017 while recording improvement in wage equality for similar work and fully closing its tertiary education gender gap for the first time.  Iceland topped the list having closed more than 85.8% of its overall gender gap.  Norway and Sweden were on 2nd and 3rd position respectively.

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World's 1st Floating Nuclear Plant  Akademik Lomonosov, the world's first "Floating" Nuclear Power Plant (FNPP) for installation in remote areas, has been started and brought to 10% of its capacity, Russian. state-run atomic energy corporation Rosatom announced.  An FNPP is basically a mobile, low-capacity reactor unit operable in remote areas isolated from the main power distribution system, or in places hard to access by land.

Russia Emerges as World's No. 2 Arms Producer  A Swedish think tank Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)announced that Russia has emerged as the world's second-largest arms producer after the United States.  Russia surpassed Britain, which had held that spot since 2002 and remains Western Europe's No. 1 arms maker.

Climate Change Performance Index-2019  The Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) 2019 was released on the sidelines of a UN summit on global warming. As per the Index, Sweden has topped the list while India was on 11th position. The European Union as a whole rose from 21st to 16th place, but its biggest economy, Germany, fell from 22nd to 27th because of its reliance on lignite coal, a big source of greenhouse gas emissions. Saudi Arabia came last, in 60th place, partly due to its obstructive role during international climate negotiations.

Global Wage Report, 2018-19  According to the Global Wage Report, 2018-19 published by International Labour Organization (ILO), Women are paid the most unequally in India, compared to men, when it comes to hourly wages for labour.  Average, women are paid 34% less than men. This gap in wages, known as the gender wage gap, is the highest among 73 countries. Overall, real wages grew just 1.8% globally (136 countries) in 2017.  In real terms (adjusted for price inflation), global wage growth declined to 1.8% in 2017, from 2.4% in 2016.

First Country to Make Public Transport Free  Luxembourg is set to become the first country in the world to make all public transport free, implementing the move in 2020.  The move is aimed at addressing environmental issues and the problem of traffic congestion.  Earlier, Luxembourg introduced free transport for all people under the age of 20.

World Bank Unveils USD 200 bn in Climate Action Investment  The World Bank has unveiled 200 bn US Dollars in climate action investment for 2021 to 2025, adding that this amounts to a doubling of its current five-year funding.  The move coincides with a UN climate summit in Katowice. The breakdown of 200 billion dollars would comprise of approximately 100 billion in direct finance from the World Bank.

1st Country to Recognise 'Orphanage Trafficking' as Slavery  Australia has become the first country in the world to recognise 'Orphanage Trafficking' as a form of modem slavery.

US, Mexico and Canada Sign USMCA to Replace NAFTA  US President Donald Trump, Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, and Canadian PM Justin Trudeau signed the new US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which will replace the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).  USMCA will govern over a trillion dollars’ worth of trade between the three countries. They signed an authorization for the deal in Buenos Aires on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summits. The deal requires ratification by all the three countries' legislatures before taking effect.

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EU Aims to be First Carbon Neutral Economy by 2050  European Commission is the first major economy to set its target of achieving climate neutrality by 2050.  The European Union's executive branch proposed that the bloc should cut its emissions of greenhouse gases to net zero by 2050, a measure scientists say needs to be adopted worldwide in order to avoid catastrophic global warming.

ConMac-2018  The Embassy of India in Nepal and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) organized an exhibition of construction equipment and technology ConMac-2018 in Bhaktapur near Kathmandu, Nepal.

Malaria Cases Declined by 24% in India  The World Health Organisation (WHO) in a report stated that India is the only country to have recorded a substantial decline in malaria cases in 2017, out of the 11 highest burden countries worldwide.  India registered a 24% reduction in cases over 2016, largely due to substantial declines of the disease in the highly malarious state of Odisha, home to approximately 40 per cent of all malaria cases in the country.  According to the report, India accounted for 4% of global malaria cases in 2017.

Maldives Rejoin Commonwealth  The Maldives cabinet has approved to rejoin the Commonwealth, two years after withdrawing from the 53-nation grouping.  The announcement was made by New President of Maldives Ibrahim Mohammed Solih. Now, the proposal will be sent to Parliament for ratification. The country left the Commonwealth during former President Abdulla Yameen's administration in October 2016, amid mounting pressure over corruption and deteriorating human rights.

UNSC Lifts Sanctions against Eritrea After 9 Years  The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has unanimously agreed to lift sanctions against Eritrea after nine years. An arms embargo, asset freeze, and travel ban were imposed in 2009 amid claims that Eritrea supported al-Shabab militants in Somalia

India to Top U.S. As 2ndLargest Carbon emitter from power sector  The International Energy Agency in its latest report 'World Energy Outlook' stated that India will overtake the U.S. to become the world's second-biggest emitter of carbon dioxide from the power sector before 2030.  Carbon dioxide emissions from India's power sector are expected to rise nearly 80% by 2040 as power use almost triples, driven in part by air conditioning. China will remain the biggest emitter.

World's Largest Financial Technology Festival “Fintech”  Prime Minister addressed the world's largest financial technology festival Fintech in Singapore.  Prime Minister stated Fintech is a celebration of belief in the spirit of innovation and power of technology.

1st Country in the World to Ban Reef-Killing Sunscreen  Palau has become the first country to ban reef toxic sunscreen by 2020 in an attempt to protect its coral reefs after the president of the country signed a bill into law.  Palau defines the banned "reef-toxic" sunscreens as containing anyone of 10 chemicals, including oxybenzone and octinoxate, which are found in the vast majority of sunscreens sold in the U.S.

42nd Indian Social Science Congress Inaugurated in Odisha  The 42nd Indian Social Science Congress was inaugurated by Manipurgovernor Dr. Najma Heptulla at MIT University campus in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.  The theme of the Congress was 'Human Future in Digital Era.'

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39th Gulf Co-operation Council Summit  The 39th Gulf Co-operation Council Summit was inaugurated by the King Salman of Saudi Arabia in Riyadh  The presidency of GCC shifts among the six members based on the Arabic alphabet.  Although the 39th summit was held in Riyadh upon a request from Oman, Oman will be the president for the next 12 months.

12th World Congress on Mountain Medicine  The 12th World Congress on Mountain Medicine started in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal.  The theme of the 4-day congress is "Mountain Medicine in the Heart of the Himalayas".  The flagship event of the International Society for Mountain Medicine (ISMM) is being held first time in Nepal and hosted by Mountain Medicine Society of Nepal (MMSN).

G-20 Summit  G-20 Summit 2018 , held at Buenos Aires, Argentina, was attended by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi  The Prime Minister discussed several welfare schemes including Ayushman Bharat, Soil Health Card, MUDRA Yojana among other issues in putting People First session.

World Tolerance Summit  The two-day summit to mark the World Tolerance Day was inaugurated in Dubai, the UAE.  Theme: 'Prospering from Pluralism: Embracing Diversity through Innovation & Collaboration'  The World Tolerance Summit brings together government leaders and key figures to discuss the importance of tolerance, peace and equality, and celebrate diversity.

Asiatic Lion Conservation Project  The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change launched the "Asiatic Lion Conservation Project" to protect and conserve the population of Asiatic Lion and its associated ecosystem.  The Asiatic Lion Conservation Project is aimed at the conservation and recovery of Asiatic Lion with the help of up-to-date techniques, instruments, regular scientific research studies, disease management, modem surveillance and patrolling techniques.

Exercise 'Clean Sea-2018'  The Indian Coast Guard has conducted the Regional Level Marine Oil Pollution Response Exercise titled 'Clean Sea-2018' at sea off Port Blair.

KONKAN-18  Naval exercise between India and the United Kingdom, KONKAN held in Goa this year.  The Bilateral KONKAN exercise provides a platform for the two Navies to periodically exercise at sea and in harbor, so as to build interoperability and share best practices.  The KONKAN series of exercises commenced in 2004, and since then has grown in scale.

LEAP and ARPIT Programmes for Higher Education  MoHRD launched two initiatives namely, the Leadership for Academicians Programme (LEAP) and the Annual Refresher Programme In Teaching (ARPIT) for higher education faculty.  LEAP is a three weeks flagship leadership development training programme for the second level academic functionaries in higher education institutions and ARPIT is a unique initiative of online professional development of 15 lakhs higher education faculty.

ACARE Project  While President was on a state visit to Myanmar,he dedicated - India assisted project 'Advanced Centre for Agricultural Research & Education' (ACARE) - to the people of Myanmar.  The project focuses on Genetics, Post-Harvest Technology, Participatory Knowledge Management and capacity building for farmers in Myanmar.  The President also dedicated the Rice Bio-Park to the people of Myanmar.

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India Signs Ascension Pact to Trans Regional Maritime Network  India signed an ascension pact to the 30-member trans-Regional Maritime Network that will give it an access to the information on ships passing through the Indian Ocean Region.  India already has bilateral White Shipping Agreements with 36 countries.  The pact will give India the access to information on ships which pass through the Indian Ocean region that will greatly help the security forces in keeping a tab on any suspicious activity.

India, Japan Sign Exchange of Notes and Loan Agreements  India and Japan have signed Exchange of Notes and Loan Agreements on Japan's Official Development Assistance Loan to India.  The Notes were exchanged on Japanese official development assistance loan for three projects.  These 3 projects are: 1. Chennai Metro Project (Phase 2) (I) for Japanese Yen (JPY) 75.519 billion 2. Program for Japan-India Cooperative Actions towards Sustainable Development Goals in India for JPY 15.000 billion 3. Project for Dairy Development for JPY 14.978 billion.

India, UAE Sign Currency Swap Agreement  India and UAE have signed an agreement on Currency Swap. The documents were signed after the 12th session of India-UAE Joint Commission Meeting for Economic and Technical Co-operation.

India and World Bank Sign $310 mn Loan Agreement  The Government of India, the Government of Jharkhand and the World Bank signed a $310 million Loan Agreement for Jharkhand Power System Improvement Project to provide reliable, quality, and affordable 24 x 7 electricity to the citizens of Jharkhand.

Asian Economic Integration Report 2018  Most of the international migrants in 2017 were from India, followed by China and Bangladesh, according to an Asian Development Bank (ADB) report titled 'Asian Economic Integration Report 2018'.  As per the report, as many as one-third of international migrants were from Asia in 2017.  India had the most outward migrants in 2017 (17 million), followed by China (10 million) and Bangladesh (7.5 million).

India Elected To UNHRC  India has been elected to the United Nations Human Rights Council with the highest vote among all candidates.

Malaysian Government Abolishes Capital Punishment  In Malaysia, the cabinet decided to abolish the death penalty.  The government decided to scrap capital punishment following strong domestic opposition to the practice. Capital punishment in Malaysia is currently mandatory for murder, kidnapping, possession of firearms and drug trafficking, among other crimes.

Human Capital Index 2018  The World Bank released the Human Capital Index (HCI) as part of the World Development Report 2019.  Broader theme of the World Development Report (WDR) this year was "The Changing Nature of Work".  The HCI was constructed for 157 countries.  Singaporetopped the poll after it was highly rated for its universal health care system, education exams results and life expectancy figures. It was followed by South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong and Finland.  India was ranked at the 115thposition, lower than Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Bangladesh.

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Times World University Rankings 2019  Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru has secured number one position among Indian universities in the Times Higher Education's World University Rankings for 2019 released an 26th September, 2018.  India has secured 49 places in the list comprising of top 400 global institutions compared to 42 last year. Indian Institute of Technology Indore Indore has become India's second highest ranked university.  Top 5 universities in the World Ranking 2019 are : 1. University of Oxford 2. University of Cambridge 3. Stanford University 4. Massachusetts Institute of Technology 5. California Institute of Technology

Nelson Mandela Decade Of Peace 2019-2028  On September 25, 2018, UN Secretary-General declared 2019-2028 as the 'Nelson Mandela Decade of Peace' at the UN headquarters in New York.  This took place at the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit honouring the South African leader at the UN.  He also unveiled a statue of Nelson Mandela at the UN marking the 100th anniversary of Mandela's birth.

'Human Capital' Score 2018  India has been ranked 158th in the world for its investments in education and health care.  The study was published in journal The Lancet, says that India is ranked at 158 out of 195 countries, an improvement from its position of 162 in 1990.  The nation is placed behind Sudan (ranked 157th) and ahead of Namibia (ranked 159th) in the list.  The U.S. is ranked 27th, while China is at 44th and Pakistan at 164th.

Palaly Airport  On September 20, 2018, Airports Authority of India (AAI) announced its project report for development of Palaly Airport in northern Sri Lanka.  This will be the first project undertaken by AAI in Sri Lanka.

World's 1st Hydrogen-Powered Train  Germany has rolled out the world's first hydrogen-powered train, signalling the start of a push to challenge the might of polluting diesel trains with costlier but more eco-friendly technology.

Human Development Index 2018  On September 14, 2018, India climbed one spot to 130 out of 189 countries in the latest human development rankings released by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). (India ranks 127 out of 160 countries in the Gender Inequality Index. )  Our neighbours Bangladesh and Pakistan ranked 136 and 150 respectively.  Norway, Switzerland, Australia, Ireland and Germany lead the rankings.  Niger, the Central African Republic, South Sudan, Chad and Burundi have the lowest scores in the HDI.

State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World Report  As per a UN report on the 'State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World', the number of undernourished globally increased to 821 million in 2017, which means that one in every nine people, does not have enough to eat.  It was publishedby the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), World Food Programme (WFP), UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and WHO.  The increase is mostly due to three drivers across the world: 1. The intensification of conflict 2. An economic downturn, and 3. The effects of climate change.

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SCO Peace Mission 2018  Exercise Shanghai Cooperation Organization Peace Mission 2018 is the latest in 'Peace Mission' series formally started at Chebarkul, Russia. All the 8 member participated in this exercise.  The SCO Peace Mission Exercise is one of the major defence cooperation initiatives amongst SCO nations and will be a landmark event in the history of SCO defence cooperation.

World's 1st Blockchain Bond  The World Bank launched “bond-I”, the world's first bond to be created, allocated, transferred and managed using distributed ledger technology.  This two-year bond successfully raised 110 million Australian dollars (USD 80.48 million).  This was the first time that investors supported the World Bank's development activities in a transaction that is fully managed using the blockchain technology from start to finish.

Panini Language Laboratory  Union Govt inaugurated 'Panini Language Laboratory' at Mahatma Gandhi Institute (MGI) at Port Louis in Mauritius.  The Lab has been gifted by the Government of India and it will help MGI in the teaching of all Indian languages in Mauritius.

US Forms 'Iran Action Group' For Post-Nuclear Deal Policy  US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, announced the formation of the Iran Action Group (IAG) to coordinate and run the country's policy towards Iran.

Global Liveability Index 2018  The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) released the Global Liveability Index 2018, the ranking of 140 global cities based on their living conditions.  The EIU is part of UK magazine 'The Economist' and provides forecasting and advisory services through research and analysis.  Delhi was ranked at 112th position and Mumbal fetched 117th spot.  Austria's capital Vienna has been ranked as the world's most liveable city, displacing Australian city of Melbourne.

Pacific Endeavor-2018  On 6th August 2018, Pacific Endeavor-2018 (PE-18), a communication exercise under the Multinational Communications Interoperability Program (MC1P) began in Kathmandu, Nepal.  Main objective: To develop common communications operating procedures to enable military forces in the Asia Pacific region to work together in times of disaster. 2,- Participation: Nearly 270 personnel from 20 Asia-Pacific countries.  Organized by: Nepali Army and United States Pacific Command. This exercise would contribute in reduction of disaster risk and losses of life. It will also promote timely and effective deployment of multinational military forces and international humanitarian agencies during disaster.

Japan overtakes China to become world's second-largest stock market  On August 5, 2018, according to Bloomberg's data Japan is now the world's second-largest stock market.  It has overthrown China as its total equity is $6.17 trillion and that of China's is $6.09 trillion.  The United States is the world's biggest market for stocks

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Pitch Black — 2018 EXERCISE  On 24th July 2018. an Indian Air Force (IAF) contingent consisting of four Su-30 MKI, one C-130 and one C- 17 aircraft, landed at Darwin Air Force Base, Australia, to participate in the Pitch Black-2018 exercise.  This was the first time, an IAF contingent took part in a multinational air exercise inAustralia with Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF).  Pitch Black —2018 is a biennial multi-national large force exercise conducted from RAAF bases Darwin and Tindal.

Indian Government signs a MoU with United Kingdom  Indian Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with United Kingdom to obtain help in enhancing overall public transport system in India.  This MoU will involve sharing of information and areas of cooperation like improving the public transport system with an augmentation of passenger capacity, passenger services, data analysis, induction of electric vehicles, and introduction of technology, ticketing and the provision of passenger information.

Global Slavery Index  On July 22, 2018, the report published by Walk Free Foundation, the Global Slavery Index, and estimates that 40.3 million people worldwide were subjected to modern slavery in 2016.  The reason for such slavery was attributed to the import of USD 354 billion worth of goods by G20 countries.  North Korea has the highest concentration of modern slavery where one in 10 people are in this condition. Other countries who have been so ranked are Eritrea, Burundi, the Central African Republic, Afghanistan, Mauritania, South Sudan, Pakistan, Cambodia and Iran.  Among the total enslaved: 1. 29% are male and 71% female 2. 15.4 million are in forced marriages. 3. 24.9 million in forced labour.

Myanmar joins International Solar Alliance  On July 21, 2018, Myanmar joined International Solar Alliance (ISA) becoming the 68th member of the association.  The ISA Framework Agreement was signed at the Delhi Dialogue in New Delhi.  Other bilateral projects undertaken by the two countries are: 1. The Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport Project connecting Mizoram with Sittwe port in Myanmar. 2. The Trilateral Highway Project connecting India with Myanmar and Thailand. 3. The Rhi-Tiddim road. 4. Offering economic and humanitarian aid to Rakhine state for Rohingya refugee crisis.

8th BRICS Health Ministers' Meeting  On 20th July 2018, J P Nadda, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, addressed the 8th BRICS Health Ministers' Meeting held in Durban, South Africa.

India ranks 109th in 4G Speed in world  According to a report by online speed testing platform Ookla, India recorded download speeds 9.12 Mbps in the 4G speed category behind neighbors Pakistan (14.03 Mbps) and Sri Lanka (16.98).  India was ranked 109thin overall 4G mobile internet speeds.  Qatar ranked 1stwith 63.22 Mbps average download speed.  Norway stood 2ndwith 62.14 Mbps download speed.

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Pakistan-China Optical Fiber Cable project  Pakistan Prime Minister Nasirul Mulk inaugurated the Pakistan-China Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) project. It will be the first land-based communication link between Pakistan and China.  Pakistan-China Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) project was completed in 2 years. It will help in developing the telecom sector in Gilgit-Baltistan region. It will also help in enhancement of security of the schemes under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). This project involves an 820 km-long underground OFC from Rawalpindi to Khunjerab and a 172-km aerial OFC from Karimabad to Khunjerab. This project has been launched as part of the CPEC. It comprises of 26 high-capacity microwave links as backup to the OFC network and 9 node centres in various locations.

Peace Mission  Militaries of India and Pakistan were part of a mega anti-terror drill named "peace mission" in Russia in August which was organized by the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).  It will be for the first time since independence that India and Pakistan will both be part of a military exercise.  It aims to expand cooperation among the member countries to deal with terrorism and extremism.  Other SCO member countries joining the exercise were: Russia, China, Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

64-antenna MeerKAT  South Africa has unveiled a powerful radio telescope, 64-antenna MeerKAT, part of an international project that scientists say will provide new details on the Milky Way and other galaxies.  They are releasing the "clearest view yet" of the centre of our galaxy through this telescope.

Panel on digital cooperation to tackle cybersecurity threats  UN Chief Antonio Guterres has established a panel on digital cooperation aimed to deal with the "dark side" of digital innovation like cyber warfare and proliferation of hate speech.  He named senior Indian diplomat Amandeep Singh Gill as the executive director of the panel's secretariat.  Gill is India's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva.  The high-level panel has been co-chaired by Jack Ma, the co-founder of the Chinese technology and e- commerce giant Ali Baba, and Melinda Gates, the wife of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Portugal parliament approves new gender change law  Portuguese parliament has approved a law that will allow citizens to change their gender and name from the age of 16 without a medical report showing identity disruption.  Portugal has become the sixth European country to grant the right to self-determination of transgender identity without the guardianship of a third party and without a diagnosis of identity disruption following Denmark, Malta, Sweden, Ireland and Norway.  The change of gender and name will be independent from any possible sex change operation.

Resolution 2427  On July 9, 2018, the 15 member UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2427 aimed at formulating a framework for protection, rights, well-being and empowerment of children throughout the conflict cycle at the UN Headquarters in New York City.  The adoption of the resolution preceded a high-level open debate on children and armed conflict, which was chaired by Swedish Prime Minister whose country holds the presidency of the Security Council for July.  It opposes the recruitment and use and exploitation of children by parties to armed conflict. It also condemns attacks against schools and hospitals and the denial of humanitarian access by parties to armed conflict and all other violations of international law committed against children in situations of armed conflict.

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Seven new Wasp species discovered in the Amazon forests  Researchers have discovered 7 new wasp species of the genus Clistopyga from Peru, Venezuela and Colombia in the Amazon forests.  A report regarding this has been published in Zootaxa.

South Africa, Germany, Belgium elected non-permanent UNSC members  On 8th June 2018, the UN General Assembly elected South Africa, Indonesia, Dominican Republic, Germany and Belgium as non-permanent members of the UN Security Council for term of two years starting from 1" January 2019.  Voting was conducted in the General Assembly comprising 193 members.  They will fill the seats that will be vacated by Bolivia, Ethiopia, Kazakhstan and Sweden in 2018.  The five non-permanent members were elected following this pattern: Two seats were for the Group of African states and the Group of Asia-Pacific states, one seat for the Group of Latin American and Caribbean states, and two seats for Western European and other states.  The Security Council has 15 members.  It includes five permanent members namely China, France, Russia, UK and US. The 10 non-permanent members are elected for 2 years term.  Security Council is the most powerful UN body.

Mauritius to host 11th World Hindi Conference  The 11th World Hindi Conference was hosted by Mauritius Government from August 18- 20, 2018.  The Event was organized by the Indian External Affairs Ministry every 3 years.  This year the organizing authority is World Hindi Secretariat located in Mauritius.  Special focus of this year's event was on Bollywood and the global reach of Hindi through movies.  The Conference covered both the classical and modern elements of Hindi.  The 10th World Hindi Conference was held in Bhopal in September 2015.

Columbia the first Latin American nation to join NATO  The president of Columbiaannounced that Columbia has formally joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. (NATO)  The formalization will take place in Brussels and Columbia will be a global partner of NATO.  Columbia has become the first country from Latin America to be a part of NATO.  Columbia also announced to become a partner of Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

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