1. International News
Tags: International News
1. Mount Semeru erupted in Indonesia
- Mt Semeru (3676 m above sea level) is the biggest mountain on the island of Java.
- Semeru is one of the most active volcanoes in Indonesia and a part of a chain of volcanic mountains stretching from northern Sumatra to the Lesser Sunda Islands.
2. Suu Kyi sentenced to four years in prison
The military junta ruling Myanmar has sentenced the deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi for four years for incitement against the military and breaching COVID-19 rules,
3. US to diplomatic boycott Beijing winter olympics
The US has announced a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in China because of concerns about China's human rights record especially its treatment of Uighur muslim in Xinjinag provinces, a move that has been heavily criticised by Beijing.
- However American sports persons will participate in the winter olympic games.
- Following the US announcement, New Zealand and Australia also announced a diplomatic boycott of the games though their athletes will be participating in the games.
- Canada will join the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia in a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics over human rights concerns, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on December 8.
4. ADB to provide loan to India
Government of India and Asian Development Bank(ADB) has signed two agreement for loan to projects in India
- ADB will provide a $125 million loan to improve access to safe and affordable drinking water supply and citywide inclusive sanitation services in Dehradun and Nainital cities in the state of Uttarakhand.
- It will also provide a $150 million loan to provide access to inclusive, resilient, and sustainable housing for the urban poor in the state of Tamil Nadu.
5. India amongst the most unequal countries in the world
As per the 'World Inequality Report 2022' by World Inequality Lab, which aims to promote research on global inequality dynamics. India is among the most unequal countries in the world, with rising poverty and an 'affluent elite'.
- Distribution of Wealth: In India, the top 10% and top 1% hold 57% and 22% of the total national income respectively while the share of the bottom 50% has gone down to 13%.
- Gender inequality: The share of female labour income share in India is equal to 18% which is significantly lower than the average in Asia (21%, excluding China) & is among the lowest in the world. Although, the number is slightly higher than the average share in the Middle East (15%).
6. Nicaragua cut its diplomatic relation with Taiwan
- The Central American country Nicaragua has become the latest country to cut diplomatic ties with Taiwan in favour of China.
- The decision was praised by China, which demands that any country that wants diplomatic relations with it must cut existing ties with Taipei.
- However, Taiwan sees itself as a democratically-governed, independent country, though it has never formally declared independence from the mainland.
- Before Nicaragua, the Pacific Island nations of Kiribati and the Solomon Islands were the latest countries to cut ties with Taiwan in favour of China in 2019.
Capital of Nicaragua: Managua
President of Nicaragua: Daniel Ortega
Capital of Taiwan: Taipei
7. UN General Assembly Grants Observer Status To International Solar Alliance
- The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has granted Observer Status to International Solar Alliance (ISA), India's Permanent Ambassador to the United Nations.
- A total of 108 countries participated in the Assembly, including 74 Member Countries and 34 Observer and Prospective Countries, 23 Partner Organizations and 33 Special Invitee Organisations.
2. India to supply medicines to the Afghan people
Tags: International News
- The Government of India has joined Qatar, the UAE, Turkmenistan and Pakistan that have sent humanitarian support to Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.
- India has sent medical relief material to the Indira Gandhi Children Hospital in Kabul.
- This is the first time that India has sent humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan after the Taliban took over Kabul by dislodging the government of President Ashraf Ghani in August.
- The medical relief material will be handed to the WHO (World Health Organisation ) in Kabul as the Indian does not recognise the Taliban government in Kabul led by Habitullah Akhunzada .
- The relief material was sent back by special Kam Air flights that had brought 10 Indians and 94 Afghan minority community members from Afghanistan to India.
- As part of the Operation Devi Shakti, which was launched in August to evacuate Indians and Afghan minority community members from the strife torn country, the Government has evacuated a total of 669 people from Afghanistan. This includes 448 Indians who were working on various projects and businesses and 206 Afghan nationals.
3. G-7 Foreign and Development Ministers Meeting
Tags: International News
- The United Kingdom, which is currently the chairman of the Group of 7 countries, hosted the foreign ministers meeting of the member countries at Liverpool in England .
- It will be held on 11-12 December 2021.
- The meeting was held in the midst of concern that Russia is going to attack Ukraine which is denied by Russia.
- The Foreign Ministers of India, European Union, Australia, South Korea, along with representatives from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN} will take part in G-7 foreign ministers as guests.
G-7 or Group of Seven
History of G-7
Forthcoming Summits
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4. UN General Assembly Grants Observer Status To International Solar Alliance
Tags: International News
- The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has granted Observer Status to International Solar Alliance (ISA), India's Permanent Ambassador to the United Nations.
- A total of 108 countries participated in the Assembly, including 74 Member Countries and 34 Observer and Prospective Countries, 23 Partner Organizations and 33 Special Invitee Organisations.
- The launch of the ISA was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and former French President Francois Hollande in November 2015, at the 21st session of the UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties in Paris, France.
- In 6 years, the International Solar Alliance has become an example of positive global climate action through partnerships to benefit global energy growth and development.
Observer Status Observer status is a privilege granted by some organizations to non-members to give them an ability to participate in the organization's activities. Observer status is often granted by intergovernmental organizations (IGO) to non-member parties and international nongovernmental organizations (INGO) that have an interest in the IGO's activities. |
United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) The United Nations General Assembly is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations, serving as the main deliberative, policymaking, and representative organ of the UN. Responsibilities of UNGA includes:
It also establishes numerous subsidiary organs to advance or assist in its broad mandate. Headquarters: New York, United States President: Abdulla Shahid Convened: 10 January 1946 India’s Permanent Ambassador to the UN, T S Tirumurti. |
International Solar Alliance The International Solar Alliance (ISA) is an alliance of 124 countries initiated by India, most of them being the sunshine countries, which lie either completely or partly between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. The primary objective of the alliance:
Formation: 30 November 2015 Headquarters: Gurugram, Haryana, India Director General: Ajay Mathur |
5. PM Modi Addresses Democracy Summit
Tags: International News
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a virtual address on 10th December 2021 at the Summit for Democracy, hosted by U.S. President Joe Biden, that Democracies should jointly deal with social media and cryptocurrencies.
The PM further added that, we all need to constantly improve our democratic practices and systems. And, we all need to continuously enhance inclusion, transparency, human dignity, responsive grievance redressal and decentralization of power.
In this context, today's assembly provides a timely platform for furthering cooperation among democracies. India would be happy to share its expertise in holding free and fair elections, and in enhancing transparency in all areas of governance through innovative digital solutions. We must also jointly shape global norms for emerging technologies like social media and crypto-currencies, so that they are used to empower democracy, not to undermine it.
For more information about the Democracy Summit, see news of 10th December.
6. Nicaragua cut its diplomatic relation with Taiwan
Tags: International News
- The Central American countryNicaragua has become the latest country to cut diplomatic ties with Taiwan in favour of China.
- The decision was praised by China, which demands that any country that wants diplomatic relations with it must cut existing ties with Taipei.
- Beijing sees Taiwan as a breakaway province to be reunified with the mainland one day.
- However, Taiwan sees itself as a democratically-governed, independent country, though it has never formally declared independence from the mainland.
- Taiwan's list of international allies has dwindled from 21 down to 14 since President Tsai Ing-wen took office in May 2016.
- Before Nicaragua, the Pacific Island nations of Kiribati and the Solomon Islands were the latest countries to cut ties with Taiwan in favour of China in 2019.
Capital of Nicaragua: Managua
President of Nicaragua : Daniel Ortega
Capital of Taiwan : Taipei
7. Opening day of Summit for Democracy
Tags: International News
Theme of the Summit: “combating authoritarianism, fighting corruption and promoting human rights”
It has been organised by the State Department of the United States.
While inaugurating the summit the US President Joe Biden said that
“Democracy doesn't happen by accident. We have to renew it with each generation,” in a message, which will bring together leaders of 100 countries, civil society and private sector representatives.
Sitting beside his Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and addressing over 50 Countries, Biden said, “We have to stand for justice and the rule of law for free speech, free assembly, a free press, freedom of religion, for all the inherent human rights of every individual,”.
- Biden announced plans for the U.S. to spend up to $424 millions around the world to support Independent media, anti-corruption work and more.
Indian Prime Minister Mr Narender Modi also participated in the summit virtually .
The PM said that the “four pillars of Indian democratic governments” are “sensitivity, accountability, participation and reform orientation”.
Major countries like Russia, China, Saudi Arabia have not been invited to the summit.
Pakistan was invited to the summit but it chose to back off from the summit over the fear that it will offend its close ally China.
Summit for Democracy This is a virtual summit hosted by the United States of America to “renew democracy at home and confront autocracy abroad”.
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8. India amongst the most unequal countries in the world
Tags: International News
As per the 'World Inequality Report 2022' by World Inequality Lab, which aims to promote research on global inequality dynamics., India is among the most unequal countries in the world, with rising poverty and an 'affluent elite'.
Highlights of the report:
- Distribution of Wealth:
- The average national income of the Indian adult population is Rs 2,04,200. Here, the bottom 50% earns Rs 53,610 while the top 10% earns Rs 11,66,520, over 20 times more. In India, the top 10% and top 1% hold 57% and 22% of the total national income respectively while the share of the bottom 50% has gone down to 13%.
- The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) are the most unequal regions in the world, whereas Europe has the lowest inequality levels.
- Gender inequality:
- in India is also considerably on the higher end of the spectrum. The share of female labour income share in India is equal to 18% which is significantly lower than the average in Asia (21%, excluding China) & is among the lowest in the world. Although, the number is slightly higher than the average share in the Middle East (15%).
- Women’s share of total incomes from work (labour income) was about 30% in 1990 and is less than 35% now
- Wealthy Countries Poor Governments:
- Countries across the world have become richer over the past 40 years, but their governments have become significantly poorer.
- Impact of COVID crisis:
- The Covid-19 pandemic and the economic crisis that followed hit all world regions, but it hit them with varying intensity.
- Europe, Latin America, and South and Southeast Asia recorded the largest drops in national income in 2020 (between -6% and -7.6%) while East Asia (where the pandemic began) succeeded in stabilizing its 2020 income at the level of 2019.
World Inequality Lab
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9. UK, Canada joins diplomatic boycott of Beijing Winter Games
Tags: International News
Canada will join the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia in a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics over human rights concerns, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on December 8.
Highlights:
- The United States was the first to announce the boycott, saying its government officials would not attend February’s Beijing Olympics because of China’s human rights “atrocities”.
10. US to diplomatic boycott Beijing winter olympics
Tags: International News
The US has announced a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in China, a move that has been heavily criticised by Beijing.
The White House said no official delegation would be sent to the Games because of concerns about China's human rights record especially its treatment of Uighur muslim in Xinjinag provinces.
However American sports persons will participate in the winter olympic games.
Following the US announcement, New Zealand and Australia also announced a diplomatic boycott of the games though their athletes be participating in the games.
Winter Olympics Games The winter olympics games are organised every fours by the International Olympic Committee . The games include sports which are played on snow and ice. The Summer and Winter olympics were organised by the International Olympics Committee in the same year but in 1986 it was decided to hold the two games separately on separate four-year cycles in alternating even-numbered years. So after the 1992 winter games next was the Winter games held in 1994 while the Summer Olympics was held in 1996 after 1992. The first Winter Olympic Games was held in 1924 at Chamonix, France. 24th Games will be held in Beijing, China 2022. 25th games will be held in Milan–Cortina d'Ampezzo , Italy. |
