1. 56th Annual General Meeting of Board of Directors of ADB
Tags: Economy/Finance International News
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman attended the 56th Annual General Meeting of the Board of Directors of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Incheon, South Korea on May 2.
An overview of the news
Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman led the delegation from the Indian side.
The meeting was attended by official delegations of ADB members, observers, non-governmental and civil society organizations, financial institutions and banks, and other private sector companies.
Sitharaman also participated in the annual meeting and focal events such as Governors Business.
She also participated as a panelist in the ADB Governors' Seminar on Policies to Support Asia's Rebound.
The functions of the Union Finance Minister included the following components:
Interaction with global economists, governors/finance ministers of ADB member countries, etc.
Bilateral engagement with countries and international organizations.
Interact with global business leaders and investors in roundtables.
Engagement with community diaspora.
Asian Development Bank (ADB)
It is a regional multilateral financial institution which focuses on the countries of Asia and Pacific region.
It was set up after a resolution was passed at the first Ministerial Conference on Asian Economic Cooperation held by the United Nations Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East in 1963.
It started functioning from 19 December 1966 with 31 member countries.
At present it has 68 members—of which 49 members are from within Asia and the Pacific and 19 outside.
Japan is the largest shareholder of the ADB and a Japanese has always been the head of the ADB.
President of ADB: Masatsugu Asakawa
Headquarters: Mandaluyong City, Manila, Philippines
2. 'Machines can See' - Summit on Artificial Intelligence held at Dubai
Tags: Summits International News
The UAE government launched the 'Machines Can See 2023' summit in Dubai, one of thefirst international conferences in Artificial Intelligence (AI) across the region.
An overview of the news
The conference is being held in partnership between Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications Office and ‘Machines Can See’ company.
The conference aims to bring together experts from around the world to discuss the future of AI and its potential to contribute to the UAE's vision of creating the next Silicon Valley.
The event was organized in collaboration with the Dubai Department of Economic and Tourism and the Dubai Future Foundation.
The summit included presentations and panel discussions from various experts in the field of AI.
The UAE is the only country with a state-level AI programme, which is a testament to its commitment to supporting the progress of AI technology.
What is Artificial Intelligence?
It is a broad branch of computer science that deals with the creation of smart machines capable of performing tasks that typically require human intelligence.
3. India to build Harbour for Maldivian Coast Guard
Tags: International Relations International News
India and Maldives launched construction of ‘Ekatha Harbour' for the Coast Guard of the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF).
An overview of the news
The foundation stone for the Coast Guard ‘Ekatha Harbour’ was laid by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Maldivian counterpart, Mariya Didi, at Sifavaru in Uthuru Thila Falhu (UTF) atoll, where India is assisting in construction of a naval dockyard.
This is the biggest grant-in-aid project of India in Maldives.
UTF project
The UTF project, announced during External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s visit in February 2021, has been at the centre of a political controversy in the Maldives.
Allegations that the project was meant for Indian military presence in the Indian Ocean nation were part of an "India Out" campaign, which was supported by the country's opposition leader, Abdulla Yameen.
Last April, Maldivian President Ibrahim Solih banned anti-India protests as a threat to national security.
Anti-India campaigners allege that Indian troops were stationed in a fast patrol vessel India recently gifted to Maldives Coast Guard.
Recent gifts of India to Maldives
India gifted a Dornier aircraft to Maldives in 2020 and a patrol ship in 2019.
In 2022, India had also given Coastal Radar System to Male.
Last year, Modi had announced that India would provide 24 vehicles and a naval boat and build police facilities on the country's 61 islands.
4. Paraguay's Colorado Party's Santiago Peña wins presidential election
Tags: Person in news International News
Santiago Peña, an economist from Paraguay's ruling conservative Colorado party, won the country's presidential election.
An Overview of the News
The election was decided in a single round of voting, and with nearly all ballots counted, Santiago Peña received over 42% of the vote.
His main challenger, Efrain Alegre, who represented the Concertación Nacional coalition, received about 28% of the vote.
The Colorado Party has been the dominant political force in Paraguay for more than 70 years, and Santiago Peña's victory solidified its hold on power.
Despite an expected economic growth of more than 4% this year, Paraguay still struggles with high levels of poverty and corruption.
About Paraguay
It is a country located in the middle of South America. It is a landlocked country, bordered by Argentina, Brazil and Bolivia.
Asuncion is the capital of Paraguay and is situated on the banks of the Paraguay River.
Official languages - Paraguayan Guarani, Spanish
5. Maiden ASEAN-India Maritime exercise begins in Singapore
Tags: Defence International News
The first ASEAN-India Maritime Exercise (AIME-2023) began on 2 May in Singapore.
An overview of the news
The maiden exercise is being conducted off the coast of Singapore.
It aims to enhance interoperability and exchange of best practices among the participating navies.
INS Satpura and INS Delhi, accompanied by RADM Gurcharan Singh, Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet, have reached Singapore to participate in the exercise.
AIME 2023 will provide an opportunity for Indian Navy and ASEAN navies to work together closely and conduct seamless operations in the maritime domain.
Indian Navy ships will also participate in the International Maritime Security Conference (IMSC) and the International Maritime Defense Exhibition (IMDEX-23).
The Philippine Navy has deployed its missile frigate BRP Antonio Luna (FF-151) with a 140-man crew of Naval Task Group 80.5 onboard in the exercise.
Phase of the exercise
Harbour Phase - to be conducted at Changi Naval Base.
Sea Phase - to be conducted in the South China Sea.
INS Delhi and INS Satpura
INS Delhi is India’s first indigenously-built guided missile destroyer.
INS Satpura, is an indigenously built guided missile stealth frigate and are fitted with state-of-the art weapons and sensors.
Both are part of the Eastern Fleet based at Visakhapatnam and are under the operational command of the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command.
6. India to hand-over fast Patrol Vessel ship & landing Craft to Maldives
Tags: International Relations International News
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will hand over a fast patrol vessel and a landing craft to the Maldives as India’s “gift” during his visit to the island nation from May 1 to 3.
An overview of the news
It will be an “important landmark” in building “strong bonds” of friendship between the two countries.
Maldives is one of India's major maritime neighbors in the Indian Ocean region and overall bilateral relations between the two countries, including in the areas of defense and security, have been on the rise over the years.
Singh will also review the implementation of various India-aided projects in the Maldives and interact with the Indian expatriate.
India and Maldives are working together to effectively address common challenges including maritime security, terrorism, radicalism, piracy, smuggling, organized crime and natural disasters.
About Maldives
It is also called Maldives Islands, an independent island country in the north-central Indian Ocean.
It extends more than 510 miles (820 km) from north to south and 80 miles (130 km) from east to west.
Basis of economy -fisheries, tourism
Industries - handicraft or cottage including the making of coir (coconut-husk fibre) and coir products, fish canning, and boatbuilding.
Capital -Male
President -Ibrahim Mohamed Solih
Official Language - Dhivehi (Maldivian)
Official Religion - Islam
Currency -Rufiyaa
7. Minister of State for Science and Technology Dr Jitendra Singh visits Science Museum
Tags: International News
Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Dr Jitendra Singh inspected the operations of the 175 year old London Science Museum.
An Overview of the News
The objective of setting up such museums in India is to enable the citizens, especially the youth, to discover their hidden potential and abilities and develop their scientific temper, creativity and innovation.
The Science Museum, established in 1857, is located in South Kensington, London and is a major museum on Exhibition Road.
The museum management was impressed by India's success in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Science Museum became one of the city's most popular tourist attractions, with 3.3 million visitors in 2019.
As a publicly funded national museum in the UK, the Science Museum does not charge admission, but visitors are encouraged to make a donation if possible.
The Science Museum is part of a group of five museums known as the Science Museum Group.
About the United Kingdom (UK)
It is a country in Europe made up of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
It has a constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary democracy with the monarch as the head of state and the prime minister leading the government.
The UK has a mixed economy and is known for its strengths in the service sector, manufacturing and technology.
Prime Minister- Rishi Sunak
Capital- London
Currency- Pound Sterling (GBP)
Emperor- Charles III
Government- Parliamentary System, Unitary State, Constitutional Monarchy
8. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to visit Maldives
Tags: International Relations International News
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is set to embark on athree-day official visit to Maldives on 30th April.
An overview of the news
During the visit, Rajnath Singh will hold bilateral talkswith Maldivian Defense Minister Ms. Maria Ahmed Didi and Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid.
All aspects of defense relations between the two countries will be reviewed during the consultations.
Rajnath Singh will also meet Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.
In line with India's commitment to capacity building of friendly countries and partners in the region, Rajnath Singh will gift a Fast Patrol Vessel ship and a landing craft to the Maldivian National Defense Forces.
India and Maldives are working together to effectively address common challenges including maritime security, terrorism, radicalism, piracy, smuggling, organized crime and natural disasters.
India's vision of SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) along with its ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy as well as Maldives’ ‘India First’ policy seek to work together to jointly develop the capabilities within the Indian Ocean Region.
About Maldives
It is also called Maldives Islands, an independent island country in the north-central Indian Ocean.
It extends more than 510 miles (820 km) from north to south and 80 miles (130 km) from east to west.
Basis of economy -fisheries, tourism
Industries - handicraft or cottage including the making of coir (coconut-husk fibre) and coir products, fish canning, and boatbuilding.
Capital -Male
President -Ibrahim Mohamed Solih
Official Language - Dhivehi (Maldivian)
Official Religion - Islam
Currency -Rufiyaa
9. G7 should adopt ‘risk-based’ AI regulation
Tags: International News
Digital ministers from the Group of Seven advanced nations (G7) agreed on 30 April that they should adopt "risk-based" regulation on artificial intelligence.
An overview of the news
European lawmakers hurry to introduce an AI Act to enforce rules on emerging tools such as ChatGPT.
G7 ministers said in a joint statement issued at a two-day meeting in Japan that such regulation should "preserve an open and enabling environment" for the development of AI technologies and be based on democratic values.
The ministers recognized that the policy tools to achieve the common vision and goal of trustworthy AI among G7 members may differ.
The agreement sets a milestone for how major countries regulate AI amid privacy concerns and security risks.
Governments in particular have taken note of the popularity of generative AI tools such as ChatGPT.
A chatbot (ChatGPT) developed by Microsoft Corp-backed OpenAI has become the fastest-growing app in history since its launch in November.
What is ChatGPT?
It is a natural language processing tool powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology that allows chatbots to do much more than just have human-like conversations.
This language model can answer questions and assist with tasks such as writing emails, essays and code.
ChatGPT was created by OpenAI, an AI and research company.
A chatbot (ChatGPT) developed by Microsoft Corp-backed OpenAI has become the fastest-growing app in history since its launch in November.
What is Artificial Intelligence?
It is a broad branch of computer science that deals with building smart machines capable of performing tasks that would normally require human intelligence.
About G7
The G7 is a group of seven major industrialized countries, including Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
The G7 holds annual meetings to discuss various global issues, but these meetings are usually held in different locations each year.
The 48th G7 summit was hosted by Germany in 2022.
10. Dubai's airline Emirates unveils world's first robotic check-in assistant
Tags: International News
Dubai-based airline Emirates has unveiled the world's first robotic check-in assistant named 'Sara'.
An overview of the news
The system is part of a new City Check-in and Travel Store that is set to launch in Dubai's Financial District.
In addition to the new check-in facility, Emirates passengers with a valid boarding pass will also have access to select lifestyle amenities at ICD Brookfield Place, as well as exclusive discounts and special offers at a range of restaurants, gyms and luxury stores.
Passengers can connect directly to the airport via taxi or Emirates Chauffeur Service.
This latest innovation from Emirates aims to enhance the customer experience and make the check-in process more seamless and efficient.
What is the world's first robotic check-in assistant 'Sara'?
'SARA' will match customers' faces with scanned passports, check in passengers and guide them to the baggage drop area.
This facility allows customers to drop off their luggage at the airport up to 24 hours in advance and up to 4 hours before their flight.
Passengers cancheck-in via self-check-in kiosks, with Emirates agents at dedicated desks or with the help of Sara.
The robot is equipped with facial recognition technology and can print boarding passes to make the check-in process more efficient. Sara is also portable and can move around to help those in need.
Sources reveal that future iterations of the Sarah will also have weapons that can carry goods.
