1. Saudi naval cadet trains with Indian Navy for the first time
Tags: Defence International News
55 cadets of the Royal Saudi Naval Force (RSNF) underwent training with the Indian Navy for the first time.
An Overview of the News
The cadets have been attached to the Indian Navy's First Training Squadron ships, INS Tir and INS Sujata, for afloat training.
The cadets were given simulator training before commencing sea training.
During sea flights, cadets received training in navigation, seamanship, anchoring, coastal navigation, replenishment at sea, sea boats, fire fighting and emergency drills.
The Chief of the Naval Staff was apprised of the ongoing training activities and progress of the trainees.
Navy Chief Admiral -R Hari Kumar
Indian Navy:
It is the maritime branch of the Indian Armed Forces, responsible for protecting India's interests at sea.
The President of India holds the position of Supreme Commander of the Indian Navy, which vests ultimate authority and responsibility over naval operations.
The Navy is commanded by the Chief of Naval Staff, who is a four star Admiral.
Establishment - 26 January 1950
Headquarters -New Delhi
2. Nepal's PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal's visit to India
Tags: International Relations International News
In a significant diplomatic development, Prime Minister of Nepal Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' made a four-day visit to New Delhi on 31 May.
An overview of the news
Various projects were launched during the visit which included the Kurtha-Bijalpura section of the railway line.
An Indian Railways cargo train was inaugurated from the newly constructed rail link Bathnaha (India) to Nepal Customs Yard under Indian grant.
Integrated Checkposts (ICPs) were inaugurated at Nepalgunj (Nepal) and Rupaidiha (India).
Celebration of ICP in Bhairahawa (Nepal) and Sonauli (India).
Phase-II facilities under Motihari-Amlekhganj petroleum pipeline inaugurated.
Apart from this, another new pipeline will be built from Siliguri to Jhapa in eastern Nepal.
Exchange of MoU/Agreement between the two countries
Treaty of Transit between India and Nepal.
MoU between India and Nepal for cooperation in the field of Petroleum Infrastructure.
MoU between India and Nepal for development of infrastructure at Dodhra Chandani Check Post on Indo-Nepal border.
MoU between NPCIL and NCHL, Nepal for cross border payments.
Project Development Agreement of Lower Arun Hydro Electric Project.
MoU for the development of Phukot-Karnali Hydroelectric Project.
About Nepal
The kingdom of Nepal was established by the Shah dynasty.
It is a landlocked country in South Asia.
Prime Minister - Pushpa Kamal Dahal
President - Ram Chandra Paudel
Capital - Kathmandu
Currency - Nepalese Rupee
3. US Congress approves deal to lift country's borrowing limit
Tags: International News
The US Congress approved a deal to lift the country's borrowing limit, thereby preventing default on its debt.
An Overview of the News
The bipartisan measure passed through the Senate with a vote of 63-36 after the US House of Representatives approved it.
President Joe Biden committed to turning the measure into law to protect the US from a catastrophic default on its $31.4 trillion debt.
United States House of Representatives
It is the lower house of the United States Congress.
It, along with the Senate, forms the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
Its structure and functions are established by Article One of the United States Constitution.
It provides proportional representation based on the population of each state.
It has a total of 435 representatives.
Founded - 1789
Headquarters - Washington, D.C., United States
Speaker - Kevin McCarthy
Majority Leader - Steve Scalise
Minority Leader - Hakeem Jeffries
4. Latvian parliament elects Edgars Rinkevics as new president
Tags: Person in news International News
In 2011, Edgars Rinkevics, Latvia's foreign minister, was elected as the new president by the 100-seat Saimaa legislature.
An Overview of the News
In a close vote, Edgars Rinkevics secured 52 votes, more than the minimum needed to win the election.
Edgars Rinkevics, aged 49, has previously held positions such as State Secretary in the Ministry of Defense and worked as a journalist with Latvian Radio in the 1990s.
Latvia:
It is a country on the Baltic Sea, situated between Lithuania and Estonia.
The capital of Latvia is Riga, known for its remarkable woodwork and Art Nouveau architecture.
Riga's mediaeval Old Town contains St. Peter's Church is a popular tourist destination.
Capital - Riga
Prime minister - Krišjānis Kariņš
Official language - Latvian
5. BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Cape Town
Tags: Summits International News
BRICS countries kicked off its foreign ministers meeting on 1st June in Cape Town, the legislative capital of South Africa.
An overview of the news
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar participated in the meeting of foreign ministers of BRICS countries.
South Africa, which currently holds the chair of the bloc, hosted the BRICS Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Cape Town on 1-2 June.
The foreign ministers’ meeting will finalise the agenda for the 15th BRICS summit scheduled to be held in South Africa in August.
It is believed that 19 countries are in line to join BRICS.
Joint Agreement
The BRICS foreign ministers agreed BRICS cooperation should be strengthened to promote unity among developing countries.
Advance the global governance system reform.
Accelerate the realization of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
Contribute to world peace and development.
About BRICS
The full form of BRICS is Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.
Goldman Sachs economist Jim O'Neill coined the term BRIC (without South Africa) in 2001.
He claimed that by 2050, the four BRIC economies would dominate the global economy by 2050.
South Africa was included in the list in 2010.
The presidency of the Forum is rotated annually among the members.
BRICS accounts for about 40% of the world’s population.
It accounts for 30% of the world's GDP (Gross Domestic Product).
In the year 2014, during the 6th BRICS Summit in Fortaleza, Brazil, the BRICS leaders signed an agreement to establish a New Development Bank (NDB).
6. Etihad Airways named Environmental Airline of the Year 2023
Tags: Awards International News
Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, has been named the Environmental Airline of the Year 2023 for the second year in a row at the Airline Rating Awards.
An Overview of the News
The prestigious award acknowledges the airline's commitment to sustainable aviation through innovation and collaboration.
Etihad is ranked third in the 'Top 10 Airlines' category, which evaluates comfort, innovation, value and safety in economy, business and first class.
Etihad's sustainability strategy focuses on emissions reduction, industry alignment, collaboration with the UAE ecosystem and proactive transparency.
Key initiatives of the airline include the Greenliner program using Boeing 787 Dreamliners and the deployment of Sustainable50 A350-1000 aircraft.
Antonaldo Neves, Group CEO, Etihad Aviation Group
Geoffrey Thomas, Editor-in-Chief, AirlineRatings.com
About United Arab Emirates (UAE)
Location: It is located in Western Asia.
Geographical Boundaries: It shares borders with Oman and Saudi Arabia.
Maritime Borders: It also has maritime borders with Qatar and Iran in the Persian Gulf.
Religion: Islam is the dominant religion in the UAE, with the majority of the population being Sunni Muslim.
Capital - Abu Dhabi
Official language - Arabic
Government - Federal Islamic parliamentary elective semi-constitutional monarchy
President/Crown Prince - Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Prime Minister - Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Vice President - Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan
7. Sri Lanka's Council of Ministers Approves Establishment of a Truth and Reconciliation Mechanism
Tags: International News
Sri Lanka's cabinet ministers approved a proposal to set up a Truth and Reconciliation Mechanism.
An Overview of the News
The proposal draws inspiration from the successful Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa.
In March, Sri Lanka's Foreign Affairs Minister Ali Sabri and Justice Wijedasa Rajapaksa visited South Africa to study the commission's functioning.
The proposed mechanism aims to address issues surrounding the three-decade-long armed conflict in Sri Lanka.
Former prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe submitted a cabinet memorandum and concept paper in 2018 as the basis for the commission.
There were efforts to set up a similar mechanism in 2015 under pressure from the United Nations human rights body, but it was not followed through.
The establishment of a Truth and Reconciliation Mechanism is seen as a way to address the demands of affected Tamils seeking information on missing persons.
The proposed commission aims to provide answers, reconciliation and justice in the post-conflict context of Sri Lanka.
About Sri Lanka
It is an island country in South Asia.
It was earlier known as Ceylon.
The official name of the country is the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka.
It is located in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal.
Sri Lanka is separated from the Indian peninsula by the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait.
Capital - Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte (legislative) and Colombo (executive and judicial)
Official languages - Sinhala AND Tamil
President - Ranil Wickremesinghe
Prime Minister - Dinesh Gunawardena
8. UAE withdraws from US-led Combined Maritime Forces (CMF)
Tags: International News
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Recently the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has announced its withdrawal from the US-led Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), a maritime alliance.
An overview of the news
A few weeks ago, Iran seized two tankers within a week in Gulf waters near the Strait of Hormuz.
The second tanker, Niovi, was on its way from Dubai to the port of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates.
The UAE was disappointed by the lack of US response to the recent tanker seizures, saying it was a "misrepresentation" of the talks between the two countries.
Why did UAE withdraw from this alliance?
The UAE did not give any specific reasons for withdrawing from the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) in an official statement.
This could be part of a broader strategy by the UAE to assert its own regional influence, pursue independent foreign policies, or rebalance its relations with China and Iran.
About Combined Maritime Forces (CMF)
It was established in 2002.
Its objective is promoting security, stability, and prosperity across maritime regions.
Member Nations - 34 member nations: Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Republic of Korea, Kuwait, Malaysia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, the Philippines, Portugal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Singapore, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, UAE, United Kingdom, United States, and Yemen.
Its main operations are counter-narcotics, counter-smuggling, suppressing piracy, encouraging regional cooperation.
Focus Areas - Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, Gulf of Aden, Red Sea, Indian Ocean, Arabian Gulf, and surrounding areas.
In April 2022, India had announced that it would join the CMF as an Associate Partner.
9. South Korea launches first commercial-grade satellite
Tags: Science and Technology International News
South Korea to launch its first commercial-grade satellite on May 25, 2023.
An Overview of the News
The commercial-grade satellite was launched by the Naro Space Center in Gohang, South Korea, using a Launch Nuri rocket.
The main satellite, called "Next Generation Small Satellite 2", was accompanied by seven cube-shaped satellites.
The main satellite objectives include verifying imaging radar technology and observing cosmic radiation in near-Earth orbit.
South Korea's Science Minister Lee confirmed the successful launch of all seven secondary satellites from the rocket.
South Korea plans to launchthree more Nuri rockets by 2027.
In the past year, South Korea became the 10th country to send a satellite into space using its technology, with a "performance verification satellite" launched via a Nuri rocket.
South Korea
It is an East Asian nation located in the southern part of the Korean Peninsula.
It shares a heavily militarised border with North Korea.
President - Yoon Suk Yeol
Capital -Seoul
Prime minister -Han Duck-soo
10. South Korea offers KSS-III batch-II submarine to India
Tags: Science and Technology International News
Recently South Korea has made an exclusive offer to provide its advanced KSS-III Batch-II submarines to India.
An overview of the news
The proposal comes at a time when Germany is about to complete India's submarine acquisition programme, Project 75I.
About KSS-III Batch-II submarine
The KSS-III is the largest submarine to ever be built by South Korea, is being developed in two phases, Batch-I and Batch-II.
It is part of the Korean Attack Submarine program and represents a significant advancement in the country's naval capabilities.
The KSS-III Batch-II submarine is an advanced version of its predecessor submarine in terms of combat management system, firepower and sonar capabilities.
It is jointly developed by Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) and Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI).
The KSS-III submarine is a series of diesel-electric attack submarines.
Features of KSS-III batch-II submarine
It is equipped with advanced technologies and facilities to enhance operational effectiveness.
The submarine has a length of approximately 84 m (275 ft) and a submerged displacement of approximately 3,000 tonnes.
The KSS-III Batch-II submarine utilizes a combination of air-independent propulsion (AIP) system and diesel-electric propulsion.
The submarine is capable of reaching speeds of over 20 knots (37 kilometers per hour)while submerged.
The submarine is equipped with a range of armaments and sensors to fulfill its mission requirements.
It includes torpedoes for anti-submarine warfare,anti-ship missiles for surface engagement, and land-attack capabilities.
The submarine also features advanced sensor systems, such as sonar and radar, to detect and track underwater and surface targets.
The KSS-III Batch-II submarine has a crew capacity of around 50 personnel.
Export Potential
South Korea aims to promote the KSS-III Batch-II submarine for potential export to other countries.
The advanced features, operational capabilities, and competitive pricing make it an attractive option for nations seeking to modernize their naval forces.
