1. MInister of State Dr L Murugan to lead delegation to Cannes Film Festival
Tags: Festivals International News
Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Dr L Murugan will lead the Indian delegation to the Cannes International Film Festival from May 16 to 27.
An overview of the news
They will also be joined by filmmaker Guneet Monga of The Elephant Whispers fame, Indian actresses Manushi Chhillar, Esha Gupta and acclaimed Manipuri actor Kangabam Tomba.
The India Pavilion is being conceptualised and designed by National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad with the theme - ‘Showcasing India’s Creative Economy’ to the global community.
The pavilion design has been inspired by the Saraswati Yantra, the abstract representation of goddess Saraswati.
Four Indian films,including Kanu Behl’s Agra and Anurag Kashyap’s Kennedy, have made it to the official selection in the Cannes Film Festival.
Apart from these, many Indian films will be screened in Marche du Films.
A Manipuri film ‘Ishanhou’ will be showcased in the ‘Classics’ section.
About Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes Film Festival is one of the most prestigious international film festivals held annually in Cannes, France.
History and significance
The festival was first established in 1946 and has since become a prominent event in the global film industry.
It serves as a platform for showcasing and promoting a wide range of films from different countries and cultures.
Film screenings and competitions
The festival includes various competitive sections, such as the Palme d'Or for the best film, which is one of the most coveted awards in the industry.
Impact on filmmakers and films
The Cannes Film Festival serves as a launching pad for many acclaimed films and emerging talents.
Winning an award or receiving critical acclaim at Cannes can significantly boost a filmmaker's career and bring global recognition to their work.
2. G7 Ministerial Meeting on Health Innovation in Nagasaki, Japan
Tags: Summits International News
Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Dr Mansukh Mandaviya addressed the G7 Health Ministerial meeting on Global Health Architecture in Nagasaki, Japan on 13th May.
An overview of the news
The meeting was organized to discuss the global health challenges and ways to ensure preparedness, prevention and response to future health emergencies.
The health ministers of the G7 countries and the "Outreach 4" countries of India, Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand were invited to the meeting.
Objectives of the meeting
To foster collaboration and exchange ideas on health innovation.
Addressing global health challenges, and promoting advancements in healthcare research, technology, and policies.
Topics discussed
The G7 health ministers discuss various pressing health issues such as infectious diseases, antimicrobial resistance, vaccine development, healthcare accessibility, digital health, and the use of artificial intelligence in healthcare.
Sharing best practices
The meeting provides an opportunity for G7 countries to share best practices, success stories, and lessons learned in healthcare innovation and delivery.
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.
3. UAE's Sharjah Police launches 'Stay in your lane' campaign
Tags: International News
On 11 May, theUAE's Sharjah Police launched a traffic campaigncalled "Stay in Your Lane"to tackle road violations.
An Overview of the News
The campaign aims to improve traffic culture among drivers and other road users by increasing awareness and promoting adherence to traffic rules and instructions.
The campaign includes the dissemination of awareness messages in three different languages through the social networking sites of Sharjah Police.
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
4. 1st Ministerial meeting of India-EU Trade and Technology Council
Tags: Summits International News
The first ministerial meeting of the India and the European Union Trade and Technology Council (TTC) will be held in Brussels on 16 May.
An overview of the news
The meeting will be co-chaired by the Ministers of External Affairs, Commerce and Industry and Communications, Electronics and Information Technology from the Indian side.
India is only the second country after the US with which the European Union (EU) has a TTC, and the two sides agreed to launch the strategic mechanism during the visit of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to India in April 2022.
The TTC aims to deepen trade and investment ties between India and the European Union, as well as foster greater cooperation on technology and innovation.
About India-EU Trade and Technology Council
The trade and technology council was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during Ms Leyen's visit to India in April 2022.
Three Working Groups under the TTC
1. A Working Group on Strategic Technologies, Digital Governance and Digital Connectivity
2. A Working Group on Green and Clean Energy Technologies
3. A Working Group on Trade, Investment and Resilient Value Chains
India-EU Trade relation
India is the 10th largest trading partner of the European Union, accounting for 2.1% of the total trade in goods.
The EU is India's third largest trading partner, accounting for €88 billion in goods trade in 2021 or a little over 10% of total Indian trade.
Trade in services between the two sides reached €30.4 billion in 2020.
About European Union
The European Union is a group of 27 European countries.
The United Kingdom which was the founding member of the European Union has left the organisation.
It was founded on 1 November 1993
Headquarters: Brussels, Belgium
5. Monkeypox no longer a global health emergency: World Health Organization
Tags: International News
The World Health Organization declared the end of a global health emergency on 11 May for the rare but potentially serious disease mpox, formerly known as monkeypox.
An overview of the news
According to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, countries have reported about 90% fewer cases in the past three months.
The emergency declaration was issued in July 2022 amid a major global surge in cases.
Mpox belongs to the family of poxviruses, which also includes smallpox, and people with the disease often develop a rash on various parts of the body.
According to WHO, since January 2022, there have been more than 87,000 mpox cases and 140 deaths in 111 countries.
What Is Monkeypox?
It is a viral zoonotic disease that is transmitted from animals to humans.
Monkeypox virus is an orthopoxvirus similar to smallpox.
It has been identified as a smallpox-like disease in monkeys, hence it is called monkeypox.
It was first observed in 1958, in monkeys in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and in humans in 1970.
The disease outbreak in Nigeria in 2017 was the largest ever.
The monkeypox virus mutates at a high rate but is treatable once symptoms appear.
Symptom of disease
Fever, intense headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy, swollen lymph nodes and a skin rash or lesions.
Infected people develop a rash resembling smallpox.
In the early stages of the disease, monkeypox and smallpox can be differentiated because the monkeypox lymph gland enlarges.
Transmission of disease
It spreads through close face to face, skin to skin and direct contact.
The disease can be spread through contact with bodily fluids, sores on the skin or internal mucous surfaces, such as the mouth or throat, respiratory droplets and contaminated objects.
Treatment and Vaccine
There is no specific treatment or vaccine available for monkeypox infection.
The anti-smallpox vaccine has been shown to be 85% effective in preventing monkeypox.
6. 6th Indian Ocean Conference- 2023
Tags: Summits International News
The 6th Indian Ocean Conference (IOC) is taking place in Dhaka, Bangladesh from May 12-13, 2023.
An overview of the news
The sixth edition of the conference is being organized by the India F oundation in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh and the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies.
The theme of this year's conference is 'Partnership for Peace, Prosp erity and a Resilient Future'.
The conference was inaugurated by Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
According to Bangladesh Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Shaha ryar Alam, around 150 foreign guests including representatives from D8, SAARC and BIMSTEC will participate in the conference.
The IOC is expected to provide a forum for discussion on a wide range of issues related to the Indian Ocean including trade, security, climate change and regional connectivity.
The summit is an important event for Bangladesh, as it showcases t he country's growing role in regional affairs and highlights efforts to promote peace, stability and prosperity in the Indian Ocean region.
Aim of the conference
The aim of the conference is to bring together high-level government delegations and think tanks from around 25 countries to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation among countries in the Indi an Ocean region.
About Indian Ocean Conference
It has been launched by the Delhi-based think tank India Foundation along with its partners from Singapore, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
The aim of the conference is to bring together Heads of States/Governments, Ministers, thought leaders, scholars, diplomats, bureaucrats and practitioners from across the region on a single platform.
7. Exercise Ajeya Warrior-23
Tags: Defence International News
The 7th editionof the joint military exercise “AJEYA WARRIOR-23” between India and the United Kingdom was conducted at Salisbury Plains, United Kingdom from 27 April to 11 May 2023.
An overview of the news
Indian Army soldiers chanted 'Bajrang Bali Ki Jai' along with 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' during the 7th edition of Ajeya Warrior-23.
Army soldiers were seen shouting these slogans loudly with guns in their hands.
The exercise is part of an initiative to develop interoperability and share expertise with friendly foreign nations.
Military forces of both countries participate in thisjoint military exercise.
About Exercise Ajay Warrior 2023
It is a bilateral training exercise between the armies of India and UK.
The exercise saw the participation of an infantry company from India and a unit of similar strength from the British Army.
The armies of both countries practiced each other's weapons, battle tactics, equipment and procedures to conduct joint military operations under difficult conditions.
In addition, expert academic discussions were also held on several topics of common interest such as joint weapon concepts, operation logistics, experience sharing of joint forces, etc.
Aim of the exercise
It aims to improve interoperability between the two forces while working in accordance with the mandate of the United Nations.
Its objective is to provide training to soldiers of both countries in counter-terrorist operations.
8. Pakistan and China agree to extend CPEC to Afghanistan
Tags: International News
Pakistan, China and Afghanistan have agreed to forge closer economic ties by extending the Beijing-backed China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to Afghanistan to fully exploit the country's potential as a hub of regional connectivity.
An overview of the news
Pakistan's Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, his Chinese counterpart Qin Gang and Taliban-appointed Acting Foreign Minister of Afghanistan Maulvi Amir Khan Muttaki held the 5th China-Afghanistan-Pakistan Foreign Ministers' Talks.
The ministers held in-depth talks on various issues and agreed on good neighbourhood, mutual trust, security cooperation, counter terrorism, connectivity and trade and investment.
The three countries reiterated their resolve to fully utilize the potential of Afghanistan as a hub of regional connectivity
The three countries reaffirmed their commitment to further trilateral cooperation under the "Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)" and to jointly extend the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor to Afghanistan.
About China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)
Launched in 2015, CPEC is the flagship project of the multi-billion dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), launched by Chinese President Xi Jinping.
It aims to increase Beijing's influence around the world through China-funded infrastructure projects.
The3,000 km long China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) comprises highways, railways and pipelines.
The CPEC aims to eventually link the city of Gwadar in southwest Pakistan with Xinjiang, the northwestern region of China, through a vast network of highways and railways.
The proposed project will be financed by heavily subsidized loans.
India has objected to the CPEC as it passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
9. Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurates Sittwe Port in Myanmar
Tags: International Relations International News
Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways and AYUSH Sarbananda Sonowal and Deputy Prime Minister of Myanmar Admiral Tin Aung San jointly inaugurated Sittwe Port in Myanmar on 9 May.
An overview of the news
Admiral Tin Aung San also received the first Indian cargo ship which was flagged off from Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, Kolkata.
The development of Sittwe port will reduce the cost and time of movement of goods between Kolkata and Agartala and Aizawl by 50 per cent.
It will promote trade links and people-to-people ties between India and Myanmar and the wider region and help boost the economic development of the northeastern states.
About Sittwe port
The project was envisaged to provide alternative connectivity of Mizoram with Haldia, Kolkata or any Indian port through Kaladan River in Myanmar.
Sittwe Port has been developed as a part of the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project (KMTTP) funded under grant-in-aid assistance from the Indian government.
Once the waterway and road components of the KMTTP are fully operational, the east coast of India will be connected to the north-eastern states through the Sittwe port.
The commissioning of Sittwe port will increase bilateral and regional trade as well as boost the local economy of Myanmar's Rakhine state.
The greater connectivity provided by the Port will lead to employment opportunities and enhanced growth prospects in the region.
About Myanmar
It is a country located in Southeast Asia and is bordered by India, Bangladesh, China, Laos and Thailand.
The capital city of Myanmar is Naypyidaw, which was officially designated as the capital in 2005.
President - Myint Swe (Acting)
Prime Minister - Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing
Currency - Myanmar kyat
10. 6th India- Canada Ministerial Dialogue on Trade and Investment
Tags: International Relations International News
Sixth India- Canada Ministerial Dialogue on Trade and Investment (MDTI) held on 9th May in Ottawa.
An overview of the news
Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, Piyush Goyal along with Mary Ng, Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development, Government of Canada co-chaired the discussions.
The Ministers also reviewed the India-Canada CEPA (Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement) negotiations.
In the last MDTI meeting in March 2022, the two ministers launched CEPA negotiations with the possibility of having an interim agreement or EPTA (Early Progress Trade Agreement). Since then seven rounds of talks have taken place.
Goyal participated in various events to promote trade and investment in Toronto from 9 to 10 May 2023.
Piyush Goyal inaugurated the India Pavilion at SIAL Canada-2023, the largest food innovation trade show in North America with participation of over 1000 national and international exhibitors from 50 countries.
Topics of Dialogue
Strengthening bilateral trade relations between India and Canada
Investment Promotion and Cooperation
Green transition - discussions on critical minerals and promotion of new areas of cooperation such as B2B engagement.
About Canada
Canada, the second largest country in the world in area (after Russia).
Prime Minister - Justin Trudeau
Capital - Ottawa
Currency - Canadian dollar
King of Canada (British Monarch) - Charles III
Official Languages - English; French
