1. Over 60 people dead in the Indonesian earthquake
Tags: place in news Science and Technology International News
A 5.6-magnitude earthquake killed more than 60 people and injured hundreds in Indonesia's West Java province on 21 November 2022. However the death toll is likely to rise further as many are still trapped under the rubbles.
The epicentre was near the town of Cianjur in West Java, about 75 km (45 miles) southeast of the capital, Jakarta.
Indonesia lies across the "Pacific Ring of Fire", a highly seismically active zone, where different plates on the Earth's crust meet and create a large number of earthquakes and volcanoes.
In 2004, a 9.1 magnitude quake off Sumatra Island in northern Indonesia triggered a tsunami that struck 14 countries, killing 226,000 people along the Indian Ocean coastline, more than half of them in Indonesia.
Earthquake
Earthquakes happen when the plates of the earth collide with each other. The earth's lithosphere consists of 7 major plates and they float over the molten surface of the upper mantle. When they collide energy waves are released which causes vibration on the surface of the Earth known as Earthquake.
The location below the earth’s surface where the earthquake starts is called the hypocenter, and the location directly above it on the surface of the earth is called the epicenter.
Earthquakes are recorded by instruments called seismographs. The recording they make is called a seismogram.
The scale for measuring earthquakes is called the Richter scale. It is a mathematical scale used to measure the intensity of earthquake waves. It ranges from 0 to 9. However it can be more than 9.
2. New Zealand Supreme Court rules voting age of 18 is discriminatory in the country
Tags: International News
The Supreme Court of New Zealand has in a decision delivered on 21 November 2022 ruled that the country's current voting age of 18 was discriminatory. The Supreme Court found that the current voting age of 18 was inconsistent with the country's Bill of Rights, which gives people a right to be free from age discrimination when they have reached 16.
The case which was filed by the advocacy group Make It 16 in 2020 welcomed the ruling of the court and termed it historic.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the government would draft legislation to reduce the age to 16, which could then be put to a vote in parliament.
Voting age in the world
Maximum country in the world allow voting rights to citizens after completion of 18 years. However there are certain countries in the world which allows 16 years to vote. They are: Brazil, Ecuador, Austria, Cuba, Guernsey, Isle of Man, Jersey, Malta, Nicaragua and Scotland.
Voting age in India
The voting age in India was 21 years since the promulgation of the constituting in 1950. However by 61st constitution amendment act 1988 the voting age was reduced to 18 years.
New Zealand
It is an island country in South Pacific Ocean. The indigenous people of New Zealand are called Maoris.
The island was discovered by Dutch explorer Abel Janszoon Tasman in 1642.
New Zealand is famous for its flightless bird Kiwi.
Its economy is dominated by agriculture (sheep raising).
It is a constitutional monarchy with the King of Britain being its Head of the State.
Prime Minister: Jacinda Ardern
Currency: New Zealand Dollar
Capital: Wellington
3. India emerges as a top investment destination for Sovereign investors
Tags: Economy/Finance International News
According to a report of the American Asset Management company Invesco, India has emerged as the second most preferred investment market after the United States for sovereign wealth funds and public pension’s funds in 2022.
The Invesco Global Sovereign Asset Management Study is based on the opinion of 139 Chief investment officers of the sovereign wealth funds and public pension’s funds.
According to Invesco, the United States remained the top destination for the sovereign wealth funds and public pension’s funds but to balance the risk many fund manager wants to invest in the emerging markets. The most beneficiaries of this shift to the emerging market is India.
Among emerging markets India has overtaken China as the most popular emerging market. This year China has been ranked at 6th place.
One main reason has been that many funds are reducing their exposure in China and they are attracted to India due to its positive economic reforms and strong demographic profile.
According to the report Sovereign investors manage some $33 trillion in assets. Average annual returns for sovereign investors over the past decade stood at 6.5%. However, 2022 could prove to be a turning point with higher inflation and tighter monetary policy hitting long-term expected returns.
Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF)
Sovereign means Government of a country. Thus sovereign wealth fund (SWF) is a fund owned by a Government of a country. It is normally a surplus money which a government has and it is used to invest in the stock or debt market of other countries for a better return on investment.
It is managed either by a company set up by the government or it is managed by the central bank of the country.
There has been proposal to set up an SWF in India but till date no such fund has been set up.
SWF are considered as long term investors.
Some of the famous and largest SWF are:
Norway Government Pension Fund Global, China Investment Corporation, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority.
4. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan re-elected as President
Tags: Person in news International News
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan has been re-elected as the President of Kazakhstan. According to the Kazakhstan Election Commission he has won 81.31% of the votes polled in the Presidential election held on 20 November 2022.
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev became the President of Kazakhstan on 29 March 2019 after the resignation of the first President of Kazakhstan Nur Sultan Nazarbayev.
On 6 September 2022 the Kazakhstan constitution was amended and the term of the President was extended to 7 years from 5 years and a person can become the president of Kazakhstan only once. Since the constitutional amendment is being considered a new constitution, Tokayev became eligible to contest the Presidential election held on 20 November 2022. His earlier term as President is not being counted.
Kazakhstan was part of the Soviet Union which gained Independence on 16 December 1991, after the disintegration of the Soviet Union.
It lies in Central Asia. It is the largest country in central Asia and 9th largest country in the world.
Capital: Astana
Currency : Tenge
5. India launches official website of SCO 2023 with a theme of ‘For a SECURE SCO’
Tags: International News
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has launched the official website of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) with the theme of a SECURE SCO. The website will highlight the events that will be undertaken under the chairmanship of India next year.
During the 22nd Head of State summit meeting 2022 of the SCO at Samarkand, Uzbekistan in September, India formally received the SCO rotating presidency. India will hold the presidency of the grouping for a year until September 2023.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had floated the concept of SECURE at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in China in 2018. Explaining the SECURE concept, the Prime Minister said ‘S’ for security for citizens, ‘E’ for economic development, ‘C’ for connectivity in the region, ‘U’ for unity, ‘R’ for respect of sovereignty and integrity, and ‘E' for environment protection.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization is a regional group of 8 countries of Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India and Pakistan .
6. India participates in ‘4th meeting of Moscow Format Consultations on Afghanistan’ held in Russia
Tags: place in news Summits International News
India participated in the fourth meeting of the Moscow Format Consultations on Afghanistan held in Moscow on 16 November 2022. Special Envoys and Senior Officials from Russia, China, Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan also participated in the meeting.
According to the External Affairs Ministry, the participants discussed issues related to Afghanistan. These include the current humanitarian situation and the ongoing efforts of various stakeholders to provide assistance, intra-Afghan talks, formation of an inclusive and representative government, efforts to counter threats of terrorism and ensuring regional security.
Moscow Format Consultations on Afghanistan
The Moscow Format Consultations on Afghanistan, launched in 2017, is a regional platform on Afghanistan involving the special envoys of Russia, Afghanistan, India, Iran, China, and Pakistan.
Its mandate is to facilitate political reconciliation between the then-internationally backed Kabul government and the Taliban, establish peace, and ensure regional security.
7. Russia and Ukraine agree to further extend the Black Sea grain deal by four months
Tags: Russia-Ukraine International News
Russia and Ukraine have agreed to extend the Black sea grain deal brokered by the United Nations and Turkiye by another 120 days. The agreement which was originally signed on 22 July 2022 was set to expire on 19 November 2022. The deal allows grain exports from the designated Ukrainian Black Sea port through a safe corridor in the Black Sea.
The agreement was reached between Russia, Ukraine, Turkiye and the United Nations at Istanbul, Turkiye.
The deal faced its first major crisis when Russia announced that it was suspending the agreement on 29 October 2022 after Ukraine attacked the Russian Black Sea Fleet near Sevastopol. However later Russia agreed to continue the deal.
The deal will continue with the existing provisions. Ships will carry grain from three Ukrainian ports of Chornomorsk, Odesa and Yuzhny .They will travel through the humanitarian corridor set up in the Black Sea and stop in Istanbul for inspection before continuing to the final destination.
The grain deal is vital for many African countries as they face crop failure due to weather extremes and internal conflicts. The nations that will benefit from the deal include Egypt , Djibouti, Somalia and Sudan Senegal, Rwanda, Congo, Libya, Tanzania and Namibia.
8. Indians no longer need police clearance for Saudi Arabia visas
Tags: National International News
The Saudi Arabian embassy in India has announced that it will exempt Indian nationals from submitting a police clearance certificate (PCC) while applying to travel to the country. Over two million Indian citizens live in Saudi Arabia. The new rule would make visa application processing faster and easier for the Indians visiting Saudi Arabia.
According to the Saudi embassy this decision was taken as a part of the efforts of the two countries to further strengthen their relations.
A police clearance certificate is a document that Indian nationals willing to go abroad for employment, residential status, or long-term visa need to apply for if required by the visa of the destination country. The document helps in knowing the criminal record of the person.
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia is a West Asian kingdom founded by Ibn Saud in 1923. The country is known for its oil and Islam.
- According to the BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2020, Saudi Arabia has the world’s 2nd largest oil reserves in the world after Venezuela.
- At present it is the world's largest exporter of crude oil.
- It has two of the holiest shrine of Islam, Mecca and Medina mosque
- The world's largest mosque Al-Haram or forbidden mosques is in Mecca.
- The world's second largest mosque, Mosque of the Prophet, or Masjid al-Nabawi is in Medina.
- The Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) headquarters is also in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
- The world’s largest sand area, the Rub al-Khali (“Empty Quarter”) which is spread around 647,500 square km, is also in Saudi Arabia.
Capital of Saudi Arabia: Riyadh
Currency: Saudi Riyal
King of Saudi Arabia: King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia: Mohammed bin Salman
9. APEC summit disrupted in Bangkok due to North Korean ICBM test
Tags: Summits International News
The 29th summit meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) being held in Bangkok, Thailand was briefly interrupted on 18 November 2022 as they condemned the North Korea for its fresh test of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). ICBM is a land based nuclear capable ballistic missile with a range of 5,600 Km or more.
The two-day (18 & 19 November) summit meeting was inaugurated by the Prime Minister of Thailand Prayuth Chan-ocha on 18 November 2022.
The U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris called an emergency gathering of leaders from Australia, Japan, South Korea, Canada and New Zealand on the sidelines of the summit after North Korea carried out the missile test just an hour before its inauguration.
This is the third summit level meeting in the Asia Pacific region within a month after the East Asia Summit in Cambodia and G-20 summit at Bali, Indonesia.
Russia is a member of both G20 and APEC but President Vladimir Putin has stayed away from the summits. First Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov is representing him at APEC.
The next Summit meeting will be held in the United States of America in 2023.
India is not a member of APEC.
Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) is a regional economic forum with 21 member economies across Asia-Pacific region.
It was set up in 1989 to promote regional economic integration under a non-legally binding manner and friendly environment.
APEC group countries account for 38% of the global population, 62% of world’s gross domestic product and 48% of the world trade.
21 Member of APEC are:
Australia; Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand; United States, China; Hong Kong, Chinese Taipei(Taiwan), Mexico ,Papua New Guinea ,Chile , Peru; Russia; and Vietnam.
Headquarters: Singapore
10. India fastest growing market for Microsoft owned professional networking site LinkedIn
Tags: Economy/Finance International News
The Microsoft owned business networking service company LinkedIn Chief Executive Officer Ryan Roslansky has said that India has become LinkedIn’s fastest-growing market as more and more companies and advertisers come online, with sales in the country rising at a 50% year-on-year .
He was speaking at the sidelines of the Bloomberg New Economy Forum meeting in Singapore.
He said that LinkedIn is looking for new business opportunities outside the United States as the economic situation in the United States is expected to become worse.
The majority of LinkedIn’s growth is happening outside of the United States, he said, adding that new members are joining the networking site in markets such as India, Indonesia and Western Europe.
LinkedIn is a social network of professionals designed to help people make business connections, share their experiences and resumes, and find jobs.
