1. Bangladesh launches interactive gaming portal to mark Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s birthday
Tags: International News
Bangladesh launched its first interactive gaming platform named ‘Hasina and Friends’ to mark the 75th birth anniversary of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on September 28.
Important facts
Unveiling this platform, Minister of State for ICT Junaid Ahmed Palak said that it is the first learning platform built in Bangladesh.
The Minister announced that from now on every year Hasina and Friends Festival will be organized in which children will also be rewarded.
About interactive gaming platform ‘Hasina and Friends’
It is designed to educate children about the environment, education and digital connectivity.
Children will be able to learn many life skills through this gaming platform.
It has been designed to foster creativity among children, make them smart and inculcate in them progressive and liberal values.
This will give a boost to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Vision 2041 to make Bangladesh a developed country.
Through this platform, children will be taught the lessons of the history, culture and development of Bangladesh.
About Sheikh Hasina
Sheikh Hasina secured a fourth term as prime minister after winning the 2018 general election.
Hasina has become the longest-serving Prime Minister of Bangladesh since independence.
2. Colombia and Venezuela reopen border crossing after 7 years
Tags: International News
Colombia and Venezuela on 26 September 2022 reopened their border after years of impasse and also re-established diplomatic relations.
The reopening was a key campaign promise of the left-wing Colombian President Gustavo Petro, who assumed office last month.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro and the Venezuelan delegation accompanied the first cargo truck to cross the Simon Bolivar bridge that connects both the countries.
Why were the Border crossing closed ?
The Simon Bolivar Bridge had officially been closed to trade for nearly seven years. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro ordered border crossings closed in 2015 as a crackdown on smuggling.
In 2019, tensions between the two countries rose after the right wing government in Colombia attempted to deliver aid to the right wing Venezuelan opposition who are opposed to the left wing President Maduro.
Colombia
It is located in North West South America.
Colombia is the world’s largest producer of emeralds and one of South America’s largest producers of gold.
Capital: Bogota
Currency: Colombian peso
President: Gustavo Petro
Venezuela
It is located at the northern end of South America.
World’s highest waterfall, Angel Fall (979 meters) is in Venezuela.
Capital: Caracas
Currency: bolívar soberano
President: Nicolás Maduro
3. ICAO sign agreement with International Solar Alliance to promote solar use in Aviation sector
Tags: International News
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with International Solar Alliance (ISA) to reduce the growth of carbon dioxide emissions in the international aviation sector. The agreement was signed in Montreal, Canada on 27 September 2022.
With the headquarter of ISA being in Gurugram, the agreement was received by the Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia as a host country of ISA.
Under the MoU the ICAO and ISA will scale up the deployment of solar energy solutions for aircraft, airports, and other aviation-related applications.
ICAO has become the latest International organisation to Join ISA. In September 2022, Bhutan became the 86th country to ratify the ISA agreement .
The International Solar Alliance was launched by the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the French President Emmanuel Macron in 2015 to implement the Paris agreement on climate change.
It promotes the use of sun energy so as to reduce the emission of greenhouse gasses.
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
It is a specialised agency of the United Nations which was set up on 4 April 1947.
The ICAO is dedicated to developing safe and efficient international air transport for peaceful purposes and ensuring a reasonable opportunity for every state to operate international airlines.
Headquarters; Montreal, Canada
Members: 193 countries
ICAO Secretary General: Juan Carlos Salazar
4. Sahar Al Rumaih becomes the first women deputy governor of Kuwait’s Central Bank
Tags: Economy/Finance Person in news International News
Kuwait has appointed Sahar Al Rumaih as the deputy governor of its central bank, Central Bank of Kuwait.
It is for the first time that a woman has been appointed to this post in the country.
The first woman deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India was KJ Udeshi . She was appointed for this post in 2003.
Basel A. Al-Haroon is the governor of the Central Bank of Kuwait.
Kingdom of Kuwait
It is an Arab country situated in the Arabian Peninsula along the Persian Gulf in West Asia.
It is a small Kingdom/Emirate, situated between Saudi Arabia and Iraq.
Capital: Kuwait city
Currency: Kuwaiti Dinar
King/Emir: Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah
Prime Minister: Sheikh Ahmed Nawaf Al-Sabah
5. S Jaishankar meets US Secretary of Defense LIoyd J Austin in Washington
Tags: International Relations International News
External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar met US Secretary of Defense LIoyd J Austin in Washington on 26 September.
Important facts
Jaishankar said defence and security cooperation is a key pillar of the contemporary India-US partnership.
The two leaders noted continued progress in policy exchange, interoperability, defence trade, services and military-industrial cooperation.
They also exchanged their perspectives on the Ukraine conflict, Indo-Pacific development, maritime challenges and regional issues.
Jaishankar also met US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo.
The main topics of interaction were - Resilient Supply Chain, Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, High Technology Cooperation, Semiconductors and Trade Promotion.
The External Affairs Minister began his Washington DC program with a round table organized by the National Science Foundation (NSF).
The session covered technical security, credible research and talent development.
S Jaishankar is in the US on a 10-day visit to hold bilateral consultations with several US cabinet ministers.
6. INS Tarkash at Port Gentil, first-ever visit by an Indian Navy ship to Gabon
Tags: Defence International News
The Defence Ministry said on 26 September that INS Tarkash has visited a port in Gabon as part of an ongoing deployment in the Gulf of Guinea for anti-piracy patrols.
Important facts
This marks the first visit by any Indian Naval Ship to Gabon.
During its stay in port, the ship and its crew will participate in official and professional interactions as well as sport fixtures.
Their professional interactions will include discussions and exercises on firefighting and damage control, medical and casualty evacuation issues, and dive operations.
Apart from this, yoga sessions and social interactions are also planned.
About INS Tarkash
INS Tarkash is a state-of-the-art stealth frigate of the Indian Navy.
It is built by Yantar Shipyard at Kaliningrad, Russia.
It is equipped with a versatile range of weapons and sensors capable of addressing threats in all three dimensions.
The ship incorporates the latest stealth features such as low radar, infra-red, acoustic and magnetic signatures, making it difficult to detect at sea.
The ship is part of the Western Fleet of the Indian Navy based at Mumbai under the Western Naval Command.
About Gabon
It is a country on the west coast of Central Africa.
Prime Minister - Rose Christiane Ossouka Raponda
President - Ali Ben Bongo Ondimba
Capital - Libreville
Official Language - French
7. Giorgia Meloni to become the first female Prime Minister of Italy
Tags: Person in news International News
A coalition of the right wing alliance has won a majority in the recently held Italian parliamentary election on 25 September 2022.
The coalition has won 235 seats in the 400 member Italian Parliament's lower house, Chamber of Deputies.
The Brother of Italy party led by Giorgia Meloni emerged the largest single party with 118 seats.
She is likely to be the first female Prime minister of Italy after the foundation of the Italian Republic in 1946.
She will be the 31st Prime Minister of Italy.
The Italian parliament has two houses. The upper house called the Senate has 200 members and the lower house called the Chamber of deputies has 400 members.
President of Italy: Sergio Mattarella
Currency of Italy: Euro
Capital of Italy: Rome
8. Prime Minister Modi arrives in Japan to attend the state funeral of former Japanese PM Shinzo Abe
Tags: Person in news International News
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reached Tokyo on 26 September 2022 to participate in the state funeral of the former Japanese Prime minister Shinzo Abe to be held on 27 September 2022.
Shinzo Abe was shot dead on 8 July 2022 while campaigning for a parliamentary election.
The state funeral to be held in Budokan will be attended by representatives of over 100 countries including 20 heads of state or head of government.
Pm Modi would meet separately with his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida and Shinzo Abe's wife in Japan.
Indian and Japan relationship during Shinzo Abe leadership
- PM Modi and Shinzo Abe shared very close ties and the latter had gone on record to call PM Modi his most dependable friend. The close ties between the two leaders helped bolster Indo-Japan ties to a special strategic and global partnership.
- In 2017, he visited Ahmedabad to lay the foundation of India's first bullet train (from Ahmedabad to Mumbai).
- He was also the chief guest at the Republic Day parade in 2014 during the UPA government.
- He addressed the joint session of the Indian Parliament in 2007.
- He was given India's second-highest civilian award Padma Vibhushan in 2021.
Japan
- Japan is also called as Nihon or Nippon
- It is an archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean in East Asia.
- It is composed of four main islands Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu. Honshu is the largest island of Japan.
- It is separated from the Asian mainland by the Sea of Japan.
- Its highest mountain is Mount Fuji.
- It is the third largest economy in the world after the United States and China.
- It is the only country in the world where atom bomb was dropped. In 1945 the U.S. dropped atomic bomb on Hiroshima on 6 August (bomb name Little Boy) and Nagasaki on 9 August (Bomb name Fat Man).
Prime Minister: Fumio Kishida
Capital of Japan: Tokyo
Currency of Japan: Yen
9. A red alert issued in the Philippines due to Super Typhoon Noru
Tags: International News
Officials issued a red alert on September 25 as Super Typhoon Noru advanced in the Philippines.
Important facts
As the cyclone devastated the country's eastern islands, citizens have been asked to evacuate high-risk areas immediately.
Due to the Typhoon, winds gusting up to 240 kilometers per hour have increased the risk of landslides, floods and cyclones in the capital Manila.
The intensity of the cyclone has increased by 90 kmph in 24 hours.
A warning has also been issued for the island of Luzon in the Philippines.
Fishermen in Quezon province have been advised not to venture into the sea due to Typhoon Noru.
In December 2021, Cyclone Rai caused widespread destruction in the Philippines and killed around 400 people.
Cyclone 'Noru' is believed to be the most powerful cyclone to hit the Southeast Asian country this year.
About the Philippines
It is a country located in Southeast Asia.
The official name of this country, made up of a group of islands located in the western Pacific Ocean, is 'Republic of the Philippines'.
Its capital is Manila.
The Philippines is bounded on the east by the Philippines Ocean, on the west by the South China Sea, and on the south by the Celebes Sea.
10. INS Sunayna in Seychelles
Tags: Defence International News
INS Sunayna entered Port Victoria Seychelles on 24 Sep 22 to participate in the annual training exercise Operation Southern Readiness of Combined Maritime Forces (CMF).
Important facts
This reaffirms the commitment of the Indian Navy to maritime security in the Indian Ocean region.
It also marks the first participation of an Indian Navy ship in the CMF exercise.
The ship is scheduled to participate as an associate participant in the capacity building exercise organized by the CMF.
Representative delegations from USA, Italy, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and ships from UK, Spain and India are participating in the joint training exercise.
INS Sunayna
It is the second Saryu-class patrol vessel of the Indian Navy.
It was designed and constructed indigenously by the Goa Shipyard Limited.
It is designed for fleet operations, coastal and offshore patrol, maritime surveillance and monitoring of sea lines of communication, and offshore asset and maintenance work.
In June 2018, it was deployed as part of "Operation Nistar", a HADR mission to evacuate Indian citizens from cyclone-hit Socotra islands.
About Combined Maritime Forces (CMF)
It is a multi-national naval partnership to promote security, stability and prosperity across approximately 3.2 million square miles of international waters.
Its main focus areas are counter-narcotics, counter-smuggling, suppressing piracy, encouraging regional cooperation etc.
