1. Indian Ambassador to France Jawed Ashraf attends Paris Infra Week
Tags: International News
Indian Ambassador to France Jawed Ashraf attended the Paris Infra Week inaugural on October 3.
Important facts
In this event, he highlighted India's infrastructure, digitization, logistics support growth, inclusion, sustainability, sovereignty, strategic autonomy and resilience.
The event was attended by various dignitaries.
India - France relations
India and France have always had traditionally close and friendly relations.
In 1998, the two countries entered into a Strategic Partnership, which marks the convergence of their views on a number of international issues, apart from the close and growing bilateral ties.
There are more than 1000 French businesses in India in diverse sectors like Defence, ITeS, Consultancy, Engineering Services, Heavy Industries etc.
France is the 7th largest foreign investor in India with a cumulative FDI stock of USD 9 billion from 2 April 2000 to December 2020, representing 2% of the total FDI inflows into India.
During the second wave of COVID-19 in India, France supported India with a massive solidarity mission.
The mission was implemented by the Embassy of France in India led along with IFCCI and Team France.
During this mission, 29 state-of-the-art French-built oxygen-generating plants were set up in Indian hospitals across the country and 55 crores (6.1 million Euros) were raised from 55 French and Indian groups.
About France
Prime minister - Élisabeth Borne
Capital - Paris
President - Emmanuel Macron
Currency - euro
Official Language - French
Official Name - French Republic
2. External Affairs Minister S.Jaishankar to visit New Zealand ,Australia from 5 October
Tags: Person in news International News
The External Affair Minister S. Jaishankar will be on an official visit to New Zealand and Australia from 5-11 October 2022. The minister will be visiting New Zealand for the first time as an external affairs minister while he will be visiting Australia for the 2nd time this year.
Visit to New Zealand
According to the Ministry of External Affairs S.Jaishankar will meet the New Zealand Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta and will discuss the whole spectrum of relations between India and New Zealand.
On 6 October he will join New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to honour members of the Indian community for their outstanding achievements and contributions.
According to the ministry “"Both leaders will release India@75 postage stamps to commemorate and showcase Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav in New Zealand,"
'Heartfelt - The Legacy of Faith,' a book highlighting Prime Minister Narendra Modi's special bond with the Sikh community, will also be released on the occasion. Jaishankar will also launch the book 'Modi@20: Dreams Meet Delivery'.
He will also meet with several other leaders of New Zealand like Priyanka Radhakrishnan, Minister for Community and Voluntary Sector, Diversity, Inclusion and Ethnic Communities and Youth.
Priyanka Radhakrishnan, is the first person of India-origin to become minister in New Zealand.
Australian Visit
During his Australian visit he will hold the 13th Foreign Ministers’ Framework Dialogue with his Australian counterpart Penny Wong.
He is also scheduled to meet Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles, as well as the officers from the Australian Navy.
3. Ketanji Brown Jackson appointed as the first black woman Judge of the United States Supreme Court
Tags: Person in news International News
Ketanji Brown Jackson has been appointed as the first Black woman judge of the United States Supreme Court. Jackson is the sixth woman to become the Judge of the United States of America’s Supreme Court.
About the United States of America Supreme Court
- In the United States of America there are two Supreme Courts. Every state in the US has its own Supreme Court which interprets the constitution of the respective state.
- There is a Federal Supreme Court also known as the US Supreme Court which interprets the constitution of the United States of America.
- In the United States all the 50 states have a constitution of their own and the Federal government (United States Government) has a constitution of its own.
- It was set up in 1789.
- It has one Chief Justice and eight other judges.
- The Judges of the Supreme Court are for life. It means they have no retiring age (In India the Supreme Court Judge retires after reaching the age of 65 years)
- The Supreme Court of the United State has a police of its own which enforce its decision (In India supreme Court has no separate police force)
- It is located in Washington D.C
4. Svante Paabo, the scientist who discovered the genome of primitive humans, won the Nobel Prize for Medicine
Tags: Awards Person in news International News
Swedish geneticist Svante Paabo won the 2022 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine on 3 October 2022 for discoveries that help in our understanding of how modern day humans evolved from extinct ancestors.
According to the Nobel Committee, Svante Paabo won the prize for "discoveries concerning the genomes of extinct hominins and human evolution.”
Svante Paabo is currently the director at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany.
Svante Paabo is the son of the Swedish biochemist Karl Sune Detlof Bergström who won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1982.
His pioneering work
He discovered a new human species called the Denisovans, from a 40,000-year-old fragment of a finger bone discovered in Siberia.
During the discovery of the genome of an extinct species of human named Neanderthal, he developed a technique by which the genome of any fossil could be accessed.
Dr. Pebo's more than 40 years of hard work discovered such a technique, which can be used to analyse the genome of millions of years old. Through this technique, factors such as bacteria, fungus, dust, seasonal changes and external chemical changes are cleaned from DNA. In the last 20 years, this technology has gone so far that now millions of DNA can be analysed simultaneously.
What is Genome
Genome is the set of information about genes within a cell. Within the genome, the complete information of that organism is kept in the form of DNA. This information, called the genome, is made up of DNA molecules. Whenever a cell divides or copies, this information is also copied together.
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prize, which is considered to be the most prestigious prize in the world, was created in the will of Swedish dynamite inventor and wealthy businessman Alfred Nobel. The prizes for achievements in science, literature and peace have been awarded since 1901 and the economics prize was first given in 1969.
The prizes carry a cash award of 10 million Swedish kronor (nearly $900,000) and will be handed out on 10 December 2022. 10 December is the death anniversary of Alfred Nobel.
5. Burkina Faso coup: Deposed military leader Damiba 'resigns'
Tags: International News
There has been a military coup in the West African country of Burkina Faso. Deposed military leader Damiba 'resigned' on 2 October. A new military takeover has been announced in Burkina Faso.
Important facts
Paul-Henri Sandogo Damiba offered his resignation, to avoid confrontation with serious human and material consequences.
Nine months ago, the President was removed from office through a military coup in the country, for the first time in 2022.
On 29 September, 2022, an army officer on state television announced the dissolution of the current government and the dismissal of the junta leader, President Lieutenant-Colonel Paul Henri Damiba.
Army Captain Ibrahim Traore will now take over the reins of the country's ruling junta, as president of the Patriotic Movement for Safeguards and Restoration.
About Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso is a landlocked country in West Africa.
It is bordered by Mali to the northwest, Niger to the northeast, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south, and the Ivory Coast to the southwest.
It was formerly called the Republic of Upper Volta.
Capital - Ouagadougou
Form Of Government - military regime
Official Language - French
Currency - Franc
6. Nord Stream pipeline leakages
Tags: International News
Sweden's coast guard said on 29 September that it had detected a fourth leak in two damaged Nord Stream pipelines.
Important facts
These leaks are occurring in important Nord Stream pipelines (Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2).
These pipelines carry natural gas from Russia through the Baltic Sea to Germany.
Earlier this week two other leaks were found near Denmark.
The Danish military released a video saying it had seen gas bubbles on the surface of the sea off the island of Bornholm.
At the time of the leak, both were not supplying gas to Europe. Methane leaks from broken pipelines have also caused serious concern to environmentalists.
Germany is Russia’s biggest European gas consumer, and most of it comes through the Nord Stream.
Nord Stream Pipeline
Nord Stream has two pipelines, each containing two lines.
Nord Stream 1
It was completed in 2011. It runs from Vyborg in northwest Russia to Lubmin in northeastern Germany via the Baltic Sea.
Nord Stream 2
In 2015, Russian energy major Gazprom and five other European firms decided to form Nord Stream 2.
It runs from Ust-Luga in Russia to Greifswald in Germany through the Baltic Sea and was completed in September 2021.
It will carry 55 billion cubic metres of gas every year.
Nord Stream 1 and 2 together will supply an aggregate of 110 billion cubic metres of gas to Germany per year.
The pipeline falls in the territory of EU members Germany and Denmark.
In December 2019, work on the project was suspended due to the threat of US sanctions.
In January 2021, the US sanctioned a Russian ship carrying out pipe laying work for the project.
An agreement was reached between the US and Germany on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.
Top 5 Natural Gas producing Countries
United States - 914.6 billion Cubic Meters
Russia - 638.5 billion Cubic Meters
Iran - 250.8 billion Cubic Meters
China - 194 billion Cubic Meters
Qatar 171.3 billion Cubic Meters
Top 5 Countries that Consume the Most Natural Gas
United States
Russia
China
Iran
Canada
Top 5 Countries with the Largest Natural Gas Reserves
Russia
Iran
Qatar
Turkmenistan
United States
7. 129 football fans dies in a stampede at football match in Indonesia
Tags: Sports International News
At least 129 people were killed and dozens injured in a stampede after violence broke out at a football match held on 1 October 2022 in Indonesia. The incident occurred during a football match of Indonesian top league BRI Liga 1 at the Kanjuruhan Stadium in Malang Regency in East Java.
According to the police, supporters from the losing side Arema FC invaded the pitch following a match between Arema FC and Persebaya Surabaya, leading to a stampede and cases of suffocation.
The league has suspended games for a week following the riot and the Arema FC team has also been prohibited from hosting any matches for the rest of the competition this season.
Indonesia
It was earlier known as Dutch East Indies (Netherland East Indies) and it became Independent from the Netherlands on 17 August 1945.
It is the world's largest archipelago consisting of 17,500 islands.
Borneo island of Indonesia is the third largest island in the world after Greenland and New Guinea.
There are more than 100 active volcanoes in the country and the most famous being Krakatoa and Mount Merapi.
It has the world’s largest Muslim population.
Capital: Jakarta
Currency: Rupiah
President: Joko Widodo
8. Burkina Faso leader Damiba deposed in a military coup
Tags: International News
A group of Burkina Faso army soldiers announced on 30 September 2022 that they have removed Lt. Col. Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba from the post of President, who himself came to power through a military coup.
The soldiers introduced Captain Ibrahim Traore as the new leader of the country.
Traore said Burkina Faso's government and constitution had been dissolved.
Leaders of the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS), the political and economic union of fifteen countries in the region, condemned the coup.
Burkina Faso
It is a landlocked country in West Africa. It was earlier called the Upper Volta.
It was a French colony which gained its independence in 1964.
Capital: Ouagadougou
Currency: CFA franc
9. China Withdraws Proposal Against AUKUS Nuclear Submarines Plan At IAEA
Tags: International News
India's diplomatic prowess at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) forced China to withdraw its proposal against AUKUS (United Group of Australia, Britain and America) on 30 September.
Important facts
China tried to get the resolution passed at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) general conference held in Vienna from 26 to 30 September 2021.
The AUKUS (Australia, UK and US) Security Partnership had announced that it would facilitate Australia to acquire technology to build nuclear-powered submarines.
On 30 September, China argued that the initiative violated its responsibilities under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). It also criticized the role of the IAEA in this respect.
India's well-considered role helped many countries to take a clear stand on the Chinese proposal.
The Indian Mission to the IAEA in Vienna worked closely with many IAEA member states in this regard.
When China realized that its proposal would not get majority, it withdrew its draft resolution on 30 September.
AUKUS Alliance
In September 2021 Australia, United States and United Kingdom (AUKUS) made an announcement to develop hypersonic missiles.
They will work together through a security alliance called AUKUS to develop hypersonic missiles.
The move comes amid growing concerns from the US and allies about China's growing military influence in the Pacific.
10. India abstains on UNSC resolution condemning Russia’s ‘referenda’ in Ukraine
Tags: International News
India abstained from voting on a draft resolution tabled by the US and Albania at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on September 30 that condemned Russia's illegal referendum and its occupation of Ukrainian territories.
Important facts
The resolution demanded that Russia immediately withdraw its forces from Ukraine.
15 Security Council countries were supposed to vote on this resolution, but Russia used a veto against it, due to which the resolution could not be passed.
10 of the 15 Security Council countries voted in favor of the resolution, while China, Gabon, India and Brazil did not participate.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that the occupation of another country's territory by threat or use of force is a violation of the United Nations Charter and the principles of international law.
India's position has been clear and consistent from the very beginning of this conflict.
She said that the global order is based on the principles of the United Nations Charter, international law and respect for sovereignty and the territorial integrity of all states. Rhetoric or escalation of tension is not in anyone's interest.
On 30 September, Russian President Putin submitted his claim to the Ukrainian territories of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhya.
It was also decided by the Security Council that Russia "immediately, completely and unconditionally" withdraw all its military forces from the territory of Ukraine.
About UNSC :
It was established in 1945 by the United Nations Charter.
It is one of the six major organs of the United Nations.
The other 5 organs of the United Nations are - the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), the Trusteeship Council, the Economic and Social Council, the International Court of Justice and the Secretariat.
It has five permanent members - China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, collectively known as the P5.
India is currently a non-permanent member of the UNSC for a two-year term, which expires in December.
Any one of them can veto a resolution.
Headquarters - New York
