1. India, EU resume free trade talks after 9-year lull
Tags: International News
As per the Ministry of Commerce and Industry India and the European Union (EU) have resumed free talks for free trade agreement (FTA) after a nine years lull.
Negotiations were resumed on 17 June at an event held at the European Union Headquarters in Brussels.
India's Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, and Valdis Dombrovskis, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission, formally re-launched the India-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations.
The first round of India-EU Free Trade Agreement talks is scheduled to begin in New Delhi on June 27.
In addition, negotiations for an Investment Protection Agreement (IPA) and a Geographical Indication (GI) agreement were also initiated.
This will be one of the most important FTAs for India as the EU is its second largest trading partner after the US.
India and the European Union (EU) trade
India-EU trade registered an all-time high of $116.36 billion in 2021-22, registering a year-on-year growth of 43.5%.
India's exports to the EU grew by 57% to $65 billion in FY 2021-22.
India has a surplus trade with the EU.
European Union (EU)
It is an international organisation made up of European countries, which was formed in 1993.
It is a group of 28 countries that act as a cohesive economic and political bloc.
19 of these countries use the euro as their official currency.
9 EU members -Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Sweden, and the United Kingdom do not use the euro.
Its goal is to promote peace and the well-being of all citizens of the EU.
2. Somalia's president appointed Hamza Abdi Barre as prime minister
Tags: Person in news International News
Somalia's President Hassan Sheikh Mohamed has appointed Hamza Abdi Barre, former chairman of the Jubaland State Election Commission, as prime minister.
Hamza Abdi Barre, 48, of the semi-autonomous state of Jubaland, replaced Mohamed Hussein Roble.
Recently Hassan Sheikh Mohamed was elected the new President of Somalia.
About Somalia
Somalia is a country located on the eastern edge of Africa.
It is bordered by Djibouti to the northwest, Kenya to the southwest, the Gulf of Aden to the north, the Indian Ocean to the east, and Ethiopia to the west.
Somalia is a semi-arid country with about 1.64% of the arable land.
Capital- Mogadishu
Currency - Somali shilling
3. China to host 14th BRICS Summit in Beijing on June 23
Tags: International News
Chinese President Xi Jinping will host the 14th BRICS Summit in Beijing on June 23.
The Summit will be held in virtual format under the theme of "Foster High-quality BRICS Partnership, Usher in a New Era for Global Development".
President Xi Jinping will host the High-level Dialogue on Global Development in Beijing on June 24.
Under the "BRICS Plus" format, the leaders of emerging countries invited to the upcoming summit are also expected to participate.
China introduced the "BRICS Plus" format last year by inviting some countries from different regions at the Xiaomi summit.
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).
For more information please visit 21 May 2022 news
4. Biden nominates Indian-American Radha Iyengar to top Pentagon position
Tags: International News
President Joe Biden has nominated Indian-American Radha Iyengar Plumb to the top post at the Pentagon.
She is currently serving as the Chief of Staff to the Deputy Minister of Defence.
She has now been nominated for the post of Deputy Under Secretary, Defence for Acquisition and Sustainment.
Prior to her appointment as Chief of Staff, she was the Director of Research and Insights for Trust and Security at Google and led the team in business analytics, data science and technical research.
She has also served as the Global Head of Policy Analysis at Facebook.
She has also served in several senior positions on national security issues in the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Energy and the White House National Security Council.
Ms. Plumb was also a senior economist at the RAND Corporation, where she focused on improving the measurement and evaluation of preparedness and security efforts at the Department of Defence.
Early in her career, she was an assistant professor at the London School of Economics and did her postdoctoral work from Harvard.
She received her PhD in Economics from Princeton University.
5. Iraq's 'Pearl of the South' Lake Sawa dry due to water crisis
Tags: International News
Iraq's famous and prominent Lake Sawa has dried up for the first time in its centuries-old history.
Locals believe that the lake has dried up due to mismanagement by local investors, neglect of the government and climate change.
About Sawa Lake
It is a biodiversity-rich wetland located near the city of Samwa, south of Iraq's capital, Baghdad.
Sawa Lake is mentioned in some old Islamic texts.
It is said that the lake was created miraculously on the day Prophet Muhammad was born in 570 AD
Thousands of religious tourists come every year to take a dip in the holy waters of this lake.
In 2014, Lake Sawa was designated a Ramsar Site, an international designation for significant wetlands, recognized as a rare area in need of conservation.
This lake was known as the pearl of the south.
6. ASEAN-India Foreign Ministers’ Meet
Tags: Popular International News
India is hosting the special ASEAN-India Foreign Ministers' Meeting in New Delhi from June 16-17 to mark the 30th anniversary of the dialogue relations. It also marks the 10th anniversary of India's strategic partnership with ASEAN.
The year 2022 has been designated as the ASEAN-India Friendship Year.
This is the first time that India is hosting such a special meeting with ASEAN foreign ministers.
External Affairs Minister, Dr. S. Jaishankar and Vivian Balakrishnan, Foreign Minister of the Republic of Singapore will co-chair the meeting.
Myanmar's foreign minister is unlikely to attend the 24th ASEAN-India Ministerial Summit.
Foreign Ministers of other ASEAN Member States and ASEAN Secretary General will participate in the meeting.
The theme of the meeting - Building Bridges in the Indo-Pacific.
ASEAN-India dialogue
It was initiated in 1992 with the establishment of the Regional Partnership, which evolved into a Full Dialogue in December 1995, a Summit-level Partnership in 2002, and a Strategic Partnership in 2012.
At present, the ASEAN-India Strategic Partnership stands on a strong foundation.
ASEAN is central to India's Act East Policy and the Comprehensive Indo-Pacific Strategy.
This multi-faceted partnership includes several regional dialogue mechanisms and working groups that meet regularly at various levels and include annual summits, ministerial and senior officials' meetings.
Ongoing India-ASEAN cooperation is guided by the 2021-2025 Action Plan that was adopted in 2020.
About ASEAN
Association of Southeast Asian Nations or ASEAN is an international organisation formed in Bangkok,Thailand in 1967.
It promotes economic development, peace, security, social progress and cultural development in the Southeast Asian region.
ASEAN Secretariat – Indonesia, Jakarta.
General Secretary of ASEAN - Lim Jock Hoi, Brunei
Official Languages - Burmese, Filipino, Indonesian, Khmer, Lao, Malay, Mandarin, Tamil, Thai and Vietnamese
Working Language - English
ASEAN Summit is the supreme policy making body of ASEAN.
ASEAN is third largest market in the world
It is the sixth largest economy in the world, third in Asia.
ASEAN has Free-trade agreements (FTAs) with China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand.
ASEAN Member Countries
Indonesia
Malaysia
Philippines
Singapore
Thailand
Brunei
Vietnam
Laos
Myanmar
Cambodia
For more details please visit News of 13 May 2022
7. Indian Naval Ships Sahyadri, Kamorta on 3-day visit to Jakarta
Tags: Defence International News
As part of deployment to South East Asia, Indian Naval Ships INS Sahyadri and Kamorta are on a three-day visit to Jakarta.
During the visit, Indian Navy personnel will participate in interactions with the Indonesian Navy (TNI-AL) towards further enhancing interoperability and mutual cooperation.
In addition, a number of social and informal exchanges are also planned with an aim to strengthen ties and mutual understanding between the navies.
The visit of INS ships seeks to enhance maritime cooperation and strengthen India's friendship with Indonesia which will contribute towards security and stability in the region.
INS Sahyadri
It is the Shivalik-class advanced, guided-missile frigate warship.
It is built by the Mazagon Dock Limited, Mumbai.
It was launched in 2005.
It was commissioned along with INS Shivalik (F-47), INS Satpura (F-48) into the Indian Navy on July 21st, 2012.
It is 468 feet in length and 55 feet in breadth.
It has a displacement capacity of 6,800 tons.
It has a massive surface speed of 32 knots.
INS Kamorta
INS Kamorta is first of the four ASW Stealth Corvettes.
It was designed by the Navy’s in-house organisation, the Directorate of Naval Design (DND), under Project 28.
With a length of 110 m, width of 14 m and a displacing capacity of 3500 tonnes, it can achieve a speed of 25 knots.
It is suited with anti-submarine rockets and torpedoes, medium and close-in weapon systems and indigenous surveillance radar Revathi.
It was commissioned on 23 Aug 2014.
8. Cabinet approves MoA for setting up BIMSTEC tech transfer centre in Colombo
Tags: International News National News
The Union Cabinet has approved a memorandum of association (MoA) by India for the establishment of BIMSTEC Technology Transfer Centre in Colombo, Sri lanka.
The MoA was signed by the BIMSTEC member countries at the 5th BIMSTEC Summit held at Colombo, Sri Lanka on 30th March, 2022.
Objective of Technology Transfer Centre
To strengthen coordination, facilitation and cooperation in technology transfer among BIMSTEC member states.
Promoting the transfer of technologies, sharing of experiences and capacity building.
Priority areas
Biotechnology, Nanotechnology, Information and Communication Technology, Space technology applications, Agricultural technology, Food processing technology.
Pharmaceutical technology automation, New and renewable energy technology automation, New and Renewable energy technology, Oceanography.
Nuclear Technology Applications, E-waste and solid waste management technology, Health Technologies, Technologies pertinent to Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation.
Expected outcomes
Databank of technologies available in BIMSTEC Countries
A repository of information on best practices in the areas of technology transfer management, standards, accreditation, metrology etc.
Capacity building, sharing of experiences and best practices in development
Transfer and use of technologies among BIMSTEC countries
About BIMSTEC
It was set up as Bangladesh, India Sri Lanka and Thailand Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) on 6 June 1997 at Bangkok, Thailand.
It was renamed as Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation on 31 July 2004 when the first summit meeting was held in Bangkok, Thailand.
The member countries are Bangladesh, Bhutan India, Maldives ,Myanmar ,Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
The group was formed to promote economic cooperation between the member countries.
Headquarters : Dhaka, Bangladesh
Please follow news of 29 march 2022 for more information
9. Iran starts transfer of Russian goods to India by using new trade corridor
Tags: International News
Iran started its first transfer of Russian goods to India, using a new trade corridor that transits the Islamic Republic.
The cargo will pass through the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC).
The cargo ship left St. Petersburg for the Caspian Sea port city of Astrakhan.
It will reach the northern Iranian port of Anjali and then by road to the southern port of Bandar Abbas on the Persian Gulf.
From Bandar Abbas it will reach India by ship at Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT).
International North–South Transport Corridor (INSTC)
It is a multi-modal transport established by Iran, Russia and India on 12 September 2000 in St Petersburg.
It is a 7,200 kilometre long multi-mode network of shipping, rail and road transport for freight.
India, Iran, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Russia, Central Asia and Europe are involved in the corridor.
Its main purpose is to promote transportation cooperation among the Member States.
It connects the Indian Ocean to the Caspian Sea via the Persian Gulf to Russia and northern Europe.
Significance of INSTC
It aims to reduce the cost of movement of goods between India and Russia by about 30 percent and reduce transit time by more than half.
It will provide an alternative connectivity initiative to countries in the Eurasian region.
It has the potential to transform countries' economies into specialized manufacturing, logistics and transit hubs.
It opens a sustainable alternative route for India to trade with Afghanistan and Central Asia.
10. Four holy relics of Lord Buddha from Kapilvastu placed at Gandan Monastery in Mongolia
Tags: Popular International News
Four sacred relics of Lord Buddha were kept at the Gandan Monastery in Mongolia from Kapilvastu, India, to mark the Mongolian Buddha Purnima celebrated on June 14.
Four sacred Kapilavastu relics brought from India by a delegation led by Union Law and Justice Minister Kiren Rijiju, and other relics from Mongolia will be displayed at Gandan for Buddhist devotees to visit till June 24.
Four holy relics from India were brought to Mongolia on 13 June.
A 25-member delegation led by Law and Justice Minister Kiren Rijiju has arrived in Mongolia with the holy relics.
The main Buddha statue at Gandan Monastery was gifted to the people of Mongolia by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2015 and was installed in 2018.
The Kapilvastu relic is one of the 22 special relics housed in the National Museum of the Ministry of Culture.
What are the holy relics?
According to Buddhist belief, Buddha attained salvation at the age of 80 in Kushinagar (Uttar Pradesh).
The Mallas of Kushinagar performed his last rites as a universal king.
The relics from the funeral pyre were collected and divided into eight shares.
It was distributed among the Licchavis of Vaishali, Sakyas of Kapilavastu, Ajathsatrus of Magadha, Mallas of Kushinagar, Mallas of Pava, Bullies of Allakappa, Koliyas of Ramagrama and a Brahmana of Vethadipa.
Its purpose was to build stupas over the sacred relics.
The stupas over the bodily remains of Buddha (Sarrika Stupa) are the oldest surviving sacred places of Buddhism.
Ashoka (272-232 BCE), an ardent follower of Buddhism, is believed to have built seven stupas.
Kapilvastu Relics
The discovery of an inscribed coffin at the stupa site at Piprahwa (near Siddharthnagar in Uttar Pradesh) helped identify ancient Kapilavastu.
The inscription on top of the coffin mentions the relics of the Buddha and his community, the Shakyas.
Records from the Union Ministry of Culture show that this discovery was followed by several explorations.
The excavation of the stupa by the Archaeological Survey of India in 1971-77 led to the discovery of two other relic coffins containing 22 sacred bone remains, which are now under the supervision of the National Museum.
This was followed by the discovery of more than 40 terracotta ceilings which establish that Piprahwa was the ancient city of Kapilvastu.
