1. Gabon and Togo join the Commonwealth of Nations
Tags: Popular International News
Two African countries, Togo and Gabon, were inducted into the Commonwealth of Nations as the 55th and 56th members, respectively, at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting held in Rwanda's capital, Kigali, chaired by Rwandan President Paul Kagame.
Rwanda was the last country to join the Commonwealth in 2009.
Togo and Gabon were historically French colonies that were never British colonies.
New members Togo and Gabon
The formal Commonwealth member process for the Central African nation of Gabon began in 2017 while the process for the West African nation of Togo began in 2014.
Gabon is surrounded by Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon, and the Republic of the Congo, which is also a member of the Commonwealth.
Togo is bordered by Ghana, a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, as well as by Benin and Burkina Faso.
About Commonwealth -
The Rashtramandal, commonly referred to as the Commonwealth, is a political union of previously 54 and now 56 member states.
It was originally created as the British Commonwealth of Nations through the Balfour Declaration at the royal convention of 1926.
The current Commonwealth of Nations was formally formed in 1949 by the London Declaration.
The current head of the Commonwealth is Queen Elizabeth II.
Secretary General – Patricia Scotland
Headquarters- London
2. Discovery of high grade lithium in Nigeria
Tags: International News
Recently high grade lithium has been discovered in Nigeria.
Lithium
Lithium is an element and is abundantly concentrated in nature in two minerals, spodumene and lepidolite.
They are usually found in special rocks called rares and greases.
The Geological Agency described lithium as high grade because it is found with an oxide content of 1–13%. Exploration usually starts at a low of 0.4%.
Lithium has an atomic number of 3 and an atomic mass of 6.941.
It is the lightest known metal.
USE
Lithium disilicate (Li2Si2O5) is a chemical compound from which glass and ceramic objects are made.
Lithium metal is used to make useful alloys.
Lithium is used in rechargeable batteries for mobile phones, laptops, digital cameras and electric vehicles.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION -
The Greenbush mine in Western Australia is the largest hard-rock lithium mine in the world.
The largest importers of lithium are South Korea, China, Japan, the United States and Belgium.
Recent surveys by researchers from the Directorate of Atomic Minerals (under the Atomic Energy Commission of India) have estimated the presence of lithium reserves of 14,100 tonnes in a small stretch of land in southern Karnataka's Mandya district.
3. G7 announces $600 billion global infrastructure programs
Tags: International News
The G7 group has announced USD 600 billion global infrastructure programs for poor countries.
Under the program, the US government and its allies will try to touch the USD 600 billion mark during the years 2022 and 2027.
The move is intended to compete with China's Belt and Road Initiative.
The proposed G7 funding would rely largely on private companies, in contrast to the Chinese government-run Belt and Road Initiative.
The partnership has been unveiled by US President Joe Biden and G7 allies from Germany, Canada, Japan, Italy and the European Union.
Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)
The Belt and Road Initiative is formally known as the One Belt One Road initiative.
It is a global infrastructure development strategy, launched by China in 2013.
Under this, China had planned to invest in about 70 countries and international organisations.
The project is the centrepiece of Chinese leader Xi Jinping's foreign policy.
As of March 2022, 146 countries have signed the BRI.
The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank is dedicated to providing loans for infrastructure projects.
About the G7
The G7 or Group of Seven is a grouping of the seven most advanced economies.
The seven countries are Canada, USA, UK, France, Germany, Japan and Italy.
It was formed in 1975.
The G7 countries meet annually to discuss issues of common interest such as global economic governance, international security and energy policy.
All G7 countries and India are part of the G20.
The G7 has no fixed headquarters.
4. "Global Liveability Index" 2022
Tags: Latest International News
Austria's capital Vienna has been ranked first as the world's most livable city in the annual Global Liveability Index released by The Economist magazine.
140 cities of the world have been assessed in this index.
The cities in this list have been ranked on the basis of many factors including political and social stability, crime, access to education and healthcare.
Delhi (112) topped the 6 South Asian cities followed by Mumbai (117).
Pakistan's financial capital Karachi and Bangladesh's capital Dhaka were ranked among the least livable cities in the world.
The Chinese capital Beijing is at number 71.
Damascus, the capital of Syria, is ranked at the bottom of the list.
Top 10 Cities -
1. Vienna (Austria)
2. Copenhagen (Denmark)
3. Calgary (Canada)
4. Zurich (Switzerland)
5. Vancouver (Canada)
6. Geneva (Switzerland)
7. Frankfurt (Germany)
8. Toronto (Canada)
9. Amsterdam (Netherlands)
10. Osaka (Japan)
5. Garuda Aerospace to set up its first aerospace plant in Malaysia
Tags: International News
Drone startup Garuda Aerospace has tied up with Hilse Global (Hilsay Drones) to set up its first aerospace plant in Malaysia.
The plant will be named Hilse Garuda Aerospace and will be built on 2.42 hectares.
For this, Garuda Aerospace will invest Rs 115 crore.
It has been decided to set up a drone manufacturing plant in Malaysia with a daily production capacity of about 50 drones.
The alliance will establish a drone ecosystem with state-of-the-art artificial intelligence, machine learning and deep learning technologies.
About Garuda Aerospace -
Garuda Aerospace is a drone-as-a-service start-up.
It designs and manufactures 30 different types of drones.
Establishment - 2015
Headquarters - Chennai
Founder and CEO - Agnishwar Jayaprakash
Brand Ambassador - Mahendra Singh Dhoni
6. Piyush Goyal inaugurates Mango Festival in Belgium
Tags: International News
Indian Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal inaugurated the Mango Festival in Brussels, Belgium to raise awareness of mangoes among Europeans and establish a market for Indian mangoes in Europe.
During the event, Banganapalli from Andhra Pradesh, Malihabadi Dussehri of Uttar Pradesh, Amrapali of Odisha, Lakshman Bhog, Himsagar, Jardalu Mango, Langra Mango as well as 12 GI-tagged items were on display.
For the first time, the Mango Festival was organised in Belgium, considered the capital of Europe.
Other information about Mango -
The scientific name of mango is Mangifera indica.
Most of it is produced in India.
It is considered the national fruit in India, Pakistan and the Philippines.
Its tree has the status of a national tree in Bangladesh.
India produces 41 percent of the world's mangoes. Apart from India, China and Thailand are the largest producers of it.
According to botanical classification, mango is a tree of the family 'Anacardiaceae'.
The main varieties of mango are Langra Mango, Dussehri Mango, Fazli Mango, Sundari, Malda Mango.
Raw mango is called kari.
Mango is rich in vitamins A, B and C along with other antioxidants.
Mango Revision Centre is located at Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh and Vengurla in Maharashtra.
7. India is the fourth largest gold recycling country in the world : World Gold Council
Tags: International News
According to the World Gold Council (WGC) report, India has emerged as the fourth largest recycler in the world and the country has recycled 75 tonnes in 2021.
The report was titled 'Gold Refining and Recycling'.
According to the WGC's 'Gold Refining and Recycling' report, China tops the global gold recycling chart by recycling 168 tonnes of the yellow metal, followed by Italy with 80 tonnes and the US with 78 tonnes .
According to the WGC report 'Gold Refining and Recycling' from 300 tonnes in 2013, India's gold refining capacity increased by 1,500 tonnes (500%) in 2021.
Despite being the fourth largest recycler in the world, India recycles very little of its own gold stock - about 8% of the global scrap supply.
In the last five years, 11% of the country's gold supply has come from 'old gold'.
The names of China, America, Australia, South Africa and Russia are included in the 5 largest gold producing countries in the world, while on the other hand, India is far ahead of other countries in terms of gold consumption.
According to one figure, out of 52 percent of the world's jewellery consumption, most of the consumption is done in India.
About World Gold Council
The World Gold Council is a market development organisation for the gold industry.
It aims to boost the demand for gold and maintain it.
Most of the world's gold mining companies are involved as its members.
Its headquarter is in the United Kingdom.
8. PM Modi to attend G-7 summit in Germany
Tags: International News
PM Narendra Modi will visit Germany on 26 and 27 June to attend the annual summit of the G-7.
Modi is attending the G7 summit following an invitation by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
Germany currently holds the presidency of the G7, a grouping of the seven richest countries in the world.
Top leaders attending the summit include US President Joe Biden, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
During the summit, Prime Minister Modi is expected to address two sessions covering environment, energy, climate, food security, health, gender equality and democracy.
From Germany, he will travel to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on June 28 to condole the passing of former Gulf President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
The Group of Seven (G-7)
It includes Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
The group meets annually to discuss issues of common interest, such as global economic governance, international security and energy policy.
It was formed in 1975 by the top economies of the time as an informal forum to discuss global issues.
Canada joined the group in 1976, and the European Union began participating in 1977.
It represents about 70% of the world economy.
It currently accounts for about 40% of the global GDP.
All the G7 countries and India are a part of G20.
The G-7 became the G8 in 1997 when Russia was invited to join.
It does not have a fixed headquarters.
9. Mongolia’s Khuvsgul lake added to UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves
Tags: International News
Recently Mongolia's Khuvsgul Lakes National Park has been included in the World Network of Biosphere Reserves by UNESCO.
The decision was taken during the 34th session of the International Coordinating Council of Men and Biosphere Program in Paris, France.
The Man and Biosphere Program is an intergovernmental scientific programme. It was established by UNESCO in the early 1970s.
The primary objective of this program is to establish a scientific basis for enhancing the relationship between people and their environment.
About Khuvsgul Lake
Khuvsgul Lake is located in the northern Mongolian province of Khuvsgul near the Russian border.
It is the source of 70% of Mongolia's fresh water and is situated at an altitude of about 1645 m above sea level which is 135 km long and 262 m deep lake.
It is the second largest lake in Mongolia in terms of area.
This lake is located about 200 km west of Lake Baikal.
According to the ministry, a total of nine sites from Mongolia have been registered in the network so far.
10. 26th Commonwealth Heads of Government Summit - 2022
Tags: Popular International News
26th Commonwealth Heads of Government Summit 2022 organised on 20-25 June 2022, in Kigali, Rwanda.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar attended the meeting.
The meeting had been postponed twice due to Covid-19 pandemic.
During the meeting, leaders of Commonwealth member states will deliberate on global challenges such as climate change, food security and health.
Theme of the summit - Delivering a Common Future - Connecting, Innovating, Transforming.
About Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM)
It brings together delegations from 54 countries in Africa, the Caribbean, the Americas, Europe, Asia and the Pacific.
It aims to strengthen multilateral cooperation, explore new opportunities and tackle common challenges for the betterment of future generations.
It is hosted alternately by different member countries.
This meeting has been held Since 1971.
Members of the Commonwealth of Nations
The head of the Commonwealth is the Queen of Great Britain Elizabeth II.
He received this title as a result of elections following the resignation of his father.
The title of head cannot be inherited, so the new head of the Commonwealth of Nations is elected by voting at each meeting.
The Commonwealth comprises 54 countries of the world in all 6 continents.
The members have a total population of 2.1 billion, which is about a third of the world's population.
Of its total population, 1.17 billion live in India.
After India, the next largest Commonwealth countries by population are Pakistan (176 million), Bangladesh (156 million), Nigeria (149 million).
The land area of the Commonwealth of Nations accounts for about 21% of the total world land area.
The largest Commonwealth nations by area are Canada, Australia and India.
