1. Russia, Ukraine sign historic grain deal with Turkey
Tags: International News
For the first time since the war, Russia and Ukraine signed a historic deal with the United Nations and Turkey on July 22 to restart grain shipments, which could ease the global food crisis.
What is the deal about?
The agreement has been reached through the mediation of the United Nations and Turkey.
The aim is to reopen the Black Sea delivery routes that are important for grain exports.
The deal, agreed through UN and Turkish mediation, establishes secure corridors along which Ukrainian ships can move in and out of three designated Black Sea ports in and around Odessa.
Both sides also promised not to attack ships en route or outside.
What is the grain export deal?
The deal provides for the safe passage of ships.
Ships must undergo inspection to ensure that they are not carrying weapons.
Ukraine has said that no Russian ships will guard the ships and that there will be no Russian representatives at Ukrainian ports.
Significance of the deal
It will provide relief to developing countries on the verge of bankruptcy and the most vulnerable on the brink of famine.
The five-month Russia-Ukraine war has already displaced millions and claimed thousands of lives.
Huge quantities of wheat and other grain have been blocked by Russian warships and landmines in Ukraine's ports.
Ukraine is one of the world's biggest exporters of wheat, corn and sunflower oil, but a naval blockade of Russia's ports has halted shipments.
Ukraine is expected to export 22 million tonnes of grain and other agricultural products that are stuck in Black Sea ports because of the war.
2. Indian embassy to organise second edition of North-East India Festival in Bangkok
Tags: International News National News
The second edition of the Festival of Northeast India is being organised by the Embassy of India in Bangkok Central World in association with Trend MMS of India from July 29 to July 31, 2022.
Important facts
The first edition of this festival was held in February 2019.
This has opened up business opportunities for the Indian business community of the North East.
Trade has got a boost especially in the fields of tourism, agriculture and food processing.
This year's Northeast India Festival will focus more on promoting trade, investment and tourism.
In addition, there will be more opportunities for culture, education and people-to-people exchanges.
The three-day festival will be inaugurated on July 29, 2022.
Dr. Rajkumar Ranjan Singh, Minister of State for External Affairs will be the Chief Guest for the festival.
3. Dinesh Gunawardena sworn in as 15th Prime Minister of Sri Lanka
Tags: Person in news International News
Dinesh Gunawardena was sworn in as the 15th prime minister of Sri Lanka by President Ranil Wickremesinghe on 22 July along with 17 other cabinet ministers.
Important facts
Gunawardena is parliamentarian of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) party.
Gunawardene was appointed Home Minister by the President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in April.
Gunawardena, 73, earlier served as the foreign minister and education minister for the nation.
The Sri Lankan economic and political crisis, resulted in economic mismanagement and conflict in Ukraine, sparked months of mass protests and eventually forced then-president Gotabaya Rajapaksa to flee the country.
Wickremesinghe was elected as the new president of Srilanka on 20 July and was sworn in as Sri Lankan president on 21 July.
Wickremesinghe declared a state of emergency, demanding a bailout from the International Monetary Fund.
About Sri Lanka
The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a tropical island nation off the southeast coast of the Indian subcontinent. It is separated from the Indian subcontinent by the Gulf of Munnar and the Palk Strait.
Capitals: Colombo (Executive and Judicial) and Sri Jayawardenepura (Legislative).
Official Languages: Sinhala and Tamil
Currency: Sri Lankan Rupee
4. Russia resumes Nord Stream natural-gas supply to Europe
Tags: International News
Russia has started sending natural gas to Europe via the Nord Stream pipeline system after a pause, bringing relief to Europe, whose economy is wobbly under pressure from short supplies.
Important facts
Germany, which is heavily dependent on Russia’s gas, had feared that Moscow would not reopen the pipeline after the scheduled work.
Germany believes Russia is reducing supplies in retaliation for Western sanctions on the Ukraine war.
Nord Stream Pipeline
Nord Stream has two pipelines, each containing two lines.
Nord Stream 1
It was completed in 2011 and runs from Vyborg in Leningrad (Russia) to Lubmin near Greifswald, Germany.
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
5. US House approves CAATSA waiver for India
Tags: International News
The US House of Representatives passed an amendment, which approves an exemption to India against CAATSA sanctions.
Important facts
This amendment was passed by voice vote.
This gives India an exemption to purchase S-400 missile defence systems from Russia under CAATSA sanctions.
America's relaxation is in the direction of countering China.
The amendment was passed during the floor consideration of the National Defence Authorization Act.
CAATSA Amendment
The CAATSA amendment was drafted and introduced by Indian-American Congressman Ro Khanna.
The amendment seeks the Joe Biden administration to grant India exemptions under CAATSA to help deter aggressive countries like China.
What is CAATSA?
CAATSA stands for Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act.
The law authorises the US administration to impose sanctions on countries that buy major defence equipment from Russia.
The US government is free to take punitive action under CAATSA against countries involved in transactions with the Russian defence and intelligence sectors.
6. 9th ASEAN-India meet on transnational crimes
Tags: International News
The 9th ASEAN-India Senior Officials Meeting on Transnational Crimes was held in a virtual mode on 20 July.
Important facts
Both sides strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms, stressing the need to promote international cooperation to combat terrorism and transnational crimes.
The consultation was co-chaired by Joint Secretary (Counter Terrorism), Ministry of External Affairs Government of India, Mahaveer Singhvi, from the Indian side.
Deputy Secretary (Policy), Ministry of Home Affairs, Singapore Government, Puah Kok Keong co-chaired the Consultation from the ASEAN side.
Both sides stressed the need to strengthen international cooperation to combat terrorism and transnational crimes in a comprehensive and sustained manner.
They discussed ways to enhance cooperation in the areas of terrorism, illicit drug trafficking, trafficking in persons, transnational economic crimes and cybercrime within the framework of the ASEAN-India Action Plan to combat transnational crimes.
Institutional linkages and capacity building programs between the two sides were also discussed.
The 10th ASEAN-India SOMTC Consultation on International Crimes will be held in Indonesia in 2023.
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
7. India And Namibia Sign MoU For Wildlife Conservation
Tags: National International News
India and Namibia on 20 July signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Wildlife Conservation and Sustainable Biodiversity Use to place the Cheetah in the Historic Category in India.
Thrust areas of the MoU
Biodiversity conservation with a special focus on the conservation and restoration of cheetahs in areas where they became extinct.
Exchange of expertise and capabilities with the aim of promoting cheetah conservation between the two countries.
Wildlife conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity by sharing good practices
Technological applications, mechanisms of livelihood generation for local communities living in wildlife habitats and sustainable management of biodiversity.
Cooperation in climate change, environmental governance, environmental impact assessment, pollution and waste management and other areas of mutual interest.
Training and exchange of trained personnel in wildlife management including sharing of technical expertise, wherever relevant.
About Cheetah
The cheetah is one of the oldest of the big cat species, whose ancestors can be traced back more than five million years to the Miocene era.
It is the world's fastest land mammal that lives in Africa and Asia.
Human-wildlife conflict, habitat loss and hunting and illegal trafficking are the reasons for their extinction in India.
Cheetah reintroduction project in India
The main goal of the project is to establish viable cheetah metapopulation in India that allows the cheetah to perform its functional role as a top predator.
The surveys were conducted at 10 locations between 2010 and 2012.
Under this project, 50 cheetahs will be introduced in various national parks of the country over a period of 5 years.
8. Cabinet approves MoU on Judicial Cooperation with Maldives
Tags: International News National News
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the field of judicial cooperation between India and the Judicial Service Commission of the Republic of Maldives.
Important facts
It will provide a platform to tap the benefits of Information Technology for court digitization.
It can be a potential growth area for the IT companies and start-ups in both the countries.
With the signing of this agreement on cooperation in the field of law and justice, better relations between the two countries will gain further impetus.
This will not only enable the exchange of knowledge and technology in judicial and other legal areas between the two countries but will also advance the objectives of the “Neighbourhood First” policy.
In recent years, the close relations between India and Maldives have deepened multidimensionally.
About Maldives
It is also called Maldive Islands, an independent island country in the north-central Indian Ocean.
It extends more than 510 miles (820 km) from north to south and 80 miles (130 km) from east to west.
Basis of economy - fisheries, tourism
Industries - handicraft or cottage including the making of coir (coconut-husk fibre) and coir products, fish canning, and boatbuilding.
Capital - Male
President - Ibrahim Mohamed Solih
Official Language - Dhivehi (Maldivian)
Official Religion - Islam
Currency - Rufiyaa
9. U.K. records its highest-ever temperature
Tags: International News
Britain broke its record for the highest temperature ever recorded, with a temperature of 39.1 °C (102.4 °F) on 19 July.
Important facts
The United Kingdom had earlier recorded the highest temperature in 2019 at 38.7 C (101.7 F).
This new record has been set in Charleswood, England.
For the past week, the highest temperature has been recorded in the whole of Europe due to the scorching heat.
"Extreme" heat warnings were issued for London in the south and Manchester and Leeds in the north on 19 July.
The "extreme" warning means there is danger to human life.
Effects of Extreme Heat
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), extreme heat can exacerbate respiratory diseases, heart conditions and kidney diseases.
Its immediate effects on the human body include dehydration and potentially fatal heat stroke.
It can also have serious impacts on agriculture and forests.
Due to this the plants wither and dry up and the disease spreads among the plants.
It causes forest fires which lead to reduction in forest cover and death of living beings.
Highest Temperature ever on Earth
California’s Death Valley registered a temperature of 54.4 degrees Celsius or 129.9 degrees Fahrenheit on August 16, 2020.
Once verified, this could be the highest ever recorded temperature on Earth.
Temperature is specified as preliminary, not final as it requires verification.
Death Valley is a desert valley in Eastern California.
10. Wildfires and heat wave across Europe
Tags: International News
Europe, along with countries such as Spain, Greece and France, is battling fierce wildfires and heat waves and struggling to extinguish fires and prevent damage.
Important facts
Thousands of hectares of forest land has been burnt to ashes amid the scorching heat.
The fire has forced thousands to flee their homes and killed many relief workers.
Cause of the wildfires
As far as Europe is concerned, the region has come under fire for being unusually dry and hot.
Experts are citing climate change as the reason.
They say that above-normal temperatures and drought conditions are causing fire incidents in some parts.
Rising temperatures absorb moisture from plants, producing abundant dry fuel.
Drought and extreme heat can kill plants and dead grass, and dry forest fires are more likely to occur.
Lightning from the sky or sparks generated by the carelessness of the local population also causes fire.
Forest fires in India
About 22 percent of the forest area in India comes under the highly fire prone category.
Recently, there have been incidents of fire in Sariska Tiger Reserve of Rajasthan, Simlipal Wildlife Sanctuary in Odisha, Ladkui forests and forest areas of Mazhagawan region of Madhya Pradesh.
Impacts of wildfire
Air pollution caused by forest fires is more intense than other types of air pollution.
Wildfire smoke can affect the respiratory and cardiovascular systems.
Forest fires not only destroy flora (trees, herbs, grasslands, meadows, etc.) and their diversity, but also have significant long-term negative effects on fauna, including wild endangered species.
Forest fires destroy organic matter in the soil and expose the top layer to erosion.
It can disrupt transportation, communications, electricity and gas services, and water supplies.
