Current Affairs search results for tag: international-news

1. United Arab Emirates issued its first civil marriage licence to a non-muslim couple

Tags: International News

• A Canadian couple were the first to marry under the new law on the personal status of non-Muslims in the Emirati capital, Abu Dhabi.
• UAE in November 2021 had announced that non-muslims would be allowed to marry, divorce and get joint child custody under civil law in Abu Dhabi according to a new decree issued by its ruler.
• The United Arab Emirates, where foreigners make up 90% of the approximately 10 ­million population has been amending its laws to present itself as a modernising force in a largely conservative region. 
• In the United Arab Emirates personal status laws on marriage and divorce had formerly been based on Islamic sharia principles, as in other Gulf states.

United Arab Emirates (UAE)

Capital: Abu Dhabi

Currency: United Arab Emirates dirham

President: Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan

Prime minister: Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum

About Abu Dhabi

• Abu Dhabi city in the emirate is the federal capital of the UAE.
• Abu Dhabi is the largest emirate in the United Arab Emirates, occupying 84 per cent of the national landmass territory. It has 200 islands and a long coastline stretching 700km.
• It is an oil-rich emirate and the second-most populous city of UAE, after Dubai.

Starting on January 1, 2022, the Emirates will become the only Gulf country not to observe weekends from Friday, the Muslim day of prayer, to Saturday.

2. UN Special Envoy calls for New Year’s ceasefire in Myanmar

Tags: International News

• United Nation’s special Envoy Noeleen Heyzer said she is deeply concerned by increased violence in Kayah state of Myanmar and other areas, which has displaced thousands of civilians, many of whom have fled the country for protection and assistance.
• “The people of Myanmar have already suffered tremendously and the socio-economic and humanitarian situation has been compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Ms. Heyzer.  
• Ms. Heyzer urged all parties to act in the greater interest of the nation and to fully respect their obligations under international law to protect civilians, ensure free movement towards safety, and allow humanitarian access to those in need.  
• “To this end, she appeals for a New Year’s ceasefire throughout Myanmar,” the statement said.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres appointed Ms. Heyzer as his Special Envoy on Myanmar back in October 2021. She succeeded Christine Shraner Burgener, who had served since April 2018. 

Issue in Myanmar

Myanmar has been in sheer chaos since February 1, 2021, when the military junta overthrew the government and imprisoned the leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been sentenced to four years detention and faces multiple other criminal charges.

• At least 1,375 people have been killed and more than 8,000 jailed due to the protests and oppositions since the coup.

3. UAE has lifted ban on import of Poultry products from India

Tags: International News

• The United Arab Emirates has lifted the ban on the import of eggs and other poultry products from India .
• The ban was lifted after India assured UAE that it will follow bio safety norms set by the World Health Organisations for Animal Health to prevent infection from Bird flu.
•  UAE banned import of poultry products five years back on the concern over bird flu.
• UAE is the third largest trade partner of India after  China and the United States with a bilateral trade of around USD60 billion last year.
• It is  the third largest  export market for India after the U.S and China

4. India hand over relief material to Mozambique under Mission Sagar

Tags: International News

• Naval ship INS Kesari entered the Port of Maputo in Mozambique to deliver 500 tonnes of food aid as well as defence equipment, under the eight edition of Mission Sagar by the Navy to assist friendly foreign countries in the region.
• India handed over two Fast Interceptor Craft (FIC) and other self-defence equipment to Mozambique to assist in its capacity building as the Central African nation battles growing terror threats of Islmaic state also called as Daesh.

Mission SAGAR

• Mission SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) was launched by the Government on May 10, 2020 to provide assistance to the countries in the Indian Ocean Region.
• It is being conducted in close coordination with the Ministry of External Affairs, and other agencies of the Government agencies 

 Mozambique 

It is a Southern African country along the Indian Ocean coast.

Capital: Maputo

Currency:  Mozambican metical

President: Filipe Nyusi

5. Japan to diplomatically boycott Beijing Olympics Games

Tags: International News

• Japan has announced that it will not send any government officials to attend the Beijing Winter Olympics 2022 to be held in China .
• Earlier its close  western allies the United States , Australia, United Kingdom, New Zealand and Canada have announced  to diplomatically boycott the Beijing Winter Olympic games protesting against the human rights situation in China especially its treatment of Ugyher muslims .
• Japan, like other countries, will  however send its players to the games. 
• The games will be held in China  from 4 to 20 February 2022

Japan 

Capital of Japan: Tokyo

Currency of Japan : Yen 

Prime Minister of Japan :Fumio Kishida

6. Russian Court fines Meta and Google

Tags: International News

• A court in Moscow slapped Google with an unprecedented fine of nearly USD 98 million(7.2 billion rouble), while Meta (formerly Facebook) received a penalty of  USD27 million(1.9 billion roubles) for  not moderating their content properly and interfering in the country’s affairs.
•  These Social media giants were held guilty of  repeatedly failing to delete illegal content, remove materials that incite religious hatred and promote views of “extremist and terrorist organisations” from their sites 

Russian Currency is Rouble.

Capital of Russia : Moscow

President of Russia : Vladimir Putin 

7. Hong Kong’s Tiananmen Square Statue removed

Tags: International News

• A famous statue which showed the piled-up corpses at the University of Hong Kong marking the Tiananmen Square massacre was removed on 23rd December.
• The Pillar of Shame was created by Danish artist Jens Galschiot as a tribute to the victims of China’s crackdown in Tiananmen Square in June 1989.

8. US President Joe Biden bans import of goods from China's Xinjiang province to prevent use of forced labour

Tags: International News

• United States (US) President Joe Biden has  signed the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act that bans import of goods from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China into the US made with forced labour. 

What is the law 

• The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act,  bans all imports from China’s Xinjiang region into the United States unless companies can show the U.S. government “clear and convincing evidence” their supply chains have not used the labor of ethnic Muslims enslaved in Chinese camps.

What is the issue 

• United States accuses China of genocide against the  Muslim Uyghur who are kept in a concentration  camp by Chinese authorities violating their basic human rights and are forced to work without any labour rights .
• The Chinese government describes the camps as "re-education" facilities aimed at combating terrorism.  The Chinese government accuses many Ughyer of being a part of radical Islmaic movement which threaten China .
• An East Turkestan Independence Movement led by the East Turkestan Liberation Organisation  seeks to establish an Independent country for the Ugyhers in the Xinjiang region of China. To crush the separatist movement China has kept a large number of Uygher who it feels are sympathetic to the East Turkestan Movement  in special camps denying them basic human rights . 
• To put pressure on China on its human right issues the United States  and its allies Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom have announced a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics 2022. 
• The players of these countries will participate in the Beijing Olympics but these governments will not send their  official  delegation to China to protest China's poor human rights record  and its handling of minorities like Ugyer muslims and Tibetaines.

 What is the Economic and Environmental cost to the US 

• However many American companies are against the act as more than  than 40% of the world’s polysilicon supply comes from Xinjiang. Polysilicon is  used as a raw material by the solar photovoltaic and electronics industry. If it is banned from China then the prices of these products will rise in the United States leading to  costly goods for the American consumer .
• It will also hamper US commitment to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels as the solar energy cost will rise. It will have an adverse effect on the US commitment to reduce its greenhouse gas emission.

9. Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla’s 2-day visit to Myanmar

Tags: International News

• Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla flew for a two ­day visit to Naypyitaw and Yangon, in Myanmar to meet the State Administration Council (SAC) chaired by General Min Aung Hlaing.
• Shringla is expected to speak to the Tatmadaw (military) about India’s growing security concerns over insurgent groups based along the 1,600­km India-Myanmar border which have carried out attacks in recent months
• This visit along with appointment of Mr. Vinay Kumar as the new Ambassador to Myanmar last November is an official acknowledgment of India’s recognition of the coup in Myanmar.
• State Administration Council”, is an 11­ member group of military officials and civilians set up by Min Aung Hlaing, who toppled the elected National Unity Government of Aung San Suu Kyi last February and subsequently named himself “Prime Minister”.

Myanmar (Burma)

Capital - Naypyidaw

Currency - Kyat

Legislature - Assembly of the Union

Prime Minister - Min Aung Hlaing

Nobel Laureate - Aung San Suu Kyi of the National League of Democracy (NLD) party, was awarded Nobel Peace Prize in 1991, for her non-violent struggle for democracy and human rights.

10. World Economic Forum (WEF) defers annual Davos meet

Tags: International News

• The World Economic Forum (WEF) has deferred its 2022 annual Davos meet from its original schedule of January 17-21, 2022 owing to rising concerns over the Omicron corona virus Variant.
• The in-person event will be replaced by an online series of “State of the World” sessions.

World Economic Forum (WEF)

• The World Economic Forum (WEF) is an international non-governmental and lobbying organization for Public-Private Cooperation.
• It is based in Geneva, Switzerland. 
• It was founded on 24 January 1971 by German economist Klaus Schwab as a not-for-profit foundation.
• Mission - Improving the state of the world by engaging business, political, academic, and other leaders of society to shape global, regional, and industry agendas
• It is known for its annual event in Davos, the annual meeting brings together various Heads of Government, top business leaders of the world, economist executives, and activists from around the world to discuss global economic and business issues.

Important Reports of WEF-

• Global Competitiveness Report
• Global Information Technology Report
• Global Gender Gap Report
• Global Risks Report
• Global Travel and Tourism Report 
• Global Enabling Trade Report 

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