Latest Happening in Foreign Affairs
Latest Updates on: 18-12-2021
►Virtual Tripartite Exercise TTX - 2021: held between India, Sri Lanka & Maldives, to begin the same old relation in IOR(Indian Ocean Region).
►WHO certified "China" as: Malaria-free nation.
►IFFCO to set a 'Nano Urea Plant' in: Argentina, urea liquid manufacturing plant in Argentina in partnership with two agencies -- INAES and Cooperative Confederation of Argentina 'Cooperar'.
►National Tennis Day of Spain: Spain has decided to celebrate the birthday(3 June) of Iconic Tennis star Rafael Nadal as National Tennis Day.
►"Built Back Better World (B3W)": is the infrastructure development initiative of G-7 nations for developing countries, to counter the notorious Chinese initiative, named "One Belt, One Road".
►Nigeria Govt. allowed use of Indian App: named "Koo", and banned "Twitter". It should be noted that the app, formerly known as Ku Koo Ku, was developed by Aprameya Radhakrishna and Mayank Bidawatka in March 2020. It won the Government of India's Aatmanirbhar App Innovation Challenge in August 2020.
►Controversial Social Media Tax: abolished by Uganda Government. The move comes after protests and some members of the public resorting to using Virtual Private Networks and wireless networks in their offices to avoid paying the tax introduced on July 1, 2018.
►Russia pulls out of "Open Sky Treaty": First proposed in 1955 by former US President Dwight Eisenhower as a means to deescalate tensions during the Cold War, the landmark treaty was eventually signed in 1992 between NATO members and former Warsaw Pact countries following the demise of the Soviet Union. It went into effect in 2002 and had 35 signatories, including key players US and Russia, along with one non-ratifying member (Kyrgyzstan).
►Artificial Island to be built by Danish Government: Parliament of Denmark has approved plans for an artificial island which will house 35,000 people and help in protecting port of Copenhagen from rising sea levels.
Read more here: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-57348415
►"PakVac": is the name of the vaccine developed by Pakistan for COVID-19.
►Avian Influenza: China reported the very 1st case of Avian Influenza(Bird flu) H10N3 in humans.
►Australia launched "The National Map of Islam": The "National Map of Islam" - contains the names and locations of more than 600 mosques, associations, and officials and their possible links abroad.
►WHO named the different coronavirus variants: WHO named named 'B.1.617.1' as "Kappa" & 'B.1.617.2' as "Delta" which were found in India. Similarly, it named other variants also, as detailed in this pic.
►China to allow couples to have a third child to boost its falling birth rate: China will allow all couples to have a third child, a surprise move aimed at slowing the nation’s declining birthrate as risks to the economy’s long-term prospects mount because of a rapidly aging population. China has been gradually reforming its stringent birth policy that for decades limited most families to only having a single child, with a second child allowed since 2016. However, that reform did little to reverse the declining birthrate and further relaxation of the limits is unlikely to lead to a sustained increase.
►UN & UK plans to launch a: global pandemic radar to detect COVID-19 variants.
►India to set up "One-Stop Center' under 10 Mission: These 10 places are in Australia, Canada, Singapore, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, UAE & Saudi Arabia.
►Basar Al Asad: won the 4th continuous term of President of Syria.
►India to provide Technique to UN peacekeeping force: India to give a mobile Platform to the 'Blue Helmet'(the peacekeeper soldier) that will give all the information regarding Position, Environmental conditions, geographical information of their deployment. It Will be made available to them in August when India will assume charge of the head of the Security Council. The platform is "Unite Aware".
►Soumya Santosh: The Keralite woman who lost her life in the Philistine & Israel cross-border bombing, has been granted honorary Citizenship by Israel.
►Darwin's Arch Collapses: Darwin’s Arch (aka the Arc of Darwin), the rock formation in the southeast of Darwin Island(Territory of Equador) collapsed on May 17th due to natural erosion,
►The USA introduced: the 'COVID hate crime act'.Introduced in House (05/05/2020) COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act. This bill requires a designated officer or employee of the Department of Justice to facilitate the expedited review of COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) hate crimes and reports of COVID-19 hate crimes.
►China became the 2nd nation to: land & operate its Rover at Mars.
►Simurgh: is the name of Fastest Super Computer, launched by Iran. The hardware is named Simurgh and will be a supercomputer capable of developing itself. Citing IRNA, Simurg was developed by Tehran-based Amirkabir University of Technology. Citing Sputnik News, the developer explained that the new supercomputer provides large-scale data processing services for both state-run and private scientific research.
►Iran dropped India from its Gas Project, named: Farjad-B. After being “dropped” from a key rail project in southeastern Iran along the border with Afghanistan, India is also set to lose an ambitious gas field project in the country that had been in the pipeline for the past 10 years. India’s Ministry of External Affairs Tehran would develop the Farzad-B gas field in the Persian Gulf region “on its own” and might engage India “appropriately at a later stage.
►India to construct another Dam in Afganistan: named "Shahtoot Dam".
►Afganistan's biggest Dam captured: on Dahla River, by Taliban Extremists.
►Twitter: gave 15 million Dollars to India, in the wake of COVID-19 surge,
►Sweden: is the nation with the maximum no. of islands.
►Colonial Pipeline Networks(USA) was hacked, followed by an emergency imposed: Top US fuel pipeline operator Colonial Pipeline shut its entire network, the source of nearly half of the US East Coast’s fuel supply, after a cyber attack on Friday that involved ransomware. The incident is one of the most disruptive digital ransom operations ever reported and has drawn attention to how vulnerable US energy infrastructure is to hackers. A prolonged shutdown of the line would cause prices to spike at gasoline pumps ahead of peak summer driving season,
►India & Britain aimed: to double their bilateral trade up by 2030.
►The Democratic Republic of Congo: has announced the end of the Ebola outbreak in western Equateur province, nearly six months after cases were reported and amid the rise of COVID-19 in the Central African nation.
►ButanVac: is the Brazilian Vaccine of COVID-19.
►Tianhe: Tianhe is one of three main components of what would be China's first self-developed space station, rivaling the only other station in service - the International Space Station (ISS). The ISS is backed by the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada. China was barred from participating by the United States. The module was launched successfully.
►Sri Lankan bans: face-covering in public places.
►60 years completed: of India's installed hydro-power project installed in Bhutan, named "DANTAY".
►WHO declares the Gambia: free from Tricoma.
►USCIRF: designated India as a country of particular concern for Religious Freedom. Suggesting religious freedom conditions in India continued their negative trajectory in 2020, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has designated India with 13 other nations as a “country of particular concern,” or CPC.
In its annual report to the State Department released in Washington Wednesday, the bipartisan body established by the US Congress added India’s name to the list of top violators “for engaging in and tolerating systematic, ongoing, and egregious religious freedom violations” along with Russia, Syria, and Vietnam.
►India & Germany: inked an agreement regarding Environmental Affairs.
►Italy to start its 'Mega Food Park ':in "Fanighar" of 'Mehsana' in Gujrat.
►NASA is sending a black astronaut for the 1st time: NASA is doing so in its next mission to the moon.
►Indira Gandhi Cultural Center: launched a Sanskrit teacher & guide app named "Little Guru" in Bangladesh.
►Raisina Dialogues: P.M. Modi inaugurated the 6th edition of this conference on the 12th of April 2021. The Raisina Dialogue (Hindi: रायसीना संवाद, Rāyasīnā Saṃvāda) is a multilateral conference held annually in New Delhi, India. Since its inception in 2016, the conference has emerged as India’s flagship conference on geopolitics and geo-economics.
►Indo-Seychelles: India gifted a patrolling vessel named "PS Zoroaster" (worth 100 crore Rs.) to Seychelles.
►Russia Launched 'COVIVAC COV': it is vaccine for COVID - 19 for animals.
►BangBandhu-Baapu Museum: founded in Dhaka, The museum has a digital exhibition on India's Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi and Bangladesh's Father of the Nation 'Bangabandhu' Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The exhibition is dedicated to the lives of Gandhi and 'Bangabandhu'
►Ministry of Loneliness: in japan.
►Chine became the largest Trading Partner in 2020: China regained its position as India’s top trade partner in 2020, as New Delhi’s reliance on imported machines outweighed its efforts to curb commerce with Beijing after a bloody border conflict. Two-way trade between the longstanding economic and strategic rivals stood at $77.7 billion last year, according to provisional data from India’s commerce ministry. Although that was lower than the previous year’s $85.5 billion total, it was enough to make China the largest
►India & Indonesia reached to an agreement: about the Visa facility & Leather Technology.
►The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR): signed an MoU with Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to support the development, conduct and promotion of health research in India.
►India & Myanmar started kaladan multi-modal transit transport project: is a US$484 million project connecting the eastern Indian seaport of Kolkata with Sittwe seaport in Rakhine State , Myanmar by sea.
►Pakistan Test Cricket Side: became the 1st Test Cricket team to register 100 T-20 match wins.
►America: rejoins United Nations Human Rights Council.►"Shahtoot Dam": this is the Dam to be erected by India in Kabul Province on the Kabul River in Afghanistan. To facilitate the city with Drinking, Irrigation & Environmental water.
►New Start Treaty: USA & Russia extended this treaty among them for the next 5 years.
►UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapon entered into Force: The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons was adopted by the Conference (by a vote of 122 States in favor (with one vote against and one abstention) at the United Nations on 7 July 2017, and opened for signature by the Secretary-General of the United Nations on 20 September 2017, & entered into force on 22 January 2021.
►India's Visionary Foreign(COVID-19) policy: India has been sending the vaccines for COVID-19 without any bias, & this policy started showing its results. Brazilian PM made a tweet saying thanks, showing "Hanuman" the character of epic 'Ramayana' who saved the life of another character with Sanjivani, the drug. Here, the PM termed India as "Hanuman' & the vaccine as 'Sanjivani', thus aptly connecting to the feeling of the people Of India
►India released its draft of Policy on Arctic Area: A first-of-a-kind initiative, the policy has been put out for comments from the public, articulates India’s desire to push the frontiers of science forward. But more than just about research, sustainability, and connectivity, the document is an assertion of India’s global ambitions. A welcome step in the right direction, the draft policy says India’s engagement with the Arctic has been multi-dimensional. “Within the span of a little over a decade, it has grown from a modest station at Svalbard to encompass a wide range of activities.”
►"COVID Maitri": is the name given to the initiative launched by India, to provide the indigenous COVID-19 vaccines to all neighboring nations without fail & delay, thus fostering foreign relations.
►India & Uzbekistan: Inked a pact in the field of Solar Energy.
►India is Helping the World following its tradition: India is sending the consignments containing the 'Made in India' vaccine of COVID-19, with the old Tradition of "May all be free from Disease" imprinted on the packet.
►7 nations met sanctions from the UN: These nations got a sanction of "No-Vote". These nations are Iran, Niger, Central African Republic, Kenya, South Sudan & Zimbabwe.
►Other Neighbouring Nations: don't need to wait too long, will get their consignment soon.
►"Neighbour 1st": India iterated its foreign Policy of "Neighbour 1st" & assured its neighbor that they will get the supply of Indian Vaccines for COVID-19 as soon as possible. Started from Bangladesh, India started dispatching the needed vaccine in the hours of the Pandemic.
►Russia makes an exit from: "Open Sky Treaty".
►The USA declared Cuba: a state sponsor of Terrorism. This is for the 2nd time that Cuba is put on this list, Cuba was first placed on the list in 1982 under Reagan but was removed in 2015 by Obama as part of a normalization of relations.
►Oldest Cave Painting: It was found in Sulawesi Island in Indonesia. The cave painting uncovered in South Sulawesi consists of a figurative depiction of a warty pig, a wild boar that is endemic to this Indonesian island. Archaeologists have discovered the world's oldest known cave art — a life-sized picture of a wild pig that was painted at least 45,500 years ago in Indonesia.
►Tesla to set up its manufacturing plant and R & D facility in India.: Hence, India is able to lure foreign investments
►The Line City: Saudi Arabia unveils THE LINE, linear development of smart cities connected without cars, a 170 kilometer (106 mile) belt of communities connected without the need for cars or roads. described as ‘a revolution in urban living, the project has been put forward as a blueprint for how people can co-exist in harmony with the planet. THE LINE will be completely free of cars and streets, with residents given access to nature and all of their daily needs within a walking distance of five minutes. furthermore, the team behind the project says that the linear development of hyper-connected AI-enabled communities will be powered by 100% clean energy.
►"Focus Country": it has been decided to designate 'Bangla Desh' as "Focus Country" in 51st India International Film Festival to be held in Goa.
►India in UNO: India to chair 3 important committees of UNSC, India began its eighth term as a non-permanent member of the UNSC recently. These 3 summits are:
1) the Taliban Sanctions Committee 2) the Counterterrorism Committee(term will begin in 2022. 3) The Libya Sanctions Committee.
►Pakistan: tested successfully, a Rocket System, named Fateh-1.
►'Twitter' closed the account of Incumbent/outgoing President of USA, permanently: Donald Trump's Account.
►Japan in Eye-5 group: this group has Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Britain & the United States of America.
►Malala Yousafzai Scholarship act: led in the USA, which will expand the number of scholarships available to Pakistani women to receive higher education under merit and needs-based program.
►Kzakistan: abolished capital Punishment.
►Engand Govt. Plans to Ban advertizements of online unhealthy snacks: to tackle the problem of obesity in children.
►India in UN security council: India has been elected for UNSC for 2 years. India began its two-year tenure as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on January 1. India sit in the 15-nation UNSC for the 2021-22 term as a non-permanent member — the eighth time that the country has had a seat on the powerful horseshoe table. The other four countries which were too, inducted in, are Norway, Kenya, Ireland & Mexico.
►Indian Pvt. Co. Larson & Tubro: Built Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayan in Qatar, which will host Matches of FIFA Football World Cup 2021.
Updates on: Thursday, 31 December 2020
►Hawaii Island's Volcano Kilauea: this Volcano on the USA's Island erupted. Read more at https://phys.org/news/2020-12-hawaii-kilauea-volcano-erupts-usgs.html
►Singapore's hawker culture: added to UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage.
Read more at: https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/singapores-hawker-culture-added-to-unesco-list-of-intangible-cultural-heritage
►India gave 1 million $ to WADA.
►India-Bangladesh Railway Service: started from Chilahati(Bangladesh) to Haldibadi(India)
►India-Norway Pact: to clean Ganga.
►Chief-Guest of Republic Day Celebration: British P.M. Boris Johnson is invited for the occasion.
►"Air-Bubble" between India & Nepal: both countries agreed to resume the Air-Bubble plan in Aviation.
►15k Rohingyas back to Bangladesh: Bangladesh shifted back some 15, 000 Rohingyas to Bhashan Char Island..
►Oman-India Friendship Association: Oman recently announced to establish a Friendship association with India. This will the first of such initiatives in West Asia. It was announced during a bilateral discussion held between the foreign ministers of the country. The bilateral discussion was held virtually on the backdrop of a recent trip by the External Affairs Minister of India Shri S.. Jaishankar.
►"Ambedkar House in London": Britain has decided to convert this building into a Museum.
►US pulls out of Open Skies Treaty: The State Department has declared that the United States is no longer a party to the Treaty on Open Skies, a decades-old treaty that permits member countries to conduct short-notice, unarmed, reconnaissance flights over other countries to collect data on military forces and activities.
Read more at: https://indianexpress.com/article/world/us-officially-withdraws-from-open-skies-transparency-pact-7062095/
►New Zealand P.M. Ardern: declared Climate Emergency in the nation in a symbolic step to increase pressure for action to combat global warming.
Read more at https://www.telesurenglish.net/news/New-Zealands-PM-Ardern-Set-to-Declare-Climate-Emergency-20201126-0020.html
►Pakistan passed an Act: which prescribes the punishment of Castration to the Rape Convict.
►Newly elected M.P. of New Zealand: Dr. Gaurav Sharma(An indo-Kiwi) took his oath to the house in Sanskrit.
►Indo-Americans in Joe-Biden's Team:
►More Mobile Apps: India decides to ban 43 more Mobile Apps to ban.
►India aids Bangladesh: The Indian Army on Tuesday gifted 20 fully-trained military horses and 10 mine-detection dogs to Bangladesh as part of the country's efforts to further strengthen bilateral ties. The equines and canines were trained by the Remount and Veterinary Corps of the Indian Army.
►Indo-Dutch Centre for Excellance of Vegetables & Flowers: has been opened in Wayanad District of Kerala.
To read more, click this link, https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/agriculture/indo-dutch-centre-of-excellence-for-vegetables-flowers-opens-in-kerala/articleshow/79084394.cms
►ICICI Bank: shuts downits functioning in Sri Lanka. 
To read more, click this link: https://www.psuconnect.in/news/icici-bank-shut-its-operations-in-sri-lanka-/25241
►Sittwe Port: Strategic Importance and Key Benefits for India and Myanmar, India and Myanmar agreed to work towards the operationalization of Strategic Sittwe Port in the first quarter of 2021.
To read more, visit this link: https://theprint.in/defence/india-to-deliver-kilo-class-su
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