General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - February 2017

Feb 2017

Apr 18, 2022

Japan's Population Logs Record Fall Of 644,000 In 2021

Japan's population logged the steepest fall on record, dropping by 644,000 to just over 125.5 million in 2021, according to Japan government statistics.
It declined for the 11th consecutive year and the drop was the biggest since comparable data became available in 1950, said the ministry.
The number of Japanese nationals stood at 12 crore 27 lakhs 80,000, a drop of six lakh 18,000 compared to a year earlier. The country logged 8 lakh 31,000 births in 2021, outpaced by over 14 lakh deaths during the same period.
The working population, or people aged from 15 to 64, decreased by 5 lakh 84,000 hitting a record low.

Famed Pak Philanthropist Bilquis Edhi Dies At 74

Bilquis Bano Edhi, the wife of Pakistan's renowned and revered humanitarian and philanthropist late Abdul Sattar Edhi, passed away at a private hospital. Bilqis was one of the most active philanthropists in the country and co-chaired Edhi Foundation with her son Faisal after her husband's passing in 2016.
She was born in Bantwa, India and migrated to Pakistan after the Partition. Together with her husband their charity has saved thousands of unwanted babies.

India To Export Wheat To Egypt Following Disruption Of Supply From Russia And Ukraine

India will export wheat to Egypt. Egypt is one of the world's biggest importers of wheat. Egypt imported 6.1 million tonnes of wheat in 2021 and India was not part of the list of accredited countries which could export wheat to Egypt.
More than 80 per cent of Egypt's wheat imports estimated to be close to two billion US dollars in 2021 were from Russia and Ukraine.

Apr 17, 2022

Nepal Finance Minister Invites Non-residents to Open Dollar Accounts

The Nepal government has urged Nepalese residing in foreign countries to open dollar accounts in banks in the country and make investments amidst the economic crisis in the Himalayan nation. Nepal's foreign reserves have been hit by a slump in tourism during the pandemic, a problem that has also hit Sri Lanka which is going through a crippling economic crisis since gaining independence from the UK in 1948.
There will be no shortage of liquidity if 100,000 NRNs open bank accounts in Nepal at the rate of 10,000 dollars. As the price of petrol has increased, millions of dollars have to be spent on that. He also informed that the government has completed the proper policy process for the dollar account for the benefit of Nepalese living abroad.

Landslides and Flooding across the Central and Southern Philippines after Tropical Storm Megi

In the Philippines, the authorities said yesterday that at least 25 people died in landslides and floods caused by tropical storm Megi as it hit the eastern and southern coasts of the Southeast Asian country. Rescue crews are battling to retrieve people stranded on the eastern and southern coasts.
More than 13,000 people fled to higher-ground shelters as the storm lashed the east coast. Heavy rain and winds knocked out the power supply, flooded homes and fields and caused mudslides in villages.
Storm Megi, known locally as Agaton, hit the archipelago with winds of up to 65 kilometres per hour.

Apr 16, 2022

20th India-France Joint Staff Talks

With an aim to actively enhance the defence cooperation, India and France concluded its 20th edition of Joint Talks. The high-level talks were held in Paris, France. The two-day talks focused on new initiatives that fall within the umbrella of the existing bilateral defence cooperation and strengthening of ongoing defence engagements between both the countries.
With an aim to improve defence cooperation between the two countries both at strategic and operational level, the India-France Joint Staff forum was launched. The 20th edition of India-France Joint talks came amidst, both nations have inked a roadmap to enhance their bilateral exchanges on the blue economy and forge a common vision of ocean governance based on the rule of law and cooperate on sustainable and resilient coastal and waterways infrastructure.

Cabinet Approves Signing of MoC between India and Japan in Decentralized Domestic Waste Water Man...

The Union Cabinet gave its ex-post facto approval for a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) signed between the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation of Ministry of Jal Shakti and the Ministry of the Environment of Japan in the areas of Decentralized Domestic Waste Water Management. A Management Council (MC) will be formed which will be responsible for the implementation of this MoC by formulating detailed activities of collaboration and the monitoring of its progress. The collaboration with Japan through the MoC shall prove to very fruitful in areas such as Decentralized Domestic Wastewater Management and Effective reuse of treated wastewater using Johkasou technology.

Apr 15, 2022

Jaishankar Meets U.N. Chief Guterres, Discusses Key Issues Including Ukraine Situation

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held a "wide-ranging discussion" with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and exchanged views on the global impact of the Ukraine conflict as well as the situation in Afghanistan and Myanmar.
Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh were in Washington for the 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue with their US counterparts Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defence Lloyd J Austin III.

WTO Reduced the 2022 Global Trade Growth Forecast to 3%

The World Trade Organization (WTO) lowered its 2022 global trade forecast to 3 per cent, from 4.7 per cent, due to the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine and a potentially more transmissible Omicron subtype fettering China. The forecast for 2023 is 3.4 per cent.
Geopolitical tensions have resulted in commodity prices rising sharply. Since Russia and Ukraine are key providers of food, energy, and fertilisers, their supply has become arduous. Shipments from Black Sea ports are on freeze, affecting poor countries. In addition, lockdowns in China may trigger renewed shortage of manufacturing inputs and higher inflation, causing fresh disruption in trade.

Apr 14, 2022

UNDP Announces $2.2 Million in Climate Action Grants for Innovators across 19 Countries, Includin...

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) announced $2.2 million in climate action grants for 22 local innovators across 19 countries, including India.
The first round of funding will enhance local climate action and accelerate the delivery of targets outlined in the Paris Agreement and Sustainable Development Goals.
The initiative empowers local actors and contributes to the principles for locally led adaptation action, which have been endorsed by UNDP and partners around the world.
Grants were awarded across 19 countries, including seven from Africa, 11 from Asia, and four from the Latin America and Caribbean region.

Foundation Laid for India LOC Funded Hi-tech Park in Bangladesh

The foundation stone for the first IT/ Hi-Tech Park was laid at Keraniganj near Dhaka, Bangladesh by the High Commissioner of India Vikram Doraiswami, Bangladesh State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak, and State Minister for Power, Energy, and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid. This is the first of 12 such parks to be built under the Line of Credit (LOC) extended by the Govt of India to Bangladesh.
These 12 IT/Hi-Tech parks would greatly help promote the IT Industry of Bangladesh and build capacity in new and emerging technologies, said a tweet issued by the High Commission of India after the inauguration of the Hi-Tech Park. The project would also involve the construction of energy-efficient green buildings with designs inspired by the national flower of Bangladesh Lily.
The construction of the 7-storey, 15,000-square-foot high-tech park would cost around Tk 200 crore. Close to 1000 people will get training opportunities every year and 3000 people will get direct or indirect employment opportunities here, said an official press release issued by the government of Bangladesh.

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