1). Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif proposed 4-point Peace Initiative with India.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, during his speech at the United Nations General Assembly, proposed 4-point Peace Initiative with India aimed at defining the relationship between the Asian countries as one of cooperation, not of confrontation.
4-point Peace Initiative:
- (1) Pakistan and India should formalize and respect the 2003 understanding for a complete ceasefire on the Line of Control in Kashmir. For this purpose, Pakistan will call for UN Military Observers Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) expansion to monitor the observance of the ceasefire.
- (2) Pakistan and India shall reaffirm that they will not resort to the use or the threat of use of force under any circumstances. This is a central element of the UN Charter.
- (3) Steps need to be taken to demilitarize Kashmir. Both the nations should agree to an unconditional mutual withdrawal from Siachen Glacier, the world`s highest battleground.
- (4) Tackling global threat of terrorism.
- Nawaz Sharif also spoke about the repeated terrorist attacks that Pakistan faces. The global threat of terrorism need to be tackled, and for this its underlying causes that is poverty and ignorance should be dealt with.
- Extremist ideologies must be opposed. Moreover, it was also stressed that the narrative of the terrorists has to be countered through the just resolution of the several instances of oppression and injustice against Muslims in various parts of the world.
2). Palestinian flag hoisted at UN headquarters for the first time.
Palestinian flag was raised for the first time at United Nations headquarters in New York. The politically sensitive flag raising ceremony took place at the UN`s Rose Garden.
The flag hosting raising ceremony was attended by the President of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas.
Background:
- Earlier, United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) overwhelmingly approved the Resolution on Raising of Flags by Non-Member Observer States.
- The resolution said that the flags of non-member observer states like Palestine shall be raised at UN Headquarters and United Nations Offices following the flags of the Member States of the organization.
- Palestine was granted the status of a non-member observer State by the UNGA in 2012.
3). India and Germany sign 18 MoUs.
- India and Germany signed a deal to fast-track business approvals, an arrangement to make it easier for German companies to operate in Asia`s third largest economy that was announced as Chancellor Angela Merkel visited New Delhi.
- The fast-track approvals process will ensure that German firms will have a single point of contact in the Indian administration, helping them to navigate a web of red tape that often thwarts business initiative.
- The agreement is the first of its kind and comes as Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeks to attract foreign investment in support of his "Make in India" drive to boost industrial investment and create skilled jobs.
- India and Germany also agreed to enhance ties in key areas of defence manufacturing, trade, intelligence and clean energy during wide-ranging talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and German Chancellor Angela Merkel here after which 18 MoUs were inked.
4). India submitted Intended Nationally Determined Contributions to UNFCC.
- India submitted its Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. These INDCs are for the period between 2015 and 2030.
- With the presentation of its INDCs, India set its tone for the Conference of Parties-21 (COP-21) in Paris that is scheduled to meet in December 2015 to adopt an environmental new protocol for post-2020 (post Kyoto Protocol) scenario.
- So far, 119 parties to the UNFCCC, out of 192 member countries, have formally submitted their INDCs.
Some of the salient points of the INDCs are:
- To reduce the emissions intensity of its GDP by 33 to 35 per cent by 2030 from 2005 level.
- To achieve about 40 per cent cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel based energy resources by 2030, with the help of transfer of technology and low cost international finance, including from Green Climate Fund.
- To create an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent through additional forest and tree cover by 2030 that will translate into increase of about 680 - 817 million tonne of carbon stock.
- To better adapt to climate change by enhancing investments in development programmes in sectors vulnerable to climate change, particularly agriculture, water resources, Himalayan region, coastal regions, health and disaster management.
- To mobilize domestic and new and additional funds from developed countries to implement the above mitigation and adaptation actions in view of the resource required and the resource gap.
- As per preliminary estimates, 2.5 trillion US dollars (at 2014-15 prices) required for meeting India`s climate change actions between 2015 and 2030.
- To build capacities, create domestic framework and international architecture for quick diffusion of cutting edge climate technology in India and for joint collaborative R&D for such future technologies.
- India also pledged to adopt a climate friendly and a cleaner path to development than the one followed hitherto by others at corresponding level of economic development.
5). Baghdad`s heavily fortified Green Zone opened to public for 1st time in 12 years.
- Iraq Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared Baghdad`s heavily fortified Green Zone open to the public for the first time in 12 years.
- In a statement, al-Abadi said that the move was part of a reform drive that was promised to people.
- The 10 square kilometers area, home to government buildings and foreign embassies, was closed after the US-led invasion in 2003.
- This opening of the Green Zone may end complain of several Iraqis who said that the zone has become symbol of disconnect between the country`s top officials and ordinary citizens.
Green Zone area of Baghdad
- The present day, Green Zone area of Baghdad that lies on the west bank of the Tigris River in the Karkh district of central Baghdad, was known as the International Zone of Baghdad and was a seat of government power under former president Saddam Hussein.
- The area became Green Zone after the 2003 US-led invasion and was declared as a no-go area for public.
6). Ruling Social Democratic Party-led coalition won Portuguese general election.
- Ruling Social Democratic Party (PSD)-led coalition won general election to the Portuguese parliament-Assembly of Republic.
- Out of the total votes polled, the PSD and the CDS – People`s Party coalition secured 37 per cent votes out of which the share of the PSD is just over 32 percent.
- With this win, incumbent Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho is set to hold the post for next four years.
- Still, the faith in the Pedro Passos Coelho-led government is expected to help the country in overcoming the challenges to the economy.
7). US, Japan and 10 other Pacific Rim countries signed Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement.
- The United States (US), Japan and 10 other Pacific Rim countries signed the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement to lower trade barriers, bolster worker protections and set standards for a raft of other industries.
- The 10 other countries of the Pacific Rim which signed the agreement are Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam. China, the world`s second-largest economy, is not part of the agreement.
- This TPP agreement encompassing nearly 40 percent of the world economy will now have to be ratified by the lawmakers of each country.
What will TPP do?
- It cuts trade tariffs and sets common standards in trade for 12 Pacific-rim countries, including the US and Japan.
- The partnership eliminates more than 18000 taxes that various countries put on made-in-America goods; this will level the playing field for farmers, ranchers and manufacturers.
- The TPP deal also sets minimum standards on issues ranging from workers’ rights to environmental protection.
- California signed Right to Die Bill for terminally ill people into a Law.
- California allowed terminally ill patients to legally end their lives under a doctor’s supervision after state governor Jerry Brown signed the bill into law.
- With this signing of the bill, California became the fifth state in United States to allow terminally ill patients to legally end their lives.
- The other four states that allow such assisted suicides to terminally ill people are Oregon, Washington, Vermont and Montana.Oregon approved the assisted suicide system for the first time in 1994, however, it said that before receiving life-ending drugs, patients need two physicians to say that they have less than six months to live and are mentally fit to make the decision.
8). India, Germany signed 125 million Euros Loan Agreement to fund two projects under Green Energy Corridor.
- Government of India and Federal Republic of Germany (KFW) signed two loan agreements worth 125 million Euros for financing two projects under the Green Energy Corridor programme. These two projects are in Himachal Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh.
- Germany will fund 57 million Euros for projects in Himachal Pradesh and 68 million Euros for Andhra Pradesh.
- Green Energy Corridor programme seeks to facilitate the flow of renewable energy into the national grid. In other words, it is aimed at synchronising electricity produced from renewable sources, such as solar and wind, with conventional power stations in the grid.
About Germany
- Capital: Berlin
- Currency: Euro
- Chancellor: Angela Merkel
9). California signed Right to Die Bill for terminally ill people into a Law.
- California finally allowed terminally ill patients to end their lives legally under the supervision of doctors as they now have a right to die.
- California has now become the fifth state in United States to allow terminally ill patients to legally end their lives.
- The other four states are Oregon (1997), Washington (2009), Vermont (2013) and Montana (2009). The right-to-die bill was introduced by the California lawmakers in 2015 for the first time since 2007.
About California:
- It is a state located on the West Coast of the United States.
- It is the most populous U.S. State.
- Capital: Sacramento
- Language: English
10). US, Japan and 10 other Pacific Rim countries signed Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement.
- The United States (US), Japan and 10 other Pacific Rim countries on signed the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement to lower trade barriers, bolster worker protections and set standards for a raft of other industries.
- The 10 other countries of the Pacific Rim which signed the agreement are Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam.
- China, the world`s second-largest economy, is not part of the agreement. This TPP agreement encompassing nearly 40 percent of the world economy will now have to be ratified by the lawmakers of each country.
- What will TPP do?
- It cuts trade tariffs and sets common standards in trade for 12 Pacific-rim countries, including the US and Japan.
- The partnership eliminates more than 18000 taxes that various countries put on made-in-America goods; this will level the playing field for farmers, ranchers and manufacturers.