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International Current Affairs
September 2nd week 2015 current affairs
Category : International Current Affairs
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1) India and Belarus have set the bilateral trade target of one billion dollar by 2018.

  • The decision was taken at the Seventh Session of the India-Belarus Intergovernmental Commission held in Minsk, Belarus.
  • The meeting was co-chaired by Union Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman co-chaired and her Belarusian counterpart Minister for Industry Vitali Mikhailovich Vovk.
Key highlights:
 
  1. Both countries noted the potential to step up cooperation in pharmaceuticals, machinery, energy, fertilizer, mining and tourism.
  2. They also agreed to facilitate business to business contacts to promote investment flows in the two countries.
  3. Both sides also expressed satisfaction in successful supply of equipment by state owned BHEL for the reconstruction of Grodno Power Plant-2 in Belarus.
  4. They hoped for further boost the participation of Indian companies in projects for the reconstruction of power facilities in Belarus.
  5. Belarus is eager to boost investment and technology to India to supports its flagship Make in India programme.
  6. It should be noted that, presently the bilateral trade between both countries is around 400 million dollars.
2) India and Thailand to strengthen bilateral defence ties.
 
  • India and Thailand have pledged to take bilateral defence ties to greater heights, calling for cooperation in several areas including disaster management, information exchange and ``sea migration``.
  • The air chief is on a four-day visit to Thailand and Vietnam to further boost bilateral relations with the armed forces of the two southeast Asian countries (Thailand and Vietnam).
  • The Indian Marshal held extensive talks with Gen. Worapong Sanganetra, Chief of Defence Forces of Thailand, Commander-in-Chief of Royal Thai Air Force Treetod Sonjance and Gen. Udomdej Sitabutr, Thai Deputy Minister of Defence. The air chief was presented a guard of honour at the Royal Thai Armed Forces headquarters.
  • The air chief was presented a guard of honour at the Royal Thai Armed Forces headquarters. Raha, who is also Chairman of Chiefs of Staff Committee, will next visit Vietnam.
 
3) India and Belarus set a Trade Target of US $1 Billion by 2018.
 
  • India and Belarus have set a trade target of US $1 Billion by 2018. The present level of trade between the countries is at US $400 million.
  • The decision has been made at the Seventh Session of the India-Belarus Inter-Governmental Commission, Minsk. Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Commerce and Industry, Ms. Nirmala Sitharaman co-chaired the session.
  • Both sides noted the potential to step up cooperation in pharmaceuticals and Mining machinery, energy, fertilizer, and tourism between the two countries
Agreements:
  1. Pranab Mukherjee visited Belarus from June 3-5, 2015, the first visit of Head of State of India to Belarus.
  2. During the visit of the President, India offered Lines of Credit worth US $100 million to Belarus and also accorded it the status of a free market economy.
  3. India and Belarus agreed to form a Joint Working Group to discuss further cooperation in health-care and pharmaceuticals.
  4. Both countries were agreed to form a Joint Working Group to promote tourism between the two countries.
  5. An Indian government led delegation would visit Belarus to discuss all issues relating to cooperation in potash fertilizer sector.
  6. Both sides also expressed satisfaction in successful supply of equipment by BHEL for the reconstruction of Grodno Power Plant-2 in Belarus.

 4) India and Indonesia sign pact to cooperate on criminal matters.

  • India and Indonesia have signed a pact for repatriation of each other’s wanted prisoners and cooperate in all criminal matters, including gathering evidence.
  • Under the agreement, India will execute summons to an accused person or to any person requiring to attend and produce documents or a search-warrant issued by an Indonesian court. Indonesia will reciprocate with similar action if there is any request from any Indian court.
  • The Home Ministry made it clear that such summons or warrant shall be sent to its Internal Security Division-II for transmission to the central authority, that is, the Ministry of Law and Human Rights of Indonesia.
Indonesia - FACTS:
 
  1. The largest islands are Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo), Sulawesi, and the Indonesian part of New Guinea (Known as Papua or Irian Jaya).
  2. Capital: Jakarta
  3. Currency: Ruphiah
  4. President: Joko Widodo
5) Palestine flag to fly over UN headquarters.
 
  • The UN General Assembly has overwhelmingly approved to raise Palestine flag over the UN in New York. The move is seen as a symbolic step in the pursuit of statehood.
  • The motion was passed by 119 votes, with eight nations, including Israel and the United States, voting against it.
  • The resolution states that flags of all non-member observer states, including Palestine, "shall be raised at the UN headquarters, and United Nations offices, followed by flags of member states". The only other non-member observer state is the Vatican.
 
6) 2015 Singapore General Elections: PAP returns to power.
 
  • In recently concluded 2015 Singapore General Elections, Peoples Action Party (PAP) led by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has emerged victorious.
  • PAP returned to power after scoring a landslide victory by winning an absolute majority of 83 seats in the 89 member Parliament. The opposition Workers Party won 6 seats.
  • With this victory, governing PAP has secured their 14th consecutive term in office since independence of city-state in 1965.
  • 2015 Singapore General Elections was country first election after the death of its founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.
Parliamentary Elections in Singapore:
 
  1. As per Constitution of Singapore, the Parliament has maximum term of five years after that it must be dissolved by the President and elections must be held within three months.
  2. Voting is mandatory in Singapore and is based on the first-past-the-post system. The elections are conducted by the Elections Department, which is under the jurisdiction of the Prime Minister Office.
 
7) India, Pakistan agree to maintain peace along border after DG level talks.
 
  1. India and Pakistan have started a three-day Director General (DG)-level border dialogue in New Delhi.
  2. Director General (DG) Border Security Force (BSF) D.K. Pathak is leading 23 member Indian delegation and his counterpart Major General Umar Farooq Burki, DG of Pakistan Rangers (Punjab) is leading a 16 members Pakistani delegation.
  3. Both the delegations also have representatives from respective Home and Foreign ministries along with officers from narcotics control and survey department
  4. In this dialogue both sides have
  5. Decided to devise new strategies along the International Border in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) to put an end to incidents of ceasefire violations.
  6. Agreed maintenance of peace and tranquility on the border is the most important issue and this needs to be implemented on the ground.

8) Third International Hindi Conference to be held in New Jersey.

  • US based Hindi Sangam Foundation will be organising the Third International Hindi Conference at Rutgers University, New Jersey from March 4-6, 2016 to promote Hindi in America.
  • Rutgers has agreed to host the 2016 conference as it foresaw great potential in establishing a strong bond with the Indian-American community as well as the government of India which supported the conference in the past through its mission in New York.
  • The first such conference, held at New York University in April 2014. The second was held at Rutgers University in April 2015.
  • The 2016 conference will provide a forum for community members and leaders, language experts, policy makers, education administrators, advocates and other stakeholders from different countries.
9) AUSINDEX15, first Australia and India maritime exercise begins in Visakhapatnam.
 
  • Inaugural bilateral maritime exercise between India and Australia AUSINDEX15, commenced off coast of Visakhapatnam.
  • The inaugural biennial exercise began with briefings and practical demonstrations ashore between Royal Australian Navy and Indian Navy before moving to sea.
  • AUSINDEX15 naval exercise between navies of both countries is held in line with the Framework for Security Co-operation. The framework was announced by the Australian and Indian Prime Ministers in 2014.
 
10) PAP returns to power in Singapore General Elections 2015.
  • In recently concluded 2015 Singapore General Elections, PeopleAction Party (PAP) led by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has emerged victorious.
  • PAP returned to power after scoring a landslide victory by winning an absolute majority of 83 seats in the 89 member Parliament.
  • With this victory, governing PAP has secured their 14th consecutive term in office since independence of city-state in 1965.
  • 2015 Singapore General Elections was country first election after the death of its founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.
 
11) Malcolm Turnbull Is Sworn In as Australia New Prime Minister.
 
  • The party coup to install Malcolm Turnbull as Australia fourth prime minister in just over two years has exposed deep unease about the resource-dependent country sharply slowing economy and a political system that lets small groups of politicians oust elected leaders.
  • The 60-year-old former investment banker unseated Tony Abbott as leader of the ruling Liberal-National coalition government late in a party rebellion, as voter surveys pointed to defeat for the ruling Liberal-National coalition at federal elections due next year.
  • Mr. Turnbull became the country 29th prime minister.
  • Australia economy expanded just 0.2% in the second quarter from the first, the slowest pace in four years, as China slowing economy translates into less construction of skyscrapers, bridges and railways-hurting demand for raw materials like iron ore.
  • The latest ouster caps nearly a decade of instability in Australian politics that has splintered both major political parties.