1) World Bank Group Unveils New Climate Action Plan.
- The World Bank has unveiled an ambitious climate action plan that will help developing countries add 30 gigawatts of renewable energy, bring early warning systems to 100 million people and develop climate smart agriculture investment plans for at least 40 nations by 2020.
- Aims to accelerate efforts to tackle climate change over the next five years and help developing countries deliver on their national climate plans submitted for the historic climate agreement reached at COP21 in Paris.
- To maximize impact, the World Bank Action Plan is focused on helping countries to shape national policies and leverage private sector investment.
- International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, aims to expand its climate investments from the current USD 2.2 billion a year to a goal of USD 3.5 billion a year and lead on leveraging an additional USD 13 billion a year in private sector financing by 2020.
- Invest at least US 1 billion dollars to promote energy efficiency and resilient building.
2) Hafiz Saeed’s JuD running `Sharia court`.
- Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), a religious group headed by Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed, has set up a `Sharia court` to hand out ``easy and swift justice``, the first such parallel judicial system in Pakistan’s Punjab Province.
- The JuD has set up the `Sharia Court` with its headquarters at Jamia Qadsia, Chauburji, under a Qazi (judge) who is assisted by Khadmins (court associates) to decide complaints.
- Deals with civil cases relating to property; first time such a `court` has come up in Punjab.
3) Mumbai to host BRICS Cities Conclave on April 14.
- Mumbai will host the BRICS Friendship Cities Conclave.
- Being organized by Mumbai First, a think tank, along with the active support of the Government of India and Government of Maharashtra. The forum has received support from all the partner countries Brazil, Russia (India) China and South Africa.
- The theme of the three day conclave is ``Urban Development and Future of Cities in BRICS countries``.
4) Saudi Arabia and Egypt to build bridge over the Red Sea.
- Saudi Arabia’s King Salman has announced an agreement with Egypt to build a bridge over the Red Sea connecting the two countries.
- Bridge construction is a Historic step to connect the two continents, Africa and Asia, is a qualitative transformation that will increase trade between the two continents to unprecedented levels.
- Both countries signed 17 investment deals and memorandums of understanding.
- Bridge will be named after the Saudi king - ``King Salman bin Abdel Aziz Bridge".
5) TAPI project: Pact inked for $200 million investment in studies.
- Agreement signing ceremony was witnessed by petroleum ministers and senior government officials of Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and Asian Development Bank officials in Ashgabat, capital of Turkmenistan.
- Shareholders of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) Pipeline Company Limited signed an agreement to invest $200 million in studies and engineering for the $10 billion project to transport natural gas to energy-hungry countries like India.
- The agreement would pave the way for delivery of long-term natural gas supplies to Pakistan.
- The TAPI pipeline will have a capacity to carry 90 million standard cubic meters a day (mmscmd) gas for 30 years and is planned to become operational in 2018. India and Pakistan were originally to get 38 mmscmd each while the remaining 14 mmscmd was to be supplied to Afghanistan.
- The pipeline will travel 773 km in Afghanistan and 827 km in Pakistan before ending at Fazilka (Punjab) in India.
6) North Korea `tests new ballistic missile engine`.
- North Korea had successfully tested an engine designed for an intercontinental ballistic missile.
- The new type of engine would "guarantee" the ability to launch a nuclear strike on the US mainland.
- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un supervised the test of a new engine for an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).
- Mr. Kim quoted in his speech saying the great success provided a firm guarantee for mounting another form of nuclear attack upon the U.S. imperialists and other hostile forces.
About North Korea
Capital: Pyongyang
Supreme leader: Kim Jong-un
Premier: Pak Pong-ju
Currency: North Korean won.
7) China, Sri Lanka to redefine Colombo Port City project.
- China and Sri Lanka decided to redefine the controversial Colombo Port City project by making it an international financial outpost in the Indian Ocean as part of a 20-year framework plan.
- Sri Lanka government suspended the project citing various irregularities including a lack of proper permits and approvals.
- Both Countries will advance the China-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations, promote joint ventures and expand cooperation in the areas of economy, culture, science and technology.
8) India and Maldives exchange Agreements and MOUs.
- The Government of the Republic of India and the Government of the Republic of Maldives signed 6 Agreements and Memoranda of Understanding.
- Agreement for Avoidance of Double Taxation of Income derived from International Air Transport.
- Agreement for the Exchange of Information with Respect to Taxes.
- Memorandum of Understanding for Cooperation in the Area of Conservation and Restoration of Mosques and Joint Research and Exploratory Surveys in Maldives.
- Bilateral agreement between India and Maldives related to Orbit Frequency Coordination of ‘South Asia Satellite’ proposed at 48E.
- Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in the Field of Tourism.
- Agreement on Defence cooperation.
9) U.N. to observe 125th birth anniversary of Ambedkar.
- B.R. Ambedkar`s birth anniversary to be observed for first time at UN with focus on combating inequalities to achieve Sustainable Development Goals.
- The Permanent Mission of India to the UN in association with the Kalpana Saroj Foundation and Foundation For Human Horizon will commemorate Ambedkar`s 125th birth anniversary in the UN headquarters, New York.
- On the occasion, a panel discussion will be organised on the topic `Combating inequalities for the achievement of SDGs` with the objective of raising awareness on the importance of addressing all forms of inequality for the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals.
- United Nations Development Group Chair and Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme Helen Clark will deliver the keynote speech.
10) Air Forces Of China, Pakistan Launch Joint Training Exercise Shaheen-V.
- China and Pakistan launched a joint air force exercise Shaheen – V in Pakistan.
- This exercise will enhance bilateral relationship and capability of the air forces of the two countries.
- The PAC JF-17 Thunder or CAC FC-1 Xiaolong is a lightweight, single-engine, multi-role combat aircraft developed jointly by the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) and the Chengdu Aircraft Corporation (CAC) of China.
- The first edition of Shaheen drill was held in Pakistan in March 2011.
11) G7 foreign ministers meet in Hiroshima amid nuclear safety concerns.
- The G7 Foreign Ministers` Meeting is one of the ministerial meetings that held in advance of the G7 Summit in Hiroshima.
- At the Summit, leaders discuss issues of a global magnitude that face international society and with a call to end nuclear weapons.
- The G7 Fm`s meet is a meeting attended by the leaders of the seven countries of Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy and Canada, along with the President of the European Council and the President of the European Commission.
- The Hiroshima meeting comes amid increasing tension on the Korean peninsula in relation to the communist North Korea`s nuclear ambitions, and China`s military aggression in the South China Sea.
- The move could possibly pave the way for a never-before visit to Hiroshima by a U.S. President when Barack Obama attends the annual meeting of G7 leaders in Japan.
12) India, South Korea sign pact for developing ports.
- A MoU was signed by Mr Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road, Transport and Highways and Shipping, India and Mr. Kim Young Suk, Minister of Oceans and Fisheries, South Korea in Mumbai.
- The South Korean delegation led by Minister Kim is in Mumbai to participate in the Maritime India Summit (MIS), 2016.
- The MoU is expected to help both countries to encourage and facilitate the development of ports, port related industry, maritime relationship and cooperate in the tasks of sharing of technology.
- Maritime India Summit, 2016 is a maiden flagship initiative of the Ministry of Shipping, Government of India that provides a unique platform for participants to explore potential business opportunities in Indian Maritime Sector.
- Republic of Korea is the Partner Country of MIS, 2016.
About South Korea :
Capital: Seoul
President: Park Geun-hye
Prime minister: Hwang Kyo-ahn
Currency: South Korean won
13) Pakistan religious minority kalash fight for their identity.
- Fight to get the Kalash on to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List began in 2008, but eight years on remains mired in sluggish bureaucracy.
- The Kalasha or Kalash, are a Dardic indigenous people residing in the Chitral District of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan.
- Pakistan’s smallest religious minority, the Kalash, speak their own language and celebrate their gods through music, dance and alcohol.
- The Kalash, who number just 3,000, fear their unique culture will not endure; increasingly their youth are converting to Islam, prompting activists to campaign to preserve the traditions of this ancient, diminishing tribe.
- At school, children take a compulsory class on Islam but not about their own traditions, which are becoming more and more difficult to follow as the Kalash move away from their agrarian lifestyle and towards trade, studying or working in the cities.
About Pakistan :
Capital: Islamabad
Prime minister: Nawaz Sharif
President: Mamnoon Hussain
Currency: Pakistani rupee
14) Nauru becomes 189th member of IMF, World Bank.
- The South Pacific island nation Nauru has become the 189th member of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.
- Nauru applied for membership in the Washington based IMF and World Bank in 2014, after joining the United Nations in 1996 as the world’s smallest independent republic.
- Before Nauru, the last country to join the IMF and World Bank was South Sudan, in 2012.
- By joining the World Bank, Nauru gains access to financial support, technical support and special expertise in dealing with Pacific area issues, such as water and sanitation and disaster risk management amid the threat of climate change and rising sea levels.
- By joining IMF, Nauru can benefit from the crisis lender`s advice on managing government finances and monetary policy.
About Nauru :
- Nauru is a tiny island country in Micronesia, northeast of Australia.
Capital: Yaren District
Currency: Australian dollar
President: Baron Waqa
15) India, US `Agree in Principle` on Sharing Military Logistics.
- India and the United States have agreed in principle to share military logistics.
- India and the US have been negotiating the signing of Logistics Support Agreement (LSA) for a decade.
- The two militaries to use each other`s land, air and naval bases for resupplies, repair and rest.
- Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter made announcement on Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) after delegation-level talks between two sides on the final day of Carter’s three-day visit to India.
- Two countries were also advancing collaboration in aircraft carrier design and technology, potentially the biggest joint project since they launched a Defense Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI) in 2012.
About USA :
Capital: Washington, D.C.
President: Barack Obama
Currency: United States Dollar