1) India, EFTA agree to address issues to resume FTA talks.
- India and the EFTA, a bloc of four European countries including Switzerland agreed to resolve the outstanding issues for resumption of long-stalled negotiations for a proposed free trade agreement.
- A meeting between the chief negotiators of India and European Free Trade Association (EFTA) was held to take stock of the ongoing negotiations for Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA).
- The last round of negotiations was held in November 2013 and thereafter the negotiations have remained suspended.
- The four EFTA members are - Switzerland, Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein.
2) Israel Elected As Chair Of Permanent UN Committee For The First Time.
- The United Nations General Assembly elected Israel to chair its Legal Committee, also known as the Sixth Committee.
- First time Israel, a country that has been routinely denounced by the U.N. for its settlement expansion activities in the West Bank, has been chosen to head one of its six permanent committees.
- The Sixth Committee overseas U.N. activities related to International laws.
About UN:
Headquarters: New York, United States
Secretary General: Ban Ki-Moon
About Israel:
Capital: Jerusalem
President: Reuven Rivlin
Prime minister: Benjamin Netanyahu
Currencies: Israeli new shekel
3) India, Ghana sign three agreements.
- India and Ghana signed three bilateral agreements to strengthen co-operation in varied fields.
- Ghana is the first country visited by the President during the six-day African tour.
- The three agreements signed with Ghana included one for visa waivers for holders of diplomatic and official passports and one for setting up a Joint Commission.
- The commission will periodically review various aspects of the multi-dimensional relationship between the two countries. A mutually convenient date for its first meeting will be decided later.
- The third agreement was for collaboration in diplomatic training between the Indian Foreign Service Institute and a Ghanaian institute of the same standing.
- India is the largest foreign investor in Ghana with more than 700 projects. More than 222 of these projects are in the manufacturing sector.
About Ghana:
Capital: Accra
President: John Dramani Mahama
Currency: Ghanaian cedi
4) US Senate rejects Bill on special status for India.
- US Senate rejecting a key amendment recognising the country as “global strategic and defence partner”.
- The Senate has failed to recognise India as a ``global strategic and defence partner`` of the U.S. after a key amendment necessary to modify its export control regulations could not be passed
- Top Republican senator John McCain had moved an amendment to the National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA-17).
- The amendment would have helped India to acquire advanced military technology, participate in combined military planning.
- The US had recognised India as a ``major defence partner`` in a joint statement issued during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit
5) France becomes first major nation to ratify UN climate deal.
- France President François Hollande finalised ratification of the Paris climate accord reached in December 2015, making France the first industrialised country to do so.
- In a ceremony at the Elysee Palace, the French president signed a law to join the historic UN climate pact.
- At the December COP21 gathering in Paris, 195 governments reached the historic agreement setting a target of limiting global warming to “well below” 2C compared with pre-industrial levels.
6) India, Thailand to firm up maritime security cooperation.
- Thailand Prime Minister General Prayuth Chan-ocha’s is on three day maiden visit to India, upon which both the sides are set to firm up cooperation to combat terrorism, and boost maritime security, defence ties and trade.
- The announcement was made after Prime Minister Narendra Modi held extensive talks with his visiting Thai counterpart.
- Both the nations will also look for joint projects in solar energy, space applications and space technology sectors.
- The two countries will expressing cooperation in the increase in maritime security, double trade in five years, push the India-Myanmar-Thai road project, cooperate in civil aviation, fight cyber crime and promote people-to-people cooperation.
7) US Senate approves $800 million fund for Pakistan.
- The US Senate has passed its draft of the National Defence Authorisation Bill, including a provision to set up a new fund to reimburse Pakistan for its efforts in the war against terrorism.
- The Senate version authorises $800 million under a provision called the `Pakistan Security Enhancement Authorisation’.
8) China bans exports to N. Korea with possible military use.
- China banned exports to North Korea of technology and materials that might be used in weapons production in a new response to the North`s development of nuclear weapons and missiles.
- The list of banned ``dual use`` items with possible civilian and military use includes metal alloys, cutting and laser-welding equipment and materials that could be used in production of chemical weapons.
9) France creates a meteor-tracking camera network.
- France has developed a camera-based meteor detection network, called the Fireball Recovery and InterPlanetary Observation Network (FRIPON).
- The network is able to track meteors using a nation-wide camera system which currently employs 68 cameras.
- The data from the network will help detect meteor trajectory, their source of origin and their likely impact locations.
10) Bangladesh, India launch transshipment operations.
- India and Bangladesh launched transshipment operations at the Ashuganj port to boost trade and facilitate seamless movement of goods in the landlocked region, with a cargo vessel unloading the maiden consignment to be transported to Tripura through Bangladeshi territory.
- Bangladesh’s Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan inaugurated the operation at Ashuganj port in central Bangladesh.
- This is part of an India-Bangladesh deal signed earlier to use each other`s territory for transiting goods to a third country.
- A ship from Kolkata carrying 1000 tonnes of steel and iron sheets reached Ashuganj river port in Bangladesh.
- The facility will enable India to transport goods to the North-eastern states and further to Myanmar through Bangladesh, reportedly reducing costs by nearly 50%.
11) First Chinese Disneyland opens in Shanghai.
- China opened its first Disneyland in Shanghai to the public with a grand ceremony.
- The theme park is expected to attract 15-50 million visitors every year.
- Disney CEO Bob Iger present at the event announced that the Disneyland was a product of $5.5 billion investment and a two-decade courtship of the Communist Party’s top leaders.
12) Ganges-Danube Cultural Festival of India being organized in Hungary from 17th to 19th June.
- ``Ganges-Danube Cultural Festival of India`` in Hungary will be inaugurated by Dr. Mahesh Sharma, Minister of State for Culture & Tourism (I/C) and Civil Aviation on 17 June at Vigado Theatre in Budapest, Hungary.
- Dr. Mahesh Sharma will also inaugurate International day of Yoga followed by Yoga workshop on 18th June.
- The Festival will showcase Indian culturen dance, music, yoga, film and exhibitions. Indian martial art experts and puppet artists are also performing.