(Current Affairs) International Events | April: 2015

International Events

John Kerry heads for India to attend ‘Vibrant Gujarat Summit’

  • US Secretary of State John Kerry headed for India to attend the Vibrant Gujarat Summit during which he will address investors to boost economic ties and meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss a broad range of bilateral and global issues, including climate change.

  • “The Secretary would be emphasising the importance and future potential of our economic partnership with India, State Department Spokesperson Jen Psaki told.

  • “Obviously the discussion would be on everything from continuing to do more economically and technologically, given that United States and India, we believe, can reach greater level of prosperity together than we would achieve alone,” she said.

  • The three-day Vibrant Gujarat Summit will begin tomorrow in Ahmedabad. “He would also be reiterating throughout the trip, our shared commitment to address the challenge of climate change, promoting clean energy in the future. Prime Minister Modi has a strong track record in this regard,” she said, adding that the Obama administration sees this trip as a pivotal point in India-US relationship.

  • After a brief stopover in Munich to meet the Sultan of Oman, Kerry leading a high-level US delegation is scheduled to arrive in Ahmedabad. Soon after his arrival, he is expected to visit the Gandhi Ashram, meet members of the civil society and visit the Ford plant, which is expected to open shortly. He would address the Vibrant Gujarat Summit and hold a round table with top Indian CEOs.

  • Kerry is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Modi and hold another round-table with American CEOs participating in the summit.

  • Referring to the multi-fold increase in bilateral trade in the last 10 years, which stands now at about USD 100 billion, Psaki said the summit is an opportunity to further the goal that US President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Modi have talked about in terms of increasing trade five-fold to USD 500 billion.

Sri Lanka’s new government to probe Rajapaksa’s ‘coup’ bid

  • Sri Lanka’s new government accused former President Mahinda Rajapaksa of having tried to stage a military coup to remain in power following presidential polls, which saw his chief rival and former minister Maithripala Sirisena elected president.

  • Mangala Samaraweera, a top aide of President Sirisena, told reporters that the coup was averted because the army chief “did not want to do anything against democracy at that decisive time.”

  • This, he said, was despite orders from Mr. Rajapaksa and his brother Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, then the defence secretary to deploy troops to centres where the votes were being counted late on January 8.

  • The new cabinet, to be sworn in soon, would initiate an investigation into the pre-dawn “conspiracy” as one of its first tasks, he added. The allegations come just days after sections hailed Mr. Rajapaksa for “stepping down gracefully” and ensuring a smooth transition of power .

  • “The truth is it was not a smooth transition of power,” said Mr. Samaraweera, who earlier served as Foreign Minister and is tipped to be a key member of President Sirisena’s cabinet.

  • When contacted, Army commander Lieutenant General Daya Ratnayake told: “I have not seen those allegations yet, so I cannot respond.” Referring to earlier concerns over the army being deployed in the north and east to allegedly disrupt elections, he said: “You saw that there was no such incident. The transition was very smooth,” he said.

  • On whether Mr. Rajapaksa or his brother gave him orders to stage a coup, General Ratnayake said: “I can’t comment on that, it is very sensitive. You have to check with the politicians.” However, should the government initiate an enquiry, the army would cooperate in the process, he said.

Taiwan confirmed the H5N8 strain of bird flu

  • Taiwan’s agriculture authority confirmed that the strain of bird flu found in a goose breeding facility in the Chiayi County was the H5N8, which is not considered to be highly pathogenic.

  • This follows the discovery of the highly pathogenic H5N2 strain of the bird flu virus at a chicken farm in the southern Taiwanese county of Pingtung.

  • Agriculture council chief, Chen Bao-ji, said that this was the first time that the H5N8 strain has been detected in Taiwan, adding that it was suspected to have been spread by migratory birds, according to a Xinhua report.

  • The Chiayi County government began culling more than 1,500 geese at the farm on Sunday and a ban on the movement of poultry in Pingtung, Tainan and Yunlin counties was imposed.

  • The culling of 120,000 chickens on a farm in Pingtung was completed after poultry was found to be infected with the H5N2 strain. Avian influenza, known informally as avian flu or bird flu, refers to influenza caused by viruses adapted to birds.

  • It has caused a global concern because of its possible transmission to humans and the threat of a pandemic if it mutates to a form that can be easily passed from birds to humans and then, from human to human.

Emerging economies must help combat climate change: U.N. Chief

  • U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that while respecting the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, emerging economies such as India, China, South Africa and Brazil should take necessary action to combat climate change.

  • Interacting with presspersons after visiting a canal-top solar power project, he said the developed countries had caused much more impact on climate than the developing nations and they had different capacities to tackle impacts.

  • India was taking necessary action by projects such as the canal-top power project, a creative and impressive one which all developing countries should emulate.

  • To questions, he said climate finance was the most important aspect to make combating climate change a success. India could play a vital role as one of the fastest growing economies.

  • He was catalysing funds into the Green Climate Fund, which had topped $10 billion last year. He was optimistic about arriving at a new, robust climate treaty in Paris.

India-U.S. to Jointly fight cancer & Ebola

  • India and the United States are expected to sign memoranda of understanding on cancer research and Ebola control when U.S. President Barack Obama arrives later this month.

  • Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare J.P. Nadda said the two countries had agreed to jointly fight Ebola. Under the agreement, Indian health care personnel will be trained in Ebola control and treatment procedures.

  • “The Indian Council of Medical Research is already working on producing a vaccine for Ebola. But this MoU will focus on capacity building in areas of Ebola control,” a senior official of the Ministry said.

  • Though India has had no reported cases of Ebola, the disease has so far claimed over 7,000 lives in the affected countries. A 26 year-old, who had travelled from Liberia to India and was found carrying the virus in his semen, remains in isolation.

  • Another MoU is to be signed between the National Cancer Institute, U.S., and the upcoming National Cancer Institute in Jhajjar, for sharing of treatment plans, expertise and research.

  • The NCI in the United States coordinates the National Cancer Programme, which conducts and supports research, training, health information dissemination, and other programmes with respect to the cause, diagnosis, prevention and treatment of cancer, rehabilitation and the continuing care of cancer patients and their families.

  • At the institute in Jhajjar being developed by the AIIMS, cancer research will be the area of focus apart from patient care and management. India reports 11 lakh new cases of cancer every year, with a mortality rate of 5.5 lakh per year.

  • Cancer treatment facilities in India are inadequate, compared to WHO standards, which requires one radiotherapy machine per million population. India at present has 0.41 machine per million population.

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