Recently, June 20th, World Refugee Day, was celebrated worldwide. As Bangladesh has not yet signed the 1951 ‘Refugee Convention’, there is no merit in not officially celebrating World Refugee Day’. Rather, the benefit of Bangladesh lies in the efforts to find a solution to the Rohingya problem by using the opportunity to celebrate this day. … Continue reading World Refugee Day
NOPEC Bill
The No Oil Producing and Exporting Cartels (NOPEC) bill, which passed a Senate committee is intended to protect U.S. consumers and businesses from engineered oil spikes. OPEC+, which groups the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and allies including Russia, on Wednesday agreed to steep production cuts, curbing supply in an already tight market. … Continue reading NOPEC Bill
Ukraine war and trade slowdown
The World Trade Organization forecast a slowdown in global trade growth next year as sharply higher energy and food prices and rising interest rates curb import demand, and warned of a possible contraction if the war in Ukraine worsens. Reasons: War in Ukraine and subsequent supply chain disruptionWeather events hitting food-producing regions or damaging energy … Continue reading Ukraine war and trade slowdown
North Korea fires missile over Japan
North Korea has fired a ballistic missile over Japan, in what appears to be a deliberate escalation to get the attention of Tokyo and Washington. The missile travelled 4,500km (2,800 miles) before falling into the Pacific Ocean - far enough to hit the US island of Guam if it took another trajectory. It is the … Continue reading North Korea fires missile over Japan
US sanction on Indian entity
The U.S. treasury department announced sanctions against a Mumbai based petrochemical company amongst several entities accused of selling Iranian petroleum products. It is the first Indian entity to face the U.S. designation under unilateral sanctions passed in 2018-19. US sanctions meaning: There are trade barriers, tariffs and restrictions on financial transactions of various entities in … Continue reading US sanction on Indian entity
Color revolution
From the Indian Express: China has recently appealed to Russia, India, & other members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) to cooperate with each other in order to prevent foreign powers from destabilising their countries by inciting “colour revolutions”. What are colour revolutions? Colour revolutions refer to a series of uprisings that first began in … Continue reading Color revolution
Queen Elizabeth death
Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-serving monarch of the UK, died on Thursday, aged 96. Her son King Charles will now be the next King of Britain and will be known as King Charles III National anthem:'God saves the Queen' national anthem could now get changed. The national anthem has been the song of the … Continue reading Queen Elizabeth death
UNHRC Report on China
A groundbreaking United Nations report published on August 31, 2022, says the Chinese government has committed abuses that may amount to crimes against humanity targeting Uyghurs and other Turkic communities in the Xinjiang region The report by the outgoing UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, contains victim accounts that substantiate mass arbitrary detention, torture, cultural persecution, forced labor, and … Continue reading UNHRC Report on China
International driving permit
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has recently issued a notification for greater facilitation of citizens in the issue of International Driving Permit (IDP) across the country. What is International Driving Permit (IDP)? It is issued to an applicant who holds a valid Indian Licence and who is a resident of India. The application shall … Continue reading International driving permit
High seas treaty
Negotiations involving 168 countries, including the European Union, to agree on a UN treaty for protecting oceans had failed recently.About UN High Seas TreatyAlso referred to as the ‘Paris Agreement for the Ocean’, the treaty to deal with Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction has been under discussion for several years.The proposed treaty concerns the ocean existing … Continue reading High seas treaty
General winter
Russia to unleash 'General Winter' on Europe to win the Ukraine war What is General Winter? It is an aspect of the climate of Russia that has contributed to military failures of several invasions of Russia. In his study of winter warfare in Russia, author Allen F. Chew concludes that "General Winter" was a 'substantial … Continue reading General winter
Wisdom tea
Taiwan is looking at using its “tea culture” as a new source of soft power diplomacy to boost cultural and people-to-people connect with India’s Northeastern region. Under the ‘Wisdom Tea’ initiative, Taiwan is now exploring ways to boost people-to-people connect with India. It has already established contact with Tea Board of India and Tocklai Tea … Continue reading Wisdom tea
Romana Didulo
Romana Didulo is a female Filipino immigrant in Canada possibly in her 50s, who has declared herself as the queen of Canada, with a loyal cult-like following obeying her “decrees” to stop paying taxes and utilities, and to arrest police for enforcing COVID-19 policies, among other outrageous acts. Why is she making the news?While she … Continue reading Romana Didulo
Japan’s Random travel trend
Japan's 'random travel' trend So-called random trips, in which destinations are determined randomly by lottery or other means, are gaining popularity in Japan. In addition to the thrill of leaving travel plans up to chance, railway operators and airlines making using such strategies are providing the incentive of affordability through discounts. The move is aimed … Continue reading Japan’s Random travel trend
Ulchi Freedom shield
South Korea and the United States began their largest joint military drills since 2017 this week. These joint military drills are designed to test readiness against North Korea’s missile tests The drills, called the Ulchi Freedom Shield, are scheduled to run until September 1. They are tri-service drills involving thousands of troops as well as … Continue reading Ulchi Freedom shield
Minister of coffee
Papua New Guinea brings in minister for coffee The Papua New Guinean prime minister has announced his cabinet, which contains not only some new faces, but some new positions as well, including a minister for coffee. The post – believed to be a world first – shows the government’s commitment to expanding key agriculture industries … Continue reading Minister of coffee
Taliban regime
The Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021, twenty years after their ouster by U.S. troops. Under their harsh rule, they have cracked down on women’s rights and neglected basic services. The Taliban are a predominantly Pashtun, Islamic fundamentalist group that returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021 after waging a twenty-year insurgency. Following … Continue reading Taliban regime
Al Shabab
A fierce gunbattle began after al-Shabaab terrorists bombed a hotel in the heart of Somalia’s capital, with notable death tolls. Who are the al-Shabaab? Al-Shabaab translates as ‘The Youth’ in Arabic.It started as the extremist youth wing of the now-defunct Islamic Courts Union (ICU).ICU was a grouping of sharia courts that seized control of a … Continue reading Al Shabab
Mother heroine Medal
President Putin has revived a Soviet-era award for women who have ten or more children as Russia faces a demographic crisis that has been exacerbated by the war in Ukraine. Joseph Stalin established the “Mother Heroine” title in 1944 to encourage large families after the death of tens of millions of Soviet citizens during the … Continue reading Mother heroine Medal
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