Important International Events: 2018

World’s longest ZIP line at UAE:

World’s longest ZIP line was opened at Ras Al Khaima in United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Length of Zipline-2.83 km
Ras Al Khaimah has achieved a Guinness World Records title with its latest adventure tourism product – ‘Jebel Jais Flight: The World’s Longest Zipline’

Zhangheng 1-China’s first seismo-electromagnetic satellite:

China successfully launched its first seismo-electromagnetic satellite to study seismic precursors, which might help it establish a ground-space earthquake monitoring and forecasting network in the future
It is launched using Long March-2D rocket, which was launched from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre
Zhangheng 1 will record electromagnetic data associated with earthquakes above 6 magnitude in China and those above 7 magnitude around the world, in a bid to identify patterns in the electromagnetic disturbances in the near-Earth environment

2018 winter Olympics:

2018 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XXIII Olympic Winter Games was held in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
Norway stands first at the games with 39 total medals followed by Germany and Canada.

Note:
2022 winter Olympics will be held in Beijing

India Joins in Ashgabat agreement:

India joined in Agreement on the Establishment of an International Transport and Transit Corridor between Iran, Oman, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan (known as Ashgabat agreement).
Previously India had deposited instrument of accession to Ashgabat agreement in April 2016. On Feb 2nd 2018, Turkmenistan a depository state of Ashgabat agreement had informed that all the founding member of Ashgabat agreement were accepted accession of India
India's accession to the Agreement will enter into force on 3 February 2018. It will help India for better connectivity with central Asia.

Ashgabat agreement

Ashgabat agreement was signed in 2011 between Iran, Oman, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. The agreement was named after capital city of Turkmenistan (Capital of Turkmenistan- Ashgabat).
Later Kazakhstan, Pakistan also joined in Ashgabat agreement. The purpose of the agreement is to setting up of an international transit and transportation corridor linking central Asia with the Persian Gulf to significantly ramp up trade and investment.

Member countries:

India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Oman, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
Turkmenistan is the depository state for the agreement.

Saudi Arabia temporarily bans poultry imports from India over bird flu:

In February, Saudi Arabia has temporarily banned imports of live birds, hatching eggs and chicks from India after a form of bird flu that is highly lethal for poultry.
In June, Saudi Arabia has banned imports of frozen and processed fruit and vegetables from India’s Kerala state, citing the risk from an outbreak of Nipah virus.

India won under-19 cricket world cup:

The 2018 Under-19 Cricket World Cup was held in New Zealand. India and Australia played in the finals. India defeated Australia by 8 wickets.

Capitan of Indian team-Prithvi Shah
under-19 cricket world cup was held for every two years.

World Government Summit-2018:

World Government Summit is an annual event held in Dubai, UAE.
Theme-Technology for development.
In his inaugural speech PM Modi propounded idea of Six R's for sustainable development- Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Recover, Redesign and Remanufacture, with the view to safeguarding nature.

First robot skiing competition was held in Pyeongchang in South Korea

Note:
Sophia was given citizenship of Saudi Arabia – the first robot to be given legal personhood anywhere in the world.

2018 International IP Index:

Released by- U.S. Chamber of Commerce Global Innovation Policy Center’s (GIPC)
First rank-USA
India ranked 44th of 50 economies – a jump from 43rd of 45 economies one year ago

Britain-first country to approve ‘three-parent’ babies:

Britain is set to become the first country in the world to legally offer “three-parent baby” fertility treatments.
The techniques used in three-parent baby Mitochondrial Replacement Therapy.

Mitochondrial Replacement Therapy:

Mitochondrial Replacement Therapy, technique uses genetic material from three different people to prevent certain inherited -- and hitherto untreatable -- genetic diseases from passing from the mother to her offspring.

Note:
The world’s first three-parent baby has been born in Mexico

India contributes $1 mn to UN Development Partnership Fund:

India has contributed an additional $1 million to the India-UN Development Partnership Fund earmarked for South-South cooperation.
The fund focuses on the Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States.

Note:
India - UN Development Partnership Fund first project is a Climate Early Warning System for Pacific Island Countries.

Headquarters of United Nations Development Programme-New York
Cyclone Kelvin was a tropical cyclone that impacted Western Australia

'Military Balance 2018' report:

Released by-International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS)
Rank of India in Defence spending-fifth
Top five countries in defence spending-UK, China, Saudi Arabia, USA, India
India overtook the UK as the fifth-largest defence spender in the world in 2017 at USD 52.5 billion, up from USD 51.1 billion in 2016.

2018 SCO summit:

2018 Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit was held at Qingdao, eastern Shandong Province of China
Full-time members in Shanghai Cooperation Organization- China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, India and Pakistan (8 countries)
Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran and Mongolia have observer status at present.

World Information Technology Congress (WITC) 2018:

World Information Technology Congress (WITC) 2018 was held in Hyderabad.
Theme-Future Enterprises
It was hosted by Telangana Government, in association with country’s top IT body, National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) and global IT organization World Information Technology and Services Alliance (WITSA).

Carbon tax imposed by Singapore:

Starting next year, the Singapore Government will impose a carbon tax to reduce greenhouse gas emissions

Note:
First country to impose carbon tax-New Zealand

Global corruption perception index-2018:

Released by-Transparency International
Rank of India-81
New Zealand ranked first in Global corruption perception index (that is New Zealand is the least corrupted country in the world).

Exercise GARUDA SHAKTI-2018:

Garuda Shakti-III is the military exercise between India and Indonesia. The 6th edition of annual joint military exercise ‘Garuda Shakti-2018’ was held between Indian and Indonesian Army in Bandung, Indonesia.

Exercise SURYA KIRAN-XIII:

Exercise SURYA KIRAN-XIII, a joint military training exercise between India & Nepal culminated at Pithoragarh, wherein the troops of both Armies participated in 14-day long joint training based on counter terrorist operation.

First military exercise of the BIMSTEC group:

India will host the first military exercise of the BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) group focussing on counter-terrorism in September. As part of this, a conclave of the Army chiefs of all seven member-states is being planned.

First founding conference of the International Solar Alliance (ISA-2018)

First founding conference of the International Solar Alliance was held in New Delhi
India and France have co-chaired the first founding conference of the International Solar Alliance
In this meeting PM Modi listed out ten action points to bring about a worldwide solar revolution.

Lamitye” 2018:

It is a joint military exercise between India and Seychelles. Lamitye” 2018 was held in Mahe island of Seychelles
The joint military exercise is named 'Lamitye' which in the local dialect 'Creole' means friendship.
The focus of the ongoing exercise is to conduct counter-insurgency and counter-terrorist operations in semi-urban environment under the United Nations (UN) Charter.

Boao Forum for Asia:

BFA is modeled after the World Economic Forum held annually in Davos, Switzerland. It has its fixed address in Bo'ao, Hainan province, China, although the Secretariat is based in Beijing.
The forum known as the “Asian Davos”, inherits its name from the town of Boao, located in China’s southern Hainan province, which has been the permanent venue for its annual conference since 2002.

International Women’s day:

It is celebrated every year on March 8th
The theme of 2018 International Women’s day is “Time is now: Rural and urban activists transforming women’s lives
United Nations celebrated women’s day for the first time on 8th March 1975.

World Sustainable Development Summit – 2018:

The World Sustainable Development Summit – 2018 was held in New Delh.
The theme of the 2018 Summit is – Partnerships for a Resilient Planet, which seeks to create action frameworks to resolve some of the most urgent challenges facing developing economies in the backdrop of climate change.

Global Logistics Summit:

To support awareness building and develop better understanding on these issues, the Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, in partnership with FICCI and the World Bank Group, was held Global Logistics Summit at New Delhi.
The Summit provides an opportunity to discuss the above issues among global experts, academics, government officials and private sector and industry representatives.

Namaste Shalom:

Dr Jitendra Singh launched the social media of “Namaste Shalom”, a magazine devoted to India-Israel relations.

Krishna Kumari Kohli:

Krishna Kumari Kohli became the first-ever Hindu Dalit woman Senator in the upper house of the Muslim-dominated neighbouring state Pakistan.

Rosemary DiCarlo:

Long-serving American diplomat Rosemary DiCarlo was appointed to become the first woman to head UN political affairs, one of the most high-profile positions at the world body.

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals:

US President Donald Trump has declared Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals as "dead" a program that protects immigrants brought to the United States illegally as children and pressed Congress to immediately pass legislation to secure the US border with Mexico.

Inclusive Internet Index:

Inclusive Internet Index is a comprehensive index released by Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) commissioned by Facebook.
India is ranked 47th out of 86 countries when it comes to inclusive Internet and connectivity for all.
India ranked 12th out of 23 countries in Asia when it comes to connectivity.

Asian Wrestling Championships:

Asian Wrestling Championships was held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
Navjot Kaur became the first Indian woman to claim a gold medal in the Asian wrestling championships when she defeated Imai Miyu of Japan in the final to win the 65kg title .

Financial Action Task Force:

It is established in the year 1989 during G-7 summit in Paris
The main aim of FATF is to combat Money laundering and Terror Financing
Recently Pakistan is added to grey list of FATF
Recently, China becomes the vice chair of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF)
Total number of countries in FATF-39

2018 OSCAR awards:

Best movie-The shape of water
Best actor-Gary old man
Best actress- Frances Mc Dormand
Best director-Guillermo del Toro

First 4G Network on the moon:

Vodafone is planning to create first 4G Network on the moon by 2019. It has appointed NOKIA as technology partner for 4G Network.

Pritzker prize:

Balkrishna Doshi, the legendary Indian architect who designs not just buildings but institutions, is being honored with the Pritzker Architecture Prize, the Nobel equivalent for the field.
The Pune-born Doshi, is the first Indian to receive the honor, the highest in the profession.

Marshal islands:

Marshal islands became the first country in the world to recognise a crypto currency as its legal tender when it passed a law to create the digital "Sovereign," or SOV
Earlier Venezuela became the first country to launch its own cryptocurrency when it launched the virtual 'Petro', backed by crude oil reserves.

Laures awards:

Laures awards are considered highly prestigious and are frequently referred to as the sporting equivalent of an "Oscar. In 2018 Laures awards
Federer won the World Sportsman of the Year
Serena Williams won the Sportswoman of the Year Award following her Australian Open success, her 23rd Grand Slam title.

Sri Lanka:

Sri Lanka declared a state of emergency for 10 days to rein in the spread of communal violence between majority Sinhala and minority Muslims.
The situation, however, remained tense in part of Kandy, home to famous tea plantations and Buddhist relics.

World Wildlife day-March 3rd:

Every year March 3rd is celebrated as World Wild life day to mark the signing of CITES-Convention of International Trade in Endangered species.
The theme of 2018 World Wild life day is Big cats: Predators under Threat.

VINBAX:

For the first time, armies of India and Vietnam started a six day-long military exercise in Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh, reflecting growing defence ties between the two countries.

Iraq:

Iraq has overtaken Saudi Arabia for the first time to become India's top crude supplier in the current fiscal.

MILAN-2018:

It is a multinational mega event conducted by Andaman and Nicobar Command
The theme of MILAN-2018 was Friendship across the seas
MILES-18 is the name of first ever multi-national naval exercise at was held in Andaman sea as a part of MILAN-2018.

Bidya Devi Bhandari

She is the first woman president of Nepal
Recently she re-elected for a second term to the office of president
Bhandari defeated Nepali Congress leader Kumari Laxmi Rai with an overwhelming majority in the presidential election.

India & Bangladesh:

First ever ‘crime-free zone’ along international border launched by India and Bangladesh

Note:
Bangladesh and India share a 4,156 km long international border. Bangladesh shares maximum boundary with India.

International Mother Language Day- Feb 21st

The theme of 2018’s International Mother Language Day is ‘linguistic diversity and multilingualism for sustainable development.’

Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile:

Russia has conducted a second drop test of its latest heavy intercontinental ballistic missile, the Sarmat. Sarmat is intended to replace the Soviet-designed Voyevoda, the world's heaviest ICBM that is known as 'Satan' in the West.

World Day of Social Justice-20th Feb

The United Nations General Assembly has decided to observe 20 February annually, approved on 26 November 2007 and starting in 2009, as the World Day of Social Justice. The 2018 theme is “Workers on the Move: the Quest for Social Justice”.

Global democracy index:

India has slipped to 42nd place on an annual Global Democracy Index amid “rise of conservative religious ideologies” and increase in vigilantism and violence against minorities as well as other dissenting voices.
The index was released by Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).

2017 Kochon prize:

The 2017 Kochon Prize was awarded to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for building a tradition of excellence in TB research and development
The $65,000 Prize is awarded annually by Stop TB Partnership to individuals and/or organizations that have made a significant contribution to combating TB. The ICMR emerged the winner from amongst 18 nominations.

Newton-Bhabha Fund:

The Newton-Bhabha Fund (£50 million over 5 years from the UK and matched efforts from India) is an important programme, with a strong interdisciplinary dimension that will further strategise the science, research and innovation cooperation between the UK and India.

'SAHYOG- HYEOBLYEOG 2018':

It is the name of joint anti-piracy exercise between India and South Korea.

Saudi Arabia lifts ban on female drivers:

In a first, women across Saudi Arabia were legally allowed to drive for the first time since 1957 on June 24, 2018.

International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking

The International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking was observed across the globe on June 26, 2018.

Cabinet approved MOU

Cabinet approved MOU between India and Singapore on cooperation in the field of urban planning and development.

India was ranked 35th among 100 countries

In recently released Global Real Estate Transparency Index (GRETI) India ranks 35th on Global Real Estate Transparency Index 2018. The top 10 countries are United Kingdom (1st), Australia (2nd), United States (3rd), France (4th), Canada (5th).

RIMPAC

The world's largest multilateral naval exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) held on June 27, 2018 in Hawaii in the Western Pacific Ocean. Indian Naval Ship Sahyadri has already reached the Pearl Harbour in Hawaii to participate in the 26th edition of RIMPAC exercise.

World Music Day (WMD)

The World Music Day (WMD) is observed on June 21 this day is well known for ‘Fete de la Musique’ after a music festival that began in France in 1982.

World Smallest Computer:

University of Michigan (UM) in the US have developed the world’s smallest computer “Michigan Micro Mote”. It measures 0.3 mm and help finding new ways to monitor and treat cancer.

4th International Yoga day

The 4th International Yoga day was celebrated across the world on June 21, 2018. In India, yoga day is led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Dehradun.

Commitment

India and Tajikistan have reaffirmed their commitment to promote bilateral relations and agreed to enhance economic cooperation, particularly in sustainable water development.

Femina Miss India World 2018:

Anukreethy vas was crowned for femina Miss India,2018.

World Sustainable Gastronomy Day (WSGD)

The World Sustainable Gastronomy Day (WSGD) is observed every year on June 18 to focus the world’s attention on the role that sustainable gastronomy can play.

Global Environment Performance Index (EPI) rankings:

India was ranked 177th among 180 nations at the 2018 Global Environment Performance Index (EPI) rankings.

World Blood Donor Day (WBDD)

The World Blood Donor Day (WBDD) is observed every year on June 14 across the globe to thank voluntary, unpaid blood donors for their life-saving gifts of blood. Theme: Be there for someone else. Give blood. Share life.

The 11th World Hindi Conference:

This conference was held in Mauritius from August 18 to August 20, 2018, with an aim to increase the popularity of Hindi globally.

World Environment Day

World Environment Day was observed on 5 June.

June21:

This day is very special as it has[ Father’s Day, International Day of Yoga, World Hydrography Day, World Music Day] all observed on the same day.

World Refugee day

World Refugee day was observed on June 20,2018.