U.N. DECLARATION ON THE RIGHTS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES: AUGUST 9.

THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE WORLD'S INDIGENOUS PEOPLE OBSERVED EVERY YEAR ON 9 AUGUST

The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly during its 62nd session at UN Headquarters in New York City on 13 September 2007.

While as a General Assembly Declaration it is not a legally binding instrument under international law, according to a UN press release, it does "represent the dynamic development of international legal norms and it reflects the commitment of the UN's member states to move in certain directions"; the UN describes it as setting "an important standard for the treatment of indigenous peoples that will undoubtedly be a significant tool towards eliminating human rights violations against the planet's 370 million indigenous people and assisting them in combating discrimination and marginalisation."

On December 1994, the United Nations General Assembly decided that the International Day of the World's Indigenous People shall be observed on 9 August every year during the International Decade of the World's Indigenous People. The date marks the day of the first meeting, in 1982, of the UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations of the Subcommission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights.

The UN General Assembly had proclaimed 1993 the International Year of the World's Indigenous People, and the same year, the Assembly proclaimed the International Decade of the World's Indigenous People, starting on 10 December 1994 (resolution 48/163). The goal of the First International Decade was to strengthen international cooperation for solving problems faced by indigenous people in such areas as human rights, the environment, development, education and health.The Second International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People began in 2005.
INDIA, CHINA TO SET UP HOTLINE


 India and China have decided to set up a hotline between Prime Ministers Manmohan Singh and Wen Jiabao as a confidence building measure. The decision was taken during the 13th Round of India-China Special Representatives talks on the boundary question which concluded in a “cordial and friendly atmosphere.”

 At the ministerial level, India now has a hotline only with Russia, while China has a functional hotline with the United States.

WHAT IS HOTLINE?

Hotline is a system that allows direct communication between the leaders of two countries. It was originally designed by Harris Corporation for communication between the United States and the Soviet Union. Also known as the "red telephone", it linked the White House via the National Military Command Center with the Kremlin during the Cold War.
“TRACK 2” AND BACKCHANNEL DIPLOMACY


 Track II diplomacy is a specific kind of informal diplomacy, in which non-officials (academic scholars, retired civil and military officials, public figures, and social activists) engage in dialogue, with the aim of conflict resolution, or confidence-building. This sort of diplomacy is especially useful after events which can be interpreted in a number of different ways, both parties recognize this fact, and neither side wants to escalate or involve third parties for fear of the situation spiraling out of control.

 A back channel in the language of diplomacy is an unofficial channel of communication between states or other political entities, used to supplement official channels, often for the purposes of discussing highly sensitive policy issues

MI6 & MI5

The Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), colloquially known as MI6 is the United Kingdom's external intelligence agency, part of the country's intelligence community. Under the direction of the Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC), it works alongside the Security Service (MI5),Headquarters Vauxhall Cross, London, United Kingdom

The Security Service commonly known as MI5 .MI5 (Military Intelligence, Section 5),is the United Kingdom's counter-intelligence and security agency and is part of the intelligence machinery alongside the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS or MI6). Headquarters Thames House, London, United Kingdom

INDIA, ASEAN SIGN FREE TRADE AGREEMENT

 The accord will take effect from January 1, 2010

 The regional bloc is the fourth largest trading partner

 Bulk trade includes textiles, steel and plantation crops
 BOOSTING TRADE: Union Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma and Thailand Commerce Minister Porntiva Nakasai signed the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (TIG) in Bangkok.


 India and the Association of South East Asian Nations signed a Free Trade Agreement, which took nearly six years to negotiate. The FTA, relating only to goods, was signed by Union Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma and his ASEAN counterparts at a ceremony in Bangkok after the two sides held annual consultations.

 The accord, India’s first with a trade bloc, will cover 11 countries with a combined Gross Domestic Product of over $2 trillion. The combined population is of the order of 1.6 billion.

 Under the trade pact, India has included 489 items from agriculture, textiles and chemicals in the negative list, meaning these products will be kept out of the duty reduction.

INDIA-CHINA BORDER TALKS BEGIN

 National Security Adviser M.K. Narayanan with Dai Bingguo, State Councillor and Special Representative on the boundary issue of the People’s Republic of China, before the India-China delegation-level talks at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi. The Special Representatives of India and China, M.K. Narayanan and Dai Bingguo, began the 13th round of talks on the boundary issue with a wider ambit..
 Besides continuing with the “second stage” of boundary talks, they are also discussing bilateral and regional issues ahead of several bilateral high-level exchanges, including President Pratibha Patil’s visit to Beijing and a “top” Chinese leader’s arrival here later this year.


 The Special Representatives would also interact on issues of “mutual interest” such as the global economic meltdown, climate change and trade cooperation.

 Both were involved in the “second stage” of talks since their launch in 2005. Mr. Narayanan this time is being assisted by Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao, who was previously the Indian envoy in Beijing. Informed sources said the immediate aim of the border talks was to agree on an outline for a final package. Once this consensus is reached, they will start negotiating the demarcation and delineation of the border.

DELHI MEET ON DOHA PROCESS (WTO)

DOHA ROUND

The Doha Development Round started in 2001 and continues till today. The WTO launched the current round of negotiations, the Doha Development Agenda (DDA) or Doha Round, at the fourth ministerial conference in Doha, Qatar in November 2001. The Doha round was to be an ambitious effort to make globalization more inclusive and help the world's poor, particularly by slashing barriers and subsidies in farming. The initial agenda comprised both further trade liberalization and new rule-making, underpinned by commitments to strengthen substantial assistance to developing countries.The negotiations have been highly contentious and agreement has not been reached, despite the intense negotiations at several ministerial conferences and at other sessions. Disagreements still continue over several key areas including agriculture subsidies.

India to host an “informal ministerial” in the Doha process in early September, India says the political “platform can help us in working out a path forward.” The negotiators in Geneva, from diverse economies, can then have “a clearer course of action” for framing “a rule-based global trade order,”

COMPREHENSIVE ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT (CEPA)

 The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) is a free trade agreement between India and South Korea. The agreement was signed on August 7, 2009. The signing ceremony took place in Seoul and the agreement was signed by Indian Commerce Minister Anand Sharma and South Korean Commerce Minister Kim Jong-Hoon. The negotiations took three-and-a-half years, with the first session in February 2006. The agreement still needs to pass the South Korean parliament. It passed the Indian parliament. Once passed, the agreement will come into effect sixty days later. The South Korean government expects the agreement to pass in the fall of 2009. It is equivalent to a free trade agreement.

 The agreement, once passed, will cut South Korean tariffs on 90% of goods from India. India will cut 85% of total tariffs. The agreement will provide better access for the Indian service industry in South Korea.. Services include Information technology, engineering, finance, and the legal field. South Korean car manufactures will see large tariffs cuts to below 1%.

 The agreement will ease restrictions on foreign direct investments. Companies can own up to 65% of a company in the other country. Both countries avoided issues over agriculture, fisheries,
and mining and choose not to decrease tariffs in those areas. This was due to the very sensitive nature of these sections in the respective countries.


 Trade between India and South Korea was $15.6 billion in 2008. This is a major increase from 2002, which had a total trade amount of $2.6 billion. The Korea Institute for International Economic Policy believes the agreement will increase trade between the two countries by $3.3 billion.

 The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), which he and his South Korean counterpart signed in Seoul, reflected “an expression against any protectionism,” Mr. Sharma said. For India, the economic pact was the first of its kind with any “major OECD economy.”

BRIC

BRICs is an acronym that refers to the fast-growing developing economies of Brazil, Russia, India and China. The acronym was first coined and prominently used by Goldman Sachs in 2001The four countries, combined, currently account for more than a quarter of the world's land area and more than 40% of the world's population.

“50 YEARS OF CUBAN REVOLUTION”

The Cuban Revolution was an armed revolt that led to the overthrow of U.S.-backed dictator Fulgencio Batista of Cuba on January 1, 1959 by the 26th of July Movement led by Fidel Castro.

The "Cuban Revolution" also refers to the ongoing implementation of social and economic programs by the new Castro government, including the implementation of Marxist economic policies.

WHAT IS H-1B VISA

The H-1B is a non-immigrant visa in the United States under the Immigration & Nationality Act, section 101(a)(15)(H). It allows U.S. employers to temporarily employ foreign workers in specialty occupations. If a foreign worker in H-1B status quits or is dismissed from the sponsoring employer, the worker can find another employer, apply for a change of status to another non-immigrant status, or must leave the US.

N. KOREA FREES U.S. JOURNALISTS
 North Korea released the two American reporters who had been imprisoned in the country since March, issuing a “special pardon” following the surprise visit of the former U.S. President, Bill Clinton.


 Mr. Clinton met North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il, the first high-level visit from the U.S. to Pyongyang in almost a decade, and made the case for the release of the journalists.

 In March, Laura Ling (32) and Euna Lee (36), reporters with American television channel Current TV, were detained by authorities when they were filming a report along the country’s border on the influx of North Korean refugees into China. They were accused of illegally crossing the border and had been sentenced to 12 years of hard labour for “hostile acts” against the country. Mr. Kim issued a “special pardon” in keeping with the country’s “humanitarian and peace-loving policy.”

 North Korea currently faces a range of sanctions, which were recently expanded by the United Nations after the country conducted a nuclear test and a series of missile tests in May. In April, North Korea quit the Six-Party Talks initiative set up by the U.S. along with China, Russia, Japan and South Korea to bring about denuclearisation and stability in the region.

INDIAN FUNDS FOR PALALY PROJECT : JAFFNA, SRI LANKA

 Palaly Airport, in Sri Lanks , once an international airport had regular passenger flight service between Colombo and Trichirapalli, India is under the control of Sri Lankan Navy now.India handed over bank drafts worth Sri Lanka Rs. 117 million to Sri Lanka for Palaly military-cum civilian runway rehabilitation project in the Jaffna peninsula,

 Palaly houses the main base of the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) in the Jaffna peninsula. The air base is also used by civilian and military aircraft carrying Jaffna-bound passengers.

 The Sri Lankan Defence Ministry said, “Deepening and strengthening the long-standing bilateral relationship between Sri Lanka and India, the Indian government financially assisted the Palaly Runway Rehabilitation project.


NEW LTTE CHIEF PATHMANATHAN HELD


 The new Tiger chief, Selvarasa Pathmanathan known as ‘KP,’ was arrested in Thailand and brought to Colombo for questioning.

 KP claimed that the decision of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam to give up its armed struggle and take recourse to “political and diplomatic moves” was taken by Velupillai Prabakaran along with other commanders at Mullivaikkal in Mullaithivu district days before Prabakaran’s death in Eelam War IV.

 In a statement posted on his website, KP, supposedly operating out of South-East Asia and wanted by the Interpol, dwelt at length on his earlier statement about the LTTE’s decision to achieve Tamil Eelam.

ON THE G8 AGENDA

1. Climate change.

2. Energy; Nuclear energy.

3. Dialogue with emerging countries.

4. Achievement of millennium development goals.

5. Negotiations on climate change.

6. Development of Africa -- 4 issues education, water, food and agriculture, peace support.

7. Intellectual property.

8. Heiligendamm Process. (The Heiligendamm process is an initiative that will institutionalize high level dialogue between the G8 and the five most important emerging economies, known as the O5 (Outreach 5) composed by China, Mexico, India, Brazil and South Africa; and the establishment of a common G5 + G8 platform at the OECD.)

9. Outreach and expansion.

UN BEGINS PROBE INTO BENAZIR BHUTTO KILLING

A UN commission appointed to investigate the assassination of Pakistan's former prime minister Benazir Bhutto.The panel, which has a six-month mandate, is being led by the Chilean ambassador to the United Nations, Heraldo Munoz, and includes an Indonesian ex-attorney general and an Irish former police official.

Bhutto, the first woman to become prime minister of a Muslim country, was killed on December 27, 2007 in a gun and suicide attack after addressing an election rally in Rawalpindi, a garrison city near the capital Islamabad.
UN SECURITY COUNCIL EXTENDS DARFUR MISSION BY ONE YEAR


The UN Security Council extended its peacekeeping mission in the Darfur region of Sudan by one more year. In a unanimous resolution, the Security Council called for the UN to set out a plan so it can measure whether the mission is making progress towards achieving its mandate. The 15-membered body stressed the importance of protecting Darfur's civilian population and ensuring humanitarian workers have unhindered access to those in need.
SOMALIA'S HARDLINE SHEBAB MILITIA HAD BANNED THE ACTIVITIES OF THREE UN ORGANISATIONS IN THE COUNTRY CONSIDERED "ENEMIES OF ISLAM AND MUSLISMS.


 The group singled out the United Nations Development Programme, UN Department of Safety and Security and the UN Political Office for Somalia.

 According to this Islamists movement "The above foreign agencies have been found to be working against the benefit of the Somali Muslim population and against the establishment of an Islamic state in Somalia,"

MAHATMA GANDHI PEACE AWARD CONFERRED ON AUNG SAN SUU KYI

The pro-democracy Myanmar leader and Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi has been felicitated with the Mahatma Gandhi International Award for Peace and Reconciliation in Durban South Africa The award was bestowed by the South African-based Mahatma Gandhi Foundation at a function at the Durban. Burmese Prime Minister in exile Thien Win received the award on her behalf, the award was being given on July 20 because it represents the 20th anniversary of Ms. Suu Kyi’s house arrest by the military junta in her country. “The award is in recognition of her strong commitment to non-violence, justice and peace.

THE 35TH G8 SUMMIT TOOK PLACE IN THE CITY OF L'AQUILA, ITALLY

The Group of Eight (G8, and formerly the G6 or Group of Six) is a forum, created by France in 1975, for governments of eight nations of the northern hemisphere: the European Union is represented within the G8, but cannot host or chair. "G8" can refer to the member states or to the annual summit meeting of the G8 heads of government. The former term, G6, is now frequently applied to the six most populous countries within the European Union. G8 ministers also meet throughout the year, such as the G7/8 finance ministers (who meet four times a year), G8 foreign ministers, or G8 environment ministers.


Each calendar year, the responsibility of hosting the G8 rotates through the member states in the following order: France, United States, United Kingdom, Russia, Germany, Japan, Italy, and Canada. The holder of the presidency sets the agenda, hosts the summit for that year.The 35th G8 summit took place in the city of L'Aquila, Abruzzo, on July 8–10, 2009. It was moved from the Sardinian seaside resort of La Maddalena as part of an attempt to redistribute disaster funds after L'Aquila was struck by a devastating earthquake in April 2009.

Invited leaders (partial participation) G8+5 leaders

A number of national leaders are traditionally invited to attend the summit and to participate in some, but not all, G8 summit activities.

The G8 plus the five largest emerging economies are known as G8+5,Including: BrazilLuiz Inácio Lula da Silva, People's Republic of China -Hu Jintao , India- Manmohan Singh, Mexico- Felipe Calderón, South Africa- Jacob Zuma.

FAO WARNS OF GLOBAL HUNGER CRISIS

The number of hungry people in the world may cross one billion in 2009 due to the shocks of the global economic crisis combined with high food prices in a few countries, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) said. "The number of hungry people is expected to grow overall by about 11 per cent this year," the U.N. agency projected drawing on analysis by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
"The most recent increase in hunger is not the consequence of poor global harvests but is caused by the world economic crisis, which has resulted in lower incomes and increased unemployment. This has reduced the poor’s access to food,"
EUMA: End user monitoring agreement (EUMA) This is a recently proposed Defense cooperation agreement between India and USA , during the Hilary’s visit ,which receives criticism from opposition parties in India.
FACED WITH AGEING, CHINA MOVES AWAY FROM ONE-CHILD POLICY
Shanghai city begins encouraging couples to have two children By 2043, half of China’s population will be over the age of 48  Since China launched its family planning policies in the 1970s, the government says it has prevented an estimated 300 million births. Exemption China’s One-Child policy is now only in force in urban areas, affecting 35 per cent of the country’s population, but grants exemptions to couples when both partners are only-children. But eligible couples still face obstacles in having a second child, and those employed by the government and state-run businesses are discouraged from doing so. SUSILO BAMBANG

YUDHOYONO RE-ELECTED Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was declared re-elected by a landslide margin, obviating the need for a run-off poll. The validity of the Election Commission’s announcement may now be decided by the Constitutional Court, following moves by the losing candidates to question the result. SRI LANKA TO CHAIR GROUP OF FIFTEEN Sri Lanka has accepted the Chairmanship of the ‘Group of Fifteen’, a coalition of 18 developing countries established to develop potential for greater and mutually beneficial cooperation among developing countries, especially in the areas of investment, trade and technology. AFGHANISTAN, INDIA TO SET UP PARTNERSHIP COUNCIL India and Afghanistan have decided to establish a new dialogue architecture to further improve bilateral ties and bring renewed focus to rebuilding and restoration of the war-ravaged country. The intention behind initiating official-level dialogue in the seven areas political consultation, capacity development and education, power and water, culture, trade and industry, health and agriculture. India is assisting Afghanistan. With about 4,000 Indians in Afghanistan, India is building several key roads, helping Kabul build its new parliament building, train Afghan police officers, diplomats and civil servants and provide support in health, education, transportation, power and telecommunications. INTERNATIONAL MEET ON IRRIGATION India will host the fifth Asian Regional Conference and the 60th International Executive council meeting ,from December 6 to 11
It will deliberate on the issue of "Improvement in efficiency of irrigation projects through technology upgradation and better operation and maintenance."
The conference would also discuss modernisation of State-operated irrigation systems and services, public-private partnership in irrigation development, the impact of climate change on water resources and integrated approaches in agricultural drainage. The ground water recharge issue will be discussed on the concluding day

INDIA-U.S. 3.0’

‘What exactly does that mean? In contrast to the earlier Bush administration, where the focus seemed to be exclusively on strategic affairs, the recent Hilary’s visit revealed that the US wants ties with India to be on a broader basis, with an equal emphasis on trade as much as strategic relations. HILLARY’S VISIT TO INDIAN SUBCONTINENT
The purpose behind Ms Clinton’s visit was twofold. First, to build new structures of engagement that might bring Indian thinking on major global issues like climate change, trade and disarmament in line with the "strong and constructive positions" the U.S. takes and away from the alternative consensus India is trying to build at different forums like BRIC, IBSA, G-20, G-77 and NAM. This she did by proposing a strategic dialogue consisting of "five pillars," ranging from non-proliferation and climate change to trade, investment and agriculture. The second purpose was transactional: how to translate the strategic partnership with India into commercial gains for American businesses.
NEW MALAYSIAN INDIAN ‘PRO-TEM’ PARTY ANNOUNCED
The formation of a new "pro-tem party," for championing the "rights" of Malaysia’s ethnic Indian minority, was announced. The pro-tem "Human Rights Party" is yet to be granted official recognition. P. Uthayakumar, who took the initiative for this political move, was recently set free after 514 days in detention under Malaysia’s tough Internal Security Act. He was arrested, along with four other activists for organising an "illegal" mass protest against what they described as systemic discrimination of the two-million-strong ethnic Indians.
TURKEY EXTENDS SMOKING BAN TO BARS, RESTAURANTS
 Turkey — a nation of smokers —extended a ban on indoor public smoking to bars, restaurants, and even to traditionally smoke-filled village coffeehouses.The ban came into effect despite protests from bar and coffeehouse owners who fear it will ruin businesses that have already been hit hard by the economic crisis. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Islamic-oriented government barred smoking in offices,  public transport and other public places in May 2008 in an effort to reduce the country’s high smoking rates and the effects of secondhand smoke on people’s health. INDIA, IRAN AND PAKISTAN PIPELINE PROJECT The Indian government asserted that India would not bow to external pressure, including from the United States, in deciding on its participation in the $7.4-billion Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) gas pipeline project. However, several issues hampered progress.
The problems included finalisation of tariff, transportation cost and security concerns, Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Murli Deora said in the Rajya Sabha, but expressed hope that these would be overcome.
"Energy needs of the country are paramount. There is no question of *our+ succumbing to any external pressure as far as energy security is concerned. We are very sure that the pipeline project is good for India, Iran and Pakistan. The project has been considerably delayed as we have not been able to decide on the price of gas with Iran,"
Besides, transportation tariff for wheeling gas through the section of the pipeline passing through Pakistan had not been finalised yet. The transit fee payable to it for allowing the passage was not finalised, nor had the project structure been decided. India wanted guaranteed supply of gas and to take delivery at its border with Pakistan, but Tehran and Islamabad had agreed on handing over custody of gas at the Iran-Pakistan border, the Minister said. Custody transfer at the Pakistan-India border would make Iran liable for safe passage of gas through Pakistan’s territory.

HIJACKED SHIP ‘MV NAFEYA’ WAS SUCCESSFULLY RESCUED BY INDO-FRENCH NAVIES.

The Indian and French Navies conducted an operation to rescue a hijacked Indian dhow and its 14-member crew who were taken hostage by pirates near Somalia on July 10,
The dhow ‘mv Nafeya,’ registered at Porbandar and operating from the UAE was hijacked off Boosaaso, Somalia, last by seven pirates armed with RPGs and AK-47s. The vessel was hijacked about 10 nautical miles off Boosasso in Puntland, the semi-autonomous north-eastern region of Somalia, after it had offloaded its cargo at the Somalia harbour and was headed towards Dubai.
All the 14 Indian crew were found safe and the Indian warship provided them with food, water and medicine. The dhow proceeded towards Al Mukkalla in Yemen.
The Indian Navy said mutual understanding and operational interoperability resulted in the safe release of the Indian dhow and its crew without payment of any ransom.
VAYALAR RAVI TO BE CHIEF GUEST AT GOPIO MEET
Union Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Valayar Ravi will be the chief guest at the 20th annual convention of the Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO), which begins on August 20.The  four-day convention in New York will be attended by eminent people of Indian origin from various parts of the world. SIKHS OPPOSE U.S. BILL Sikhs in the U.S. have slammed a draft Oregon state law that would bar teachers in public schools from wearing "religious dress", including turbans, a move that may spark a racial row. The draft law actually broadens religious freedom in the workplace, but has prompted protests by faith leaders because it exempts schools from the same rights. The bill grants workers wide religious leeway as long as the activity, clothing or other practices do not cause undue hardship to the employer.
The agenda The participants at the convention will debate important issues affecting the PIOs, including human rights, political participation, economic trends, socio-cultural and Diaspora related issues and concerns, inter-generational conflict, and challenges and opportunities for the future.

FIJI’S ROADMAP TO DEMOCRACY

Fiji’s Prime Minister Commodore Frank Bainimarama will attend the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) meeting in Vanuatu this week to present his roadmap towards returning the country to democratic rule
The Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) Preferential Trade Agreement is a trade treaty governing the four melanesian states of
FIJI PLANS NEW CONSTITUTION Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and recently, Fiji Fiji’s Prime Minister Commodore Bainimarama said on the country’s Constitution would begin in September 2012 in preparation for the general election in 2014. The new Constitution must include provisions that will entrench common and equal citizenry, it must not have ethnic based voting; the voting age shall be 18; and, it must have systems that hold governments accountable with more checks. OBAMA ACCEPTS MANMOHAN’S INVITATION TO VISIT INDIA L’Aquila, Italy, United States President Barack Obama has accepted an invitation from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to visit India, dates for which will be finalised through diplomatic channels.U.N. reforms,Mr. Obama also endorsed Dr. Singh’s fresh calls for urgent U.N. reforms saying the global community would have to "update and refresh and renew" international institutions like the world body that were set up in a different time and place. 15TH NAM SUMMIT AT SHARM EL-SHEIKH IN EGYPT
INDIA’S PROPOSAL ON KEY ISSUES Financial crisis gives NAM new relevance – India, NAM-"A moral force for equitable transformation of today’s world" 1. ON FINANCIAL
Dr. Singh said the developing countries had been the hardest hit by the crisis which "emanated from the advanced industrial economies" and had strengthened protectionism and choked credit and capital flows to the third world. "If the aftermath of the crisis is not carefully managed, and if the abundance of liquidity leads to a revival of speculative activities, we may well see a period of prolonged stagflation," the Prime Minister warned. CRISIS the 118-nation grouping must ensure the steps planned to revive the global economy take into account the developing world’s concerns. 2. ON CLIMATE CHANGE
The weight of NAM should be used to achieve "a comprehensive, balanced and above all, equitable outcome" in the ongoing multilateral negotiations leading up to the Copenhagen conference in December this year. too, he blamed the "over two centuries of industrial activity and unsustainable lifestyles in the developed world" for the threat posed to the planet by the accumulation of greenhouse gases. 3. ON UNO The Prime Minister criticised the fact that "decision-making processes" at the United Nations and in international financial institutions "continue to be based on charters written more than 60 years ago, though the world has changed greatly since then." Page 5 of 51 4. ON AFRICA’S PROBLEMS He said NAM should work to prioritise Africa’s problems in the global development agenda. On its part, India was committed to developing a comprehensive partnership with the continent. 5.ON PALESTINIAN ISSUE Echoing the strong sentiment within NAM in support of Palestinian aspirations, the Prime Minister began his remarks by saying his "thoughts turn to the people of Palestine, who have endured great suffering and hardship." "The movement," he said, "must do more to facilitate a comprehensive, just, lasting and peaceful settlement of the Palestinian issue." 6. ON TERRORISM, he stressed the long-standing Indian demand for speedy agreement on a Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism. "Terrorists and those who aid and abet them must be brought to justice," he said. "The infrastructure of terrorism must be dismantled and there should be no safe havens for terrorists because they do not represent any cause, group of religion." NAM :FIRST LADIES’ MEET DISCUSSES CHALLENGES TO WOMEN Gursharan Kaur, wife of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, at the NAM First Ladies’ summit on "Role of Women in Crisis Management" in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt,
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s wife Gursharan Kaur, held a parallel meeting to deliberate on human trafficking and other problems confronting women. Opening the NAM First Ladies Summit, Egypt’s First Lady Suzanne Mubarak said the nations faced a "very dangerous situation" in which 51 million more people, of whom 22 million were women, could lose their jobs by the end of 2009. "Women are the most negatively and disproportionately impacted by these interconnected challenges, especially in developing countries. While some are veering dangerously close towards the poverty line, others are fighting daily battles to survive," said Ms. Mubarak, wife of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. "Young girls are dropping out of schools to help their families make ends meet," she said saying these girls would become more vulnerable to forced labour, abuse and human trafficking.

REAGANOMICS

Reaganomics refers to the economic policies promoted by the U.S. President Ronald Reagan during the 1980s. The four pillars of Reagan's economic policy were to:
1. Reduce government spending,
2. Reduce income and capital gains marginal tax rates,
3. Reduce government regulation,
4. Control the money supply to reduce inflation.
In his stated intention to increase domestic spending while lowering taxes, Reagan's approach was a departure from his immediate predecessors. Reagan enacted lower marginal tax rates in conjunction with simplified income tax codes and continued deregulation. GREEN DAM INITIATIVE  Green Dam Youth Escort also dubbed as the Filtering Bully is content-control software developed in the People's Republic of China (PRC). it is mandatory to have the software, on all new personal computers sold in Mainland China, including those imported from abroad  The software is specifically aimed at restricting online pornography but could be used for other purposes. Green Dam Youth Escort automatically downloads the latest updates of a list of prohibited sites from an online database, and also collects private user data  The government had announced in May that all computers sold in the country after July 1 would have to carry a software programme called the Green Dam Youth Escort which would block access to a range of websites.  As of 30 June 2009, the mandatory pre-installation of the Green Dam software on new computers has been delayed to an undetermined date. MINI PRAVASI BHARATIYA DIVAS IN HAGUE  With a view to involving Indians living in Europe, the Indian government has decided to hold the next mini Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in The Hague on September 19.  The convention is expected to bring together the Indians to discuss their role in enhancing India-Europe cooperation, understand the opportunities and challenges faced by them in culture, heritage and tradition, as also trade and investment opportunities in India. Some dignitaries from Netherlands are expected to take part in the event. COUP IN HONDURAS Condemning the toppling of Honduras, a banana republic, President Manuel Zelaya by the military, Cuban Ambassador to India Miguel Angel Ramirez Ramos said that his country would do everything to ensure that the democratically elected president was returned to power. BANANA REPUBLICS Banana Republic is a pejorative term for a country that is politically unstable, dependent on limited agriculture (e.g. bananas), and ruled by a small, self-elected, wealthy, and corrupt clique. It is most commonly used for countries in Central America and Africa such as El Salvador, Belize, Grenada, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, Ethiopia.

INDIA, CHINA SIGN PACT ON HOTLINE

 India and China signed an agreement to set up a hotline to open up direct communication between their Prime Ministers, but appeared to continue to speak in different languages on key issues that continue to challenge the bilateral relationship.  In talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi and Premier Wen Jiabao, External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna called for China to review its position on India's bid for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). He also voiced India's concerns over Chinese support to development projects in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and the issuing of stapled visas to Indian citizens from Jammu and Kashmir.  This is the same position China has held since Mr. Wen's visit to India in 2005, suggesting there was little or no progress on this front. U.S., RUSSIA SIGN NUCLEAR ARMS PACT  Presidents Barack Obama of the United States and Dmitry Medvedev of Russia signed a Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty which will reduce their nuclear weapons stockpiles by a third.  The START deal, which will last for 10 years, was signed at a meeting in Prague, where Mr. Obama outlined his vision for nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation about a year ago.  Speaking after the signing, Mr. Obama said: "This day demonstrates the determination of the United States and Russia — the two nations that hold over 90 per cent of the world's nuclear weapons — to pursue responsible global leadership."  Describing the deal as a "win-win" for both countries, Mr. Medvedev said: "This agreement enhances strategic ability and, at the same time, allows us to rise to a higher level of cooperation between Russia and the United States."  The agreement succeeds the 1991 START, which expired in December. It will have to be ratified by the U.S. Senate and the Russian Parliament.  The new treaty limits the number of strategic nuclear warheads to 1,550 — about a third less than the 2,200 currently allowed. It also mandates a combined limit of 800 deployed and non-deployed Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile launchers, Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile launchers and heavy bombers equipped for nuclear armaments; and a separate limit of 700 deployed ICBMs, deployed SLBMs and deployed heavy bombers equipped for nuclear armaments. 
Page The White House noted that the warheads on deployed ICBMs and SLBMs will count toward the limit and each deployed heavy bomber equipped for nuclear armaments 2 of 51 　
would count as one warhead toward this limit. The warhead limit itself is 74 per cent lower than the limit of the 1991 treaty and 30 per cent lower than the deployed strategic warhead limit of the 2002 Moscow Treaty, a White House statement added. Further, the limit on launchers and bombers is less than half the corresponding strategic nuclear delivery vehicle limit of the previous START.  The agreement also comes less than a week before a 47-nation Nuclear Security Summit that Mr. Obama is hosting in Washington. On April 12-13, leaders from a range of nuclear and non-nuclear powers, including India, will discuss issues surrounding nuclear proliferation and security.