Current InterNational Affairs: July 2009 For SBI Clerical & PO Exams

AFGHANISTAN
US launches biggest operation against Afghan Taliban
On July 2, 2009, thousands of US marines stormed deep into Taliban territory in an Afghan river valley, launching the biggest military offensive of Barack Obama’s presidency. The marines said that Operation Khanjar, or Strike of the Sword, will be decisive and is intended to seize virtually the entire lower Helmand River valley, the heartland of the Taliban insurgency and the world’s biggest opium poppy producing region.

The Taliban has vowed to fight back. “Thousands of Taliban mujahideen are ready to fight US troops,” Mullah Hayat Khan, a senior Taliban commander, said. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s army deployed more troops to a stretch of the Afghan border to stop Taliban militants fleeing the major US offensive in Afghanistan.

CHINA
Uighur unrest
China faced its worst unrest in decades in July 2009 when tensions between the dominant Han Chinese and the Turkic-speaking, Muslim Uighurs descended into violence in the regional capital of Urumqi. Nearly 200 people died in the unrest. Chinese officials said that police killed 12 people during July 5 rioting—a rare acknowledgment by the government that security forces opened fire in the worst ethnic clashes to hit the region in decades.

The chairman of the Standing Committee of the Xinjiang Regional People's Congress blamed the riots on "three forces"—extremism, separatism, and terrorism—both at home and abroad. Eligen Imibakhi, the top legislator in Xinjiang, said authorities will speed up local legislation against separatism in the western region that has a long-running independence movement by minority Uighurs. He added that the public's lack of understanding about laws is also an "urgent problem," and the government plans to distribute legal booklets in ethnic minority languages to farmers and herdsmen across the region.

The violence began when police in Urumqi intervened at a peaceful protest by Uighurs, who went on a rampage, smashing windows, burning cars and beating Han Chinese. Two days later, vigilante groups of Han took to the streets and attacked Uighurs.

Even as additional security personnel and machinery poured into Urumqi, the capital of western Xinjiang province, the Chinese foreign ministry got into action asking several countries, including Pakistan, to prove their friendship by taking a stand on the issue. Beijing wants several countries to unearth the links between their citizens and the World Uighur Congress, which Beijing claims is behind the violence in Urumqi. The government had earlier issued a white paper, which claimed that several Xinjiang terrorists were trained in training bases in Pakistan.

A worried Hu Jintao, President of China, left the G-8 summit in Italy and rushed back to Beijing as it dawned on Chinese authorities that the Urumqi violence might set off a chain reaction and eventually affect the party position.

NIGERIA
Troops rout ‘Taliban’, kill 200
On July 30, 2009, Nigerian forces put Islamist extremists to fight in a brutal all-out assault on their northern stronghold after an uprising led to clashes that have left hundreds dead. Nigerian troops raided the Islamists headquarters in the northern city of Maiduguri, killing some 200 followers of the self-styled Taliban sect, along with its deputy leader.

Maiduguri has seen the worst of the unrest in northern Nigeria which started in nearby Bauchi State. At least 600 people have been killed in the clashes in Borno and three other northern States, according to figures from police and witnesses.

Boko Haram, also called ‘Nigerian Taliban’, is a sect led by Mohammed Yusuf, an Islamic scholar who wants sharia law across Nigeria. Based in Maiduguri, his followers include former university lecturers and students as well as illiterate, jobless youths. Mohammed Yusuf is in his mid-30s and has considerable wealth. His followers say he was educated in Iran.

Boko Haram means “western education is sinful” in Hausa language. Boko Haram followers pray in separate mosques and believe their wives should not be seen by any men other than themselves Nigeria has equal numbers of Christians and Muslims. In 2002, 215 died in rioting in Kaduna after a newspaper article suggested Prophet Mohammad would have married a beauty queen at a Miss World contest held in Abuja. A protest against Danish cartoons of the Prophet in 2006 sparked riots, killing 157.

PAKISTAN
Emergency was unconstitutional: SC
In a landmark judgement, the Pakistan Supreme Court on July 10, 2009, declared as illegal and unconstitutional the emergency imposed on November 3, 2007, by former President Gen Pervez Musharraf and all his subsequent actions, including sacking of 60 judges.

The judgement, which has far reaching legal and political implications, termed Musharraf a “usurper” whose actions were subversive of the Constitution. The imposition of provisional Constitution order (PCO), under which Musharraf purged the judiciary and packed it with pliant judges, was also declared unconstitutional.

In a significant move, the apex court allowed protection to some of Musharraf's actions, including holding of general elections, oath administered by Justice Dogar to President Asif Zardari and the ordinance creating command and control authority for security and safety of country's nuclear assets.

Prior to announcing the judgement delivered by a 14-judge bench, Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry declared that the court was looking forward to a kind of verdict which should not be disruptive. “Huge unconstitutionality and illegality had taken place under Musharraf's emergency,” he observed, adding: “But we have to be very careful in order not to rock the boat and destroy the democratic system.”

The court also declared as illegal the action of the present PPP government to enhance the number of judges of the Supreme Court from 17 to 29 through the Finance Bill that contained the budgetary proposals in June 2008. The creation of Islamabad High Court was also declared unconstitutional as this step required a Constitutional amendment by Parliament and not through the amendment introduced by Musharraf as the army chief.

The judgement was widely acclaimed across the country and people raised slogans, and distributed sweets. President Asif Zardari welcomed the judgement and promised to implement it.

USA
Hillary spells out US international agenda
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton delivered a major foreign policy speech in Washington in July 2009, in which she pledged her commitment to "smart power" while acknowledging an international agenda that is "unforgiving."

Speaking at the Council on Foreign Relations, Clinton noted that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, conflict in the South West Asia, ongoing threats of violent extremism and nuclear proliferation, global recession, climate change, hunger and disease, and a widening gap between rich and poor are all challenges that affect America's security and prosperity. "And all threaten global stability and progress." she said.

In approaching these foreign policy challenges, she said, the US has to deal with the urgent, the important and the long-term all at once.

She was confident that the Obama administration had the right strategy, the right priorities and the right policies. "We have the right President. And we have the American people, diverse, committed, involved and open to the future," she said. Defending the administration's willingness to talk with perceived foes of the US, she said this was not a sign of weakness to be exploited. "We will not hesitate to defend our friends, our interests and above all our people, vigorously and when necessary with the world's strongest military," she said.

Discussing Afghanistan and Pakistan, Clinton said the US was committed to disrupting, dismantling, and ultimately defeating Al-Qaida and its extremist allies. Yet, she admitted, "Americans often ask as to why do we ask our young men and women to risk their lives in Afghanistan when Al-Qaida's leadership is in neighbouring Pakistan?" She went on to answer that question, saying, "We and our allies fight in Afghanistan because the Taliban protects Al-Qaida and depends on it for support, sometimes, coordinating activities. In other words, to eliminate Al-Qaida, we must also fight the Taliban."

Priorities of Obama administration

• Reverse the spread of nuclear weapons, prevent their use, and build a world free of their threat.


• Isolate and defeat terrorists and counter violent extremists while reaching out to Muslims around the world.


• Encourage and facilitate the efforts of all parties to pursue a comprehensive peace in South West Asia.


• Pursue global economic recovery and growth — by strengthening the US economy, advancing a robust development agenda, expanding trade that is free and fair, and boosting investment that creates decent jobs.


• Combat climate change, increase energy security, and lay the foundation for a prosperous clean-energy future.


• Support and encourage democratic governments that protect the rights of and deliver results for their people.


• And stand up for human rights everywhere.

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMY
IMF pegs 2010 global growth at 2.5%
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has raised its 2009 growth forecast for Asia's developing economies from 4.8% to 5.5% but cautioned that a sustained rebound will depend on recovery in developed economies. It cited improved prospects for regional giants China and India. In a report, it raised its 2009 growth outlook for China by one percentage point to 7.5%, and for India by 0.9 percentage points to 5.4%.

IMF also raised its outlook for the global economy in 2010, but said recovery from the worst recession since World War II would be sluggish. The IMF boosted its 2010 global growth forecast to 2.5%, an improvement of 0.6 percentage point from its April forecast. The updated IMF forecast was marginally worse for 2009, showing a contraction of 1.4% across the global economy.

IMF to issue bonds to combat crisis
The International Monetary Fund has decided to issue bonds for the first time in its 60-year history in an effort to win contributions from emerging economies such as China, Brazil and Russia. China has already said it will invest $50 billion, while Russia and Brazil have pledged $10 billion each through the new bond offer. It would mark the first time that developing countries have made contributions to the IMF. The bonds will be issued in the IMF’s own currency, known as Special Drawing Rights, which is based on a basket of currencies made up of the dollar, euro, yen and British pound. The bonds will be issued for a maximum of five years.

Thanks to Asia, economic crisis is rolling back: UN
The current economic crisis is rolling back due to the significant progress made by countries in Asia like India and China, according to a top UN official. The financial stimulus packages and reforms announced by these countries could help in creating a more integrated and coordinated Asia and the Pacific that builds up on collective regional strengths and resources. During the course of the UN Economic and Social Council session in Geneva, UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) Executive Secretary Noeleen Heyzer highlighted the need for appropriate investments in infrastructure to create economic corridors that link less developed countries to economic centres in the region, thereby increasing intra-regional trade. Heyzer added that her organization has responded to the crisis by encouraging policies that include social programmes such as health coverage, pensions, education and agricultural extension services, as well as investment in small and medium scale enterprises.

ENVIRONMENT
Climate talks stall as West asks India, China to cut emissions
Attempts to forge a global consensus to battle climate change suffered a serious setback as developed countries tried to wriggle out of any short-term commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and instead, demanded that developing economies such as India and China accept emission reduction targets.

At a meeting of the Major Economies Forum in Rome on July 9, 2009, the developed countries tried to renege on their commitment to use 1990 as the base year for reducing emissions. Nor would they spell out what quantum of commitments they would accept in the run-up to 2020. The developed nations insisted that India, China and other emerging economies like Brazil and South Africa agree to a long-range target for reduction of GHGs with the burden-sharing formula remaining ambiguous.

Sources termed the deliberations at the Rome meeting as “tense” with India and China having to join hands to counter pressure from the developed world led by the US. The India-China partnership had staved off a similar challenge at the Bonn climate change talks.

India blinks on emission caps
At the Major Economies Forum (MEF) meeting in Italy, India has gone back on some key principles— like a refusal to accept emission caps—that it had held to be non-negotiable till just before the G8 meet in Italy. In the course of some tough negotiations, India appears to have relented in the face of pressure from industrialized countries. Its biggest compromise at the MEF was to accept that all countries would work to reduce emissions in order to not let global temperatures rise more than 2°C above pre-industrialization levels.

When this declaration, signed by PM Manmohan Singh, is turned into targets for different countries, this may imply substantial emission reduction targets for India even if rich countries take a hefty 80% cut in their own emissions by 2050. While an 80% cut is the most ambitious target ever considered for the developed world, India and China would still be faced with large cuts.

Till date, India had insisted that the science behind the 2°C target has been questioned even by the UN climate science panel. It demanded that unless rich nations put figures on the table about what sort of reductions they were willing to accept collectively by 2020, and then again by 2050, India would not agree to any commitments for the long term which the 2-degree agreement places on them.

According to several Indian observers, the recent decision would tie India’s hands as it goes into talks at the formal UN negotiations. India for the first time has officially agreed that there is a global target and it may now, in due course, spell out what it will take to reach it. Now the global target of emission cuts instead of equity would become the over-arching argument in the negotiations.

N-PROLIFERATION
Myanmar close to testing N-bomb
As world concerns remain focused on the clandestine nuclear programme of North Korea and Iran, reports are filtering in of Myanmar’s isolated military junta may be just a few years from testing its first atomic bomb. The key far-eastern nation is building a secret nuclear reactor and plutonium extraction facilities with North Korea’s help, Sydney Morning Herald has reported citing two key junta defectors. The Herald identified the two defectors as an officer with a Myanmar army’s secret nuclear battalion and the other a former executive and leading regime business partner, Htoo Trading, who handled nuclear contracts with Russia and North Korea.

The Myanmarese military is said to have the reactor located in mountain caves inter-linked by deep tunnels at Naung Laing in Northern part of the country, apparently to camouflage it from detection by satellites.

The secret complex, the paper said, runs parallel to a civilian reactor being built at another site by Russia, which both Moscow and Yangon authorities say will be put under international safeguards.

The revelations by the Australian Daily come as US Naval Warships recently shadowed a North Korean commercial vessel bound for Myanmar, suspecting it to be carrying contraband nuclear and missile components. However, the ship was not intercepted. China and other Asian nations had helped persuade Myanmar to turn back the North Korean freighter.

A month back Japanese police had arrested a North Korean and two of its own nationals allegedly trying to export illegally to Myanmar magnetic measuring device that could be used to develop missiles.

Washington, the report said, is increasingly concerned that Myanmar is the main nuclear proliferation threat from North Korea, after Israel destroyed in September 2007 a reactor that North Koreans were apparently building in Syria.

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
Medvedev threatens US over missile shield
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has warned the United States that if it did not reach agreement with Russia on plans for missile defence systems, Moscow would deploy rockets in an enclave near Poland. In sharp contrast to his positive words during President Barack Obama’s visit to Moscow in first week of July, 2009, when the two reached broad agreement on nuclear arms cuts, Medvedev used a news conference at the G8 summit to return to Russia’s earlier tough rhetoric on arms control.

Referring to an order he gave in early 2009 to prepare deployment of short-range Russian missiles in the western enclave of Kaliningrad to answer to any U.S. deployment of a missile shield in central Europe, Medvedev said: “If we don’t manage to agree on the issues, you know the consequences. What I said during my state of the nation address has not been revoked.”

In Moscow, Medvedev and Obama agreed a target for cuts in nuclear arms and a year-end deadline for a reduction deal. Obama had praised Medvedev as a “straightforward professional” leader. Before his Moscow visit, Obama had made clear, though, that he would not accept any effort by Moscow to link arms control to missile defence, and reiterated Washington’s stance that any system would be to protect against a threat from Iran, not from Russia.

Obama meets Putin
US President Barack Obama held his first meeting with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in Moscow on July 7, 2009, and hoped that talks between them would put bilateral relations “on a much stronger basis”.

Obama, on his first visit to Russia since becoming President, met Putin at the Prime Minister’s country residence, a day after inking a landmark strategic arms reduction treaty with President Dmitry Medvedev. After exchanging pleasantries, Putin told Obama that Russia is hoping for better relations with the US, following the disagreements that arose with the previous administration. Obama said the meeting provided an opportunity to “put US-Russian relations on a much stronger basis”.

Ties between the two Cold-War rivals have been marked with several strains, including over arms control, NATO expansion, and US missile defence plans for Europe. The two leaders had traded barbs ahead of the US President’s visit, with Obama terming Putin a man who has ‘one foot in the past’ and the Prime Minister responding by saying that ‘Russians do not stand with feet apart’.

SUMMITS
G-8 summit
On July 8, 2009, G-8 leaders held their summit meeting at L’Aquila, a mountain town in Italy. According to the summit draft, G8 leaders believe the world economy still faces “significant risks” and may need further help. The draft also reflected on failure to agree climate change goals for 2050.

Discord over environmental measures was underlined by withdrawal from the meeting of Chinese President Hu Jintao, who returned to Beijing because of unrest in north-western China in which 156 people were killed.

The Group of Eight—United States, Germany, Japan, France, Britain, Italy, Canada and Russia—kicked off with debate on the economic crisis, after what one analyst called a “reality check” in recent times on the prospects for rapid recovery. G8 leaders badly underestimated the economic problems facing them when they met in Japan in 2008 and now focused on what must be done to prevent another meltdown.

President Barack Obama and his G-8 summit partners held tense discussions about how both rich and emerging nations can live up to new clean climate goals adopted by leading industrialised nations. Confronting global warming, a trend scientists say could unleash devastating droughts, floods and disease if left unchecked, was a dominant theme again G-8.

The G8 summit wound up with a wry acknowledgement of its growing irrelevance as the world’s premier power bloc. Phoenix-like, the G14 is rising from its ashes, much more inclusive, with developed and developing countries together on an equal footing.

The intimation of G8’s impending demise came from the host of the summit, Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi. ‘‘We saw that G8 is no longer a suitable format to show a global economic way of doing. Instead, a consolidated G14 representing 80% of the world economy could create a real dialogue. We want to see if the G14 is the best solution to make debates which will bring to us unique results.’’

The deliberations of G8 and G5 saw even French president Nicolas Sarkozy making a strong case for G14 to deal with the issues of global governance after Brazil’s President Lula spoke about the idea of a new group.

After dealing with issues of climate change, trade and global economic downturn, the G8 and G5 countries turned their attention to food security, pledging to mobilise US $20 billion over three years by substantially increasing aid to agriculture for achieving food security across the nations.

The leaders also committed themselves to reducing trade distortions and refrain from raising new barriers to trade and investment and to implement WTO-consistent measures to stimulate exports. To this end, the ‘L'Aquila Joint Statement on Global Food Security and Regional Organisations’ said the nations would aim at an ambitious, comprehensive and balanced conclusion of the Doha Development Round and called for renewed and determined to bring it to a timely and successful conclusion.

Admitting the global economic crisis had serious and alarming implications for growth and poverty eradication in developing countries, the declaration said G8 and G5 countries were determined to engage responsibly with low-income countries, especially those in situations of fragility. It resolved that partner countries should continue reforming financial system regulation to prevent boom and bust cycles in economy. The declaration admitted international financial institutions needed reform to make them compatible to the reality of the new world financial order.

The G-8 nations also asked international bodies to study ways of intervening in oil markets to block speculation.

The next Summit will be held at Muskoka in Canada in 2010.

NAM Summit
Leaders from Non Aligned Movement countries, including India, met in Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt on July 15, 2009 to hammer out a strategy to tackle the world financial crisis and sought international solidarity to fight terrorism and enhance peace and development.

Opening the two-day 15th NAM Summit of the 118 developing nations at this Egyptian Red Sea resort city, Cuban President Raul Castro said the grouping believes that all countries in the world should search for effective and justified measures to tackle the current financial crisis.

In his address, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, who took over the NAM Chairmanship from Castro for a three-year term, sought serious efforts and international solidarity to enhance world peace and development. Mubarak spoke about the international financial system and the need to deal with on war-footing challenges like climate change, food security, peace and security, disarmament, human rights and rule of law.

The Summit aimed at evolving a new international order to effectively face contemporary world challenges.

Founded in September 1961 by first Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, former Egyptian President Gamal Abdel-Nasser and ex-Yugoslav President Josip Tito, NAM now groups 118 member states, 16 observer countries and 9 observer organisations. The grouping, which represents nearly two-thirds of the UN member countries and comprises 55 per cent of the world population, focuses on interests of developing world.

At the two-day Summit, the leaders discussed the global financial crisis, climate change, the Mideast peace process, food security, energy and nuclear issues. They also signed the Summit's Final Document and Sharm El Sheikh Declaration and approved the NAM's strategy and action plan for the future three years.

Sharm El Sheikh Summit Declaration reiterated the strong commitment to the purposes and the principles of the United Nations Charter and the principles of international law, international humanitarian law and human rights law. The member-States desired to enhance the strengthening and revitalization process of the Movement through concrete measures, at all levels.

The declaration said NAM will continue to promote disarmament and international security and stability on the basis of equal and undiminished security for all, bearing in mind that total and complete Nuclear Disarmament remains the only route to establish a world free from Nuclear Weapons, taking into consideration related issue of Nuclear Non Proliferation in all its aspects and the inalienable right of all states to the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. NAM will engage constructively with concrete actions towards the implementation of the unequivocal undertaking by the Nuclear Weapon States, as well as the recent statements made by leaders of some Nuclear Weapons States to eliminate their nuclear arsenals and work towards realizing a World Free of Nuclear Weapons, including through the establishment of Nuclear Weapon Free-Zones, particularly in the Middle East region;

NAM will also ensure that the current comprehensive review of Peace Keeping Operations takes duly into account the position of the Movement, in particular the demands of Troop Contributing Countries, and to ensure that the review processes of the Peace Building Commission and the Peace Building Fund will achieve their objectives to support all countries emerging from conflict, based on the principle of national ownership and coordinated activities within the United Nations system;

NAM will reinforce and build new momentum in addressing human rights issues based on a cooperative and balanced approach focused on constructive dialogue and capacity building, while taking duly into account the diversity of societies, political, economic, social and legal systems, cultures and religions, and avoiding selectivity, double standards and any attempt to exploit or use human rights as an instrument for political purposes, with a view to reinforcing the commitment to the promotion and protection of all human rights and fundamental freedoms for all, in particular the right to development,

NAM will continue to uphold the fundamental and inalienable right of all peoples, including all non-self governing territories, as well as those territories under foreign occupation and colonial or alien domination to self determination, the exercise of which, in the case of peoples under foreign occupation and colonial or alien domination, remains valid and essential to ensure the eradication of all these situations and to guarantee universal respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms;

NAM also demanded achieving a just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East based on relevant United Nations Security Council Resolutions, Madrid Terms of Reference, land for peace,  and the Arab Peace Initiative in its entirety; and said that NAM firmly supports the inalienable rights of the Palestine people to self-determination and the establishment of their independent, contiguous and viable State in Palestine with East Jerusalem as its capital, and a just and agreed upon solution to the Palestine refugee question on the basis of resolution 194.

The declaration also seeks to restore the balance between the Principal Organs of the United Nations and reaffirm the role and authority of the General Assembly, while asserting its fundamental role in international peace and security and in promoting multilateralism.

On climate change the declaration asked to strengthen the political momentum in preparation for the Copenhagen conference in a manner that duly reflects the views of NAM countries with regard to mitigation, adaptation, finance, technology transfer, capacity building and shared vision in accordance with the principle of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities, and fully utilize the high level meeting to be convened by the Secretary General of the United Nations at the beginning of the 64th session of the General Assembly to highlight the concerns of the NAM countries.

On terrorism the declaration aspired to strengthen NAM solidarity in combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, wherever and by whomsoever committed, in accordance with the principles of the United Nations Charter, international law and the relevant international conventions. In this context, it stressed that terrorism should not be associated with any religion, nationality, civilization or ethnic group.

The Heads of State and Government recognised the long history of Nelson Mandela’s leading role in and support for Africa’s struggle for liberation, self determination and Africa’s unity and also his outstanding contribution in the creation of a non-racial, non sexist, and democratic South Africa. They expressed their support for and solidarity with the Nelson Mandela Day International Campaign and called on Non-aligned Movement member States and peoples to join in the campaign, including by contributing 67 minutes of their time in service of their communities in recognition of Madiba’s 67 years contribution in service of humanity. They also endorsed the declaration to observe July 18, Madiba’s birthday, as Nelson Mandela International Day, and requested that a resolution to this effect be adopted by the UN General Assembly at its 64th session.

INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM
Pak nurtured terrorism: Zardari
In an astonishingly candid admission—a first by any Pakistani head of State—President Asif Ali Zardari has admitted militants and terrorists were wilfully created by past Pakistani governments and nurtured as a policy to achieve tactical objectives.

‘‘Militants and extremists emerged on the national scene and challenged the state not because the civil bureaucracy was weakened and demoralized but because they were deliberately created and nurtured as a policy to achieve short-term tactical objectives. Let’s be truthful and make a candid admission of the reality,’’ he told a gathering of civil servants in Islamabad on Tuesday night.

‘‘The terrorists of today were heroes of yesteryear until 9/11 occurred and they began to haunt us as well,’’ Zardari said. He also pointedly said that future generations won’t forgive the current leadership if it does not take corrective measures.

India has long charged Pakistan with sponsoring terrorism in Kashmir by providing arms, ammunition and training to militants who have been engaged in a war of secession. Zardari’s admission is bound to create a major flutter in Islamabad, particularly within the Army.

Criticising former military rulers—itself an act of derring-do—Zardari said concentration of power in one individual was against the spirit of democracy and good governance. ‘‘Too much power in one hand lasts for a short time,’’ he said. ‘‘For power to be effectively used for long lasting public good, it must be dispersed as widely as possible.’’

India responded by saying that Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari's “confession” about nurturing of terrorists had vindicated its stand and hoped Islamabad would now make a “determined” effort to end terrorism across the border.

Making statements in both Houses of Parliament, External Affairs Minister SM Krishna said Pakistan must “expose” and “take action” against “conspiracies and conspirators” for terror attacks launched in India from across the border, as future of dialogue is premised on an atmosphere free of the threat of violence.

According to data released by the Central Statistical Organisation, India's per capita income has increased by over one-third from Rs 26,003 in 2005-06 to Rs 37,490 in 2008-09. Per capita income is the amount an individual earns, of the yearly income that is generated in the country through productive activities. It means the share of each individual when the income from the productive activities is divided equally among citizens.

The growth in real gross domestic product at factor cost declined from 9 per cent in 2007-08 to 6.7 per cent in 2008-09. The sector-wise growth of GDP in agriculture, forestry and fishing in 2007-08 was 4.9 per cent, but declined to 1.6 per cent in 2008-09. Industry witnessed a growth of 8.1 per cent in 2007-08, but it reduced to 3.9 per cent in 2008-09.

Bharti Airtel has picked up the title sponsorship of the Champions League T20 cricket tournament 2009, for Rs 170 crore.

Developers of Special Economic Zones (SEZs) will now get a blanket exemption from stamp duty on land purchases within the notified area for non-core activities such as building hotels, housing complexes, shopping malls and golf courses. For the developers of the 500-odd SEZs in the country, slated to bring in investments of over Rs 100,000 crore, this ends the uncertainty that had cropped up after some States had voiced their opposition. The exemption, however, will be available only after formal approval of the zone. For land bought after in-principle approval, the State government may either give the exemption upfront or collect the duty and refund it after the zone has been set up. If under some circumstances, notification of a zone is cancelled, the State government will be entitled to withdraw the concession and recover the same from the developer.

Gail India, country’s largest gas transportation company, will invest  Rs 7,600 crore in building India’s longest gas pipeline from Jagdishpur in Uttar Pradesh to Haldia in West Bengal.

Haryana has become the first State in India to have ten eco-sensitive zones. Union ministry of environment and forests has notified around two national parks and eight wildlife sanctuaries of Haryana.

Indian film industry is the world’s largest in terms of number of films produced as well as the number of cinema-goers. It produces almost as many films as the next three—the US, Japan and China— combined. The Indian film industry, with its major centres at Mumbai, Chennai and Hyderabad, produced 1,132 feature films in 2007. In comparison, the American film industry in 2008 produced 520 feature films, Japan 418 and China 400. As for theatre admissions, India’s count of 3.3 billion for 2008 was higher than the combined total of the next nine biggest film producing countries. The US was the only other country to have more than a billion admissions. These facts have been put together by European Audiovisual Observatory, a public service body gathering and distributing information on the audiovisual industry, in its publication, ‘Focus 2009-World Film Market Trends’.

Indian Railways has introduced a new train, Andolan (agitation) Express that will run from Singhur to Howrah. According to Railway Minister Mamta Banerjee the name “signifies the victory of the poor farmers of Singur against the forcible acquisition of their farmland”.

India's external debt went up by $5.3 billion or 2.4% to $229.9 billion as of March 2009, according to RBI. The debt denominated in US dollar accounted for 57% of total external debt.

Milan has been named as the world’s top fashion city in the Global Language Monitor’s (GLM) annual global survey. Mumbai is at 16th and New Delhi at 17th position. Following Milan are New York, Paris, Rome and London.

Netbooks are low-cost notebook PCs designed for internet surfing and other Web-based applications.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has become the first head of State to be Chief Guest at France National Day. The celebrations commemorate the 1789 invasion of the Bastille prison that sparked the French Revolution. Also, the parade down the Champs Elysees was lead by Indian Army’s Maratha Regiment contingent.

Quotes that various Finance Minister of India quoted in their Budget speech: Manmohan Singh, in his path-breaking 1991 speech paraphrased the French writer Victor Hugo to declare ‘No power on earth can stop an idea whose time has come”; P. Chidambaram opted for the Tamil seer-poet Thiruvalluvar’s lines, “Iyattralum, eettalum, kattalum, katta; Vakuthalam vallath arasu (To be able to increase wealth, to lay it up and guard; And also well to distribute it, marks a royal lord) in his first Budget speech and stayed with him for every successive speech. Yashwant Sinha was noted for quoting Ramdhari Singh Dinkar’s lines, “The stars of the dark night are fading. The whole sky belongs to you,” in his first Budget speech, and then his own Prime Minister, AB Vajpayee, in his second. Pranab Mukherjee, in his 2009 Budget speech, quoted extensively from Kautilya’s Arthshastra.

Revising the growth projection to 6.5% from the earlier 5.7% for 2009-10, Reserve Bank of India has said it expected inflation to go up to 5.4% by 2009-10-end. In its macro-economic review, RBI, however, said indications are that dampened growth impulses may continue due to significant delay in monsoon in certain parts of the country and persistence of global recession. The review, ahead of the quarterly review of RBI's annual monetary policy, quoted the RBI’s Professional Forecasters Survey to indicate that the average inflation in the fourth quarter of 2009-10 will be around 5.4%.

The Union government has decided to change the base year of the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) series from 1993-94 to 2004-05. The move is aimed at tracking changes in price level accurately.

US citizens continued to be on the top of the list of those who found the country attractive enough to travel. Latest figures released by the Home Ministry show that India received as many as 52,78,852 foreign visitors in 2008, against 50,96,990 in 2007, an increase of 1.81 lakh, quite less than what the country witnessed during 2004-07 when it recorded an addition of over five lakh visitors every year. US, along with the UK, accounted for nearly 30% of the total foreigners who visited India in 2008.

World Population Day is observed on July 11.