4TH BRICS SUMMIT WAS HELD IN NEW DELHI

The Fourth BRICS summit was held in New Delhi on 29 March 2012. The theme of the summit was BRICS partnership for Global Stability, Security and Prosperity. The summit was participated by India, Brazil, Russia, China and South Africa. At the end of the summit, Delhi Declaration was issued. Development banks of BRICS signed two agreements- i) Master agreement on extending credit facility in local currency. ii) BRICS Multilateral letter of credit confirmation facility agreement. The five participating banks are Banco Nacional de Desenvolvimento Economico e Social- BNDES, Brazil; State Corporation Bank for Development and Foreign
Economic Affairs-Vnesheconom bank of Russia; Export-Import bank of India; China Development Bank Corporation, and Development Bank of Southern Africa. These two agreements are expected to enhance cooperation among the BRICS development banks and to significantly promote intra-BRICS trade. The BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) idea was first conceived in 2001 by Goldman Sachs as part of an economic
modeling exercise to forecast global economic trends over the next half century; the acronym BRIC was first used in 2001 by Goldman Sachs in their Global Economics Paper No. 66, “The World Needs Better Economic
BRICs”. BRIC Foreign Ministers at their meeting in New York on 21st September 2010 agreed that South Africa may be invited to join BRIC. Accordingly, China, as the host of 3rd BRICS Summit, invited
South African President to attend the Summit in Sanya on 14 April 2011 with the concurrence of other BRIC Leaders.

INDIA’S AER BOARD BECAME THE 11TH MEMBER OF MEDP

India’s Atomic Energy Regulatory Board was admitted as the 11th member of MEDP (Multinational Design Evaluation Programme) on 4 April 2012. The other members of this body are China, Finland, Japan, Korea,
South Africa, USA, UK, Canada, France and Russia. MDEP is a multinational initiative taken by national safety authorities to develop innovative approaches to leverage the resources and knowledge of the national
regulatory authorities who are currently or will be tasked with the review of new reactor power plant designs. It was launched in 2006 by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) of the United States and the French Nuclear Safety Authority. The OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) acts as the Technical Secretariat for the MDEP. The International Atomic Energy Agency participates in many of the MDEP activities, including the harmonisation efforts.

EU CALLED ON NORTH KOREA

The European Union on 28 March 2012 called on North Korea to abandon its planned rocket launch and dismantle its nuclear weapons programme. The EU stated that it was deeply concerned about North Korea’s
plan to launch a satellite into orbit next month. It asked North Korea’s government to be more concerned with improving its human rights violations and hunger issues. North Korea says it will go ahead with its mid-April
launch, adding that it is a peaceful scientific project meant to celebrate the 100th birth anniversary of founding leader Kim Il Sung.

USA EASED TRAVEL AND FINANCIAL SANCTIONS AGAINST MYANMAR

The USA on 4 April 2012 eased some sanctions against Myanmar which includes travel and financial sanctions. The  announcement came within days of the National League for Democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi winning a seat in Parliament and her party sweeping the byelections. High-ranking Myanmar officials will now be able to visit the United States and the US will open a development office in Myanmar. The EU is also
considering a similar package.

WTO PEGGED WORLD TRADE GROWTH AT 3.7 PER CENT FOR 2012

World Trade Organisation (WTO) on 11 April 2012 pegged world trade growth at 3.7 per cent for 2012 thereby projecting a further slowdown in world trade. World trade expanded by a mere 5 per cent in 2011 a sharp
deceleration from the 2010 rebound of 13.8 per cent. The WTO expects trade to recover by 2013 and result in additional growth of 5.6 percent. The dollar value of world merchandise trade in 2011 increased 19 percent to $18.2 trillion thus surpassing 2008 peak of $16.1 trillion due to higher commodity prices. Asia recorded the strongest growth in exports (6.6 percent), on account of a leap of 16.1 percent in India and 9.3 percent in China. India recorded exports growth of 16 per cent in 2011, the fastest in the world in volume terms in 2011. China had the second-fastest export growth of many major economies at 9.3 per cent. India also emerged as the second-fastest importer after China growing at 6 per cent in 2011.

SYRIA ACCEPTED THE UN PEACE PLAN

Syria on 27 March 2012 accepted the 19-point UN peace plan to end violence in country. The 19-point plan was handed over by Kofi Annan to Syrian President during his recent visit to the Syria. The plan calls for a
cease-fire by Syrian forces and to commit to a daily two-hour halt in fighting to allow humanitarian access and medical evacuations. It also calls for a full cease-fire to be supervised by the UN so that all parties can discuss a political solution. The protests against Syrian regime started in March 2011.

USA AND AFGHANISTAN SIGNED MOU

United States of America and Afghanistan on 8 April 2012 signed MoU on the controversial issue of conduct of night raids on Afghan homes. It empowered the Afghan security forces oversight over the raids led by the US troops. The agreement leads to a more comprehensive long-term strategic partnership agreement between the two nations after the departure of all foreign troops from Afghanistan in 2014. The issue of night raids was a big hurdle in the way of the strategic partnership agreement. Afghanistan had repeatedly described the night raids a violation of its sovereignty and  called for stopping them immediately. However, the US forces had always maintained that night raids were important and effective in dealing with insurgency.

QATAR REJECTED IRAQ’S REQUEST TO HAND OVER TAREQ AL HASHEMI

Qatar on 3 April 2012 rejected Iraq’s request to hand over the nation’s fugitive Tareq Al Hashemi to face terror charges in Baghdad. Qatar stated that it would not extradite him since such a move would be contrary to
diplomatic protocol. Qatar will not hand him over because there is no court verdict against him and because al-Hashemi is a foreign official with diplomatic immunity. Iraq had asked Qatar to extradite the top Sunni leader Tareq Al- Hashemi against whom the Shiite Government issued an arrest warrant in December 2011 on charges of running death squads for killing of Government officials and opponents. The row is likely to further strain ties between Shiite-led Iraq and Sunni Gulf Arab states. Tariq al-Hashimi was general secretary of the Iraqi Islamic Party (IIP) until May 2009. He is Sunni. Along with Adil Abdul Mahdi, he was a Vice President of Iraq in the government formed after the December 2005 elections.

ISRAEL SNAPPED WORKING RELATIONS WITH THE UNHRC

Israel snapped working relations with the United Nations Human Rights Council. The Council passed a resolution recently against Israel. The resolution condemned Jewish settlement construction in the West Bank and East Jerusalem and decided to send a fact-finding mission to investigate such activity. Israel stated that no UNHRC team would be allowed to enter Israel or the West Bank for investigation of Jewish settlements. Israel moved 5 lakh Jews to the West Bank and east Jerusalem settlements after capturing the areas, along with Gaza in the 1967 war.

TUAREG REBELS CONSOLIDATED THEIR HOLD ON NORTHERN MALI

Tuareg rebels on 1 April 2012 tightened their grip on northern Mali. It seized control of a key city  called Gao and encircled the historic desert town of Timbuktu. Moreover, the two military camps of Gao have fallen into the hands of the different rebel groups. Earlier, Army seized power in Mali because the  government had not done enough to stem the Tuareg rebellion rekindled in January 2012. Mali is located in western part of Africa.
It is land-locked country. Tuareg people form a distinct minority in  all the Saharan countries they live in and a majority in many Saharan regions.

6.6 MAGNITUDE EARTHQUAKE JOLTED EASTERN INDONESIA

A strong 6.6-magnitude eartquake hit waters off eastern Indonesia on 21 April 2012. The  tremor was centered only 30 kilometers below the ocean floor. Indonesia, given its location on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, is highly
prone to earthquakes. The country over the past few months has witnessed a string of seismic turmoil. More than 2 lakh people were killed in a massive earth quake that hit the country on 26 December, 2004. The deadly
quake had triggered a tsunami in the Indian Ocean which subsequently claimed the life of tens of thousands of people across the Indian Ocean region.

MORE THAN 120 PEOPLE KILLED IN THE PLANE CRASH IN PAKISTAN

A passenger aero plane crash near Islamabad in Pakistan on 20 April 2012, left more than 100 people dead. The tragic incident occurred while the airliner was attempting to land during a thunderstorm. The Bhoja airliner
had been flying from the southern seaport city of Karachi and burst into flames right before its landing in the Islamabad following a 3½- hour flight. The airline Boeing 737 was carrying 121 passengers, including 11 children, as well as six crew. The crash occurred near the Chaklala airbase, a military site used by the country’s air force, which is adjacent to the Benazir Bhutto International Airport in Islamabad.

JAPAN EXTENDED THE SANCTIONS AGAINST NORTH KOREA

The Japanese government decided to extend the sanctions against North Korea for one year. The sanctions, expiring 13th of April, ban all imports from and exports to North Korea. Japan has been imposing punitive measures to North Korea since July 2006 following North Korea’s missile test. The decision by the Japanese government came at a time when North Korea confirmed that it would not give up its planned satellite launch. A lack of progress in resolving Pyongyang’s past abductions of Japanese citizens also led to the extension.

COUP IN MALI OUSTED ITS PRESIDENT AMADOU TOUMANI TOURE

Rebel troops in Mali ousted its President Amadou Toumani on  22 March 2012. The ousted president Amadou Toumani Toure was due to leave office after elections on 29 April 2012. The rebels blamed the government for failing to control an ethnic Tuareg  insurgency in the Northern part of Mali. The Tuareg insurgency includes fighters who supported Mummar Gaddafi in Libya. The army leaders who staged the coup called themselves the National Committee for the Reestablishment of Democracy and the Restoration of the State (CNRDR). USA suspended military aid and other funds  directed to Mali’s government in its response to military coup in
Mali. It called for immediate restoration of constitutional rule.

TALIBAN ATTACKED KABUL AGAIN

Taliban militants on 15 April 2012, unleashed a string of attack in the high profile diplomatic pockets, NATO bases and Parliament of Kabul capital city of Afghanistan. The militants also hit three provinces—in Jalalabad,
Logar and Paktia. The attack left 24 people injured and 7 militants killed. The attackers also fired rockets at the parliament building and at the Russian embassy. Across the border in Pakistan, Talibani militants also stormed neighbouring state Pakistan as they raided a jail at Bannu and released close to 400 of their cadres. In two separate incidents of attack the militants killed 12 people in Peshawar and injured 12 in a time bomb explosion in Lower Kurram. The attack is considered to be the most severe ever since the NATO forces took control over the troubled nation in 2001. The attack,came at a time when Afghanistan is going through a period of political transition, holds a great strategic importance for USA, which along with its NATO allies is planning to leave the country by July 2013. Considering the deadly attacks that Taliban militants have unleashed over the last few months, the US’ decision to withdraw its troops from the trouble torn nation seems to be a far fetched idea.

UNSC SUPPORTED KOFI ANNAN’S PLAN

The United Nations Security Council on 20 March 2012 adopted a statement supporting U.N.-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan’s plan to try to end Syria’s year-long unrest. The statement says Syria will face further
sanctions if it rejects Annan’s sixpoint peace proposal. The plan calls for a cease-fire, political dialogue between the government and opposition, and access for humanitarian aid agencies. Kofi Annan sent a five-member team of international experts to Syria on 18 March 2012 to try to secure a cease-fire between government and rebel forces.

SYRIAN GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCED CEASEFIRE AGAINST REBELS

The Syrian government announced ceasefire against rebels on 12 April 2012. There would be no military operations against rebels. But the troops will remain on alert to thwart attack by armed groups against civilians and the security forces. The ceasefire will be effective throughout Syria. However, the Syrian authorities reserved the right to respond to any attacks by armed terrorist groups against civilians, government forces and private property.

UNHRC PASSED A RESOLUTION PROBE INTO ISRAELI SETTLEMENTS

UN Human Rights Council on 21 March 2012 passed a resolution in Geneva calling for a probe into Israeli settlements in occupied territories. Thirty-Six nations voted in favour, 10 abstained while United States was the only nation to vote against the resolution. The UN resolution states that the Israeli settlements is infringing on the rights of the Palestinian people. The resolution asked Israel to confiscate arms to prevent acts of violence by Israeli settlers. In fact, more than 3.10 lakhs Israelis live in settlements in  the occupied West Bank and their number is increasing. Another 2 lakhs live in a dozen settlement in east Jerusalem, which was captured by Israel in 1967. Palestinians have demanded a freeze on the settlements as one of the pre condition for peace talks.