CURRENT AFFAIRS 15-06-2024

STATE NEWS

18th Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF) 2024

• The 18th Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF) 2024 commenced on June 15 in Mumbai.

• The festival began with the India premiere of ‘Billy and Molly: An Otter Love Story,’ directed by Charlie Hamilton-James.

• Duration: MIFF 2024 will run from June 15 to June 21, 2024.

• A total of 314 films from 59 countries in 61 languages will be showcased.

• In this, 8 world premieres, 5 international premieres, 18 Asia premieres and 21 India premieres are also included.

• Parallel Screenings: Besides Mumbai, parallel screenings will also take place in Delhi, Kolkata, Pune, and Chennai.

• This year introduces the first-ever Doc Film Bazaar.

• It serves as a dedicated marketplace for independent filmmakers to find buyers, sponsors, and collaborators for their projects.

• MIFF was established in 1990.

• It is one of the oldest film festivals in South Asia.

• The festival is held biennially.

• It focuses on documentaries, short films, and animations.

APPOINTMENTS

Cyril Ramaphosa Re-Elected as President of South Africa

• Re-Election: Cyril Ramaphosa has been re-elected as the president of South Africa following a coalition agreement between his African National Congress (ANC) and several opposition parties.

• The new government includes the ANC, the centre-right Democratic Alliance (DA), and other smaller parties.

• This coalition marks the first national coalition government in South Africa's history.

• Ramaphosa secured his second term by winning a parliamentary vote against Julius Malema, leader of the far-left Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF).

• The agreement was reached just before the vote, necessary as the ANC lost its 30-year majority in the national assembly.

• In the recent elections, the ANC's vote share fell to 40%.

• The Democratic Alliance emerged as the second largest party, capturing 22% of the votes.

• The African National Congress has been the dominant political party since South Africa's first democratic elections in 1994.

SPORTS

Divya Deshmukh Wins World Junior Girls' Chess Championship

• India's Divya Deshmukh won the World Junior Girls' Chess Championship by defeating Bulgaria’s Beloslava Krasteva.

• The final round took place at the Gift City Club in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

• Divya clinched her first U-20 title in just 26 moves during the tenth round.

• She remained undefeated, winning nine games and drawing two.

• Divya Deshmukh hails from Nagpur, Maharashtra.

• Other Winners: Kazakhstan’s Kazybek Nogerbek won the open section title.

• Pranav Anand was the highest-ranked Indian in the open section, starting as the third seed and finishing tenth.

• Mariam Mkrtchyan finished second in the girls' division, just half a point behind Divya. Ayan Allahverdiyeva from Azerbaijan secured third place.

INDEX AND RANKINGS

According to UNHCR Report: Record 117 million people forcibly Displaced in 2023

• In 2023, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported a record 117.3 million people forcibly displaced.

• Affected Groups: This figure includes refugees, asylum seekers, and internally displaced persons (IDPs) who have been uprooted due to conflict, persecution, and various forms of violence.

• For the past 12 years, there has been a consistent annual increase in the number of forcibly displaced individuals.

• Currently, 1.5% of the global population is forcibly displaced, which is approximately double the proportion from a decade ago.

• UNHCR notes that forced displacement has continued to rise in the first four months of 2024.

• Sudan: The ongoing war has led to over 9 million people being internally displaced and another 2 million seeking refuge in neighboring countries.

• Gaza: Due to Israel’s bombardment, 1.7 million people (80% of the Palestinian population) have been internally displaced.

• The United States received the highest number of new asylum applications in 2023, totaling 1.2 million.

• The UNHCR report highlights that 40% of all forcibly displaced individuals are minors.

NATIONAL NEWS

WHO designated the National Institute of Indian Medical Heritage as the 3rd Indian Institute for Traditional Medicine Research.

• WHO Designation: The National Institute of Indian Medical Heritage (NIIMH) in Hyderabad has been designated by the World Health Organization as the third Indian institute for traditional medicine research.

• NIIMH operates under the Ministry of Ayush.

• It is a unit of the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS).

• Role and Recognition:

• NIIMH will serve as a WHO Collaborating Centre for 'Fundamental and Literary Research in Traditional Medicine.'

• This designation is valid for four years.

• The Institute for Teaching & Research in Ayurveda, Jamnagar.

• The Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga (MDNIY), New Delhi.

• Established in 1956, the NIIMH has been a pioneer in various digital initiatives of Ayush, including the AMAR Portal.

• This recognition by WHO further solidifies India's role in the global landscape of traditional medicine research.

BANKING, ECONOMY AND FINANCE

India’s Trade Performance in May 2024

• India’s goods exports grew by 9.1%, reaching $38.13 billion in May 2024.

• Imports rose by 7.7% to $61.91 billion.

• Textile Sector: The textile industry experienced nearly 10% growth.

• The merchandise trade deficit widened to a seven-month high of $23.78 billion in May.

• This deficit was 5.5% higher compared to May 2023.

• It also marked a 24.5% increase from April’s trade deficit of $19.1 billion.

• Compared with April, imports in May were 14.4% higher and exports increased 8.9%.

• 7.4% growth was recorded in exports of engineering goods in May.

• Several sectors, including electronics (23%), drugs and pharma products (10.45%), and plastics and linoleum (16.6%) have shown double digit growth.

• Imports of gold reached $3.33 billion in May 2024. This is a three-month high level.

• Gold imports had tripled year-on-year in April to $3.11 billion. The value of silver imports increased by more than 400%.

SUMMIT AND CONFERENCES

G-7 Summit

• Summit Focus: On the last day of their summit in Italy, G-7 leaders discussed migration, artificial intelligence, economic security, and issues in the Indo-Pacific region.

• Other discussions included financial aid for Ukraine, the war in Gaza, climate change, the situation in Iran, and economic security.

• Migration and Smuggling: Leaders explored ways to combat human trafficking and increase investments in countries that migrants are leaving.

• They launched the G7 Coalition to prevent and counter migrant smuggling.

• Economic Initiatives: The leaders committed to promoting the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor.

• The summit took place at the luxury resort of Borgo Egnazia in Italy’s Apulia region from June 13 to 15.

• The G7 is an informal bloc of industrialized democracies—the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom (UK).

• India-Italyy Partnership: India and Italy reviewed the progress of their strategic partnership.

• Warning to China: The G-7 leaders concluded the summit by issuing a strong warning to China, emphasizing the security threats it poses to the global economy.

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