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.