Category Archives: World Opinion

INTERNATIONAL : ARTS, CULTURE, TRAVEL & TOURISM : ‘Varanasi’ to be First ‘Cultural and Tourism Capital’ for 2022-23 of the 8-member Shangai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) : Secretary General Zhang Ming

Under this initiative, each year, a city of the cultural heritage of the member country that will take over the rotating Presidency of the organisation will get the title to highlight its prominence.

The holy city of Varanasi, showcasing India’s culture and traditions over the ages, will be declared the first “Cultural and Tourism Capital” of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, Secretary-General of the bloc Zhang Ming said here on Friday.

The Beijing-headquartered Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is an eight-member economic and security alliance comprising China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India and Pakistan.

Mr. Ming said Varanasi will become the “Cultural and Tourism Capital” of the SCO for 2022-23 under a new rotating initiative by the eight-member organisation to promote people-to-people contacts and tourism among the member states.

“We are about to implement a rotating mechanism. We will rotate the title of ‘Cultural and Tourism Capital’ among the member states,” he said, adding that Varanasi, India’s ancient city, will be the first to be granted the title.

Under this initiative, each year, a city of the cultural heritage of a member country that will take over the rotating Presidency of the organisation will get the title to highlight its prominence, Mr. Ming told presspersons.

source/content: thehindu.com ( headline edited)

WORLD RECORDS: Arts & Media: Laiba Abdul Basit an NRI Qatar-based Indian Student is the Youngest Female Person in the World to Publish a Book Series Certified by Guinness World Book of Records

A Qatar-based 11-year-old student Laiba Abdul Basit has won the Guinness World Records as the youngest female person to publish a book series. 

Laiba, hailing from the southern Indian state of Kerala, has accomplished this feat after  her second book was published on August 29, 2021, while she was 10 years and 164 days old. 

Laiba Abdul Basit surpassed the record of Ritaj Hussain Alhazmi of Saudi Arabia, who penned three novels before the age of 12 years 295 days. 

Laiba published a three-book series called “Order of the Galaxy”, a fantasy story related to children’s fiction. The first book in this series titled “The War for The Stolen Boy” was published by Amazon and later by Lulu Online. The second book “The Snowflake of Life” was published by the Rome-based Tawasul International, while India-based Lipi Publications brought out the last book in the series, “The Book of Legends”. The second edition of her first and second books was also published by Lipi Publications.

A sixth grade student at the Olive International School, Doha, Laiba has been showing interest in reading and writing since the very young age. She started to write small stories and phrases on pieces of papers and used glue on walls of her house. 

source/content: thepeninsulaqatar.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: DEFENCE & AVIATION: France has Delivered all 36 Rafale Jets to India: Emmanuel Lenain, French Envoy

35 jets have arrived in India, while one remains in France.

France has delivered all 36 Rafale fighter jets to India, said the French Envoy in India, Emmanuel Lenain, speaking on the sidelines of the French National Day celebrations on Thursday.

However, while 35 jets have arrived in India, one jet still remains in France, official sources said.

One Rafale jet, which is the instrumented aircraft on which the 13 India specific enhancements (ISE) are being tested, is still in France, an official source said on Friday.

This is also the Rafale built for India and designated RB008. RB stands for former Indian Air Force (IAF) Chief Air Chief Marshal R.K.S. Bhadauria who, as then Deputy Chief of IAF, led the Indian negotiation team and had a major role in the contract negotiations.

The last batch of three Rafale jets had arrived in India in February, taking the total Rafales in inventory of the Indian Air Force to 35. As reported by The Hindu earlier, work on upgrading all the Rafale jets in service to the Indian standard configuration with the 13 ISE is currently underway in India. All ISE have already been qualified and certified.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: BUSINESS & ECONOMY: ‘I2U2 Summit (India, Israel,US, and UAE) ‘: UAE to Invest $2 billion to Develop Integrated Food Parks Across India

The grouping is known as ‘I2U2’ with “I” standing for India and Israel and ‘U” for the US and the UAE.

The United Arab Emirates will invest $2 billion to develop a series of integrated food parks across India under the framework of the four-nation grouping ‘I2U2’.

The decision was announced after the leaders of the grouping — Prime Minister Narendra Modi, U.S. President Joe Biden, Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid and UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan — held the first virtual summit.

A joint statement said the I2U2 leaders’ meeting focussed on food security crisis and clean energy and that they discussed innovative ways to ensure longer-term, more diversified food production and food delivery systems.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: IT & TELECOMMUNICATIONS: U.S’s AT&T Inaugurates a new India Development Centre in Chennai

Company building a dedicated digital operations centre.

The U.S.-based telecommunications giant AT&T has opened its new development centre in Chennai.

The new facility was inaugurated by Tamil Nadu Minister for Information Technology T. Mano Thangaraj with Bala Subramanian, Chief Digital Officer, AT&T.

The new centre at the RMZ Millenia Campus Phase 2 on MGR Salai has capacity to accommodate around 300 employees and will focus on building digital capabilities. “We recognise the talent and potential in Chennai and are excited about offering an environment where teams can work on features that have a direct impact on AT&T customers and employees,” Mr. Bala Subramanian said in a statement. 

“In addition, we are building a dedicated digital operations centre (DoC) that will act as a beachhead for our customer-centric operations transformation,” he added.

source/contents: thehindu.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: NATIONAL, AVIATION & AEROSPACE: Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Safran Helicopter Engines to Create JV to make Chopper Engines

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Safran Helicopter Engines have signed an agreement to create a new joint venture to develop helicopter engines. Through an MoU signed by R Madhavan, Chairman & Managing Director, HAL, and Franck Saudo, Chief Executive Officer, Safran Helicopter Engines, in presence of Olivier Andries, CEO, Safran.

Both the partners will extend their partnership by establishing a new aero-engine company in India. It will be dedicated to the development, production, sales and support of helicopter engines and one of its main objectives will be to meet the requirements of HAL and Ministry of Defence’s future heli­copters, including the 13-ton­ne Indian Multi-Role Helicopter.

Madhavan said: “We now look forward to utilize this opportunity to leverage HAL’s experience in manufacturing of more than 15 types of aircraft and helicopter engines to co-develop and manufacture engine with immediate focus on IMRH and its naval variant the Deck Based Multi Role Helicopter. This partnership will involve and utilize the Indian Defence manufacturing ecosystem within India”.

Saudo said the partnership with HAL recently illustrated the development and production of the Shakti engine, “and the inauguration of our joint venture Helicopter Engines MRO Pvt Limited (HE-MRO). With a fleet of over 1,000 engines, India’s Armed Forces are one of the largest operators of Safran-designed helicopter engines.”

HAL and Safran Helicopter Engines already have multiple partnerships, including the Shakti engine, which powers HAL-produced helicopters, including the Dhruv, Rudra and the Light Combat Helicopter. The Ardiden 1U variant also powers the new Light Utility Helicopter. Through HE-MRO joint venture in Goa, HAL and Safran Helicopter Engines will also provide Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul services for TM333 and Shakti engines in se­rvice with Armed Forces, and will be operational by 2023-

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: NATIONAL: AVIATION & AIRPORTS: PM Modi Inaugurates Deoghar Airport, Unveils ₹16,800-crore Projects in Jharkhand

He also flagged off the Deoghar-Kolkata IndiGo flight from the new airport.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday inaugurated the 657-acre Deoghar airport, constructed at a cost of ₹401 crore.

He also flagged off the Deoghar-Kolkata IndiGo flight from the new airport.

The airport has a 2,500-metre-long runway, which can handle the landing and takeoff of Airbus A320 planes.

Mr. Modi had laid the foundation stone of the Deoghar airport on May 25, 2018, as a key step towards providing direct connectivity to Baba Baidyanath Dham, which is an important religious destination for devotees from all over the country.

Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, on the occasion, said the airport will be linked to Ranchi, Patna and Delhi in the days to come.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: BUSINESS & ECONOMY / MEDIA : Santosh Shukla Appointed as CEO of ‘British Organization World Book of Records’

He will also carry out business activities of iudex International Quality Certification and focus on business expansion in Asian countries.New Delhi Senior advocate of the Supreme Court of India, Shri Santosh Shukla has become the new Chief Executive Officer CEO of the British Organization World Book of Records.

 At the helm of Shri Shukla, the organization has made its reached 25 countries in the world with a strong global network. Shri Shukla hails from deep-rooted Indian culture and heritage and is of Indian origin.

Being a Cyber law expert and an author of technical books, he is also Director-General of the South Asian Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SACCI), President and CEO of International Quality Certification, President of Alma World, and holds the post of Chief Editor of Alma Today, Alma Times, WBR News and other leading organizations.

source/content: devidiscourse.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL : ARTS & CULTURE : Dr KC Samuel, Chairman of Hindustan Aviation Academy (HAA) Installed as the New International President of Y’s Men International (YMI), Aarhus, Denmark

Philanthropist and Hindustan Aviation Academy (HAA) chairman Dr KC Samuel has been appointed the International president of Y’s Men International (YMI).

The movement was founded in 1922 and Samuel will be taking charge for its centenary year.

“The name ‘Y’s Men’ has become synonymous due to selfless service and sacrificial giving, and has touched and lifted the lives of thousands people across the world for over a century by acknowledging it as our duty,” said Dr Samuel.

Dr Samuel has been with the Y’s Men movement for over 40 years. He has held almost all leadership positions in the movement and was bestowed with many awards for his meritorious performance, including Elmer Crowe Award and International President’s award for the best Area President in 2018-19. He is currently a member of Y’s Men Club of Bangalore.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (edited)

GLOBAL RECORDS: SPORTS, CHESS : 9-year-old Chess Prodigy Aaron R Mendes Creates Sensation, Wins Gold Medal in the ‘Under 11 Open category at the FIDE World School Chess Championship 2022, Panama

Nine-year-old Mangalorean chess prodigy Aaron Mendes creates sensation in Panama.

Aaron Reeve Mendes has added another feather to his illustrious cap by winning a Gold medal in the Under 11 Open category at the FIDE World School Chess Championship 2022.

On his way to winning the Championship title, Aaron won against the national champions of Mongolia, Peru, Columbia, Mexico, and Ecuador. https://chess-results.com/tnr647375.aspx?lan=1&art=1&rd=9

The FIDE World School Chess Championship, which was held in Panama from June 10 to June 19, 2022 is a prestigious chess tournament with 489 participants from 37 countries. https://wscc2022.org/

source/content: daijiworld.com (headline edited)