Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh concluded four-day visit to Brunei and Indonesia

The Prime Minister of India Dr. Manmohan Singh on 12 October 2013 concluded his four-day visit to Brunei and Indonesia. Prime Minister visit to Brunei and Indonesia is a part of expanding India’s ‘Look East’ policy to beyond economic ties.

• Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh paid an official visit to Brunei Darussalam from 9-11 October 2013 to attend the 11th ASEAN-India Summit and 8th East Asia Summit.
• Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh paid a State Visit to Indonesia from 10-12 October, 2013.

Highlights of the visit

1. Dr. Manmohan Singh held bilateral meetings with Prime Ministers of Asian superpowers like Japan and Australia as well on the sidelines of ASEAN and East Asia Summits in Brunei. 

2. Prime Minister also announced a separate mission for ASEAN, a 10-member block of South East Asian nations, with a full time ambassador. 

3. Dr. Manmohan Singh also stated that a Free Trade Agreement on services and investments would be signed with ASEAN by end of 2013 to help meet India-ASEAN trade to 100 billion Dollars by 2015.

4. During the first official bilateral visit to Indonesia, six pacts were signed between India and Indonesia including in areas like health, anti-corruption, narcotics, disaster management and academics. 

5. Both the countries, India and Indonesia agreed to expand their strategic partnership by holding annual summits and an eminent persons group will be set up to expand the relationship. New areas of co-operation have been identified such as space, nuclear energy, food, security, counter-terrorism, trans-border threats from jehadi forces.

Varun Arora won UN Award for 'Open Curriculum' Web Platform

Varun Arora, a young innovator from India on 10 October 2013 selected for United Nations 10 Young Innovators Competition 2013.
Varun Arora is among 10 people from around the world selected for a prestigious United Nations award in recognition of their work as entrepreneurs and use of technology to change the world.

Varun Arora awarded for his creation Open Curriculum, an online platform for local educational material for standard, primary and secondary schooling.

The recipients of the 10 Young Innovators Competition organized by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Telecom come from a wide range of countries and have worked on diverse issues such as marine protection, reduction of food waste and immigration.

The UN competition is open to young social entrepreneurs between the ages of 18 and 26 and seeks innovative digital solutions in the form of start-ups or initial concepts meeting global developmental challenges.

Sanam Singh and Vijayant Malik won the ITF Doubles Title 2013

The Indian tennis pair Sanam Singh and Vijayant Malik on 12 October 2013 won the doubles title in the 15000 US dollars ITF Men's Futures Tennis Tournament at the Jake Hess Tennis Stadium in Houston, USA. In the final match, they defeated fourth seeded pair of Evan King (USA) and Costin Paval (Romania) in two sets 7-6 (5), 6-4.

Earlier, second seeded Sanam Singh of India lost to Tyler Hochwalt (USA) in the singles quarter-final match. Sanam played well in the first set before going down in tie-breaker at 7-6 (3).However, the Indian player submitted meekly in the second set without winning even a single game (6-0).

What is ITF?

The International Tennis Federation (ITF) is the governing body of world tennis, made up of 210 national tennis associations or corresponding organizations of independent countries or territories. In 1977 it dropped the word 'lawn' from its title, recognising that most tennis was no longer played on grass. It was established as the International Lawn Tennis Federation (ILTF) by 12 national associations meeting at a conference in Paris, France on 1 March 1913.

Total Number of Telecom Subscribers increased to 904.46 Million

Telecom Regulatory Authority of India released the latest telecom subscription data on 31 July 2013. As per this data, the total number of subscribers has increased to 904.46 million with a net addition of 1.37 million subscribers during the month – showing a monthly growth of 0.15 percent.

Out of the total subscriber base, 548.85 million are from the urban areas and the remaining 355.60 million are the rural subscribers. The total Teledensity at the end of July 2013 was 73.54 out of which the share of urban subscribers was 60.68 percent and that of rural subscribers was 39.32 percent.

Mobile Number Portability (MNP) requests increased from 95.59 million subscribers at the end of June 2013 to 97.82 million at the end of July 2013. In the month of July 2013 alone, 2.23 million requests have been made for MNP.

Syria Disarmament Plan approved by UN Security Council

The 15-member UN Security Council on 12 October 2013 formally approved a first joint mission to destroy Syria's weapons. The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the UN have a team of 60 experts and support staff in Syria destroying Syria's production facilities while the country's civil war rages on.

The mission will have bases in Damascus and Cyprus, where most inspectors will stay unless they are on site visits. A chemical weapons attack in Damascus on 21 August 2013, which left hundreds dead, triggered an international crisis that led to threats of a US military strike against Syrian government targets.

The UN Security Council passed a resolution on 27 September 2013 backing a Russia-US plan to destroy President Bashar al-Assad's chemical weapons which ended the threat of military strike against Syria.

Satyavrat won the 9th Roustam E-International Indian Style Wrestling Title

Indian Wrestler Satyavrat on 12 October 2013 won the 9th Roustam-E-International Indian Style wrestling title at Vivekanand Sports Stadium, Katra after he defeated wrestler Mykhalio Datsemko of Ukrain in the final bout. Wrestler Satyavart was awarded Silver Gurj, Patta and cash prize of one lakh rupees and the runner up got cash of 50000 rupees.

The wrestling championship was organised as a part of Navratra Festival by the J&K Indian Style Wrestling Association with the active support of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB), J&K Tourism Department, Jammu and Kashmir Police, Katra Municipal Committee, Navratra Festival Committee District Administration and locals of Katra. World Champion and Olympic Silver Medalist, Wrestler Sushil Kumar was the chief guest on the occasion.

J&K Indian Style Wrestling Association also organized 1st Jammu & Kashmir Kesari tile -2013 on the occasion. Bhadur Khan of Jammu won the Kesari title by defeating wrestler Ajay Sharma of Udhampur. Cash award of 20000 rupees was given to the winner of the first Jammu & Kashmir Kesari tile -2013.

Typhoon Nari created Havoc in Philippines

Typhoon Nari hit hard the northern part of Philippines on 13 October 2013. The government issued a storm warning for the east of the region. Typhoon Nari is the 19th storm to hit the disaster-prone country.  More than 43000 people displaced by the storm. The Philippines are hit by some 20 typhoons each year.

A tropical disturbance formed in the Philippine sea from an area of convection. The PAGASA (Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration) upgraded it into a tropical depression and named it Santi. It gradually intensified into a Tropical Storm, gaining the international name Nari 9 October 2013. Nari continued to intensify, and reached Category 3 status on 11 October as it moved west towards the Philippines and made landfall in Dingalan, Aurora.

Ireland set to Exit International Bail-out Programme

Ireland on 13 October 2013 announced that in December 2013 it would become the first member of the Euro zone, to exit an International bail -out programme. From then on, the Republic will borrow the money it needs, from the financial markets rather than relying on the loans, it was granted by Euro zone agencies and the IMF.

Ireland followed a four-year austerity programme that was sparked when its property bubble burst, tipping banks into financial crisis. Ireland can become an example of how austerity and reform policies can return crisis-stricken member states’ economies to health.
The Eurozone crisis (often referred to as the Euro crisis) is an ongoing crisis which has been affecting the countries of the Eurozone since late 2009. It is a sovereign debt crisis as well as a banking crisis and a growth and competitiveness crisis.

The Eurozone crisis took place because of the following factors, including the globalisation of finance; easy credit conditions during the 2002–2008 period that encouraged high-risk lending and borrowing practices; the financial crisis of 2007–08; international trade imbalances; real estate bubbles that have since burst; the Great Recession of 2008–2012; fiscal policy choices related to government revenues and expenses; and approaches used by nations to bail out troubled banking industries and private bondholders, assuming private debt burdens or socialising losses.

The Irish sovereign debt crisis was based on the state guaranteeing the six main Irish-based banks who had financed a property bubble. Irish banks had lost an estimated 100 billion euros, much of it related to defaulted loans to property developers and homeowners made in the midst of the property bubble, which burst around 2007. The economy collapsed during 2008.  Since government debt increased rapidly it was clear that the Government would have to seek assistance from the EU and IMF which resulted in a billion euros bailout agreement of 29 November 2010.

Many People Killed and Several Injured near a Temple in Madhya Pradesh

Approximately, 60 people were feared killed and over 100 injured in a stampede on 13 October 2013 near a temple at Ratangarh in Madhya Pradesh's Datia district. The stampede was caused by rumours that a bridge they were crossing was about to collapse.

The unfortunate incident occurred when a large number of devotees arrived from Datia and neighbouring Uttar Pradesh at the Durga temple at Ratangarh, about 60 kms from the district headquarters.

Nearly 100 people have been injured in the mishap and they have been admitted in closeby hospitals.