International Current Affairs October 2015 (Part 1)

25th Anniversary of ‘International Day of Older Person’s Observed

• October 1, 2015 is the 25th anniversary of the International Day of Older Persons as every year October 1 is being observed as International day of Older Persons (IDOP). The theme of this year’s International Day of Older Persons is Sustainability and age inclusiveness in the urban environment.
• The theme highlights the need to make cities inclusive for people of all ages. The United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III) to be held in Quito in October, 2Q16 offers an opportunity to advance this effort.
• On September 25, at United Nations Headquarters in New York, Heads of State and governments committed themselves to building a sustainable world where no one, regardless of their age or gender, is left behind.

China Launched 20th Satellite for its BeiDou Navigation System

• China successfully launched its 20th new generation satellite on September 30, 2015 from Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in the South-Western province of Sichuan. The satellite was boosted by a Long March-3B carrier rocket.
• It was the 20th satellite for the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS), and puts China one step closer to providing an alternative to the US-operated GPS. For the first time the satellite featured a hydrogen atomic clock.
• It was named after the Chinese term for the plough or the Big Dipper constellation, the Beidou project was formally launched in 1994, some 20 years after GPS. China planned to set up a complete ‘constellation’ of 35 navigation satellites and expand their coverage to the entire globe by 2020.

Read Also – Smart Practice Current Affairs October 2015.

Taliban Captured Key Northern Afghan City of Kunduz

• The Taliban militants captured most of the city of Kunduz in Northern Afghanistan on September 28, 2015. If the Taliban consolidates control over the entire city, it would be the first time the group seized a major city in Afghanistan since the Taliban was pushed from power by a US-led coalition in 2001.
• It raised question about Afghanistan’s ability to provide its own security. The fall of Kunduz^ marks a major setback for Afghan government forces who are struggling to combat the Taliban militants since the shift US and NATO’s International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) combat mission to a supporting role.
• The Taliban ruled Afghanistan from 1996 until 2001, when a US-led coalition drove the regime from power. Kunduz province is strategically important as it is considered a gateway to Afghanistan’s Northern provinces and Central Asia as it shares a border with Tajikistan.

World Leaders Adopted UN Sustainable Development Goals

• The leaders and diplomats from the 193 UN member States approved an ambitious 15-year plan on September 25, 2015 to tackle the world’s biggest problems, from eradicating poverty to preserving the planet to reducing inequality till 2030.

• In this regard, a document, titled Transforming our World : The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, outlines 17 broad goals and sets 169 specific targets.
• The non-binding goals succeed the eight Millennium Development Goals adopted by world leaders 15 years ago in Rio 20+ summit of United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development.

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