International Current Affairs November 2016
Ancient Roman, Ottoman Coins Found in Ruined Japanese Castle
• The scientists have discovered a bunch of ancient Roman and Ottoman coins from the ruins of an old castle in Japan, a finding which could help better understand historical trade routes and relations in Asia.
• Japanese ceramics and objects, as well as Chinese coins and ceramics ‘that would have be acquired through trade with China were also found at the site.
• Since 2013, archaeologists from Uruma Board of Education in Japan have been excavating the Katsuren castle — a UNESCO world heritage site located in Okinawa. The ancient coins (ten in total) were discovered spotted by Toshio Tsukamoto, a researcher from Gangoji temple cultural properties department.
• Using X-ray technology, Hiroyuki Miyagi of Okinawa International University found that the Ottoman coin had inscriptions that dated it to 1687, while the Roman coins appeared to be much older — from at least 300 to 400 AD.
World’s Oldest Wooden Pagoda in China Entered Guinness Record
• A nearly 1000-year-old wooden pagoda in China’s Northern Shanxi province, declared the world’s tallest wooden pagoda by the Guinness World Records on September 29, 2016.
• It was built in 1056 during the Liao dynasty, the 67.31 m pagoda is also called the Sakyamuni Pagoda of Fogong Temple, the oldest wooden multi-storied structure in the World. It is a classic example of ancient Chinese wooden structures and a physical embodiment of Chinese culture and intelligence.
Cuba, Russia Signed Agreement on Peaceful Nuclear Cooperation
• Russian State nuclear agency Rosatom and Cuba’s Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment on signed an agreement on cooperation in the field of peaceful atomic energy use on the sidelines of the IAEA General Conference in Vienna on September 28, 2016.
• Russian-Cuban cooperation in different fields of peaceful atomic energy use, from agriculture to training nuclear specialists, was signed.
• Special coordinating committees and bilateral working groups will be created to facilitate the implementation of the agreement.
Colombia, Marxist Rebels Signed Accord Ending 52-Year War
• Colombia’s centre-right government and the Marxist FARC rebel group signed a peace deal on September 26, 2016 to end a half-century war that killed a quarter of a million people. The USA would also review whether to take the FARC off its terrorism list, and has pledged $ 390 million for Colombia next year to support the peace process.
• The end of Latin America’s longest-running war will turn the FARC guerrillas into a political party fighting at the ballot box instead of the battlefield they have occupied since 1964.
UNSC Adopted Resolution on Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Nuclear Disarmament
• The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) adopted a resolution urging all States who haven’t done so to sign the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty on September 23, 2016.
• 183 States have signed the Treaty and 166 States have deposited their instruments of ratification. The Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty bans all nuclear explosions for both civilian and military purposes. Adopted by the UN General Assembly under resolution 50 (1996).
• A landmark international treaty opened for signature in 1968, the Treaty on the Non – Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons entered into force in 1970, and was extended indefinitely on May 11, 1995.
• Its objective is to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology, promote cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, and further the goal of achieving nuclear disarmament and general and complete disarmament.
