Current Affairs 5th December 2018

Current Affairs 5th December 2018 - Important Points

• First India, Japan air exercise SHINYUU Maitri 18 initiated in Agra
• Qatar to leave OPEC- Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries from January 2019
• Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador sworn in as 58th President of Mexico
• 47th Navy Day observed across India
• Indian Navy to conduct TROPEX Exercise to test robustness of coastal security apparatus

Current Affairs 5th December 2018 - Details

First India, Japan air exercise SHINYUU Maitri 18 initiated in Agra

The 1st bilateral air exercise SHINYUU Maitri-18 among Japanese Air Self Defence Force and Indian Air Force started at Air Force Station Agra. The main theme of this exercise is combined Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief on Transport aircraft.

SHINYUU Maitri-18

The emphasis of the exercise is set for Indian Air Force and Japanese Air Self Defence Force crews to undertake Joint Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief operations. Indian Air Force and Japanese Air Self Defence Force will also rehearsal display of heavy loading or offloading during this exercise. In this exercise, Japanese Air Self Defence Force will be taking part with C2 aircraft along with aircrew and spectators. Indian Air Force is participating with C-17 and An-32 aircraft with aircrew and observers.

Qatar to leave OPEC- Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries from January 2019

Qatar has declared its withdrawal from Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries- OPEC from January 2019 and emphasis more on the production of natural gas. It makes Qatar 1st Gulf nation to leave Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries bloc of oil-producing nations led by Saudi Arabia.

Qatar has been member of Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries since 1961 and its result to pull out after above 5 decades comes at turbulent time in Gulf politics. It is under boycott and proscribe from its neighbouring gulf associates including Saudi Arabia for 18 months in August 2017.

Important Points

Qatar is the world’s biggest exporter of Liquified Natural Gas and 17th mega producer of crude oil which is around 600,000 barrels/day. It also only grasps around 2 percent of the world’s global oil reserves.

The withdrawal conclusion reflects Qatar’s desire to emphasis its efforts on plans to develop and upsurge its natural gas production from 77 million tonnes every year to 110 million tonnes in the forthcoming years. Being part of Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, its oil production was steady with partial prospects for surges. Since 2013, amount of oil Qatar produced has steadily failed from about 728,000 barrels/day in 2013 to about 607,000 barrels/day in 2017.

The reason behind Qatar’s withdrawal

Qatar’s pure asset is the production of Gas. Qatar is the world's biggest supplier of Liquefied Natural Gas, generating almost 30% of the world total with world's largest known natural gas field, the “North Field” with Iran.

The country plans to upsurge the supply of natural gas by developing a future strategy grounded on growth and expansion, both in its activities at home as well as abroad.

It needs focused efforts, commitment and devotion to maintain and strengthen Qatar's position as the leading natural gas producer.

In September 2018, Qatar declared to upsurge its production of natural gas by accumulation of a 4th production line to raise capacity from the “North Field” to 110 million tonnes per year.

Most of Qatar's yearly Liquefied Natural Gas supplies, almost 80 million tonnes, are shipped in tankers to different nations, including the UAE, one of the nation’s striking the blockade on Qatar.

Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries

Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries was founded in 1960 by Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela, 5 major oil-producing nations.

Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries is an organisation of 15 oil-exporting nations and has its HQ in Vienna.

It arranges regular meetings among the oil ministers of its member countries. Mohammed Barkindo of Nigeria is presently the Secretary-General of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries.

Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador sworn in as 58th President of Mexico

Veteran leftist leader Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador took oath as the 58th President of Mexico on December 1st, 2018 in the presence an enormous crowd that included world leaders United States Vice President Mike Pence, Ivanka Trump and King Felipe VI of Spain. 

Lopez Obrador, sworn to bring a finish to corruption, chronic poverty and extreme violence that have inundated the country for above a decade.

The 65 years old Lopes Obrador would clutch the position of President of Mexico for a term of 6 years.

“Radical” rebirth of Mexico

Lopez Obrador, reaffirmed his purposes to sell Mexico's official presidential plane and to not live in the presidential palace, Los Pinos and uncluttered its doors to public visitors.

Obrador informed that he will save money by living in much modest confines. He also informed that he will get 40% of his presidential salary. He has also dissolved the thousands robust presidential guard, opting instead for a small group of armless bodyguards.

In an extraordinary initiative, he also declared his intention to promote a recall survey during his administration, counting the promise that he will never pursue re-election.

Important Promises

Obrador issued reassurance to the productions regarding his policies, which contains the abrupt dissolution of a $13 billion New Mexico City airport. 

He repeated that investments in the country of 130 million people would be nonviolent and pledged to respect central bank independence. 

He assured that his government would make savings by ending corruption with no increase in national debt/taxes and also assured higher wages for the poor and zero-tolerance for dishonesty in his administration.

He assured that his government would make sure a division between economic and political power in the country and sworn to eliminate the regime that the neo-liberal policies of the earlier governments had created. 

47th Navy Day observed across India

The 47th Indian Navy Day was observed on December 4th, 2018 across India. The day is celebrated every year to rejoice the achievements and role of the naval force in the country.

The Navy day is observed every year to honor the success of Operation Trident of Indian Navy on Karachi Harbour all through the 1971 Indo-Pak war.

Under Operation Trident, the Indian Navy dropped 4 vessels near the largest Pakistani port of Karachi and wasted the Karachi harbour fuel fields, assassinated more than 500 Pakistani Navy personnel.
To rejoice the occasion, the naval forces displayed acrobatic skills from Army choppers in Rameswaram, at the Dhanushkodi beach Rameswaram Island, Tamil Nadu.

On the eve of the Indian Navy Day, Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lamba declared that the Indian Navy is the net security provider in the Indian Ocean region. Till date, the navy has been effective in thwarting 44 piracy attempts and arresting 120 pirates. 

Since 2008, 70 Indian naval warships have been positioned, which have safely escorted more than 3440 ships with above 25000 mariners on board.

Indian Navy to conduct TROPEX Exercise to test robustness of coastal security apparatus

Indian Navy will plan its flagship large-scale coastal defence exercise TROPEX- Theatre Level Operational Readiness Exercise from January-March 2019 to test sturdiness of entire coastal security devices. As part of Theatre Level Operational Readiness Exercise, Indian Navy will conduct large-scale coastal defence exercise ‘Exercise Sea Vigil’. This exercise will consist all shareholders across mainland and island terrains. It will witness participation of all operational ships, submarines, aircraft and units of Indian coast guards, Indian Army and Indian Air Force.

Theatre Level Operational Readiness Exercise

It is annual exercise that planned on Western Seaboard. It is organised to test various aspects of not only joint fighting capabilities but also to test war capabilities of 3 services in war like situation. This exercise benefits in validating operational warfighting ideas and delivers very crucial lessons that will help services to further improve their skills. In the present security scenario and with India’s raised role in Indian Ocean Region and Indo-Pacific, Theatre Level Operational Readiness Exercise assumes great worth.