International Current Affairs

Bastille Day, also known as the National day of France is grandly celebrated on 14 July every year. The day is celebrated with fireworks and parades, across the country. The National day is celebrated in remembrance of the fall of Bastille on July 14, 1789. It was on the same day when an angry crowd stormed and captured the military fortress and prison (Bastille) where political prisoners were held captive.

The United Nations declared July 12, Malala’s birthday, as World Malala Day in honour of the young education activist from Pakistan. In 2012, Malala was shot at by Taliban insurgents while she was on her way to school. This day is observed to make an appeal to world leaders, to ensure compulsory and free education for every child in their country.

World Population Day is an annual event, observed on July 11 every year, which seeks to raise awareness of global population issues. The event was established by the Governing Council of the United Nations Development Programme in 1989.

Philippines Air Force transport plane- the C-130 Hercules, crashed recently, killing at least 50 people. As many as 49 soldiers were injured in the fiery crash when the C-130 Hercules transport plane missed the runway while trying to land on the southern island of Jolo. The military is fighting the Abu Sayyaf and other armed groups on the island.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Mars probe is otherwise called ‘Hope’. It has captured pictures of auroras around the Red Planet, for the first time in the world. The three images of atomic oxygen emission from the planet Mars were captured by the Emirates Mars Ultraviolet Spectrometer instrument. The data collected during these observations include far and extreme ultraviolet auroral emissions.

After nearly 20 years, the US military has left Bagram airfield, the epicenter of its war to oust the Taliban and track down the al-Qaida perpetrators of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The airfield was handed over to the Afghan National Security and Defense Force in its entirety.