International Current Affairs

World Water Day is an annual United Nations observance day held on 22 March that highlights the importance of fresh water. The day is used to advocate for the sustainable management of freshwater resources.

Elliot Page, known most-prominently for his role in the 2007 Oscar-winning film Juno, has become the first transgender man to be featured on the cover of Time magazine.

Every year, World Kidney Day is marked on the second Thursday of March. This year (2021), the day is being observed on March 11 worldwide.

Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai has partnered with Apple Inc to produce several new programmes including dramas, children series’ and documentaries that would air on the tech giant’s streaming service. Yousafzai and her production company, Extracurricular, are expanding an already existing partnership with Apple, a blog post on the company’s website said on March 8, 2021. In 2018, the iPhone maker teamed up with Yousafzai on the “Malala Fund” that seeks to extend secondary education opportunities to girls across the globe.

The US and Taliban signed a peace deal in February 2021, ending the longest war in US history. The war began in 2001, after the US invaded Afghanistan in response to the 9/11 attacks.

In February 2021, Japan appointed its first Minister for Loneliness, Tetsushi Sakamoto. Sakamoto is a member of the Liberal Democratic Party and has served in various government positions, including as Minister of State for Economic and Fiscal Policy. As Minister for Loneliness, Sakamoto is responsible for developing policies to address the issue of loneliness in Japan. Loneliness is a serious problem in Japan, with estimates suggesting that up to 40% of the population feels lonely. The problem is particularly acute among the elderly, who are more likely to live alone and have fewer social connections. Sakamoto’s appointment is a recognition of the seriousness of the problem of loneliness in Japan and a step towards addressing it.

The US space agency NASA released the first audio from Mars, captured by the Perseverance rover. The audio sounded like a faint crackling recording of a gust of wind in the red planet. Though a microphone did not work during the rover’s descent to the surface, it could capture audio after it landed on Mars. NASA also released the first video of the landing of the rover.