RAPID GK SERIES 6

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">1. During the budget of 2010-11, this much of allocation was given to the AADHAR Project<br /> 2. The total Medal rally of India in Beijing Olympics 2008 was<br /> 3. The biggest Constellation which covers 3.16% of the Sky is<br /> 4. The System of Agriculture in which relatively large amounts of Capital & Labour Investments are applied to relatively Small areas of land is called<br /> 5. The National Post Day is observed on<br /> 6. Angami is the language spoken in this Indian State<br /> 7. Synagogue is the worship place of this religion<br /> 8. The First Battle of Panipat held in<br /> 9. The Central Electronics Engineering Research Institute is situated in<br /> 10. In India, the Auto Mission Plan is between these years<br /> <br /> <strong>ANSWERS</strong><br /> <br /> 1. Rs. 1,900 Crore<br /> 2. 3 (Gold -1 & Bronze-2)<br /> 3. Hydra (Sea Serpent)<br /> 4. Intensive Farming<br /> 5. October 10<br /> 6. <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD10">Nagaland<span class="IL_AD_ICON"></span></span><br /> 7. Jew<br /> 8. 1526<br /> 9. Pilani, Rajasthan<br /> 10. 2006-16</div>

RAPID GK SERIES 6

1. During the budget of 2010-11, this much of allocation was given to the AADHAR Project 2. The total Medal rally of India in Beijing Olymp...

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Obama names new ambassador to India

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div id="5182" style="display: block;"> <ul style="text-align: justify;"><li> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">The Obama administration  nominated Nancy J Powell as the next ambassador to India. She is diplomat who has held several postings in South Asia, one of them as ambassador to Pakistan.</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">The ambassador-designate has been posted to India before. She was consul general at the US consulate in Kolkata.</span></span><br /> </li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"> Her appointment to India, if confirmed, will be her fifth ambassadorial assignments -- the previous four being to Pakistan, Nepal, Uganda and Ghana</span></span><br /> </li> </ul></div></div>

Obama names new ambassador to India

The Obama administration  nominated Nancy J Powell as the next ambassador to India. She is dipl...

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Russia to supply 42 more Sukhoi fighters to India

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">During  PM  Manmohan Singh ‘s visit he attended the 12th annual Indo-Russian summit and witnessed inking of five agreements, including one for technical assistance in joint production of 42 more frontline Sukhoi-MKI 30 jets.</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"> The uncertainty over the Kudankulam nuclear power project and said the first unit of the plant would be operationalised in a couple of weeks. The two countries reiterated their commitment to further long-term joint collaboration in the civilian nuclear energy sector as well as in the hydrocarbon sector.</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">Both sides agreed that international terrorism is a threat to peace and security, violates human rights and is a crime against humanity.</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">Russia also backed India's bid for a permanent seat in an expanded UN Security Council as well as its aspirations to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), while Dr. Singh welcomed Moscow's entry to the WTO.</span></span><br /> </li> </ul></div>

Russia to supply 42 more Sukhoi fighters to India

During  PM  Manmohan Singh ‘s visit he attended the 12th annual Indo-Russian summit and witnessed inking of five agreements, including on...

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UNSC lifts sanctions on Libya banks

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div id="5184" style="display: block;"> <ul style="text-align: justify;"><li> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">The UN Security Council has lifted sanctions on Libya's central bank and the country's foreign investments banks. The move is aimed at easing the current cash crisis in the country. The United States has also lifted most of the sanctions against Tripoli.</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">The Libyan banks' assets abroad were frozen earlier this year as part of sanctions against former Libyan leader Col Muammer Gaddafi. </span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">The White House said in a statement in Washington that the US had rolled back most sanctions on the Government of Libya to keep its commitment to the Libyan people. </span></span><br /> </li> </ul></div></div>

UNSC lifts sanctions on Libya banks

The UN Security Council has lifted sanctions on Libya's central bank and the country's ...

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France launches spy satellites aboard Russian rocket

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">The second Russian-built Soyuz rocket launched from French Guiana blasted  carrying six military spy satellites.</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">About one hour after launch, five of the satellites separated from the rocket.</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">The first was Pleiades, a one-tonne observation satellite to be used extensively by the French defense ministry.</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">Several minutes later, the rocket released four ELISA (Electronic Intelligence by Satellite) demonstrator satellites to test space-based mapping of radar transmitters globally for France's Defense Procurement Agency (DGA).</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">A sixth satellite, for Chile's armed forces, is scheduled for separation.</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">This was the second time that a Soyuz, which first flew in 1966 and traces its roots back even further to the earliest Cold War intercontinental ballistic missiles, was launched from outside its former Soviet bases.</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">The first French Guiana-launched Soyuz rocket orbited the first two of Europe's Galileo global positioning satellite constellation last October. </span></span><br /> </li> </ul></div>

France launches spy satellites aboard Russian rocket

The second Russian-built Soyuz rocket launched from French Guiana blasted  carrying six military spy satellites.   About one hour afte...

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India, Russia agree on credit for Kudankulam Units 3, 4

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div id="5186" style="display: block;"> <ul style="text-align: justify;"><li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">India and Russia have resolved their differences over the Kudankulam nuclear plant in Tamil Nadu, according to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and highly placed Russian government sources.</span></span></li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">The original agreement on Units 1 and 2 at Kudankulam apply to Units 3 and 4, as well as to any additional reactors that may be put up on the site.</span></span></li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">India and Russia also concluded negotiations on obtaining military and strategic communications from the Glonass constellation of satellites being put into orbit by Moscow as an alternative to the West-controlled GPS system.</span></span></li> </ul></div></div>

India, Russia agree on credit for Kudankulam Units 3, 4

India and Russia have resolved their differences over the Kudankulam nuclear plant in Tamil Nadu...

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Govt comes out with 3,884 cr package for handloom sector

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div id="5187" style="display: block;"> <ul><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">The government has come out with a 3,884 crore rupees financial package for the handloom sector. This follows 18,000 job loses in the sector in four months up to March       2011.</span></span></li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">The package includes one-time waiver of overdue loans and interest of handloom cooperative societies and individual weavers across the country.     </span></span></li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">Of this, 3,021 crore rupees will account for repeal of loan and recapitalisation of 15,000 handloom weaver cooperative societies and 500 crore rupees for loan waiver for individual weavers as on March last year.  </span></span></li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">Repeal of loan of individual weaver has been capped at 50,000 rupees.     </span></span></li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">Out of the 3,884 crore rupees package, 3,137 crore rupees will be provided by the Central government with states accounting for the remaining 747 crore rupees.</span></span></li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">Government has attributed loss of employment to economic slow down which has adversely hit textile sector also with 1, 21,000 jobs having been lost in four months beginning December 2010.</span></span></li> </ul></div></div>

Govt comes out with 3,884 cr package for handloom sector

The government has come out with a 3,884 crore rupees financial package for the handloom sector....

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CBI, Interpol to set up Research and Innovation Center to curb telecom crime

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">CBI and INTERPOL will set up a Research and Innovation Center in India for the prevention of telecommunication crime. This was decided during the discussion between Secretary General of Interpol, Dr. Ronald K. Noble and CBI officers in New Delhi.</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">The center will have partnership with top academic institutions, research centers and private sector to deal with the telecommunication crime.</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">The Center will also invite participation of telecommunication crime investigators, researchers and experts from other INTERPOL member countries to deal with the cases.</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">This partnership will make CBI a global hub for research and innovation to effectively tackle the telecom, cyber crimes.</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">The  Secretary General of INTERPOL has also offered India to host a Global INTERPOL Conference in New Delhi next year. </span></span><br /> </li> </ul></div>

CBI, Interpol to set up Research and Innovation Center to curb telecom crime

CBI and INTERPOL will set up a Research and Innovation Center in India for the prevention of telecommunication crime. This was decided du...

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2. Tea industry’s turnover likely to touch 33k cr by 2015

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">The total turnover of the tea industry in the country is likely to touch 33,000 crore rupees by 2015.</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India, ASSOCHAM, in Guwahati today said that the industry has at present a turnover of 19,500 crore rupees.</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">India is the world’s largest consumer and second largest tea producer. With nearly six lakh hectares under tea cultivation, the domestic industry is growing at a compound annual growth rate of about 15 percent.  </span></span><br /> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">         </span></span><br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">The release also said that nearly 35 lakh workers are being employed in over 1 thousand 500 tea estates across India.   </span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">Assam contributes over half of the country’s total tea and around 12 percent of global tea production.    </span></span><br /> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">        </span></span><br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">Due to its affordable and addictive nature, nearly 90 percent of country’s total population drinks tea.  </span></span><br /> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">          </span></span><br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">It may be recalled that Assam government has already declared tea as state drink and also urged the Centre to recognize tea as national drink. </span></span><br /> </li> </ul></div>

2. Tea industry’s turnover likely to touch 33k cr by 2015

The total turnover of the tea industry in the country is likely to touch 33,000 crore rupees by 2015. The Associated Chambers of Comm...

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436 killed in flash floods as typhoon wreaks havoc in Philippines

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div id="5190" style="display: block;"> <ul><li> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">In the Philippines, at least 436 people have been reported killed and scores missing in pounding rain from a tropical storm.</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">Swelled rivers sent walls of water crushing into two southern Philippine cities in the thick of night with many caught in their beds.</span></span><br /> </li> </ul></div></div>

436 killed in flash floods as typhoon wreaks havoc in Philippines

In the Philippines, at least 436 people have been reported killed and scores missing in pounding ...

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Afghanistan to play their first Cricket ODI match in 2012

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div id="5191" style="display: block;"> <ul style="text-align: justify;"><li> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">Afghanistan and Pakistan will play their first ever one-day international cricket match in Sharjah next February. According to Pakistan Cricket Board the match will be played on February 10. It will be Afghanistan’s first ever one-day international cricket match. Afghanistan has made rapid progress in Cricket.</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">It finished fifth in the World Cup qualifiers in 2009 and earned one-day status the same year. Last year Afghan team won the World Twenty20 qualifiers, which allowed it to play top teams in the World Twenty20 in the West Indies. Afghanistan is now placed ninth in the international Cricket Council Twenty20 rankings.</span></span><br /> </li> </ul></div></div>

Afghanistan to play their first Cricket ODI match in 2012

Afghanistan and Pakistan will play their first ever one-day international cricket match in Shar...

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i. Saina Nehwal first Indian singles player in BWF World Superseries Finals summit

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div id="5192" style="display: block;"> <ul style="text-align: justify;"><li> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">Ace shuttler Saina Nehwal on Saturday created history by becoming the first Indian singles player to reach the summit clash of the BWF Superseries Finals after defeating Tine Baun of Denmark in the semifinals at Liuzhou in China.</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">World number four Saina beat number five Baun 21-17, 21-18 in 34 minutes to set up a summit clash on Sunday against China's world number one Yihan Wang who defeated compatriot and world number three Xin Wang in the other semifinal.</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">Jwala Gutta and V Diju are the only other Indians to have achieved the feat when the mixed doubles pair reached the Superseries Finals in the 2009 edition of the tournament before losing to Christinna Pedersen and Joaquim Nielsen.</span></span><br /> </li> </ul></div></div>

i. Saina Nehwal first Indian singles player in BWF World Superseries Finals summit

Ace shuttler Saina Nehwal on Saturday created history by becoming the first Indian singles play...

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Govt. mulls to roll out a national programme to curb Japanese Encephalitis

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div id="5193" style="display: block;"> <ul style="text-align: justify;"><li> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">Viewing the rising cases of Japanese Encephalitis (JE) in West Bengal, Uttar Pradeh, Bihar, Tamil Nadu and Assam, government has decided to drive a national program to curb Japanese Encephalitis across the nation.</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">Japanese Encephalitis (JE) spreads through mosquito bite that have bit infected pigs. Pigs are the carrier of JE virus. </span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">JE is a fatal disease and every year 30%-40% patients suffering from JE die. This year the death toll has risen over 800 while over 6000 cases have been detected so far in India. </span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">The government is identifying the 10 medical colleges in these states where physical and medical rehabilitation units for JE are set to be established. </span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">The government will also create awareness program among the common people to go for JE vaccination. </span></span><br /> </li> </ul></div></div>

Govt. mulls to roll out a national programme to curb Japanese Encephalitis

Viewing the rising cases of Japanese Encephalitis (JE) in West Bengal, Uttar Pradeh, Bihar, Tam...

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New vaccine helps reduce polio cases

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div id="5194" style="display: block;"> <ul style="text-align: justify;"><li> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">Even as it was announced  that only one case of polio had been detected in India this year, UNICEF’s goodwill ambassador, actor Amitabh Bachchan, launched a new campaign for eradication of polio, appealing to parents to ‘Make Polio History in India.’</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">Bivalent oral polio vaccine targets only two types of polio viruses – P1 and P3 – but not P2, which has been eradicated globally since 1999. The earlier vaccine – trivalent oral polio vaccine – targeted all three viruses.</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">“The introduction of the new vaccine has helped this near eradication of the virus. The bivalent vaccine is more efficacious as compared to the trivalent vaccine.</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">The  trivalent vaccine was administered to children in very high-risk areas including Mumbai, Thane, Malegaon, western Uttar Pradesh and Bihar (Kosi river belt). UP and Bihar have not reported any cases of polio in the past one year.</span></span><br /> </li> </ul></div></div>

New vaccine helps reduce polio cases

Even as it was announced  that only one case of polio had been detected in India this year, UNI...

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W.T.O. Grants Russia Membership

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div id="5195" style="display: block;"> <ul><li> <div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">Global trade ministers    approved Russia’s bid to join the World Trade Organization, giving Prime Minister Vladimir V. Putin a victory on the international stage at a time of rising domestic opposition to his hold on power.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /> </div><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">The W.T.O. sets the rules governing global commerce and provides a forum for resolving disputes. Membership ends the anomaly of having Russia, a leading oil and natural gas exporter as well as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, outside the world trade system.</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"> </span></span><br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">The Swiss brokered a deal between Russia and Georgia earlier this year that removed the last obstacle to Russia's accession.</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">Georgia had tried to block Russia's WTO entry since the two countries fought a short war in 2008. </span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">Russia was by far the biggest economy yet to join the global trade body.</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">It is also the last member of the Group of 20 major economies to join, after China gained membership in 2001.</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">Business environment</span></span><br /> </li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">The 153-member WTO provides a forum for international trade liberalisation agreements, which it polices - deciding when rules have been breached and when retaliatory trade sanctions can be imposed.</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">The removal of trade barriers is likely to stimulate greater and more diversified trade between Russia and the rest of the world. </span></span><br /> </li> </ul><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">Russia and WTO timeline</span></span></div><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><strong>1993 </strong>Russia applies to join the General Agreements on Tariffs and Trade (Gatt)</span></span><br /> </li> <li> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><strong>1995 </strong>The Gatt is institutionalised as the World Trade Organization (WTO)</span></span><br /> </li> <li> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><strong>1998 </strong>Russia suffers a major financial crisis</span></span><br /> </li> <li> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><strong>2000 </strong>US President Bill Clinton backs Russia's WTO bid in a speech to the Russian parliament</span></span><br /> </li> <li> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">Vladimir Putin succeeds Boris Yeltsin as Russian president</span></span><br /> </li> <li> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><strong>2001 </strong>China joins the WTO after 16 years of talks</span></span><br /> </li> <li> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">Russian membership talks intensify</span></span><br /> </li> <li> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><strong>2002 </strong>The US and EU recognise Russia as a market economy, removing a major hurdle to WTO membership</span></span><br /> </li> <li> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><strong>2004 </strong>EU gives formal backing to Russia's application</span></span><br /> </li> <li> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><strong>2006 </strong>US formally backs Russian membership</span></span><br /> </li> <li> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">Georgia threatens to veto after Russia imposes a trade blockade on it</span></span><br /> </li> <li> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><strong>2008 </strong>Brief Russian military invasion of Georgia</span></span><br /> </li> <li> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">President Putin questions the benefits of joining the WTO</span></span><br /> </li> <li> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><strong>2010 </strong>EU reaffirms support for Russian membership</span></span><br /> </li> <li> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><strong>2011 </strong>Russia reaches an agreement with Georgia in November, opening the way for its accession in December</span></span><br /> </li> </ul></div></div>

W.T.O. Grants Russia Membership

Global trade ministers    approved Russia’s bid to join the World Trade Organization, giving Pr...

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Tunisia unveils Bouazizi cart statue in Sidi Bouzid

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div id="5196" style="display: block;"> <ul style="text-align: justify;"><li> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">Tunisians have unveiled a statue in honour of the man who set himself alight a year ago, unleashing a protest movement that ended President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali's 23-year rule.</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">Tunisia's new President Moncef Marzouki joined flag-waving crowds in Sidi Bouzid in commemoration.</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">Fruitseller Mohamed Bouazizi's suicide sparked a wave of unrest which swept from Sidi Bouzid across the Arab world.</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">The protests that ensued have ended authoritarian regimes in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Yemen, while triggering months of deadly protests in Syria.</span></span><br /> </li> </ul></div></div>

Tunisia unveils Bouazizi cart statue in Sidi Bouzid

Tunisians have unveiled a statue in honour of the man who set himself alight a year ago, unleas...

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