Important Current Affairs 23rd November 2018 English

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

North, South Korea connect road across border after 14 years 
North and South Korea have connected a road across their shared border for the first time in 14 years.
Road is wholly within the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that divides the peninsula, will be used for joint operations next year to recover remains from the 1950-53 Korean War.
Demilitarized Zone (DMZ)
DMZ is between South Korea and North Korea. 

Global CO2 levels hit new record in 2017: UN
The levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, the main driver of climate change, have hit a new record high.
Ahead of the COP 24 climate summit in Poland next month, top United Nations officials are again trying to raise the pressure on governments to meet the pledge of limiting warming to the less than two degrees Celsius, enshrined in the 2015 Paris accord.
In addition to CO2, the UN agency also highlighted rising levels of methane, nitrous oxide and another powerful ozone depleting gas known as CFC-11.
PARTICULATE MATTER
PM stands for particulate matter (also called particle pollution): the term for a mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets found in the air.

NATIONAL NEWS

India gets UN Environment award for combating transboundary environmental crime

United Nation Environment has awarded Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB), Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India with Asia Environment Enforcement Awards, 2018 for excellent work done by the Bureau in combating transboundary environmental crime.
WCCB has been conferred this award in Innovation category. WCCB has adopted innovative enforcement techniques that have dramatically increased enforcement of transboundary environmental crimes in India. 
Wildlife Crime Control Bureau
It is a statutory multi-disciplinary body established by the Government of India under the Ministry of Environment and Forests, to combat organized wildlife crime in the country.

Cabinet approves MoU between India and Tajkistan on Cooperation on Youth Matters

The MoU shall remain valid for a period of five (5) years. 
Benefits:
 The Agreement will facilitate exchange programmes in the field of Youth Affairs, which will help in promoting exchange of ideas, values and culture amongst Youth and in consolidating friendly relations between India and Tajikistan. The benefits arising from such bilateral exchange programmes between both countries would be equally available to all youth irrespective of their caste, religion and gender.