General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - June 2015

Jun 2015

Oct 25, 2023

Qatar Positions Itself as Intermediary in Gaza War

The gas-rich nation of Qatar became a key intermediary in the fate of the 220 hostages currently held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip following the terror group's deadly attack on Israel, once again putting the small Arabian Peninsula country in the spotlight.
The negotiations have also thrust Qatar into a delicate international balancing act as it maintains a relationship with those viewed as terrorist groups by the West, while trying to preserve its close security ties with the United States.

Britain Abandons Decade Old Restriction on Banker Bonuses

The United Kingdom abandoned a decade-old restriction on banker bonuses that had been adopted from the European Union. This move marked a distinct shift in financial regulations post-Brexit, separating the UK from the 27-country bloc it exited in 2020.
Back in 2014, the United Kingdom found itself on the losing side of an EU decision that introduced a cap on bankers' bonuses. The cap was conceived as a safeguard to prevent the sort of reckless financial behaviour that had triggered the global financial crisis of 2008, leading to massive taxpayer-funded bailouts of lenders.

Asian Development Bank Approves USD 400 Million Loan to India

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved a $400-million policy-based loan to India for sub-programme 2 of the Sustainable Urban Development and Service Delivery Programme.
The programme aims to support the government's reform agenda for improving the quality of urban life through the creation of high-quality infrastructure, assured public services, and efficient governance systems as part of as part of the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) 2.0.
While sub-programme 1, approved in 2021, established national-level policies and guidelines to improve urban services, sub-programme 2 is supporting investment planning and reform actions at the state and urban local body (ULB) levels.

Heman Bekele Named America's Top Young Scientist

A 14-year-old boy was named America's Top Young Scientist for developing a bar of soap that treats skin cancer. A ninth grader at W.T. Woodson High School in Annandale, Virginia, Heman Bekele won after competing with nine other finalists in the 2023 3M Young Scientists Challenge. He won the $25,000 grand prize.
Bekele reportedly made the affordable soap by infusing medicinal soap with three ingredients. The ingredients reactivate dendritic cells that generate an immune response to fight the deadly disease.

Indians Top the List of those Seeking Citizenship in Wealthy OECD Nations

India maintained its top position as the country of origin of new immigrants to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) nations in 2021. According to OECD's International Migration Outlook: 2023 report, 407,000 Indians moved to OECD nations in 2021. It was 86 per cent higher than 220,000 Indians in 2020.
China and Romania followed India, with 283,000 and 215,000 immigrants, respectively.
OECD is a group of 38 countries, most of which are high-income and ranked very high on the Human Development Index (HDI).
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD; French: Organisation de coopération et de développement économiques, OCDE) is an intergovernmental organisation with 38 member countries, founded in 1961 to stimulate economic progress and world trade. The OECD's headquarters are at the Château de la Muette in Paris, France. India is not a member of the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) because it is not a member of the OECD's Development Assistance Committee (DAC).

Oct 24, 2023

Sri Lanka Approves Free Visa Scheme for Seven Countries

The Sri Lanka cabinet approved granting free visas to travellers from seven countries - India, China, Russia, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia, and Thailand for five months, Sri Lanka's Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Sabry announced. According to Sabry, the free visa travel has begun with immediate effect as a pilot project and will continue till March 31, 2024.
According to the tourism ministry of Sri Lanka, the purpose of this move is to attract more tourists to the country.

Erdogan Signs Sweden's NATO Membership Application

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan officially submitted Sweden's NATO membership application to the Turkish parliament, bringing closer the possible end of a 17-month standoff.
Turkey and Hungary are last two NATO members which are yet to ratify Sweden's membership application. Sweden moved away from its long-standing policy of non-alignment after Russia invaded Ukraine and made an application to join the alliance.

Oct 23, 2023

World's First Gender Balance Framework Held in Dubai

The world's inaugural framework for gender balance in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) took centre stage at the 'Gender Balance and 4IR' workshop, held as part of the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting of the Global Future Councils in Dubai.
This framework is the result of a collaborative partnership between the UAE Gender Balance Council and the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution UAE (C4IR UAE), an affiliate of the World Economic Forum. Mona Al Marri, Vice President of the UAE Gender Balance Council, proudly announced the UAE's status as a global leader in setting new standards for gender equality. During the workshop, participants explored opportunities to develop a 4IR model that promotes gender balance and delved into how to leverage global expertise in shaping a more equitable and inclusive future in the industrial landscape.
The 'Gender Balance and 4IR' workshop was inaugurated by Her Excellency Huda Al Hashemi, Member of the UAE Gender Balance Council and Deputy Minister of Cabinet Affairs for Strategic Affairs. Co-hosted by the UAE government and the World Economic Forum, the Annual Meeting of the Global Future Councils attracted approximately 600 international experts and intellectuals across 30 councils, alongside government officials and representatives from international organizations and academia.

President Joe Biden Appoints Indian-origin Diplomat as US Ambassador to Indonesia

Indian-origin diplomat Kamala Shirin Lakhdhir was appointed by President Joe Biden as US ambassador to Indonesia.
Lakhdhir, who has served the State Department for almost 30 years, is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, class of Minister-Counselor, and was Executive Secretary of the Department of State.
A Harvard graduate and an M.S. from the National War College, Lakhdhir had formerly served as an ambassador to Malaysia from 2017 to 2021.
Prior to that, Lakhdhir served as US Consul General in Belfast, Northern Ireland from 2009 to 2011.
She joined the Foreign Service in 1991 and has served as Director of the Office of Maritime Southeast Asian Affairs, which included responsibility for US relations with Indonesia.

Oct 21, 2023

Global Remote Work Index, India among World's Worst Countries

India was ranked 64th out of 108 countries for remote work, marking a significant drop of 15 places compared to the previous year, according to a report released in October 2023. This decline can be attributed primarily to India's subpar digital and physical infrastructure and social safety.
The Global Remote Work Index (GRWI), published by cybersecurity firm NordLayer, assessed countries based on four key criteria: cyber safety, economic safety, digital and physical infrastructure, and social safety.
The top 10 countries which scored the highest on the Global Remote Work Index (GRWI) were Denmark, Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Sweden, Portugal, Estonia, Lithuania, Ireland, and Slovakia.

Oct 20, 2023

Global Pension Index 2023: Countries with the Best Pension System

The 15th annual Mercer CFA Institute Global Pension Index (MCGPI) was published, and it showed that the Netherlands' retirement income system once again secured the first position. Iceland and Denmark claimed the second and third positions in the ranking, respectively.
The Netherlands had the highest overall index value (85.0), closely followed by Iceland (83.5) and Denmark (81.3). Argentina had the lowest index value (42.3).
India with an overall index value of 45.9 from 44.5 in 2022, ranked 45 out of the 47 retirement income systems analysed primarily due to improvements in adequacy and sustainability sub-indices.

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