General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - June 2015

Jun 2015

Oct 09, 2023

Israel PM Tells Palestinians to Leave Gaza

Hamas militants fired thousands of rockets and sent dozens of fighters into Israeli towns near the Gaza Strip in an unprecedented surprise early morning attack during a major Jewish holiday on October 7, killing dozens and stunning the country.
Israel's national rescue service said at least 200 people were killed and more than 1,000 wounded, making it the deadliest attack in Israel in years. An unknown number of Israeli soldiers and civilians were also seized and taken into Gaza, an enormously sensitive issue for Israel.
At least 198 people in the Gaza Strip have been killed in Israel's retaliation and at least 1,610 wounded, the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza said.
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu said that the Israeli military will use all of its strength to destroy Hamas' capabilities.
Israel has maintained a blockade over Gaza since Hamas seized control of the territory in 2007. The bitter enemies have fought four wars since then.

EU Approves World's First Green Bond Standards to Combat Greenwashing

In a significant move to combat greenwashing and assist investors in identifying truly sustainable companies, European Union lawmakers approved groundbreaking standards for companies issuing 'green' bonds. This new initiative aims to promote transparency and credibility in the green bond market, preventing misleading climate-friendly claims.
Europe, being the global leader in green bond issuance, contributed to more than half of the total volume in 2021. Despite this dominance, green bonds still represent only a modest 3% to 3.5% of the overall bond market.
The European Parliament's approval marked the introduction of a voluntary standard for the use of the 'European Green Bond' label, heralded as the first of its kind globally. This standard is designed to guide investors towards genuinely sustainable investment opportunities while providing issuing companies with confidence regarding the suitability of their bonds for environmentally conscious investors.

India Elected President of AIBD General Council for Third Consecutive Term

India was elected as the President of the Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD) General Conference (GC) for the third consecutive term. Prasar Bharati, India's public service broadcaster, represents the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, at the Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development.
India previously served two terms as President for the AIBD GC from 2018 to 2021 and from 2021 to 2023.
The 21st General Conference and Associated Meetings 2023 (GC 2023) of the AIBD were held from 2-4 October 2023 in Port Louis, Mauritius. The conference was chaired by Gaurav Dwivedi, Chief Executive Officer of Prasar Bharati. It focused on fostering a vibrant and cohesive electronic media environment in the Asia-Pacific region through policy and resource development.
Established in 1977 under UNESCO, this international organisation comprises 92 member organisations from 44 countries. These include 26 government members represented by 48 broadcasting authorities, along with 44 affiliates represented by 28 countries and regions across Asia, the Pacific, Europe, Africa, Arab States, and North America. India is one of the founding members of the group.

Oct 08, 2023

Russian Naval Base to Come Up in Abkhazia

Russia has signed a deal for a permanent naval base on the Black Sea coast of the breakaway Georgian region of Abkhazia, prompting criticism from Georgia, which said that the move was a gross violation of its sovereignty.
Russia's Black Sea Fleet, based in Sevastopol on the Crimean peninsula which Moscow annexed from Ukraine in 2014, has been repeatedly targeted by Kyiv's forces since the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Oct 07, 2023

Bangladesh Receives the First Uranium Delivery for its Russian-Backed Nuclear Plant

Bangladesh received the first Russian shipment of uranium fuel for its $12.65 billion debut nuclear power plant, making it the 33rd country in the world to produce nuclear power.
The south Asian country is building the first of two nuclear power plants in collaboration with Russian state-owned atomic company Rosatom. Ninety per cent of the project is financed through a Russian loan repayable within 28 years with a 10-year grace period.

Oct 04, 2023

Indonesia Launches Southeast Asia's First High-Speed Railway

Indonesian President Joko Widodo officially inaugurated Southeast Asia's first high-speed railway, marking a significant milestone for the nation's infrastructure development. The ambitious project, known as the 'Whoosh' high-speed railway, is a key component of China's Belt and Road Initiative and is poised to dramatically reduce travel times between two vital Indonesian cities.
With an estimated cost of $7.3 billion, this monumental infrastructure project was predominantly funded by China. It was brought to fruition through the joint efforts of PT Kereta Cepat Indonesia-China (PT KCIC), a collaboration between an Indonesian consortium comprising four state-owned companies and China Railway International Co. Ltd.
'Whoosh',' which stands for 'Waktu Hemat, Operasi Optimal, Sistem Handal'in the Indonesian language, translates to 'timesaving, optimal operation, reliable system.' This name reflects the project's commitment to efficiency and reliability.

Indian Troops Will have to Leave: Maldives Prez-elect

Maldives President-elect Mohamed Muizzu in his first public address after defeating the pro-India President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih fired a shot across New Delhi's bows by stating that he would ask foreign troops to leave the country.
India is the only country which maintains a complement of personnel to look after its helicopters deployed there. Despite vigorous efforts by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, India could not push ahead with the "Uthuru Thilafalhu (UTF) agreement'' signed in 2022 with the Maldives to maintain a harbour and dockyard for 15 years.

Kevin McCarthy Ousted by US House Republicans in Historic Vote

A handful of Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives ousted Republican Speaker Kevin McCarthy, as party infighting plunged Congress into further chaos just days after it narrowly averted a government shutdown.
The 216-to-210 vote marked the first time in history that the House removed its leader, with eight Republicans voting with 208 Democrats to remove McCarthy.
The House looked set to go leaderless for at least a week, as multiple Republicans planned to meet to discuss possible McCarthy successors, with a vote on a new speaker planned for October 11, 2023.

Canada MPs Elect First Black House of Commons Speaker

Canada's House of Commons elected Greg Fergus as its new speaker, making the Liberal Party lawmaker the first Black Canadian to hold the post after the previous speaker quit over unknowingly inviting a former Nazi soldier to parliament.
The members of the 338-seat House voted for Fergus in a secret ballot. Fergus came ahead of candidates including fellow Liberal MP Sean Casey, Conservative Chris d'Entremont and Green Party leader Elizabeth May.
The House speaker is meant to be an impartial arbitrator of parliamentary procedure, seeking to maintain order and decorum during debates. The speaker votes only to break a tie, and plays a ceremonial role as an institutional representative of parliament.

Oct 03, 2023

Afghan Embassy Ceases Operations in India

The Afghanistan Embassy in India ceased its operations, citing a lack of support from the host government, failure to meet expectations in serving Afghanistan's interests and reduction in personnel and resources.
The embassy said that this decision, while deeply regrettable, is made after careful consideration, taking into account the historic ties and long-standing partnership between Afghanistan and India.

Mohamed Muizzu Wins Maldives Presidential Election

Mohamed Muizzu won the Maldives' presidential election following a second-round run-off against incumbent Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. The election was viewed as a barometer for the nascent democracy of the Indian Ocean archipelago, as well as its relations with China and traditional ally India.
Muizzu leads a party that previously welcomed a surge of Chinese loans and conducted a comprehensive crackdown on dissent when last in power.
Incumbent Ibrahim Mohamed Solih conceded defeat after the Elections Commission of the Maldives announced that Muizzu had secured 54.06 per cent of the votes in the run-off election.

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