General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - June 2015

Jun 2015

May 24, 2022

Twelve Countries Join New Indo-Pacific Trade Pact

President Joe Biden announced 12 countries joined a new trade pact that the White House says will help the United States work more closely with Asian economies on issues including supply chains, digital trade, clean energy and anti-corruption efforts.
The signatories that joined the US in the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework are Australia, Brunei, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Along with the United States, they represent 40 per cent of world GDP.
The countries said that the pact will help them collectively prepare our economies for the future" following disruptions from the coronavirus pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Biden Supports Japan Joining UN Security Council

According to Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, President Joe Biden supports Japan's bid to join a reformed UN Security Council.
If approved by the UN, Japan would join Britain, China, France, Russia, and the US as permanent members of the international body's security council.

World Lost 11.2 crore Jobs in the First Quarter of 2022: ILO

Multiple global crises are threatening global labour market recovery, with increasing inequalities within and between countries, according to a new report from the International Labour Organization (ILO).
The ninth edition of the ILO Monitor on the 'World of Work' found that after significant gains made during the last quarter of 2021, the number of hours worked globally dropped in the first quarter of 2022, to 3.8% below the pre-crisis benchmark (fourth quarter of 2019). This means that about 11.2 crore jobs might have been lost between this period, according to the report.

Jose Ramos-Horta Sworn in as President of East Timor

Former independence fighter and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Jose Ramos-Horta was sworn in as President of East Timor (Timor-Leste) ahead of celebrations marking the 20th anniversary of independence for Asia's youngest country. He defeated incumbent Francisco "Lu Olo" Guterres, his fellow independence fighter, in the election. Ramos-Horta was Prime Minister from 2006 to 2007 and President from 2007 to 2012.

Adani, Karuna Nundy Named among TIME's 100 Most Influential People of 2022

Supreme Court lawyer Karuna Nundy, business tycoon Gautam Adani and prominent Kashmiri human rights activist Khurram Parvez have been named among the world's 100 most influential people of 2022 by TIME magazine. The list has been divided into six categories – Icons, Pioneers, Titans, Artists, Leaders and Innovators.
While Adani was named under the Titans category along with the likes of Apple CEO Tim Cook and American host Oprah Winfrey, Nundy and Parvez found their place under the Leaders category along with Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukraine counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

May 23, 2022

Anthony Albanese Sworn in as Australia's New Prime Minister

Australia's Labor Party leader Anthony Albanese was sworn in as the country's new Prime Minister. Albanese ended his wait for power after nine years as he became the country's 31st Prime Minister.
Congratulating Australia's Labor Party leader Anthony Albanese for his party's victory in the country's federal election, PM Narendra Modi said that he was looking forward to working towards further strengthening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two allies.

May 22, 2022

G7 Nations Approve to Provide Financial Support to Ukraine

Group of Seven (G7) nations agreed to provide financial support to Ukraine. The US Senate approved a 40 billion US dollar aid package of military, economic and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine. Out of this, 7.5 billion US dollar is earmarked for filling gaps in Kyiv's budget.
Germany currently hosts the G7's rotating presidency. German Finance Minister Christian Lindner announced a contribution of 1.1 billion US dollars to Ukraine's budget. It came during a summit of finance ministers from the G7 industrialized nations being held near the German city of Bonn.
The European Commission said it would pledge up to 9.5 billion US dollar of macro-financial assistance in the form of loans, to be complemented by support from international partners including the G7.

PM Modi to Attend Quad Summit in Japan

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Tokyo to attend the third Quad Leaders' Summit on May 24. The Summit in Tokyo is the fourth interaction of Quad Leaders since their first virtual meeting in March 2021, in-person Summit in Washington D.C. in September 2021 and virtual meeting in March 2022. The forthcoming Quad Summit provides an opportunity for the Leaders to exchange views about developments in the Indo-Pacific region and contemporary global issues of mutual interest.
The leaders will review progress of Quad initiatives and Working Groups, identify new areas of cooperation and provide strategic guidance and vision for future collaboration.
The PM is likely to have a bilateral meeting with Australian PM Scott Morrison to review the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and exchange views on regional and global developments of mutual interest.

India Hosts SCO-RATS (Shanghai Cooperation Organisation-Council of Regional Anti-Terrorist Struct...

Counter-terrorism experts from India, Pakistan and other member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) deliberated on boosting cooperation in combating various regional security challenges at a meeting hosted by New Delhi. The meeting took place under the framework of the SCO's Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure.
A major focus of the discussions was to be on the situation in Afghanistan, especially in dealing with the threat from terrorist groups active in the Taliban-ruled country. Pakistan sent a three-member team for the meeting.
India assumed the chairmanship of the Council of Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure of SCO (RATS SCO) on October 28, 2021 for a period of one year.

May 21, 2022

India, Jamaica Sign MoU for Cooperation in Diplomatic Training

President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister of Jamaica Andrew Holness held a meeting to enhance cooperation between India and Jamaica in trade and investment, services, sports as well as cooperation in regional and multilateral fora. Following the meeting, both the leaders witnessed the signing and exchange of an MoU between Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service (SSFSI) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Jamaica on cooperation in the field of diplomatic training. President Ram Nath Kovind is on a state visit to Caribbean nations.
Addressing the gathering, the President said that Jamaican-Indians strengthen the deep root of our cultural linkages and enrich our multifaceted partnership.

Dr. Kamal Bawa Elected to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences

The chief of Bengaluru-based Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), Dr Kamal Bawa was elected to the US National Academy of Sciences. The election is the reaffirmation of his important work on the ecology, conservation, and management of tropical forests that are declining all over the world but are critical to humanity's well-being. He was also an elected fellow of the Royal Society (London) and the American Philosophical Society.
Dr Bawa had brought together a few scientists from India's leading institutions to develop the National Mission on Biodiversity and Human Wellbeing under the banner of the Biodiversity Collaborative which got the backing of the office of the principal scientific adviser to the Government of India and is currently funded by the Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies.

Afghan Taliban Order Women TV Anchors to Cover their Faces

Afghanistan's Taliban rulers ordered all female presenters on TV channels to cover their faces on air. The order came in a statement from the Taliban's Virtue and Vice Ministry, tasked with enforcing the group's rulings, as well as from the Information and Culture Ministry. The statement called the order "final and non-negotiable".
Several female anchors and presenters posted their photos on social media showing them with their faces covered with face masks during presenting programs.
Earlier in May 2022, the Taliban ordered all women in public to wear head-to-toe clothing that leaves only their eyes visible. The decree said women should leave the home only when necessary and that male relatives would face punishment for women's dress code violations, starting with a summons and escalating to court hearings and jail time.

May 20, 2022

Sri Lankan: PM Ranil Wickremesinghe Declares Country Bankrupt amid Fuel Crisis and Food Shortages

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe declared the country bankrupt as it faces a fuel crisis and food shortages.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka's central bank has secured foreign exchange to pay for fuel and cooking gas shipments that will ease crippling shortages.
Most of Sri Lanka's petrol stations have run dry as the island nation battles its most devastating economic crisis since independence in 1948. At some pumps in the commercial capital, Colombo, dozens of people stood in lines holding plastic cans, as troops in combat gear and armed with assault rifles patrolled the streets.

Senate Confirms Bridget Brink as New US Ambassador to Ukraine

The Senate confirmed Bridget Brink as the US ambassador to Ukraine, filling the post as officials plan to return American diplomats to Kyiv during the nation's continuing battle against the Russian invasion. The veteran foreign service officer, who has spent most of her career in the shadow of the former Soviet Union, was nominated to the position by President Joe Biden. She was confirmed unanimously by the Senate without a formal roll call vote.
The ambassador's post has been vacant since former president Donald Trump abruptly forced out ambassador Marie Yovanovitch in 2019. She later became a key figure in the first impeachment proceedings against Trump.

China to Hosts BRICS Foreign Ministers Meeting through Video Conference

China hosted the meeting of the BRICS Ministers of Foreign Affairs through video conference. The meeting was hosted by China's State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and attended by India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, South Africa's Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Naledi Pandor, Brazil's Minister of Foreign Affairs Carlos Alberto Franco França and Russia's Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov.
The meeting prepared the ground for the 14th BRICS summit. India has handed over the BRICS Chairmanship to China from January 2022. The theme for BRICS 2022 is 'Foster High-Quality BRICS Partnership Usher in a New Era for Global Development'. A total of 25 events have been planned. India will host five events this year as part of BRICS Science Technology Innovation Steering Committee.
BRICS is a significant alliance that brings together the world's largest growing economies, accounting for 41% of the global population, 24% of global GDP, and over 16 % of global trade. Over the years, the BRICS countries have been the key engines of global economic growth.

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