General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - August 2015

Aug 2015

Dec 05, 2023

Nepal Urges Russia Not to Recruit its Citizens into Army

Nepal asked Moscow not to recruit its citizens into the Russian army and immediately send back any Nepali soldiers commissioned there back to the Himalayan nation after revealing six soldiers serving Russia's military were killed.
Nepali soldiers, called Gurkhas, are known for their bravery and fighting skills, and have been serving the British and Indian armies following the independence of India in 1947 under an agreement between the three countries.
The small Himalayan nation, wedged between China and India, has no such agreement with Russia, which invaded neighbouring Ukraine in February 2022 and has been engaged in a war since.

India Ranks 49th in 2023 World Digital Competitiveness Ranking

The International Institute for Management Development (IMD) unveiled its 2023 World Digital Competitiveness Ranking (WDCR), revealing India's position at 49th among 64 economies. According to IMD's study, India marked its significance in cybersecurity knowledge but lacked on fronts like technology and future readiness.
The WDCR is a comprehensive assessment that provides insights into how nations are navigating the digital landscape amid the rise of artificial intelligence (AI).
According to IMD, the United States reclaimed the top spot in this year's (2023) ranking. The Netherlands secured the second position, advancing four places, while Singapore secured the third spot.

India Re-Elected to International Maritime Organisation with Highest Vote Tally

India was re-elected to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Council with the highest tally, and the term of council will be for the biennium 2024-25. India's re-election fell under the category of 10 states with 'the largest interest in international seaborne trade', alongside Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The highest votes are indicative of the government's determination to strengthen India's varied contributions to international maritime operations.
The council is the executive organ of IMO and is responsible, under the assembly, for supervising the work of the organisation.
The IMO was established following agreement at a UN conference held in Geneva in 1948 and the IMO came into existence ten years later, meeting for the first time on March 17, 1958. Headquartered in London, United Kingdom, IMO currently has 175 Member States and three Associate Members.

Dec 04, 2023

Madagascar Court Confirms Andry Rajoelina's Election to the Presidency

Madagascar's Constitutional Court confirmed the re-election of President Andry Rajoelina from the Young Malagasies Determined political party, marking his third term in office. The court declared Rajoelina the winner with 59% of the votes cast.
The election took place amid significant challenges, including the withdrawal of ten out of thirteen presidential contenders.
Despite their withdrawal, their names remained on the ballot, adding a layer of complexity to an already contentious electoral process.

India Elected Executive Committee Member of UN's Food Standard-setting Body

India was unanimously elected as a member representing the Asian region in the executive committee of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC), the food safety and quality standard-setting body created by the UN, at its meeting in Rome.
The term 'Codex Alimentarius' is Latin and means 'food code'.
The executive committee is an important arm of the CAC and the member countries have a considerable interest in getting its membership. In this capacity, India would not only get an opportunity to contribute substantially in the international standard setting process for different food product categories but will also be involved in the decision-making process.

Dec 02, 2023

Singapore and Zurich Are World's Most Expensive Cities in 2023

Singapore topped the list of the world's most expensive cities for the ninth time in the last eleven years. In the Economic Intelligent Unit or EIU's latest survey on the Worldwide Cost of Living, Singapore shared the top spot with Zurich (Switzerland).
Three US cities were among the top ten- New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco. The survey covers 173 major cities, excluding Kyiv and Caracas.
The top ten cities consist of two Asian cities- Singapore and Hong Kong, four European cities- Zurich, Geneva, Paris and Copenhagen, three US cities- New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco and Tel Aviv in Israel. It is to be noted that the survey was conducted before the start of the Israel-Hamas war, which has affected the exchange rates in Israel.

Dec 01, 2023

Indian, Australian High Commission to UK Co-host Indo-Pacific Conference

The Australian and Indian High Commissions to the United Kingdom (UK) co-hosted the inaugural Indo-Pacific Conference in London to explore practical ideas to strengthen Indo-Pacific resilience.
The unique collaboration brought together leading experts from Australia, India, and the United Kingdom to address threats to regional security and enhance strategic stability.

'Heroes of philanthropy': Nikhil Kamath, Nandan Nilekani on Forbes' list

Nandan Nilekani, co-founder of Infosys, K. P. Singh, chairman emeritus at DLF, and Nikhil Kamath, co-founder of Zerodha, were named on the 17^th edition of Forbes Asia's Heroes of Philanthropy list.
The unranked list highlights business leaders who are donating from their fortunes and giving personal time and attention to their select causes.
The annual list, which spotlights 15 philanthropists, does not include corporate philanthropy except for privately-held companies where the individual is a majority owner.
Nandan Nilekani, co-founder and chairman of tech giant Infosys, have made it to the list for donating Rs. 3.2 billion (USD 38 million) to his alma mater IIT Bombay in June.
K. P. Singh, who stepped down as chairman of DLF in 2020, in August divested his remaining direct stake in the real estate firm to fund philanthropic causes.
Kamath's YouTube podcast series 'WTF is' gave away up to Rs. 10 million (USD 120,000) -- contributed by Kamath and business leaders who are guests on his show -- to a charity picked by audience members.

Nov 30, 2023

Nepal Becomes First South Asian Country to Officially Register Same-sex Marriage

Five months after the Supreme Court legalised it, Nepal formally registered the first case of same-sex marriage, making it the first South Asian country to do so.
Way back in 2007, Nepal's Supreme Court had allowed same-sex marriage. Even the Constitution of Nepal, adopted in 2015, explicitly states that there can be no discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
In June 2023, the Supreme Court issued an interim order to legalise same-sex marriage in Nepal in a writ petition filed by multiple people, including Gurung.

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