General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - February 2016

Feb 2016

Jul 19, 2024

India and Russia have Doubled their Payments in National Currencies

India and Russia have doubled their payments in national currencies (rupee-rouble) since last year despite sanctions by the U.S. and European Union, said Russia's largest, state-controlled bank Sberbank that handles a majority of payments for Indian exports to Russia.
The surge may rise further after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Moscow last week, economists and Indian businessmen working in Russia hope, warning that in the absence of the Indian rupee, Chinese businesses and the yuan would continue to benefit from the "vacuum" created by the exit of Western companies.

Chhattisgarh's Gevra and Kusmunda Rank Globally

Chhattisgarh-based Coal India subsidiary South Eastern Coalfields Limited's (SECL) Gevra and Kusmunda coal mines have secured the 2nd and 4th spots on the list of the world's 10 largest coal mines released by WorldAtlas.com.
Located in the Korba district of Chhattisgarh, these two mines produce more than 100 million tons of coal annually, accounting for about 10% of India's total coal production.

Bangladesh students protesting across the country

Bangladesh students protesting across the country.
The protests were triggered when the High Court reinstated a quota system for government jobs.
This decision overturned a 2018 move by Hasina's government to abolish the system, which reserved 30% of jobs for families of freedom fighters from the 1971 independence war.

Jul 18, 2024

India's External Affairs Minister Strengthens Ties with Mauritius

S. Jaishankar inaugurated the India-Mauritius Maitree Udyan in Port Louis, the capital city of Mauritius. This park, whose name translates to "Friendship Garden," stands as a testament to the enduring relationship between the two nations. The inauguration ceremony was graced by the presence of Maneesh Gobin, the Foreign Minister of Mauritius, underlining the bilateral nature of this initiative.
As part of the inauguration, S. Jaishankar planted a tree in the Maitree Udyan. This symbolic act not only represents the growth of India-Mauritius relations but also aligns with global efforts towards environmental conservation.

Roberta Metsola Re-elected as European Parliament President

MEPs re-elected Roberta Metsola (EPP, MT) as President of the European Parliament until 2027.
Roberta Metsola won the election in the first round of voting, where she received an absolute majority of 562 votes cast out of 699 by secret paper ballot, among two candidates. She will continue to lead Parliament for the first two and a half years of the 10th legislative term.
Born in Malta in 1979, Roberta Metsola has been an MEP since 2013. She was elected First Vice-President in November 2020, and was Parliament's acting President after President Sassoli passed away on 11 January 2022. On 18 January 2022, she was elected President for the second half of the 9th legislative term. She is the third female President of the European Parliament, after Simone Veil (1979-1982) and Nicole Fontaine (1999-2002).

Jul 17, 2024

Paul Kagame Re-elected for Fourth Term as Rwandan President

President Paul Kagame secured a decisive victory in Rwanda's 2024 presidential election, capturing 99.15% of the votes, as reported by the National Electoral Commission. This marks his fourth consecutive term in office.
Two challengers, Frank Habineza of the Democratic Green Party and independent candidate Philippe Mpayimana, garnered 0.53% and 0.32% of the counted votes, respectively. Approximately 65% of Rwanda's population, predominantly under 35 years old, participated in the election.
Paul Kagame, who first took office in 2000 after ending the country's civil war, has been a central figure in Rwandan politics since the 1990s. His leadership is credited with steering Rwanda through significant socio-economic development but has also faced criticism for authoritarian tendencies and opposition suppression.

French President Accepts Prime Minister's Resignation

French President Emmanuel Macron accepted the Prime Minister Gabriel Attal's resignation but kept him on as head of a caretaker government.
As per reports, Attal and other government members are to handle current affairs until a new government is appointed.
There is no firm timeline for when Macron must name a new Prime Minister.

India-UAE Trade Pact: GTRI Expresses Concerns over Precious Metal Imports

The Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) raised serious concerns over the surge in the import of precious metals from the UAE under a free trade agreement with India. GTRI demanded an investigation, citing the negative impact on the domestic jewellery industry and potential annual revenue loss for India.
The key issue centre's around the India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) that permits unlimited imports of gold, silver, platinum, and diamonds from the UAE into India with zero tariffs in the coming years.
GTRI's report highlighted that addressing these issues is crucial to ensure the integrity of import practices, safeguard domestic industries, and prevent significant revenue losses. The report noted that the zero-tariff policy under CEPA could cause an annual revenue loss of Rs. 63,375 crore due to duty-free imports of gold and silver, based on FY2024 import levels. This policy is also likely to shift import business from banks to a few private traders and replace top suppliers with Dubai-based firms.

Jul 16, 2024

Secretary-General Appoints Mohamed al Hassan of Oman Special Representative for Iraq

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced the appointment of Mohamed al Hassan of Oman as his new Special Representative for Iraq and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI). He succeeded Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert of the Netherlands.
Al Hassan brings to the position a broad range of diplomatic experience with a career spanning over 30 years working on preventive diplomacy, peacebuilding and development. Most recently, he has served as the Permanent Representative of Oman to the United Nations in New York since 2019. Prior to that, he held various assignments at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Muscat, including Acting Undersecretary for Diplomatic Affairs (2016), Chief of Staff (2015) and Head of the Minister's Department (2012).

PM Narendra Modi Becomes most Followed World Leader on X with 100 Million Followers

Prime Minister Narendra Modi achieved a significant milestone by becoming the most followed world leader on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), with over 100 million followers.
In comparison, other Indian politicians have significantly fewer followers. Rahul Gandhi has 26.4 million, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has 27.5 million, Samajwadi Party's Akhilesh Yadav has 19.9 million, and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has 7.4 million. RJD's Lalu Prasad Yadav has 6.3 million followers, Tejashwi Yadav has 5.2 million, and NCP Chief Sharad Pawar has 2.9 million.
Globally, PM Modi outpaced other world leaders on the platform. For instance, US President Joe Biden has 38.1 million followers, Dubai's ruler HH Sheikh Mohammed has 11.2 million, and Pope Francis has 18.5 million.

Jul 15, 2024

South Korea & NATO Sign Agreement on Mutual Recognition Process for Military Airworthiness Certif...

South Korea and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) signed an agreement on a mutual recognition process for military airworthiness certification. It is NATO's first such deal with an Asian country. Under the deal signed, NATO will recognise the Seoul government's airworthiness certification for South Korean-made planes.
Korea's Defence Acquisition Programme Administration and NATO's Aviation Committee inked the agreement which is a key measure of a plane's suitability for safe flight, on the sidelines of the NATO Summit in Washington. While South Korea has signed agreements with the United States, Spain, France and Poland, the new deal with NATO is expected to shorten the time required for mutual recognition with other NATO members. President Yoon Suk Yeol expressed hope that the mutual recognition process would help increase defence industry cooperation between South Korea and NATO members.

Assassination Attempt on Former US president Donald Trump

Former US president Donald Trump was rushed off stage at a campaign rally after an assassination attempt.
Shots rang out as he was speaking at the event in Pennsylvania, sparking panic in the crowd.
The former US President, who emerged with a bloodied face and was pictured pumping his fist in the air, says he was shot in the ear.
He had been speaking at a campaign rally at Butler Farm Show Grounds, about 30 miles (50km) north of Pittsburgh.
The suspected gunman, later named as Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, from Bethel Park in Pennsylvania, was among two people killed.

K. P. Sharma Oli New Prime Minister of Nepal

K. P. Sharma Oli was appointed Nepal's Prime Minister by President Ram Chandra Paudel to lead a new coalition government that faces the daunting challenge of providing political stability in the Himalayan nation.
Oli succeeded Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' who lost the vote of confidence in the House of Representatives on Friday, leading to the formation of the new government headed by Oli.
He became the Prime Minister with the support of the Nepali Congress, the largest party in Parliament.

NICDC Logistics Data Services Ltd. and Gujarat Infrastructure Development Board sign MoU to enhan...

National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation Limited (NICDC) Logistics Data Services Limited (NLDS) and Gujarat Infrastructure Development Board (GIDB) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to digitise the logistics landscape in Gujarat by leveraging Unified Logistics Interface Platform (ULIP). The MoU was signed by CEO & MD, NICDC, and Chairman, NLDS, Rajat Kumar Saini and CEO, GIDB, Banchha Nidhi Pani.
This collaboration is expected to bring visibility to streamline logistics operations, foster greater coordination among state departments, and enhance decision-making processes through real-time data insights.
Central to this partnership is the development of the Gujarat ULIP Dashboard by NLDS. Designed to operate on a Hub-spoke model, the dashboard will seamlessly integrate with various state departments, ensuring a continuous flow of information. It will provide real-time visibility into key logistics parameters such as shipment tracking, vehicle utilization, infrastructure availability, and transit times etc.

Lithuanian President Gitanas Naus-da Sworn In For Second Five-Year Term

Lithuanian President Gitanas Naus�-da was sworn in for a second five-year term. The ceremony was held with a ceremonial event at the Lithuanian Parliament, the Seimas, where Nauseda took the presidential oath with his hand on the Constitution.
On this occasion, Nauseda proposed increasing Lithuania's defense budget to four percent of GDP. This would allow Lithuania to fund long-range air defense, a missile shield for the Baltic Sea coast, and border fortifications.

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