General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - February 2016

Feb 2016

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.

Oct 19, 2023

UNSC's Missile Curbs on Iran End

Despite opposition from the United States, a long-standing conventional arms embargo imposed on Iran expired in line with the terms of a landmark nuclear deal between Iran and world powers.
The 13-year ban imposed by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) came to an end as part of Resolution 2231 of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) – an accord signed in 2015 that gave Iran sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its nuclear programme.
The Iranian foreign ministry said that all restrictions on the transfer of arms, related activities and financial services to and from the Islamic Republic of Iran are all automatically terminated.
The end of the embargo means Iran will legally be able to buy and sell conventional arms, including missiles, helicopters and tanks, and the Iranian foreign ministry said the country can now procure any necessary arms and equipment from any source without any legal restrictions, and solely based on its defensive needs.

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