General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - February 2016

Feb 2016

Oct 12, 2023

Sri Lanka hosts IORA Council of Ministers meeting in Colombo

Sri Lanka has assumed the Chairmanship of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) during the 23rd Council of Ministers meeting held in Colombo.
The association's member states will hold discussions on collaboration in various sectors, including trade and investment, maritime safety and security, fisheries management, disaster risk management, and the blue economy, among others.
Sri Lanka will hold the chairmanship of the association from 2023 to 2025, with the Foreign Minister of Bangladesh ceremoniously handing over the chairmanship to Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister M.U.M. Ali Sabry.
The IORA, an intergovernmental organization established in 1997, comprises 23 member states and 11 dialogue partners hailing from regions surrounding the Indian Ocean.

India re-elected as President of the Asia-Pacific Institute

India has been re-elected as the President of the Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD) General Conference (GC) for an unprecedented third successive term.
This remarkable accomplishment, announced by Apurva Chandra, Secretary of the Information & Broadcasting Ministry, signifies a monumental moment in AIBD's history. The decision showcases the immense confidence bestowed upon India by broadcasting organizations across the Asia Pacific and the global arena.
India had already served two terms as President from 2018–2021 and 2021–2023.
India is one of the founding members of AIBD and Prasar Bharati, India's public service broadcaster is the representative body of the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India at AIBD.

India, Italy sign defence agreement

Aim: To promote bilateral cooperation in areas such as security and defence policy, research and development, education in military field, maritime domain awareness, sharing of defence information
India and Italy signed an agreement on defence cooperation during defence minister Rajnath Singhs.
The relationship between India and Italy was elevated to strategic partnership in March 2023 during the visit of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to India.

Oct 11, 2023

Russia Fails to Rejoin UN's Human Rights Council

Russia failed in its bid to return to the United Nations' top human rights body, with rivals winning considerably more votes at the General Assembly in an election seen as a key test of Western efforts to keep Moscow isolated.
In the secret ballot, Russia won 83 votes versus 160 for Bulgaria and 123 for Albania, which had competed against it in the same eastern Europe grouping for two seats on the Geneva-based Human Rights Council for a three-year term beginning on January 1, 2024.
Russia was expelled from the top human rights body in April 2022 after its forces invaded Ukraine.

Governor to inaugurate 16th edition of cOcOn

Governor Arif Mohammed Khan will inaugurate the 16th edition of cOcOn, the two-day international hacking and cybersecurity conference organised by the Kerala Police, at Hotel Grand Hyatt
The display of Jet suits, a pioneering innovation by the aeronautical innovation company, Gravity Industries, will be held at the ground of Hyatt immediately after the inaugural function. The display will be open to the public. Reserve Bank of India Chief General Manager T.K. Rajan, National Cybersecurity Coordinator M.U. Nair, K.N. Unnikrishnan, MLA, ADGP Manoj Abraham will be present.
Around 5,000 delegates, including cybersecurity experts, IT professionals, enforcement officials, and students will attend the conference.The conference is being organised by the Kerala Police in association with Information Security Research Association (ISRA),
The Society for the Policing of Cyberspace (POLCYB), a not-for-profit society based in British Columbia, Canada, UNICEF, ICMEC, WeProtect, and a host of other agencies.

India Gets 5th Set of Swiss Bank Account Details under Automatic Info Exchange Framework

India received a new set of Swiss bank account details of its nationals and organisations as part of an annual automatic information exchange under which Switzerland shared particulars of nearly 36 lakh financial accounts with 104 countries.
This is the fifth such annual exchange of information between Switzerland and India with the officials saying that the new details shared with Indian authorities pertain to hundreds of financial accounts, including many cases of multiple accounts associated with some individuals, corporates and trusts.

Oct 10, 2023

Sri Lanka to Take Over as Chair of Indian Ocean Rim Association

Several Foreign Ministers, including those of India, Bangladesh, Mauritius, Iran, Malaysia and South Africa, will participate in the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Council of Minister's meeting in Colombo on October 11, 2023, according to the Sri Lankan government, which is preparing to take over as Chair of the regional grouping this week.
The Council of Ministers meeting in Colombo will see the participation of 16 ministers, including the Foreign Ministers of Bangladesh, India, Iran, Mauritius, Malaysia and South Africa, as well as ministerial and senior-level participation from Australia, the Comoros, France, Indonesia, Kenya, Madagascar, Maldives, Mozambique, Oman, Seychelles, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Somalia, Tanzania, Thailand, the UAE, and Yemen (member countries) and from China, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Russia, Turkey, the UK and the US (dialogue partners).
Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister Ali Sabry will chair the Council, the highest decision-making body of IORA, taking over from the Foreign Minister of Bangladesh, the current Chair, for the next two years.

After 7-year Tiff Sudan and Iran Agree to Restore Ties

The Sudanese foreign ministry said that Sudan and Iran had agreed to restore their diplomatic ties. Both countries had severed diplomatic relations seven years ago.
Both the countries agreed to take the necessary steps to reopen their embassies in the near future and to exchange official delegations.
Sudan broke off relations with Iran in 2016 as a show of solidarity with Saudi Arabia after its embassy in Tehran was attacked. The attack took place after the execution of a prominent Shiite cleric in the kingdom. Iran is a Shia Muslim power while Saudi Arabia is a majority Sunni Muslim nation.

Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia and UAE Reaffirm Their Commitment to Voluntary Adjustme...

Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates reaffirmed their commitment to collective and individual voluntary adjustments to oil production.
The Oil Ministers of the six countries met on the sidelines of the U.N. MENA climate week event in Riyadh.
Furthermore, the ministers reiterated the willingness of the Declaration of Cooperation (DoC) countries to take additional measures at any time in their continued efforts to support market stability, building on the strong cohesion of the OPEC plus.

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.

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