General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - February 2016

Feb 2016

Jul 02, 2023

Pakistan Reaches a Staff-level Agreement with the IMF for a USD 3 Billion Bailout Package

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) reached a staff-level pact with Pakistan on a $3 billion stand-by arrangement, a decision long awaited by the South Asian nation which is teetering on the brink of default.
The deal, subject to approval by the IMF board in July, came after an eight-month delay and offers some respite to Pakistan, which is battling an acute balance of payments crisis and falling foreign exchange reserves.

National Geographic Lays Off Its Last Remaining Staff Writers

One of the oldest science and natural world magazines, National Geographic, laid off the last of its 19 staff writers and will reportedly go off newsstands in the US from next year (2024).
Known for its iconic yellow-bordered cover, National Geographic had around 12 million US subscribers during its peak in the 1980s and millions more across the world. But, according to estimates made by the Alliance for Audited Media, the magazine had less than 1.8 million subscribers by the end of 2022.
This was the second round of terminations in the past nine months and the fourth since the 135-year-old magazine saw a series of ownership changes. The magazine was sold to 21st Century Fox in 2015 and came under The Walt Disney Company following its acquisition of the former in 2019.
In September 2023, the magazine had terminated its six top editors in a bid to reorganise editorial operations.

ADB Approves $50 Million Loan to Help Nepal in Making policy Reforms

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved a USD 50 million loan to the Nepal government to support the implementation of policy reforms and help improve the Himalayan nation's domestic and international trade with its key economic partners like India and Bangladesh.
ADB South Asia Department's Director of Regional Cooperation and Operations Coordination, Thiam Hee Ng, the development of the trade and industry sector will boost competitiveness and help steer the country toward sustainable economic growth.
Furthermore, improved trade facilitation can boost exports and help address Nepal's balance of payment.
According to the ADB, the programme will help implement the current customs reform and modernization plan by improving customs processes through the introduction of digital technologies, such as electronic payments of customs duties and fees, and electronic submission of export documents.
The ADB programme will expand the government's trade facilitation efforts to the logistics sector to promote more efficient movement of goods among producers, distributors, sellers, and buyers.

Jul 01, 2023

Turkmenistan Unveils a Futuristic City in Honour of Former President

Turkmenistan presented former President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov with a special gesture, giving other nations a beautiful takeaway.
The country unveiled a new, futuristic smart
The city named Arkadag, an unofficial title given to Berdymukhamedov by the country's media, where 'Arka' means "behind" and "dag" means "protector."
This new, smart city can house 73,000 people.
It took a whopping $3.3 billion to establish it and the authorities are planning to spend more in a few years down the line.

Canada Launches 'Digital Nomad Strategy' for Foreign Workers

Canada took a proactive approach to address its shortage of skilled workers, particularly in the tech industry. During Collision's tech conference in Toronto, the country's immigration minister launched of a 'digital nomad strategy' aimed at attracting talented individuals from around the world.
Under the digital nomad strategy, foreign workers are permitted to stay in Canada for up to six months. If they receive job offers during their stay, they have the opportunity to extend their time in the country. This initiative is designed to alleviate the shortage of skilled professionals in Canada's tech sector.
Canada aims to strike a balance between labor demand and supply by allowing skilled workers to remain in the country, contributing to its economic growth, and making investments within local communities. In addition to addressing the current shortage, the government is focused on long-term solutions, such as extending visa permits for international workers in Canada.

Jun 30, 2023

India Ranks 67th on Energy Transition Index, Sweden on Top

The World Economic Forum ranked India at the 67th place globally on its Energy Transition Index and said that it is the only major economy with energy transition momentum accelerating across all dimensions.
Sweden topped the list and was followed by Denmark, Norway, Finland and Switzerland in the top five on the list of 120 countries.
The WEF said that out of 120 countries, 113 have made progress over the last decade but only 55, including India, have improved their scores by more than 10 percentage points.

UN Chief Appoints Xu of China as Deputy Head of UNDP

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced the appointment of Haoliang Xu of China as Under-Secretary-General and Associate Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Xu will succeed Usha Rao-Monari of India, to whom the Secretary-General expressed his appreciation for her service and commitment during her tenure as Associate Administrator.
Xu has been serving as the Assistant Secretary-General and Director of the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support, UNDP since 2019. His extensive background also includes his time as the UNDP Assistant Administrator and Director of the Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific, a position he held between 2013 and 2019.
Xu brings to the position nearly three decades of experience in the field of international development. He has fulfilled various roles within the organization, working in various field and headquarters assignments in Asia-Pacific, Europe and Central Asia. Before his career at the United Nations, Xu worked in the field of civil engineering in China and the United States.

Jun 29, 2023

India Removed from UNSG Report on Impact of Armed Conflict on Children

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres removed India from his annual report on the impact of armed conflict on children, citing measures taken by the government to better protect them.
In his latest report, he also called upon India to implement the remaining measures identified in consultation with his special representative and the United Nations.
These include the training of armed and security forces on child protection, prohibition of the use of lethal and non-lethal force on children, including ending the use of pellet guns, ensuring that children are detained as a last resort and for the shortest appropriate period of time.
Guterres also stressed the implementation of measures to prevent all forms of ill-treatment in detention and the full implementation of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.

World Bank Approves $391 Million for Assam, Tripura

The World Bank approved $391 million in financing to improve access to high-quality healthcare services and to economic opportunities for people in Assam and Tripura. The Assam State Secondary Healthcare Initiative for Service Delivery Transformation (ASSIST) Project, for which $251 million was approved, will improve access to high-quality secondary healthcare services in Assam and directly serve at least 1.8 million people.
The project will increase access to comprehensive emergency obstetric and newborn care services and improve treatment and management of non-communicable diseases. The project will also upgrade up to 10 lower-level facilities to district hospitals in essential districts and strengthen the capacity of nurses and healthcare managers for better service delivery.
For Tripura Rural Economic Growth and Service Delivery Project, USD 140 million was approved, intending to promote socioeconomic development and improve the quality of life of 142,000 households in select tribal blocks, territories where tribal communities live and work.

Jun 28, 2023

South Koreans Become Younger under New Age-counting Law

South Koreans became a year or two younger as a new law aligns the nation's two traditional age-counting methods with international standards.
The law scrapped one traditional system that deemed South Koreans one year old at birth, counting time in the womb.
Another counted everyone as ageing by a year every first day of January instead of on their birthdays.
The switch to age-counting based on birth date took effect on June 28.
President Yoon Suk-yeol pushed strongly for the change when he ran for office last year (2022). The traditional age-counting methods created unnecessary social and economic costs.

Indian-Origin Satellite Industry Expert Aarti Holla-Maini Appointed as Director of UNOOSA

Aarti Holla-Maini, a highly accomplished expert in the satellite industry of Indian origin, was appointed by United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres as the Director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) in Vienna. Her appointment follows the end of Simonetta Di Pippo's tenure. The primary objective of UNOOSA is to promote global collaboration in the peaceful exploration and utilization of outer space, as well as the effective application of space science and technology to foster sustainable economic and social progress.
With over 25 years of professional experience in the space sector, including managerial and advocacy roles, Aarti Holla-Maini brings a wealth of knowledge to her new position. Prior to her appointment as the Director of UNOOSA, she served as the Executive Vice-President of Sustainability, Policy & Impact at NorthStar Earth & Space. Before that, Holla-Maini held the position of Secretary-General at the Global Satellite Operators Association for a remarkable 18 years.

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