General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - February 2016

Feb 2016

Mar 18, 2023

Poland Becomes First to Pledge Fighter Jets to Ukraine

Poland pledged it would send four MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine, the first NATO member to do so, in a significant move in Kyiv's battle to resist Russia's onslaught.
As per President Andrzej Duda, the planes, from about a dozen that it had inherited from the former German Democratic Republic, would be handed over in the coming days after being serviced.
Warsaw took a lead among NATO allies in supplying Kyiv with heavy weapons. The announcement that Poland will send the Soviet-designed planes marks a step beyond the rest of the alliance's commitments, and could put pressure on other member states to do the same.

Mar 17, 2023

Indian-American Ravi Chaudhary New Assistant Secretary of US Air Force

The United States Senate confirmed Indian-American Ravi Chaudhary as the Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Air Force, one of the top civilian leadership positions in the Pentagon.
The Senate voted 65-29 to confirm the former Air Force officer's nomination with more than a dozen votes being cast by the opposition Republican Party.
Chaudhary previously served as a Senior Executive at the US Department of Transportation where he was Director of Advanced Programs and Innovation, Office of Commercial Space at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Mar 16, 2023

India's K.R. Parvathy Appointed as UN Resident Coordinator in Tajikistan

India's Kavilmadam Ramaswami Parvathy, who served in leading roles at the World Food Programme in Türkey and Afghanistan, was appointed by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres as the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Tajikistan.
Parvathy took up her new post as Resident Coordinator in Tajikistan, following the appointment by the Secretary-General and confirmation from the host Government.
Parvathy brings more than 30 years of experience in development and humanitarian sectors, focusing on strategic planning, performance, risk management, people management, conflict analysis and humanitarian access negotiations.

US Senate Confirms Eric Garcetti as US Ambassador to India

Eric Garcetti, who is President Joe Biden's close aide, was confirmed by the US Senate as the country's next ambassador to India. The Senate voted 52-42 to fill the key diplomatic position that had been vacant for over two years. The former Los Angeles mayor's nomination was pending before the US Congress since July 2021 when he was nominated for the prestigious diplomatic posting by Biden.
His nomination was not brought to the Senate floor for a vote during the last Congress as the ruling Democratic Party did not have enough support to get the close aide of Biden through.
Kenneth Juster, the last occupant of the ambassadorial residence of the US in New Delhi, stepped down in January 2021 after the change of government in America.

Mar 14, 2023

US Government Approves Alaska Oil and Gas Development

US President Joe Biden approved 'Willow project', a major oil and gas drilling project in Alaska that faced strong opposition from environmental activists.
The company behind the Willow project, ConocoPhillips, said that it will create local investment and thousands of jobs.
But the $8bn (£6.6bn) proposal faced a torrent of online activism, particularly among youth activists.
Opponents argued it should be halted over its climate and wildlife impacts.
Located on Alaska's remote North Slope, it is the largest oil development in the region for decades and could produce up to 180,000 barrels of oil a day.
This announcement allows only three drill sites for the project instead of the five that were initially proposed - a compromise of sorts with anti-Willow activists.

India Remains World's Top Arms Importer

Notwithstanding attempts at self-reliance in weapon manufacturing, India once again emerged as the world's largest importer of weapons and military equipment, accounting for 11 per cent of all such international imports.
These trends emerged from a report released by the Sweden-based think tank Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). The assessment was done for a five-year period (2018-2022). The think tank releases its annual report in March every year.
Titled "Trends in International Arms Transfers 2022", the report compared two five-year blocks, between 2013-17 and 2018-22, saying Indian arms imports in the global share have decreased.
The report said Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Australia and China were the next four biggest global importers for the period 2018-22. The US, Russia and France are the world's biggest three exporters with 40 per cent, 16 per cent and 11 per cent global share, respectively.

Mar 13, 2023

Saudi Arabia and Iran Agree to Restore Diplomatic Ties with the Help of China

Saudi Arabia and Iran agreed to resume diplomatic ties that were severed for years, following Beijing-hosted talks.
The two countries plan to reopen their respective embassies in Tehran and Riyadh within two months.
They also vowed to respect countries' sovereignty and not interfere in internal affairs.
Saudi Arabia severed diplomatic ties with Iran in 2016. The decision followed the storming of the Saudi embassy in Tehran after the Sunni kingdom executed a Shiite Muslim cleric.

Charles Confers Duke Title on Brother Edward

Britain's King Charles III awarded his younger brother Prince Edward the title Duke of Edinburgh, in line with the wishes of the late Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip.
Prince Philip, who was the last holder of the title, had always wanted it to be inherited by Prince Edward.
King Charles conferred the title on Prince Edward, currently known as the Earl of Wessex, on his 59th birthday.

Colombia Opens Military Service to Women for First Time in 25 Years

Colombia opened military service to women for the first time in 25 years.
Colombia has long had compulsory military service for men ages 18 to 24. The army relies heavily on those young recruits to staff bases, protect infrastructure and carry out administrative tasks, while its professional soldiers confront drug trafficking gangs and rebel groups. In 2023, officials allowed females in the same age range to voluntarily join the military, in what the army says is part of an effort to strengthen the role of women in its ranks.

Joe Biden Appoints Two Indian-American CEOs to Advisory Committee

US President Joe Biden named two Indian-Americans -- Revathi Advaithi, CEO of Flex, and Manish Bapna, CEO of the Natural Resources Defence Council to the Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations.
Biden announced a team of 14 people who will be a part of the US Advisory Committee - Revathi Advaithi, Manish Bapna, Timothy Michael Broas, Thomas M. Conway, Erica R. H. Fuchs, Marlon E. Kimpson, Ryan, Shonda Yvette Scott, Elizabeth Shuler, Nina Szlosberg-Landis and Wendell P. Weeks.

China Names US-sanctioned Gen Li Shangfu as Defence Minister

China's rubber-stamp parliament, the National People's Congress (NPC), gave approval to key appointments in the government as it gears towards tackling economic challenges on the home front and abroad.
Among the key appointments was one of the Defence Minister and Li Shangfu, a US-sanctioned military general, was nominated for the top post.
He succeeds Wei Fenghe, who had stepped down from the Central Military Commission at the Communist Party's congress.
Before being elevated to the top post, Gen Li was appointed to Communist Party's Central Military Commission, thus becoming the first soldier on the body from the army's Strategic Support Force, the branch created in 2015 and restructured to focus on space, cyber, political and electronic warfare.

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