General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - February 2016

Feb 2016

Apr 29, 2022

Russia Withdraws from UN Tourism Body Ahead of Vote on its Suspension

Russia withdrew from the United Nation's tourism body, the UN World Tourism Organization ahead of a vote to suspend Moscow's membership over its military operation of Ukraine.The UNWTO announced in March 2022 that it wanted to suspend Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. The decision must be approved by two-thirds of its 159 member states at a two-day extraordinary general assembly which got underway in Madrid in April 2022. The UNWTO said the vote will go ahead even though Russia has said it is withdrawing from the body to give member states their say.

Border Haat at Indo-Bangladesh Border in Meghalaya Opens after Gap of Two Years

The Border Haat at Bangladesh-Meghalaya border was opened after a gap of two years. The decision to open the Border Haat between Balat in East Khasi Hills District of Meghalaya and Lauwaghar at Dalora in Sunamganj District of Bangladesh was taken by the Joint Border Haat Management Committee.
At present, India and Bangladesh have seven established Border Haats and nine more new Border Haats are in the pipeline. Border Haats enable local residents on both sides of the border to trade the local produce. At the Border Haats local community from Bangladesh and India gets an opportunity to sell locally produced agricultural and horticultural products, small agriculture and household goods, minor forest products, fresh and dry fish, cottage industry items, wooden furniture, handloom and handicraft items, etc.

India, European Union Agree to Establish Trade and Technology Council

India and the European Union (EU) agreed to establish a Trade and Technology Council, a strategic mechanism to address the challenges of ensuring trusted technology and security in the wake of rapid geopolitical changes — a move that is expected to deepen their strategic relationship.
The decision to set up such a council will be the first for India with any of its partners and second for the EU, following the first one with the US.
The announcement came in the backdrop of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's two-day visit to the national Capital.

Apr 28, 2022

Deepika Padukone to be Part of Cannes Film Festival Jury

Actress Deepika Padukone will be a part of the competition jury at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival. French actor Vincent Lindon will be heading the jury at the 75th edition of the coveted festival, which will run from May 17-28. Padukone is part of the eight-member jury which will reward one of the 21 films in competition with the Palme d'or during the closing ceremony on Saturday May 28. Padukone, 36, was earlier the chairperson of Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival for two years.
She found fame with her 2007 film "Om Shanti Om", co-starring Shah Rukh Khan, and later featured in several blockbuster and critically-acclaimed movies like "Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani", "Chennai Express", "Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela", "Bajirao Mastani", "Padmaavat" and "Piku".

Cabinet Approves Opening of Indian Mission in Lithuania

The Cabinet accorded approval to the opening of a new Indian Mission in Lithuania in 2022. The Opening of Indian Mission in Lithuania will help expand India's diplomatic footprint, deepen political relations and strategic cooperation, enable growth of bilateral trade, investment and economic engagements.
The decision comes at a time when the Baltic nation is facing an unofficial trade embargo by Beijing for not following the One China policy. Lithuania incurred the wrath of China after it allowed Taiwan to open a representative office in capital Vilnius. The opening of the mission will, among other things, facilitate India's trade with Lithuania. The proposal was finally approved after years of consideration.

Apr 27, 2022

Panchayati Raj Ministry, UNDP Sign Pact on Sustainable Development Goals

The Ministry of Panchayati Raj and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) signed a joint statement of understanding on localisation of Sustainable Development Goals.
About 65% of India's population lives in rural areas and the government is increasingly routing the funding of social sector schemes in sectors such as sanitation, housing and solid waste management through rural local bodies. The UNDP has been leading efforts in partnership with the NITI Aayog and the State governments, notably Haryana, Karnataka, Nagaland, Punjab and Uttarakhand, to localise and accelerate the SDGs through its signature solution of Sustainable Development Coordination Centres.

Myanmar Court Sentences Aung San Suu Kyi to 5 Years in Prison

A court in military-ruled Myanmar convicted the country's former leader Aung San Suu Kyi of corruption and sentenced her to five years in prison. Suu Kyi, who was ousted by an army takeover in February last year, had denied the allegation that she had accepted gold and hundreds of thousands of dollars given her as a bribe by a top political colleague. The maximum punishment for the offense is 15 years in prison and a fine.
News of the verdict came from a legal official who asked not to be identified because he is not authorised to release information. Suu Kyi's trial in the capital Naypyitaw was closed to the public, and her lawyers were barred from speaking to media.

India and Maldives to Establish Transmission Interconnection for Renewable Power Transfer

A draft agreement is being prepared for MoU on transmission interconnection under which a technical team from India would visit Maldives to assess its technical feasibility. Thereafter a detailed project report, including for undersea cable route survey and network augmentation, in Male (capital of Maldives) would be prepared jointly with Indian and Maldives agencies.
The proposal was discussed during the meeting between Power and New and Renewable Energy Minister R K Singh and Maldives' Environment, Climate Change and Technology Minister Aminath Shauna in New Delhi. During the meeting, both leaders proposed two Memoranda of Understanding – on energy cooperation and on transmission interconnection under One Sun, One World, One Grid (OSOWOG).

World Bank Agrees to Provide US Dollar 600 Million in Financial Assistance to Sri Lanka

The World Bank agreed to provide Sri Lanka with 600 million US dollars in financial assistance to help meet payment requirements for essential imports. The World Bank would release 400 million dollars "shortly". The World Bank said that it would continue to help Sri Lanka to overcome the current economic crisis. Sri Lanka's worst financial crisis since independence in 1948 was caused by a drastic drop in its reserves that dropped 70 percent over the past two years, hitting 1.93 billion dollars at the end of March 2022. This left Colombo struggling to pay for essentials, including fuel, medicines and food.
The Sri Lankan government has also appealed to multiple countries and multilateral organisations for bridge financing until the IMF comes up with its aid. Thousands of people remained camped outside President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's seafront office to demand his resignation.

Apr 26, 2022

Robert Golob Becomes Prime Minister of Slovenia

Political newcomer liberal Robert Golob defeated Slovenia's three-time Prime Minister conservative Janez Jansa in elections in a country split by bitter political divisions over the rule of law. Golob's Freedom Movement (GS), which he launched only in January, has built on anger with Jansa's regime in the former Yugoslav state. The opposition accuses Jansa of having tried to undermine democratic institutions and press freedoms since he returned to power in 2020.

Emmanuel Macron Gets Reelected as French President, Defeats Rival Marine Le Pen

French President Emmanuel Macron defeated his far-right rival Marine Le Pen by a comfortable margin, securing a second term and heading off what would have been a political earthquake. Macron is the first French president to win a second term for two decades, but Le Pen's result also marks the closest the far-right has ever come to taking power in France and has revealed a deeply divided nation.
The 44-year-old president faces a litany of challenges in his second term, starting with parliamentary elections in June 2022, where keeping a majority will be critical to ensuring he can realise his ambitions to reform France.
The result is narrower than the second-round clash in 2017, when the same two candidates met in the run-off and Macron polled over 66 percent of the vote.

India to Host 21st World Congress of Accountants (WCOA) 2022

Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) is set to host 21st World Congress of Accountants (WCOA), the kumbh of accountants, for the first time in 118 years of its existence. The event will be held from November 18 to 21 after outbidding France. About 6000 top accountants from 130 countries will participate in the programme physically.The event will take place in newly built Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai.
The theme this time would be `Building Trust Enabling Sustainability'

Prasar Bharati Signs MoU with Public Broadcaster of Argentina

Prasar Bharati signed an MoU with the Public Broadcaster of Argentina Radio Television Argentina (RTA) for collaboration in the field of broadcasting. The MoU encompasses a range of fronts in Media and Broadcasting that is set to exemplify the communication and transmission networking of both nations. India and Argentina share cordial relations and developmental partnerships in the areas of political, economic, scientific and technological cooperation.
The Chief Executive Officer of Prasar Bharati, Shashi Shekhar Vempati and the president of RTA, Rosario Lufrano, signed the agreement in the presence of the Indian Ambassador to Argentina Dinesh Bhatia.

Apr 25, 2022

India, Maldives Unveil Sea Navigation Chart

India and Maldives have jointly unveiled the first-ever navigation chart. It helps ships to understand the maritime topography of Maldives Exclusive Economic zones, water depths and which areas to avoid. INS Sutlej is currently deployed to Maldives for undertaking joint hydrographic survey under the MoU on hydrographic cooperation.
The two countries have been working together closely in several bilateral, mini-lateral and multilateral fora such as the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium and the Colombo Security Conclave.
In 2021, India and Maldives signed a pact for the development of a coast guard harbour for maritime security.

Ashwin Yardi, CEO Of Capgemini India Joins UNICEF YuWaah Board As Co-Chair

YuWaah (Generation Unlimited India) in India announced that Ashwin Yardi, CEO of Capgemini in India, joined the organisation, starting immediately, alongside Yasumasa Kimura, UNICEF Representative, as being the co -chair of the organisation.
The YuWaah Board would now serve as a decision-making body, with the majority of founding partners and board members providing time and resources to help the YuWaah Secretariat with money and functional expertise.
They will play a critical role in influencing YuWaah's long-term strategy and execution, as well as actively crafting shared-value partnerships with governments and the private sector to genuinely establish a collaborative platform.

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