General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - October 2016

Oct 2016

May 24, 2024

Spain Becomes 99th Member of International Solar Alliance

Spain has become the 99^th member of the International Solar Alliance. Spain handed over the International Solar Alliance Instrument of Ratification during the meeting between Spain's Ambassador to India, Jose Maria Ridao Domkinguez, and Head of Depository, Joint Secretary (ED and MER), Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Abhishek Singh in New Delhi on Wednesday, MEA official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
India and France jointly launched the International Solar Alliance (ISA) during COP21 in Paris. The ISA aims to contribute to the implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement through the rapid and massive deployment of solar energy, according to MEA press release.

May 23, 2024

British PM Rishi Sunak Declares July 4 as UK General Election Date

In a surprise move, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced that the King has granted the request for dissolution of parliament and the general election will be held on July 4. The announcement came as the governing Conservatives are widely expected to lose after 14 years in power.

Ireland, Spain and Norway Recognize a Palestinian State

Ireland, Spain and Norway announced plans to formally recognize a Palestinian state next week, in a move that is likely to bolster the global Palestinian cause but further strain relations between Europe and Israel.
The three European nations say their landmark decision is the best way to achieve lasting peace in the Middle East, but it sparked swift condemnation from Israel, as its foreign minister ordered the immediate recall of its ambassadors from those countries.
Most of the world already recognizes Palestinian statehood. More than 140 out of 193 member states of the United Nations have made their recognition official. But only some nations in the 27-member European Union are among them.

To Lam New President of Vietnam

To Lam, Vietnam's former Minister of Public Security, was confirmed as the nation's new President by the National Assembly. His rise came amid an ongoing anti-corruption campaign that has shaken the country's political establishment and business elites, resulting in multiple high-level government changes.
While the Vietnamese presidency is largely ceremonial, analysts suggest that Lam's new role as head of state puts him in a strong position to become the next Communist Party general secretary, the most powerful political position in the country. The current party chief, Nguyen Phu Trong, is 80 years old and may not seek another term after 2026.

May 22, 2024

Delhi Ranks 350 in Oxford Global Cities Index Report 2024

Delhi was placed 350 in the Oxford Economics Global Cities Index 2024, making it the highest ranked Indian city. The ranking compares the world's 1000 cities.
Bengaluru, India's IT hub, stood at 411, higher than the country's financial capital Mumbai, which stood at 427.
On the other hand, Sultanpur in Uttar Pradesh ranked last in the index, at 1000th place.
the Global Cities Index Report is an annual report that ranks roughly 1,000 largest cities across the world, spanning 163 different countries in five crucial categories.
The index is calculated based on scores across categories such as Economics, Human Capital, Quality of Life, Environment, and Governance. These scores are combined to generate an overall rank for each city. In 2023, cities in the report accounted for 60% of global GDP and 30% of the world's population.
Once again, New York achieved the highest ranking in all five categories with a score of 100, followed by London and San Jose securing the 2nd and 3rd positions, respectively.

May 21, 2024

Nepal PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda Wins Vote of confidence in Parliament

Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' won a vote of confidence in Parliament, the fourth within 18 months of taking office, amidst sloganeering by the main Opposition Nepali Congress that abstained from the voting.
Prachanda a former guerrilla leader from the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) -- the third largest party in the House of Representatives (HoR) -- received 157 votes in the 275-member HoR.
In total, 158 lawmakers took part in the voting. The main Opposition Nepali Congress boycotted the voting process and chanted slogans against Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane, accused of misappropriation of cooperative funds, leading to the delay in the session. One HoR member remained neutral.

Khamenei Loyalist Mohammad Mokhber Appointed Interim Iran President

Supreme Leader Khamenei, who holds ultimate power with a final say on foreign policy and Iran's nuclear programme, said that First Vice-President Mohammad Mokhber, would take over as interim President.
The development came as Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi was confirmed dead in the helicopter crash near the Azerbaijan border.

Lai Ching-Te of Taiwan's Ruling DPP Sworn in as New President

Lai Ching-te of Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) was sworn in as the self-governing island's new President. According to Taiwan's Foreign Ministry, more than 500 foreign guests from 51 delegations attended the inauguration ceremony and related activities, including the national leaders of eight countries that maintain diplomatic relations with Taiwan.
A trained physician Lai succeeds Tsai Ing-wen to lead the democracy amid increasing threats from China, which claims the self-governing island as its territory. Taiwan has had an independent government since 1949.
Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim, was also officially sworn in. She was Taiwan's de facto ambassador to the US from 2020 to 2023 and formerly served as a DPP lawmaker for several terms.
Lai, who won election in January, took over from Tsai Ing-wen, having served as her vice president for the past four years.

May 20, 2024

Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi, Missing After Helicopter Crash

As per reports, President Ebrahim Raisi's helicopter crashed/hard landed due to bad weather. The weather continued to remain so bad that despite finding the location of the crash, the security forces are yet to find Raisi. A rescue and search operation is still underway in Iran, and world leaders have expressed their shock and concern over the incident.
Ebrahim Raisi is considered a hardline and religiously conservative politician. He first contested the presidential election in 2017 but failed. Raisi was eventually elected four years later in 2021.

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