General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - December 2016

Dec 2016

Jul 13, 2023

Pakistan Gets IMF Nod for $3 Billion Bailout Plan

In a relief to cash-strapped Pakistan, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) gave a final nod to a much-awaited $3 billion bailout programme for the country to support the government's efforts to stabilise the ailing economy.
The development came two weeks after the two sides reached a staff-level agreement over the stand-by arrangement. The approval allows for an immediate disbursement of $1.2 billion.

Jul 12, 2023

India Registers Remarkable Reduction in Poverty: UN

A total of 415 million people moved out of poverty in India within just 15 years from 2005-06 to 2019-21, the UN said, highlighting the remarkable achievement by the world's most populous nation.
The latest update of the global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) was released by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) at the University of Oxford.
It said that 25 countries, including India, successfully halved their global MPI values within 15 years, showing that rapid progress is attainable.
These countries include Cambodia, China, Congo, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Morocco, Serbia, and Vietnam.

Myanmar, South China Sea Tensions Top Agenda at ASEAN Meet in Indonesia

Southeast Asia's top diplomats gathered in Indonesia amid pressure to address a bloody political crisis in Myanmar and resolve tensions in the South China Sea where some ASEAN members have overlapped territorial claims with China.
The meeting of Foreign Ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) came as doubts mount over the credibility and unity of the bloc in dealing with the region's thorniest challenges.
Chief among them is the lack of meaningful process on an ASEAN peace plan for Myanmar, which was agreed with the country's military rulers after they seized power in a 2021 coup and calls for an immediate halt to violence.

Peru Declares National Emergency Due to Spike in Guillain-Barre Syndrome Cases

Peru declared a nationwide emergency as Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS), a rare neurological disorder, surged in the country. A 90-day health emergency has been imposed in the country to curb the outbreak.
The country declared a health emergency at the request of Health Minister César Vásquez, who noted that an increase in the number of cases could mean a lack of immunoglobulin (antibodies).

Jul 11, 2023

Erdogan Backs Sweden's NATO Membership

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed to support Sweden's membership in NATO, bloc's Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said, in a surprising turn of events.
The announcement came as a breath of fresh air amidst Turkey's previous roadblock to approving Sweden's bid to join the Western alliance. According to NATO's Stoltenberg, Erdogan gave his consent to present Sweden's NATO membership application to the Turkish parliament for approval.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson hailed it as a historic day for Sweden.

Uzbekistan Leader Re-elected for Seven-year Term in Snap Election

Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev was re-elected with 87.1% of the vote, the Central Election Commission announced.
Mirziyoyev, in power since 2016, called a snap election after changing the Constitution through a referendum which reset his term count and extended the presidential term to seven years from five.
Mirziyoyev opened up the country of 35 million people to foreign trade and investment while also easing restrictions on religious and political freedoms.

Jul 10, 2023

New Zealand Prime Minister Hipkins Signs Ambitious Trade Deal with EU

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins seal a historic deal that will remove 91% of duties on New Zealand goods and is worth an estimated $1.8 billion annually to Kiwi exporters.
While there has been much focus on the monetary benefits and value of the deal, this agreement also marked strengthening of ties at a time when there are big geopolitical tensions.

Dutch Government Collapses

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte's government collapsed after coalition parties failed to reach an agreement on immigration policy. The parties were unable to bridge their differences on how to handle the issue, which has become increasingly divisive in the Netherlands in recent years.
The Dutch government coalition, which formed 18 months ago, went into crisis when PM Rutte had proposed to limit the right to family reunions for refugees from war zones to 200 people per month after a period of two years. The proposal was unacceptable to two of the coalition parties, D66 and the Christian Union, and led to a major escalation of the differences between the parties.

Jul 08, 2023

Iceland is the Most Peaceful Country in the World

The 2023 Global Peace Index released its annual ranking of the most peaceful countries in the world.
The Institute for Economics and Peace 2023 study measured a country's level of negative peace using three domains of peacefulness: Ongoing domestic and international conflict, Societal safety and security, Militarization/
Overall the index found that the world is a little less safe than last year, due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, which is unchanged from the 2022 survey results.
While the United States ranked 131 on the list, seven out of the top 10 most peaceful countries in the world are in Europe.
Iceland remained the most peaceful country in the world since the study was first released in 2008.
It also ranked as the third happiest country in the world, after Finland and Denmark.
The top 10 most peaceful countries in the world are: Iceland, Denmark, Ireland, New Zealand, Austria, Singapore, Portugal, Slovenia, Japan and Switzerland.

Share on

TCY Analytics (View Subscription Plans)

Subscribe to GK Updates

I want to receive

GK Tags

July GK, June GK, May GK, INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS, ENVIRONMENT, BUSINESS AND ECONOMY, SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY, SPORTS, NATIONAL AFFAIRS, DEFENCE, PERSONS IN NEWS, DAYS AND EVENTS, AWARDS AND HONOURS, GOVERNMENT POLICIES AND SCHEMES, GENDER/ HEALTH/ EDUCATION, ART AND CULTURE, BOOKS AND AUTHORS, TOURISM AND HOTEL INDUSTRY AWARENESS, ART AND CULTURE, LAW AND CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Start Discussion

On any topic

Take Tests

Compiled from GK updates

Login

Sign Up

Forgot Password

Download TCY App

Unlock All Services And Enjoy The Premium Benefits

US$ 10

US$ 13

US$ 15

US$ 17

US$ 19

US$ 20

US$ 21

US$ 22

US$ 23

US$ 24

US$ 25

US$ 26