General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - February 2017

Feb 2017

Jul 23, 2024

AIM, WIPO Join Hands Boost Innovation in Global South

The Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) at NITI Aayog and the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) joined hands towards building joint innovation programmes in the Global South.
This pathbreaking partnership between AIM and WIPO will take the best of India's innovation models to countries that are on similar development trajectories, and will enhance understanding and awareness about IPR right from the school level and unlock the innovation potential of the world as well as foster inclusive and sustainable economic growth. According to Sherif Saadallah, Executive Director, WIPO Academy, intellectual property (IP) is a powerful catalyst for innovation and creativity, essential for addressing the development of youth and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) is Government of India's flagship initiative to create and promote a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship across the length and breadth of our country. AIM's objective is to develop new programmes and policies for fostering innovation in different sectors of the economy, provide platforms and collaboration opportunities for different stakeholders, and create an umbrella structure to oversee the innovation & entrepreneurship ecosystem of the country.

Six Swing States Set to Decide the 2024 US Election

About 240 million people are eligible to vote in this year's US election, but only a relatively small number of them are likely to settle the question of who becomes the next President.
Experts believe there are only a handful of states that could plausibly be won by either the Democratic candidate or his Republican predecessor, Donald Trump.
Six of them - Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin – appear to be on a knife edge and probably hold the key to who will take the White House.
So both parties are campaigning intensively to win over undecided voters in these states.

Jul 22, 2024

Biden Ends Re-election Bid

US President Joe Biden ended his re-election campaign and endorsed Vice-President Kamala Harris to succeed him as the Democratic candidate, in an extraordinary decision that upended an already dramatic race for the White House.
The last time an incumbent US president abandoned his campaign for re-election was Lyndon B. Johnson in 1968.

Jul 21, 2024

Ivory Coast Joins UN Water Convention as 10th African Nation

Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire) became the 53rd Party to the 1992 UN Water Convention, officially known as the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes. This accession marks Ivory Coast as the 10th African nation to join the treaty. The move highlights a growing trend among African nations to enhance cooperative water management amidst increasing water stress and climate change impacts.
Adopted in Helsinki in 1992 and entering into force in 1996, the Convention promotes the sustainable management of shared water resources, conflict prevention, and regional integration. It requires Parties to cooperate on transboundary waters, prevent negative impacts, and use water resources equitably.

Jul 19, 2024

India and Russia have Doubled their Payments in National Currencies

India and Russia have doubled their payments in national currencies (rupee-rouble) since last year despite sanctions by the U.S. and European Union, said Russia's largest, state-controlled bank Sberbank that handles a majority of payments for Indian exports to Russia.
The surge may rise further after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Moscow last week, economists and Indian businessmen working in Russia hope, warning that in the absence of the Indian rupee, Chinese businesses and the yuan would continue to benefit from the "vacuum" created by the exit of Western companies.

Chhattisgarh's Gevra and Kusmunda Rank Globally

Chhattisgarh-based Coal India subsidiary South Eastern Coalfields Limited's (SECL) Gevra and Kusmunda coal mines have secured the 2nd and 4th spots on the list of the world's 10 largest coal mines released by WorldAtlas.com.
Located in the Korba district of Chhattisgarh, these two mines produce more than 100 million tons of coal annually, accounting for about 10% of India's total coal production.

Bangladesh students protesting across the country

Bangladesh students protesting across the country.
The protests were triggered when the High Court reinstated a quota system for government jobs.
This decision overturned a 2018 move by Hasina's government to abolish the system, which reserved 30% of jobs for families of freedom fighters from the 1971 independence war.

Jul 18, 2024

India's External Affairs Minister Strengthens Ties with Mauritius

S. Jaishankar inaugurated the India-Mauritius Maitree Udyan in Port Louis, the capital city of Mauritius. This park, whose name translates to "Friendship Garden," stands as a testament to the enduring relationship between the two nations. The inauguration ceremony was graced by the presence of Maneesh Gobin, the Foreign Minister of Mauritius, underlining the bilateral nature of this initiative.
As part of the inauguration, S. Jaishankar planted a tree in the Maitree Udyan. This symbolic act not only represents the growth of India-Mauritius relations but also aligns with global efforts towards environmental conservation.

Roberta Metsola Re-elected as European Parliament President

MEPs re-elected Roberta Metsola (EPP, MT) as President of the European Parliament until 2027.
Roberta Metsola won the election in the first round of voting, where she received an absolute majority of 562 votes cast out of 699 by secret paper ballot, among two candidates. She will continue to lead Parliament for the first two and a half years of the 10th legislative term.
Born in Malta in 1979, Roberta Metsola has been an MEP since 2013. She was elected First Vice-President in November 2020, and was Parliament's acting President after President Sassoli passed away on 11 January 2022. On 18 January 2022, she was elected President for the second half of the 9th legislative term. She is the third female President of the European Parliament, after Simone Veil (1979-1982) and Nicole Fontaine (1999-2002).

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