General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - February 2017

Feb 2017

Jun 25, 2023

UK Net Debt Passes 100% of GDP for First Time Since 1961

The United Kingdom's public sector net debt surpassed 100% of its GDP in May 2023, a level not seen since 1961, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The rising debt, excluding state-controlled banks, reached £2.567 trillion ($3.28 trillion), representing 100.1% of GDP. Government borrowing in May, though slightly lower than in April, exceeded expectations and remained at a high level, while inflation remained steady, defying predictions of a decline.

OceanGate's Titan submersible Imploded

A four-day-long search for OceanGate's Titan submersible came to a tragic end. The US Coastal Guard confirmed that all five passengers onboard Titan died as the vessel was subject to catastrophic implosion at some point during its voyage towards the Titanic shipwreck. The debris of the submersible was found on the sea floor, around 500 metres away from the bow of the Titanic.
The Titan submersible, which is different from a submarine was designed by OceanGate. The submersible was designed to carry five people into a depth of 13,120 feet. The submersible had a life-support system that can keep five people alive for up to 96 hours.

Jun 24, 2023

UN Adds Russia to its 'List of Shame' over Ukraine War

The United Nations put the Russian army and its armed groups on its 'list of shame' for killing and maiming hundreds of children during its ongoing war in Ukraine.
The UN report said that at least 24,300 violations had been committed against children in 2022.
The annual report is about the treatment of children in conflict zones which is submitted to the 15-member UNSC and accounts attacks such as for killing, maiming, sexual abuse, abduction or recruitment of children, denial of aid access and targeting of schools and hospitals.
The report was compiled by Virginia Gamba, United Nations chief Antonio Guterres' special representative for children and armed conflict.
Notably, the so-called "list of shame" is intended to shame the parties involved in the conflict and hopes to push them to implement measures for protecting children during a war.

Global Liveability Index 2023

Austria's capital Vienna was named as the world's 'most liveable city' for 2023, as per a list released by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). The list contained the names of 173 cities around the world that were ranked based on a number of significant factors, including health care, education, stability, infrastructure and the environment. Five cities from India - Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Chennai, New Delhi and Mumbai - were also in the list based on their performance in various metrics.
The EIU is a sister organisation to The Economist and releases its Global Liveability Index every year.
After Vienna, Denmark's Copenhagen was placed second, retaining its position. Australia's Melbourne and Sydney are also on the list, ranked third and fourth.
Canada had the highest number of cities - 3 namely Calgary, Vancouver and Toronto - in top 10. Two Swiss cities were also among the top in the liveability index, with Zurich taking sixth place and Geneva tying for seventh place with Calgary.
Osaka in Japan has secured the 10th position.

Jun 23, 2023

Ruby Sinha Appointed as President of BRICS CCI WE Women's Vertical

The BRICS Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BRICS CCI) appointed Ruby Sinha as the President of BRICS CCI WE, the women's vertical of the BRICS CCI for a period of three years.
The BRICS Chamber of Commerce and Industry works towards promoting active trade, commerce and entrepreneurship between the BRICS and other friendly nations. She took over from Shabana Nasim who became an Executive Director in BRICS CCI and Chief Patron of BRICS CCI WE.
The BRICS CCI women's vertical is endeavouring towards building a credible repository of working professionals, entrepreneurs, business partners across different geographies and industry verticals and promoting business interactions among members by organising regular events platforms and other forms of interactions. It also facilitates mentoring/training programs for women professionals.

India Ranks 127 in Gender Gap Index 2023

India was ranked at 127 out of 146 countries in terms of gender parity — an improvement of eight places from last year (2022), according to the annual Gender Gap Report, 2023 of the World Economic Forum (WEF).
India was ranked 135 in the report's 2022 edition. The country improved by 1.4 percentage points and eight positions since the last edition, marking a partial recovery towards its 2020 parity level.
The country had attained parity in enrolment across all levels of education, it said.
India had closed 64.3% of the overall gender gap, the report said. However, it underlined that India had reached only 36.7 % parity on economic participation and opportunity.
The index ranked India's neighbours Pakistan at 142, Bangladesh at 59, China at 107, Nepal at 116, Sri Lanka at 115 and Bhutan at 103.
Iceland is the most gender-equal country in the world for the 14th consecutive year and the only one to have closed more than 90% of its gender gap, according to the report.

Jun 22, 2023

PM Modi's Yoga Day Event at UN HQ Creates Guinness World Record

The Yoga Day event led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the United Nations headquarters in New York created a Guinness World Record for seeing the participation of most nationalities in a Yoga session.
PM Modi led the historic event at the UN headquarters to commemorate the 9th International Yoga Day. The PM was joined by the President of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly Csaba Korisi, Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, and New York City Mayor Eric Adams. The event also saw several other UN officials, diplomats, and prominent personalities.

Finland Parliament Elects Petteri Orpo as Country's New PM

Petteri Orpo, the leader of the conservative party in Finland, was elected as the country's Prime Minister by the parliament. Orpo will lead a coalition government comprising four parties, including the far-right Finns Party, which intends to implement strict measures on immigration. With 107 members in favour, 81 opposed, and 11 absent, the parliament expressed its support for Orpo, who emerged victorious in the elections.

Jun 21, 2023

Pakistan's Economic Crisis Deepens with Dollar Crunch Halting Food Imports

Pakistan is currently facing a severe economic crisis characterised by a shortage of dollars, leading to a complete halt in the import of essential food and beverages. The situation has resulted in thousands of stranded containers at ports, incurring fines and additional charges for traders. The lack of sufficient foreign exchange, which the Pakistan State Bank (PSB) has been unable to provide, has further exacerbated the country's economic challenges.
Pakistan's dollar crisis can be attributed primarily to the depletion of the country's foreign reserves over the past year. The economy suffered a significant setback due to devastating floods in north-western Pakistan, followed by disruptions in oil supplies during the Russia-Ukraine war. These events made it challenging to pay high tariffs on imported oil, contributing to the current crisis.

Oman Creates History as First Foreign Government to Promote Country through Yoga

In a pioneering initiative, the Indian Embassy in the Sultanate of Oman introduced an innovative video called 'Soulful Yoga, Serene Oman' on the eve of the International Day of Yoga 2023.
The video showcases yoga enthusiasts from different countries performing beautiful yoga poses against stunning backdrops such as mountains, beaches, and sand dunes in and around Muscat.
What makes this video unique is its collaboration with the Government of Oman.
The Indian Embassy partnered with 'Visit Oman,' a subsidiary of Oman's Ministry of Tourism, to produce the video. This marked the first instance of a foreign government using yoga to promote its own country.
The video not only demonstrates the increasing popularity and acceptance of yoga as a health practice worldwide but also highlights its growing prominence in Oman.

World Bank to Approve Aid Package worth 700 Million to Sri Lanka

The World Bank is likely to approve $700 million in budgetary and welfare support for Sri Lanka at its next board meeting in June, the biggest funding tranche for the crisis-hit island nation since an IMF deal in March 2023.
The economy of the country of 22 million is expected to shrink 2% this year before returning to growth next year.
The International Monetary Fund approved a bailout of nearly $3 billion in March 2023, which Sri Lanka expects will bring additional funding of up to $4 billion from the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank and other multilateral agencies.
Of the proposed World Bank funding, $500 million will be for budgetary support and is likely to come in two tranches of $250 million each.
The remaining $200 million will be earmarked for programmes to assist the poor, whose numbers have doubled to 25% of the population since the onset of the Indian Ocean nation's worst economic crisis early in 2022.

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