General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - May 2017

May 2017

Aug 14, 2019

Wells Welcomes Bilateral Removal Of Restrictions On Pakistan, US Diplomats

United States Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs Ambassador Alice Wells has welcomed the bilateral move by Islamabad and Washington to remove travel restrictions on each other's diplomats.
The State Department had announced that it removed travel restrictions placed on Pakistani diplomats based in the United States.
The State Department further said the government of Pakistan has also reciprocated with a similar measure in relation to its diplomatic personnel assigned to its Embassy and Consulates in Pakistan.

Bangladesh Signs Uranium Supply Deal With Russia

Bangladesh signed a deal with Russia for the supply of uranium for its 2,400 MW Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (RNPP).
Under the deal, Russia will supply the nuclear fuel needed for the plant during its entire life cycle.
The deal was signed in Dhaka between the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission and Russian Nuclear Fuel Supply Company (TVEL).
Work on the two units of the plants, each producing 1200 MW of electricity is scheduled to be completed in 2022 and 2024 respectively.
The two countries have also signed 'spent fuel sent back' agreement in 2017 for management of the nuclear waste of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (RNPP).

Newly Discovered Lake In Nepal Likely To Become World's Highest

A newly-discovered lake in Nepal is likely to set a new record of being the world's highest lake replacing Tilicho, which is situated at an altitude of 4,919 metres in the Himalayan nation and currently holding the title.
The Kajin Sara lake in Manang district was discovered about a few months ago by a team of mountaineers. It is located at Singarkharka area of Chame rural municipality.

London Tops Global Best Student City Rankings

UK's capital London has been named as the world's best city for students for the second consecutive year, beating international cities like Tokyo and Melbourne that came second and third respectively on a new worldwide rankings.
Students from India coming to study in London registered a hike of 20% in 2017-18.
The 'QS Best Student Cities Ranking' compiled by global education consultancy QS Quacquarelli Symonds highlights each city's performance across six categories – the number of top-ranked universities; the proportion of a city's population made up of students; quality of life on offer; job opportunities available after graduation; affordability; and the feedback of the students themselves.
According to the rankings, India's best student city is Bangalore (81st), followed by Mumbai (85th), Delhi at 113 and Chennai at 115 out of a total of 120 cities ranked in the list.

India Signs UN Convention on International Settlement

The United Nations Convention on International Settlement Agreements (UNISA) was signed by India's High Commissioner to Singapore Jawed Ashraf, representing the Government of India.
Forty-six countries signed the treaty named Singapore Convention on Mediation.
Singapore Minister of Home Affairs and Law, K Shanmugam, appreciated the strong support shown by the 70 countries represented at the signing ceremony.
He highlighted the participation by the world's three largest economies - the USA, China and India.

India Contributes US$ 5 Million To UNRWA

The Government of India has contributed US$ 5 million to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in support of the Agency's core programmes and services, including education, health care, and relief and social services.
The contribution was presented to UNRWA by the Representative of India to the State of Palestine, H.E. Mr. Sunil Kumar.
India has increased its annual financial contribution to UNRWA from US $1.25 million in 2016 to US$ 5 million in 2018 and 2019

Aug 13, 2019

New Rule Likely To Hit Indians Eyeing US Green Cards

Under a new rule that goes into effect, the United States will start denying Green Cards and extensions of other temporary-stay visas to foreigners who have either used government assistance such as food stamps and housing rent or are likely to become someone who relies on "public benefits".
Experts estimate that this rule, called the "Inadmissibility on Public Charge Grounds", is the most significant of the Trump administration's immigration moves and could cut legal immigration by half -- also affecting Indians.

S Korea To Remove Japan From Preferred Trade List

South Korea has decided to remove Japan from a list of nations receiving preferential treatment in trade in what was seen as a tit-for-tat move following Tokyo's recent decision to downgrade Seoul's trade status amid a diplomatic row.
It wasn't immediately clear how South Korea's tightened export controls would impact bilateral trade. Seoul said some South Korean companies exporting to Japan will be able to receive exceptions from case-by-case inspections that are normally applied on sensitive shipments to nations with lower trade status and go through the same fast-track approval process that they currently enjoy.

Hong Kong Airport Grinds To a Halt

Hong Kong's airport halted flights , blaming demonstrators for the disruption. The airport authority said it was working with airlines to resume flights from 6am on August 13, 2019 but the developments raised the stakes sharply after a weekend of skirmishes during which both activists and police toughened their stances.
The protests began in opposition to a bill allowing extraditions to the mainland for trial in Communist-controlled courts, but have widened to highlight other grievances.

DTC Suspends Bus Service Between Delhi And Lahore

The Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) has cancelled the bus between Delhi and Lahore as Pakistan informed it that the service was suspended in the wake of India revoking Jammu and Kashmir's special status.
The Delhi-Lahore bus service was first started in February 1999 but suspended after the 2001 Parliament attack.
It was restarted in July 2003. The ridership of the bus had drastically reduced post the Pulwama terrorist attack and the Balakot surgical strikes in February, 2019 which strained Indo-Pak relations.

Aug 12, 2019

Germany To Freeze Support For Brazil Forest Projects

The German government plans to stop supporting forest and biodiversity projects in Brazil because of what it sees as evidence of the South American country's lack of commitment to curbing deforestation in the Amazon region, since the election of Jair Bolsonaro as the president.

Jaishankar Begins China Visit

Jaishankar's three-day visit to China was finalised before New Delhi revoked the special status to J&K and bifurcated the state into two union territories on August 5, 2019.
Beijing is nevertheless expected to raise its concerns about the situation, especially because its all-weather ally, Pakistan, already sent its foreign minister, Shah Mahmood Qureshi to discuss the issue with Wang. China has called India's decision to change Ladakh's status to a union territory (UT) "unacceptable".
During their meeting, Jaishankar and Wang are expected to finalise details about President Xi Jinping's upcoming visit to India in October,2019 for his second "informal summit" with Prime Minister Narendra Modi — the first one in Wuhan in central China in April 2018 thawed the chill in bilateral ties after the Doklam military standoff the year before.
It will be Jaishankar's first visit as foreign minister to China where he served as India's ambassador between 2009 and 2013, the longest by an Indian diplomat.

Aug 10, 2019

Pak To Suspend Jodhpur-Karachi Thar Express Train

Pakistan announced that it will suspend the Thar Express train service with India which links the two countries across the Rajasthan border.
Minister for Railways Sheikh Rashid Ahmed announced the suspension of the services.
The Thar Express has been running between Jodhpur's Bhagat ki Kothi station to Karachi every Friday night since services resumed on February 18, 2006 after a 41-year suspension.

India In US List On Drug Transit

US President Donald Trump has designated India among about 20 major drug transit or illicit drug-producing countries.
Apart from India, the countries identified in the list are Afghanistan, The Bahamas, Belize, Bolivia, Burma, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Laos, Mexico, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Panama, Peru and Venezuela
Combination of geographic, commercial, and economic factors that allow drugs to transit or be produced, even if a government has engaged in robust and diligent narcotics control measures, are the reasons countries are placed on the list
Trump designated Bolivia and the "illegitimate regime" of Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela as having failed demonstrably during the previous 12 months to adhere to their obligations under international counter-narcotics agreements

On 74th Anniversary Of Nagasaki Bombing, Mayor Urges Govt To Sign Nuke Ban Treaty

Nagasaki marked the 74th anniversary of the atomic bombing on 9th August, 2019 as the city's mayor criticised nuclear states including the US and Russia for challenging survivors' efforts towards a nuclear-free world.
Nagasaki mayor Tomihisa Taue lamented in his peace declaration that the opinion that nuclear weapons are useful is gaining traction.
He said both the US and Russia are returning to development and deployment of nuclear weapons after the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty was dissolved.

Aug 09, 2019

Pak Stops Samjhauta Express and Stalls Talks On Jadhav

Pakistan took more retaliatory actions in response to India's decision to revoke Jammu and Kashmir's special status, halting the main cross-border train service and snapping talks on consular access to former naval officer Kulbhushan Jadhav, sentenced to death by a military court for alleged espionage.
A ban on the screening of Indian movies was also among actions announced by Pakistani authorities against the backdrop of tensions between the two sides.
Prime Minister Imran Khan said that Pakistan does not want war but will give a befitting response if India imposes it.
Pakistan railways minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed told that the Samjhauta Express – a bi-weekly train service started in 1976 and whose name means "agreement" – would be stopped.

Kyrgyzstan's Ex-President Arrested After Violent Clashes

Police in Kyrgyzstan detained the Central Asian nation's ex-president following violent clashes with his supporters.
The violence has raised the threat of a new round of turmoil in the ex-Soviet nation, which borders China and hosts a Russian military air base.
Kyrgyzstan's first two presidents after independence were both driven from office by riots.
Almazbek Atambayev, who was in office from 2011 to 2017, accused his successor and one-time protege Sooronbai Jeenbekov of fabricating false criminal charges against him to stifle criticism.

Iran Hits Out At Bahrain For Hosting 'Provocative' Talks

Iran hit out at Bahrain for hosting a "provocative" conference on Gulf maritime security and for its "anti-Iran" rhetoric accusing Tehran of attacking tankers in sensitive waters.
According to Bahrain, meeting was to discuss the "current regional situation" and blasted "the repeated attacks and unacceptable practices of Iran and the terrorist groups linked to it".

Share on

TCY Analytics (View Subscription Plans)

Subscribe to GK Updates

I want to receive

GK Tags

October GK, September GK, August 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