General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - October 2017

Oct 2017

Jun 05, 2022

India, Senegal Sign MoUs for Cultural Exchange, Cooperation in Youth Matter

India signed three MoUs with and Senegal, after talks between VP, M. Venkaiah Naidu and President of Senegal, Macky Sall. The first MoU is related to renewal of Cultural Exchange Progarmme (CEP) for the period 2022-26. The second MoU is related to visa-free regime Official which will strengthen the cooperation between the two countries. The third MoU, seeks to enhance bilateral cooperation in youth matters.
During the meeting, Mr. Naidu assured Senegal of India's continued commitment to support the socio-economic development of that country through all means, bilateral, regional and international frameworks.

India, Israel Discuss Ways to Deepen Defence Cooperation

India and Israel discussed ways to increase cooperation in all domains with a focus on research and development in future technologies and defence co-production. The two sides held a bilateral meeting with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh leading the Indian side and Defence Minister of Israel Benjamin Gantz the other side.
Issues concerning bilateral, regional, defence and industrial cooperation were discussed. A cooperation agreement signed between the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Israel's Directorate for Defense R&D also came up for discussion. It will enable expansion of technological collaboration between the two countries.
The ministers declared their intention to further develop defence cooperation between the two countries in a manner that harnesses Israel's technological advances and operational experience, together with India's extraordinary development and production capabilities.

First Official Visit since Taliban Takeover: Indian Diplomats Meet Minister in Kabul

In the first meeting between Indian diplomats and the Taliban leadership in Kabul after the Taliban takeover, Afghanistan's Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi met with MEA Joint Secretary J.P. Singh and his accompanying delegation and discussed Afghanistan-India diplomatic ties, bilateral trade relations and humanitarian aid.
Though this is the first official delegation from India in Kabul since it shut down its embassy and four consulates in Afghanistan after the chaotic US withdrawal, the two sides have maintained sporadic contact in third countries such as Qatar and Russia.
Interestingly, the visit takes place shortly after an India-piloted report in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) said there is presence of anti-India foreign terror groups like Jaish-i-Mohammed (JiM) and Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) in Afghanistan. This was the first public confirmation of these two terror groups in Afghanistan by a multilateral body since the Taliban's takeover.

Jun 04, 2022

Taliban Launches Drive to Eradicate Poppy Cultivation

Afghanistan's Taliban rulers started a campaign to eradicate poppy cultivation, aiming to wipe out the country's massive production of opium and heroin, even as farmers fear their livelihoods will be ruined at a time of growing poverty.
In Washir district in southern Helmand province, armed Taliban fighters stood guard as tractors tore up a field of poppies.
Afghanistan is the world's biggest opium producer and a major source for heroin in Europe and Asia. Production spiraled over the past 20 years despite billions of dollars spent by the U.S. trying to stop poppy cultivation.

CM Arvind Kejriwal Invited to Attend the World Cities Summit in Singapore to Present the "Delhi M...

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was invited to attend the World Cities Summit in Singapore to present the "Delhi Model" and is looking forwards to discussing urban solutions with other leaders. The summit will take place on August 2-3. High Commissioner of Singapore Simon Wong called on Arvind. Kejriwal and Wong also discussed avenues for collaboration and cooperation in the sectors of water, waste management and public housing. Wong said Delhi and Singapore are two distinctive urban centres that share a common set of problems.
WCS is an exclusive platform for government leaders and industry experts to address liveable and sustainable city challenges, share integrated urban solutions and forge new partnerships. It is jointly organised by Singapore's Centre for Liveable Cities and the Urban Redevelopment Authority.

Jun 03, 2022

It's Now Türkiye, Not Turkey

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu sent a letter to the United Nations formally requesting that his country be referred to as "Türkiye,". The move is seen as part of a push by Ankara to rebrand the country and dissociate its name from the bird, turkey, and some negative connotations associated with it.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government was pressing for the internationally recognised name Turkey to be changed to "Türkiye" (tur-key-YAY) as it is spelled and pronounced in Turkish. The country called itself "Türkiye" in 1923 after its declaration of independence.
In December 2022, Erdogan ordered the use of "Türkiye" to better represent Turkish culture and values, including demanding that "Made in Türkiye" be used instead of "Made in Turkey" on exported products.

Passenger Train Service, Mitali Express Flagged off Between India and Bangladesh

Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Bangladesh's Railway Minister Mohammad Nurul Islam Sujon flagged off Mitali Express between New Jalpaiguri and Dhaka via video conferencing. The Dhaka-Jalpaiguri Mitali Express is the third Bangladesh-India passenger train service. The train will use the Chilahati-Haldibari rail link and will run from New Jalpaiguri in West Bengal, India, to Dhaka Cantonment railway station in Bangladesh, covering a distance of 513 km.
Mitali Express will run two days a week on Sunday and Wednesday from New Jalpaiguri Junction and from Dhaka Cantonment the train will run every Monday and Thursday.

Jun 02, 2022

US to Seek New UN Sanctions if North Korea Holds Nuke Test

The United States will push for additional sanctions on North Korea if it conducts a new nuclear test explosion. China and Russia vetoed a UN resolution sponsored by the United States that would have imposed tough new sanctions on North Korea for a spate of launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles that can be used to deliver nuclear warheads. The vote in the 15-member Security Council was 13-2 and marked a first serious division among the five veto-wielding permanent members over a North Korea sanctions resolution.
A united Security Council imposed sanctions after North Korea's first nuclear test explosion in 2006 and tightened them over the years in a total of 10 resolutions seeking — so far unsuccessfully — to rein in its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes by cutting its sources of revenue.

Border Coordination Conference between BSF-BGB Held in Bangladesh

The Border Coordination Conference between India and Bangladesh was opened at Sylhet by Inspector General BSF-Regional Commander BGB.The four-day seminar ended on June 2. The Indian team arrived in Bangladesh via the Integrated Check Post (ICP) in Dawki, Meghalaya, where they were greeted by top BGB personnel.
The conference covered all aspects of border security and administration.
Illegal entrance, drug and other item smuggling, human trafficking of women and children, development activities within 150 yards of international borders, and attempts to improve mutual trust between the BGB and BSF were discussed.

Jun 01, 2022

Canada Introduces Bill to Freeze Handgun Sales

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government introduced a legislation that would put a freeze on importing, buying or selling handguns. Canada already has plans to ban 1,500 types of military-style firearms and offer a mandatory buyback programme that will begin at the end of 2022. Trudeau has long had plans to enact tougher gun laws but the introduction of the new measure comes after mass shootings in Texas, and Buffalo, NY. The regulations to halt the growth of personally owned handguns are expected to be enacted this fall.
Canada has had far fewer mass shootings than the US in part because of a lack of easy access to guns, though the US population also is far larger than Canada's. Blair noted guns were often smuggled illegally from the US, which he noted has one of the largest small arms arsenals in the world.

India, Pakistan Sign Permanent Indus Commission Annual Report

India and Pakistan finalised and signed the annual report of the Permanent Indus Commission for the year which ended on March 31, 2022. The report was finalised at the two-day 118th Permanent Indus Commission meeting between the two countries. The meeting was held in a cordial manner and the Commission appreciated the commitment of the two sides to interact frequently and resolve issues through bilateral discussions under the Indus Water Treaty. It was agreed to hold the next meeting of the PIC in Pakistan on mutually convenient dates.
The Indian delegation was led by AK Pal, the Commissioner for Indus Waters and the visiting Pakistan delegation was led by Syed Muhammad Mehar Ali Shah, the Pakistan Commissioner for Indus Waters.
The Indus Water Treaty survived the wars between the two countries and the freeze in bilateral relations.

Pakistan's Fuel Supply Threatened as Foreign Banks Refuse Financing

Amid rising subsidy allocations, the Pakistan oil industry is now facing challenges in arranging international finances for import of crude and oil products. Arrangements of oil imports were getting tough by the day as foreign banks were not providing financing against Letters of Credit (LCs) opened by oil marketing companies (OMCs) and refineries with the local banks. Except two large corporations, Pakistan State Oil (PSO) and Pak-Arab Refinery Limited (Parco), all OMCs and refineries were struggling to arrange import of petroleum products and crude.
About six-seven cargos worth $50-75 million each ($350-500 million cumulative) depending on size and product were held up at present because of the increased risk following some critical statements from the relevant ministries about the tough fiscal and foreign exchange position.

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