General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - July 2018

Jul 2018

Oct 23, 2024

India, Pakistan Extend Sri Kartarpur Sahib Corridor Agreement by 5 Years

India and Pakistan decided to extend the validity of the agreement on the Sri Kartarpur Sahib Corridor by five years to ensure "uninterrupted" travel for Indian pilgrims to the holy Gurdwara in Pakistan.
The MEA noted that in response to ongoing requests from pilgrims regarding the $20 service charge imposed by Pakistan for each visitor, India has reiterated its appeal for Pakistan to waive any fees or charges for pilgrims.
The agreement, signed on October 24, 2019, was established to facilitate pilgrimages from India to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur in Narowal, Pakistan, via the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor.

Oct 21, 2024

Pakistan Cabinet Approves Controversial Constitutional Amendment Bill

The Pakistan Cabinet approved the proposed draft of the controversial 26th Constitutional Amendment during a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif after seeking consensus from the coalition partners.
The coalition government tabled the proposed judicial reforms bill in the Senate and the National Assembly on October 20.
Ahead of the cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Shehbaz met with President Asif Ali Zardari for detailed discussions on the proposed constitutional amendment, during which the president was briefed and consulted.

Indonesia Leader Sworn in with Largest Cabinet in Decades

Indonesia's former Defence Minister, Prabowo Subianto took oath as the eighth President of Indonesia along with Gibran Rakabuming, son of former President Joko Widodo who was elected Vice President of the country.
Dignitaries from 33 countries, including India were present at the swearing-in ceremony.
Subianto, was the Defence Minister in former President Widodo's government, brings with him the experience of serving both the political and military scene of the country.

Oct 20, 2024

India and South Korea Set to Join FTSE Russell EMGB Index in 2025

Global index provider FTSE Russell announced that India's sovereign bonds will be included in its Emerging Markets Government Bond Index (EMGBI) starting September 2025. This follows similar inclusions by JP Morgan and Bloomberg Index Services, which could potentially attract billions of dollars into India's local bond market.
Additionally, South Korean government bonds are set to be added to the FTSE World Government Bond Index (WGBI) in November 2025 after spending two years on the watch list.

Kenya President Ruto Chooses Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki as Deputy President after Gachagua...

Kenya's President William Ruto nominated Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki as his new deputy, hours after the Senate voted to impeach the last man in the job, Rigathi Gachagua.
Ruto's nomination of a close ally, who still needs to be approved by parliament, came after a period of political turmoil, mass protests and the first removal of a Kenyan deputy president by impeachment.

Oct 19, 2024

FATF Changes Grey Listing Criteria to Focus on Nations Posing Greater Risk

The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) introduced significant changes to its criteria for placing countries on its grey list, aiming to relieve the burden on least developed countries (LDCs) while targeting nations that pose greater risks to the international financial system.
The changes prioritise active reviews of countries that meet specific risk criteria, focusing on FATF Members.
Countries on the World Bank's High-Income Countries list (excluding those with only two or fewer banks in the financial sector).
Countries with financial sector assets above USD 10 billion
Least developed countries will not be prioritised unless they pose significant risks related to money laundering or terrorist financing.

Ex-RAW Official Vikas Yadav Wanted by FBI in Plot to Murder Khalistani Terrorist Gurpatwant Singh...

The US Justice Department charged former Indian intelligence officer Vikash Yadav with orchestrating a plot to assassinate Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a Khalistani terrorist residing in New York. Yadav, along with co-conspirator Nikhil Gupta, hired an individual to execute the killing for $100,000 in 2023, but the assassin turned out to be an FBI informant.
The plan was linked to tensions following the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, another Khalistani terrorist, in Canada. The plot was postponed to avoid disrupting Prime Minister Modi's visit to the US. The Indian government has confirmed Yadav is no longer employed by them, while Gupta was extradited to the US and pleaded not guilty.

Oct 18, 2024

Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (APMCDRR) 2024

The Government of the Philippines partnered with the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and hosted the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (APMCDRR) from October 14 to 18, 2024 at the Philippine International Convention Center in Manila. The APMCDRR is the main platform in Asia and the Pacific to monitor, review and enhance cooperation for the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 at the regional level.
The conference brought together governments, intergovernmental, international, national and civil society organizations, the private sector, science, academia and stakeholder groups to accelerate progress in reducing disaster risk.
As the first regional platform since the adoption of the Political Declaration of the Sendai Framework Midterm Review, the APMCDRR 2024 was held under the working theme "Surge to 2030: Enhancing ambition in Asia-Pacific to accelerate disaster risk reduction".

The first ASEAN-India Track 1 Cyber Policy Dialogue was held in Singapore.

A key ASEAN-India policy dialogue was held in Singapore during which both sides exchanged views on cyber threat, national cyber policies, and the recent developments in the ICT domain at the United Nations.
The First ASEAN-India Track 1 Cyber Policy Dialogue explored cooperation in capacity building and training to identify specific areas of activities.
The dialogue was co-chaired by Amit A Shukla, who is Joint Secretary in the Cyber Diplomacy Division of the Ministry of External Affairs, and Jeffrey Ian Dy, the Undersecretary for Infrastructure Management, Cyber Security, and Upskilling, Department of Information and Communications Technology of the Philippines, the Philippines was India's Country Coordinator for ASEAN-India dialogue relations.

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