General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - October 2018

Oct 2018

May 04, 2023

Ajay Banga Becomes First Indian-American to Head World Bank

Ajay Banga was appointed as the next President of the World Bank, becoming the first-ever Indian-American to head the global financial institution which looks forward to working with him at a time when it's tackling the toughest development challenges facing developing countries.
The Executive Directors of the World Bank selected Ajay Banga as President of the World Bank for a five-year term beginning June 2, 2023.
In February, President Joe Biden announced that the US would be nominating Banga to lead the World Bank because he is "well equipped" to lead the global institution at "this critical moment in history".
He is the first-ever Indian-American and Sikh-American to head either of the two top international financial institutions: the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

India Ranks 161 in World Press Freedom Index

Media associations in the country voiced concern over India slipping 11 places to 161st rank in the World Press Freedom Index, 2023, published on May 2.
Global media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF), which publishes a yearly report on press freedom in countries across the world, had last year ranked India at 150 in a survey of 180 countries.
As per the RSF report, the situation has gone from 'problematic' to 'very bad' in three other countries: Tajikistan (down 1 at 153rd), India (down 11 at 161st) and Turkey (down 16 at 165th).

May 03, 2023

Writers Guild of America Goes on Strike Bringing TV Shows to a Halt

The Writers Guild of America (WGA) went on strike, with more than 11,000 members halting the production of many popular television shows. This marked the first strike since 2007, which lasted for 100 days and cost the industry an estimated $2 billion in economic damage. The strike came as negotiations between the writers' union and the Alliance of Motion Pictures and Television Producers (AMPTP) failed to reach an agreement.
The primary sticking points in negotiations were the Guild proposals for "mandatory staffing" and "duration of employment." The studios were willing to improve their offer, but were not willing to meet some of the union's demands. This could be the start of a long strike, as the distance between the two sides suggests.

Santiago Pena Wins Paraguay Presidential Election

Paraguay's ruling candidate Santiago Pena scored a big win in the country's presidential election, tightening the conservative Colorado Party's political grip in the country and defusing fears about the end of diplomatic ties with Taiwan.
Pena, who has pledged to maintain Paraguay's long-standing Taiwan relations, had 42.7% of the vote with over 99% of ballots counted, a more than 15-point lead over centre-left rival Efrain Alegre, who has argued for switching allegiance to China.
The election result leaves Pena facing a challenge to rev up Paraguay's farm-driven economy, shrink a major fiscal deficit and navigate rising pressures from soy and beef producers to ditch Taiwan in favour of China and its huge markets.

May 02, 2023

Devendra Fadnavis Unveils Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Statue in Mauritius

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis unveiled a statue of Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Mauritius. It was his first visit to the island nation.
During his visit, Fadnavis also met representatives of Mauritian companies in an event organised by the Mauritius India Business Community.
He also attended an event with Mauritian Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth and signed agreements in the tourism sector, and an MoU to promote the trade between Maharashtra and Mauritius was also signed between Economic Development Board, Mauritius and Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation.

Sikhs, Hindus, Muslims Feature on Royal Mail Stamp Marking King Charles's Coronation

A stamp depicting Sikhs, Hindus, Muslims and their places of worship feature on one of the four stamps issued by the Royal Mail to mark the coronation of King Charles III.
Captioned "Diversity and Community", the stamp reflects a multi-faith community and the cultural diversity of contemporary British society.
The stamp features figures representing the Jewish, Islamic, Christian, Sikh, Hindu and Buddhist religions and is representative of all faiths and none.
This is only the third time in history that Royal Mail has issued stamps to mark a Coronation. The previous two occasions were for King George VI in 1937 and Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.

Sitharaman in South Korea for ADB Annual Meeting

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is on a four-day visit to South Korea to attend Asian Development Bank's annual meeting. Besides attending the 56th annual general meeting of the board of governors of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), she will address investors and hold bilateral meetings.
During the visit, the Finance Minister will participate in the annual meeting focal events like the Governors' Business. She will also be on the panel during the ADB Governors' Seminar on 'Policies to Support Asia's Rebound'. The meetings will be attended by official delegations of ADB members, observers, non-governmental and civil society organisations, media, financial institutions and banks and other private sector companies.

May 01, 2023

Japan's New Five-year Ocean Policy

Japan adopted a new five-year ocean policy that calls for stronger maritime security, including bolstering its coast guard's capability and cooperation with the military amid China's increasing assertiveness in regional seas.
The new Basic Plan on Ocean Policy adopted by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's Cabinet also says Japan must accelerate the development of autonomous underwater vehicles and remotely operated robots to bolster its surveillance capability.
It cited a list of threats: Chinese coast guard ships' repeated intrusions into Japanese territorial waters, growing unauthorised maritime activity by "foreign survey boats" inside Japan's exclusive economic zone, increasing joint military exercises by China and Russia, and North Korea's repeated missile launches.

Uzbeks Vote on Extended Tenure for President

Uzbekistan voted on constitutional amendments that promise its citizens greater social protections in exchange for resetting President Shavkat Mirziyoyev's term count to zero, which could allow him to stay in power until 2040.
Mirziyoyev has been praised at home and abroad as a liberal reformer for abandoning the previous leadership's isolationist policies and police state approach.
And while Tashkent's Western partners are unlikely to approve of the attempt to extend presidential powers, Uzbekistan risks little given the West is seeking support from all ex-Soviet nations in its efforts to isolate Russia over its war in Ukraine.
The reform also extends the presidential term to seven years from five.

Apr 30, 2023

BBC Chairman Announces Resignation over Loan to Boris Johnson

BBC Chairman Richard Sharp announced his resignation after controversy about role in arranging loan for former Prime Minister of United Kingdom Boris Johnson. Sharp resigned over involvement in securing a private credit line for up to $990,000 for the then-PM Boris Johnson from a Canadian businessman.
The country's public appointments watchdog has been investigating the way in which Sharp was selected by the government to chair the broadcaster in 2021.

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