General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - November 2018

Nov 2018

Feb 14, 2023

Pakistan Appoints First Hindu Female Civil Servant

A doctor, said to be Pakistan's first Hindu female civil servant, was appointed as an assistant commissioner and administrator in Punjab province's Hassanabdal city. Sana Ramchand Gulwani, who grew up in Shikarpur city of Sindh province, graduated to become a doctor at her parents' wishes, before enrolling for the Federal Public Service Commission.
She became the first woman from the Hindu community to join the Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS) after clearing the Central Superior Services (CSS) exam in 2020.

Feb 13, 2023

A New Bill: Walt Disney World Loses Control of its Own District

Thanks to a new bill, Walt Disney World has control of the board of its own district to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, meaning it will lose some of the privileges and autonomy it has had since 1967.
As per reports, Disney World's Reedy Creek Improvement District will now be known as the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District and DeSantis will have the power to appoint all five of its board members. Florida's Senate will then be the ones to confirm the choices.
This decision will make it possible for Florida to tax Disney to help fund road improvements outside the parks. Disney World will also be subject to more state regulatory reviews, which "could cause the cost of building projects at the resort to balloon.

ADB Approves USD 130 Million Loan for Promoting Horticulture in HP

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved a USD 130 million (over Rs. 1,072 crore) loan to increase agricultural productivity and promote horticulture agribusinesses to raise farmers' income in Himachal Pradesh.
More than half of Himachal Pradesh's land area is in the mountains and 90 per cent of the population lives in rural areas who are dependent on agriculture.
The Himachal Pradesh Subtropical Horticulture, Irrigation, and Value Addition Project will help increase the income and resilience to the effects of climate change of at least 15,000 farm households in Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Kangra, Mandi, Sirmour, Solan, and Una.
ADB is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. Established in 1966, it is owned by 68 members - 49 from the region.

India 4th most Powerful Nation in Asia but an 'Underachiever': Lowy Report

India is the fourth most powerful country in Asia, but it exerts less influence than expected given its available resources. The United States of America (USA) holds the most power in Asia, followed by China and Japan.
According to Australia-based think tank Lowy Institute's 2023 Asia Power Index, the gap between India's resources and its influence in Asia is widening.
This analysis reveals India to be an underachiever, performing less well than would be expected based on its size and available resources. Despite a small uptick in 2022, India's Power Gap has on balance deteriorated over five years, and now stands at -2.8 points.
In the index, India scored 36.3 points based on eight parameters: economic capability, military capability, resilience, future resources, economic relationships, defence networks, diplomatic influence and cultural influence.

Former Cyprus Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides Elected President

Nikos Christodoulides won the Cyprus presidential election after a second and final round of voting, promising a unity government tasked with breaking a deadlock in peace talks with estranged Turkish Cypriots.
Official results showed Christodoulides taking 51.9% of the vote, compared with runoff rival Andreas Mavroyiannis taking 48.1%.
The vote pitted Christodoulides, a former Foreign Minister, against career diplomat Mavroyiannis, a former chief negotiator in the peace talks with Turkish Cypriots and a former permanent representative of Cyprus to the United Nations.
Christodoulides ran as an independent with the backing of centrist and right-of-centre parties.

Feb 12, 2023

Ukraine's Zelenskyy Appeals for European Union Membership

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that a Ukraine that is winning its war with Russia should be a member of the European Union, arguing the bloc would not be complete without it.
Zelenskyy made his appeal during an emotional day at EU headquarters in Brussels as he wrapped up a rare, two-day trip outside Ukraine to seek new weaponry from the West to repel the full-scale invasion that Moscow has been waging for nearly a year.

Greece Bans Far-right Party from Fighting Poll

Greece's parliament banned a far-right political party led by a jailed former lawmaker from participating in the general election later this year.
Parliament published the text of a legislative amendment that will disqualify the Greek National Party on the grounds that its leader has been convicted of a serious criminal offence. Lawmakers approved the amendment.
Ilias Kasidiaris, who founded the breakaway party two years ago, is serving 13-year prison sentence for membership in and being a former leading member of Golden Dawn, a political party of neo-Nazi origins. A court in 2020 designated Golden Dawn as a criminal organisation for waging a campaign of violence against migrants and ideological opponents.

Feb 11, 2023

India Ranks Fifth in Accreditation Systems in the World

India's national accreditation system under the Quality Council of India (QCI) was ranked fifth out of 184 countries in the world.
In 2020, India was ranked ninth in the world in accreditation.
The statement came in the backdrop of the Global Quality Infrastructure Index (GQII) 2021 that was released in December, 2022. The GQII ranks the 184 economies in the world on the basis of the quality infrastructure (QI).
The GQII rankings are published and presented post-facto for each year based on the data collected till the end of that year. The 2021 rankings are based on data till the end of December 2021, collected and analysed through 2022. It is an initiative on metrology, standardisation, accreditation and related services, supported by Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), Germany.

Pakistan Signs Deal with International Monetary Fund (IMF) over Stalled Bailout Package

Cash-strapped Pakistan and the IMF signed a staff-level agreement after tough parleys, unlocking over $1 billion loan tranche under Extended Fund Facility (EFF) for the country's ailing economy.
A meeting took place between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) delegation, where the mission informed the premier about the agreement.
The two sides discussed all aspects of the ailing economy of Pakistan and the fund insisted on tough conditions, including increase in electricity and gas prices and raising new taxes, to bridge the gap in the budget deficit.
The two sides had finally reached consensus over the details of the lending programme.

Feb 10, 2023

Iran Unveils Underground Air Force Base Codenamed 'Eagle 44'

Iran unveiled its first underground air force base, which is capable of storing fighter jets armed with long-range cruise missiles. The base - named Oghab 44 ("Eagle" in Persian) - can accommodate "all types of fighter jets and bombers, in addition to drones. The exact location of the base has not been revealed, but as per reports it is at the depth of hundreds of metres under the mountains.

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