♦ Mali’s ruling junta appointed its spokesperson, Abdoulaye Maiga as Prime Minister of the country. He replaced Choguel Maiga.
♦ Choguel Maiga had served as Prime Minister since his appointment by the junta in 2021, found himself ousted after making remarks that directly challenged the military rulers.
♦ The appointment of Abdoulaye Maiga underscores the junta’s attempt to consolidate its power amidst rising dissent.
♦ Mali’s military junta first seized power in 2020 through a coup and solidified its control with a second coup in 2021.
Posted Date: November 24, 2024International
♦ India and the UK have sealed a framework agreement to co-design and co-produce electric propulsion systems to be used in futuristic warships in sync with their aim to broad-base cooperation in the strategic domain.
♦ The signing was part of the third joint working group meeting of electric propulsion capability partnership, symbolising the commitment to promote indigenous development of niche technologies.
♦ From the Indian side, the SoI was signed by Joint Secretary (naval systems) Rajeev Prakash. Director of Ships Operations and Capability Integration in the UK's defence ministry Rear Admiral Steve McCarthy inked it from the British side.
Posted Date: November 30, 2024♦ India and Bosnia and Herzegovina held their fourth Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) in Sarajevo on 28 November 2024. During the consultations, both sides conducted a comprehensive review of bilateral, regional, and international issues.
♦ Discussions focused on the progress made in political relations, trade and investment, cooperation in science and technology, cultural relations, and people-to-people contacts through student and youth exchanges, as well as the promotion of tourism between the two countries.
♦ Both sides exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual interest, including developments in the neighbourhoods of India and Bosnia and Herzegovina, multilateralism including Brics, UN, EU, NAM, and global developments of mutual concern.
Posted Date: November 29, 2024♦ India has secured its re-election to the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) for the 2025-2026 term, reaffirming its commitment to global peace initiatives.
♦ The announcement was made on 29 November 2024. The Peacebuilding Commission was established in December 2005, serves as an intergovernmental advisory body to support peace efforts in conflict-affected regions and bolster the international community’s broader peace agenda.
♦ India, a founding member of the Commission, has consistently played an active role in shaping its peacebuilding initiatives.
♦ The Commission advises the UN General Assembly and Security Council on peacebuilding and sustaining peace efforts.
♦ Its focus includes promoting a strategic and integrated approach to peacebuilding by engaging with member states, United Nations entities, and other relevant actors.
Posted Date: November 29, 2024♦ Dr Thomas Schinecker was appointed as President of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA) on 28 November 2024.
♦ He is Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Roche Group. He will take charge on January 1, 2025.
♦ Schinecker served as IFPMA Vice-President over the past two years. He replaced Albert Bourla.
Posted Date: November 28, 2024♦ The government announced on 27 November 2024 that India has secured 49th rank globally in the latest Network Readiness Index 2024 (NRI 2024).
♦ India got 60th rank in the NRI 2023 report. The country also increased its score from 49.93 in 2023 to 53.63 in 2024. The index was published by the Portulans Institute and Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford.
♦ The United States as the world leader in network readiness for the third consecutive year. The report highlights the US's dominance in artificial intelligence (AI) development, digital business transformation, and technology adoption. Singapore has retained the second position.
♦ South Korea has risen to fifth, making them the only Asian countries in the top 10.
♦ The report assesses 133 economies on their performance across four pillars: Technology, People, Governance, and Impact, encompassing 54 variables.
Posted Date: November 27, 2024♦ Dr Jaiteerth Raghavendra Joshi was appointed as the new Chief of BrahMos Aerospace on 26 November 2024. He will officially assume his position on December 1.
♦ He succeeded Atul Dinkar Rane, who has led the organization since 2021.
♦ BrahMos Aerospace was established as a joint venture between India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyeniya.
♦ The name "BrahMos" is derived from the Brahmaputra River in India and the Moskva River in Russia, symbolizing the partnership between the two nations.
♦ BrahMos has become a vital asset for India's defense exports. In January 2022, India secured a landmark $375 million agreement with the Philippines to supply three missile batteries, launchers, and related equipment.
Posted Date: November 26, 2024♦ Center-left opposition candidate Yamandu Orsi secured victory in Uruguay's presidential election.
♦ His election marks a shift away from five years of conservative governance. Orsi got 49.81 percentage of the vote to conservative Alvaro Delgado's 45.90 percent.
♦ According to the Electoral Court of the country, out of the 94.4 percent of ballots counted, Orsi secured 1,123,420 votes, narrowly defeating Delgado, who garnered 1,042,001 votes.
Posted Date: November 25, 2024♦ Dinesh Bhatia was named as India’s next Ambassador to Brazil, the Ministry of External Affairs said on 25 November 2024. He is an Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer of the 1992 batch.
♦ Dinesh is currently serving as the ambassador of India to Argentina, having assumed this role on August 21, 2019, and his accreditation also extended to Uruguay and Paraguay until February 2022.
♦ Before this, he served as the Consul General of India in Toronto and Ambassador to Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea, and Liberia.
Posted Date: November 25, 2024♦ US President-elect Donald Trump has nominated billionaire Scott Bessent as Treasury Secretary. He is CEO of Key Square Group and a seasoned investor.
♦ As Treasury secretary, Bessent will essentially be the highest-ranking US economic official, responsible for maintaining the plumbing of the world's largest economy, from collecting taxes and paying the nation's bills to managing the $28.6-trillion Treasury debt market and overseeing financial regulation, including handling and preventing market crises.
♦ The Treasury boss also runs US financial sanctions policy.
Posted Date: November 23, 2024♦ US President-elect Donald Trump has selected Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi as his nominee for the country's Attorney General.
♦ The move came hours after Former Congressman Matt Gaetz withdrew his name amid controversy over alleged sexual misconduct.
♦ Bondi has been an outspoken defender of Trump. She was one of his lawyers during his first impeachment trial when he was accused of abusing his power. And she was among a group of Republicans who showed up to support Trump at his New York hush money criminal trial.
Posted Date: November 22, 2024♦ Armenia has become the 104th full member of the International Solar Alliance. Armenia handed over the Indian Solar Alliance Instrument of Ratification during a meeting between its Ambassador to India, Vahagn Afyan, and the Joint Secretary of the Ministry of External Affairs, Abhishek Singh, in New Delhi on 21 November 2024.
♦ International Solar Alliance (ISA) is a global intergovernmental organization dedicated to advancing solar power adoption for a carbon-neutral future.
♦ The ISA is a collaborative initiative between India and France aimed at uniting efforts to combat climate change by implementing solar energy solutions. It was conceptualized on the side lines of COP21 in Paris in 2015.
♦ The aim of this mission is to accelerate the deployment of solar energy globally in support of Climate Action. It has brought together several countries to collectively address barriers related to technology, finance, and capacity in scaling up solar energy.
Posted Date: November 21, 2024♦ London has bagged the top ranking in the World’s Best Cities 2025 for the 10th year in a row. New York (US), Paris (France), Tokyo (Japan), Singapore, Rome (Italy), Madrid (Spain), Barcelona (Spain), Berlin (Germany), and Sydney (Australia) are among the top 10 cities.
♦ The annual rankings were released by Resonance Consultancy in partnership with Ipsos on 20 November 2024.
♦ The 2025 report is the first in terms of compiling perception-based data after the survey of over 22,000 people in 31 countries.
♦ The US leads the pack with 36 cities in the Top 100 best cities globally, Canada follows the neighbouring country with a distant second, having six cities in the Top 100. Cape Town and Rio de Janeiro are the new entrants in the 2025 ranking.
♦ Indian cities like Delhi and Mumbai failed to make a mark in the top 100 places.
Posted Date: November 20, 2024♦ According to the Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI 2025) report, India ranked 10th on a list of 63 countries assessed for efforts to combat climate change. The report was released at the annual UN climate conference in Baku on 20 November 2024.
♦ India's per capita emissions stand at 2.9 tons of CO2 equivalent (tCO2e), far below the global average of 6.6 tCO2e.
♦ CCPI 2025 was published by think tanks Germanwatch, New Climate Institute, and Climate Action Network International, the CCPI tracks the progress of the world's largest emitters in terms of emissions, renewables, and climate policy.
♦ The report leaves the first three places empty, as no country performed well enough across all index categories to achieve an overall “very high” rating. Denmark ranks 4th, followed by the Netherlands and the UK.
♦ China, the world’s biggest emitter, ranks 55th, falling to a very low level.
♦ The U.S., the second-largest emitter, remains in 57th place among the very low performers.
♦ The four lowest-ranked countries in the CCPI are Iran (67th), Saudi Arabia (66th), the United Arab Emirates (65th), and Russia (64th), all four among the world’s largest oil and gas producers.
Posted Date: November 20, 2024♦ Prime Minister Narendra Modi has met Guyana President Mohamed Irfaan Ali in Georgetown on 20 November 2024. India and Guyana signed 10 Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) during Modi’s visit.
♦ Key agreements include an MoU on Cooperation in the Hydrocarbons Sector, focusing on joint efforts in crude sourcing, natural gas collaboration, Bilateral Cooperation in Agriculture and Allied Sectors and infrastructure development.
♦ This partnership also aims to enhance capacity building and expertise sharing across the hydrocarbon value chain.
♦ This is the first visit by an Indian head of the state to the country in more than 50 years.
Posted Date: November 20, 2024♦ Ministry of Tourism, Government of India participated in IBTM World 2024 at Barcelona on 19th November 2024.
♦ IBTM is one of the leading global travel exhibitions on MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions).
♦ The participation at the exhibition is aimed at promoting India as a potential destination for hosting conferences and conventions.
♦ The theme of IBTM World 2024 is 'People, Power, Potential. Ministry of Tourism aims to showcase the MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and events) products and services of the country to meetings and events professionals across the globe through this platform.
♦ Leading Convention centres like Hyderabad Convention Centre and Jaipur Convention Centre are participating along with the Ministry to highlight its robust infrastructure in terms of organizing events and conferences on a bigger scale.
Posted Date: November 19, 2024♦ The Philippines and the United States signed a military intelligence-sharing deal on 18 November 2024. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin signed the agreement with his Philippine counterpart, Gilberto Teodoro, at Manila's military headquarters.
♦ The United States and the Philippines have a mutual defence treaty dating back to 1951, which could be invoked if either side came under attack, including in the South China Sea.
♦ Both the Philippines and the United States face increasingly aggressive actions from China in the South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion in annual ship-borne commerce, which it claims almost entirely as its own.
Posted Date: November 18, 2024♦ Brazil’s Federal Police Commissioner Valdecy Urquiza was elected as new secretary general of Interpol. He replaced Jurgen Stock.
♦ Stock has been at the helm of the world’s largest police organisation for the past 10 years.
♦ This decision was taken at the global police organisation’s 92nd General Assembly in Glasgow.
Posted Date: November 18, 2024♦ The 19th G20 Summit started at the Museum of Modern Art in Rio de Janeiro of Brazil on 18 November 2024.
♦ The heads of member states and representatives of international organizations participated in the various sessions and deliberate on the priority areas of this year’s declaration.
♦ This year (2024) G20 summit starts with the theme of “Building a just and sustainable world”.
Posted Date: November 18, 2024♦ The UAE has unveiled an ambitious initiative to establish the ‘Global Energy Efficiency Alliance’ during COP29, hosted in Azerbaijan on 16 November 2024. This aims to double global energy efficiency rates by 2030 and contribute to significant emission reductions.
♦ The initiative builds on the ‘UAE Consensus‘ from COP28, a commitment that brought together countries, organizations, and corporations to reduce carbon emissions and promote sustainable resource management.
♦ The UAE plans to lead the alliance by sharing its expertise in energy efficiency, fostering knowledge transfer, and building effective partnership models with the private sector. The alliance is designed to support the reduction of carbon emissions and the sustainable use of natural resources through knowledge sharing, capacity building, and standardization efforts.
Posted Date: November 16, 2024♦ The first trilateral power transaction – from Nepal to Bangladesh through the Indian Grid, was inaugurated.
♦ Union Minister for Power and Housing & Urban Affairs, Manohar Lal, jointly inaugurated the power flow from Nepal to Bangladesh, alongwith Md. Fouzul Kabir Khan, Adviser, Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, Government of Bangladesh and Mr. Dipak Khadka, Minister of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Government of Nepal through a virtual event hosted by the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Government of Nepal. It marks the first trilateral power transaction which has been carried out through the Indian grid.
♦ The Government of India had announced its decision to facilitate the first trilateral power transaction from Nepal to Bangladesh, through Indian grid with an export of upto 40 MW of power during the visit of the former Prime Minister of Nepal, Mr. Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ to India from 31 May to 3 June 2023.
♦ Subsequently, a tripartite power sales agreement between NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam, Nepal Electricity Authority and Bangladesh Power Development Board was signed on 3 October 2024 in Kathmandu.
Posted Date: November 16, 2024♦ According to the USA's Climate Trace organization, Shanghai tops the list of most polluting cities in the world.
♦ It emits 256 million metric tons of greenhouse gases. Tokyo (250 million metric tons), New York (160 million metric tons), and Houston (250 million metric tons) is ranked 2nd, 3rd, and 4th respectively. The data was compiled by using advanced observations and artificial intelligence.
♦ China, India, Iran, Indonesia and Russia had the biggest increases in emissions from 2022 to 2023, while Venezuela, Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States had the biggest decreases in pollution.
♦ Earth’s total greenhouse gas emissions rose to 61.2 billion metric tons in 2023, a 0.7% increase from the previous year.
Posted Date: November 15, 2024♦ President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Robert F. Kennedy Jr., to lead the Department of Health and Human Services on 15 November 2024.
♦ If confirmed, Kennedy would oversee major agencies including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and the Food and Drug Administration.
Posted Date: November 15, 2024♦ US President-elect Donald Trump named Tulsi Gabbard would serve as Director of National Intelligence (DNI) on 14 November 2024.
♦ With this announcement, she will be the first Hindu Congresswomen who will sit atop the US spy agencies and will act as Trump's intelligence advisor.
♦ She was a former Democrat and the first-ever Hindu elected to the US Congress. She sat between 2013 and 2021 as the Democratic representative for Hawaii.
Posted Date: November 14, 2024♦ U.S. President-elect Donald Trump announces the establishment of a new “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE), to be led by Tesla CEO Elon Musk and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy on 13 November 2024.
♦ The department is tasked with reducing government bureaucracy, cutting excess regulations, and eliminating wasteful spending.
♦ Trump has selected Army veteran and TV personality Pete Hegseth as his Defense Secretary. Hegseth served in Iraq and Afghanistan and has been with a cable news giant since 2014.
♦ Republican Congressman Mike Waltz, who has been co-chair of the India Caucus in the House of Representatives, has been selected as the next National Security Advisor.
Posted Date: November 13, 2024♦ The Russian Embassy in India inaugurated the Russian Business Center in New Delhi on November 12. The Business Council for Cooperation with India and Synergy Corporation led this initiative.
♦ The main objectives of opening the center are to develop business ties between India and Russia, promote export cooperation, and provide a platform for interaction between the business communities.
♦ The center will include a co-working space for events, regional business missions, forums, seminars, and conferences, while specialists will provide analytical support and advice on various issues.
Posted Date: November 12, 2024♦ Mauritius' opposition leader Navin Ramgoolam was elected the country's Prime Minister on 12 November 2024. Ramgoolam's Alliance du Changement (ADC) coalition won a landslide 60 of the 62 national assembly seats.
♦ The ADC earned 62.6% of votes in the recent eletions, election commission said. he has replaced Pravind Jugnauth as PM.
♦ He served as prime minister from 1995 to 2000 and again from 2005 to 2014.
Posted Date: November 12, 2024♦ USA President-elect Donald Trump has announced that Tom Homan will take on the role of 'border czar' in his administration on 11 November 2024.
♦ This position does not require Senate confirmation, easing Homan’s transition into the role. Tom Homan was former acting head of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
♦ Homan served as the public face of the first Trump administration’s aggressive efforts to step up immigration enforcement before retiring in 2018.
Posted Date: November 11, 2024♦ US President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday appointed Susie Wiles as White House Chief of Staff on 8 November 2024.
♦ She will be the first woman in US history to hold this position. Susie was the campaign manager for Trump’s highly successful 2024 Campaign for President.
♦ The Chief of Staff serves as the gatekeeper for the President, the liaison to Congress and government departments, and plays a key role in steering policy decisions.
Posted Date: November 8, 2024♦ Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) has released the World University Ranking: Asia 2025. From the Asia region, a total of 984 universities have found their place in the list of which 22 are from India.
6 universities from the country have secured positions in the top 100 universities in Asia. They are:
1. Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IITD) - Rank 44
2. Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB) - Rank 48
3. Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM) - Rank 56
4. Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (IIT-KGP) - Rank 60
5. Indian Institute of Science - Rank 62
6. Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IITK) - Rank 67
♦ IIT Guwahati, IIT Roorkee, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) got 104, 108, 110 ranks respectively.
Top 5 universities in Asia are:
1. Peking University, Beijing, China (Mainland)
2. The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR
3. National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore
4. Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore)
5. Fudan University, China (Mainland)
Posted Date: November 7, 2024♦ The Australian government will legislate for a ban on social media for children under 16. The Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said this on 7 November 2024. Australia is trialing an age-verification system to assist in blocking children from accessing social media platforms, as part of a range of measures that include some of the toughest controls imposed by any country to date.
♦ Legislation will be introduced into the Australian parliament this year (2024), with the laws coming into effect 12 months after being ratified by lawmakers, Albanese said. The opposition Liberal Party has expressed support for a ban.
Posted Date: November 7, 2024♦ Republican party leader Donald Trump was elected the 47th President of the United States. He defeated Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in the presidential election and was re-elected for a second term.
♦ He is only the second president to serve non-consecutive terms after Grover Cleveland, a feat that was last accomplished 132 years ago.
♦ Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th President of the US, serving from 1885 to 1889 and from 1893 to 1897. Trump's first term as US President was between 2016 and 2020.
♦ JD Vance will become America’s next Vice-President. His wife Usha Chilukuri Vance is an Indian-American.
Posted Date: November 6, 2024♦ The 5th Edition of Vietnam Indian Bilateral Army Exercise “VINBAX 2024” commenced at Ambala. The exercise is scheduled to be conducted from 04 to 23 November 2024 at Ambala and Chandimandir.
♦ The exercise is a sequel to previously conducted bilateral exercise in Vietnam in 2023 and a major milestone in strengthening the bilateral relations between India and Vietnam.
♦ The aim of VINBAX-2024 is to enhance joint military capability of both sides in employment and deployment of Engineer Company and Medical Teams to undertake engineering tasks as part of United Nation Contingent in Peace Keeping Operations under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter.
♦ The conduct of VINBAX-2024 as a field training exercise with enhanced scope from previous editions of bilateral exercise will strengthen mutual confidence, interoperability and enable sharing of best practices between the Indian Army and Vietnam People’s Army.
Posted Date: November 5, 2024♦ Collins Dictionary has named “brat” its word of the year for 2024. The word, redefined by British singer Charli XCX and popularized through her album of the same name. The dictionary defines the adjective "brat" as, "characterized by a confident, independent and hedonistic attitude."
♦ The Collins English Dictionary stated that 'Brat' has become one of the most talked about words of 2024".
In addition to "brat," the Collins English Dictionary added 9 new words this year:
♦ Brainrot (noun): an ability to think clearly caused by excessive consumption of low-quality online content
♦ Era (noun): a period of one's life or career that is of a distinctive character
♦ Looksmaxxing (noun): attempting to maximize the attractiveness of one's physical apperance
♦ Rawdogging (noun): the act of undertaking an activity without preparation, support or equipment
♦ Anti-tourism (noun): opposition to or action against large-scale tourism
♦ Delulu (adjective): utterly mistaken or unrealistic in one's ideas or expectations
♦ Romantasy (noun): a literary genre that combines romantic fiction with fantasy
♦ Supermajority (noun): a large majority in a legislative assembly that enables a government to pass laws without effective scrutiny
♦ Yapping (noun): talking at length, especially about inconsequential matter
Posted Date: November 4, 2024♦ India and France have been elected as President and co-president of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) for a two-year term from 2024 to 2026.
♦ This decision was taken at the seventh session of the ISA Assembly in New Delhi on 4 November 2024.
♦ The Assembly elects the president and co-president with due consideration to equitable geographical representation.
♦ The four regional groups of the ISA Members include Africa; Asia and the Pacific; Europe and Others; and Latin America and the Caribbean.
♦ In a recent reshuffle of ISA leadership, Ashish Khanna is set to succeed Dr. Ajay Mathur as ISA Director General, assuming the role in 2025.
♦ Dr Ajay Mathur has led the Alliance since 2021, will conclude his tenure on March 14, 2025.
♦ Under his leadership, the Alliance has achieved significant milestones, including a monumental rise in member and signatory countries to 103 and 17, respectively.
Posted Date: November 4, 2024♦ The presidential candidate of the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) Duma Boko was declared Botswana’s sixth president. Botswana’s Chief Justice Terence Rannowane made this announcement.
♦ He was born in 1969 in the small town of Mahalapye.
♦ According to the southern African country’s electoral law, the polling will determine 61 members of the National Assembly and 609 local councillors, with the party that holds at least 31 parliament seats to be declared as the winner.
♦ While the counting is yet to be finalised, UDC has already secured 34 members of the National Assembly, and the ruling party, the Botswana Democratic Party, got four seats.
Posted Date: November 3, 2024