Days before the U.S. government’s debt default deadline, President Biden and House Speaker McCarthy reached an agreement in principle to raise the nation’s legal debt ceiling.   What is the U.S. debt ceiling? Origin of debt ceiling in US — In 1917, Congress passed the Second Liberty Bond Act, to allow then-President to take out… Continue reading U.S. debt ceiling crisis

On May 29, the Indian Army commemorated the 75th International Day of UN Peacekeepers. On this day, India also announced that it will organise two initiatives later this year for women personnel from South East Asia as part of defence cooperation with ASEAN. This announcement follows Indian Defence Minister’s suggestion last year to focus on… Continue reading United Nations Peacekeeping

Amid the rising tensions in the Indo-Pacific region, Japan Coast Guard (JCG) source recently revealed that a China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel has been navigating in Japan’s territorial waters around the Senkaku Islands.   About Senkaku Islands – Location — The Senkaku Islands are an uninhabited group of islands situated in the East China Sea.… Continue reading Senkaku Islands

Oil and Natural Gas Corporation’s subsidiary, ONGC Videsh, recently said that oil output from the Sakhalin-1 project in Russia had bounced back to its plateau level of about 200,000 barrels per day (bpd) from zero.   About Sakhalin-1 Project – Location — The Sakhalin-1 oil and gas development project is located in the Okhotsk Sea, off… Continue reading Sakhalin-1 Project

An inter-agency team of UNICEF, WHO and the World Bank has released the Joint Child Malnutrition Estimates (JME) report for 2022.   About Joint Child Malnutrition Estimates (JME) Report – JME is an annual report published jointly by UNICEF, WHO and World Bank. The report covers measures of child malnutrition used to track progress towards… Continue reading Joint Child Malnutrition Estimates Report 2022

A US Congressional Committee recently recommended strengthening Nato Plus by including India in the five-member grouping.   About Nato Plus – It is a grouping of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and five countries, including Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Israel, and South Korea. The group works toward boosting global defence cooperation. Advantages for India… Continue reading NATO Plus

King of Cambodia, Norodom Sihamoni, has arrived in New Delhi on a three day visit to India.   Details – The visit marks the culmination of the celebrations of the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and Cambodia. This visit by the King of Cambodia is taking place after almost six decades, with the… Continue reading Cambodia

A recent report indicates that the Chinese militarisation efforts in the Spartly Islands have transformed these islands into strategic military outposts.   About the ‘Spratly Islands’ – Location — The Spratly Islands consist of more than 100 small islands or reefs in the South China Sea. They are located north of insular Malaysia and are roughly midway between Vietnam and… Continue reading Spratly Islands

For the second time in a row, an organisation affiliated to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, has deferred re-accreditation of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) of India for a year.   Accreditation by the GANHRI – In a unique peer-review-based accreditation process, GANHRI ensures individual NHRIs’ compliance with internationally recognised standards –… Continue reading Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions

Prime Minister recently concluded his visit to Papua New Guinea where he co-hosted the first Forum for India-Pacific Islands cooperation (FIPIC) summit.   About Papua New Guinea – Location —  It is an island country that lies in the south-western Pacific. It includes the eastern half of New Guinea (the world’s second largest island) and… Continue reading Papua New Guinea