Category: International

On May 9, 2025, External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar participated in the Europe Day celebrations in New Delhi, commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Schuman Declaration—a foundational moment in the creation of the European Union (EU). The event highlighted the strengthening strategic and economic ties between India and the European Union. What Is Europe Day? India-EU Relations: A Strengthening Partnership In his remarks, Dr. Jaishankar:

Reports claim that U.S. President Donald Trump plans to refer to the Persian Gulf as the Arabian Gulf (or Gulf of Arabia) during an upcoming visit to Arab nations. Iran condemned this move as historically inaccurate and politically provocative. Iran’s Response Historical Context Countries Bordering the Persian Gulf

The Quad partners, Australia, India, Japan, and the United States, convened at the Asia-Pacific Centre for Security Studies in Honolulu, Hawaii, from 28th April to 2nd May for a Tabletop Exercise, a simulation to launch the Quad Indo-Pacific Logistics Network IPLN. IPLN is an initiative that enables Quad partners to leverage shared logistics capabilities in the Indo-Pacific to support civilian response to natural disasters more rapidly and efficiently across the Read More …

India participated in the 20th session of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF20), held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York from May 5 to 9, 2025. Key Highlights

On May 4, former US President Donald Trump announced he had directed the government to reopen and expand Alcatraz prison. Alcatraz, also known as “The Rock” and “Devil’s Island”, is a notorious former prison located on an island about 2 km offshore from San Francisco, spanning 22 acres. The facility once held infamous criminals, including gangster Al Capone. Originally, Alcatraz was a defence fort, later converted into a military prison. Read More …

India ranked 130th on the Human Development Index (HDI), out of 193 countries and territories, according to the 2025 Human Development Report (HDR) released on 6 May by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). India’s HDI Rank and Score (2023): Driving Factors for Improvement: Comparison with Bangladesh: Health Metrics: Education Metrics: Income Metric: Inequality-Adjusted HDI (IHDI): Gender Inequality and Development: Top and Bottom HDI Rankings (2023):

The BRS-CoP 2025 (Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm Conventions) was held in Geneva, Switzerland, from April 28 to May 9, 2025. The agreed exempted uses of chlorpyrifos include: The BRS Conventions are multilateral environmental agreements aimed at protecting human health and the environment from hazardous chemicals and wastes. Source: DTE

The UN Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) launched the Victims of Terrorism Associations Network (VoTAN).

The United States approved a potential Foreign Military Sale (FMS) worth USD 131 million to India. Purpose: The deal aims to enhance maritime security and domain awareness in the Indo-Pacific region. Contents of the Deal: Announcement and Authority: Strategic Context – IPMDA: Objectives of IPMDA: Strategic Significance:

Thailand has reported its first anthrax-related death in decades, with two confirmed infections and hundreds potentially exposed. Historical Context: Disease Overview: Transmission in Humans: Environmental Factors: Symptoms and Lethality: Prevention: (Source: WHO)

Recently, a European Union (EU) GSP+ Monitoring Mission visited Sri Lanka for a biannual review of the country’s compliance with Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) trade requirements. Sri Lanka is one of eight countries benefiting from GSP+ . The Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) is a special EU scheme granting duty-free access for countries implementing 27 international conventions on human rights, labour rights, environmental protection, and good governance. Read More …