Japan has topped the list of being the most powerful passport in the world for the year 2021, according to the latest report by the Henley Passport Index. Japanese citizens can travel to as many as 191 countries visa-free or Read More …
Category: International
NASA Approves EUVST and EZIE Heliophysics Missions
NASA has approved two heliophysics missions to explore the Sun and the system that drives space weather near Earth. Together, NASA’s contribution to the Extreme Ultraviolet High-Throughput Spectroscopic Telescope Epsilon Mission, or EUVST, and the Electrojet Zeeman Imaging Explorer, or Read More …
International Driving Permit (IDP) for Indian citizens
Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has issued a notification to facilitate the issuance of International Driving Permit (IDP) for Indian citizens whose IDP has expired while they are abroad. There was no mechanism for its renewal while citizens were Read More …
Thousand Island plane crash
A passenger plane of Indonesia’s Sriwijaya Air carrying more than 50 people on board crashed into waters off Jakarta on January 10, 2021. Navy divers have found wreckage from flight SJY 182 after locating a signal from the aircraft’s fuselage. Read More …
What is the 25th Amendment to the US Constitution?
A day after the US President Donald Trump incited supporters to attack the U.S. Capitol, in which five people died, some Democrats called on Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment of the US Constitution and remove Trump Read More …
India to chair UNSC’s three subsidiary bodies
India will be chairing three-key subsidiary bodies of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). This was announced by the Permanent Representative of India at the United Nations Security Council, TS Tirumurti. These three subsidiary bodies are: 1. Counter-Terrorism Committee (for Read More …
16th Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas Convention 2021
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, inaugurated the 16th Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas (PBD) Convention on January 9, 2021. Theme: The theme of 16th Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas Convention 2021 was “Contributing to Aatmanirbhar Bharat”. Chief Guest: The President of the Republic Read More …
Germany approves gender quota bill for company boards
The German Cabinet on January 6, 2021 approved bill to boost the number of female executives in the country’s corporate boardrooms. The move is expected to close the gender gap in the corporate world. Listed companies with four executives or Read More …
Sudden Stratospheric Warming (SSW) Event
A new study, led by researchers at the Universities of Bristol, Exeter and Bath has shed new light on a sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) event. The stratosphere is the layer of the atmosphere from around 10-50km above the earth’s surface. Read More …
India-Japan partnership in ‘Specified Skilled Worker’
Union Cabinet on January 6, 2021 approved signing of Memorandum of Cooperation between India, Japan on partnership in ‘Specified Skilled Worker. ‘ The Memorandum of Cooperation would set an institutional mechanism for partnership and cooperation between India and Japan on Read More …
Alphabet Workers Union
More than 225 Google employees have formed a union called the ‘Alphabet Workers Union’. The new union has named after Google’s parent company, Alphabet. The union’s creation is highly unusual for the tech industry, which has long resisted efforts to organize its Read More …
Australia amends its national anthem
Australia has changed one word in its national anthem to reflect “the spirit of unity” and the country’s Indigenous population. The amendment, which was announced by the Prime Minister Scott Morrison on New Year’s Eve, came into effect on January Read More …
Spain-UK Gibraltar Deal
Spain and the UK announced a deal to maintain free movement to and from Gibraltar after Brexit. During Brexit referendum, 96 per cent of the vote in Gibraltar were in favour of remaining in the EU. Gibraltar is being placed in Read More …
Tropical Cyclone Yasa
India sent relief materials for the cyclone-affected people of Fiji. The first such consignment was delivered on January 2, 2021. Fiji was hit by a Category 5 Tropical Cyclone Yasa in December 2020 which caused extensive damage and destruction of Read More …
Iran to enrich uranium beyond JCPOA threshold
Iran recently informed the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) of its intention to enrich uranium at a rate of up to 20% in its Fordow underground plant. Iran also informed that it is enriching to comply with a law recently Read More …