News:The Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have opened their borders to one another creating the first travel bubble within the European Union. Facts: Baltic Travel Bubble: It aims to facilitate the citizens of these three Baltic countries to travel within the region without hassles.However, those who are coming from any other countries would… Continue reading Baltics open Europe’s first pandemic ‘travel bubble’
Category: Factly: IR
This category contains all Current Affairs Factly Articles for Prelims, related to the International Relations. You can find all relevant International updates on this page. This page is specifically useful for UPSC Prelims exam.
India welcomes Afghan power-sharing deal
News: India has welcomed the power-sharing deal announced by Afghanistan between President Ashraf Ghani and his rival Abdullah Abdullah which ended political discord caused by last year’s disputed presidential election. Facts: Key Provisions of the Deal: Ashraf Ghani will stay as the president of Afghanistan while Abdullah will appoint half of the cabinet and will… Continue reading India welcomes Afghan power-sharing deal
India opposes Pakistan-China move to build major dam in Gilgit-Baltistan
News: Pakistan has signed a contract with Chinese state-run firm and Frontier Works Organisation, a commercial arm of Pakistan’s military for the construction of the Diamer-Bhasha dam. Facts: Diamer-Bhasha Dam:It is located on the Indus River in northern Pakistan between Kohistan district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Diamer district in Gilgit Baltistan. India’s Stand:It has opposed… Continue reading India opposes Pakistan-China move to build major dam in Gilgit-Baltistan
Explained: How a traditional practice is coming in the way of Japan’s Covid response
News: In Japan, a centuries-old ritual called “Hanko” is being blamed for impeding social distancing efforts in tackling the novel coronavirus pandemic. Facts: Hanko:It is a personal stamp used in Japan that is equivalent to a signature in other countries and is an essential part of several transactions. Origin: The use of this traditional stamp… Continue reading Explained: How a traditional practice is coming in the way of Japan’s Covid response
Seventy-third World Health Assembly
News:The 73rd World Health Assembly will be conducted virtually due to the current COVID-19 pandemic. Facts: The World Health Assembly(WHA) is the forum through which the World Health Organization(WHO) is governed by its 194 member states. It is the world’s highest health policy setting body and is composed of health ministers from member states. The… Continue reading Seventy-third World Health Assembly
Indian and Chinese troops clash in Sikkim, Ladakh
News:Indian and Chinese troops have clashed at two points along the Line of Actual Control(LAC) namely at the Naku La Pass and Pangong Tso lake. Facts: Naku La Pass:It is a pass in Sikkim at an altitude of more than 5,000 metres above the mean sea level. Pangong Tso Lake:It is a long narrow landlocked… Continue reading Indian and Chinese troops clash in Sikkim, Ladakh
Commercial whaling may be over in Iceland
News:Iceland may stop commercial whaling completely due to economic pressures and competition from Japan which also hunts whales and subsidises its whale products. Facts: Iceland alongside Norway and Japan has frequently withdrawn from the International Whaling Commission’s 1986 worldwide moratorium which had indefinitely paused commercial whaling. International Whaling Commission: It is an Intergovernmental Organisation established… Continue reading Commercial whaling may be over in Iceland
India, AIIB sign agreement for USD 500 million COVID-19 support for India
News:Government of India and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank(AIIB) signed an agreement for a $500 million “COVID-19 Emergency Response and Health Systems Preparedness Project”. Facts: The project is co-financed by the World Bank. Aim: To help India prevent, detect and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and strengthen its public health preparedness. Additional Facts: Crisis Recovery… Continue reading India, AIIB sign agreement for USD 500 million COVID-19 support for India
Explained: India lockdown, other lockdowns
News:According to the Stringency Index, India had one of the strongest lockdown measures in the world at a score of 100.However, it was relaxed after the government eased norms for certain workplaces in regions outside the red zones. Facts: Stringency index is one among the metrics used by the Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker. The… Continue reading Explained: India lockdown, other lockdowns
TRF is a ploy by Pakistan to evade scrutiny, says J&K’s DGP
News:The Resistance Front(TRF) had claimed responsibility for the recent attack on the security forces along the Line of Control in the Kupwara sector, Kashmir. Facts: The Resistance Front (TRF) is a new terror outfit based in Jammu and Kashmir(J&K). It is backed by Pakistan based Lashkar-e-Taiba(LeT) and created in 2019 following the withdrawal of Article… Continue reading TRF is a ploy by Pakistan to evade scrutiny, says J&K’s DGP
