Recently,a beluga whale swimming in the Arctic off Norway has given rise to speculation that it is a spy being used by the Russians. The reason it is being described as a spy is a harness it was wearing, with the words “Equipment St. Petersburg” in English along with a GoPro camera holder. Other marine… Continue reading Can a beluga whale be trained as a military spy?
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 delays levying retaliatory tariff on U.S. goods to June 16
Indian government has decided to extend the deadline to impose retaliatory import tariffs on 29 US products till June 16,2019. These deadlines were extended several times since June 2018 when India decided to impose these duties in retaliation to a move by the US to impose high customs duties on certain steel and aluminium products.… Continue reading India delays levying retaliatory tariff on U.S. goods to June 16
Saudi Arabia says 2 oil tankers damaged by sabotage attacks
Saudi Arabia has said that the two Saudi oil tankers were attacked off the coast of the United Arab Emirates.The incident took place near Fujairah port, just outside the Strait of Hormuz. Earlier,Iran had threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz if it was prevented from using the waterway.However,Iran has distanced itself from the attack.It… Continue reading Saudi Arabia says 2 oil tankers damaged by sabotage attacks
CTBTO invites India to be an observer at meetings
Recently,Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organisation(CTBTO) has offered India an observer status and access to state-of-art International Monitoring System(IMS) data. Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty(CTBT) is a multilateral treaty that bans all nuclear explosions for both civilian and military purposes in all environments. It was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 10 September 1996.It can only enter… Continue reading CTBTO invites India to be an observer at meetings
China hits back,imposes tariff hike on U.S. goods worth $60 bn
China has decided to impose tariffs on $60bn of US goods extending a bilateral trade war.This move comes after the US had more than doubled the tariffs on $200bn of Chinese imports. The United States and China were discussing a trade deal to end the trade war.However,the latest round of US-Chinese trade negotiations has ended… Continue reading China hits back,imposes tariff hike on U.S. goods worth $60 bn
Guaidó seeks Pentagon’s help
Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido has said that he has asked his envoy to the United States to meet with US Pentagon officials to cooperate on a solution to the Venezuela political crisis.The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense Venezuela has been governed for the past 20 years by the… Continue reading Guaidó seeks Pentagon’s help
Trump could meet Xi on sidelines of G20 meet in June: aide
US President and China’s leader could possibly meet on the sidelines of the G20 summit to talk out their differences on trade.The G20 summit is scheduled to take place in Osaka,Japan on June 28-29,2019. Recently,US and Chinese negotiators ended their 11th round of talks after failing to reach an agreement to end the trade war… Continue reading Trump could meet Xi on sidelines of G20 meet in June: aide
U.S. FDA warns of faulty pacemaker batteries
The US Food and Drug Administration(FDA) in its safety communication has alerted healthcare providers and patients about the batteries in certain Medtronic implantable pacemakers. It said that pacemakers or cardiac resynchronization therapy pacemakers(CRT-Ps) which can drain faster than expected without any warning could lead to devices losing power quickly and triggering a medical emergency. Pacemakers… Continue reading U.S. FDA warns of faulty pacemaker batteries
Houthis begin pullout from ports in Hodeidah
Yemen’s Houthi movement has started withdrawing forces from Saleef port in Hodeidah under a UN-sponsored deal. Both the Houthis and the government forces agreed to withdraw from Hudaydah port to allow in vital humanitarian aid.Hudaydah port is the principal lifeline for two-thirds of Yemen’s population.Its closure has had a devastating impact on the Yemen. Under… Continue reading Houthis begin pullout from ports in Hodeidah
U.S. positions Patriot missile off Iran
The US has decided to send a Patriot missile-defence system to the Middle East.US has taken this move against a possible threat to US forces in the region by Iran. However,Iran has described the deployments as psychological warfare aimed at intimidating the country. The Patriot is an advanced surface-to-air missile system intended to defend against… Continue reading U.S. positions Patriot missile off Iran
