Recent 6 months news in International

Annalena Baerbock, the 80th President of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), has visited India at the invitation of Union Minister S Jaishankar. The visit aimed to reinforce the commitment of India to engagement with the UN.

During the visit, the UNGA President paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat in New Delhi. She also held a high-level bilateral meeting with the Minister S Jaishankar at Hyderabad House to discuss various global issues.

The Government of India has deployed the Aarogya Maitri (BHISHM Cube) healthcare system in Jamaica to strengthen bilateral relations with the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) nations. The initiative is part of the Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) framework.

BHISHM (Bharat Health Initiative for Sahyog Hita & Maitri) Cube is the first portable and modular hospital in the world, designed for quick deployment in disaster zones or remote areas. It features 72 mini-cubes that can be set up into medical pods in less than 12 minutes. The system is capable of treating severe injuries for up to 200 patients for a duration of 48 hours.

The USA has launched ‘Project Freedom’, a naval escort operation to guide stranded commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz. The operation was initiated under President Donald Trump in response to the growing tensions between Iran and the USA. The primary objective of the project is to ensure secure maritime passage and protect global shipping routes from disruptions caused by regional conflicts and oil supply instability.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has launched a $70 billion connectivity initiative to integrate power and digital networks across the Asia-Pacific region by 2035. The initiative includes a $50 billion programme named “Pan-Asia Power Grid Initiative” to transition from bilateral energy links to a regional power trade framework.

ADB will contribute $25 billion (50% of the funding). By 2035, the project aims to integrate 20 Gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy, construct 22,000 circuit-km of transmission lines, and reduce regional power sector emissions by 15%. It will improve electricity access for 200 million people by focusing on infrastructure.

The “Asia-Pacific Digital Highway” involves a $20 billion investment to bridge the digital divide and facilitate growth driven by AI. By 2035, it targets providing first-time broadband access to 200 million people and enhancing service quality for 450 million others.

The programme aims to reduce connectivity costs by 40% for remote areas. Additionally, a “Centre for AI Innovation and Development” will be established in Seoul, South Korea. The announcement was made during the 59th Annual Meeting of the bank in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

Dr Neena Malhotra, Secretary (South) of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), has chaired the Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa (BRICS) Deputy Foreign Ministers and Special Envoys for the Middle East and North Africa (BRICS MENA) meeting in New Delhi.

The deliberations focused on the post-conflict reconstruction in Syria, achieving a political settlement in Yemen, and promoting stability and development in Iraq. The representatives also discussed the progress of the political process in Libya and the humanitarian crisis in Sudan. It is to be noted that the participating members have agreed to meet again in 2027 under the chairship of China.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has designated 12 new Global Geoparks, bringing the total number of sites to 241 across 51 countries. The new additions are located in China, France, Greece, Ireland, Japan, Malaysia, Portugal, Russia, Uruguay, and Tunisia, with the Dahar site being the first-ever for Tunisia. The total area covered by these geoparks exceeds 8.82 lakh sq km.

The label of UNESCO was established in 2015 and uses a “bottom up” approach involving local stakeholders. The status is valid for 4 years, after which the sites must undergo a revalidation process to retain the title.

The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan has joined the International Solar Alliance (ISA), the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), and the Global Biofuels Alliance (GBA) to strengthen strategic cooperation with India in clean energy, climate resilience, and sustainable fuels.

The integration of Jordan into the ISA is intended to support the national goal of the country to achieve 50% electricity generation from renewable energy sources by 2030.

Union Minister S Jaishankar has launched the logo, theme, and website for the 4th India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS-IV). The summit, which is scheduled to be held in New Delhi, is being organised in collaboration with the African Union Commission (AUC).

The theme of the summit is “IA SPIRIT: India-Africa Strategic Partnership for Innovation, Resilience, and Inclusive Transformation.”

The WHO has granted prequalification to “Coartem Baby” (artemether-lumefantrine), which is the first malaria medication specifically developed for newborns and young infants. The treatment is designed for infants weighing between 2 kg and 5 kg to address the specific medical requirements of this age group.

India has submitted its third Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) for the 2031-2035 period to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). It is to be noted that the previous NDCs were submitted in 2015 (pertaining to 2025) and 2022 (pertaining to 2030).

The revised climate targets commit to a minimum 47% reduction in the emission intensity of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from the 2005 baseline by 2035. India also aims to achieve 60% cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel-based energy resources by 2035.

Additionally, the government has pledged to create an additional carbon sink of 3.5 to 4 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent through expanded forest and tree cover by 2035, compared to the 2005 baseline levels.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has officially withdrawn from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and the OPEC+ alliance. This move has caused significant disruption to global oil production groups and weakened the geopolitical influence of Saudi Arabia.

Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker has visited India at the invitation of PM Narendra Modi to strengthen bilateral relations. He held discussions with PM Modi in New Delhi on regional, global, and multilateral issues. He also met President Droupadi Murmu and Union Minister S Jaishankar.

The 17th session of the India–Austria Joint Economic Commission (IAJEC) was held in New Delhi to discuss economic cooperation. During the India–Austria Business Forum held in New Delhi, a bilateral Fast-Track Mechanism (FTM) was signed and operationalized to facilitate investments between the two nations. The visit concluded with the signing of multiple agreements to strengthen ties across various sectors.

The Observer Research Foundation (ORF), in partnership with the Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS), has hosted the inaugural ‘BRICS Academic Forum’ in New Delhi. The event is a key Track II initiative under the Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS) Chairship of India for 2026. The forum serves as an advisory platform for diplomacy and summit preparation to generate policy recommendations for the 18th BRICS Summit. The summit is themed “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”.

Discussions are based on 4 core pillars—Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation, and Sustainability—aligning with the priorities of the chairship. The initiative involves 13 international speakers and a series of meetings held in India and abroad to develop recommendations for the leaders.

The World Economic Forum (WEF) has announced the Young Global Leaders (YGL) Class of 2026, featuring 118 individuals from 55 countries.

The list includes several prominent Indians such as Jay Shah, Isha Ambani, Sumit Gupta, Abhishek Bansal, Ameve Sharma, Suhani Jalota, Aniket Doegar, Supriya Paul, Dr. Edmond Clint Fernandes, and Natsuki Sugai. The YGL initiative was established by the WEF in 2004 to identify influential leaders under 40 years of age for a five-year leadership programme based in Geneva, Switzerland.

The World Bank Group (WBG) has launched a global platform named ‘Water Forward’ in collaboration with multilateral development banks and development finance institutions. The initiative aims to enhance water security for 1 billion people by 2030.

It is to be noted that the WBG aims to provide water security to 400 million individuals, while the commitments from the other partners will cover the remaining 600 million people to reach the collective target.

India and Germany have officially launched a commemorative logo to mark 75 years of diplomatic relations between the two nations. The logo was unveiled during the India-Germany Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) held in Berlin, Germany.

It is to be noted that the logo was selected through a joint competition hosted on the MyGov platform, featuring participants from both countries to symbolise the long-standing bilateral friendship.

Nizar Mohammed Saeed Amedi, belonging to the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), has been elected as the 9th President of Iraq. He succeeds Abdul Latif Rashid.

India has officially withdrawn its candidacy to host the 33rd Conference of the Parties (COP33) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 2028. The decision has been formally communicated to the Asia-Pacific group and the UNFCCC.

This represents a reversal of the proposal made by PM Narendra Modi during COP28 in Dubai in 2023. Following the withdrawal of India, South Korea remains the only contender from the Asia-Pacific region currently in the race to host the 2028 climate summit.

Ismaïl Omar Guelleh has been re-elected as the President of

Djibouti for a 6th consecutive term. It is to be noted that

Djibouti is a nation located in the Horn of Africa.