International Current Affairs 2019! News related to International from January to December 2019. Questions on related to International issue is common in Government exams like State PSC, SSC, Banking, etc. Downloadable PDF is available at the end of the article.
INTERNATIONAL CURRENT AFFAIRS 2019
- USA and Israel officially quit the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) amid concerns that the organization fosters anti-Israel bias.
- Pakistan’s Provincial Government declares Panj Tirath Hindu religious site as national heritage.
- The World Economic Forum (WEF) released a survey ahead of its annual meeting which states that Indians are the biggest supporters of international aid. 95 percent of Indians supported international aid and expect India to help other nations.
- Pakistan’s government declared sugarcane juice as the “national drink” of the country.
- Dubai International (DXB) airport became the world’s busiest airport for international passengers for the fifth consecutive year in 2018.
- As per ECA international survey, Singapore comes out as the most liveable location for Asian expatriates for the 14th year from the list of 480 locations.
- Siamese Fighting Fish become the National Aquatic Animal of Thailand
- Macedonia signed an accord, to become the 30th member of the NATO military alliance.
- Hindi becomes the third high court language in Abu Dhabi
- India Withdrawn ‘Most Favoured Nation’ Status from Pakistan. It was in 1996 India granted MFN status to Pakistan.
- Afghanistan began exporting to India through the Chabahar port in Iran, for the first time by bypassing the Pakistan route.
- Malaysia became a member of the International Criminal Court (ICC), the world’s only permanent war crimes court which aims to prosecute the worst abuses when national courts are unable or unwilling. Malaysia is the 124th member of the court since its establishment in 2002.
- Kazakhstan renames its capital Astana as Nursultan after ex-president
- World’s largest e-waste recycling hub opened at the Dubai Industrial Park, Dubai
- Tesla has developed its ‘largest power storage system in Asia’ at Osaka train station in Japan to reduce energy demand and provide emergency backup power to trains in Japan.
- The European Parliament has banned the single-use plastic cutlery, cotton buds, straws and stirrers that despoils beaches and pollutes oceans.
- Following the 1400 years old tradition, Japan’s government has unveiled an era name, “Reiwa,” or “pursuing harmony,” for soon-to-be Emperor Naruhito. The names change occurs when anew emperor takes the throne. The new era to begin on May 1, will succeed the “Heisei” era (1989-2019) of Emperor Akihito.
- London became the first city in the world to implement an Ultra Low Emission Zone for 24×7 hours a week, inside which vehicles will have to meet tough emissions standards. This zone aims to reduce toxic air pollution and protect public health
- Google’s Wing launches its first commercial drone delivery service in Australia.
- India’s Haj Quota has been increased by about 25,000, raising the number to 2 lakh from 1.75 lakh by Saudi Arabia.
- Indonesia released a special stamp on the theme of Ramayana to mark the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between India and Indonesia.
- India to be Guest of Honour country at 29th Abu Dhabi International Book Fair.
- UAE based Etihad Airways becomes the first major airline to operate the plastic-free flight
- The UK Parliament becomes the first national government to pass an Environment and Climate Emergency.
- Ireland becomes the 2nd country to declare a climate emergency.
- The rare monkeypox virus, for the first time, reported in Singapore.
- Australian flight carrier, Qantas operated the world’s first zero-waste flight.
- Taiwan becomes the first country in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage.
- India has been elected to the Executive Board of the first UN-Habitat Assembly.
- Puerto Williams in Chile has become the southernmost city in the world after getting its status upgraded to the city category. Previously, the southernmost city was Ushuaia in Argentina.
- The African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council has announced that it has suspended Sudan’s participation in all AU activities until the productive establishment of the Civilian Government in the country.
- To mark the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, the Indian Embassy organized the ‘Gandhi Cycle Rally for Peace’, in Saudi Arabia.
- India has been designated as the guest country in the 33rd Feria Internacional del Libro de Guadalajara (Guadalajara International Book Fair), in Mexico.
- Facebook confirmed the launch of crypto-currency ‘Libra’ in 2020.
- India extended $15 million grant to Niger to organize the AU summit.
- Ireland plans to ban sale of petrol and diesel cars from 2030.
- Saudi Arabia became the first Arab country to get FATF (Financial Action Task Force) membership.
- Bangladesh’s first iron ore mine discovered in Dinajpur.
- UN Secretary-General declared 2019-2028 as the ‘Nelson Mandela Decade of Peace’.
- UN announced 2019 as the International Year of the Periodic Table of the Chemical Elements to highlight its first publication in 1869.
- The central banks of the UAE and Saudi Arabia have launched a common digital currency called “Aber”, which will be used in financial settlements between the two countries through Blockchains and Distributed Ledgers technologies.
- Anti-graft lawyer Zuzana Caputova won Slovakia’s presidential election, making her the country’s first female head of state.
- The world’s first armed amphibious drone boat named `Marine Lizard’ and guided by China’s BeiDou Navigation Satellite System, has been successfully tested by China.
- The world’s first-ever malaria vaccine was launched in a pilot project in Africa’s Malawi.
- Huawei Overtakes Apple to become 2nd Biggest Smartphone Maker after Samsung.
- India has been elected to the Executive Board of the first UN-Habitat Assembly, announced by Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
- The US government has removed India from its monitoring list for currency manipulation.
- Indian writer Annie Zaidi was announced as the 2019 winner of the USD 100,000 Nine Dots Prize, a prestigious book prize created to award innovative thinking that addresses contemporary issues around the world.
- India has signed agreements with Bangladesh and South Korea for DD India to be telecasted on the state platforms of the respective countries.
- Puerto Williams in Chile has become the southernmost city in the world after getting its status upgraded to city category. Previously, the southernmost city was Ushuaia in Argentina.
- India has pledged to contribute USD 5 Million in 2019 to the UN Palestine refugee agency.
- US Senate passes legislative provision to give India NATO ally-like status.
- UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee has listed Iraq’s Babylon as a World Heritage Site.
- Tata Steel Kalinganagar, Orissa has been included in the World Economic Forum’s Global Lighthouse Network.
- Sri Lanka has inaugurated first model village built with Indian assistance.
- Ukraine has inaugurated the world’s largest movable metal dome encasing the destroyed reactor at the infamous Chernobyl plant.
- Iceland has marked its first-ever loss of a glacier to climate change. The glacier lost was Iceland’s Okjokull glacier. People commemorated this loss with a plaque.
- Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Blacklisted Pakistan Against Terror Financing And Money Laundering.
- Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi has launched the RuPay card, making the UAE the first country in the Middle East to initiate the Indian indigenous system of electronic payment.
- RuPay facilitates electronic payment at all Indian banks and financial institutions. India has already launched the RuPay card in Singapore and Bhutan.
- The High Commissions of Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and Fiji jointly organized a cultural event `Namaste Pacific’ held in Delhi, India.
- Scientists have unveiled a newly discovered species of a pterosaur, the largest ever flying animal according to a study conducted by Queen Mary University in London.
- The tie-up between India and Sri Lanka received a boost when a newly ‘Make in India’ train “Pulathisi Express” rake was flagged off from Colombo Fort Railway station.
- The rake of the train was manufactured in the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai.
- Vietnam has inaugurated Southeast Asia’s largest solar power farm which has the capacity to produce 688 million kWh of electricity annually.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with other world leaders inaugurated the Gandhi Solar Park at the UN headquarters in New York on the occasion of Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary.
- Palestine has released a commemorative postage stamp on Mahatma Gandhi, honoring his legacy and valuesto mark the 150 birth anniversary of the world leader in RamaIlah.
- The National Library of Israel unveiled 80-years old short handwritten letter by Mahatma Gandhi for the first time.
- Gandhi ji was wishing the “afflicted (Jewish) people” an “era of peace” in the letter, written on the same day World War II broke out.
- Japan launched an unmanned H-2B rocket towards the International Space Station. This Rocket is considered as the world’s biggest transport spaceship.
- The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has announced the establishment of the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence(MBZUAI), the first graduate-level research-based AI university in the world.
- India will host the 91stInterpol General Assembly in 2022. It will be held as part of celebrations of the 75th anniversary of Indian Independence.
- The Mahatma Gandhi IT and Biotechnology Park (MGIT-BP), built with assistance from India was inaugurated at Grand-Bassam in Cote d’Ivoire, a West African country.
- In order to tackle plastic pollution, the Government of New Zealand has officially banned single-use plastic shopping bags.
- The world’s largest burn and plastic surgery institute named Sheikh Hasina National Burn and Plastic Surgery Institute started its functioning in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
- Palau became the 76th country to sign the International Solar Alliance (ISA) Framework Agreement.
- Jordan opened its first underwater military museum off its Red Sea coast.
- India’s renewable energy cost is lowest in Asia Pacific region -Wood Mackenzie.
- Infosys launched its new Cyber Defence Center in Romania.
- The Netherlands imposed ban on burqa and niqab in public places.
- A newly discovered Kajin Sara lake in the Manang district of Nepal is all set to record the world’s highest lake.
- India contributed $1 million to reform the United Nations (UN) Development system by contributing to the UN Special Purpose Trust Fund (SPTF) for the resident coordinator system.
- The member-countries of the World Health Organisation (WHO) South-East Asia Region have resolved to eliminate highly infectious childhood killer diseases measles and rubella by 2023.
- Singapore set to become the first country to ban ads for unhealthy sugary drinks.
- Ecuador had quit the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) from January 1, 2020, due to fiscal problems.
- Pakistan becomes the first country in the world to launch the World Health Organization (WHO) approved the new Typhoid conjugate vaccine (TCV).
- Saudi Arabia became the first country in the Arab world to head G20 (Group of 20) after it took over from Japan. The G20 summit for 2020 will be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
- Bougainville was World’s newest nation after voted for independence from Papua New Guinea.
- Afghanistan becomes the 1st nation to recognize Indian Pharmacopoeia.
- Poland has left the European Union’s (EU) 2050 Climate Neutrality Agreement as it demanded more funds for economic transition and support for nuclear power.
- Eight West African Nations agreed to rename their common currency known as “CFA Franc” to “Eco” to severe the CFA franc’s links to former colonial ruler France.
- World’s first liquid hydrogen carrier ship launches in Japan.
- According to the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, Russia is the only country in the world that has hypersonic weapons.