International News

Bengali- only Indian language used on ballot papers in US elections
Bengali- 2nd most spoken after Hindi in India- Marathi- 3rd

Word of the Year 2024
Collins Dictionary: Brat
Oxford Dictionary: Brainrot

India’s Republic Day 2025: Chief Guest: President Prabowo Subianto of Indonesia
1st CG was President Sukarno of Indonesia
Diff bw Independence Day: PM hoists the flag at Red Fort Republic Day: President unfurls the flag at Kartavya Path- Beating the retreat ceremony part of Republic Day on 29th Jan

India + Spain- 2026 as Year of Culture, Tourism and AI
2023- Year of Millets
2024- Year of Camelids
2025- Year of Quantum Sciences

Switzerland bans Burqa

Australia- bans social media for children aged less than 16 years

Al- Jawf, Saudi Arabia- first time ever snow

Mt. Lewotabi Laki-laki, Indonesia: erupted sending up ash upto 6500m high- type of Strato Volcano
Most explosive volcano: Caldera- collapses on its own
Most viscous lava: Composite

India will send Zambia 2500 metric tons of maize (kharif) to mitigate drought situation

29th COP: Baku, Azerbaijan
30th COP: Belen, Brazil
1st COP: Berlin, Germany

MATES: Mobility Arrangement for Talent and Early Professionals Scheme- by Australia- India university grads and early career prof to live and work in Australia for 2 yrs

19th G20- host Brazil
Leaders’ Summit- Rio de Janeiro
Topic: Global Alliances against Hunger and Poverty

Silofar Panchamrit Kalash (Kohlapur, Maharashtra)- PM Modi to Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu

International Solar Alliance: 104th Member Armenia
HQ: Gurugram, Haryana

Gabonese voters approve new constitution proposed by country’s military- family members cannot succeed president

India ranked 10th in Climate Change Performance Index 2025: by Germanwatch
1st: Denmark
Last: Kazakhstan

RBI + Maldives Monetary Authority- signed MoU- promote use of Indian rupee and Maldive;’ Rufiyaa for bilateral transactions
RBI Governor: Sanjay Malhotra

South Africa declared food borne disease as a national disaster