Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s approval ratings remain to be the highest among 22 world leaders at 76%, as per the latest rankings by approval tracker Morning Consult. Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and Australian PM Anthony Albanese were in the second and third spots. Swiss Confederation President Alain Berset and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva are among the top five of the ratings by the global decision intelligence firm that tracks the major decisions of global leaders. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has surpassed his US and UK counterparts, Joe Biden an
India has been elected to the United Nations Statistical Commission for a four-year term. The country received 46 out of 53 votes, ahead of South Korea (23), China (19), and the UAE (15). “India elected to the highest UN statistical body for a 4-year term beginning on 1 January 2024! Congrats Team @IndiaUNNewYork for coming through so strongly in a competitive election," External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar tweeted on April 5. The union minister added that India’s “expertise in the field of statistics, diversity & demography has earned it a seat on the UN Statistical Commission
On a three-day visit to India, His Majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, the King of Bhutan, called on President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. President Droupadi Murmu said that India is proud to support projects in Bhutan in sectors such as health, education, agriculture, infrastructure, digitization and skill development. She assured that India’s development partnership would continue to be guided by the priorities and aspirations of Bhutan. She noted that this year Bhutan is set to graduate from the Least Developed Country (LDC) category and embark
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) has distributed food baskets in countries around the world as part of Ramadan aid efforts. KSrelief distributed 108 tonnes of food baskets to disadvantaged communities in Lebanon and Bangladesh. In Lebanon, Syrian and Palestinian refugees as well as the host community in Arsal town of Beqaa governorate received about 84 tonnes of food baskets. The center also distributed 24 tonnes of food baskets in Nuwabara, Islampur and Jamalpur of Bangladesh, benefitting 1,000 families. This initiative is part of the relief an
US NATO Ambassador Julianne Smith, while speaking on North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and strengthening relationships with South Asia and the Indo-Pacific, virtually said the organisation is ready to engage more with India if the country is interested. The Ambassador stressed that currently there are no plans by the alliance to expand this to a broader global military alliance. Appreciating India’s role in the Russia-Ukraine war, the US envoy said that she is grateful for the humanitarian assistance that the country has been able to provide. “The NATO alliance is open to mo
The United Arab Emirates’ President, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has named his eldest son, Sheikh Khaled, as crown prince of Abu Dhabi on March 29. The position of the crown prince of the UAE's richest emirate is a position traditionally held by the leader-in-waiting. The late Wednesday announcement was part of the biggest political shake-up since 62-year-old Sheikh Mohamed, also called MBZ, became president May 2022 after the death of his half-brother Sheikh Khalifa. MBZ’s brother Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed became the Vice-President, joining Dubai’s ruler and UAE Prime Minister
On her visit to Ghana, US Vice President Kamala Harris pledged a new era of partnership with Africa. Highlighting the continent's innovation in emergency health care supplies, vaccines, farming and mineral processing, she expressed her vision for “a future that is propelled by African innovation.” “We must invest in African ingenuity and creativity, which will unlock incredible economic growth and opportunities,” Harris said from Independence Square in Accra, where thousands gathered waving US and Ghanaian flags. She said the US must be guided “not by what we can do for our Afric
India, the present chair of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), represented by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, held the 18th meeting of the SCO National Security Advisors and top officials of the member countries in New Delhi. Speaking at the SCO-NSA meeting, Doval said that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, and its financing are among the most serious threats to international peace and security. Any act of terrorism, regardless of its motivation, is inexcusable. He added that if the member countries follow the objectives of the SCO, it can show them the path to
South Korean and US forces will hold their largest-ever live-fire exercises in June in a display of force to North Korea that has increased tension with several missile launches, said South Korea’s defence ministry on March 22. The exercises are part of a series of events marking the 70th anniversary of the alliance between the two countries this year. “We’ve planned various anniversary programmes focusing on realising ‘peace through strength’ through action based on our strategic deterrence capabilities and the solid combined defence posture amid North Korea's evolving nuclea
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amirabdollahian, have agreed to meet soon and pave the way for the re-opening of embassies under a deal to re-establish ties. Earlier this month, Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to revive relations after years of discord that had threatened stability and security in the Gulf and helped fuel conflicts in the Middle East. The ministers spoke by phone to mark the occasion of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, said Saudi state news agency SPA. Amirabdollahian stressed during the call Iran’s keenness to b