Recent 6 months news in International

Ulle Madise, the Chancellor of Justice, has been elected as the President of Estonia for a 5-year term. She succeeds Alar Karis.

Turkiye has joined the Artemis Accords as the 71st signatory globally and the 7th nation from West Asia.

It is to be noted that the accords were jointly established by the NASA and the US Department of State in 2020. The initiative aims to promote the safe and peaceful exploration of the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

Russia has successfully test-launched the mobile, solid-fuel RS-24 Yars Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome. The missile features mobile launch capabilities and has an operational strike range exceeding 10,000 km.

It is integrated with Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicles (MIRVs) to facilitate the deployment of multiple warheads.

China has tested a new variant of the ‘YJ-18A’ anti-ship cruise missile. The missile is equipped with a black stealth (radar-absorbing) coating to enhance radar evasion and penetration.

The World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Africa has confirmed the closure of poliovirus type 2 outbreaks in Burundi, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, the Republic of the Congo, and Uganda. This decision follows a comprehensive evaluation by the Independent Outbreak Response Assessment (OBRA).

Under the 2026 BRICS Chairship of India, the 12th BRICS Environment Ministers Meeting was held in New Delhi, chaired by Union Minister Bhupender Yadav.

Additionally, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) under the Ministry of Communications organized the BRICS Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) Track in Pune under the theme “Innovate, Cooperate and Transform (ICT) for a Resilient Future”.

Mirza Fakhrul Alamgir, a senior leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), has been elected as the 23rd President of Bangladesh for a 5-year term. He succeeds Mohammed Shahabuddin who resigned from the post.

Hakainde Hichilema, the leader of the United Party for National Development (UPND), has been re-elected as the President of Zambia for a second consecutive five-year term (2026–2031).

India has hosted the 10th BRICS Industry Ministers Meeting in Jaipur, Rajasthan. The meeting focused on the BRICS Partnership on New Industrial Revolution (PartNIR) initiatives and concluded with the adoption of a Joint Declaration.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB), through the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), hosted the 'BRICS WAVES Bazaar 2026' in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The event featured the India-Russia co-production 'KOROVA', the launch of the BRICS Independent Producers Alliance (BIPA), and the signing of several agreements.

The Hungarian Parliament has elected Andras Baka, former head of the Supreme Court of Hungary, as the new President of the country.

Saudi Arabia, along with 13 other founding nations, has established the charter for the Multinational Maritime Defence Coalition (MMDC), a regionally anchored military alliance consisting of 14 member countries.

Led and hosted by Saudi Arabia, the coalition is designed to safeguard critical trade and energy corridors in the Middle East. It is to be noted that among the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states, the UAE and Oman are currently not part of the alliance.

Gautam Rangarajan, an Indian-origin strategist and media executive, has been appointed to the newly created role of ‘Expert Adviser on Structure and Process’ by UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham.

The Government of India (GoI), through its Permanent Mission to the United Nations (UN), has donated 5 peacocks to the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG) in Geneva, Switzerland.

The peacocks were officially handed over to Tatiana Valovaya, the Director-General of UNOG. This initiative revives a historic tradition associated with Ariana Park and UN heritage.

Russia has appointed DY Chandrachud, a former Chief Justice of India (CJI), as its designated arbitrator in an investment treaty dispute initiated by Oschadbank, a state-owned bank of Ukraine.

Lebanon becomes the first nation in the Arab world to completely abolish the death penalty, replacing it with life imprisonment.

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkiye have signed a mutual defence pact named the ‘Mecca Joint Defence Agreement’.

Under the foundational principle of the agreement, an armed attack against any one of the 3 signatory states will be treated as an attack against all three.

Typhoon Dolphin has been identified as the strongest tropical cyclone to strike China in the current year, causing widespread devastation and historic rainfall across multiple provinces.

Abelardo de la Espriella has been appointed as the President of Colombia, succeeding Gustavo Petro.

India hosted the Meeting of Heads of National Statistical Offices (NSOs) of BRICS countries in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, under the theme “Quality Statistics as a Driver of Change”.

India also hosted the 2nd BRICS Anti-Corruption Working Group (ACWG) Meeting and the 2nd Meeting of the BRICS Expert Network on Asset Recovery in Hyderabad. Under India’s BRICS Presidency 2026, the 3rd BRICS Culture Working Group (CWG) meetings were conducted in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. Additionally, the BRICS Chamber of Commerce & Industry (BRICS CCI) celebrated its 14th foundation day in New Delhi.

The 16th BRICS Trade Ministers’ Meeting was held in Jaipur, Rajasthan, under India’s BRICS Chairship for 2026. Chaired by Union Minister Piyush Goyal, the meeting was held under the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”.

Additionally, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) hosted the BRICS Heads of Competition Authorities meeting in Udaipur, Rajasthan. The event featured a collaborative study on the renewable energy sector, presentations on recent enforcement initiatives, and strategic planning for the 2027 conference in Brazil.