The AUKUS (Australia, United Kingdom, and United States) security alliance has launched a joint underwater drone programme under the ‘AUKUS alliance Pillar Two’ to co-develop advanced Uncrewed Undersea Vehicles (UUVs).
The initiative aims to develop adaptable, multi-mission UUV payloads to support undersea operations and maintain the collective strategic advantage of the partner nations. The first delivery of UUV technology under this programme is expected by 2027.
Google and UNICEF have announced a 3-year global partnership at the Education World Forum (EWF) 2026 to deploy AI-powered education tools and digital learning resources for students and educators.
The initiative aims to bridge the digital divide and strengthen foundational skills such as reading, comprehension, and numeracy. The project will be implemented in Brazil, India, Kenya, and Pakistan, in collaboration with national governments and local communities.
Janez Jansa, the leader of the Slovenian Democratic Party, has been elected as the Prime Minister of Slovenia for the 4th term. He succeeds Robert Golob.
The 11th edition of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (QFMM) was held in New Delhi, chaired by Union Minister S Jaishankar.
Major initiatives launched include the Indo-Pacific Maritime Surveillance Collaboration (IPMSC) and the ‘Quad Initiative on Indo-Pacific Energy Security’. India will host the second edition of the ‘Quad-at-Sea Ship Observer Mission’.
Under the Advancing Innovations for Empowering NextGen Agriculture (AI-ENGAGE) initiative, over $6 million in funding has been allocated to support 6 international research projects.
Additionally, the ‘Quad Critical Minerals Initiative Framework’ aims to mobilize up to $20 billion in investments from public and private sectors.
The 79th edition of the World Health Assembly (WHA79) was organised by the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva, Switzerland, under the theme “Reshaping Global Health: A Shared Responsibility”.
The assembly was chaired by Victor Atallah Lajam, the Minister of Health of the Dominican Republic, who served as the President of the assembly. Union Minister JP Nadda addressed the plenary session of the WHA79.
During the session, member states adopted more than 20 decisions and 13 resolutions on public health issues. Notably, the assembly passed its first-ever resolution on stroke to formally recognise it as a global public health priority. The resolution was led by Egypt and co-sponsored by Chile, Georgia, Palestine, Paraguay, and Tunisia.
Union Minister Piyush Goyal has inaugurated the 68th Session of the Governing Body Meeting (GBM) of the Asian Productivity Organization (APO) at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. During the session, member countries reviewed the progress under the ‘APO Vision 2030’ framework, which focuses on productivity-led transformation in the Asia-Pacific region.
The APO National Award for Productivity Advocates was presented to Ashok Panjwani, while the APO National Award for Productivity Technical Expert was conferred on Bakul Limbasiya.
Under the BRICS 2026 Chairship of India, the inaugural BRICS Tourism Working Group (TWG) Meeting was held virtually to advance the tourism cooperation agenda under the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”.
The second TWG Meeting is scheduled to be held in August 2026 in Jaipur, Rajasthan.
The Parliament of the United Kingdom has passed the “Tobacco and Vapes Bill”, introducing a rolling, lifelong ban on tobacco purchases.
The ban targets any individual born on or after January 2009, effectively prohibiting them from ever legally purchasing tobacco products. The legislation is scheduled to officially take effect in January 2027.
India hosted the Kimberley Process (KP) Intersessional Meeting 2026 in Mumbai, under its 2026 Chairship. Suchindra Misra, Special Secretary, Department of Commerce (DOC), Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoC&I), served as the official KP Chair for 2026.
The KP currently comprises 60 participants representing 86 countries, with the European Union (EU) participating as a single bloc. The deliberations focused on the “3Cs” framework: Credibility, Compliance, and Consumer Confidence, aimed at promoting responsibly sourced natural diamonds.
It is to be noted that the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) was established in 2000 to prevent conflict or “blood” diamonds from entering the legitimate global diamond trade.
Ali Falih Kadhim al-Zaidi has been sworn in as the Prime Minister (PM) of Iraq and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the country. Nominated by the Coordination Framework, he is the youngest PM in the modern history of Iraq at the age of 40. He succeeds Mohammed Shia al-Sudani.
Russia has successfully test-fired the RS-28 Sarmat Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) from the Plesetsk cosmodrome in northern Russia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin termed the newly launched Sarmat as the world’s most powerful missile system. The missile, designated as ‘Satan II’ by the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), is set to replace 40 Soviet-built R-36M2 Voyevoda missiles.
India has hosted the 10th edition of the Indian Ocean Dialogue (IOD-10) in New Delhi under the theme “Indian Ocean Region in a Transforming World”. The event was organized by the Ministry of External Affairs in collaboration with the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) and the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Secretariat.
India holds the chairship of the IORA for the 2025-2027 period. The inaugural session of the IOD-10 was addressed by Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and ministerial representatives from Mauritius and Yemen. During the session, Sarbananda Sonowal highlighted that the participation of women in the maritime sector of India has increased by 340% since 2020.
Vietnam President To Lam has visited India at the invitation of PM Narendra Modi to strengthen cooperation in defense, trade, and critical technologies. He held a bilateral meeting with PM Narendra Modi at Hyderabad House in New Delhi. He also met President Droupadi Murmu and Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Dr Jitendra Singh.
During the visit, the bilateral ties were elevated to an “Enhanced Comprehensive Strategic Partnership” (CSP). Both nations have set a target to increase bilateral trade to $25 billion by 2030. A total of 13 MoUs were signed between the two countries.
In Mumbai, President To Lam visited the National Stock Exchange of India (NSE) and participated in the India-Vietnam Business Forum. At the forum, 27 cooperation agreements were exchanged between firms of Vietnam and India across multiple industries.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has launched the Critical Minerals-to-Manufacturing (CMM) Financing Partnership Facility during the 59th Annual Meeting (AM) of the Board of Governors in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
The facility includes a Grant Window (CMM Trust Fund) for early stage project preparation, supported by initial contributions of $20 million from Japan and $1.6 million from the UK. Additionally, a Catalytic Finance Window has been established for co-financing, with Korea Eximbank and the Korea Trade Insurance Corporation (K-SURE) signing initial memoranda worth $500 million as partners.
Union Minister Rajnath Singh has attended the 23rd Defence Ministers’ Meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
The meeting focused on bolstering regional security cooperation and counter-terrorism efforts to promote stability amid evolving global challenges. Defence ministers from the member states of the SCO participated in the session to discuss strategic coordination and regional safety.
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.
