Current Affairs - International

France hosted the first International Space Summit in Paris, where several Indian and French space companies signed strategic agreements to strengthen international cooperation in the space sector. The summit featured 51 announcements representing approximately €20 billion in activities aimed at advancing global space initiatives. Agreements included a deal between French provider RIDE! and India’s TakeMeToSpace for launching two satellites, as well as a contract between Safran Space and Dhruva Space for equipment for India’s future SBS-III space-surveillance constellation. The summit also promoted cooperation on Moon exploration and the use of low Earth orbits, highlighting growing India-France collaboration in space technology and exploration.

Singapore is the country where NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) partnered with Singapore-based FOMO Pay to expand UPI acceptance across its merchant network. The partnership was announced during the Global Fintech Fest and enables Indian consumers to make payments through UPI apps at participating merchants. Resorts World Sentosa became the first major merchant on the network to go live with UPI payments for booking experiences. The arrangement supports both online transactions and physical merchant payments, providing Indian travellers with a convenient digital payment option and reducing dependence on cash. NIPL, established in 2020 as a wholly owned subsidiary of NPCI, promotes Indian payment systems globally.

The United States is collaborating with India to strengthen the security, resilience, and diversity of global undersea cable systems under the US-India TRUST (Transforming the Relationship Utilising Strategic Technologies) Initiative. The cooperation includes government and industry experts participating in an Undersea Cables Workshop. Undersea cables are essential for international data transmission and support cloud computing, data centres, e-commerce, and artificial intelligence. The United States has identified India as a potential major global hub for subsea digital infrastructure because of its growing digital economy and strategic geographical location. The TRUST Initiative also promotes cooperation in areas such as AI, semiconductors, quantum computing, biotechnology, energy, space, and defence.

Seoul, South Korea, hosted the 27th World Knowledge Forum, which commenced on September 8, 2026. The three-day event was held at The Shilla Seoul and Jangchung Arena under the theme “The Promethean Moment: Architecting the Co-Intelligence Order.” The forum focused on the global integration of Artificial Intelligence and its impact on civilisation. Organised by the Maekyung Media Group, the event explored five major pillars: Power, Capital, Intelligence, Planet, and Humanity. Discussions also highlighted the concept of Co-Intelligence, in which AI enhances human potential while operating within values, ethical norms, and respect for human dignity.

New Delhi will host the 18th BRICS Summit in 2026. The summit is scheduled to take place from September 12 to 13, 2026, at Bharat Mandapam. India is hosting the BRICS Summit for the fourth time, having previously hosted the event in 2012, 2016 and 2021. The theme for the 2026 summit is “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.” The summit reflects the expanding scope of BRICS, which has evolved from its original BRIC grouping of Brazil, Russia, India and China to a broader platform addressing economic cooperation, global governance, development, technology, climate action and other Global South priorities.