Current Affairs - International

Andrew Holness, leader of the Jamaica Labour Party, has secured a rare third term as the Prime Minister of Jamaica after his party won 34 seats in the 2025 elections. His campaign focused strongly on economic reforms, particularly the promise of reducing income tax rates from 25% to 15%, which appealed to a broad section of the population. His opponent, Mark Golding, conceded defeat, marking another significant victory for Holness’s leadership. Jamaica, located in the Caribbean region of North America, has Kingston as its capital, the Jamaican Dollar as its currency, and English as its official language.

Nepal banned 26 unregistered social media platforms on September 4, 2025, under its Directive for Regulation of Social Media Use, 2080. The platforms included globally popular services like Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, YouTube, and X (formerly Twitter). The decision was announced by Nepal’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Prithvi Subba Gurung, after platforms failed to comply with requirements such as registering with the government, establishing a local office, and appointing a contact person in Nepal. TikTok, which had earlier been banned, was reinstated after registration in 2024, while Telegram continues to remain banned due to concerns over misuse.

India has entered into a landmark Joint Credit Mechanism (JCM) agreement with Japan under Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement. This collaboration aims to enhance carbon trading, promote green investment, and accelerate sustainable innovation. The partnership is strategically important as it comes amid challenges like U.S. tariffs on Indian goods and China’s restrictions on rare earth exports. Japan’s role provides India with an alternative pathway to strengthen clean energy development and manufacturing. Additionally, the JCM facilitates bilateral carbon credit trading, technology transfer, and capacity building, helping India progress toward its Net Zero 2070 target while positioning both nations as leaders in sustainable climate action ahead of COP30.

India has extended 1,000 e-scholarships to Afghan students for the academic year 2025–26 under the Special Scholarship Scheme for Afghan Nationals (SSSAN). The scholarships will be facilitated through the e-VidyaBharati (e-VB) i-learn portal, allowing Afghan youth to pursue undergraduate and postgraduate courses from Indian universities entirely online. This initiative supports education, capacity building, and long-standing people-to-people ties between India and Afghanistan. It is particularly significant given Afghanistan’s ongoing socio-political challenges that have disrupted its education system. By continuing this scholarship programme for the third consecutive year, India reaffirms its commitment to Afghan human resource development and regional goodwill.

Australia signed a $267 million deal with Nauru to manage the relocation of non-visa holders. The arrangement involves a significant financial commitment, including an upfront payment of A$408 million and an annual payment of A$70 million for managing deportees. Nauru, a small Pacific island nation, has long been central to Australia’s offshore refugee processing system. The deal came in the wake of a 2023 High Court ruling in Australia that ended indefinite detention practices. While Australia views the deal as a migration control measure, it has been heavily criticized by human rights groups for potentially breaching international refugee protection laws.