Current Affairs

Sri Lanka is the country that cut its army by half after a financial crisis. The country has been facing a severe economic crisis since late 2021, which has led to shortages of food, fuel, and other essential goods. In an effort to save money, the government announced in January 2023 that it would be reducing the size of its military by half. This would mean that the country’s army would be reduced from 200,000 to 100,000 soldiers.

‘Wagner Private Military Company’), is a Russian paramilitary organization. It is variously described as a private military company (PMC), a network of mercenaries, or a de facto private army of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

According to the Henley Passport Index 2023, the worst passport in the world is the Afghan passport. Afghan passport holders can only travel visa-free to 27 destinations. The Afghan passport has been ranked as the worst passport in the world for several years in a row. This is due to the country’s political instability and security concerns.

The UN agency, Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) has published its latest Food Price Index (FFPI) which tracks the monthly international prices of cereals, vegetable oil, dairy, meat and sugar. The FFPI averaged to 132.4 points in December, which is one per cent lower than the previous December.   The FFPI was notably higher in 2022 than in 2021.