North America

USA

1. Operation Midnight Hammer by the US targeted Iran's 3 Nuclear facilities (Fordo, Natanz & Isfahan). It used Tomahawk Cruise Missile & GBU-57 bunker buster.
2. Operation Basharat Fateh of Iran targeted the US base in Qatar. It was in response to US Operation Midnight Hammer.
3. Trump signed the ‘Take it down Act’ which criminalises non-consensual sharing of intimate images, including AI deepfakes.
4. Trump announced the Golden Dome Missile Defence Project.
5. The New York Senate adopted a resolution commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Indian constitution. It was introduced by Senator Jeremy.
6. US is India's largest trading partner for the 4th time consecutively.
7. According to SIPRI, the US has the largest spender on defense in the world.
8. 20th Session of UN Forum on Forest (UNFF20) held at New York.
9. NASA’s Curiosity found sulphur crystals on Mars.
10. Squad Alliance is an informal group of US, Japan, Australia & Philippines. The Philippines urged India to join it.
11. QUAD Partners convened at Honolulu (Hawaii) for a tabletop exercise, a simulation to launch the QUAD Indo-Pacific Logistics Network (IPLN) in May 2025.
12. 4th QUAD Leaders Summit 2024 held at Wilmington, Delaware, at a school where Biden studied. It announced QUAD Cancer Moonshot + MAITRI (Maritime Initiative for training in Indo-Pacific). India will host the MAITRI Workshop in 2025. India will host the 2025 QUAD Leaders Summit. The US will host the 2025 QUAD foreign Minister's meeting.
13. US-Ukraine Mineral deal signed in Washington. It gives US preferential access to new Ukrainian Mineral Projects. It establishes a Joint Investment Fund for Ukraine's reconstruction.
14. The US surpassed UAE as the second largest LNG supplier to India.
15. 2028 Olympics to be held in Los Angeles. Honda becomes a founding partner.
16. The Big Beautiful Bill of Trump is related with sweeping changes to taxes, social security etc.
17. Elon Musk steps down as DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) chief due to disagreement over the Big Beautiful Bill.
18. Hawaii's Act 96 (Green Fee) — Hawaii is the first US State to introduce a climate Impact fee called the Green fee.
19. “A day of Remembrance for Mahatma Gandhi” organised by US State of Nebraska on 6th December.
20. Glacier-covered Ileamna volcano erupted in Alaska.
21. The US FDA approved HIV medicine Lenacapavir that was developed by Gilead Sciences.
22. Trump bans 12 countries entering the USA including Afghan, Iran, Yemen.
23. Trump visited UAE — Local women performed Al-Ayyala ritual.
24. US issued Level 2 travel advisory for India, urging citizens to exercise increased caution due to crime and terrorism.
25. Trump nominates Mike Waltz as next US ambassador to the UN (after Elise Stefanik name withdrawn).
26. Alcatraz Prison in San Francisco Bay will be reopened to house the most violent offenders.
27. Trump signed a proclamation designating May 8 as “Victory day for World War 2” (Nazi Germany surrender in 1945).
28. Trump plans for the “Golden dome” to protect the US from long range missiles.
29. Trump pitched “Persian Gulf” to be renamed as “Arabian Gulf” or “Gulf of Arabia”.
30. Trump removed sanctions on Syria.
31. Trump visited Riyadh signing a 142 Billion dollar deal.
32. India & US signed a Security of Supply Arrangement (SOSA) during our Defense Minister's visit to the US.
33. The US has proposed a 5% excise tax on international remittances by non-citizens. India received the highest remittances from the US.
34. The US Department of Homeland Security revoked Harvard University SEVP Certification, barring it from admitting international students.
35. PM Modi honoured with Dr Martin Luther King Junior Global Peace Award for minority upliftment.
36. The Kilauea Volcano erupted in Hawaii’s Big Island.
37. Indian-American, Jay Bhattacharya, appointed as Director of US National Institute of Health.
38. Tulsi Gabbard is Director of National Intelligence.
39. Texas is the third US State to pass a resolution on the Holi festival.
40. Trump signed an executive order designating English as the official language of the US.
41. Highest number of US H1B visas issued to Indians (72%).
42. Trump imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court for investigating Israel, a key US ally.
43. The US refused to sign the Paris AI Action Joint Statement.
44. Trump recognized February 9 as ‘Gulf of America’ day celebrating the renaming of Gulf Of Mexico.
45. Trump stopped engagement with the UN Human Rights Council, ordered review of UNESCO, will exit WHO, withdrew from Paris Climate Agreement & halted funding for Palestinian relief agency UNRWA.
46. PM Modi & Trump started the Autonomous System Industry Alliance (ASIA) to scale Industry partnership in the Indo-Pacific.
47. Elon Musk gifted PM Modi a Ceramic heat shield tile that had been used in SpaceX Starship test flight 5.
48. Trump was sworn in as the 47th President in the 60th Presidential Election, on 20 January 2025. S. Jaishankar participated in the swearing-in ceremony. He also served as 45th President (2016-20). Trump is 2nd after Cleveland to serve non-consecutive terms. The only president who faced impeachment twice. Trump is the first President to face legal indictment while in office.
49. JD Vance is 50th Vice-President. (Republican Party- Symbol Elephant). Usha Chilukuri Vance, the wife of JD Vance, becomes the first Indian-origin second lady of the US. Her roots are from Andhra Pradesh.
50. Trump defeated Kamala Harris, the Democratic Nominee (Symbol Donkey), becoming the oldest President at the age of 78. California has the highest electoral vote (45). The President needs 270/538 Votes. Elections happen every 4 years on the first Tuesday of November (e.g. 5 Nov 2024). No female President so far.
51. Sriram Krishnan appointed as Senior White House Policy Advisor on Artificial intelligence.
52. Trump appointed Susie Wiles as First female White House Chief of Staff.
53. Mike Johnson, a Republican, re-elected as the Speaker of the US House of Representatives.
54. Mathew Whitaker is US Ambassador to NATO.
55. Trump has sought to revoke birthright citizenship. The 14th Amendment (1868) declared that anyone born or naturalized in the US is a citizen.
56. Trump signed the Laken Riley Act. It relates to federal detention & deportations of illegal immigrants accused of certain crimes.
57. The US State of Ohio designated October as ‘Hindu Heritage Month’.
58. US removed 3 Indian Nuclear entities from export control list — Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Indira Gandhi Atomic Research Centre, & Indian Rare Earths.
59. Trump hinted at regaining control of Panama Canal, a man-made waterway connecting Atlantic & Pacific Oceans across the Isthmus of Panama. A 1977 Treaty transferred its control from the US to Panama.
60. Trump appointed Jeanine Pirro as top federal prosecutor of Washington DC.
61. Elon Musk & Vivek Ramaswamy were to lead the newly created Department of Government Efficiency. Ramaswamy didn't join & Musk stepped down now.
62. Trump nominated Kash Patel as FBI Director (Federal Bureau of Investigation).
63. US, UK & Australia agreed to build Australia's AUKUS Submarines.
64. India & US signed Cultural Property Agreement. The US will return many cultural properties.
65. US, Japan & South Korea launched the Digi Framework to bolster digital infrastructure in India.
66. The world's largest low-carbon hydrogen facility will be built in Texas.
67. PM Modi addressed the ‘Summit of the future’ at the 79th UN General Assembly at New York. Dr S Jaishankar addressed the General Debate on 28 September. Dr Jaishankar participated in the first joint ministerial meeting of C-10 & L-69.
68. PM Modi gifted a silver Hand-engraved Train Model to Joe Biden.
69. The US, Britain & EU signed the first legally binding treaty on AI at Vilnius, Lithuania, during the Council of Europe meeting.
70. 3rd India-US Defense acceleration ecosystem INDUS-X held at Stanford University, California.
71. World's first Human bladder transplant performed in the US.
72. Harpoon Missile developed by the USA.
73. NASA launched SPHEREx & PUNCH to study the Sun & Universe.
74. Blue Ghost Mission of Firefly Aerospace, landed on the moon.
75. Exercise Tiger Triumph between India & US at Vishakhapatnam.
76. The US imposed a 25% tariff on all imports from any country that buys oil or gas from Venezuela.
77. US holds First Rank in — Travel & Tourism Development Index 2024, Asia Power Index 2024, Network Readiness Index 2024, Global Firepower Index 2025.
78. Coco Gauff of the US won the 2024 WTA Finals singles championship.
79. Neeraj Chopra was named best javelin thrower of the year by a US Magazine.
80. Transgender athletes banned from competing in US women's sports.

Canada

• 51st G7 Summit: Kananaskis, Banff, Alberta (June 15–17, 2025).
  • Launched: G7 GovAI Grand Challenge + G7 Critical Minerals Action Plan.
• Student Direct Stream (SDS) Scheme - Canada ended this student visa facility.
• New Indo-Canadian Cabinet Ministers
  • Anita Anand → Minister of Foreign Affairs; Canada’s first Hindu foreign minister.
  • Maninder Sidhu → Minister for International Trade.
• Parliamentary / Federal Election
  • Voting held for the 343-member House of Commons.
  • PM Mark Carney’s Liberal Party won a fourth successive mandate; succeeded Justin Trudeau (who resigned; Liberal Party).
  • Rival: Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre.
  • 24 Indian-origin candidates won.

Guatemala

• Fuego Volcano

Haiti

• New Prime Minister: Alix Didier Fils-Aimé.
• Haiti facing gang wars and violence.

Mexico

• First Woman President: Claudia Sheinbaum
  • Former mayor of Mexico City, climate scientist.
  • First Jewish leader of Mexico.
  • MORENA Party
  • Replaced López Obrador
  • First women to win a general election from the US, Mexico or Canada.
• Partner country of G7 -- Along with Australia, India, South Korea, and South Africa, endorsed the Kananaskis Wildfire Charter.
• Tariffs on Canada and Mexico imposed by Donald Trump were halted after a month.
• First country to allow voters to elect judges at all levels, including Supreme Court; Reform pushed by the then President López Obrador.

Nicaragua

• 101st member to join WTO Fisheries Subsidies Agreement (will come into force once 111 countries approve).
• India-Nicaragua MoU for “Quick Impact Projects” for infrastructure.

Panama

• President: J R Mulino.
• Became the first Latin American country to exit China’s BRI; Decision announced by President Jose Raul Mulino.
• Elected as non-permanent member of UNSC (2026–28).
• India & Panama signed an MoU for Indian grant assistance for “Quick Impact Projects”.
• Panama Canal
  • Treaty (1977) transferred canal control from the US to Panama.
  • Trump is willing to use military force to secure control.
  • Connects the Atlantic & Pacific oceans via the Isthmus of Panama.