General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - June 2015

Jun 2015

May 21, 2024

Nepal PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda Wins Vote of confidence in Parliament

Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' won a vote of confidence in Parliament, the fourth within 18 months of taking office, amidst sloganeering by the main Opposition Nepali Congress that abstained from the voting.
Prachanda a former guerrilla leader from the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) -- the third largest party in the House of Representatives (HoR) -- received 157 votes in the 275-member HoR.
In total, 158 lawmakers took part in the voting. The main Opposition Nepali Congress boycotted the voting process and chanted slogans against Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane, accused of misappropriation of cooperative funds, leading to the delay in the session. One HoR member remained neutral.

Khamenei Loyalist Mohammad Mokhber Appointed Interim Iran President

Supreme Leader Khamenei, who holds ultimate power with a final say on foreign policy and Iran's nuclear programme, said that First Vice-President Mohammad Mokhber, would take over as interim President.
The development came as Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi was confirmed dead in the helicopter crash near the Azerbaijan border.

Lai Ching-Te of Taiwan's Ruling DPP Sworn in as New President

Lai Ching-te of Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) was sworn in as the self-governing island's new President. According to Taiwan's Foreign Ministry, more than 500 foreign guests from 51 delegations attended the inauguration ceremony and related activities, including the national leaders of eight countries that maintain diplomatic relations with Taiwan.
A trained physician Lai succeeds Tsai Ing-wen to lead the democracy amid increasing threats from China, which claims the self-governing island as its territory. Taiwan has had an independent government since 1949.
Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim, was also officially sworn in. She was Taiwan's de facto ambassador to the US from 2020 to 2023 and formerly served as a DPP lawmaker for several terms.
Lai, who won election in January, took over from Tsai Ing-wen, having served as her vice president for the past four years.

May 20, 2024

Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi, Missing After Helicopter Crash

As per reports, President Ebrahim Raisi's helicopter crashed/hard landed due to bad weather. The weather continued to remain so bad that despite finding the location of the crash, the security forces are yet to find Raisi. A rescue and search operation is still underway in Iran, and world leaders have expressed their shock and concern over the incident.
Ebrahim Raisi is considered a hardline and religiously conservative politician. He first contested the presidential election in 2017 but failed. Raisi was eventually elected four years later in 2021.

May 19, 2024

India Friend of World, Expect it to Bring Peace to Ukraine

India is a friend of the world and the global community expects it to contribute significantly in bringing peace to war-torn Ukraine, Swiss State Secretary of Foreign Affairs Alexandre Fasel said as Switzerland prepares to host a major summit next month to end the conflict in Ukraine.
Fasel held wide-ranging talks with his Indian interlocutors and extended an invitation to the Indian Prime Minister for participating at the summit that is aimed at charting a course for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.
Switzerland has extended invitations to over 160 countries for the summit to be held on June 15 and 16.

Nepal PM Seeks Fourth Vote of Confidence amid Opposition Protest

Nepalese Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, also known as Prachanda, is set to seek his fourth vote of confidence amidst turmoil in parliament. The Janata Samajbadi Party Nepal withdrew its support within 18 months of Dahal taking office, prompting this latest confidence vote.
The decision for the vote of confidence comes amid disruptions by the opposition Nepali Congress, demanding an investigation into alleged cooperative fraud involving Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane.

Paris Summit on Clean Cooking in Africa Ends with $2.2 Billion in Global Pledges

The inaugural Summit on Clean Cooking in Africa held in Paris, in May 2024, garnered significant attention and commitment. With more than 1,000 delegates from nearly 60 countries, this gathering aimed to address the critical health and climate impacts associated with traditional cooking methods prevalent in Africa.
Over a billion people in Africa currently rely on fuels like charcoal and wood for cooking. Unfortunately, these traditional methods pose serious risks to health and environment.
Clean cooking has almost been achieved in China, India and Latin America, but remains a universal failure in Africa. In Benin, Ethiopia, Liberia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Tanzania, more than 80 per cent of the population still depends on biomass to cook their meals. In Nigeria, Kenya or Ghana, it's 70 per cent.

Rishi Sunak and Akshata Murty Climb 'Sunday Times Rich List' with Infosys Shares

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and wife Akshata Murty, who made their debut in the annual 'Sunday Times Rich List' two years ago, moved up the ranks in the 2024 edition, thanks to Murty's lucrative Infosys shareholding. The couple has risen from 275th rank last year to 245th with an estimated wealth of 651 million pounds, making them the "wealthiest people to call 10 Downing Street home.

May 18, 2024

Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia: Indian Entrepreneurs Shine among 300 Trailblazers

Forbes released its ninth edition of the '30 Under 30 Asia' list, celebrating 300 young entrepreneurs, leaders, and trailblazers under 30 who are driving innovation and transforming industries across the Asia-Pacific region. The list also featured India's Akshit Bansal and Raghav Arora, Co-founders of Statiq and Bhagya Shree Jain, Founder of the Disposal Company.
Bansal and Arora founded Sharify Services, under the brand Statiq, which offers a nationwide network of charging stations for electric vehicles.
Bhagya Shree Jain founded The Disposal Company (TDC) in 2020 to promote plastic neutrality as a sustainable concept.
Notably, this year's (2024) list represented a diverse lot of individuals from 21 countries and territories across the Asia-Pacific region, with India leading with 86 entries, followed by China and Japan with 32 each, Singapore with 27, Australia with 26, and Indonesia with 18.

India and Britain Reaffirm Commitment to FTA at Annual Strategic Dialogue

India and the UK have reaffirmed their commitment to concluding a mutually beneficial Free Trade Agreement (FTA) during the annual UK-India Strategic Dialogue in London. This marks a significant step as the two nations have already conducted 13 rounds of talks, with the 14th round commencing in January 2024. The discussions also reviewed progress on the 2030 Roadmap, established in 2021 to enhance cooperation in various sectors.
Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra and his UK counterpart Sir Philip Barton reflected on the "good progress" achieved since the last review. This includes collaboration on the world's first malaria vaccine, support for India's G20 Presidency, and enhanced opportunities for students and entrepreneurs under the Migration and Mobility Partnership.

Cannes 2024: Producer Guneet Monga to Head Initiative to Support Indian Women Filmmakers at Festival

Oscar-winning producer Guneet Monga Kapoor and Women In Film Los Angeles (WIF) launched a new initiative to support women filmmakers in India at Cannes.
At an exclusive Cannes Film Festival event hosted by the Paris Film Region and WIF (Women In Film, Los Angeles), the official launch of a new Women In Film chapter was announced. The initiative 'WIF: India', part of the global WIFTI (Women In Film & Television International) network, is committed to advancing gender equity in Indian screen industries. It will be led by Guneet.
Founded in 1973 as Women In Film, Los Angeles, WIF has been fighting for gender equity for more than 50 years. WIF works to dismantle gender bias in the screen industries by building the pipeline, sustaining careers, and advocating for change.

May 17, 2024

Chad Junta Chief Officially Wins Election

Chad's junta leader General Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno won the African nation's May 6 presidential election with 61 per cent of the vote, according to final results announced.
The Constitutional Council, which declared the winner, also rejected a bid by Prime Minister Succes Masra to annul the result.
Deby easily won the vote. Masra came second with 18.5 per cent, while former Prime Minister Albert Pahimi Padacke won 16.9 per cent.

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