General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - February 2016

Feb 2016

Jul 30, 2024

Nicolas Maduro Declared Winner in Venezuela's Presidential Election

Nicolas Maduro was declared the winner in Venezuela's presidential election, even as his opponents were preparing to dispute the results, setting up a high-stakes showdown that will determine whether the South American nation transitions away from one party rule.
The National Electoral Council said that Maduro secured 51% of the vote, overcoming the main opposition candidate, Edmundo González, who garnered 44%.

Ex-SA President Zuma Expelled from ANC

South Africa's former President Jacob Zuma was expelled from the African National Congress (ANC), the party he once led, after campaigning for a rival party in the May general election.
The ANC's disciplinary committee found Zuma guilty of prejudicing the integrity of the party by joining uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK), and gave him three weeks to appeal against its ruling.
Zuma was an ANC veteran but fell out with the party after he was forced to quit as President in 2018 over corruption scandals. He has always denied any wrongdoing.

Jul 29, 2024

Italian PM Giorgia Meloni for Reviving Ties with China

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni vowed to relaunch cooperation with China, signing a three-year action plan during her first official visit to Beijing since taking office.
Meloni, who has led a right-wing government since 2022, made the announcement during a meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang, as Rome seeks to improve trade ties with Beijing after it exited President Xi Jinping's flagship Belt and Road infrastructure investment scheme last year (2023).

Wickremesinghe Announces Candidacy for SL Presidency

Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who steered the cash-strapped island nation to a semblance of stability from bankruptcy in 2022, declared his candidacy to contest the presidential election on September 21.
The island nation's election commission announced that presidential polls would be held on September 21, ending the months-long speculation over the key contest.

Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei Formally Endorses Pezeshkian as President

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei gave his official endorsement of Masoud Pezeshkian as the Islamic Republic's ninth President, following snap elections won by the reformist camp's candidate.
The endorsement ceremony was held in the capital Tehran in the presence of senior Iranian officials and foreign diplomats.

Jul 28, 2024

Jaishankar Holds Bilateral Meetings with Counterparts from ASEAN Countries

Minister for External Affairs S. Jaishankar met his counterparts from the Philippines, Enrique A Manalo, and Norway's Espen Barth Eide on the margins of the ASEAN meet and discussed strengthening bilateral collaboration and priorities in the Indo-Pacific region.
Jaishankar also held bilateral meetings with Timor Leste's Foreign Minister Bendito Freitas and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Cambodia Sok Chenda Sophea.
Jaishankar and all other leaders were in the Laos' capital Vientiane and participated in the Foreign Ministers' Meetings under the ASEAN framework in the format of ASEAN -India, East Asia Summit (EAS) and ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF).

Jul 27, 2024

India Assumes Chair of Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre (ADPC)

India took over the Chair of the Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre (ADPC) for the year 2024-25, succeeding China. This transition was formalised in Bangkok, Thailand. The appointment underscores India's growing global and regional leadership in Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
ADPC is an autonomous international organisation focused on disaster risk reduction and climate resilience in Asia and the Pacific. It was founded by India and eight neighboring countries: Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.

Jul 26, 2024

The 2024 UN General Assembly Plenary Meeting on the Responsibility to Protect

The UN General Assembly held a plenary meeting on the "Responsibility to Protect (R2P) and the prevention of genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity" as part of the formal agenda of its 78th session. The debate constituted the seventh time that the General Assembly formally considered R2P. During the meeting, 53 UN member states and the European Union (EU) spoke on behalf of 103 countries and one observer mission.
While the discussion broadly reflected widespread support for R2P, the Group of Friends in Defense of the Charter of the United Nations, representing 17 states and one observer mission, as well as some of the Group's members – Cuba, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Equatorial Guinea, Iran, Nicaragua, Russia, Syria and Venezuela – challenged the application of the norm. The Group expressed their "categorical rejection of the commission of crimes against humanity, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and genocide, while emphasising the central role of States as guarantors of the safety, security and wellbeing of their respective populations."

World Bank Group Ramps up Fight against Global Hunger

The World Bank Group unveiled a comprehensive package of initiatives to address urgent poverty and hunger, and enable vulnerable people to increase earnings, enhance resilience against climate shocks, and promote empowerment for women and girls.
An ambitious plan to scale up social protection programs, working alongside partners to support at least 500 million people in developing countries by 2030—aiming for half of those to be women and girls. To reach this goal, we are utilizing innovative cash transfer systems that ensure those in need receive resources directly, while combatting corruption and waste.
The Bank Group will be the lead knowledge partner for the G20 Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty, established by Brazil. This will generate hunger solutions and coordinate knowledge exchange alongside Brazil for the benefit of all countries.

Israeli Parliament Approves Bill to Label UNRWA as a Terror Organization

The Israeli Knesset approved a bill to designate the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) as a terrorist organisation.
The vote against the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) is the latest step in a Israeli push against the agency, which Israeli leaders have accused of collaborating with the Islamist movement Hamas in Gaza.
UNRWA provides education, health and aid to millions of Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. It has long had tense relations with Israel but relations have deteriorated sharply since the start of the war in Gaza and Israel has called repeatedly for UNRWA to be disbanded.

Ronald L. Rowe Jr. Named Acting Chief of US Secret Service

Ronald L. Rowe Jr. was appointed as the acting chief of the US Secret Service following the resignation of Kimberly Cheatle. Cheatle stepped down after the Secret Service faced criticism for a significant security lapse during an attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas announced that Ronald L. Rowe Jr., previously the Deputy Director of the Secret Service, will serve as the acting director following Cheatle's resignation.

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