General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - February 2016

Feb 2016

Apr 10, 2024

Simon Harris Becomes Ireland's New Prime Minister

Irish lawmaker Simon Harris was elected as Ireland's new Prime Minister by a vote in parliament on Tuesday, becoming the country's youngest premier after openly gay and Indian-origin Leo Varadkar announced a surprise resignation last month. Harris will now take over as the head of Ireland's three-party coalition government led by the centre-right Fine Gael party and was already poised to replace Varadkar.
The 37-year-old Harris, who has been the coalition government's further and higher education minister, was the only candidate to put his name forward to succeed Varadkar, who had been Ireland's previous youngest prime minister, or what Ireland calls its taoiseach. Varadkar announced his resignation on March 20 due to "personal and political reasons" and said he had no future plans, apart from remaining in parliament as a backbench lawmaker.

Apr 09, 2024

First US-Japan-Philippines Summit to Boost Defence Ties

U.S. President Joe Biden hosted the leaders of Japan and the Philippines to boost economic and defense ties as the allies seek to offset China's growing might and manage risks ranging from North Korea to the wars in Ukraine and Gaza.
Biden's bilateral summit with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida brought an upgrade in defense ties with Japan, Washington's cornerstone ally in the Indo-Pacific region and an increasingly important global partner.

Apr 08, 2024

Mexico Cuts Diplomatic Ties with Ecuador after Jorge Glas Arrest

Mexico cut ties with Ecuador after police stormed the Mexican embassy in Quito and arrested former Ecuadorian Vice President Jorge Glas.
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said that they had forcibly entered the embassy in a flagrant violation of international law.
Glas took refuge in the embassy in December 2023 after Ecuador issued an arrest warrant against him for alleged corruption.

Peter Pellegrini Elected Slovak President

Ukraine-sceptic government ally Peter Pellegrini won Slovakia's presidential election against pro-Western diplomat Ivan Korcok.
Opposition-backed Korcok conceded defeat as results showed he had received 47 per cent of the vote against former Prime Minister Pellegrini's 53 per cent.
Pellegrini was Prime Minister from 2018 to 2020 after Fico was toppled from a previous stint as premier following the murders of journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancee.
Pellegrini will replace outgoing President Zuzana Caputova, who is staunchly pro-Ukraine like Korcok.

Apr 07, 2024

Rakesh Mohan Appointed to World Bank Economic Advisory Panel

The World Bank Group appointed former Reserve Bank of India (RBI) deputy governor Rakesh Mohan as a member of its Economic Advisory Panel. This panel will be chaired by Lord Nicholas Stern, the IG Patel Professor of Economics and Government at the London School of Economics. World Bank Group Chief Economist Indermit Gill will co-chair the panel.
Rakesh Mohan is currently serving as the president emeritus and distinguished fellow at the Centre for Social and Economic Progress (CSEP), a New Delhi-based think tank. He is also a part-time member of the Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council.
Mohan has held several prestigious positions in the past, including:
Executive director on the board of the International Monetary Fund
Economic affairs secretary and chief economic adviser in the Finance Ministry
Economic adviser in the industry ministry

NATO Celebrates 75 Years of Collective Defense

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) marked its 75th anniversary this year (2024). The alliance, founded in 1949, held a special event in Brussels, Belgium to commemorate this milestone. NATO has its headquarters in Brussels, Belgium.
NATO was originally founded by 12 countries, including the United States, Canada, and several Western European nations. Over the past seven decades, NATO's membership has almost tripled, with 32 countries now part of the alliance. The last two countries to become members of NATO are Finland and Sweden, and Hungary is in the process of ratifying its accession.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg emphasized that the alliance's core purpose is to protect the territorial integrity of each member state. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken described NATO as a defensive alliance with no territorial ambitions, but a firm commitment to safeguard the sovereignty of its members.

World Economic Forum Announces 2024 Young Global Leaders Community

The World Economic Forum (WEF) announced the 20th edition of its Young Global Leaders Community: The Class of 2024. The list includes nearly 90 individuals under the age of 40 from diverse fields, including politics, business, civil society, the arts, and academia.
Vedanta Ltd Non-Executive Director Priya Agarwal Hebbar is among the five Indians who were recognised as part of the World Economic Forum's Young Global Leaders Community: The Class of 2024.
Besides Priya, the list includes actoress Bhumi Pedneka; Adwaita Nayar, CEO of Nykaa Fashion; Arjun Bhartia, Director at Jubilant Group; and Sharad Vivek Sagar, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Dexterity Global.

Apr 06, 2024

Zimbabwe Declares State of Disaster over Devastating Drought

Zimbabwe, along with Zambia and Malawi, declared a state of disaster due to a severe drought sweeping across southern Africa. President Emmerson Mnangagwa cited an "El Nino-induced drought" causing below-normal rainfall, affecting over 80% of the country. This drought, exacerbated by climate change, has led to dire food shortages and humanitarian crises across the region.
President Mnangagwa made the emergency declaration, emphasising the need for $2 billion in humanitarian aid to address the crisis. He stressed the urgency of securing food for all Zimbabweans, with approximately 2.7 million people at risk of hunger. The government appealed to UN agencies, local businesses, and faith organisations to contribute to humanitarian assistance efforts.

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