General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - February 2016

Feb 2016

Feb 08, 2024

Nayib Bukele Re-elected as El Salvador President in Landslide Win

El Salvador's President, Nayib Bukele, won a thumping victory in elections after voters cast aside concerns about erosion of democracy to reward him for a fierce gang crackdown that transformed security in the central American country.
This victory saw the biggest difference between first and second place in history.
He is serving as President of El Salvador since June 1, 2019.

Sri Lanka Pursues Free Trade Agreements with India to Boost Economic Growth

Sri Lanka, facing economic challenges and seeking to spur growth, plans to establish free trade agreements (FTAs) with several countries including India by the end of 2024. Foreign Minister Ali Sabry outlined the government's strategy to address the nation's economic woes.
Sri Lanka aims to finalise an FTA with India by the end of 2024, alongside similar agreements with Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, and China.
These agreements are intended to open new markets for Sri Lankan businesses, contributing directly to economic growth.
Talks on the Economic and Technology Cooperation Agreement between Sri Lanka and India resumed in Colombo in October last year after a hiatus since 2018.

Feb 07, 2024

Judge Julia Sebutinde Elected Vice-President of the International Court of Justice

Judge Julia Sebutinde (Uganda) was elected Vice President of the International Court of Justice, for a term of three years.
Sebutinde has been a Member of the Court since 6 February 2012. Before joining the Court, Sebutinde was a judge at the Special Court for Sierra Leone from 2005 to 2011.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations. It was established by the United Nations Charter in June 1945 and began its activities in April 1946. The Court is composed of 15 judges elected for a nine-year term by the General Assembly and the Security Council of the United Nations. The seat of the Court is at the Peace Palace in The Hague (Netherlands).

Kazakhstan's President Appoints New Prime Minister

Kazakhstan's President appointed his chief of staff as the new Prime Minister, the day after he dismissed the Central Asian country's government.
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev had criticised the ministers last year (2023) and blamed the Cabinet for failing to stem inflation and to improve the country's aging infrastructure.
Tokayev named chief of staff Olzhas Bektenov who replaced Alikhan Smailov as Prime Minister. The ruling Amanat party nominated Bektenov, who previously led the country's anti-corruption agency, and the national parliament quickly gave its approval.
Smailov was named Prime Minister in the wake of violent protests in January 2022 that left 225 people dead.

Feb 06, 2024

Yemen Appoints Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak as its New Prime Minister

Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council appointed its Foreign Minister Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak as the country's new Prime Minister. Outgoing PM Maeen Abdulmalik Saeed took on the role of an advisor to the Chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council.
Bin Mubarak came to prominence in 2015 when he was kidnapped by the country's Iran-aligned Houthis while he served as Yemen's presidential chief of staff during a power struggle with then-President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.

Feb 05, 2024

Namibia's Gets President

Namibia's Vice President Nangolo Mbumba was sworn in as President following the death of his predecessor, Hage Geingob.
Foreign Minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah was appointed Vice President.
Geingob died at the age of 82. He had been Namibia's President since November 2014, being elected to his second office term in November 2019.

Michelle O'Neill Becomes Northern Ireland's First Minister

In a historic moment, the Irish nationalist leader, Michelle O'Neill, became the First Minister of Northern Ireland as power-sharing resumes after a two-year gap.
The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) reached an agreement with the UK government that soothed its Brexit fears, setting the way for legislators to be recalled to the Northern Ireland Assembly, bringing an end to the two-year parliamentary gridlock.
A house speaker was also sworn in, as was Emma Little-Pengelly was appointed Deputy First Minister with the same powers as the First Minister.

Global Scientists Convene in Kathmandu for IPBES Nexus Assessment

Over 130 leading scientists and subject experts from 70 countries gathered in Nepal's capital Kathmandu for the third author meeting of the IPBES nexus assessment, which will examine the interlinkages among the sustainable development goals related to food and water security, health for all, protecting biodiversity, and combating climate change.
The meetings, hosted by Nepal's Ministry of Environment and Forests and the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, will be held from February 5-9.
This is the first time an IPBES assessment meeting is being held in South Asia.
Established in 2012 with 145 member states, the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) functions similarly to the IPCC for climate change, with an aim to strengthen the science-policy interface for biodiversity and ecosystem services.
The nexus assessment seeks to enhance understanding of the intricate relationships between biodiversity, water, food, and health in the context of climate change. The goal is to identify options for improved policies and foster collaboration across related sectors.

Feb 02, 2024

Five Countries Confirm they are Joining BRICS

Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates confirmed they are joining the BRICS bloc after being invited last year (2023), South Africa's Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor said.
The five countries were extended invitations along with Argentina at a summit in August 2023 in Johannesburg to join the bloc comprising Brazil, Russia, China, India and South Africa.
Argentina had declined the invitation to join.

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