General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - February 2016

Feb 2016

Jun 12, 2023

Boris Johnson Quits as UK Lawmaker

Former U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson shocked Britain by quitting as a lawmaker after being told he will be sanctioned for misleading Parliament.
Mr. Johnson quit after receiving the results of an investigation by lawmakers over misleading statements he made to Parliament about 'partygate', a series of rule-breaking government parties during the pandemic.
In a resignation statement, Johnson accused opponents of trying to drive him out , and hinted that he might try to return.

Sudan's Government Declares UN Envoy

The Sudanese government declared the UN envoy to the country, Volker Perthes, to be persona non grata, meaning it no longer recognises his position in Sudan.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the Government of the Republic of Sudan has notified the Secretary General of the United Nations that it has declared Volker Perthes persona non grata.
The head of the Sudanese armed forces and Sudan's de facto leader General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, recently accused Perthes of igniting the country's conflict.
After the start of the conflict between the army and its paramilitary rival, the Rapid Support Forces, the UN mission in Sudan had been targeted by protests denouncing alleged foreign interference.

US and UK Back New 'Atlantic Declaration' for Economic Cooperation

Britain and the United States backed a new "Atlantic Declaration" for greater cooperation on pressing economic challenges in areas like clean energy, critical minerals and artificial intelligence.
The joint declaration described the partnership as the "first of its kind" in covering the broad spectrum of the two countries' economic, technological, commercial and trade relations.
Under the plan, Britain and the United States will strengthen their supply chains, develop technologies of the future and invest in one another's industries.

Jun 11, 2023

'FarmersFZ' Chosen by UN for Food start-up 'Accelerator Programme'

A Kerala-based start-up, Farmers Fresh Zone (FarmersFZ), was selected for the 'Accelerator Programme by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the UN.
FarmersFZ has figured in the list of 12 agri-food start-ups around the world for the UN body to develop business.
The Kochi-based multichannel marketplace platform, which functions under the Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM), is one among India's two start-ups to qualify for the 'Accelerator Programme'. Its ultimate aim is to attain the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
KSUM is the nodal agency of the Kerala government for entrepreneurship development and incubation activities in the state.
FarmersFZ, which bridges the gap between rural farmers and urban consumers by providing healthy, premium-quality and pesticide-free vegetables from fields to the table within 24 hours of harvest, connects more than three lakh consumers and 2,000-plus farmers in Kerala.

Fraser Island Reverts to its Traditional Name of K'gari

The world's largest sand island is now officially known by its traditional name, K'gari, the government of the Australian state of Queensland announced.
The name change formally recognises the connection of the indigenous Butchulla people to the UNESCO World Heritage site on Australia's east coast.
The Butchulla are the Aboriginal Australians who owned and cared for the area long before European settlement.
The Queensland government began the process of changing the name back to K'gari—pronounced "GUR-rie" or "Gurri"—in 2021, following a years-long campaign by indigenous people.
Long popular with both foreign and domestic tourists, K'gari has a 75-mile beach, no roads, colored sand cliffs and approximately 100 freshwater lakes, according to the state's tourism body.
It is also the only known place in the world where a rainforest grows on sand.
K'gari was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1992. It was cited for its distinctive biological conditions, including majestic remnants of tall rainforest growing on tall sand dunes, a phenomenon believed to be unique in the world.

Pakistan, Turkmenistan Sign Joint Implementation Plan to Execute TAPI Gas Pipeline Project

Pakistan and Turkmenistan signed a joint implementation plan to execute the multibillion-dollar Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project.
The signing ceremony was witnessed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and a delegation of Turkmenistan led by Minister of Energy and Water Resources Daler Juma'a.
State Minister for Petroleum Musadik Malik and Turkmenistan's State Minister and Chairman of Turkmen Gas, Maskat Babayev inked the accord.
The TAPI project includes Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. The 1,814-km natural gas pipeline originates from Turkmenistan and passes through Afghanistan and Pakistan to reach India.
The project is being developed by a consortium established by four individual state-owned gas companies Turkmengaz (Turkmenistan), Afghan Gas (Afghanistan), Interstate Gas Service (Pakistan), and Gas Authority of India and Indian Oil (India).
The construction work began in 2015 but made little progress due to instability in Afghanistan. But after the Taliban takeover, the situation has changed and the new rulers of Afghanistan have promised to raise a dedicated force for the security of the pipeline.

Jun 10, 2023

UK to Host First Global Summit on Artificial Intelligence Safety

Britain will host the world's first summit on artificial intelligence later this year (2023), in a bid to broker a common approach by countries to limit the technology's potential doomsday risks while harnessing its potential.
As per reports, the summit is expected to take place in the autumn and will gather like-minded countries to shape a regulatory response.

Trump Charged over Classified Documents in First Federal Indictment of an Ex-president (10)

Donald Trump has said that he was indicted on charges of mishandling classified documents at his Florida estate, igniting a federal prosecution that is arguably the most perilous of multiple legal threats against the former President as he seeks to reclaim the White House.
The Justice Department did not immediately publicly confirm the indictment. But as per reports, the indictment included seven criminal counts. Trump's lawyers were contacted by prosecutors shortly before he announced on his Truth Social platform that he had been indicted.
The indictment enmeshes the Justice Department in the most politically explosive prosecution in its long history.

Jun 09, 2023

Five New Countries Elected as Non-permanent Members of the UNSC

Five countries were elected as non-permanent members of the UN Security Council following a vote in the General Assembly. Algeria, Guyana, Republic of Korea, Sierra Leone and Slovenia will join the premier body for maintaining international peace and security, starting in January 2024, serving for a two-year period. They were among six countries vying for five non-permanent seats around the Council's horseshoe-shaped table that will become vacant at the end of the year.
The five newly elected countries will join Ecuador, Japan, Malta, Mozambique and Switzerland as non-permanent members of the Council. They will take up seats currently occupied by Albania, Brazil, Gabon, Ghana and the United Arab Emirates when their two-year terms end on December 31, 2023.

Jun 08, 2023

Ukraine's Nova Kakhovka Dam Disaster

The Nova Kakhovka Dam in Ukraine suffered a catastrophic blow, leading to concerns of devastating flooding. Ukraine's military command has accused Russia of causing the explosion, given the dam's strategic significance.
The Nova Kakhovka Dam is situated on the Dnipro River in southern Ukraine. Constructed in 1956 as part of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant, it holds back a massive reservoir of water, estimated to contain 18 cubic kilometres, similar in volume to Utah's Great Salt Lake. The dam's destruction has severe repercussions locally and affect Ukraine's broader war effort.
The immediate consequences of the dam's destruction include the potential flooding of settlements downstream, including Kherson, which Ukraine recaptured in 2022. Moreover, the water from the reservoir supplies the Crimean peninsula, annexed by Russia in 2014, and the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, Europe's largest. Additionally, the dam's destruction worsens Ukraine's energy problems and jeopardizes the canal system that irrigates southern Ukraine, including Crimea.

Top 10 World's most Expensive Cities for Expats in 2023

New York switched places with Hong Kong in the 2023 ranking, which stood at the second spot. They were followed by Geneva in Switzerland, London, and Singapore.
The list was dominated by cities in the US and China while Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the UAE also made a cut, among the total of 20 cities ranked in 2023.
In Asia, other than Chinese cities and Singapore, Japan's Tokyo, and Seoul, the capital city of South Korea also featured in the top 10 list.
The top ten cities most expensive cities for expats in 2023 are New York, Hong Kong, Geneva, London, Singapore, Zurich, San Francisco, Tel Aviv, Seoul and Tokyo.

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