General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - February 2016

Feb 2016

May 26, 2023

China Appoints New Envoy to U.S.

Xie Feng, China's new Ambassador to the United States finally filled a post that unusually remained vacant for close to five months and heralding what some observers see as a possible sign of a limited thaw in the frosty relations.
Veteran diplomat Xie Feng has spent much of his career dealing with the U.S.
Mr. Xie succeeded Qin Gang, who was promoted as China's new Foreign Minister, after a close to five month gap, leaving a key post vacant during tense relations.

May 25, 2023

NATO: Ukraine Cannot Join Alliance amidst War

Ukraine will not be able to join NATO as long as the war against Russia rages on, bloc's chief Jens Stoltenberg said.
In September 2022, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced a bid for fast-track membership of NATO after Russian President Vladimir Putin proclaimed four partially occupied regions of Ukraine as annexed Russian land.
NATO allies have not acceded to Zelenskyy's request, with Western governments wary of moves that they fear could take NATO closer to entering an active war with Russia.

WHO Appoints Artists Renée Fleming and Pretty Yende as WHO Goodwill Ambassadors for Arts and Health

WHO announce the appointments of internationally acclaimed artists Renée Fleming and Pretty Yende as Goodwill Ambassadors for Arts and Health. This prestigious announcement was made as part of WHO's 75th Anniversary commemoration during the seventy-sixth World Health Assembly.
Renée Fleming, one of the most celebrated singers of our time, and Pretty Yende, an extraordinary soprano known for her dazzling performances, were selected for their artistic achievement and advocacy for improved health outcomes through creative means.
The appointments of Fleming and Yende underscore the profound link between arts and health. Engagement in creative activities, such as music, art, and dance, positively impacts physical, mental health, social well-being, and overall quality of life. Through their roles as Goodwill Ambassadors, Fleming and Yende will promote the integration of arts into health-care systems, advocate for access to creative arts therapies, and champion the importance of artistic expression in improving health outcomes globally.

Indian-Origin Sikh Becomes First Turban-Wearing Lord Mayor of UK City Coventry

Jaswant Singh Birdi, a local British Sikh councillor based in Coventry made history for the central England city by becoming its first turban-wearing Lord Mayor.
Birdi, who was born in Punjab and spent some time as a child in Calcutta in West Bengal, moved to Coventry 60 years ago and has served as a local councillor in the city for 16 years.
He served as Deputy Lord Mayor for the past 12 months and was presented with the Chains of Office at the Annual General Meeting at Coventry Cathedral last week, a ceremony attended by members of his family. He succeeded Councillor Kevin Maton in the role of Lord Mayor and Councillor Mal Mutton was named as the Deputy Lord Mayor for the coming year.

May 24, 2023

Tim Scott Joins 2024 Presidential Race

In a bid to secure the Republican nomination and prevent Donald Trump from facing off against Joe Biden once again, sole Black Republican Senator Tim Scott formally launched his presidential campaign. Speaking at Charleston Southern University in South Carolina, Scott expressed concerns about the current state of the nation under President Biden and the radical left.
The announcement added Scott's name to the growing list of candidates vying for the top post, signalling an intensifying race for the 2024 presidential election.

PM Modi, Australian Counterpart Rename Sydney Suburb as 'Little India'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese renamed the Sydney suburb as 'Little India' during the mega community event at the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney Olympic Park.
Both Prime Ministers jointly unveiled the foundation stone for a 'Little India' Gateway to be built in Harris Park in Parramatta, Western Sydney, which is home to a large Indian community.

France Bans Domestic Flights on Short Routes

In a bid to cut carbon emissions, France formally imposed a ban on domestic flights on short routes that can be covered by train. Under the new law, any journeys that are possible in less than two-and-a-half hours by train cannot be taken as a flight.
The change will mostly rule out air trips between Paris and regional hubs such as Nantes, Lyon and Bordeaux, with connecting flights unaffected.
Clement Beaune, France's Transport Minister said that this is an essential step and a strong symbol in the policy of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The law specifies that train services on the same route must be frequent, timely, and well-connected enough to meet the needs of passengers who would otherwise travel by air. People making such trips should also be able to make outbound and return train journeys on the same day, having spent eight hours at their destination.
The country is also cracking down on the use of private jets for short journeys in a bid to make transport greener and fairer for the population.
However, the move has irked the aviation industry.

Zimbabwe World's most Miserable Country

Zimbabwe emerged as the most miserable country on renowned economist Steve Hanke's Annual Misery Index (HAMI), released in May 2023, which judges nations on mainly economic conditions. The African country that has surpassed war-torn nations like Ukraine, Syria, and Sudan, has majorly been plagued with skyrocketing inflation, which touched 243.8 per cent in 2022. A total of 157 countries were analysed for the rankings.
Venezuela, Syria, Lebanon, Sudan, Argentina, Yemen, Ukraine, Cuba, Turkey, Sri Lanka, Haiti, Angola, Tonga and Ghana are the other countries in the top 15 list of most miserable nations.
Meanwhile, Switzerland had the lowest HAMI score, meaning its citizens are the happiest.
The second-happiest country was Kuwait, followed by Ireland, Japan, Malaysia, Taiwan, Niger, Thailand, Togo and Malta.
India, on the other hand, ranked 103 on the list, with the contributing factor to the misery being unemployment, according to the index.

May 23, 2023

Taiwan Denied WHO Assembly Invite after China's Opposition

Taiwan failed in its efforts to gain an invitation to the World Health Organisation's annual assembly despite the island's assertion that support was growing for its participation.
The annual assembly in Geneva decided not to extend Taiwan an invitation to the event, which runs from May 21-30. China and Pakistan had urged members to reject Taiwan's inclusion.
China claims sovereignty over Taiwan and says the island is not a separate country but part of 'one China' governed by Beijing. China's insistence that Taiwan is not a country means that the island is excluded from many international organisations.
Taiwan condemned the WHO decision, saying it was contemptible of China to block its participation in global bodies and that Beijing had no right to speak for the island.

Denmark Offers to Host Ukraine Peace Talks

Denmark would like to host a summit in July aimed at finding peace between Ukraine and Russia, but such a meeting would need engagement from India, China and Brazil, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy sought global support at the G7 meeting in Japan for Kyiv's plan to end Russia's war in Ukraine and proposed to hold a global summit in July.
Ukraine had in December 2022 proposal to hold a peace summit in February 2023, which never materialised.

May 22, 2023

Arab League Summit in Jeddah Adopts Jeddah Declaration

The 32nd Arab League Summit concluded in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, with the adoption of the Jeddah Declaration. This declaration focuses on fostering Arab unity and addressing various regional challenges.
An important highlight of the summit was the unanimous decision to readmit Syria to the Arab League, which was met with enthusiasm from the participating leaders. The declaration emphasizes the need for increased pan-Arab efforts to assist Syria in resolving its ongoing crisis, demonstrating a collective commitment to supporting stability and peace in the country.
The Jeddah Declaration also reaffirmed the Arab League's commitment to the Arab Peace Initiative, which seeks to find a comprehensive and fair resolution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Leaders reiterated their dedication to addressing Palestinian issues, recognizing it as a crucial concern for the Arab world.
In addition, the declaration called for de-escalation of tensions in Sudan and urged all parties involved to engage in dialogue to resolve the armed clashes.

Prime Minister Modi Unveils Mahatma Gandhi Bust in Hiroshima

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was in Japan at the invitation of Fumio Kishida and attend the G7 Summit, unveiled a bust of Mahatma Gandhi in Hiroshima.
The location of the bust of Gandhi has been chosen as a mark of solidarity for peace and non-violence.
Modi said that even today the world gets frightened even today when it hears the word 'Hiroshima'.
Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, representing a Hiroshima constituency in the House of Representatives, invited Modi to the G-7 Summit as a guest.
The bust was gifted by India to Hiroshima as a symbol of friendship and goodwill between India and Japan on the occasion of Prime Minister Modi's visit to the city for the G7 summit.
The 42-inch tall bronze bust was sculpted by Padma Bhushan awardee Ram Vanji Sutar. The bust site, adjacent to the Motoyasu River, is close to the iconic A-Bomb Dome that is visited by thousands of people - locals and tourists alike - every day.

Greece's Ruling Conservatives Win Parliamentary Election

Greece's ruling New Democracy party stormed to a crushing victory in a parliamentary election, but fell just short of the threshold needed to form a government on its own, making a runoff election in a month more likely.
With most votes counted, conservative New Democracy took a commanding lead of 40.8 per cent, trouncing the radical leftist Syriza, which governed from 2015 to 2019, which polled 20.1 per cent.
Greece's Interior Ministry projected New Democracy could win 145 seats in parliament, six short of an absolute majority.

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