General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - August 2016

Aug 2016

Jan 04, 2023

U.N. Security Council Welcomes New Members Including Two First Timers

Ecuador, Japan, Malta, Mozambique, and Switzerland officially began their two-year term as non-permanent members of the United Nations Security Council. The flag installation ceremony, initiated by Kazakhstan in 2018, marked the start of their responsibilities and was presided over by Kazakhstan's permanent representative, Akan Rakhmetullin. Rakhmetullin expressed confidence that the new council members would bring a wealth of knowledge and perspective to global issues of peace and security.
The incoming members (Ecuador, Japan, Malta, Mozambique, and Switzerland) replaced India, Ireland, Kenya, Mexico, and Norway, whose two-year terms ended. These countries made significant contributions to the Security Council during their tenure and will continue to play important roles in global affairs.
Albania, Brazil, Gabon, Ghana, and the United Arab Emirates are currently in the middle of their two-year term as non-permanent members of the Security Council. These countries will continue to work alongside the new members to address the pressing issues facing the international community.

Wang Yi and Qin Gang, Two New Appointments by Xi Jinping

China appointed Qin Gang, its ambassador to the United States and a trusted aide of President Xi Jinping, to be its new Foreign Minister, as Beijing and Washington seek to stabilize rocky relations. This decision was made by the 13th National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee. Qin replaced Wang Yi, who was Foreign Minister for the past decade. Wang was promoted to the politburo of the Chinese Communist Party and is expected to play a bigger role in Chinese foreign policy.
Qin rose quickly through various positions in China's foreign ministry, including two stints as ministry spokesman between 2006 and 2014, and as chief protocol officer between 2014 and 2018, overseeing many of Xi's interactions with foreign leaders. As spokesman, he stood out among his peers for being one of the earliest Chinese diplomats to make sharp comments in defence of China's increasingly assertive foreign policy, what later became known as "wolf warrior" diplomacy.

Jan 03, 2023

UK To Declare Iran's Revolutionary Guard as "Terror Group"

As per reports, Britain will officially declare Iran's Revolutionary Guard, which has arrested seven people with links to the United Kingdom over anti-government protests, as a terrorist group.
The move, which will be announced within weeks, is supported by Britain's security minister, Tom Tugendhat, and Home Secretary Suella Braverman.
Proscribing Iran's Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist group would mean that it would become a criminal offence to belong to the group, attend its meetings, and carry its logo in public.

Jan 02, 2023

Croatia Now Fully Integrated EU Member

At the stroke of midnight on December 31, Croatia switched to the shared European currency, the euro, and removed dozens of border checkpoints and joined the world's largest passport-free travel area. Croats are now among almost 420 million people who are free to roam its 27 member countries without passports for work or leisure.
Adopting the euro likewise offers Croatia the benefits stemming from deeper financial ties with the currency's 19 other users and with the European Central Bank. It also made travelling and doing business easier, removing the hassle of currency exchange for Croats going abroad and for tens of thousands of tourists who visit their country each year for work or to enjoy its stunning Adriatic coastline.

Lula Sworn in as Brazil's President

Leftist leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was sworn in as President of Brazil under tightened security in the capital Brasilia.
Lula had narrowly defeated Bolsonaro in October 2022 to win an unprecedented third presidential term after a hiatus that saw him spend a year and a half behind bars on corruption convictions that were later overturned. Now, he faces the daunting challenge of improving Brazil's stagnant economy while also uniting a country that has become polarised under Bolsonaro.

Jan 01, 2023

Israel's Netanyahu Sworn In As Prime Minister for 3rd Term

Benjamin Netanyahu was sworn in as Israel's Prime Minister following a vote in parliament that brought in the most right-wing government in the country's history.
Netanyahu was sworn in a few minutes after his new government was approved, with 63 deputies out of 120 voting in favour of the administration.
Netanyahu formed his government after signing agreements with ultra-Orthodox parties and parties from the far right.

NATO Chief Calls for more Weapons for Ukraine

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg called on NATO member states to supply more weapons to Ukraine.
As per Stoltenberg, it was perhaps even more important that Ukraine receive enough ammunition for the systems already in place, adding that the need for ammunition and spare parts was enormous.
Last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in an address to a group of Western leaders asked for a wide range of weapons and air defence systems to help efforts to counter the Russian invasion.

Dec 31, 2022

US Vice-President Kamala Harris Names Indian-American to National Space Council Advisory Group

Vice President Kamala Harris named Indian American Rajeev Badyal to a key national space advisory group, which is tasked to maintain a robust and responsible US space enterprise and preserve space for current and future generations.
Badyal, vice-president of Project Kuiper of Amazon, is among the 30 space experts named by Harris to the National Space Council's Users Advisory Group (UAG).
Harris named US Air Force Rtd General Lester Lyles as chair of the UAG.
Previously he was the vice president of satellites at SpaceX.

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