General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - December 2016

Dec 2016

Oct 25, 2022

May Wong, the First Asian-American to Feature on US Currency

Late Hollywood actress and fashion icon Anna May Wong (1905-1961) became the first Asian American to feature on US currency. A quarter-dollar coin featuring a close-up image of Wong's face chin resting on her hand began circulating from October 24, the US Mint said, as the fifth coin in the American Women Quarters (AWQ) Program.
Regarded as the film industry's first Chinese-American star, Wong's decades-long career in motion pictures, television and theatre came at a time of widespread racism.

Pakistan Taken off FATF's Grey List for Terror Financing, Money Laundering

Pakistan was taken off from the grey list of the FATF, the global watchdog on terror financing and money laundering, four years after the country was put in the infamous categorisation.
Significantly, for the first time, the FATF put Myanmar in the "high risk jurisdictions subject to a call for action", often referred to as the watchdog's black list.
In a statement, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) said that it welcomes Pakistan's significant progress in improving its anti-money laundering, combating financial terrorism (AML/CFT) regime.
The decision was taken by the FATF in its plenary held in Paris in October 2022.
With Pakistan's exit from the "grey list", Islamabad may now try to get financial aid from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the European Union (EU), to boost its cash-strapped economy.

Sri Lanka Passes Constitutional Amendment Curtailing President's Powers

The Sri Lankan Parliament passed, with over 2/3 majority, the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution curtailing certain powers of the President.
All main opposition parties voted together with the parties aligned with the government, led by President Ranil Wickremesinghe, in favour to make a total 174 out of 225 MPs at the third reading of the amendment.
Only one MP from Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) voted against the amendment while most of the others from ex-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's party abstained from voting while the others were absent.
Curtailing super powers enjoyed by the President, the 22nd Amendment will shift some of President's powers to the Constitutional Council representing both government and opposition lawmakers and independent bodies such as the National Election Commission (NEC), the Public Service Commission (PSC), the National Police Commission (NPC), the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL), the Commission to Investigate Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC), the Finance Commission and the Delimitation Commission which would be led by non-political independent persons.

Oct 24, 2022

Russia Barred from Future Projects of FATF Due to Ukraine Invasion

Russia was barred from participating in future projects of global terror financing and money laundering watchdog Financial Action Task Force (FATF). FATF chairperson T. Raja Kumar said that the move came in the wake of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. He said that Russia's actions continued to violate FATF's core principles, which aim to promote the security, safety and integrity of financial systems.

Germany Hails 1st Delivery of Green Hydrogen from UAE, to Replace Coal

Germany took formal delivery of its first, modest, batch of hydrogen from the United Arab Emirates, a green fuel it hopes will help replace coal and gas used by energy-intensive industries in future.
Germany is scrambling to substitutenatural gas imports from Russia while also staying on track for its ambitious goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2025.
One alternative is energy-rich hydrogen gas, provided it is made with the help of renewable energy. Since hydrogen is difficult to transport it is sometimes stored as liquid ammonia.
The delivery in Hamburg was modest: just a single container with 13 metric tons of ammonia.

Boris Johnson, Rishi Sunak Lead Race to Become UK's Next Prime Minister

Boris Johnson and former Finance Minister Rishi Sunak were leading the potential contenders to replace British Prime Minister Liz Truss, with candidates canvassing support to become Conservative Party leader in a fast-tracked contest.
After Truss quit, ending her six weeks in power, those who want to replace her were trying to find the 100 votes from Conservative lawmakers needed to run in a contest which the party hopes will reset its ailing fortunes.
With the Conservatives all but facing a wipe out in the next national election according to opinion polls, the race is on to become the fifth British premier in six years.

Oct 23, 2022

India Ranks 3rd in List of Centi-millionaires, to Overtake China by 2032

With levels of poverty, inflation and hunger notwithstanding, India ranked third in the world's first-ever global study on the rise of centi-millionaires, individuals with assets of more than Rs. 830 crore ($100 million).
According to the report released by international investment migration advisory firm Henley & Partners stated, out of the world's 25,490 centi-millionaires, India has 1,132, beating countries like the UK, Russia and Switzerland, in a swift growing and powerful class of super-rich tech titans, financiers, multinational CEOs, and heirs. By 2032, India will overtake China (number 2) as the fastest growing market for centi-millionaires, with an anticipated 80 per cent growth rate in individuals worth over $100 million.
Of the world's 25,490 centi-millionaires, the US, which ranked at number 1, is home to 38 per cent (9,730) of global centi-millionaires, despite constituting only 4 per cent of the world's total population.
It is closely followed by big emerging markets of China and India in second and third place, with 2,021 and 1,132 centi-millionaires, respectively. The UK was in fourth place (with 968 centi-millionaires) followed closely by Germany in fifth place (with 966). Switzerland (808), Japan (765), Canada (541), Australia (463), and finally Russia (435) make up the rest of the top 10 countries for centi-millionaires.

Oct 22, 2022

Liz Truss Resigns as UK Prime Minister

UK Prime Minister Liz Truss resigned, bringing an end to a controversial reign amid fallout over her ambitious tax cut policy.
Truss has been in office for just 44 days. Her resignation comes just a day after she had vowed to stay in power.
By Oct. 28, a new leader of the Conservative Party will be chosen.
The Conservatives have a sizable majority in parliament and do not need to schedule a general election for another two years.

Guinness World Records Declares Monday the Worst Day of the Week

Guinness World Records officially declared Monday the worst day of the week. Anyone who has had to work or study or do anything in an institutional setting knows the absolute desolation that the prospect of a Monday brings. After Guinness World Records' move, all of that will no longer be smoothed over into a wishy-washy 'Monday blues' packet. It's real now. Going into Monday means you're going into the officially declared and universally accepted worst day of the week. Now you could blame your general grumpiness on it being Monday. It would be a concern only during the remaining six days of the week.

Oct 21, 2022

India, France Re-elected as President and Co-President of International Solar Alliance

In the third assembly of ISA, Union Power and New and Renewable Energy Minister R. K. Singh was re-elected as the President of International Solar Alliance. France Minister of State for Development Chrysoula Zacharopoulou was re-elected as co-president.
The Third Assembly of the International Solar Alliance was attended by 34 ISA Members ministers. 53 member countries and 5 signatory and prospective member countries participated in the Assembly.
India and France were re-elected as the president and co- president of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) for a term of two years at the virtual meeting of the Third Assembly. Four new Vice-Presidents were also chosen to represent the four regions of ISA. The representatives of Fiji & Nauru for Asia Pacific Region; Mauritius & Niger for Africa Region; UK & Netherlands for Europe and others Region, and Cuba and Guyana for Latin America and Caribbean Region assumed the vice presidency.

Conservative Ulf Kristersson Elected Sweden's New Prime Minister

Conservative leader Ulf Kristersson was elected Sweden's new Prime Minister and was, for the first time, backed by the far-right Sweden Democrats.
Kristersson was elected with 176 votes in favour and 173 against, after announcing a deal to form a three-party government between his Moderate Party, the Christian Democrats and the Liberals, supported in parliament by their key ally, the far-right Sweden Democrats.
The new government plans to cut taxes, begin the process of building new nuclear power plants, cap benefits, tighten immigration rules and give police more powers as part of a policy deal with the Sweden Democrats.

Imran Khan Banned by Pakistan Election Commission from Holding Public Office

Pakistan's Election Commission disqualified former Prime Minister Imran Khan from holding public office over charges of unlawfully selling state gifts received from heads of other nations and foreign dignitaries.
After the consensus ruling by a four-member bench headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikander Sultan Raja, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman cannot become a member of the parliament for five years.
The ruling coalition government lawmakers had filed a case with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in August against Khan seeking his disqualification for failing to reveal the proceeds from the sale of gifts that he purchased at a discounted price from the state repository, also called Toshakhana.

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