General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - February 2017

Feb 2017

Jul 25, 2023

Hun Sen's Ruling Party Claims Landslide Win in Cambodian Election

The ruling party of Cambodia's long time Prime Minister Hun Sen claimed a landslide victory in the general election, an outcome that was virtually assured after the suppression and intimidation of the opposition in a vote called a farce of democracy.
The European Union, the United States and other Western countries had refused to send observers to the polls, saying the election lacked the conditions to be considered free and fair.
The longest-serving leader in Asia, Hun Sen has steadily consolidated power with strong-arm tactics over the last 38 years. But, at age 70, he has suggested he will hand off the premiership during the upcoming five-year term to his oldest son, Hun Manet, perhaps as early as the first month after the elections.

Israeli Parliament Clears Bill to Curtail SC Powers

The Israeli Parliament approved the contentious reasonableness law that prevents judicial checks on political power after weeks of unprecedented protests that crippled the country.
The Bill passed with 64 votes in favour and zero against it, with opposition boycotting the final vote on the Bill in protest. It is the first major Bill to pass in the government's judicial overhaul.
Multiple last-minute attempts within the Knesset to amend the Bill or to come to a broader procedural compromise with the opposition failed.

Thani Al Zeyoudi Elected as Chair of WTO's 13th Ministerial Conference

Thani Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade, was elected as the chair of the World Trade Organisation's 13th Ministerial Conference that will be held in Abu Dhabi in February 2024.
The announcement was made during the WTO general council in Geneva, where Al Zeyoudi met with the WTO director general Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
The conference will be attended by representatives from the 164 countries and customs blocs that make up the WTO.
It will review the performance of the trading system, make decisions on future work and set up the road map for the next conference.

Jul 24, 2023

Russian Strikes on Odesa Damage Orthodox Cathedral

Russian missiles badly damaged a historic Orthodox cathedral in the southern Ukrainian port city of Odesa, sparking outrage and prompting President Zelensky to vow retaliation.
The Transfiguration Cathedral is Odesa's largest church building. It was consecrated in 1809, destroyed during the Soviet era in 1936 before being rebuilt when Ukraine became an independent nation.
The cathedral lies in Odesa's city centre, which UNESCO named a World Heritage Site amid the threat of Russia's invasion.
Odesa is a key cultural centre, and has long links with Russia. It was founded under Catherine the Great and was once Russia's second most important port.

Indian-origin Doctor S. Vincent Rajkumar New Chairman of International Myeloma Foundation

Renowned scientist, clinician and researcher, S. Vincent Rajkumar, was appointed as chairman-elect of the Board of Directors of the International Myeloma Foundation (IMF).
He took over from the current chairman, Brian G.M. Durie, who did not seek re-election to the post.
Durie, the co-founder and chairman of the Board of Directors for 33 years, has said that he will not seek re-election as chairman when his current term ends in spring 2024. He will, however, remain a member of the Board, hold the position of Chairman Emeritus and continue to perform his current activities.
Multiple myeloma is a cancer of the bone marrow plasma cells — white blood cells that make antibodies. A cancerous or malignant plasma cell is called a myeloma cell. Myeloma is called 'multiple' because there are frequently multiple patches or areas in the bone where it grows. It can appear as both a tumor and/or an area of bone loss, and it affects the places where bone marrow is active in an adult: the hollow area within the bones of the spine, skull, pelvis, rib cage, and the areas around the shoulders and hips.
The IMF was founded in 1999 and is the first, largest global foundation focusing specifically on multiple myeloma. The Foundation's reach extends to more than 5,25,000 members in 140 countries.

Algeria Applies to Join BRICS Bank

Algeria formally applied to join the BRICS group and submitted a request to become a shareholder member of the BRICS Bank. The Algerian President, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, revealed this development during his visit to China, where he expressed Algeria's eagerness to open new economic opportunities and strengthen its partnerships with countries like China.
The BRICS group, which currently comprises Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, represents a significant portion of the global population and economy, accounting for more than 40 per cent of the world's population and approximately 26 per cent of the global economy.
Algeria's bid came in the midst of what some have called a worldwide eagerness for a geopolitical reconfiguration, with many in the Global South having shown signs of displeasure with the West's dominance over global affairs.

Jul 22, 2023

In a First, Brazilian Constitution Gets Translated into Indigenous Language

The Brazilian Constitution made history as it received its first-ever official translation into an indigenous language, marking a significant moment for the country and its native populations.
The ceremony, held in São Gabriel da Cachoeira, a town in the Amazon, was attended by esteemed Brazilian authorities and indigenous leaders.
Chief Justice Rosa Weber of the Supreme Court, the guardian of the Constitution, expressed the significance of the event, calling it a milestone in the constitutional history of Brazil.
The 1988 Constitution, drafted during the transition from a two-decades-long military dictatorship, recognised and protected the culture and way of life of Indigenous Brazilians, owing to the active involvement of the Indigenous movement.
This historic translation into Nheengatu, also known as the Amazonian general language, bridges that gap, being the only living modern version of Tupi and serving as a lingua franca among different Amazonian groups.

Jul 21, 2023

Russian President Vladimir Putin to Skip BRICS Summit in South Africa Due to Arrest Threat

Russian President Vladimir Putin will not attend the 15th BRICS Summit at the Sandton Convention Centre in Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa from August 22 to 24, 2023. Putin will be the only BRICS leader to attend the summit virtually while all other leaders will join the event in person in South Africa.
The move is seen as a major setback for Putin, who has touted his relations with the BRICS countries - India, China, Brazil and South Africa - as evidence that the US and European efforts to isolate him over the war in Ukraine have failed.
The International Criminal Court had issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Putin in March 2023, linking him to the war crime of deporting Ukrainian children. Putin could be arrested under the warrant if he leaves Russian soil.
South Africa is a signatory to the Rome Statute that established the ICC and is bound by the court's decisions. However, the African country drew international criticism in 2015 when it refused to execute an ICC arrest warrant against then-Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir during the African Summit.

Jul 20, 2023

Sri Lanka Okays Law on Corruption in Line with IMF Plan

Sri Lanka's Parliament approved an anti-corruption legislation as the island nation attempts to overcome an unprecedented economic crisis.
The legislation is part of the pre-requisites of an International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout package approved in March, under which nearly USD 3 billion in government budgetary support will be disbursed in stages to the bankrupt nation.

Sign Language Becomes the Twelfth Official Language of South Africa

Sign language became the twelfth official language of South Africa. With this, South Africa is the fourth country in the African continent to do so after Kenya, Zimbabwe, and Uganda. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa signed an amendment to an Act to make sign language an official language in the country.
As per President Ramaphosa, South African Sign Language (SASL) has served as an essential communication tool for its citizens living with disabilities and this step will further empower that community.
The new legislation seeks to advance the cultural acceptance of SASL, ensure the realisation of rights of persons who are deaf and hard of hearing to equal protection and benefit of the law and human dignity and promote inclusive and substantive equality and prevent or eliminate unfair discrimination on the grounds of disability, as guaranteed by Section 9 of the Constitution.

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