General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - January 2018

Jan 2018

Dec 23, 2023

UN Approves Watered-down Resolution on Aid to Gaza without Call for Suspension of Hostilities

The U.N. Security Council adopted a watered-down resolution calling for immediately speeding aid deliveries to hungry and desperate civilians in Gaza but without the original plea for an urgent suspension of hostilities between Israel and Hamas.
The long-delayed vote in the 15-member council was 13-0 with the United States and Russia abstaining.
"It was the Christmas miracle we were all hoping for," said United Arab Emirates Ambassador Lana Nusseibeh, who sponsored the resolution. She said it would send a signal to the people in Gaza that the Security Council was working to alleviate their suffering.

Dec 21, 2023

Minnesota Unveils New State Flag Design

After months of debate and thousands of submissions, Minnesota unveiled a new flag to replace a design many Native Americans considered offensive.
The proposed state flag, which features a white eight-pointed star against a dark blue background shaped like the state, was revealed.
The special commission that approved it said the design was an ode to Minnesota's motto, Star of the North.
It added that the light blue represented the state's waters.

Guinea-Bissau President Sacks Prime minister, Names Replacement

Guinea-Bissau's President Umaro Sissoco Embalo dismissed Geraldo Martins as Prime Minister just a week after his reappointment and appointed former Prime Minister Rui Duarte de Barros in his place.
De Barros previously worked as the West African country's Minister of Economy and Finance and as a commissioner at the West African Economic and Monetary Union, before serving as Prime Minister in a transitional government between 2012 and 2014.

Dec 20, 2023

Egypt's Abdel Fattah al-Sisi Sweeps to Third Term as President

Abdel Fattah al-Sisi swept to a third term as Egypt's President in an election where he faced no serious challengers.
The election, in which he took 89.6% of the vote according to the National Election Authority, was held as Egypt struggles with a slow-burning economic crisis and tries to manage the risk of spill over from the war adjacent to Egypt's Sinai Peninsula.
Sisi was elected to the presidency in 2014, and re-elected in 2018, both times with 97% of the vote. The constitution was amended in 2019, extending the presidential term to six years from four, and allowing Sisi to stand for a third term.

Dec 19, 2023

Kuwait Crown Prince Sheikh Meshal Named New Emir

Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad al-Jaber Al-Sabah was declared the new Emir of Kuwait following the passing of his brother, Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Sabah.
Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad al-Sabah had been Kuwait's de facto ruler since 2021, when the frail emir Sheikh Nawaf handed over most his duties.
Before becoming the crown prince, Sheikh Meshal dedicated much of his career to building the security and defence of the Gulf state.
Sheikh Meshal became Kuwait's third emir in just over three years. His brother, Sheikh Nawaf, became emir in September 2020 following the death of his brother, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad.

TIWB Launched Saint Lucia Program, With India as the Administration Partner

Tax Inspectors Without Borders (TIWB), a joint initiative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), launched a programme in Saint Lucia. India was chosen as the Partner Administration and would provide Tax Experts for this programme.
This programme is expected to be of 12-18 months' duration in which India, in collaboration with the TIWB Secretariat and support of the UNDP Country Office, Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, aims to aid Saint Lucia in strengthening its tax administration by transferring technical knowledge and skills to its tax administration, and through sharing of best practices. The focus of the programme will be on effective use of automatic exchange of information under the Common Reporting Standard (CRS) framework.

Dec 18, 2023

Putin to Run for Russian President as an Independent Candidate in March 2024

Russian President Vladimir Putin will seek re-election as an independent candidate in 2024.
A group of over 700 politicians and figures from the sporting and cultural worlds met in Moscow and gave unanimous endorsement to Vladimir Putin as an independent candidate.
Putin had announced earlier that he will seek another six-year term in March 2024 in the Russian presidential election.
Putin has led Russia as either President or Prime Minister since 1999. He swapped presidential job with Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev in 2008, following which he changed the rules that limited consecutive presidential mandates. He has been President since 2012 and can potentially remain so until 2036.

Reuven Azar to be Israel's New Ambassador to India

The Israeli government approved the appointment of Reuven Azar as the new Ambassador to India.
Azar, will also serve as the non-resident Ambassador to Sri Lanka and Bhutan.
His appointment is one of the 21 new Heads of Missions cleared by the Israeli government to assume service soon.
Azar will replace Naor Gilon, who has been serving as the Israeli ambassador to India since 2021.
Azar has earlier served as Head of the Israel-US-China internal task force at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, immediately after serving for three years as Deputy National Security Advisor for Foreign Policy at the National Security Council and Foreign Policy Advisor to the Prime Minister of Israel.
From 2014 to 2018, Azar was Deputy Ambassador at the Embassy of Israel in Washington, DC.

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