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[PIN-2014] Part 2/6: International- Presidents, Prime

ministers, Summits, bodies & Ukraine Crisis

1. Prologue to six part Article
series
2. PIN: Heads of States
3. Chief Guest in 26th January
Republic Day Parade
4. Indias Ranks (2013)
5. International Summits
6. National Summits
7. Ukraine crisis
8. International Organizations
9. International places in news
Prologue to six part
Article series
Total six parts covering December 2013 to 8
th
June 2014- nearly six months that is the usual
time span for current affairs most competitive exams below UPSC Civil service exam.
1. National
2. international
3. sports
4. banking and business GK
5. books, authors, movies, beauties
6. diaspora, civilian awards (national + international) and Dead in News
Persons in News: Heads of States
Every month some new pm/President gets elected somewhere. given the bad cost benefit,
Ive only listed important ones and ignored many chillar parties for example Chile new
President Michelle Bachelet, because Chile is not in news otherwise.
President Hamid Karzai served two
consecutive term hence can no longer
Afghanistan
contest election.
Right now Presidential race between
Abdullah Abdullah and Asraf Ghani.
Parliament called shoora.
Australia
PM Tony Abbott. capital Canberra (not
Perth or Sydney)
1
st
member of south Asian descent to be
member of Parliament Lisa Maria
Singh (awardee Pravasi Bhartiya
Samman 2014)
Bangladesh
President Abdul Hamid
PM Sheikh Hasina (Awami league).
Opposition Khalida Zia (nationalist party)
Parliament called Jatiya parliament.
Bhutan
King Jigme Wangchuck
PM Tshering Tobgay
parliament called Tasongadu
China
President XI Jinping
Premier (PM) Li keqiang
ADIZ: Air defence idenfication zone aove
East China sea.
Foreign minister Wang Yi met Modi in
June 2013.
Cuba President Raul Castro (not Fidel Castro)
Egypt
President Abdel Fattah El sisi (Ex-Army
general)
PM Ibrahim mehliv
Fiji
President Epeli Nailaukitau (Fiji has
largest Indian diaspora in Asia Pacific)
Former president of Indian origin
Mahindra Chaudhary (1999-2000)
Ram Krishna Mission of Fiji has been
awarded Pravasi Bharatiya Samman
2014
France
President Francis Hollande; PM Manuel Valls.
Anne Hidalg-first female mayor of Paris
Germany
President Joachim Gauck
Chancellor Angela Markel
Lok Sabha: Bundestag
Iran
President Hussan Rouhani, Accepts peaceful
nuclear technology use
Iraq PM Nur Al Maliki
Israel
President Reuven Rivlin (hardliner, he is
against creation of Palestine.)
PM Benjamin Netanyahu
Ex israli PM Ehud Olmert jailed for
corruption.
parliament called Knesset
Italy Youngest PM Matteorenzi
Japan
Emperor Akihito, PM Shinzo Abe. Parliament
called DIET.
Jordan
Joined non-permanent member of UNSC in
Dec 2013. King Abdulla. Capital Amman
Kazakstan
President Nursultan Nazarbayev; PM Karim
Massimov
Latvia
Officially joined EU. 18th Member of EU. PM:
Straujuma. Parliament: Saeima. Capital Riga.
Lebanon
PM Tammam Salam. Capital Beirut. Country
In news because Hezbulla from Lebanon
participating in Syrian civil war.
Libya
PM Abdulla al Thani- he quits after family
attacked. Capital Tripoli.
Lithuania
President Dalia Grybushaite (Iron lady). Only
person to win twice.
Malaysia PM Najib Razak
Maldives
President Abdulla Yameen after defeating
Moh. Nasheed in run off vote. Parliament :
Majilis
Marshall
Islands
Capital Majuro.
President: Christopher Loeak
Parliament called Nitijela
In news because they filled a case in ICJ
against nuclear power
Mauritius
President Kailash PurryagPM Navin
Ramgoolam
Myanmar
President Thein SeinOpposition leader Aung
su kyi
Nepal
President Ram Baran YadavPM Sushil
koiralaParliament : Rahstriya Panchayat
Nigeria
President Goodluck Jonathan. in news
because an extremist group Boko Haram
kidnapped schoolgirls to get their prisoners
released. Capital: Abuja
North
Korea
Kim Jong- un got 100% votes. Held high level
talks with south korea at Pan mun jom. Jang
Song Thaek: he was Kims uncle, but Kim got
him killed for gaddari.
Pakistan
President Mamnoon Hussain and PM Nawaz
Sharif both belong to PML-N party. Parliament
called Majlis-e-shoora.Abul Basit: Paki
Ambassador to India
Palestine
Unity govt. under Moh. Abbas (Fatah) and
Ismail Haniyeh (Hamas)
Papua
NewGuinea
First Indian origin to be member of
Parliament Sasindran Muthuvel
Pravasi Bharatiya samman 2014
Prez Beningo Aquino. New law to legalize
Philippines birth control methods Until now birth control
was prohibited due to opposition from
Christians
S.Africa
Jacob Zuma wins Presidential election. (Party
African national congress). Capital:
Johannesburg.Indian origin Ela Gandhi
Pravasi Bharatiya Samman 2014
South
Korea
President female Park Park Geun-hye. PM
Chung Hong won resigned after Ferry sinking
incident which killed 300+people
South
Sudan
Salva Kiir Mayardit
Spain
King Juan Carlos abdicated throne for his
son. PM Rajoy. Capital Madrid. Parliament
Syria
President Bashar al assad ready for
election under international pressure
Thailand
acting Prime Minister Niwatthamrong
Boonsongpaisan after court removed
Prime Minister Ms. Yingluck Shinawatra
for power abuse
Later General Prayuth stages a military
coup and detained Ms. Yingluck and her
family.
Turkey
President Abdulla Gul
PM Recep Tayyip Erdogen. In news
because arbitrarily bans twitter, facebook
etc.
Soma coal mine explosion killed 280+
Uganda
Signed a law under husband can be jailed
for 10 years for infecting wife with HIV
(and vice versa) + mandatory HIV testing
for pregnant women.
Capital Kampala.
PM/President not important.
Ukraine
President Petro Poroshenko, Chocolate
businessman
PM Arseniy Yatsenyuk
parliament : RADA
Capital: Kiev
Uruguay
Legalized marijuana trade. Capital
Montevideo. PM/President not important.
Vatican
Pope Francis (Jorge Bergoglio) became
TIME person of the year for 2013. He
replaced Pope Benedict XVI.
Venezuela
President Nicolas Maduro (and NOT Hugo
Chavez- He is dead)
Vietnam
President Truong Tan SangPM Nguyen Tan
Dung
UK
David Cameron. Queen Elizabeth ruled for 62 years.
Recently David said Sikhs can head UK army and judiciary.
UK parliament honored Tagore in 2014
Operation Trojan horse: to prevent spread of extremism in schools.
Banned sale of non-native aquatic plants to prevent entry of invasive species.
Scotland referendum to be held in September 2014.
USA
President Barak Hussain Obama ; VP Joe Biden both democrat party
Jeb Bush (Republican) He is yyounger brother of George Bush, he may fight next
Presidential election (perhaps) against Hillary Clinton (democrate).
Secretary of State John Kerry (not Hillary Clinton)
Speaker of house of representatives: John Boehner (not Nancy Pelosi)
Nancy Powell was first women US Ambassador to India. She was made to resign in May
2014 because she was close to Congis and Obama knew Modi will become next
PM. in other words, her boore din had started even before election result!
Peter Haas: US Cousul general in India, opened new trade office in Ahmedabad in June
2014.
FBI: James Comey
CIA: John O. Brennan
Sergeant Bow Bergdahl: American soldier captured by Talibans in 2009. Obama freed
some Taliban prisoners to secure Bows release.
Chief Guest in 26th January Republic Day
Parade
2013- King of Bhutan, Jigme Wangchuck
2014- Japanese PM, Shinzo Abe
Indias Ranks (2013)
Doing Business
(world bank)
134. Singapore tops
Gender Gap (WEF)
101, even Bangladesh, SriLanka
and China better.
Global hunger index 63rd. Even Paki and Bangla better
Global Slavery Index India first rank! China 2nd, Paki 3rd
Human Capital
index(WEF)
78.
Human development
index (UNDP)
136.
Standard and Poors BBB minus rating
Standard Charters
by 2030, India will be third largest
economy after US and China
Transparency
Internationals
corruption perception
index
India 94th. Even Pakistan
better!
Cleanest = NZ and Denmark.
Most bogus: Afghanistan, North
Korea and Somalia
*WEF= World Economic Forum.
Ukraine crisis
For non-UPSC exams, this topic is pretty much irrelevant. Even for the interviews, you dont
need to know more than just basic geography and power angles. Crux of the matter is=
Ukraine crisis happened because Russia wants to control (Crimea+ Black sea) & counter
NATO/US influence in this region.
Observe the map:
Crimeas port city Sevastopol=>
Black sea=>
Straight of Bosporus =>
Mediterranean Sea =>
Strait of Gibraltar => Atlantic Ocean
Suez Canal => Red Sea => Gulf of Aden => Arabian ocean.
Thus IF Russia controls Crimea, it can control Black sea. Result?
1. Russia can ship its products to major economics of the world
2. Russia can fight against invading NATO armies and counter USAs missile shield.
Timeline of Ukraine Crisis
Before 1991
Both Ukraine+ Crimea were part of erstwhile
USSR.
1
st
December
1991,
Ukraine held referendum to declare
independence from USSR, also takes away
Crimea. This was one of the major reasons
for the fall of USSR.
2012
Ukraine and European Union (EU) sign
free trade agreement and political
association. Putin doesnt like it, not one
bit.
There was chance of Ukraine joining EU.
But then agreements could not be
ratified because PM Yulia imprisoned,
protests and political instability.
2013
Russia offered $15 billion and Cheap
gas supply to Ukraine (to counter EU
influence).
November 2013: Ukraine President
Yanukovich refused to EU FTA deal and
favoured Russian deal=> Juntaa already
angry with economic slowdown,
corruption=> protests => Brutal
supression => crisis worsen.
More protests. President Yanukovich
leaves his country like Dawood Ibraim
and hides in Pakistan Russia.
Speaker was made interim President.
(Putin blames Obama for installing this
puppet regime).
Feb 2014 this new government removed Russian
as second official language.
Russian President Putin becomes active
to protect the Russian speaking junta in
the Crimea. He sends military to the
border. (But ordered them not to cross
the border OR shoot at anyone).
March 2014
Crimean parliament held juntas
referendum.
92% Junta votes to join Russia.
Crimean parliament passes resolution to
secede from Ukraine to Russia.
Putin passes law to include Crimea in
Russia. His excuse: in past Kosovo also
separated from Serbia in the same
manner, but at that time USA did not
oppose.
April-May
After this, other parts of Eastern Ukraine also
started similar movements to join Russia.
June 2014
Chocolate businessman Petro Poroshenko
becomes the new President of Ukraine.
G8 suspended Russia. Obama wants world powers to boycott Russia, just like Iran. BUT.
1. BRICS nations refused to join US-EU backed sanction against Russia
2. Japan also refused to cancel investment plans in Russia
3. India also not going to back any US sanction against Russia.
4. Russia has worlds largest energy resources, therefore, energy-hungry China also silent.
Beyond this, day to day ball by ball commentary keep coming in newspaper. But like I said
earlier, no need to do PhD on this topic, for non-UPSC exams.
International Summits
17th NAM Venezuela 2015
2014 chair of ASEAN Myanmar
Theme Moving forward in unity to a
ASEAN peaceful and prosperous community
BIMSTEC
Nay Pyi Tao, Myanmar
March 2014, 3
rd
summit
Partnership for Harmony and Prosperity
MoU was sign to establish permanent
secretariat
BRICS Fortaleza, Brazil- 2014; Ufa, Russia 2015
CHOGM
Commonwealth heads of government 22nd
meeting in Colombo, Sri Lanka (Nov 2013)
ending
sexual
violence in
conflict
to find practical solution on how to end
sexual violence during wars, help victims
and punish the criminals.
first summit @London June 2014
organizer: Hollywood actress Angelina
Jolie and British foreign Secretary
William Hague
G-20
2013: St.Petersburg, Russia (8
th
)
2014: Brisbane, Australia 9
th
G-7 summit
40
th
Brussels, Belgium (EU HQ)
June 2014
1
st
time EU hosted G7 summit
Earlier scheduled to be hosted in Sochi,
Russia
But after Ukraine issue, Russia
withdrawn from membership G8 -> G7 +
hosted in Brussels
GENEVA 2
On Syrian crisis. Geneva in Switzerland.
Geneva Agreement is different- between
USA and Iran on Iranian Nuclear program
IBSA
2013, DelhiMilitary cooperation- joint military
exercise IBSAMAR
SAARC
Kathmandu, NepalNov 2014, 18
th
UNFCC
2013: COP 19 in Warsaw Poland.2014: COP
20 in Lima, Peru
WTO
Ministerial conference After every 2
years
Bali in 2013 Bali Package Trade
Facilitation agreement signed
Yemen to become 140
th
WTO member in
June 2014
National Summits
1st International summit on
HIV AIDS
New Delhi
28th Suryakund international
artisan Fair
Faridabad Harayana
Asia Gas partnership Summit Delhi, Dec 2013.
National Science Congress
101th session
was held in Jammu on Feb
2014
PETROTECH 2014
Noida, International oil &
gas summit
Rann Utsav
Cultural festival of Katch dist
Gujarat
Suryakumbh
Solar cooking initiative in
Mumbai
TECNOTEX 2014
International summit on
clothes , Mumbai
International Organizations
without their structure or mandate for GS2 hahaha
in CDS, CAPF, they sometimes ask match the pairs question from this topic.
African development
bank
Donald kaberukaHQ Abidjan,
Ivory coast
African Union B.N.AmadiHQ Addis Ababa
ASEAN
Le Luong MinhHQ Jakarta,
Indonesia
Asian development bank
President Takehiko NakaoHQ
Manila, Philippines
IMF
Christine LagardeHQ
Washington
EU
Head of European
commission Jose
Emanuel Barroso
HQ Brussels, Belgium
European Central Bank
Frankfurt, Germany
FAO
DG- Jose Graziano de silvaHQ
Rome, Italy
NATO
Secretary General Jens
Stoltenberg (Formal PM of
Norway)
OECD
Sec-gen Jose Angel GurriaHQ
Paris, France
ICC (International
CriminalCourt)
HQ Hague, Netherland
ICJ (International Court
ofJustice)
HQ Hague, Netherland
PCA (permanent court
ofArbitration)
HQ Hague, Netherland
IUCN (International
UnionFor Conservation of
Nature)
President Zhang
XinshengFormer Ashok Khosla
IAEA
DG Yukiya AmanoHQ Vienna,
Austria
ILO
DG Guy RyderHQ Geneva,
Switzerland
UN General Assembly
President John Ashe,
visited India, raised Italian
marine issue.
Secretary Gen. Ban Ki
moon
HQ New York
UN declared 2014 as
International year of family
farming.
ITU
Sec-gen Hamadoun ToureHQ
Geneva, Switzerland
UNHRC
Navi PillaiHQ Geneva,
Switzerland
UNFCC
Christina FigueresHQ Bonn,
Germany
UNCTRAL
Chairperson Hrvoje SikiricHQ
New York
OPCW (Organization
forPrevention of
ChemicalWeapons)
DG Ahmet UzumcuHQ Hague,
NetherlandOPCW won Nobel
prize 2013
US federal Reserve JENETYELLN
WHO
DG Dr. Margaret ChanHQ
Geneva, Switzerland
WIPO
DG Francis Gurry, re-elected for
2
nd
termHQ Geneva,
Switzerland
World bank
DG Jim Yong KimHQ
Washington
WTO
DG Roberto AzevedoHQ
Geneva, Switzerland
WWF (world wild fund
forNature)
CEO Carter RobertsHQ Gland,
Vaud, Switzerland
FAO
Food and Agri. organization.
HQ Rome. Jos Graziano da
Silva
International Maritime
organization
HQ London. Sec General Koji
Sekimizu
International places in news
Barbary lions
Extinct. In Atlas mountain range from
Morroco to Tunisia. Indian lions have
genetic linkages with them.
Bushehr
Province
Iran earthquake in april
Herat
In Afghanistan. Terrorists attacked Indian
consulate before Modi oath.
Jinnah Airport
Karachi. Biggest terrorist attack in June
2014.
Latvia Officially joined EU. 18th Member
Malta Next CHOGM summit in 2015
Mauratia
Ancient Microcontinent. Its evidence found
in W.Indian ocean.
Mosul
2nd largest city in Iraq after Bagdad. The
Sunni militants took control over this city
while Iraqi army ran away.
Mount Fuji,
Japan
World Heritage status under UNESCO. In
Honhu Island
Peshawar
Worlds largest reservoir of Polio (WHO
statement)
Popocatpetl
volcano
Mexico
Samoa
Airline
First airline to charge passengers based on
their weight
Serbia
Agreed to cede some areas to its former
province Kosovo.Under EU accord. Serbia-
Capital Belgrade. Kosovo-Capital Pristina-
Uses Euro as Currency.
Shanghai
Started visa-free transit scheme with
Beijing.
Shenzhen
Province
China Launched its first carbon trading
scheme here
Sichuan
Province
China earthquake of ritchers scale-7.
suma Turkey coal mine. explosion killed 280+
Titanosaur Biggest dinosaurs, found in Argentina.
West Qurna-2
One of the largest oilfield in Iraq. Russian
company started exploration.
Xisha
Disputed islands in South China sea. China
is offering tourists rides while Vietnam
opposes.
Sevastopol
port city in Crimea, Russia wanted to
control Blacksea via this port city, hence the
Ukrain crisis.
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