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Germa ny to Shut itsNuc lea r Plants

Germany announced its decision to phase out itsall the nuclear plants by 2022. This decision,prompted by Japans Fukushima nuclear disaster,will make Germany the first major industrializednation to go nuclear-free.People of Germany arestrongly opposed to nuclear power and took tostreets after Fukushima to urge the government toshut down all reactors as soon as possible.Germany(Europes largest economy) is determined to re-place its nuclear power with renewable energy re-sources. Energy from wind, solar and hydroelec-tric power at present produces about 17 percent of the countrys electricity.The decision taken by theGermany suggests that there is no such compul-sion on an industrialised society to meet the en-ergy needs of economic growth and rising living

standards.

Amendm ents toSwiss Banking Sec rec y Laws

Swiss parliament gave approval to Switzerlandsamendments to tax treaties with other countries,including India. This makes easier access for In-dia, to collect information about the illegal fundsheld by the Indian nationals in Swiss private banks.The Swiss parliament endorsed amendments todouble-taxation agreements (DTAAs) in line withinternationally applicable standards. The benefi-ciaries from the new amendments include India,Germany, Canada, Japan, the Netherlands, Greece,Turkey, Uruguay, Kazakhstan, and Poland. Thesecountries are secured with easy legal assistance andinformation. This also allows the countries to iden-tify an account holder from their own territoriesby providing an IBAN number or social security

number. It agreed to adopt its tax code, agreeingto share information in cases involving tax whichis not a crime under Swiss law.The new amend-ments to Swiss banking secrecy laws are howeverbe challenged by a popular referendum within 100days from its announcement.

Frenc h Na tiona ls to Sue Sarkozyover Crimes in Liby a

Two French lawyers have said that they are plan-ning to sue French President Nicolas Sarkozyagainst the Humanity crimes over the military cam-paign in Libya that was led by NATO. JacquesVerges and Roland Dumas two of the French law-yers have decided to represent the families of thevictims during the military campaign. It was saidthat the military campaign that was initiated as ameans to protect the civilians was in fact respon-

sible for their killings. The two lawyers said themilitary campaign as an inhuman assault againstthe common man and a sovereign country, and thatthey have decided to defend the victims of themilitary campaign. It was said that the two law-yers have decided to defend the victims of theNATO bombings because they themselves saw theaftermath consequences of the bombings whenthey visited Libya. Though the western governmenthas denied any civilian casualties caused duringthe NATO bombings, Verges and Dumas have saidthat they had seen several such casualties at vari-ous such hospitals and there are almost 20,000 suchvictims.

Constitution (15th Amendment)Bill, 2011 pa ssed in Bang lad esh

The Parliament of Bangladesh, the Jatiyo Sangsad,passed the Constitution (15th Amendment) Bill,

INTERNATIONAL

ISSUES


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2011 on 30 June 2011 to amend its constitutionunder which the caretaker government system forholding general elections was scrapped. The billwhich contained 15 proposals was passed by divi-sion vote with a majority of 291-1. However,amendments moved by ruling alliance opposingIslam as the state religion and religion-based poli-tics were rejected. Islam has been retained as thestate religion alongwith Bismillahi-Ar-Rahman-Ar-Rahim.The Constitutional amendments incor-porate strict provisions against military takeovers.It treats military takeovers as treachery and a sub-versive act. Parliament has been given power tohand down maximum penalty to those usurpingstate power.The caretaker system was introducedin 1996 under the 13th amendment to the consti-tution of Bangladesh. Since then, the general elec-

tions were overseen by non-partisan caretaker gov-ernments.

10th SCO Summit

The six-nation Shanghai Cooperation Organisation(SCO) celebrated its 10th anniversary on 15 June2011 in Astana, the capital city of Kazakhstan, bysumming up its achievements and outlining itsfuture direction. The six-nation SCO memberstates are China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. India, Pakistan and Iranare with Observer status in the SCO. Indian Ex-ternal Affairs Minister, SM Krishna attended thesummit.

SCOs Joint Declaration:The joint declaration of the summit included (1)establishing an inseparable international securitycommunity to guard information security, (2) fighting the three evil forces of terrorism, separat-

ism and extremism, and (3) combating drug traf-ficking. aims they desire in the region for Afghani-stan i.e. the Afghanistan becomes a geo-strategicbridge as well as a terror-free zone.

About SCO: SCO was founded on 15 June 2001. The SCO was born of the need of sharing themember countries growing desire to enhance mu-

tual trust, carry out mutually beneficial coopera-tion and address challenges through joint efforts.

UN launched Drivefor Sustainable Sanitation

The United Nations launched a drive, Sustainablesanitation: The Five-Year-Drive to 2015 to accel-erate progress towards the goal of halving theproportion of the population without access to ba-sic sanitation by 2015. The drive was establishedby the General Assembly in a resolution adoptedin December 2010 that called on Member Statesto redouble efforts to close the sanitation gap, oneof the eight Millennium Development Goals(MDGs) that world leaders have pledged to achieveby 2015.The UN had recognised access to sanita-tion as a human right, a basic service required tolive a normal life. However despite the recogni-tion, some 2.6 billion people or half the popula-tion in the developing world still lack access toimproved sanitation.Sanitation is an unpopularsubject though it is an extremely sensitive issue.The UN resolution of December 2010 had calledfor an end to open defecation, the most dangeroussanitation practice for public health and one prac-tised by over 1.1 billion people who have no ac-

cess to facilities

Pakistan gets ChineseAid Against the US Raids

After the killing of the deadly terrorist Osama BinLaden, US have accused Pakistan Government forharbouring the deadly terrorist for many years.Now by doubling its military attacks on Pakistanthe US wants to enter into the sphere thats influ-enced by the Chinese Government. But in retalia-tion to the Obama Administration the Chinese gov-ernment has again lend a helping hand towardsPakistan by providing air arsenal and even warnedthe US government that any sort of attack on Pa-kistan would considered as an inhuman and un-friendly attack on the Chinese government too. TheChinese government has clearly said that any at-tack on Pakistan will be considered as an attack against China which will not be tolerated. This is


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the 1st such blunt ultimatum for the US govern-ment after the Soviet warning during the crisis inBerlin in the year 1958-1961.

Yingluck Shinawatra toBec om e the PM o f Thailand

Yingluck Shinawatra from the Pheu Thai (PT)party, had a stunning victory aginst her oppositionparty, Democrat Party in Thailands election . Sheis all set to become Thailands first female PrimeMinister. Pheu Thai was backed by exiled formerPremier of Thailand, Thaksin Shinawatra.Yingluck Shinawatra is Thaksins youngest sister.Yingluck Shinawatra was a run-of-the-mill busi-nesswoman by profession.The election commis-sion of Thailand announced on 4 July 2011 thatPheu Thai won an outright majority, taking 265 of 500 seats in the Thai parliament. The ruling Demo-crat Party took just 159 seats, down from the 170which they occupied in the Abhisit Vejjajivasrulling assembly of 480 seats.

Arrest Warrant for MuammarGaddafi

The International Criminal Court issued an arrest

warrant for Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, hisson Saif al-Islam and Libyan intelligence chief Abdullah al-Senussi on charges of crimes againsthumanity. The warrant was issued for them fororchestrating the killing, injuring, arrest and im-prisonment of hundreds of civilians during the first12 days of unrest and for trying to cover up thealleged crimes. It was felt that Gaddafi and com-pany needed to be arrested so as to prevent themcovering up ongoing crimes and committing newcrimes.Presiding judge Sanji MmasenonoMonageng declared that Saif al-Islam Gaddafi wasaccused of conceiving and orchestrating a plan todeter and quell by all means the civilian demon-strations.

President of YemenLeft Country

President of Yemen Ali Abdullah Saleh left forSaudi Arabia for medical treatment and thus endedhis 33-year rule over the nation. On 3 June 2011

he was injured in a rocket attack by the rivalgroup.It created a political vacuum and a hope forthe pro-democracy movement to achieve its ob-

jective. But at the same time it will fuel violencein the country because it is divided into armedtribes and to unify them under one command wontbe an easy task.

IAEA Called forAc tion on Nuc lear Safety

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)in a concluding session of an international minis-terial conference in Vienna on 24 June 2011 ex-pressed urgency to take appropriate action on thebasis of lessons from the civil nuclear accident atthe quake-and-tsunami-hit Fukushima Daiichiplant in Japan.Amid rising global consensus, theauthorities in Fukushima prefecture announcedplans to distribute dosimeters to schoolchildren tocontinuously monitor their exposure to nuclear

radiation at the grassroots and take follow-up ac-tion.

Parents however continued to express concern overthe public health hazard their children were ex-posed to since the March 11 accident.In the meanwhile a Chinese research ship was detected withinthe Japanese exclusive economic zone. In this re-gard, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edanomentioned that China should have first contactedJapan about any radiation concerns even if the shipwas sent for collecting seawater samples in thatregard.IAEA promised widespread support for thesystematic review of the safety of all nuclear powerplants.The Ministers of the IAEA member-statesalso recognised the need for a global nuclear li-ability regime for appropriate compensation in theevent of a nuclear accident.


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US Dec ided to pull-outTroops from Afghanistan

US President Barack Obama set in motion a sub-stantial withdrawal of American troops in an ac-knowledgment of the shifting threat in the region

and the political and economic challenges in a war-weary America. He announced that the UnitedStates had largely achieved its goals inAfghanistan. Obama announced plans to withdraw10000 troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2011.The remaining 20000 troops from the 2009 surgewould leave by 2012 summer, amounting to abouta third of the 100000 troops in the country. Thepullout will continue at a steady pace until secu-rity is handed over to Afghan authorities in 2014.The withdrawals would signal the end of themilitarys counterinsurgency strategy adopted 18months ago.

Syria's PresidentRec om mende d Reforms

Syria's President Bashar al-Assad proposed hold-ing of a national dialogue that will recommendsweeping reforms aimed at transforming the po-litical landscape.It was declared that people from

all walks of life would participate in the nationaldialogue, organised around committees, and rec-ommendations would be made within 30 to 60days.The Syrian President pledged his commitmentto fundamental reforms, including the drafting of a new Constitution. The changes would cover thepolitical arena and would create greater mediafreedoms.While speaking on the on-going protests,Assad said the demonstrations comprised threecore sets of people: those who were peaceful andhad legitimate demands, those who were vandalsand outlaws and radical and blasphemous intel-lectuals.

Germany Announc ed Easing ofExp ort Co ntrol Laws for India

Germany announced easing of export control lawsfor India. The new laws$allow India, accessing

dual use items, marking a major development thatis beneficial in the expansion of the nuclear en-ergy sector. Previously India was removed fromthe list of countries subject to national export con-trol restrictions.

The new norms allow Germany to treat India justlike any other EU countries. India had approachedGermany in 2010 to relax export control laws toallow high technology trade with it. And in May2011 Germany modified its export control legisla-tion vis--vis India. Germany repealed their restric-tions for the export of goods for nuclear powerplants in the same announcement.

App rova l of theConstitutiona l Reforms Moroc o

People of Morocco approved the constitutionalreforms which is expected to bring democratic re-forms in the country.According to an official esti-mate, 98 percent of voters on the day of referen-dum voted to approve the constitutional reforms,with a 72 percent of the 13 million registered vot-ers casting their votes.King of Morocco,Mohammed VI had announced his proposed re-forms in June 2011 according to which his power

would be limited while strengthening the primeministers office and the parliament.However, thecritics said the new constitution has not limitedthe power of Mohammed because he can stillchoose the Prime Minister from the party that wonthe elections and continue to oversee the Moroccos

judiciary, security apparatus and religious matters.

The UN-HABITAT Report

According to the UN-HABITAT report on the Stateof the World Cities 2010/2011: Bridging the Ur-ban Divide, Governments across the world workedcollectively to lift 227 million people out of slumconditions, surpassing the Millennium Develop-ment target by 2.2 times. India was applauded forbettering the lot of 59.7 million, therefore the pro-portion of people living in slum conditions camedown from since 2000 from 41.5 per cent in 1990to 28.1 per cent in 2010 in India.


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The World in 2050 Report

According the report, The World in 2050 by PricewaterhouseCoopers, India can be expected to be thefastest growing large economy in the world over the period to 2050. Indias share of global GDP,measured at market exchange will rise to around 13 per cent, from 2 per cent in 2009. India willovertake all G7 countries except the US, to become the world's third largest economy with a projected

GDP of $31313 billion. China, currently the world's third largest economy is estimated to move to theNo. 1 spot by 2040, with an estimated GDP of $51180 billion by 2050. PwC however warned that Indiawill only achieve this performance if it maintains a prudent fiscal policy as well as continues to open upto foreign trade and investment, and further invest in transport and energy infrastructure, andeducation.India's growing young population will spur its growth while China's rapidly aging popula-tion will lead to its rate of gain. The Chinese economy will be 35 per cent larger than the US by 2050.Russia will also be adversely affected by its shrinking working age population, and will be the slowestof the E7 countries.The World in 2050 report provides a strikingly gloomy picture for the G7 nations of France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, US and Canada. The combined economies of the so-called E-7group of countries, comprising India, China, Brazil, Mexico, Russia, Indonesia and Turkey is expectedto be 64 per cent larger than the G7 by 2050. Dependence on European and American export marketswill pose a problem for the G7 nations.Among the countries likely to see the biggest falls is Australia,which could fall off the top 20 ranking. Also Britains ranking will dip from sixth to ninth position(measured by MER) will be accentuated by its over-dependence on the EU and US as trading partners.

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