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Current Affairs
May 2013
International Events
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aryland, the U.S. state located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, on
2nd May 2013 became the first southern US state to abolish the death
penalty. The measure on it was
signed by Democratic Governor
Martin OMalley on 2 May 2013.
The person who was attended was
former Maryland death row inmate
Kirk Bloodsworth. He will be the
first person in the country freed from
death penalty because of DNA
evidence after being convicted in a
death penalty case. On the global
level, Maryland is the 18th state to
abolish the death penalty. The
Governor can commute the death
sentences of intimates to life without
parole. The Governor OMalley has
asserted that he will consider them
on a case-by-case basis. The states
last execution was in 2005.
relands government on 1
May 2013 unveiled the
Protection of Life during
Pregnancy Bill. It explains when
life-saving abortions can be
performed. Moreover, its a
clarification of rights within the
ambit of Current law. The billmentioned clearly that anyone
illegally involved in abortion could
face a maximum 14-year prison
sentence whether he is a doctor or a
patient. The bill was unveiled following the death of an Indian dentist Savita Halappanavar in
2012.
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hina, on 2 May 2013, successfully launched a communications satellite called
Zhongxing-11 from Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest Sichuan
province. The satellite was launchedinto its present orbit from Long
March-3B rocket. Zhongxing-11 is
mainly to provide services for the
commercial communications and
broadcasting. The satellite is also
responsible for meeting needs of
digital broadband multimedia,
streaming media for clients, Direct-to-
Home as well as data transmission for
the Asia-Pacific region.
lmost 260,000 people, half of them young children, died of hunger during the last
famine in Somalia, according to a U.N. report on 1 May, which admitted the world
body should have done more to prevent the tragedy. The toll is much higher than was feared
at the time of the 2010-2012 food crisis in the troubled Horn of
Africa country and also exceeds the 220,000who starved to death in the 1992 famine.
Half of those who died were
children under five, according
to the joint report by the U.N.s
Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO) and the U.S.-funded
Famine Early Warning Systems
Network.Famine and severe food insecurity in Somalia claimed the
lives of about 258,000 people between October 2010 and April 2012, including 133,000
children under five, said the report, the first scientific estimate of how many died. Somalia
was the hardest hit by extreme drought in 2011 that affected over 13 million people across
the Horn of Africa.
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ibyas parliament on 5 May 2013 passed a comprehensive law, which bans anyone
who served as a senior official under Muammar Gaddafi during his 42 year-long
rule from working in government. The passing of such Political Isolation Law possibly
will lead to the dismissal of
many current leaders, some of
whom had defected to the rebel
side during the countrys 2011
civil war or had been elected to
office since Gaddafis ouster
and killing. The move is also
likely to further stall the
countrys already unsteady
transition to democracy by
ousting elected lawmakers. The
General National Congress, Libyas elected parliament, voted overpoweringly in favour of
the law.
ays ahead of Indias external affairs Minister Salman Khurshids planned visit to
Beijing, Official sources said on 5 May, India and China pulled back their troops
from the face-off point at Daulat Beg Oldi sector in Ladakh, where the Chinese forces
had intruded nearly three weeks
ago. A group of Chinese troops
estimated at around 50 and
accompanied by vehicles and dogs
had intruded 19 km inside the
Indian Territory across the Line of
Actual Control (LAC) in Daulat
Beg Oldi sector on 15 April and
set up five tents. Indian troops had
also established tented posts
facing the Chinese forces at a
distance of 300 meters. The troops
of the two sides held four flag
meetings, the last one being
yesterday. However, there was no positive outcome from these meetings, which went hand-
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in-hand with high-level diplomatic efforts to break the impasse. But an agreement was
reached on 4 May, for both sides to pull back their troops simultaneously from the face-off
point. The face-off in Ladakh had cast a shadow over the visit of Mr Khurshid to China on 9
May to prepare the ground for the new Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang's visit to India
from 20 May.
rab countries on 1 May, have collectively agreed to accept an arrangement that
would allow Israelis and Palestinians to go ahead with land swaps to resolve
differences, rather than strictly sticking to the pre-1967-war position. Speaking on behalf
of the 22-nation Arab League (AL), Qatar Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Sheikh
Hamad Bin Jasem Al Thani, appeared to concede land swaps following a meeting in
Washington of Arab officials and John Kerry, the U.S. Secretary of State, to promote Israeli-Palestinian peace. The Israeli establishment seemed elated by the development. The
perceptible shift in the Arab position seemed to have the approval of the Palestinian
Authority (PA), whose Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki was present at the meeting. Foreign
Ministers of Egypt, Bahrain, Jordan and Qatar also participated in the talks along with
officials from Lebanon and Saudi Arabia. Joe Biden, the U.S. Vice-President, also attended
part of the meeting. The ALs proposal in its original form was pegged around a full Arab
recognition of an Israeli state, in case it gave up land captured in the 1967 war, and accepted
a just solution for Palestinian refugees. The Israelis had earlier rejected the plan, which was
proposed in 2002 at the AL summit in Beirut. Israel objects to the return to 1967 borders, the
return of Palestinian refugees displaced in earlier wars, and the inclusion of East Jerusalem in
a future Palestinian state.
ussia and the US on 8 May, have agreed to work together to bring the warring
sides in Syria to the negotiating table, raising hopes for an end to carnage in the war-
torn country and a thaw in frosty relations between Moscow and Washington. Emerging from
hours-long talks with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, Russias Foreign Minister SergeiLavrov announced that the sides agreed to convene as soon as possible, maybe at the end of
this month an international conference on Syria. The meet will be a follow-up to the Geneva
Peace Conference in June 2012, which called for the Syrian government and the opposition
to create a transitional government to steer the peace process in Syria. The Geneva plan got
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stalled because the U.S. demanded that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad step down as a
precondition for peace talks.
alaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak began a second term on 6 May, after his
Barisan Nasional (National Front) coalition, which has ruled for 56 years, held on to
power in elections branded as fraudulent by a bitter opposition. Opposition leader Anwar
Ibrahim terming the victory
worst electoral fraud in our
history called for a protest
rally.
The ruling camp won the
election with a minority vote.
Barisan won 133 seats in the
222-member Parliament. The
opposition alliance won 89
seats, an increase of 14,
largely at the expense of non-
aligned candidates. This
makes Mr. Najib the first
leader in four decades to winwith a minority of the ballots according to Malaysian media. Mr. Najib (59), who had
promised free and fair polls and has since brushed off numerous allegations of irregularities,
was sworn in by the king in Kuala Lumpur.
he Election Commission of Pakistan on 14 May 2013 announced results of 272
National Assembly seats, with Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML (N)) heading
the count with 126 seats, followed by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) with 31 seats. Thevoting took place for all parliamentary constituencies of Pakistan to elect 342 members for
the National assembly, including 60 seats reserved for women and 10 for non-Muslims,
simultaneously voting took place for the four Provincial Assemblies of Punjab, KPK, Sindh
and Balochistan as well. Pakistan Election 2013 was intended to elect members for its lower
house Majlis-e-Shoora. Pakistan's opposition parties, Imran Khan`s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf
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(PTI), and PML (N) were the major contenders for the general Election. The 63-year-old
Sharif, the Chief of PML (N) had twice served as premier.The party attained an
overpowering lead with 130 seats. The first runner up is Imran Khan`s PTI with 37 seats
and the last is the PPP with 31 seats. To have a majority in the 342-member National
Assembly, a party or coalition would need 172 seats. The Senate or upper house of theparliament is currently controlled by the PPP.
n the eve of a major international donors conference, the European Union on 14
May, announced that it was pledging 520 million (US $ 674.8 million) over the
next two years to help rebuild the west African country of Mali as a functioning state.
The announcement was made by Jose Manuel Barroso, President of the European
Commission, the EUsexecutive branch, who said the
investment would benefit Europe
as well as Africa. Until a
military intervention by France,
followed by the engagement of
other African countries, many
international officials were
concerned that Malis vast,
ungoverned north was a haven
for terrorist groups that,
unhindered by government
control, could feel free to plot
attacks anywhere in the world.
Officials in Mali have come up
with a $4.3-billion-euro ($5.58-billion) multifaceted plan for what EU officials are calling a
total relaunch of the country. The plan includes rebuilding government institutions and the
military, staging elections in July, holding dialogues with rebels in the north, rebuilding roadsand schools, reviving the moribund economy so that people get paid for working, among
others.
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he first phase of Sri Lankas northern railway project, funded by a line of credit
facilitated by India, was commissioned on 14 May. Coaches in chugged along from
Medawachchiya in Anuradhapura, the North Central Province, to Madhu Road, marking the
return of a crucial transportation link .Tracks along the 43 km-stretch were reconstructed as
part of the $800 million-project, being executed by the Indian Railway Ministrys IRCON
International Limited to restore the 252 km-railway line that would connect different parts of
the country. Commissioning the service, Minister for Economic Development Basil
Rajapaksa said India had been with Sri Lanka at every stage of rehabilitation and
reconstruction of the north.
he International Monetary Fund on 15 May 2013 approved a three-year, $ 1.3
billion loan for supporting Cyprus attempts to stabilize its financial sector and to
bring the Governments deficit under control and restore economic growth. The IMF
loan to Cyprus is basically a part of a rescue package of 10 billion Euros (US $ 12.9 billion)
counterfeit in March 2013 with the Eurozones bailout fund. The loan was approved by
IMFs Executive Board which also includes an immediate disbursement of US $ 110.7
million. Counting the IMF disbursement, Cyprus has received about US $ 2.7 billion in the
third week of May from its international lenders. The Luxembourg-based European Stability
Mechanism, which is a Eurozone bailout fund, on 13 May, announced that it had approved its
first bailout tranche for Cyprus and transferred an initial 2 billion euros (US $ 2.6 billion).
The rest of the tranche up to 1 billion Euros will be transferred by 30 June 2013.
ndias bid for observer status in the Arctic Council was successful on 15 May 2013,
along with that of five other countries China, Italy, Japan, South Korea and
Singapore at a meeting in Kiruna, Sweden. Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi,
welcomed Indias admission. An MEA official spokesperson said India would contribute its
scientific expertise, particularly in polar research capabilities, to the work of the Arctic
Council to support its objectives. However, at the level of realpolitik, India will be looking
at the opportunities for hydrocarbon exploration offered in the Arctic circle by joining
hands with either of the five countries gearing up for the purpose the US, Canada,
Norway, Russia and Denmark. When geography is considered Russia emerges as the most
attractive partner. But for that to happen, India will have to take a firm political stand on the
Lomonosov Ridge and the Mendeleev Ridge which Russia claims are an extension of its
continental shelf. By supporting Moscows position, India could get access to the rich
deposits and also utilize the North Sea Route. India has its Arctic research station named
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Himadri since 2008 that is located at the International Arctic Research base, Ny-Alesund at
Spitsbergen, Svalbard, Norway. The station is operated by the National Centre for Antarctic
and Ocean Research. Indias approach in the Arctic Circle since 2008 has always been purely
scientific. China became the first Asian country to navigate the area with a three-month sea
voyage in an ice breaker across the Arctic Circle.
he United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on 16 May passed a non-binding
resolution
condemning the
government of Syria and
calling for political
transition. The votepassed with 107 of 193
nations in favour, 12
against and 59
abstentions, including
India, representing a sharp
fall in support compared to
a similar resolution passed
last August with 133 votes
in favour, 12 against and 31
abstentions. Discomfort over signals of growing extremism within the ranks of Syrias rebel
groups was apparent, with Indias Permanent Representative to the U.N. Ashoke Kumar
Mukherji warning that, Unilateral action of any kind will not resolve the crisis... It will only
exacerbate the problem and cause greater instability and violence even beyond Syrias
borders.
hinese authorities on 16 May, have granted approval for an environmental
assessment of a controversial 2 GW dam project slated to be the countrys
tallest dam despite concerns voiced by a number of environmental groups. The Ministry
of Environmental Protection this week said it had approved a year-long assessment of
the Shuangjiangkou project on the Dadu River in the southwestern Sichuan province.
Even as it gave the go-ahead, the Ministry acknowledged the project would affect the
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spawning and movement of rare fish species, as well as the growth of endangered plants,
including the Chinese yew, which is under first-class state protection. The Ministry
reasoned that countermeasures would help mitigate the impact. It called for protecting fish
habitats and constructing seed banks for rare plants but did not say how it would enforce the
measures.
The Shuangjiangkou dam will have an installed capacity of 2 GW and will generate 7.93
billion kilowatt-hours of power annually, according to the official Xinhua News Agency. The
project will cost $ 4 billion. At 314 metres, it will be Chinas tallest dam, surpassing the
nearly 300-metre-tall Xiaowan dam on the Mekong river. The Shuangjiangkou dam will be
180-metre taller than Three Gorges dam.
rance's President Francois Hollande on 17 May 2013 signed the bill to legalize gay
marriage. It makes France the ninth in Europe, and 14th in the world to do so. The
move was opposed by many conservatives and the Catholic Church in France. As of May
2013, thirteen countries (Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Iceland, France,
Netherlands, Portugal, Norway, Spain, South Africa, Sweden), and several sub-national
jurisdictions (parts of Mexico and the USA), allow same-sex couples to marry.
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orth Korea on 19 May 2013 test-fired a short-range missile off its east coast,
counted as fourth test firing in two days. The missile was fired into the Sea of Japan.
Earlier on 18 May, the countryfired three short-range missiles off
its east coast, considered as part of
a military drill. The launching of
missile by North Korea is not
usual but it came at a time of
sensitive alert on the peninsula
followed by the Pyongyangs
nuclear test in February 2013
which had led to tougher UN
Sanctions. The launch of missile by North Korea was to demonstrate its military ambitions in
rebelliousness of international sanctions and diplomatic efforts to convince the totalitarian
state to return to talks.
he Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on 19 May 2013 declared that it will start
the work on worlds biggest hydroelectric Inga dam on Congo River in October
2015. DRC made the announcement on the construction of the dam in Paris after the talks
between the DRC and International officials ended. The meet on the development of the dam
involved multilateral lending institutions. The planned Inga dam project will produce 40,000
MW power and provide electricity to half the African Continent. Whereas, the World Bank
has estimated that DR Congos total hydropower resources can generate up to 1,00,000
MWs. As per the World Bank estimates if the project is completed at full its capacity than it
will be capable of providing power to about 500 million African households. During the first
phase the Inga 3 Basse Chute project will have a capacity of 4,800 megawatts. The Parismeet of the DR Congo and the international officials followed the deal signed on 7 May 2013
between South Africa and DR Congo for cooperation in the energy sector. As per the 7 May
2013 deal, South Africa will buy some of the electricity produced by the project. The project
will be developed on the powerful Inga Falls that lie is a narrow strip of DR Congo Territory,
through which the Congo river runs down to the Atlantic Coast. At present, Three Gorges
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Dam on the Yangtze River of China is the world's largest hydropower complex, with a
capacity of 22,500 MWs.
ally Ride, the United States' first woman in space, will be
posthumously honoredwith the country's highest civilian
commendation and the renaming of
a high-flying camera. President
Barack Obama announced on 20th
May 2013 that Ride will be awarded
the Presidential Medal of Freedomat
the White House later this year.
NASA further paid tribute to the late
astronaut by creating a new internship
program in her name and renaming a
science instrument on board the
International Space Station. Ride, who after flying in
space twice went on to become a leading advocate for science education, died on July 23,
2012, 17 months after she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She was 61.
ormer US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton honored with the 2013 Helen
Keller Humanitarian Award from Helen Keller International. During the awards
speech she praised the efforts of a group combating malnutrition and blindness. Clinton
continues to be spoken of as a possible presidential candidate in 2016. But earlier this month,
former President Bill Clinton said speculating on his wife's political future is a waste of time
and that the nation should be more focused on fixing its problems. He also said she is
"having a little fun being a private citizen for the first time in 20 years."
PA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and India-origin PepsiCo chief Indra Nooyi figure
among the top 10 in the global list of most powerful women, in the league of leaders
like Angela Merkel, Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton. Gandhi is ranked ninth while
Nooyi is at the 10th place in the global list of world's 100 most powerful women leaders
compiled by Forbes magazine for 2013. German Chancellor Angela Merkel tops the list for
the the third consecutive year, followed by Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff, Melinda Gates
of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, US First lady Michelle Obama and philanthropist
Hillary Clinton. Private sector lender ICICI Bank Managing Director and CEO Chanda
Kochhar is ranked 65th and Biocon Founder Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw has secured the 85th
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spot in the global list. Cisco Systems Chief Technology and Strategy Officer India-born
Padmasree Warrior is ranked 57th. The global list
includes influential women from a wide arena such
as politics, media, entertainment, entrepreneurs,
technology and philanthropy.
apanese climber Yuichiro Miura broke the record for
the oldest person to climb Mt. Everest when the 80-
year-old reached the summit Thursday at 9 a.m.,
according to his website. But the octogenarian may
not be able to bask in the limelight long. There are
reports that Nepalese climber Min Bahadur
Sherchan, 81, is planning an assault on the worlds
highest peak next week, despite some recent
intestinal problems. Sherchan frustrated Miuras
record-setting ambitions once before when, in May
2008, Miura conquered the mountain at the age of
75, only to arrive a day after Sherchan's ascent at age
76 years and 340 days. This is Miuras third ascent
of the 29,028-foot peak. He also earned the oldest
climber title in 2003, at age 70, a milestone broken
four years later when fellow Japanese climber
Katsusuke Yanagisawa ascended at age 71. But at
least for now, Miura is expressing nothing but satisfaction at his
accomplishment.
he 50th anniversary celebration of the organization now known as the African
Union has opened on 25th May 2013 at the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, in the
presence of foreign dignitaries including heads of state from outside the continent. It began in
1963 as the Organisation for African Unity (OAU), born out of the struggle of many
countries for independence from their colonial masters. It became known as the African
Union (AU) in 2002.
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he Bulgarian Parliament on 29th narrowly voted in a new technocratic government to
be led by Plamen Oresharski, a 53-year-old former finance minister who is regarded
as competent and nonpartisan, in an attempt to move Bulgaria forward after inconclusive
elections this month. The new prime
minister, who is best known perhaps for
introducing a 10 percent flat tax, called for
more social solidarity, urgent measures to
stabilize the economy and government.
The country is in a deep institutional crisis,
continuing economic depression and
worsening disintegration of society, Mr.
Oresharski told the plenary hall of
Parliament during the four-hour debate before the vote on his government.
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