8/12/2019 [PIN-2014] Part 2_6

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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 Summits7. Ukraine crisis

8. International Organizations

9. International places in news

Prologue to six part

Article series

Total six parts covering December 2013 to 8thJune 2014- nearly six months that is the usual

time span for current affairs most competitive exams belowUPSC Civil serviceexam.

1. National

2. international

3. sports

4. banking and business GK

5. books, authors, movies, beauties6. 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

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Afghanistancontest election.

Right now Presidential race between

Abdullah Abdullah and Asraf Ghani.

Parliament called shoora.

Australia

PM Tony Abbott. capital Canberra (not

Perth or Sydney)

1stmember 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 originMahindra Chaudhary (1999-2000)

Ram Krishna Mission of Fiji has been

awarded Pravasi Bharatiya Samman

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2014

FrancePresident Francis Hollande; PM Manuel Valls.

Anne Hidalg-first female mayor of Paris

Germany

President Joachim Gauck

Chancellor Angela MarkelLok Sabha: Bundestag

IranPresident 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

JapanEmperor Akihito, PM Shinzo Abe. Parliament

called DIET.

JordanJoined non-permanent member of UNSC in

Dec 2013. King Abdulla. Capital Amman

KazakstanPresident 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.

LibyaPM Abdulla al Thani- he quits after family

attacked. Capital Tripoli.

LithuaniaPresident Dalia Grybushaite (Iron lady). Only

person to win twice.

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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

MauritiusPresident Kailash PurryagPM Navin

Ramgoolam

MyanmarPresident Thein SeinOpposition leader Aung

su kyi

NepalPresident Ram Baran YadavPM Sushil

koiralaParliament : Rahstriya Panchayat

Nigeria

President Goodluck Jonathan. in news

because an extremist group Boko Haram

kidnapped schoolgirls to get their prisonersreleased. 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

PalestineUnity 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

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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

SudanSalva Kiir Mayardit

SpainKing Juan Carlos abdicated throne for his

son. PM Rajoy. Capital Madrid. Parliament

SyriaPresident Bashar al assad ready for

election under international pressure

Thailand

acting Prime Minister Niwatthamrong

Boonsongpaisan after court removed

Prime Minister Ms. Yingluck Shinawatrafor 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.

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Ukraine

President Petro Poroshenko, Chocolate

businessman

PM Arseniy Yatsenyuk

parliament : RADA

Capital: Kiev

UruguayLegalized 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.

VenezuelaPresident Nicolas Maduro (and NOT Hugo

Chavez- He is dead)

VietnamPresident 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

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/politics/was-the-modi-factor-behind-nancy-powells-resignation/article5859696.ece

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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.

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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:

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Crimeas port city Sevastopol=>

Black sea=>Straight of Bosporus =>

Mediterranean Sea =>

Strait of Gibraltar => Atlantic Ocean

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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 1991Both Ukraine+ Crimea were part of erstwhile

USSR.

1stDecember

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 alreadyangry 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).

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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 inRussia. His excuse: in past Kosovo also

separated from Serbia in the same

manner, but at that time USA did not

oppose.

April-MayAfter this, other parts of Eastern Ukraine also

started similar movements to join Russia.

June 2014Chocolate 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

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ASEAN peaceful and prosperous community

BIMSTEC

Nay Pyi Tao, Myanmar

March 2014, 3rdsummit

Partnership for Harmony and Prosperity

MoU was sign to establish permanent

secretariat

BRICS Fortaleza, Brazil- 2014; Ufa, Russia 2015

CHOGMCommonwealth heads of government 22nd

meeting in Colombo, Sri Lanka (Nov 2013)

ending

sexual

violence in

conflict

to find practical solution on how to endsexual 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 (8th)

2014: Brisbane, Australia 9th

G-7 summit

40thBrussels, Belgium (EU HQ)

June 2014

1sttime 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

IBSA2013, DelhiMilitary cooperation- joint military

exercise IBSAMAR

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SAARC Kathmandu, NepalNov 2014, 18th

UNFCC2013: 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 140thWTO member in

June 2014

National Summits

1st International summit on

HIV AIDSNew Delhi

28th Suryakund international

artisan FairFaridabad Harayana

Asia Gas partnership Summit Delhi, Dec 2013.

National Science Congress

101th session

was held in Jammu on Feb

2014

PETROTECH 2014Noida, International oil &

gas summit

Rann UtsavCultural festival of Katch dist

Gujarat

SuryakumbhSolar cooking initiative in

Mumbai

TECNOTEX 2014International 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.

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African development

bank

Donald kaberukaHQ Abidjan,

Ivory coast

African Union B.N.AmadiHQ Addis Ababa

ASEANLe Luong MinhHQ Jakarta,

Indonesia

Asian development bankPresident Takehiko NakaoHQ

Manila, Philippines

IMFChristine LagardeHQ

Washington

EU

Head of European

commission Jose

Emanuel Barroso

HQ Brussels, Belgium

European Central Bank

Frankfurt, Germany

FAODG- Jose Graziano de silvaHQ

Rome, Italy

NATO

Secretary General Jens

Stoltenberg (Formal PM of

Norway)

OECDSec-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

IAEADG Yukiya AmanoHQ Vienna,

Austria

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ILODG Guy RyderHQ Geneva,

Switzerland

UN General Assembly

President John Ashe,

visited India, raised Italian

marine issue.

Secretary Gen. Ban Kimoon

HQ New York

UN declared 2014 as

International year of family

farming.

ITU

Sec-gen Hamadoun ToureHQ

Geneva, Switzerland

UNHRCNavi PillaiHQ Geneva,

Switzerland

UNFCCChristina FigueresHQ Bonn,

Germany

UNCTRALChairperson Hrvoje SikiricHQ

New York

OPCW (Organization

forPrevention of

ChemicalWeapons)

DG Ahmet UzumcuHQ Hague,

NetherlandOPCW won Nobel

prize 2013

US federal Reserve JENETYELLN

WHODG Dr. Margaret ChanHQ

Geneva, Switzerland

WIPO

DG Francis Gurry, re-elected for

2ndtermHQ Geneva,

Switzerland

World bankDG Jim Yong KimHQ

Washington

WTODG Roberto AzevedoHQ

Geneva, Switzerland

WWF (world wild fund

forNature)

CEO Carter RobertsHQ Gland,

Vaud, Switzerland

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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

ProvinceIran earthquake in april

HeratIn Afghanistan. Terrorists attacked Indian

consulate before Modi oath.

Jinnah AirportKarachi. Biggest terrorist attack in June

2014.

Latvia Officially joined EU. 18th Member

Malta Next CHOGM summit in 2015

MauratiaAncient 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

PeshawarWorlds largest reservoir of Polio (WHO

statement)

Popocatpetl

volcanoMexico

Samoa

Airline

First airline to charge passengers based on

their weight

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Serbia

Agreed to cede some areas to its former

province Kosovo.Under EU accord. Serbia-

Capital Belgrade. Kosovo-Capital Pristina-

Uses Euro as Currency.

ShanghaiStarted visa-free transit scheme with

Beijing.

Shenzhen

Province

China Launched its first carbon trading

scheme here

Sichuan

ProvinceChina earthquake of ritchers scale-7.

suma Turkey coal mine. explosion killed 280+

Titanosaur Biggest dinosaurs, found in Argentina.

West Qurna-2One 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.

Sevastopolport city in Crimea, Russia wanted tocontrol Blacksea via this port city, hence the

Ukrain crisis.

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