(Current Affairs For SSC Exams) International |February 2015

February-2015

INTERNATIONAL

Sri Lanka’s new government to probe Rajapaksa’s ‘coup’ bid

Sri Lanka’s new government accused former President Mahinda Rajapaksa of having tried to stage a military coup to remain in power following presidential polls, which saw his chief rival and former minister Maithripala Sirisena elected president.
Mangala Samaraweera, a top aide of President Sirisena, told reporters that the coup was averted because the army chief “did not want to do anything against democracy at that decisive time.”
This, he said, was despite orders from Mr. Rajapaksa and his brother Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, then the defence secretary to deploy troops to centres where the votes were being counted late on January 8.
The new cabinet, to be sworn in soon, would initiate an investigation into the pre-dawn “conspiracy” as one of its first tasks, he added. The allegations come just days after sections hailed Mr. Rajapaksa for “stepping down gracefully” and ensuring a smooth transition of power .
“The truth is it was not a smooth transition of power,” said Mr. Samaraweera, who earlier served as Foreign Minister and is tipped to be a key member of President Sirisena’s cabinet.
When contacted, Army commander Lieutenant General Daya Ratnayake told: “I have not seen those allegations yet, so I cannot respond.” Referring to earlier concerns over the army being deployed in the north and east to allegedly disrupt elections, he said: “You saw that there was no such incident. The transition was very smooth,” he said.
On whether Mr. Rajapaksa or his brother gave him orders to stage a coup, General Ratnayake said: “I can’t comment on that, it is very sensitive. You have to check with the politicians.” However, should the government initiate an enquiry, the army would cooperate in the process, he said.

Taiwan confirmed the H5N8 strain of bird flu

Taiwan’s agriculture authority confirmed that the strain of bird flu found in a goose breeding facility in the Chiayi County was the H5N8, which is not considered to be highly pathogenic.
This follows the discovery of the highly pathogenic H5N2 strain of the bird flu virus at a chicken farm in the southern Taiwanese county of Pingtung.
Agriculture council chief, Chen Bao-ji, said that this was the first time that the H5N8 strain has been detected in Taiwan, adding that it was suspected to have been spread by migratory birds, according to a Xinhua report.
The Chiayi County government began culling more than 1,500 geese at the farm on Sunday and a ban on the movement of poultry in Pingtung, Tainan and Yunlin counties was imposed.
The culling of 120,000 chickens on a farm in Pingtung was completed after poultry was found to be infected with the H5N2 strain. Avian influenza, known informally as avian flu or bird flu, refers to influenza caused by viruses adapted to birds.
It has caused a global concern because of its possible transmission to humans and the threat of a pandemic if it mutates to a form that can be easily passed from birds to humans and then, from human to human.

Emerging economies must help combat climate change: U.N. Chief

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that while respecting the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, emerging economies such as India, China, South Africa and Brazil should take necessary action to combat climate change.
Interacting with presspersons after visiting a canal-top solar power project, he said the developed countries had caused much more impact on climate than the developing nations and they had different capacities to tackle impacts.
India was taking necessary action by projects such as the canal-top power project, a creative and impressive one which all developing countries should emulate.
To questions, he said climate finance was the most important aspect to make combating climate change a success. India could play a vital role as one of the fastest growing economies.
He was catalysing funds into the Green Climate Fund, which had topped $10 billion last year. He was optimistic about arriving at a new, robust climate treaty in Paris.

India-U.S. to Jointly fight cancer & Ebola

India and the United States are expected to sign memoranda of understanding on cancer research and Ebola control when U.S. President Barack Obama arrives later this month.
Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare J.P. Nadda said the two countries had agreed to jointly fight Ebola. Under the agreement, Indian health care personnel will be trained in Ebola control and treatment procedures.
“The Indian Council of Medical Research is already working on producing a vaccine for Ebola. But this MoU will focus on capacity building in areas of Ebola control,” a senior official of the Ministry said.
Though India has had no reported cases of Ebola, the disease has so far claimed over 7,000 lives in the affected countries. A 26 year-old, who had travelled from Liberia to India and was found carrying the virus in his semen, remains in isolation.
Another MoU is to be signed between the National Cancer Institute, U.S., and the upcoming National Cancer Institute in Jhajjar, for sharing of treatment plans, expertise and research.
The NCI in the United States coordinates the National Cancer Programme, which conducts and supports research, training, health information dissemination, and other programmes with respect to the cause, diagnosis, prevention and treatment of cancer, rehabilitation and the continuing care of cancer patients and their families.
At the institute in Jhajjar being developed by the AIIMS, cancer research will be the area of focus apart from patient care and management. India reports 11 lakh new cases of cancer every year, with a mortality rate of 5.5 lakh per year.
Cancer treatment facilities in India are inadequate, compared to WHO standards, which requires one radiotherapy machine per million population. India at present has 0.41 machine per million population.

Leading U.K. papers reproduce “survivors’ issue” cover

Newsrooms in publications across the United Kingdom saw fierce debates over whether to reproduce the cover of the latest issue of Charlie Hebdo — the “survivors’ issue” as it has been called — which went into a record 5 million print run on January 14.
The latest issue of the satirical magazine carries a cartoon of Prophet Muhammad on its cover that is a tearful and forgiving depiction of the founder of Islam.
While some publications have opted to publish the page in their regular reportage on developments around the weekly magazine — that lost six of its editorial leadership and three others to terrorist bullets last week — others have declined to do so.
The Guardian; Times; Independent; Financial Times and the BBC have published the cartoon, as have major websites like Huffington Post, Buzzfeed and the news sites of Yahoo and Google.
The magazine — sold out in France, and selling at astronomical prices on ebay — will be available in Britain at select outlets. Bookshops and magazine distributers are cagey about the number of copies that they are likely to receive.
The Muslim Council of Britain has responded to the publication with restraint. A statement signed by 53 imams of mosques from across Britain, said that although most Muslims will be “hurt, offended and upset” by the re-publication of the cartoon, the “best and immediate” response is to emulate the “enduring patience, tolerance, gentleness and mercy as was the character of our beloved Prophet.”
Japan approves its largest defence budget
Japan approved its largest-ever defence budget for the next fiscal year, as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe looks to strengthen surveillance of territorial waters in the face of a continuing spat with China.
For the year to March 2016, Tokyo will spend 4.98 trillion yen ($41.97 billion), the government said, rising for the third straight year.
“This is the largest budget ever,” said a defence ministry official, adding the highest allocation previously was 4.96 trillion yen earmarked in 2002.
The trend reflects Mr. Abe’s wish to build a more active military, with an eye on a possible escalation of tensions with China.

Global economy to expand by 3% in 2015

Noting that the global economy is still struggling to gain momentum while many developing economies are less dynamic than they were in the past, the World Bank has projected that it would expand by three per cent this year.
The global economy grew by an estimated 2.6 per cent in 2014, and is projected to expand by 3.3 per cent in 2016 and 3.2 per cent in 2017, the bank said in a report.
Developing countries grew by 4.4 per cent in 2014 and are expected to edge up to 4.8 per cent in 2015, strengthening to 5.3 and 5.4 per cent in 2016 and 2017, respectively, it said.
Following another disappointing year in 2014, developing countries should see an uptick in growth this year, boosted in part by soft oil prices, a stronger US economy, continued low global interest rates, and receding domestic headwinds in several large emerging markets, it added.
“In this uncertain economic environment, developing countries need to judiciously deploy their resources to support social programmes with a laser–like focus on the poor, and undertake structural reforms that invest in people,” said World Bank President Jim Yong Kim.
“It’s also critical for countries to remove any unnecessary roadblocks for private sector investment. The private sector is by far the greatest source of jobs and it can lift hundreds of millions of people out of poverty,” he added.
Underneath the fragile global recovery lie increasingly divergent trends with significant implications for global growth, the World Bank report said.
Activity in the United States and the United Kingdom is gathering momentum as labour markets heal and monetary policy remains extremely accommodative. But recovery has been sputtering in the Euro area and Japan as legacies of the financial crisis linger.
The oil price collapse will result in winners and losers. “Worryingly, the stalled recovery in some high–income economies and even some middle–income countries may be a symptom of deeper structural malaise,” said Kaushik Basu, World Bank Chief Economist and Senior Vice President.
“As population growth has slowed in many countries, the pool of younger workers is smaller, putting strains on productivity. But there are some silver linings behind the clouds.
The lower oil price, which is expected to persist through 2015, is lowering inflation worldwide and is likely to delay interest rate hikes in rich countries,” he said.
“This creates a window of opportunity for oil–importing countries, such as China and India. What is critical is for nations to use this window to usher in fiscal and structural reforms, which can boost long–run growth and inclusive development,” Mr. Basu said.
U.S. think tank flags readiness of Pak nuclear weapons
Evidence has emerged this week suggesting that Pakistan may have accelerated its covert nuclear weapons development programme and rendered operational a nuclear reactor structure located near a heavy water reactor, in a complex that is likely geared toward the production of plutonium.
High-resolution satellite imagery dated January 15, 2015, shows that external construction of the Khushab complex’s fourth reactor is complete and it has “become operational.”
If, as the evidence suggests, Pakistan is accelerating its nuclear weapons programme, it may heighten tensions with New Delhi, where the subject is likely to come up when Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets U.S
President Barack Obama during Republic Day celebrations next week.
In a report that included the satellite photographs by Digital Globe, Washington think-tank Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) said that the assessment of reactor completeness and operation was “based on the presence of a very specific signature: steam is venting from the reactor’s cooling system.”
The Khushab reactor complex was originally constructed and became operational in the 1990s, at that time comprising primarily of a heavy water production plant and an estimated 50 megawatt-thermal (MWth) heavy water reactor.
Following the nuclear tests in India and Pakistan in 1998, Islamabad initiated the construction of a second heavy water reactor between the year 2000 and 2002, ISIS notes, a third one in 2006, and a fourth one in 2011.
ISIS, which has closely tracked the progress on the construction of the reactor complex, noted that a January 2011 image showed the building, similar in layout to the second and third reactors at the same site, early in its construction but by April 2011, the frame of the reactor building and the main reactor hall were visible.

Ordinance makes ‘gender-neutral’ restrooms compulsory

West Hollywood has joined the vanguard of places that are taking steps to make transgender people feel more welcome. Last week, an ordinance took effect that abolished the traditional designation of “men” or “women” on single-stall public restrooms, a bow to the requests of the sizable community of transgender people, who do not believe they fall into either category.
Restaurants and other places with public restrooms will not have to make any changes if the bathrooms have multiple stalls, but all single-stall public restrooms have to be labelled “gender neutral”; businesses have 60 days to comply, but can do so by simply placing a gender-neutral sign on any single-stall restroom.
This sweep of legislation reflects the growing prominence and visibility of transgender people. Amazon Studios’ streaming show Transparent has received widespread critical acclaim, and the lead actor, Jeffrey Tambor, won a Golden Globe last Sunday for his performance as a man who identifies as a woman.

Cuba, U.S. open historic talks

The United States and Cuba opened two days of historic talks in Havana to end decades of Cold War-era animosity and re-establish diplomatic relations.
The meetings in Havana follow the historic decision by U.S. President Barack Obama and Cuban leader Raul Castro in December to seek normal diplomatic relations.
U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Alex Lee and Cuban Foreign Ministry official Josefina Vidal sat down for the first day of closed-door talks.
Their opening remarks were not broadcast.
The reopening of mutual embassies, closed since relations broke in 1961, will be at the centre of Thursday’s talks, which will be led on the U.S. side by Roberta Jacobson, the U.S. Assistant Secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs.

Salman is new Ruler of Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia’s elderly King Abdullah died and was replaced by his half-brother Salman as the absolute ruler of the world’s top oil exporter and the spiritual home of Islam.
Global leaders paid tribute to the late monarch, a cautious reformer who led his kingdom through a turbulent decade in a region shaken by the Arab Spring uprisings and Islamic extremism.
Another of the late monarch’s half-brothers, Moqren, was named the new crown prince.
In his first public statement as the new ruler, the 79-year-old King Salman vowed to maintain a steady course for the conservative kingdom.
Church of England: First woman Bishop consecrated
The Church of England ended centuries of male-only leadership as Reverend Libby Lane became its first woman bishop in a ceremony briefly disrupted by a traditionalist priest’s protest.
Around 100 bishops gathered around the 48-year-old to perform the traditional “laying on of hands” at the ceremony’s climax in the Gothic splendour of York Minster, northern England.
The congregation of some 2,000 people broke into applause and cheers and some shed tears. Highlighting the divisions which dog the Church despite a painstaking reconciliation process, a lone conservative opposed to women as bishops had earlier disrupted the ceremony.

WikiLeaks accuses Google of handing over e-mails to U.S.

Whistleblower site WikiLeaks accused Google of handing over the e-mails and electronic data of its senior staff to the U.S. authorities without providing notification until almost three years later.
Google was apparently acting in response to warrants issued by the U.S. Department of Justice, which is investigating WikiLeaks for publishing hundreds of thousands of classified military and diplomatic files.
WikiLeaks said that Google could and should have resisted complying with the warrants, as well as immediately informing those whose data it handed over.
The information was handed over to the U.S. authorities on April 5, 2012, but Google did not inform the WikiLeaks staff until December 23, 2014, according to documents obtained by AFP.

Impeached Sri Lankan Chief Justice reinstated

Sri Lanka’s new President restored the country’s former Chief Justice after she was controversially impeached by the previous administration led by Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Lawyers welcomed Shirani Bandaranayake with bouquets of flowers at the Supreme Court in Colombo, although the decision to reinstate her will likely be largely ceremonial as she is expected to step down on Thursday.
A government official who asked not to be named said President Maithripala Sirisena had written to Ms. Bandaranayake to say her 2013 impeachment was unconstitutional and she should return to work.

Annual Abortion rate doubles in Pak.

Pakistan recorded 2.25 million abortion cases in 2012, with the rate of annual abortions doubling in 10 years due to minimal use of contraception in its conservative society, according to a report.
The report titled ‘Induced Abortions and Unintended Pregnancies in Pakistan’ was carried out by Population Council in collaboration with Guttmacher Institute in U.S.

New China-Myanmar oil pipeline bypasses Malacca trap

China has taken a firm step to beef up its energy security by inaugurating a pipeline that will bring crude oil from a deep water port in Myanmar, along a transit route that will bypass the strategic Malacca Straits.
The first tanker that will offload 300,000 tons of oil is expected to arrive on Friday at Maday Island – a deep water port developed by China in the Bay of Bengal. From there, oil, mostly brought from West Asia and Africa, will be pumped into a 2402 km long pipeline that will stretch for 771 km in Myanmar and another 1631 km in China.
A gas pipeline, next to the Maday Island terminal, already runs from Myanmar’s port of Kyaukpyu. China also finalised plans to establish a rail corridor from Kyaukpyu to its Yunnan province.
The strategic oil pipeline will service China’s two major growth centres — Kunming and Chongqing, an industrial hub along the Yangtze River delta. Both cities are pivotal in the development of China’s Silk Road Economic Belt, the 21st century Maritime Silk Road. Kunming is one of the starting points of the Maritime Silk Road, because it connects with three countries belonging to the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) — Myanmar, Vietnam and Laos. Landlocked Laos in turn becomes the gateway to ports in Thailand, and a wider transportation network covering Malaysia and Singapore as well.
Significantly, the new oil pipeline bypasses the Malacca Straits — a narrow channel that connects the Indian Ocean with the Pacific. The Chinese are concerned that their access to the Malacca Straits — the main channel of their trade and energy supplies — can become compromised on account of Beijing’s growing rivalry with the United States, and maritime disputes with neighbours in the South China Sea.
As oil begins to flow, the Chinese are also building a refinery in Kunming that can process 10 million tons of crude annually.
Part of the shipments received will also be delivered to Myanmar, says the country’s Vice-President U Nyan Tun. China and Myanmar have jointly funded the project, including the construction of the Maday oil unloading terminal.
Analysts say that apart from enhancing energy security, the construction of an oil and gas pipeline from Myanmar is driven by environmental considerations, as China works to limit carbon emissions resulting from its over-dependence on coal.

Italy: Sicilian judge elected President

Sergio Mattarella, a constitutional court judge from Sicily is seen as a symbol of Italy’s battle against organised crime, was elected Italy’s new President.
The 73-year-old Sicilian, who was backed by Prime Minister Matteo Renzi’s centre-left Democratic Party (PD), succeeds the hugely popular Giorgio Napolitano.
Mr. Mattarella is little known to the public but is widely respected after a 25-year parliamentary career and several stints as Minister in governments of the left and right.

Nepal committee passes Guidelines for Constitution

The Proposal Drafting Committee of the Constituent Assembly (CA) passed its working guidelines, declaring that principles likes democracy, federalism, republicanism, secularism, and inclusiveness would be an integral part of the new Constitution.
In its second meeting, the Proposal Drafting Committee (PDC), which has been tasked to study the report submitted by the Political Dialogue and Consensus Committee on agreements and disputes over the new Constitution, said no questions would be prepared on it for voting.
The new committee has been tasked to prepare a questionnaire with ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ voting option to decide the disputes.
Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP)-Nepal boycotted the PDC meeting for not entertaining questions on republicanism, secularism and federalism.

U.N. agency says 2014 was warmest year on record

The U.N. weather agency says 2014 was the warmest year on record, though the temperature difference with 2010 and 2005 is so small that it’s impossible to say for sure which of the three years was the hottest.
The World Meteorological Organization’s analysis on Monday mirrored findings two weeks ago by NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and also included data from the Met Office in Britain.
The Geneva-based WMO said surface temperatures were 0.57 degrees Celsius above average last year.
That’s slightly warmer than 2010 and 2005, but the difference was within the uncertainty margin of 0.10 degrees Celsius.
With 14 of the 15 hottest years recorded this century, WMO chief Michel Jarraud said warming is expected to continue as atmospheric levels of heat-trapping CO2 rise.

Jordan executes two Jihadists after Islamic State murders pilot

Jordan executed two Iraqi jihadists, including a woman would-be suicide bomber, in response to the burning alive of one of its fighter pilots by the Islamic State group.
The gruesome murder of airman Maaz al-Kassasbeh triggered condemnation from governments across the Middle East.
Jordan said it hanged Sajida al-Rishawi and Al-Qaeda member Ziad al-Karboli — who were both on death row — before dawn at a prison south of the capital.
Amman had promised to begin executing Islamic extremists in response to the murder of Kassasbeh, who was captured by IS when his plane went down in Syria in December.
Jordan’s King Abdullah II described Kassasbeh as a hero and vowed to take the battle to IS after a video emerged purporting to show the caged 26-year-old F-16 fighter pilot engulfed in flames.