(Current Affairs For SSC Exams) International | November, 2013

November, 2013

100 Billion US Dollars Fund by BRICS

Leaders of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) group of nations on 5 September 2013 announced to set up a 100 billion US dollar fund to steady currency markets destablised by an expected pullback of US monetary stimulus. The announcement was made at the meeting of BRICS leaders. Brazil, India and Russia committed 18 billion dollars each while China announced 41 billion US dollars. South Africa announced 5 billion US dollars. BRICS had earlier planned to set up 240 billion US dollars fund. Earlier this year, BRICS nations had discussed the formation of a new development bank to fund infrastructure and development projects throughout the developing nations.

Chinese Leader Bo Xilai Sentenced to Life

Top China Communist Party leader Bo Xilai was on 22 September 2013 sentenced to life imprisonment by a Chinese court which upheld the charges of bribery, embezzlement and abuse of power against him. The Jinan Intermediate Court in east China’s Shandong province, which conducted an unprecedented open trial in August 2013, convicted the former Politburo member and Chongqing city Communist Party chief on all the three
charges. In its judgement, court sentenced Bo Xilai to life in prison on the bribery charges, 15 years for embezzlement and seven years for abuse of power. The court also stripped Bo of all political rights and ordered the confiscation of his property. Bo Xilai, 64, was sacked as the head of the Chongqing city in 2013 and removed from the ruling party following allegations of bribery, embezzlement and abuse of power against him. He was accused of receiving 20 million Yuan (3.5 Million US Dollars) as bribes and owning a luxury villa in France. The hearing was regarded as the Communist China’s most sensitive political trial after the 1981 ‘Gang of Four’ trial involving Mao Zedong’s widow Jing Qing.

About Bo Xilai

Bo Xilai is a former Chinese politician. He came to prominence through his tenures as the mayor of Dalian and then governor of Liaoning. From 2004 to November 2007, he served as Minister of Commerce. Between 2007 and 2012 he served as a member of the Central Politburo and secretary of the Communist Party’s Chongqing branch.

68th Session of the UN General Assembly held in New York

The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) started on 17 September 2013 its 68th session at the UN Headquarters in New York, with setting a new development agenda beyond 2015 as its priority. President of the 68th session - UN ambassador of Antigua and Barbuda John Ashe opened the assembly with a speech that introduced the themes of the year and the issues to be focused on, including human rights, the rule of law and how to work towards and ensure stable and peaceful societies ensuring accessible institutions of justice and reducing violence.

The Assembly is set to the backdrop of the eight Millennium Development Goals (covering poverty, women’s rights, the environment, child mortality, primary education, HIV/AIDS, development and maternal health) which were set in 2000 with the goal to achieve them by the end of 2015. President of the 68th session John Ashe called this year’s Assembly pivotal as member states work in the face of the looming deadline. The goals will be discussed in three high-level talks and three thematic debates in order for leaders to offer ideas on how to achieve them and define them post-2015. The General Assembly is the UN’s largest committee in which all 193 member states have equal representation. UN General Assembly meets annually to address a set number of issues and current crisis of the world. Theme of the session: The Post-2015 Development Agenda: Setting the Stage

Beauty Pageants for Children below 16 Years Banned by The French Senate

The French Senate (Upper House of the Parliament in France) on 18 September 2013 voted 197- 146 overnight in order to approve the ban on beauty pageants for children below the age of 16 years. Also, the Legislation included imposing the fine as well as punishment in form of imprisonment. This amendment was taken up on the basis of a report entitled Against Hyper-Sexualisation: A New Fight For Equality. The Senate suggested that anyone entering the child into the contest of this kind will have to face a fine of 30000 Euros as well as two years of imprisonment. The amendment is a part of the proposed  broader bill on women’s rights. The Bill will now go to the National Assembly, French Parliament’s lower house, for another round of vote as well as debate. The senators argued that the amendment in the Bill is aimed at protecting the children from being sexualised before their apt age, because of the use of provocative attire as well as loud make up. The report- Against Hyper-Sexualisation: A New Fight for Equality, on the whole, called for a complete end on the pageants of these kinds and also encouraged a ban on the adult-styled clothing for the children. The author of this report is former sports minister and current senator Chantal Jouanno. In case the Bill becomes a law, the pageants such as Mini-Miss in Paris will be banned completely. Michel Le Parmentier, the creator of Mini-Miss, which is held annually, protested that certain regulations instead of the complete ban would be more appropriate. Mini-Miss pageant is organised in France since the year 1989.

Sarin Gas Used in Syria Attack

U.N. chemical investigators on 16 September 2013 confirmed the use of Sarin nerve agent in 21 August 2013 poison gas attack outside the Syrian capital Damascus. The investigation team headed by Ake Sellstrom of Sweden submitted its report to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. The U.N. team was investigating only whether chemical weapons were used in a deadly assault on the rebel-held Damascus suburb of Ghouta. It was not charged with concluding who launched the attack. On the basis of the evidence obtained during the investigation of the Ghouta incident, the conclusion is that chemical weapons have been used in the ongoing conflict between the parties in the Syrian Arab Republic, also against civilians, including children, on a relatively large scale. In particular, the environmental, chemical and medical samples provided clear and convincing evidence that surface-to - surface rockets containing the nerve agent Sarin were used. The report also stated the weather conditions on 21 August 2013 ensured that as many people as possible were injured or killed. Temperatures were falling between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m, which meant that air was moving downwards toward the ground. Chemical weapons use in such meteorological conditions maximizes their potential impact as the heavy gas can stay close to the ground and penetrate into lower levels of buildings and constructions where many people were seeking shelter. Erlier, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry also announced that sarin had been used in the chemical attack on the Ghouta region. The United States stated 1400 people were killed, including more than 400 children. The United Nations Mission has now confirmed, unequivocally and objectively, that chemical
weapons have been used in Syria.

About Sarin Gas

  • Sarin is a man-made chemical warfare agent classified as a nerve agent. (chemical formula: C4H10FO2P)

  • Nerve agents are the most toxic and rapidly acting of the known chemical warfare agents. They are similar to certain kinds of insecticides called organophosphate insecticides in terms of how they work and what kind of harmful effects they cause; however, nerve agents are much more potent than insecticides.

  • Sarin originally was developed in 1938 in Germany as an insecticide.

  • Sarin is a clear, colorless, and tasteless liquid that has no odor  in its pure form. However, sarincan evaporate into a vapor (gas) and spread into the environment.

  • Sarin is also known as GB.

Third Term for Angela Merkel

Chancellor Angela Merkel won a third term by a landslide victory in German elections on 22 September 2013. Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative Union bloc - the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU) won 41.5 percent of vote, but finished just short of an absolute majority. The elections were held for the Bundstag, the German’s parliament. The Bundestag (Federal Diet) is a constitutional and legislative body in Germany. In practice, the country is governed by a bicameral legislature, but not a bicameral parliament. The centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) won 25.7 percent of votes and the ecologist Greens won 8.4 percent votes. Final results gave the CDU/CSU 311 seats, the Social Democrats 192, the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) 64 seats and the ecologist Greens 63 seats. G20 Summit 2013 took Place in St. Petersburg, Russia The G20 Leaders’ Summit took place in St.Petersburg on 5-6 September 2013 presided by Russia. The G20 nations discussed ways to ensure economic growth and financial stability, create jobs and
combat unemployment, stimulate investment and promote multilateral trade, international development and anti-corruption. The members of the Group of Twenty (G-20) are: Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Great Britain, Germany, European Union, India, Indonesia, Italy, Canada, China, Mexico, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, USA, Turkey, France, South Africa, Republic of Korea, and Japan. The presidency of the G20 rotates annually among its members. The G20 Leaders took notice of the final recommendations that the Business 20, Civil 20, Labour 20, Think 20 and Youth 20. To continue and expand dialogue, the G20 Leaders met with the representatives of business community and trade unions on the sidelines of the Summit. A number of round table discussions were held in the Summit’s International Media Centre (IMC), including: Experts’ vision of the significance of the G20, G8 and BRICS for Russia; Issues of Development of the Global and Russian Economy on the G20 Agenda; G20 Initiatives to Reform the International Monetary System and Financial Regulation: Problems and Solutions; Fighting unemployment and creating jobs - a universal goal for the G20 countries; and The G20 Efforts on Fighting Protectionism and Trade Barriers. The Group of Twenty (G20) is the premier forum for international cooperation on the most important issues of the global economic and financial agenda.

The objectives of the G20 refer to:

  • Policy coordination between its members in order to achieve global economic stability, sustainable growth;

  • Promoting financial regulations that reduce risks and prevent future financial crises;

  • Modernizing international financial architecture.

The G20 brings together finance ministers and central bank governors from 19 countries: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States of America plus the European Union, which is represented by the President of the European Council and by Head of the European Central Bank. The G20 was formally established in September 1999 when finance ministers and central bank governors of seven major industrial countries (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States) met in Washington, D.C. in the aftermath of the financial crisis of 1997-1998, which revealed the vulnerability of the international financial system in context of economic globalization and showed
that key developing countries were insufficiently involved in discussions and decisions concerning global economic issues.

Finance ministers and central bank governors started to hold annual meetings after the inaugural meeting on December 15-16, 1999, in Berlin. The first meeting of the G20 Leaders took place in Washington, D.C., on
November 14-15, 2008, where the Leaders agreed to an action plan to stabilize the global economy and prevent future crises. At the Leaders’ level, Mexico was the second episode, following the Republic of Korea, that an emerging country held the Presidency of the Group.

G20 members represent almost:

  • 90% of global GDP.

  • 80% of international globaltrade.

  • 2/3 of the world’s population lives in G20 member countries.

  • 84% of all fossil fuel emissions are produced by G20 countries.

At their first meeting in Washington, the G20 Leadersachieved general agreement amongst the G20 on how to cooperate in key areas so as to strengthen economic growth, deal with the financial crisis and agreed
upon three key objectives:

  • restoring global economic growth;

  • strengthening the international financial system;

  • reforming international financial institutions.

U.S. Cleared Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s Flight

The U.S. on 19 September 2013 approved a flight plan for Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to fly over Puerto Rico on his way to China. A last-minute authorisation was issued late on 19 September 2013 for the request lodged a day earlier, rather than the three days’ notice required. Earlier, Venezuela Government accused the U.S. Government of denying permission for Nicolas Maduro’s jet to fly through its airspace.

Diplomatic Strains The US also stated the approval was made more complicated by the fact the Nicolas Maduro’s flight was not on a state plane, which required further diplomatic clearance. Venezuela’s relations with the US have been often been strained, both under Maduro’s predecessor Hugo Chavez and since his own election in April 2013. Nicolas Maduro, who has had a rocky relationship with the U.S. since winning an election in April 2013 triggered by the death of President Hugo Chavez, also stated that US authorities had barred his plane from travelling over the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico, a US territory, on his way to China. In July
2013 Venezuela announced that it had ended steps towards restoring diplomatic ties with the US, after a top American diplomat referred to a crackdown on civil society in Venezuela. Washington had also angered Caracas by backing the Venezuelan opposition’s demand for a full recount of 2013 April’s presidential election which was narrowly won by Nicolas Maduro. The two countries last had ambassadors in each other’s capitals in 2010.

Hun Sen reelected as the Prime Minister of Cambodia

The ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) of incumbent Prime Minister Hun Sen on 8 September 2013 was reelected to power after winning the Parliamentary Elections held on 28 July 2013. The National Election Committee (NEC) announced the results and declared Cambodian People’s Party as the winners with 68 seats. The NEC also declared that the opposition party, Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP) was successful in securing 55 seats. The Prime Minister Hun Sen (61) has ruled the country for 28 years. With this win his rule has extended for a period of another five years in the country. The ruling Cambodian People’s Party got 48.79 percent of the votes and CNRP won 44.45 percent of votes. Other parties namely, Funcinpec Party and League of Democratic Party won 6.3 percent of votes (combined) with zero seats.

About Hun Sen

  • His full honorary title is Samdech Akeak Moha Sena Padey Decho Hun Sen

  • He was the leader of the Cambodian People’s Party and Prime Minister of Cambodia, since 1979, the time Khmer Rouge was overthrown by the Vietnamese-backing

UNSC Voted to Eliminate Syria’s Chemical Weapons

The United Nations Security Council on 27 September 2013 approved unanimously a resolution with binding obligations on the Syrian government to eliminate its chemical weapons. The resolution was passed by a voice vote by all 15 members of UN Security Council that paved the way for dismantling the weapons of mass destruction in Syria.The UNSC resolution enshrines the plan approved by the Organisation for the Prohibition of
Chemical Weapons, making it legally binding. The agreement allows the start of a mission to rid Syria’s regime of its estimated 1000-tonne chemical arsenal by mid-2014, significantly accelerating a destruction timetable
that often takes years to complete. The resolution makes it legally binding for Syria to comply with the US-Russia plan on elimination of Syria’s chemical weapons arsenal. The resolution also asks the organisation for Prevention of Chemical weapons Director General and the U.N. secretary-general to report non-compliance to the Security Council. If there is noncompliance, the Security Council by another resolution impose measures under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter which allows for sanctions and or use of military force. According to estimates Syria has more than 1000 tonnes of Sarin, Mustard and VX gases which have to be destroyed by Mid 2014.

Microsoft Joined Google in the Spying Lawsuit Filed in the Federal Court

Microsoft on 30 August 2013 declared that the battle to solve the secret US government requests for the Internet user data would be sorted out in the court of law. Microsoft as well as Google filed the suits in the federal court in the month of June 2013. The argument was the right to make public, the information about the user data requests which were made under the auspices of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Both Google as well as Microsoft agreed six different times for extending the deadline for the US Government in order to react to the lawsuits, but it all ended without the conclusion. The US officials, in the meanwhile, on 29 August 2013
declared that they would start publishing the annual tallies of national security requests for the Internet user data. The argument in context with this was that apart from providing the number of requests, it was also important to disclose the context regarding which the information was being sought.

November, 2013

Egypt Court Banned Muslim Brotherhood

The Egypt Court on 23 September 2013 banned the Muslim Brotherhood from carrying out any activities in the country. The court also ordered the interim government to seize the Brotherhood’s funds and form a panel to administer its frozen assets until any appeal has been heard. The administrative court gave the ruling after a lawsuit was filed by the leftist Tagammu Party to review the Islamist group’s status as a nongovernmental organisation. The 85- year-old Islamist movement was banned by Egypt’s military rulers in 1954, but registered itself as an NGO in March 2013. The Brotherhood also has a legally registered political wing, the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), which was set up in 2011 as a “nontheocratic”group after the uprising that forced President Hosni Mubarak from power. On 2 September 2013, Egypt’s State Commissioners Authority, a
body that advises the government on  legal issues, recommended theBrotherhood’s dissolution after claims circulated of its links to armed militias. The authority’s recommendations, which are non-binding, were made
in accordance with an Egyptian law that prohibits non-government organisations and institutions from forming paramilitary groups. Egyptian authorities launched a crackdown against the group following the ouster of president Morsi, who hails from the group, by the military on July 3 after mass protests against him and the group.

About Muslim Brotherhood The Muslim Brotherhood movement is the country’s oldest and largest Islamist organisation, meaning its ideology is based on the teachings of the Koran. Founded by Hassan al- Banna in 1928, the Muslim Brotherhood - or al-Ikhwan al- Muslimun in Arabic - has influenced Islamist movements around the world with its model of political activism combined with Islamic charity work. The movement initially aimed simply to spread Islamic morals and good works, but soon became involved in politics, particularly the fight to rid Egypt of British colonial control and cleanse it of all Western influence.

USA and Russia agreed on the Process of dismantling Syria’s Chemical Weapons

The United States and Russia on 14 September 2013 agreed on the process of dismantling Syria’s chemical weapons arsenal. The break- through was announced after three day talks between the US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Geneva. The USA and Russia have agreed that Syria’s chemical weapons must be destroyed or removed by mid-2014. USA outlined a six-point framework under which Syria must hand over a full list of its stockpile within a week. If Syria fails to comply, the deal could be enforced by a UN resolution backed by the threat of sanctions or military force. The USA-Russia deal sets a deadline of mid-2014 for dismantling of Syria’s chemical weapons and an outline for compliance of requirements by Syria. It also has a clause stating that in case Syria falls short of its commitments, both Russia
and the United States would jointly seek review at the United Nations Security Council. USA stated that in case of noncompliance US and Russia might request a Security Council resolution under Chapter 7, which can
authorize both military and nonmilitary sanctions. The agreement did not include any automatic use of force if Damascus fails to comply. It added that violations by Syria would be referred to the UN Security Council for review which if approved, would take the required concrete measures.

UN Secretary General Ban Kimoon welcomed the US-Russian deal on Syria’s chemical weapons and hoped it will lead to efforts to end the appalling suffering of Syrians.

India Gave One Million Dollars Aid to UNRWA for Palestinian Refugees

The Union Government of India on 4 September 2013 gave one million US dollars to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for providing food and medicines to Palestinian refugees. The financial assistance to the UN agency was given as a part of India’s annual contribution to it. UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions from the UN memberstates.

Iraq Ratified Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT)

Iraq Government on 27 September 2013 ratified the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) at 68th session of UN General Assembly at New York, US. Iraq’s ratification of the treaty raised the number of countries that have adhered fully to the treaty to 161. To enter into force, the CTBT must be signed and ratified by 44 specific states, only 36 of which have done so including France, Russia and Britain. The remaining eight are China, the United States, India, Pakistan and North Korea; Israel, widely believed to have atomic weapons; Iran, suspected of wanting them; and Egypt.

50-Member Panel to amend the Constitution of Egypt

Egyptian President Adly Mansour on 1 September 2013 approved a 50 member panel to amend the suspended 2012 Constitution. The panel is comprised of representatives from among the jurists, experts, academicians, armed forces, journalists, writers, labour unions, public figures, and the political parties among others. Islamists would be represented by the Al Nour party. The panel is tasked with carrying out amendments in the
2012 Constitution which was prepared by the Islamist regime under Mohamed Mursi. A group of 10 eminent legal experts has already identified areas for amendment and prepared the draft. The 50-member panel will give final shape to the Constitution within 60 days, keeping in mind the interests of various sections of Egyptian society.

Sri Lanka heading in an Authoritarian Direction

Navi Pillay, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, who is on a seven-day fact finding Mission to Sri Lanka on 31 August 2013 stated that the country was heading in the authoritarian direction. Pillay in her conclusion revealed that although Sri Lanka has an opportunity to develop into a complete new vibrant state after the end of the civil war was displaying complete different signs of authoritarianism. During her visit to the nation she visited to Jaffana, Kilinochchi, Mullivaika and some districts of Trincomalee region. Pillay called on for a need of investigation into allegations of civilian causalities and summary execution. She also highlighted a need to the question the disappearances and the extent of militarization. To prove her point about Sri Lanka heading towards authoritarianism, she presented the examples of impeachment of the Chief Justice of Supreme Court of Sri Lanka that shook the independence of judiciary in the country and was controversial. She also pointed out the regular and increased attacks on religious minorities in the country.

Background

Sri Lanka’s northern region was badly worn out because of 30 years of civil war between the military and the Tamil Tigers.

About the Sri Lankan Civil War Sri Lankan Civil War was a civil war fought on the island of Sri Lanka. It started on 23 July 1983. The war was actually the movement of insurgency against the Government by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (the LTTE, also known as the Tamil Tigers). LTTE was a separatist militant organisation which fought for the creation of Tamil Eelam, the independent Tamil state. The civil war continued for almost 30 years and after years-long military campaign, the Tamil Tigers were defeated by the military of Sri Lanka in May 2009. The civil war in Sri Lanka caused hardships not just for the population, but also for the economy and environment of Sri Lanka. Around 80000 to 100000 people were killed during the war.

Grameen Bank to be brought under Central Bank Jurisdiction

Bangladesh Government on 22 September 2013 decided to bring Nobel Prize winning Grameen Bank under the central bank’s jurisdiction to give the authorities more powers over the microcredit organisation. The
decision is in line with the proposals of the government-sponsored Grameen Bank Commission, which recommended bringing the bank under the regulatory control of either the Bangladesh Bank or the Microcredit Regulatory Authority to better monitor its activities. The three member commission was constituted in 2012 to review Grameen Bank’s  governing structure. The Grameen bank is being run by Grameen Bank Ordinance 1983 since its inception in 1983 and it does not directly fall under the jurisdiction of the Banking Companies Act. The central bank of Bangladesh, the Bangladesh Bank, on 28 February 2011 removed Nobel Laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus as the Managing Director of Grameen Bank.

UNGA Signed a Declaration Against Sexual Violence

The 68th session of General Assembly of the United Nations on 25 September 2013 signed a declaration pledging new action to end sexual violence in conflict zones. The declaration was titled ‘Time To Act’. Ministers from 113 countries signed the declaration in General Assembly of the United Nations held in New York. It also declared that it will adopt a new International Protocol in 2014 to help and ensure that evidence collected can stand up in the court. The declaration adopted in the background of recent increase in the number of rape cases and sexual violence against women.

War Crime Convicts to be dropped from Voting List in Bangladesh

The Bangladesh cabinet on 3 September 2013 approved a law under which names of war-crime convicts will be dropped from the national voting list. The cabinet has approved an amendment to the Electoral Roll Act under which war criminals under the International Crimes Tribunal Act 1973 and the Bangladesh Collaborators Special Tribunal Act 1972 will be defranchised with their names dropped from the National Voters List. The amendment will be introduced in the forthcoming parliamentary session beginning 12 September 2013.Trial of war crimes have been going on and the two war crimes tribunals have so far convicted six war criminals.
The Bangladesh Home Ministry has also received a list of names of 47 collaborators of the Pakistani Army during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. The ICT awarded capital punishment for former Jammat Rokan Moulana Abul Kalam Azad, Nayebe Amir of Jammat E Ismali Delwar Hossain Sayeeede, Jamat Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid and Assistant Secretary General Mohammad Qamruzzaman for their crimes against humanity. Besides, former Jamat Amir Golam Azam awarded 90 years imprisonment while assistant secretary General Abul Qader Mollah got life term.

Ukraine Signed Natural Gas Production-Sharing Agreement with Exxon and Shell

Ukraine on 26 September 2013 announced that it entered into the natural gas production-sharing agreement with a consortium which was led by Exxon and Shell. This will help Ukraine towards energy diversification as well as reduced dependence on Russia. The consortium also included Petrom, the Romanian energy group as well as  Ukraine’s state-owned Nadra Ukrainy. Nadra Ukrainy will be responsible for extraction of natural
gas on the Skifski site near the Ukraine’s Black Sea coast. The initial accord was signed by the Ukrainian Energy Minister Eduard Stavytsky and representatives of Exxon, Shell, and Petrom on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. The formal production-sharing agreement will be signed by October 2013 in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. Skifski is situated in the north-west part of the Black Sea, near Romania. It is
expected that Skifski will provide 8- 10 billion cubic metres of natural gas annually. The agreement will help Ukraine in diversification of its energy sources. The Shell and Exxon deal was a result of the recent moves by Ukraine to attract European Union as  well as retract from Russia. It is important to note that Russia threatened trade sanctions as well. Ukraine, in the meanwhile, may also sign the association agreement with the EU in November 2013.

Bank of Beijing Opened China’s First Direct Bank

The Bank of Beijing on 18 September 2013 launched China’s first direct bank in Beijing, Xi’an and Jinan. It started direct bank services with the cooperation of Netherlandsbased ING Group. The Bank of Beijing will provide its services remotely via online banking and telephone banking. Meaning, it does not rely on entity outlets. It will also provide access via Automated teller Machines (ATMs) (often through inter bank network alliances) mail and mobile. The new direct banks will basically provide services to retail clients, small and micro enterprises by providing financial products and services. Direct banking system was already successful in European markets and U.S. markets

Primary features of Direct Banking

  • Direct banking does not rely on entity outlets.

  • It provides financial products and services through Internet, Telephones and Automated teller Machines (ATMs).

  • Direct bank performs almost all kinds of services provided by traditional bank outlets.

  • Direct banking also requires lower operation cost. So, it can offer higher rates of return for customers and enjoy greater competitiveness.

Russia and China held Joint Military Exercise

Russia and China held a joint anti-terrorism military exercise calledPeace Mission 2013 from 27 July 2013 to 15 August 2013.

The military exercise was held in both the Shenyang military area command of the PLA (Peoples Liberation Army) and the Chebarkulsky range. It was divided into three phases-troop deployment, battle planning and simulated combat. The Chinese troops deployed to Russia will be equipped with various models of armed vehicles, self-propelled guns, as well as fixed-wing and rotating-wing aircraft. A total number of 1500 military personnel from both Russia and China will participate during the anti-terrorism exercise. The exercise aims to boost cooperation between China and Russia to maintain regional stability. Through this joint military exercise Russia and China are trying to expand their sphere of influence in Northeast Asia. It also shows signs of a deepening partnership between Russia and China.

Tony Abbott Sworn in as Australia Prime Minister

Tony Abbott was sworn in as Australia’s new Prime Minister on 18 September 2013. Tony Abbott is the 28th Prime Minister of Australia. Tony Abbott, 55, took the oath at Government House in Canberra in front of Governor-General Quentin Bryce.

His Conservative Party defeated former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s centre-left Labor Party in 7 September 2013 elections. Tony Abbott has immediately ordered the scrapping of Australia’s carbon tax and the halting of asylum-seeker boats after being sworn in as Prime Minister. The elections were held for The House of Representatives. The House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of Parliament of Australia. The other one is senate.

About Tony Abbott

  • Tony Abbott was Born in England in 1957 to an Australian mother and an English-born father and he graduated in economics and law from Sydney University.

  • Leader of Liberal Party and main opposition Liberal- National coalition.

  • Rhodes Scholar, former student boxer and Catholic priest trainee.

  • Held employment and health and ageing portfolios in John Howard Government from 2001 -2007.

  • Tony Abbott was elected Member for Warringah at a byelection in March 1994. Prior to entering Parliament he was Executive Director of Australians for Constitutional Monarchy from 1993-94.

  • From 1990-93 he was press secretary and political advisor to the Leader of the Opposition, Dr John Hewson. His previous career was in journalism, where he wrote as a feature writer for ‘The Bulletin’ and ‘The Australian’.

  • Tony Abbott became Leader of the Opposition on 1 December 2009.

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