International Current affairs-June2018

2019

JUNE 2018-INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Paraguay gets Its 1st Woman Interim President

Paraguay gets first interim woman President Alicia Pucheta for the first time in its history after outgoing leader Horacio Cartes stepped down ahead of schedule.
Vice President Alicia Pucheta will complete Carter’s mandate after he resigned to become a senator.

Giuseppe Conte Sworn in as Italy PM

Giuseppe Conte was sworn in as prime minister of Italy’s new populist government. Conte, an academic and political novice, will head a government of ministers from the anti-establishment Five Star Movement (M5S) and the far-right League Party.

Rajoy forced out as Spain’s Prime Minister

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy was toppled by a corruption scandal, becoming the first leader in Spain’s modern democracy to lose a vote of no confidence in Parliament.

Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi sworn in as Egyptian President

In Egypt, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi was sworn in for a second four-year term in office as the country faces major economic and security challenges.
Sisi won 97% of valid votes in the March presidential election.

World’s most Powerful Supercomputer unveiled

US scientists have unveiled the world’s most powerful and smart scientific supercomputer that can complete over 200,000 trillion calculations per second.
The supercomputer will provide unprecedented computing power for research in energy, advanced materials and artificial intelligence.

Jordan king appoints Omar Razzaz as new Prime Minister

Jordan’s King Abdullah II appointed a new prime minister in hopes of quelling the largest anti-government protests in recent years.
Cabinet member Omar Razzaz, a Harvard-educated former senior World Bank official, replaced Hani Mulki.

Pedro Sanchez replaces Mariano Rajoy as Spain’s new prime minister

Pedro Sanchez took over as Spain’s Prime Minister after outgoing leader Mariano Rajoy lost a parliamentary confidence vote triggered by a long-running corruption trial involving members of his centre-right party.

Norway World’s Best Country in Traffic Safety

According to a report from organization European Transport Safety Council (ETSC), Norway observes the lowest rate of traffic accidents in the world, leaving behind other European countries.
Norway accounts for 20 deaths per one million inhabitants which is the lowest death rate in traffic since cars became common way of transportation in the post-war era.

Wife of Israel PM charged with fraud over misuse of funds

The wife of Israel’s prime minister has been charged with fraud involving the alleged misuse of state funds.
Sara Netanyahu has been indicted over claims she fraudulently ordered hundreds of meals to the prime minister’s official residence in Jerusalem, spending more than $100,000 (£76,000) of public money in the process.

Nepal out from ICAO’s blacklist

International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) has removed Nepal from its Significant Safety Concern (SSC) list.
In 2013, the ICAO had enlisted Nepal in SSC category as Nepal’s compliance to the ICAO’s standard at that time stood only at 55 percent out of the standard 60 percent.

Ivan Duque to become Colombia’s President

Colombia has chosen Ivan Duque to be its next president after a long and divisive campaign that often centred on a controversial peace process with leftist rebels the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

Former World bank economist Omar Al-Razzaz sworn in as Jordan PM

Former World Bank Economist Omar al-Razzaz was sworn in as Jordan’s Prime Minister after King Abdullah issued a decree approving the new government.
Omar succeeded Hani al-Mulki who resigned following mass protests over price hikes and other government economic policies.

Microsoft is now third most Valuable Firm globally

Microsoft has surpassed Alphabet, the parent company of Google, in the market capitalisation for the first time in three years, becoming the third most valuable firm after Apple and Amazon globally.
Microsoft had a market cap of $753 billion at the close of trading, almost $14 billion ahead of Alphabet.

In a historic first, Saudi Arabia lifts ban on female drivers

In a first, women across Saudi Arabia were legally allowed to drive for the first time since 1957,
Thus, ending the world’s last ban on female drivers which was seen as a symbol of women’s repression in the deeply conservative Muslim kingdom.

Tayyip Erdogan wins another term as Turkey President

After 15 years in office, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is set to return to power once again for another 5 years following his outright election victory in the recently concluded polls.
With 99 percent of votes counted, Mr Erdogan (64) won 53 percent votes and his closest rival Muharrem Ince won 31 percent.

Pakistan placed on FATF’s grey list

Pakistan has been placed on the Grey list of countries that financially aid terrorism, in Paris by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
The placement on to grey list could hurt Pakistan’s economy as well as its international standing.

Pradeep Parameswaran as new President of UBER India & South Asia

U.S. based ride hailing firm Uber has appointed Pradeep Parameswaran as new President of India and South Asia.
This comes after Amit Jain was elevated to head the Asia Pacific region for Uber in May this year.

World’s 1st International centre for Humanitarian Forensics

The world’s first of its kind and state-of-the-art International Centre for ‘Humanitarian Forensics’ (ICHF) was launched at the Gujarat Forensic Sciences University in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

Rizvi sworn in as caretaker Pak Punjab CM

Professor Hasan Askari Rizvi took charge as the caretaker chief minister of Pakistan’s Punjab Province.
Hasan Askari Rizvi was administered oath of office and secrecy at the Governor’s House in Lahore.

US lists Pakistan with 10 other Terror nations

Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II granted royal assent to Prime Minister Theresa May’s flagship Brexit legislation, that will formally end the country’s European Union membership.
The EU withdrawal bill repeals the 1972 European Communities Act through which the UK became a member of the bloc.