International Current affairs-May 2018

2019

MAY 2018-INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Nepal becomes first country in south-east Asia to eliminate Trachoma

World Health Organization (WHO) has validated Nepal for having eliminated trachoma, a contagious bacterial infection of the eye.
It makes Nepal first country in WHO’s South-East Asia Region to defeat trachoma, world’s leading infectious cause of blindness.

Russia Unveils World’s 1st Floating Nuclear Power Station

Russia unveiled the world’s first floating nuclear power station at a ceremony in the port of the far northern city of Murmansk, where it will be loaded with nuclear fuel before heading to eastern Siberia.
Built in Saint Petersburg, the Akademik Lomonosov arrived in Murmansk where it was moored in the port and presented to the media

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro re-elected, opposition cries foul

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro won another six years of term in an election that has been called as a sham by the opposition and other countries including the United State

Ibrahima Kassory Fofana sworn in as PM of Guinea

Ibrahima Kassory Fofana took charge as the prime minister of Guinea.
He replaced Mamady Youla.
Earlier, Ibrahima Kassory Fofana was minister in charge of public investment & relations with the Private Sector.

Hungary’s re-elected PM Orban forms fourth government

Hungary’s new parliament re-elected Viktor Orban as the Prime Minister for his fourth term who won the general elections with 49.42 per cent of the vote, at 81 percent of the votes counted by the National Election office.

Malaysia gets oldest prime minister in the World

US and Philippines began military exercises

US and Philippine forces have begun their largest annual military exercises named Balikatan.
The Balikatan exercises involved combat drills in mock urban settings to train special forces in battling terrorists.

Carlos Alvarado sworn in as Costa Rican President

Carlos Alvarado was sworn in as the new President of Costa Rica.
Alvarado swept to victory against conservative Protestant singer Fabricio Alvarado Munoz. At 39,
Alvarado is the country’s youngest president in modern history.

Vladimir Putin sworn-in as Russian President for 4th term

Vladimir Putin was sworn-in as the President of Russia for the fourth time, renewing another six-year term in office.

Former IMF official Carlo Cottarelli nominated as Italian PM

The Italian President nominated Carlo Cottarelli, a former official at the International Monetary Fund, to form an interim government.

Guatemala 2nd Nation to open Embassy in Jerusalem after US

Guatemala has opened its embassy in Jerusalem, following in the footsteps of the United States, which inaugurated its embassy in the city two days prior.
Guatemala was one of only a few nations that backed Trump’s decision in December to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and is only the second country to move its embassy to the holy city.

Royal Navy receives its minesweeping system

Britain’s Royal Navy has taken the delivery of its first unmanned autonomous minesweeping system.
It can be operated from a land or ship-based control station & can be deployed from a suitable ship or port.

Hariri wins third term as Prime Minister

Lebanon’s Saad Hariri has won a new term as Prime Minister after he won the backing of the majority of parliamentarians.
It will be 3rd term for Hariri, who has held the position since December 2016 and was also Prime Minister between 2009 and 2011.

Pakistan Names Former Chief Justice As Caretaker PM

Former Pakistan Chief Justice Nasirul Mulk was appointed as the interim Prime Minister of the country.
The decision comes ahead of the dissolution of the current government and parliament.

Oscars Academy expels Bill Cosby and Roman Polanski

Bill Cosby and Roman Polanski have been expelled from the US Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
In Polanski’s case, the expulsion comes more than 40 years after he was accused of raping a 13-year-old girl.

Indian-American woman appointed Interim Civil court judge in US

Indian-American Deepa Ambekar has been appointed as interim judge to the civil court of New York City, becoming the second Indian-American woman judge in the city after Chennai-born Raja Rajeswari.

Barbados elects Mia Mottley as 1^st female Prime Minister

The Caribbean island of Barbados has elected Mia Mottley as its first female Prime Minister since gaining independence from the UK in 1966.
Mottley’s Barbados Labour Party won all 30 seats in the country’s Parliament, coming to power for the first time in a decade.

Nikol Pashinyan becomes Prime Minister of Armenia

Armenia’s parliament elected Nikol Pashinyan as a new prime minister in a 59-42 vote.
His election comes after Serzh Sargsyan’s resignation as Prime minister of Armenia.

Russia confirms Dmitry Medvedev as its PM

The Russian State Duma (the lower house of parliament) has given its mandate to Dmitry Medvedev for a new term as the Prime Minister.

Susheela Jayapal becomes 1st South Asian to be elected in Oregon

Indian American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal’s sister Susheela Jayapal became the first South Asian to be elected in Oregon in the western US State.
She won the District 2 seat on the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners with 57% of the vote.