The UNEP Minamata Convention

Type                United Nations treaty
Signed             10 October 2013
Location          Kumamoto, Japan
Signatories      94

The Minamata Convention on Mercury is an international treaty designed to protect human health and the environment from anthropogenic emissions and releases of mercury and mercury compounds.
*Minamata is a neurological syndrome caused by severe mercury poisoning.

Gambia withdraws from the Commonwealth group

The Gambian government has announced that the former British colony is pulling out of the Commonwealth with immediate effect.Gambian President said: "Gambia will never be a member of any neo-colonial institution and will never be a party to any institution that represents an extension of colonialism"

Mr Jammeh, who is regularly accused of rights abuses, has ruled mainland Africa's smallest country with an iron fist since seizing power in a 1994 coup. He accused Britain of backing Gambia's political opposition ahead of the 2011 elections. Now 53 members are left.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

• The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is an international organisation that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy, and to inhibit its use for any military purpose, including nuclear weapons. The IAEA was established as an autonomous organization on 29 July 1957. Though established independently of the United Nations through its own international treaty, the IAEA Statute, the IAEA reports to both the United Nations General Assembly and Security Council.

• The IAEA has its headquarters in Vienna, Austria.

News:

• IAEA praises Japan's Fukushima clean-up operation.
• Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant: The plant suffered major damage from the 9.0 earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan on March 11, 2011.The disaster disabled the reactor cooling systems, leading to releases of radioactivity and triggering a 30 km evacuation zone surrounding the plant.

Extradition Treaty between India (Dr. Manmohan Singh) and Thailand (Yingluck Shinawatra)

• To exchange intelligence related to money laundering and terrorism financing.
• Ratified (approved) the Treaty on Transfer of Sentenced Persons.
• Provides the legal framework for seeking extradition of fugitives, including those involved in terrorism, transnational crimes and economic offences. 
• Enforcement of a sentence by one Contracting State and is found in the territory of the other. 
• The Treaty on Transfer of Sentenced Persons enables foreign nationals convicted of a criminal offence to serve the sentence in their own country. It also facilitates their social rehabilitation in their own countries. 
• Yingluck Shinawatra: She is the 28th and current Prime Minister of Thailand following the 2011 general election. Yingluck is Thailand's first female Prime Minister and at 45 is the youngest Prime Minister of Thailand in over 60 years.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)

What:  Geo-political and economic organization of ten countries located in Southeast Asia

Members: 10 states
1.Brunei
2.Cambodia
3.Indonesia
4.Laos
5.Malaysia
6.Burma (Myanmar)
7.Philippines
8.Singapore
9.Thailand
10.Vietnam

World Trade Organization

Aim: To liberalize international trade.
When: Formed in 1995, replaced GATT.(Marrakech Agreement)
Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
Membership: 159 member states (Tajikistan became 159th WTO member)
Conflict: On Free trade vs protectionism and subsidies (as pushed by developing and welfare nations).

Important Pointers:

• The highest decision-making body of the WTO is the Ministerial Conference, which usually meets every two years.
• Iran is the biggest economy outside the WTO.
• The WTO has 159 members and 25 observer governments.
• In addition to states, the European Union is a member.
• GATT was established after World War II in the wake of new multilateral institutions formed – notably the Bretton Woods institutions known as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

World Prosperity Index- Norway tops, India slips below its neighbors

What: The Legatum Prosperity Index (compiled by London-based Legatum Institute) is an annual ranking, developed by the Legatum Institute, of 142 countries. The ranking is based on a variety of factors including wealth, economic growth, personal well-being, and quality of life. Norway has topped the list in the last three reports; those of 2010, 2011 and 2012.

Rank 1: Norway

Then: Switzerland, Canada, Sweden, New Zealand

India: India slipped from 100th (2012) to 106th this year.

Neighbors: Ahead are China, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

PS: Besides, in the 'Ease of Doing Business' report by World Bank and International Finance Corporation (IFC) released earlier this week, India was ranked at 134th place while neighbours like China, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh were placed at better positions.

Dutch finance major 'RaboBank' fined $ 1 Billion in LIBOR scandal

Charges: RaboBank manipulated London Inter-Bank Offered Rate (LIBOR)
Repercussions: CEO resigned, RaboBank slapped with $ 1 Billion fine (criminal and civil penalties).
More about RaboBank: It started out as an agriculture cooperative in the Netherlands in the late 19th century and has become the country’s biggest lender.

Hindus, Sikhs get Afghan parliament seat

• Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai has issued a legislative decree that gives minority Hindus and Sikhs a seat in the country's next parliamentarian election.

• A statement on Wednesday from the presidency said the seat would be in the parliament's lower house. 

• Karzai's decision comes after lawmakers declined to require a special seat for Hindus and Sikhs in the law. Under Afghan law, the president has the power to issue legislative decrees when the parliament is on vacation.

Understanding The Eastern Mediterranean region- Specially 'SYRIA'

The Eastern Mediterranean denotes the countries geographically to the east of the Mediterranean Sea. This region is also known as the region of Syria or the Levant. The countries and territories of the Eastern Mediterranean include: 

1.  Cyprus
2.  Greece
3.  Turkey
4.  Egypt
5.  State of Palestine
6.  Lebanon
7.  Syria
8.  Jordan
9.  Israel

Syria is the only significant crude oil producing country in the Eastern Mediterranean region (which comprises of Cyprus, Greece, Turkey, Egypt, State of Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Israel).

People of Damascus (Capital of Syria)

Economy:

Syria is classified by the World Bank as a "lower middle income country." Syria remains dependent on the oil and agriculture sectors.The oil sector provides about 40% of export earnings. The agriculture sector contributes to about 20% of GDP and 20% of employment. Oil reserves are expected to decrease in the coming years and Syria has already become a net oil importer. Since the civil war began, the economy shrank by 35%, and the Syrian pound has fallen to one-sixth of its prewar value. The government increasingly relies on credit from Iran, Russia and China.

China launches worlds highest wind farm

What:         China strengthened its position as a leader in renewable energy by installing the world’s highest wind farm.
Where:       Tibet
Height:       4,900 m above sea level
How many: 5
Capacity:   15MW (enough to power 13,500 homes)

Mugabe wins seventh term as the President of Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe, extending a thirty three year reign , has won a seventh term in office, officials say, amid claims of electoral fraud.

Mugabe, 89, who has ruled the former British colony in southern Africa since its independence in 1980, was formally proclaimed re-elected for a five-year term barely an hour after Tsvangirai announced his planned legal challenge.

Sources: BBC, NBC, Reuters