International Current Affairs-December,2010

• Egypt’s top two opposition parties pulled out of parliamentary elections.
• Prussia and Qatar awarded the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups respectively.
• Chinese passenger train hit record 486 kmph speed.
• Laurent Gbagbo sworn in for a new term as Ivory Coast Prez.
• 3 Russian navigation satellites crashed into Pacific.
• Prez Hosni Mubarak’s ruling party swept Eqypt’s parliamentary polls.
• Group of 14 nations urged Myanmar to include Suu Kyi in political process.
• Iteland set out record austerity budget.
• US House approved $200m Israel missile defense aid.
• Anti- Wikileaks Bill Introduced in US Congress.
• Students protest varsity fee hike in Britain.
• Cancun pact inked, Kyoto on way out.
• Sri Lanka scrapped Tamil version of national anthem.
• Lanka denied plan to ban anthem in Tamil.
• Cuba launched its own online encyclopedia.
• Irish Parliament approved EU/ IMF bailout package.
• US Sued BP for billions of $ for oil spill.
• US drone attacks killed 15 in Pak’s Khyber tribal region.
• China, Pak inked deals worth $30bn.
• Immigration Bill defeated in U S.
• Belarus’ Prez Alexander Lu kashenko won fourth term in office.
• Pak test-fired nuclear-capable Ghauri missile.
• Iraq House nod to new’ coalition government.
• US slapped fresh financial sanctions against Iran.
• Greece Passed austerity budget.
• Russian Parliament approved START.
• 46 Peoples dead in terrorist attack in Pakistan.
• Former Venezuelan Prez Carlos Andres Perez died
• S. Korea vowed retaliation if North repeated assault.
• UAE cancelled six-month visa ban for foreign workers.
• The Russian-American New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) won preliminary approval of the Russian Parliament by a 350-56 majority in the first of three votes on December 24, 2010 in the State Duma-Lower House of Parliament, though the parliament postponed its final approval till next year.
• Pakistan on December 21, 2010, successfully test-fired Hatf V (Ghauri)-a Medium Range Ballistic Missile-capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear warheads over 1,300 km.
• Cameroon’s Samuel Eto of Inter Milan was named African Player of the year for a record fourth time on December 20, 2010. He also won this honour in 2003, 2004 and 2005.
• Mark Zuckerberg founder and Chief executive of the Facebook-social networking site that has more than half billion users has been named Time Magazines 2010 Person of the Year in December 2010
• The New Crusading Guide-a daily newspaper from Ghana in West Africa has been named the winner of Rajasthan Patrika Group’s K.C. Kulish International Award for Excellence in Print Media Journalism 2009 for its series of reports on Ghana’s Madhouse and Chinese sex mania.
• Since the beginning of instrumental climate records in 1850 the year 2010 is almost certain to rank in the top three warmest years. As per World Meteorological Organization data at present 201O’s nominal value is the highest on record just ahead of 1998 and 2005.
• Russia and Qatar were awarded the 2018 and 2022 World Cups (Football) following a secret ballot of 22 FIFA executive committee members in Zurich on December 2, 2010. The 2014 World Cup of Football will be held in Brazil.
• Serbia’s Vicktor Troicki beat France’s Michael Llodra to clinch Davis Cup (Tennis) 2010 in Belgrade. It was Serbia’s first title in the 110 year old competition.
• England retained the Ashes Test Series after an innings and 157 run victory in the fourth Test against Australia in Melbourne on December 29, 2010 with one match yet play. It was Englands biggest win over Australia since 1956.