The UN Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon announced the Geneva-II peace conference

is going to be held on 22nd January 2014. This is aimed at a democratic politica

l transition in Syria.
The emergency law was declared for Bangkok after riot police and anti-governmen
t protesters scuffled in the capital city By Thailand Prime minister Yingluck Sh
inawatra.
* The decision came after hundreds of anti-government protesters stormed into th
e finance ministry compound and later forced their way into the foreign ministry
building.
November 26
The Pakistan army started military operations against terrorists in the North W
aziristan tribal region near the Pak-Afghan border. The operation started after
two security persons, were killed and five injured in a remote control bomb expl
osions in the area by the terrorists.
* North Waziristan is considered to be the shelter for Pakistani Talibans who are
linked to Al Qeda.
Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on 26th November 2013 launched the constr
uction of Karachi Coastal Power Project which is considered to be the country's
biggest Nuclear power project. It is the 2200-MegaWatt Power Project which consi
sts of the K-2 and K-3 nuclear plants. It is built at Paradise Beach on the Arab
ian Sea coast, with technical assistance of China.
* Pakistan already has three operational nuclear plants generating around 740 MW
of power.
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) launched a three-day cyber defense ex
ercise called Cyber Coalition 2013in Estonia, in Russia.
* The Cyber Defense Exercise aims at training technical personnel and to improve
their leadership as well as test the capability of NATO and its partners to coo
rdinate their efforts in preventing multiple simulated cyber-attacks.
* More than 30 countries across Europe, including five non-NATO nations will par
ticipate in the exercise.
* About NATO
* The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is an intergovernmental military
alliance of 28 European and North American countries which include United State
s, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Canada, Albania, Bulgaria and Turkey
etc.
According to the Forbes Magazines 'World's Most Valuable List' the top five Comp
anies are as follows:
(1) Apple
(2) Microsoft
(3) Coca-Cola
(4) IBM
(5) Google
* Apple topped the List with a brand value of $104.3 billion which is nearly dou
ble than the Microsoft which has a brand value of $56.7 billion.
November 28
Princess Astrid of Belgium inaugurated the Consulate General of Belgium in Chen
nai for expansion of the bilateral ties with India.
* This is the second Consulate General and the third diplomatic mission in India
.
Belgium
* King: Philippe of Belgium
* Capital: City of Brussels
* Currency: Euro.
European Union signed an agreement to provide the financial assistance worth 12
2 million dollar (90 million) to Egypt to tide over the financial crisis.
* The funds under the assistance finance will be used to increase the children's
access to education, social and reaching out to the most impoverished areas and
improvements in unplanned housing.
November 29
US exempted India and some countries, from the tough Iranian sanctions act, thi
s Act reduced this countries dependence on Iranian oil. China, India, the Republ
ic of Korea, Turkey, and Taiwan are other countries exempted to sanctions...(und
er) the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of US for Fiscal Year 2012
INTERNATIONAL - 2013 DECEMBER
December 1
An Egyptian constitutional panel, on 1st December, approved a new draft constit
ution for the country. The 50-member constitution-drafting panel headed by Amre
Moussa approved the draft-constitution, which contains 247 Articles.
* Thailand witnessed violent clashes between the supporters of the Suthep Thaugs
uban, the leader of Thailands anti-government protests, and the police. Suthep Th
augsuban said that he met Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra told her that he wo
uld accept nothing less than her resignation and a new government of an appointe
d council.
* Anti-government protesters want Prime Minister to step down as they claim that
her government is remote-controlled by her elder brother Thaksin Shinawatra.
* Thaksin Shinawatra who was forced to quit as prime minister in 2006. He has si
nce lived in exile to avoid jail on a corruption conviction.
December 5
The latest edition of the Pakistan Armys Green Book, a prestigious internal publ
ication with essays by serving officers, reveals mounting fears among its office
rs corps that the deepening India-United States strategic relationship could pos
e a threat to the country.
A complex plan to destroy Syrias stockpile of Chemical weapons has been finalize
d. A Danish ship will transfer the hazardous chemicals to Cape Ray, a specialize
d Americnan vessel that is equipped to destroy chemical agents.
The Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) formally demand
ed an election to the posts of the President and Vice-president after they were
not negotiated to power-sharing in Nepal Assembly Elections.
National Security Agency (NSA) of U.S collects location of nearly five billion
mobile phones per day. This top secret was revealed by Whistleblower Edward Snow
den.
The Vice-President of U.S Joe Biden conveyed deep concern to Chinese President Xi
Jinping about Chinas decision to set up an Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ
) over the disputed East China Sea, as he held more than five hours of discussio
ns with the top ranked Chinese leaders.
The clashes between the Muslim armed fighters who rule the country and a Christ
ian militia who oppose them caused the death of around 98 people in the capital
of Central African Republic, Bangui.
December 6
Joseph Biden, Vice President of US and Park Geun-hye, the President of South Ko
rea on 6th December 2013 agreed to join hands to denuclearize North Korea (DPRK)
.
* The two countries agreed to make efforts in dismantling Pyongyangs nuclear prog
ramme and impose restrictions against possible nuclear and missile threats from
North Korea.
The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) completed the k
ey stage of destroying the chemicals weapons of Syria. The OPCW also verified th
e destruction of some chemical weapons production facilities, which were inopera
ble during the first phase of the mission.The joint United Nations-OPCW teams aim
is to remove toxic chemicals from Syria by the end of the year 2013 and destroy
the