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INTERNATIONAL

Asian Countries Top OECD’s PISA survey of Global Education
According to the Paris-based Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) latest survey report , which evaluates the knowledge and skills of the world’s 15-year-olds in 65 countries and has been released on 3 December. The OECD’s PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) 2012 tested more than 510,000 students in 65 countries and economies on maths, reading and science. The main focus was on maths.
Highlights of the Survey Report :-
* Asian nations cemented their top positions in an eagerly awaited report on global education , as their students continued to outshine western counterparts in maths, science and reading.
* Shanghai again ranked first in maths, science and reading .
* Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea rounded out the top five in maths skills.
*  Already strong performers in 2009, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Singapore continued to improve their performances in the three categories.
* The report highlighted Italy, Poland and Portugal for showing improvements in maths skills since the last survey ,but noted drops in Sweden and Finland.
* Peru ranked at the bottom of the list in all three categories.
* 23 per cent of students in OECD countries, and 32 per cent overall, failed to master the simplest maths problems.Boys performed better than girls in maths. They scored higher in 37 out of the 65 countries and economies, while girls outperformed boys in 5 countries.
* Across OECD countries, 8.4% of students are top performers in reading. Shanghai-China has the largest proportion of top performers – 25.1%. Over 15% of students in Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore are top performers in reading, as are more than 10% of students in Australia, Belgium, Canada, Finland, France, Ireland, Korea, Liechtenstein, New Zealand, Norway and Chinese Taipei.

INTERNATIONAL

Taiwan and Singapore Signed Free Trade Agreement
Taiwan signed a free trade agreement with Singapore on 7 November in Taipei, the capital of Taiwan.It is first trade agreement Taiwan has signed with a member of the Association of Southeast Nations.Singapore is Taiwan’s fifth-largest trade partner and fourth-largest export market, with bilateral trade totalling US$28.2 billion in 2012.

U.S. named Nigeria’s Boko Haram ‘Terrorist’ Group
The US State Department has on 13 November officially designated Boko Haram, the Nigerian Islamist group responsible for the 2011 bombing of the UN headquarters in Abuja, as a “foreign terrorist organisation”. The designation is significant because it directs US law enforcement and regulatory agencies to block business and financial transactions with Boko Haram, which is fighting to impose Islamic law in northern Nigeria and has ties to al Qaeda. Boko Haram means “Western education is sacrilege”.

INTERNATIONAL

Gambia Decided To Withdraw From The Commonwealth
The Gambia is on 2 October decided to withdraw from the Commonwealth, 48 years after joining. Gambian, a West African country joined the Commonwealth of Nations in 1965.The last country to be withdrawn from the Commonwealth group was Zimbabwe in 2003.The Commonwealth of Nations is a voluntary association of 54 countries, many of them former territories of the British Empire. It was established in 1949.

China and EU Signed Bilateral Currency Swap Agreement
China and the European Union signed a 350 billion yuan (45 billion euro) currency swap agreement on 10 October.The agreement signed between the People’s Bank of China and the European Central Bank (ECB), aims to support bilateral trade and protect financial stability.

INTERNATIONAL

Tony Abbott is Australia’s new Prime Minister
Tony Abbott , Leader of the Liberal Party elected as the Prime Minister of Australia on 8 October.Liberal Party won the 44th Parliamentary elections. Liberal Party defeated the in-power Labor Party in the general elections held on 7 September 2013 to return back in power as the Liberal-National coalition for the first time in six years.With this win, Tony Abbott the leader of the Liberal-National Coalition will become the Prime Minister of the Country and successor of Kevin Rudd of the Labor Party.The coalition won 88 seats in the 150 seat Parliament. The ruling Labor Party was successful in winning 57 seats.

US and Russia Agreement on Removing Chemical Weapons on Syria
The United States and Russia have on 14 September agreed on a framework for removing chemical weapons from Syria .The break- through was announced after three day talks between the US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Geneva.The USA and Russia have agreed that Syria’s chemical weapons must be destroyed or removed by mid-2014. USA outlined a six-point framework under which Syria must hand over a full list of its stockpile within a week.

INTERNATIONAL

Bangladesh Court Disqualifies Jamaat-e-Islami Party
On 1 August a Bangladesh court has disqualified the country’s largest Islamic party from taking part in the next general election.The High Court panel ruled that the opposition Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami party’s regulations violate the constitutional provision of secularism.

INTERNATIONAL

Croatia Joins The EU as 28th Member State
On 1 July Croatia became the 28th member of the European Union.It is the first addition since Bulgaria and Romania joined EU in 2007.Croatia formally applied for EU membership in 2003.

International Assistance Force In Mali Transformed into UN Force
On 1 July A new United Nations peacekeeping mission for insurgent-affected Mali was launched on 1 July .The previous African-led International Support Mission in Mali (AFISMA) has been transformed to the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA).The transfer of authority from the forces of the African-led International Support Mission in Mali (AFISMA) to the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) took place during a ceremony in Bamako, capital of the West African country.

INTERNATIONAL

Egypt’s Top Court Rules Parliament Invalid

On 2 June Egypt’s Supreme Constitutional Court invalidated the nation’s upper house of parliament and a panel that drew up the constitution.The upper house, or Shura Council, holds legislative powers. It will be dissolved after a new lower house is elected.The court dissolved the lower house of parliament 2012 June.The constitution was drafted by an Islamist-dominated assembly in 2012 November and approved by voters in December.

Nigeria’s Parliament Passed a Bill Criminalising Gay Marriage

On 2 June Nigeria’s parliament has passed a bill criminalising gay marriage, making it punishable with a 14-year prison term.The country’s lower house, House of Representatives, followed the action of the Senate and endorsed the bill.