February 2012 International Affairs

Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi became Yemen's new president on 26 February, formally removing autocrat Ali Abdullah Saleh from power.

Iran on 15 February 2012 launched three nuclear projects including a fourth generation Ultra Centrifuge, which is capable of enriching the Uranium faster than its earlier models. The first one was at the Iranian Atomic Organization Research Center in Tehran where Iran's first home-made nuclear fuel rods were loaded into a medical reactor. This would be used for production of isotopes used in treatment of cancer patients.Iran unveiled two other projects in the Natanz plant in central Iran. Enriched uranium is a critical component for both civil nuclear power generation and nuclear weapons.

President of Maldives, Mohamed Nasheed resigned on 7 February 2012 after weeks of protest, which was against his decision to sack a judge that, he had accused of favouring the opposition. Vice President Mohammed Waheed Hassan was sworn in as President, following Nasheed’s resignation. It is alleged that police officers sided with anti-government demonstrators. Nasheed was elected in 2008 when Maldives held its first democratic election, following three decades of rule by autocratic leader Maumoon Abdul Gayoom

Indonesia became the 157th country to adopt the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. Indonesia formalised ratification of the nuclear test ban treaty on 6 February 2012 at the United Nations.The Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone treaty commits ASEAN's 10 member states not to develop, manufacture or otherwise acquire, possess or have control over atomic weapons.

Iran on 3 February 2012 successfully launched an observation satellite called Navid into orbit above Earth. It will be placed into an orbit at an altitude between 250 and 370 kilometres. The weight of the satellite is 50-kilogram and it is meant to stay in orbit for 18 months.

India will provide a grant of $1.5 million to the University of Chicago to establish a Vivekananda Chair for Indian studies, as part of the initiatives to mark the 150th birth anniversary of the 19th century luminary, Swami Vivekananda. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed in this regard between Dean of University of Chicago (UOC) Martha Roth and Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Culture Sanjiv Mittal, in the presence of Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee. The grant is meant to honour Swami Vivekananda's life and legacy and facilitate exchange of research scholars from/to India.

Input From Sakshi