Current Affairs - International

Lebanon became the first Arab country and the first nation in the Middle East to formally abolish the death penalty on August 11, 2026. The Lebanese Parliament replaced all existing death sentences with life imprisonment. The country had maintained a de facto moratorium on executions since 2004, although dozens of people remained technically on death row. The abolition applies to crimes that were previously punishable by death, including murder and treason. The move provides lasting legal protection for the right to life and aligns Lebanon with international human rights trends. Lebanon’s capital is Beirut, and its official currency is the Lebanese Pound.

Andras Baka was elected as the new President of Hungary by the Hungarian Parliament on August 13, 2026. He secured 140 votes in favour and 6 votes against through a secret ballot, with no abstentions recorded. Baka was nominated and elected by the governing Tisza party, while members of the far-right Fidesz party boycotted the voting process. The Hungarian presidency is primarily ceremonial, although the president has powers such as returning bills to lawmakers or referring them to the Constitutional Court for review. Hungary’s capital is Budapest, and its currency is the Hungarian Forint.

Colombia declared a national state of emergency after a magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck the western part of the country in August 2026. The epicenter was located near San José del Palmar in the department of Chocó, at a depth of about 107 kilometres, classifying it as an intermediate-focus earthquake. Colombia is highly vulnerable to seismic activity because of the interaction of the Nazca, South American and Caribbean tectonic plates. It is also part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, a region known for frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity. The event highlighted Colombia’s complex tectonic setting and earthquake risks.

India donated five Indian peacocks to the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG) on August 7, 2026, reviving a diplomatic tradition that began in 1981. The donation included four blue peafowl and one rare white-feathered male, symbolising the blue and white colours associated with the United Nations. The birds were formally handed over by India’s Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, Arindam Bagchi, and received by UNOG Director-General Tatiana Valovaya. The peacocks will be housed in Ariana Park and cared for by Geneva Bioparc zoo staff. India’s first such donation was made by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1981.

Sri Lanka is the location of the Sampur Solar Power Project, which is situated in the Trincomalee district. The project is being developed as a joint venture between India’s NTPC Limited and the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB). It aims to increase the share of renewable energy in Sri Lanka’s national electricity grid. India and Sri Lanka are also working on an HVDC interconnection project to link their power grids and facilitate the transfer of surplus renewable energy. These initiatives are intended to strengthen bilateral energy cooperation, regional energy security, and the clean energy transition.