CURRENT AFFAIRS- JANUARY 2011

• Hungary takes over the presidency of the European Union.
• Dilma Rousseff is sworn in as Brazil's first female President.

• Salmaan Taseer, the Governor of the Pakistani province of Punjab, is assassinated by Malik Mumtaz Hussain Qadri, one of his security guards at Koshar Market.. who had campaigned to amend the country's blasphemy laws
• 10-year-old Canadian Kathryn Gray becomes the youngest person ever to discover a supernova.
• The 112th United States Congress is convened. Republican Representative John Boehner of Ohio is elected Speaker of the House of Representatives, succeeding Democrat Nancy Pelosi of California.
• Kuwaiti Prime Minister Nasser Mohammed Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah narrowly survives a no confidence vote, following a crackdown at an opposition demonstration in December..
• The 2011 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships in Buffalo, U.S.A. ends with Russia defeating Canada 5-3, marking the first time Russia has won a gold medal since 2003. The host American team defeats Sweden in the bronze medal game.
• Asian Football Confederation Executive Committee elections in Doha, Qatar:
• Mohamed bin Hammam announce that Australia will host the 2015 AFC Asian Cup; this will be the first time Australia has hosted the competition.
• Ali bin Al Hussein of Jordan is elected as a Vice President of FIFA.
• Ganesh Thapa of Nepal is elected as Vice President of the AFC. .
• French President Nicolas Sarkozy and First Lady Carla Bruni begin an official trip to the overseas departments of Guadeloupe and Martinique.
• Chile recognizes the State of Palestine.
• 2011 AFC Asian Cup:
• The fifteenth edition of AFC Asian Cup is officially opened in Qatar .
• Uzbekistan defeats Qatar 2-0 in opening match.
• England wins the final Ashes test  with a 3-1 victory over Australia.
• Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang begins a four-day visit to the UK; Scotland and China sign a green energy deal.
• People in Southern Sudan vote in a referendum on independence. (january 9).
• Lionel Messi of Argentina wins the FIFA Ballon d'Or as world football player for the second successive year.
• Lebanon's Government led by Prime Minister Saad Hariri collapses following the withdrawal of Hezbollah.

• Guyana formally recognizes Palestine as an independent state.

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Former President of Tunisia Zine El Abidine Ben Ali flees with his family to                     Saudi Arabia, after being rejected by France.

Fouad Mebazaa selected asActing President in Tunisia.

• Libyan leader Muammar al-Gaddafi reaches 41 years in power; there are less than 24 months left until he is scheduled to become Africa's longest serving ruler, overtaking former Gabonese President Omar Bongo who died in 2009.

•  Chinese President Hu Jintao begins a four day state visit to the United States. (jan18)
• . Palme d'Or winner Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives is denied a nomination at the Academy Awards in the foreign language film category.
•  Almost 99% of South Sudanese voted for independence from the north in a referendum according to official figures.
•  Najib Mikati elected as the new  Prime Minister of Lebanon.
•  Lara Giddings is elected as the first female Premier of the Australian state of Tasmania.
• In AFC Asian Cup football final Japan defeats Australia 1–0 by  winning their fourth title.
•  Screen Actors Guild Awards
• The cast of The King's Speech wins the award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture at the 17th Screen Actors Guild Awards.

Colin Firth wins Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role for his performance as King George VI while Natalie Portman wins Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role for her performance in Black Swan.

• Southern Sudan chooses to become independent of Sudan with over 99% voting yes in the referendum(jan30.)
• Novak Djokovic defeats Andy Murray,  to win the Men's Singles tournament at the    2011 Australian Open in the first major final without either Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal in three years.

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