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INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - October 2014

Oct 2014

May 14, 2021

Rajesh Agrawal Re-appointed London's Deputy Mayor for Business

  • India-born entrepreneur Rajesh Agrawal has been re-appointed as London's Deputy Mayor for Business by Mayor Sadiq Khan after he won a second term in local elections last week.
  • As Khan made "jobs, jobs, jobs" a top priority for his next term in office, Agrawal also committed himself to the agenda and made a pledge to focus on a "fairer and greener recovery" for the UK capital from the coronavirus pandemic.
  • Agrawal, who is also the co-chair of the Labour Friends of India (LFIN) diaspora representative group of the Opposition Labour Party, arrived in London in 2001 and went on to grow a small foreign exchange and money transfer enterprise into a multi-million-pound UK-headquartered business.

Martin Griffiths Appointed UN Humanitarian Chief

  • The UN chief has appointed veteran British diplomat Martin Griffiths, a seasoned negotiator with wide global experience, as the new UN humanitarian chief.
  • Griffiths brings extensive leadership experience in humanitarian affairs at headquarters and country levels, both strategically and operationally as well as senior level experience in international conflict resolution, negotiation and mediation.
  • Griffiths has spent the last three years as the UN special envoy for Yemen and he briefed the UN Security Council earlier Wednesday on his latest efforts to peacefully resolve the six-year conflict.

Oli Re-appointed as Nepal PM

  • K P Sharma Oli was reappointed as Nepal Prime Minister after the opposition parties, riddled by factionalism, failed to secure majority seats in Parliament to form a new government.
  • Nepal President Bidya Devi Bhandari had asked the opposition parties to come up with the support of majority lawmakers to form a new government by Thursday after Oli lost a crucial trust vote.
  • The Nepali Congress (NC) under the leadership of party president Sher Bahadur Deuba had announced its intention to stake a claim for the Prime Minister's post.
  • Though Deuba had received support from Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda', a meeting of current and former NC office bearers at the party president's residence on Thursday concluded that the sharp division within the Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP) whether to support the NC-led government had made the formation of an alternative government impossible.

Hong Kong Legislature Approves China Loyalty Laws

  • Hong Kong's Opposition-devoid legislature approved new powers allowing the government to sack public office holders and bar election candidates from standing if they are deemed "disloyal" to local authorities or China.
  • The new laws are part of sweeping changes that Beijing has ordered for Hong Kong's already limited electoral system which will dramatically reduce the number of directly elected politicians and ensure only "staunch patriots" enter politics.
  • Along with a sweeping national security law, the political changes are part of a broad campaign to quash dissent after huge and often violent democracy protests rocked the finance hub in 2019.
  • Under the new powers, all public office holders will be required to make a "pledge of loyalty" that they must adhere to throughout their term. It includes principal government officials, Cabinet members, legislators and judges as well as members of the legislature.

May 13, 2021

Biden Signs Cybersecurity Executive Order after Colonial Pipeline Attack

  • US President Joe Biden signed an executive order on Wednesday that advances federal cybersecurity capabilities and encourages improvements in digital security standards across the private sector which has been hit by a spate of high-profile cyber attacks.
  • The executive order establishes a series of initiatives designed to better equip federal agencies with cybersecurity tools. It follows a cyberattack against the Colonial Pipeline that caused some internal computer systems to be disabled with ransomware. This led Colonial to shut the pipeline, triggering fuel shortages and panic buying in the southeastern United States.
  • The pipeline cyberattack is the latest in a string of high profile cyber incidents against U.S. companies and government agencies over the last six months.

Vladimir Putin Calls for De-escalation in Israel-Palestinian Clashes

  • Russian President Vladimir Putin urged Israel and the Palestinians to halt fighting in a call with Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who said that the world needs to give Israel a "strong" lesson.
  • The Israeli army has launched hundreds of air strikes on the Gaza Strip since Monday, where Hamas and other militants have responded by firing back volleys of rockets on Israeli cities.
  • Erdogan, a vocal advocate of the Palestinian cause, has stepped up diplomacy, speaking to a range of regional leaders and condemning Israel's "terror".

May 12, 2021

Pakistan Won't Hold Talks with India until Decision on Kashmir Reverse

  • Prime Minister Imran Khan said that Pakistan would not hold talks with India until New Delhi reverses its decision of scrapping the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.
  • India abrogated the special status of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 on August 5, 2019 and bifurcated it into two Union territories.
  • Earlier in the day, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that no talks presently were taking place with India but parleys could be held if New Delhi revisited its policy regarding Kashmir and provided relief to the people of Kashmir.
  • "Jammu and Kashmir cannot be an internal issue of India as it is on the agenda of the UN and there are several Security Council resolutions on it, he said while addressing a news conference in Islamabad.
  • India has repeatedly said Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India and the country is capable of solving its own problems.

China's Population Grows at Slowest Pace

  • China's births fell to their lowest in almost six decades amid the pandemic last year, putting the country's population on course to peak within the next five years and adding pressure on Beijing to step up reforms to maintain economic growth as the workforce shrinks.
  • There were 1.412 billion people in China last year, according to the results of a once-a-decade census, up 5.38 per cent from a decade before, but slightly below previous official projections. The annual average population growth of 0.53 per cent in the past decade was the slowest since the 1950s.
  • China's population has become much more urbanised and educated over the past decade, trends which should allow the world's second-largest economy to continue expanding even after its population peaks. In order to remain an engine of world growth, China will require a large increase in spending on pensions and health care and more investment in education and infrastructure to boost productivity.
  • Slower growth in the population means it could peak before 2025, according to estimates from Bloomberg Economics. The number of children born in the country last year fell to 12 million, the National Bureau of Statistics said — down from 14.65 million in 2019 and the lowest number since 1961 when the country was struggling in the aftermath of a famine that killed tens of millions of people.

Yoweri Museveni Sworn in for Sixth Term

  • Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni was sworn in for his sixth term.
  • He won re-election in a disputed poll in January.
  • Security was increased in the capital, Kampala, ahead of his inauguration. Several heads of states had arrived for the ceremony - including from Burundi, South Sudan and Somalia.
  • Troops surrounded the home of Robert Kyagulanyi popularly known as Bobi Wine, who was the election runner-up.

China Warns Bangladesh of 'Substantial Damage' if it Joins US-led Quad

  • China has warned Bangladesh against joining the US-led Quad alliance, saying that Dhaka's participation in the anti-Beijing "club" would result in "substantial damage" to bilateral relations.
  • The unusual warning from Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Li Jiming came weeks after visiting Chinese Defence Minister Gen Wei Fenghe emphasied to Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid that Beijing and Dhaka should make joint efforts against powers from outside the region establishing a "military alliance" in South Asia and practising "hegemonism".
  • Reacting to the Chinese envoy's controversial remarks, Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen said Dhaka maintained a non-aligned and balanced foreign policy and it would decide what to do according to those principles.

May 11, 2021

Saudi Arabia Calls for Dialogue between India and Pak. to Resolve their Issues

  • Saudi Arabia has emphasised the importance of dialogue between Pakistan and India to resolve their outstanding matters, including the Kashmir issue.
  • Pakistan Foreign Office released a joint statement agreed between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia after Prime Minister Imran Khan held high-level talks with Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman.
  • Khan was on an official visit to Saudi Arabia from May 7-May 9.
  • The Crown Prince "welcomed the recent understanding reached between the military authorities of Pakistan and India regarding ceasefire at the Line of Control (LoC), which is based on a 2003 understanding between Pakistan and India".

Nepal PM Oli Loses Vote of Confidence

  • Nepal's embattled Prime Minister K. P. Sharma Oli lost a crucial trust vote in the House of Representatives on Monday, pushing the Himalayan nation into further political turmoil amidst a record surge in Covid-19 cases.
  • Oli lost the vote of confidence motion, days after the Nepal Communist Party Maoist Centre led by Pushpakamal Dahal 'Prachanda' withdrew its support, reducing the government to a minority.
  • Oli, who decided to seek the trust of the 275-member House on his government, managed to garner only 93 votes, which fell short of 43 votes to reach the 136-mark and win the vote of confidence during a special session of the lower house.
  • A total of 124 members voted against the confidence motion while 15 members stayed neutral, Speaker Agni Sapkota announced. The session was attended by 232 lawmakers.

China Denounces US Appeal for Taiwan to Participate in WHO Meeting

  • China's government criticised US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday for urging the World Health Organisation to invite Taiwan, the island democracy claimed by Beijing as part of its territory, to participate in a meeting this month.
  • Blinken's statement Friday adds to a similar joint appeal by foreign ministers of the Group of Seven major economies this month in London. That irked the Communist Beijing government, which insists Taiwan has no right to conduct foreign relations or join global bodies.
  • Blinken's appeal seriously violates the one-China principle' and joint US-Chinese declarations, said a Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Hua Chunying. China firmly deplores and rejects it.
  • Taiwan split with the Chinese mainland in 1949 after a civil war. The two sides have extensive trade ties but no official relations.
  • The US and other major governments have no official ties with Taiwan, but Washington and some others have expressed growing support for Taiwan during the coronavirus pandemic and in response to Beijing's increasing assertiveness abroad.

May 10, 2021

PM Modi Participates in Virtual India-EU Leaders' Meeting

  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in the India-EU Leaders' Meeting, held in a hybrid format. The India-European Union Leaders' Meeting is hosted by Portugal. Portugal currently holds the chair of the grouping. PM Modi attended the event at the invitation of the President of the European Council Mr Charles Michel.
  • The leaders of all the 27 EU Member States, as well as the President of the European Council and the European Commission, participated in the meeting. This is the first time that the EU hosted a meeting with India in the EU+27 format.

India Strongly Condemns Terrorist Attack on Girls school in Afghanistan

  • India has strongly condemned the terrorist attack on Sayed al-Shuhada Girls School in Kabul, which killed more than 50 girl students during the holy month of Ramadan. External Affairs Ministry said in a release that India's thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of the young girls who lost their lives in this attack.
  • It said, targeting young girl students, makes this an attack on the future of Afghanistan. The perpetrators clearly seek to destroy the painstaking and hard-won achievements that the Afghans have put in place over the last two decades.
  • New Delhi said, this incident demonstrates, once again, the urgent need for dismantling terrorist sanctuaries and the immediate need for a comprehensive nation-wide ceasefire to make the peace process meaningful and sustainable. It said, India has always supported the education of Afghan youth and remains committed to the progress and development of Afghanistan.

PESCO: EU Approves US Participation for the First Time

  • The European Union approved the requests of Norway, Canada and United States to participate in Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) defence initiative. This is the first time; the European bloc has allowed a third state to participate in the PESCO project. The countries will now participate in the Military Mobility Project in Europe.
  • PESCO is a part of the European Union security and defence policy. It was introduced based on the Treaty of European Union introduced by Treaty of Lisbon in 2009.
  • The United States has raised concerns against PESCO several times. According to analysts, it is the sign that US fears loss of influence in Europe. The US sells 1 billion Euros of weapons to the European Union countries every year.

India Strongly Condemns Terrorist Attack on Girls school in Afghanistan

  • India has strongly condemned the terrorist attack on Sayed al-Shuhada Girls School in Kabul, which killed more than 50 girl students during the holy month of Ramadan. External Affairs Ministry said in a release that India's thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of the young girls who lost their lives in this attack.
  • It said, targeting young girl students, makes this an attack on the future of Afghanistan. The perpetrators clearly seek to destroy the painstaking and hard-won achievements that the Afghans have put in place over the last two decades.
  • New Delhi said, this incident demonstrates, once again, the urgent need for dismantling terrorist sanctuaries and the immediate need for a comprehensive nation-wide ceasefire to make the peace process meaningful and sustainable. It said, India has always supported the education of Afghan youth and remains committed to the progress and development of Afghanistan.

China Probed 'Weaponising' Coronaviruses in 2015: Reports

  • Chinese military scientists allegedly investigated weaponising coronaviruses five years before the COVID-19 pandemic and may have predicted a World War III fought with biological weapons, according to media reports referring to documents obtained by the US State Department.
  • According to 'The Sun' newspaper in the UK, quoting reports first released by 'The Australian', the "bombshell" documents obtained by the US State Department reportedly show the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) commanders making the sinister prediction.
  • US officials allegedly obtained the papers which were written by military scientists and senior Chinese public health officials in 2015 as part of their own investigation into the origins of COVID-19.
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