General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - February 2016

Feb 2016

Nov 11, 2023

UK to Add India to Safe States List, Restrict Asylum Rights for Illegal Migrants

The United Kingdom has put forth plans to include India in an expanded list of safe states, which will have significant implications for individuals arriving in the UK illegally from these countries. This move, which aims to expedite the process of returning Indian nationals who have travelled illegally from India and simultaneously eliminate their chances of seeking asylum in Britain, has been met with both support and criticism.
The UK Home Office has taken this step as part of its broader strategy to reinforce the country's immigration system and to curb potential abuses by individuals making unfounded protection claims. The objective is clear: to deter illegal migration and to swiftly repatriate those found to have no legal basis for staying in the UK.
India and Georgia are the two countries featured in the draft legislation that has been laid in the House of Commons.
The UK's safe states list, known legislatively as Section 80AA, includes countries like Albania, Switzerland, and the European Union (EU) and European Economic Area (EEA) states. For a country to be added to this list, the Home Secretary must be convinced that there is, in general, no serious risk of persecution for its nationals, and the removal of nationals to that country should not contravene the UK's obligations under the Human Rights Convention.

Nov 10, 2023

Chile Becomes 95th Member of International Solar Alliance ISA

Chile became the new entrant in the International Solar Alliance becoming its 95th member.
Chile was handed over the ISA instrument during the meeting of Chilean Ambassador Juan Angulo and the Ministry of External Affairs, Joint Secretary (Economic Diplomacy) Abhishek Singh.
The ISA is an alliance of more than 120 signatory countries that aims to reduce the dependence on non-renewable sources of energy like fossil fuels.
It was conceived as a joint effort by India and France and founded in 2015. Currently, 116 countries are signatories to the ISA Framework Agreement.

Nov 09, 2023

NATO Freezes Security Treaty

NATO member countries that signed a key Cold War-era security treaty froze their participation in the pact just hours after Russia pulled out, raising fresh questions about the future of arms control agreements in Europe.
The alliance said its members who signed the treaty are now freezing their participation in the pact.
Most of NATO's 31 allies have signed the Treaty of Conventional Armed Forces in Europe, which was aimed at preventing Cold War rivals from massing forces at or near mutual borders.

Nov 08, 2023

Antony Blinken in Japan for G7 Foreign Ministers' Meet

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken shifted his intense diplomacy on the Israel-Hamas war to Asia with an appeal for the Group of Seven (G7) leading industrial democracies to forge consensus on how to deal with the crisis.
As he and his G7 counterparts held two days of talks in Japan, Blinken said that it was critically important for the group to show unity as it has over Russia's war in Ukraine and other major issues and prevent existing differences on Gaza from deepening.

Singapore PM to Step Down Before 2025 Poll

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said that he planned to bow out and hand over power to his deputy, Lawrence Wong, late next year (2024), before the 2025 general election.
He has served as head of the long-ruling People's Action Party, or PAP, and as the PM since 2004. In 2022, he named Wong, who is also finance minister, as his designated successor.
He said that passing the baton to Wong before the national polls will allow Wong to win his own mandate and take the country forward.

Nov 07, 2023

Sweden's Saab Secures India's First 100% FDI in Defense Project

India has recently granted approval for Sweden's Saab to establish a new manufacturing facility in the country, marking a significant milestone as the first foreign company to receive 100% Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in India's defense projects.
While India previously permitted up to 74% FDI in the defense sector under the automatic route, clearances beyond that threshold were subject to individual assessment.
The government relaxed these regulations in 2015 to encourage foreign investments, yet until now, no foreign firm had received permission for 100% FDI in defense.

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