General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - March 2016

Mar 2016

Sep 16, 2020

India wins Three Elections to Key UN bodies

India has scored a hat-trick of election wins at the United Nations ahead of the General Assembly's 75th session, which will be held virtually due to Covid-19 pandemic.
India beat China to win a four-year term on the UN's Commission on the Status of Women (CWS), a prestigious wing of the world body's Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
India also won a seat each, through endorsements, to two other ECOSOC bodies — the Committee for Programme and Coordination (CPC) and the Commission on Population and Development (CPD).
Terms will begin 2021 when India will also start its two-year stint on the UN Security Council as a non-permanent member.

Yoshihide Suga Elected as Japan's New Prime Minister

Japanese ruling party leader Yoshihide Suga was elected prime minister in a parliamentary vote, becoming the country's first new premier in nearly eight years.
Suga's ruling Liberal Democratic Party used its majority in the powerful lower house of parliament, which is empowered to pick the premier, to elect him to lead the world's third largest economy as it tries to recover from the coronavirus pandemic.
Suga's appointment, after he was selected as LDP leader, brings the curtain down on outgoing Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's record run of almost eight consecutive years in the country's top job.

UAE, Bahrain Sign US-brokered Diplomatic Pacts with Israel

Declaring "the dawn of a new Middle East", US President Donald Trump presided over the signing of historic diplomatic pacts between Israel and the Arab states of UAE and Bahrain, which he hopes will lead to a new order in the Middle East and cast him as a peacemaker ahead of the November 3, 2020 election.
The deals, denounced by the Palestinians, make UAE and Bahrain the third and fourth Arab states to take such steps to normalise ties since Israel signed peace treaties with Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in 1994.
The signing of the deals, called the Abraham Accords, capped a dramatic sequence of events when the UAE and Bahrain agreed to reverse decades of ill will towards Israel without a resolution of its decades-old dispute with the Palestinians.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu joined Emirati foreign minister Sheikh Abdullah Al Nahyan and Bahrain's foreign minister Abdullatif Al Zayani for the signing ceremony.

Sep 15, 2020

China Appoints Trade Specialist as New Ambassador to Pakistan

China has appointed a trade specialist with no diplomatic background as its new ambassador to Pakistan in an apparent attempt to add momentum to the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) that connects Xinjing with the Indian Ocean.
Despite having no formal experience as a diplomat, Nong Rong—Communist Party secretary of the ethnic and religious affairs commission in China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region—was named by the Chinese foreign ministry last Friday as the official to replace incumbent Yao Jing.
China rarely makes political appointments in diplomatic roles and this will be an exception.
Nong's primary role will be to promote CPEC, a $62 billion multi-modal project launched in 2013, ET has learnt. CPEC is Beijing's key gateway to Indian Ocean Region, particularly western and southern Indian Ocean Region.

US-Taiwan Economic Talks Infuriate China

China warned the United States of potential serious damage to their relations if it does not withdraw from an upcoming economic meeting with Taiwan that is expected to be attended by a senior American official.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin urged the US to stop all forms of official exchanges with Taiwan, so as to avoid serious damage to China-US relations and peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.
Taiwanese media reported that US Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Keith Krach is planning to visit the island later this week for an economic and commercial dialogue with Taiwan's government.
The visit would follow one by US Health Secretary Alex Azar last month. Azar was the highest-level US Cabinet official to visit since a break in formal ties between the US and Taiwanese government in 1979, when the US accepted a one-China policy.

Geeta Out from UK Mayor Candidate List

An Indian-origin entrepreneur-activist was dropped as a prospective London mayoral candidate to contest against Sadiq Khan next year after her past antisemitic comments came to light.
Geeta Sidhu Robb, the founder of organic food and juice products firm Nosh Detox, had been shortlisted as the Liberal Democrat candidate to take on Labour's Khan but was instead suspended from the party after a 1997 General Election footage revealed her making anti-Jewish remarks.

Sep 14, 2020

Japan's Suga Poised to Win Party Race

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, a longtime loyal aide of outgoing Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, is poised to win a ruling party leadership election, virtually ensuring that he replaces Abe this week in the nation's top job.
Mr. Suga said that he would pursue Mr. Abe's key economic and foreign policies, is expected to get the bulk of votes from 394 Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) lawmakers and is likely to win a majority of 141 votes from the party's local chapters.

Former UK Leaders Unite to Slam Boris Johnson on Brexit Plan

Two former British Prime Ministers who played crucial roles in bringing peace to Northern Ireland joined forces to urge lawmakers to reject government plans to override the Brexit deal with the European Union, arguing that it imperils that peace and damages the UK's reputation.
John Major and Tony Blair slammed the current British government for shaming the country with legislation that, in places, goes against the very deal it signed to allow for the UK's smooth departure from the EU earlier this year.
The British government has admitted that the legislation would break international law, but argues that it is an insurance policy in the event a trade deal with the EU is not secured by the end of this year. Johnson said that the legislation is needed to end EU threats to impose a blockade in the Irish Sea that the Prime Minister asserted could carve up our country. EU leaders have furiously rejected that charge.

Macron Presses Lebanese Politicians as Cabinet Deadline Looms

French President Emmanuel Macron has been pressing Lebanese politicians to deliver on promises to form a new government this week and haul the country out of its worst crisis since the 1975-1990 civil war.
Lebanon's leaders had promised Macron on September 1, during his visit to Beirut, that they would form a cabinet of technocrats without party loyalties in about two weeks to end a crippling economic crisis made worse by a huge August 4 blast in the capital.
Berri, head of the Amal Movement, an ally of the politically powerful and heavily armed Shi'ite group Hezbollah, said that his group opposed the manner the cabinet was being formed, citing a lack of consultation, and did not want to join. But he said he would cooperate to stabilise the nation.

Sep 13, 2020

Putin apology to Serbia

Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued a rare apology to his Serbian counterpart Aleksandar Vucic for a senior Russian official's Facebook post which angered Mr Vucic.
Mr Vucic told Serbian TV about the apology and the Kremlin confirmed it.
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova posted a photo of Mr Vucic sitting opposite President Donald Trump in the White House and below it a photo of actress Sharon Stone's legs.
Ms Zakharova herself later apologised.
The provocative screenshot of the crossed legs came from the film Basic Instinct, in a scene where Sharon Stone's character briefly exposes herself.
Ms Zakharova's post said Mr Vucic looked as if he was being interrogated by President Trump.

Virtual Meeting of G-20 Agriculture,Water Ministers Held

A virtual meeting of G-20 Agriculture and Water Ministers was held on September 12, 2020.
The meeting was attended by Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmer's Welfare Parshottam Rupala. During the meeting, the Jal Shakti Minister assured the forum of India's commitment to contribute towards the objectives, goals and targets set by G-20.
He said, Government of India is implementing the 'Jal Jeevan Mission' to provide household tap connections to 190 million rural homes, thereby ensuring drinking water security.
About Open Defecation Free India, the forum was informed about the efforts to sustain the gains of 'Swachh Bharat Mission', with more focus on solid and liquid waste management and grey water treatment and reuse.

Liberia Declares Rape a National Emergency

Liberian President George Weah has declared rape a national emergency and ordered new measures to tackle the problem after a recent spike of cases in the West African state.
The move comes after thousands of Liberians protested against rising incidents of rape in the capital Monrovia in a bid to draw attention to the country's alarming rate of sexual assault.
- The government will also establish a so-called "national security task force" on sexual and gender-based violence.
- The high rates of rape in Liberia have been a long-standing concern.
- A United Nations report in 2016 recorded 803 rape cases the previous year in the country of 4.5 million, and found only 2 percent of sexual violence cases led to a conviction.

Nigeria's Kaduna Passes Law to Castrate Child Rapists

Lawmakers in Nigeria's Kaduna State have approved surgical castration as punishment for those convicted of raping children under the age of 14.
State governor Nasir Ahmad el-Rufai needs to sign the bill for it to become law in the north-western state.
He has previously supported castration to prevent rapists from re-offending.
The move follows public outrage over a wave of rapes, which prompted the nation's state governors to declare a state of emergency.

Jaishankar Participates in Inaugural Session of Intra-Afghan Negotiations in Doha

External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar participated in the inaugural session of the Intra-Afghan negotiations held in Doha via video teleconference. The Minister's participation was in response to an invitation extended to him by the Qatar's Foreign Minister Mohammad bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani.
In his address, Dr. Jaishankar referred to the millennia-old relationship between India and Afghanistan, which he said had withstood the test of time. He highlighted India's role as a major development partner of Afghanistan with over 400 projects completed in all the 34 provinces of Afghanistan.
Dr. Jaishankar wished for the success of the Intra-Afghan negotiations in delivering to the people of Afghanistan what they have longed for.

US Signs Defence Cooperation Deal With Maldives

The US has signed a framework for defence cooperation with the Maldives to deepen engagement in support of maintaining peace and security in the strategic Indian Ocean, as the Trump administration looks for strengthening alliances in the Indo-Pacific to counter China's growing presence in the region.
The framework for defence and security relationship was signed in Philadelphia on September 10, 2020 between Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for South and Southeast Asia Reed Werner and Maldivian Minister of Defence Mariya Didi.
The framework sets forth both countries' intent to deepen engagement and cooperation in support of maintaining peace and security in the Indian OCean.

Mali Coup: Military Agrees to 18-Month Transition Government

Mali's new military leaders have agreed to establish an 18-month transition government until an election can take place, following last month's coup.
Spokesperson Moussa Camara said the interim government would either be led by a military officer or a civilian.
The pledge came after three days of talks with opposition and civil society groups on a timeline for Mali's return to civilian rule.
Ousted President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta fled the country.
The 75-year-old former leader flew to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on 5 September, 2020 for medical treatment, after suffering a minor stroke.

Bahrain Joins UAE in Establishing Relations with Israel

Bahrain has become the second Gulf nation to establish full diplomatic relations with Israel, joining the United Arab Emirates in normalizing ties with the Jewish state and reshaping politics in the Middle East.
Bahraini officials said the agreement will help promote peace in the region, a position that is not shared by its neighbor Iran. The government in Tehran, which supports the island nation's majority Shiite population, warned the deal will further destabilize the region.

Sep 12, 2020

UK Secures First Major Post-Brexit Trade Deal with Japan

The UK secured its first major post-Brexit trade deal after signing an agreement with Japan just as discussions with the European Union appeared to be teetering on the brink of collapse.
The deal, which has so far only been agreed upon in principle and for which details are thin, will increase commerce with Japan by around 15 billion pounds ($19 billion), the UK said.
The government said UK businesses will benefit from tariff-free trade on 99% of exports to Japan and that it will give British businesses a gateway to the Asia-Pacific region.

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