General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - March 2016

Mar 2016

Jul 23, 2020

Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan to Resume Talks on Ethiopia's Grand Renaissance Dam Reservoir on Nile

According to Ethioppia, the first-year target for filling the controversial mega dam on the River Nile was reached.
This would allow the first set of turbines to be tested.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's announcement came as Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan agreed to resume talks over the dam, following a virtual summit.
The project has been a source of huge diplomatic tension since its construction began in Ethiopia in 2011.
Ethiopia sees the hydroelectric project as crucial for its economic growth and a vital source of energy.
But Egypt and Sudan, which are downstream, fear the $4bn (£3bn) dam will greatly reduce their access to water.
Years of fraught negotiations have failed to reach a consensus on how and when to fill the reservoir, and how much water it should release.
When operational, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (Gerd) will generate 6,000 megawatts, making it the largest hydroelectric dam in Africa. It will provide power to some 65 million Ethiopians, who currently lack a regular electricity supply.

UK to Open Citizenship Path to Hong Kong Residents from January 2021

Britain's government announced that it will open a new special pathway to obtaining British citizenship for eligible Hong Kongers from January 2021.
The Home Office said that holders of the British National Overseas passport and their immediate family members can move to the UK to work and study.
The change to immigration rules was introduced after China imposed a new, sweeping national security law on Hong Kong.
Those eligible can access the British job market at any skill level and without a salary threshold, but will not have access to public funds.
Home Secretary Priti Patel said that the UK has a strong historic relationship with the people of Hong Kong and we are keeping our promise to them to uphold their freedoms.
Those who come to the UK through the new pathway will be able to apply to settle in Britain permanently once they have lived in the UK for five years.
Then after a further 12 months, they can apply for British citizenship.

Government in Pakistan's Balochistan Hands Over Quetta Gurdwara to Sikhs After 73 Years

The government in Pakistan's Balochistan province handed over a 200-year-old gurdwara to the Sikh community after a period of 73 years.
As per reports, the Siri Guru Singh Gurdwara was used as APWA Government High Girls School since 1947.
The students who were studying in APWA Government Girls High School have been asked to seek admission to nearby schools.
Sardar Jasbeer Singh, chairman of the Sikh Community Committee in Balochistan, welcomed the move and described it as a gift from the Balochistan government to the Sikh community living in the province.
Around 2,000 Sikh families live in Balochistan.

The US Orders China to Close its Consulate in Houston

The US ordered China to close its consulate in Houston, Texas, a move described as political provocation by Beijing.
As per US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, the decision was taken because China was stealing intellectual property.
China's foreign ministry condemned the move, saying its embassy in Washington had received death threats.
Earlier, unidentified individuals were filmed burning paper in bins in the Houston building's courtyard.
Tensions have been rising between the US and China for some time. President Donald Trump's administration has clashed repeatedly with Beijing over trade and the coronavirus pandemic, as well as China's imposition of a controversial new security law on Hong Kong.

India among 10 Worst Countries for Working People: ITUC Global Rights Index 2020

In accordance with the 7th edition of "International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) Global Rights Index 2020-The World's Worst Countries for Workers", India became the new entrant in the 10 worst countries for working people in the world, with a rating of 5 that states "no guarantee of rights". The index ranked 144 countries on the basis of respect for workers' rights.
The other countries among the worst ten are- Bangladesh, Brazil, Colombia, , Kazakhstan, Philippines, Turkey and Zimbabwe along with Egypt and Honduras being the other two new entrants apart from India.
On the region front, Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is the worst region with 4.44 rating followed by Asia-Pacific with 4.09 in the world for working people for seven years (2014-2020).
India's ranking was based on three factors viz. Mass dismissals, Brutal repression of strikes, and Regressive laws.
ITUC Global Rights Index depicts the world's worst countries for workers by rating countries on a scale from 1 to 5+ with 1 being the best rating and 5+ the worst rating. Violations in each country are recorded annually from April to March against a list of 97 indicators.

Jul 22, 2020

EU Leaders Reach $2 trillion Deal on Recovery Plan

European Union leaders finally clinched an unprecedented 1.82 trillion euro ($2.1 trillion) budget and coronavirus recovery fund, somehow finding unity after four days and as many nights of fighting and wrangling over money and power in one of their longest summits ever.
To confront the biggest recession in its history, the EU had a consensus on a 750 billion euro coronavirus fund to be sent as loans and grants to the countries hit hardest by the virus. That comes on top of the seven-year 1 trillion euro EU budget. At first the grants were to total 500 billion euros, but the figure was brought down to 390 billion euros.
The coronavirus has sent the EU into a tailspin, killing around 135,000 of its citizens and plunging its economy into an estimated contraction of 8.3% this year.
The bloc's executive has proposed a 750 billion euro coronavirus fund, partly based on common borrowing, to be sent as loans and grants to the countries hit hardest by the virus. That comes on top of the seven-year 1 trillion euro EU budget that leaders had been haggling over for months even before the pandemic.
All nations agree in principle they need to band together but the five richer countries in the north want strict controls on spending, while struggling southern nations like Spain and Italy say those conditions should be kept to a minimum. The five have been pushing for labor market and pension reforms to be linked to EU handouts and a ``brake'' enabling EU nations to monitor and, if necessary, halt projects that are being paid for by the recovery fund.

India and Maldives Sign Agreement for Establishment of Emergency Medical Services in Male

India and Maldives signed an agreement for establishment of 'Emergency Medical Services' in capital Male. It is one of the several small and medium projects that are being financed by India under a grant assistance of around 20 million US dollars for the neighbouring country.
Maldives' Foreign Minister Abdulla Shaheed said that the emergency medical service unit will enhance timely access to quality emergency care. He added it will increase collaboration between healthcare facilities and disaster response agencies, especially during critical times of need.

US Adds 11 Chinese Companies to Economic Blacklist

The U.S. Commerce Department added 11 Chinese companies implicated in what it said were human rights violations in connection with China's treatment of its Uighurs in Xinjiang in western China to the U.S. economic blacklist.
As per the department, the companies are involved in using forced labor by Uighurs and other Muslim minority groups. They include numerous textile companies and two firms the government said were conducting genetic analyses used to further the repression of Uighurs and other Muslim minorities.
It was the third group of companies and others in China added to the U.S. entity list after two prior announcements added 37 companies and others that the Trump administration said were involved in China's repression in Xinjiang.

Jul 21, 2020

Putin Picks New Governor after Murder Allegation

Russian President Vladimir Putin has named a new acting governor for the Khabarovsk region after days of demonstrations.
Governor Sergei Furgal was arrested for murder earlier this month, sparking protests in the far eastern province.
His supporters believe the charges against him are politically motivated.
The protests come just weeks after Mr. Putin won backing for major constitutional reforms in a national referendum, which allow him to stay in power for an additional two terms - prompting fears of a crackdown on the opposition.
President Putin formally removed Mr. Furgal from his post on Monday and named Mikhail Degtyaryov as the acting head of the region.
Mr. Degtyaryov is a member of the ultra-nationalist Liberal Democratic Party (LDPR), just like Mr. Furgal.

China Warns UK of Consequences over Hong Kong Interference

The UK will bear the consequences if it continues to go down the wrong road on Hong Kong, China has warned.
The UK suspended an extradition treaty with Hong Kong over a new security law for the ex-colony, which gives Beijing more power.
In response, the Chinese ambassador in London said that the UK had blatantly interfered in China's affairs.
Earlier this month, Prime Minister Boris Johnson pledged to offer three million Hong Kong residents the chance to settle in the UK, allowing them to ultimately apply for British citizenship.
And the government separately announced it would require the removal of Chinese technology from the UK's fledgling 5G mobile network.
The moves came after Beijing introduced the controversial new security law at the end of June, creating offences that could see Hong Kong residents sent to mainland China for trial.
Critics have claimed the law could see pro-democracy protesters in the region being served with life sentences.

I CC Finally Postpones T20 World Cup

Ending months of suspense, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced postponement of the upcoming men's T20 World Cup, which was scheduled to kick off on 18th October in Australia.
he decision gives the Indian cricket board a clear window for the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), which was also deferred due the Covid-19 pandemic.
The ICC also announced windows for the next three ICC men's events, in order to bring clarity to the calendar and give the sport the best possible opportunity over the next three years to recover from the disruption caused by Covid-19.
ICC will conduct the Men's T20 World Cup in 2021, 2022 and 2023 during the months of October and November. While the host for 2021 and 2022 are not announced yet, the 2023 World Cup will be held in India.

Egyptian MPs Approve Military Deployment in Libya

The Parliament in Egypt voted to authorise the deployment of its military abroad to defend national security and – in its words – fight criminals and foreign terrorists on a western front.
It is an apparent reference to neighbouring Libya, where Egypt has been supporting the renegade general Khalifa Haftar who has been forced back from positions around the capital, Tripoli.
The resolution came despite a phone call between the Egyptian leader Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and President Trump, who's reported to have asked that nothing be done to escalate the situation in Libya.
Last week the pro-Haftar parliament in eastern Libya moved towards inviting the intervention of Egyptian troops, which have not fought abroad in nearly thirty years.

Jul 20, 2020

Portland Protests: Mayor Demands Federal Troops Leave City

The mayor of Portland in Oregon renewed his call for federal troops to leave the US city, accusing them of abusive tactics against protesters.
There have been nightly protests against police brutality in the city since the killing of African American George Floyd in Minneapolis in May.
The federal government has said it is trying to restore order in Portland.
Mayor Wheeler said that there were "dozens if not hundreds of federal troops" in the city, added that their presence here is actually leading to more violence and more vandalism.
His comments echoed those of Oregon Governor Kate Brown, who described the presence of federal troops in the city as "purely political theatre" from the Donald Trump administration.

India Remains as Lower-Middle-Income Economy

According to the New World Bank country classifications by income level 2020-2021, India remains in the classification, Lower-Middle-Income Economy. In total 218 countries have been included in this classification.The World Bank classifies countries into four income groups namely: low income , lower-middle income, upper-middle income, and high-income economies.
The classifications are updated each year on July 1 and are based on Gross National Income(GNI) per capita in current USD (using the Atlas method exchange rates) of the previous year.
Low-income economies: GNI per capita, between USD 1,035 or less in 2019
Lower Middle-income economies: GNI per capita between USD 1,036 and USD 4,045
Upper middle-income economies:GNI per capita between USD 4,046 and USD 12,535
High-income economies:GNI per capita of USD 12,536 or more

Jul 19, 2020

Political Options Run Out for PM Oli in Nepal

Options seem to be running out for Nepal Prime minister K. P. Sharma Oli with the high powered nine-member secretariat of the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) scheduled to meet in Kathmandu to decide the political future of the country.
According to political sources based in Nepal, Oli appeared to have softened his past hard stance in his meeting with NCP co-chair P. K. Dahal but that could be part of the political tactics to buy time for himself to remain both the head of government as well as the party.
In case the secretariat is not deferred on Saturday on grounds of Oli's indisposition, the apex body may decide to hold the standing committee meeting on Sunday to take a decision on whether he remains either the prime minister or NCP co-chair or even lose both the posts for single-handedly playing into the hands of China and destroying bilateral relations with India.
Apart from laying territorial claims on India-Nepal border, Oli used all tactics to paint anyone opposed to him politically as an agent of India.

Third Meeting of G20 Finance Ministers, Discusses Global Economic Outlook Amid COVID-19 Crisis

Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman participated in the 3rd G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (FMCBG) meeting under the Saudi Arabian Presidency through video conferencing to discuss the global economic outlook amid evolving COVID-19 pandemic crisis along with other G20 Finance Track priorities for the year 2020.
This G20 Action Plan lays out a list of collective commitments under the pillars of Health Response, Economic Response, Strong and Sustainable Recovery and International Financial Coordination, aimed at co-ordinating G20 efforts to fight the pandemic.
Nirmala Sitharaman also shared her perspective on the way forward on the action plan and highlighted the need for international coordination required in addressing the spill-over effects of exit strategies. Emphasising that the Action Plan needs to reflect how the economies are balancing their supply side and demand side measures in response to COVID-19, Sitharaman shared with her counterparts how India is working on ensuring this balance through credit schemes for greater liquidity, direct benefit transfers, and employment guarantee schemes.
She specifically referred to India's comprehensive economic package to address recovery and growth amounting to over $295 Billion, about 10 per cent of India's GDP. Adding to this, Sitharaman also spoke about the procyclicality of credit rating downgrades by the rating agencies and its deterrent impact on policy options, particularly for EMEs.

Australia PM Morrison Delays Parliament as Coronavirus Spreads

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison delayed the opening of parliament for several weeks as the new coronavirus continued spreading through the country's two most populous states.
Morrison asked the Speaker of Parliament to cancel a two-week session due to start on August 4, out of concern about the COVID-19 pandemic. The request was seen as a formality as the speaker is a member of Morrison's Liberal Party and the opposition Labor Party accepted the call.
Lawmakers are to meet at the next planned session on August 24.

Joe Biden Warns of Russia Meddling in November's US Presidential Election

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden got intelligence briefings, and has been told Russia continues to try to meddle in November`s US election.
As per Biden, China also was conducting activities designed for us to lose confidence in the outcome of the 2020 election.
Bidedn now knows that the Russians are still engaged in trying to delegitimize our electoral process.
He warned that if Russia continued to interfere there would be "a real price to pay" if he wins the November election against Republican President Donald Trump.

UK Asks Japan for Huawei Alternatives in 5G Networks

The British government asked Japan to help build its 5G wireless networks without Huawei Technologies, a further step in a global technology and security war between the United States and China.
Britain named NEC Corp and Fujitsu Ltd as potential alternative suppliers to Huawei.
British officials met with their counterparts in Tokyo, two days after Britain ordered Huawei equipment purged from its 5G networks by the end of 2027.
As Britain prepares to leave the European Union, fears over the security of Huawei have forced Prime Minister Johnson to choose between the United States and China, weighing a critical alliance against billions in investment.

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