General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - March 2016

Mar 2016

Jun 10, 2020

Burundi President Pierre Nkurunziza Dies

Burundi's President Pierre Nkurunziza, aged 55, died after suffering a cardiac arrest.
After 15 years in power, Mr. Nkurunziza was due to step down in August.
A former rebel leader, Mr. Nkurunziza ruled the country with impunity for years, arresting opponents, stifling media outlets and cracking down on dissent.
His reign drew international condemnation and sparked widespread protests in the tiny country, one of the world's poorest. The International Criminal Court opened an investigation into whether his government committed crimes against humanity, including murder, torture, rape and disappearances. In 2017, Mr. Nkurunziza withdrew Burundi's membership in the court.

UK to Start Post-Brexit Trade Talks with Japan

The UK and Japan are set to begin talks aimed at reaching agreement on a post-Brexit trade deal.
The negotiations come as London and Tokyo work towards replacing the agreement Britain currently has with Japan through the European Union.
Without a new deal by 1 January 2021 the two countries will default to World Trade Organization trading terms.
That would mean tariffs and obstacles to commerce between the UK and its fourth-largest non-EU trading partner.
After decades of sharing its trade policy with the European Union, Britain is now embarking on free trade negotiations with countries around the world.
The UK hopes that a free trade agreement with Japan will help it to eventually join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
Membership of the 11-member CPTPP, a trade agreement that stretches from Australia to Chile, would significantly improve access for UK businesses to markets across the Asia-Pacific region.

EU Rejects any US Attempt to Invoke Iran Nuclear Deal

The European Union's top diplomat said that since the United States has already withdrawn from an international agreement curbing Iran's nuclear ambitions, now it cannot use its former membership of the pact to try to impose a permanent arms embargo on the Islamic Republic.
The accord, which Iran signed with the US, Britain, Germany, France, China and Russia in 2015, has been unravelling since President Donald Trump pulled Washington out in 2018 and reinstated sanctions designed to cripple Tehran under what the US called a "maximum pressure" campaign.
The EU sees the nuclear deal as a key pillar of regional and world security and has struggled to keep the pact alive despite US pressure.

Nepal House Approves New Map

Nepal`s House of Representatives unanimously endorsed a proposal to consider the Constitution amendment bill to replace the country's new political and administrative map which includes Kalapani, Lipu Lekh, and Limpiyadhura.
The ruling Nepal Communist Party, the main opposition party Nepali Congress and Madhes-based parties reportedly backed the proposal to consider the constitution amendment bill in the House of Representatives.
In May 2020, Nepal's Parliamentary Affairs Minister Shivamaya Tumbahangphe had tabled the bill for discussions at Parliament to amend the constitution to update the country's map.
The Amendment proposal seeks to incorporate updated political map in the Constitution of Nepal- 2072, depicting areas of Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura within its own borders.

Jun 09, 2020

US Releases Iranian Doctor in Prisoner Swap

An Iranian-American doctor released from a US jail as part of a prisoner swap has flown back to Tehran.
Majid Taheri, was accused of violating US sanctions and financial reporting requirements.
Dr. Taheri's return came just days after Iran freed US Navy veteran Michael White, and the US deported Iranian scientist Sirous Asgari.
The exchange represents a slight thaw in relations between the two foes.
US-Iran relations have become increasingly hostile since 2018, when President Donald Trump abandoned Iran's nuclear deal with world powers and reinstated crippling economic sanctions.
Earlier this year, the US assassinated top Iranian commander Gen Qasem Soleimani in a drone strike in Iraq. Iran retaliated by launching ballistic missiles at Iraqi military bases hosting US forces.

North Korea Halts all Communications with South

The North said that this was the first in a series of actions, describing South Korea as "the enemy".
Daily calls, which have been made to a liaison office located in the North Korean border city of Kaesong, will cease immediately.
The two states had set up the office to reduce tensions after talks in 2018.
North and South Korea are technically still at war because no peace agreement was reached when the Korean War ended in 1953.
North Korea "will completely cut off and shut down the liaison line between the authorities of the North and the South, which has been maintained through the North-South joint liaison office from 9th June 2020.
Military communication channels will also be cut.

Environment Performance Index 2020

According to the biennial Environment Performance Index (EPI ) 2020 released jointly by Yale University and Columbia University, India has ranked 168 out of 180 countries with a score of 27.6 out of 100.While the Denmark has topped the list with a score of 82.5.
Among the South Asian countries, Bhutan topped in the list and Afghanistan was at the bottom.
The EPI provides a quantitative basis for comparing, analysing, and understanding environmental performance of the countries based on 32 key sustainability indicators across 11 categories and also gives a snapshot of the 10-year trends in environmental performance at the national and global levels.

Vietnam Ratifies Free Trade Agreement with EU

The National Assembly of Vietnam ratified a free trade agreement with the European Union (EU), which over the next 10 years will cut or eliminate 99 per cent of tariffs on trade between the two sides.
The Europe-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) will come into effect in July.
When it comes into effect, 71 per cent of Vietnamese exports to the EU will be exempt of tariffs while taxes on the remaining goods will be lifted in the next seven years.
In return, Vietnam will lift 65 per cent of the tariffs on products from EU member countries, while taxes on the remaining goods will be reduced over the next 10 years until 99 per cent of them are eliminated.
The EU is Vietnam's second largest export destination behind the US, and is also the second largest exporter of goods to the Southeast Asian country, also behind the US.

Jun 08, 2020

Biden Will Take on Trump in November Election

Former US vice-president Joe Biden has secured enough delegates to clinch the Democratic presidential nomination at the party convention in Milwaukee in August.
Late results from the June primaries took Biden to 1,995 delegates, past the threshold of 1,991 needed to clinch the nomination, clearing the path for his race against President Donald Trump in November.

Malawi Leader Appoints New Electoral Chief Ahead of Rerun

Malawi's President Peter Mutharika has appointed a new electoral commission chairperson ahead of a presidential re-run.
The Constitutional Court had in February 2020 ordered a fresh presidential election be held within 150 days after annulling last year's re-election of President Mutharika - a ruling upheld by the Supreme Court.
The former commission chairperson Jane Ansah resigned amid criticism by the opposition on how she managed the disputed election.
President Mutharika appointed Justice Chifundo Kachale to head the commission.
He also appointed new commissioners, namely Arthur Nanthuru, Steve Duwa, Jean Mathanga, Linda Kunje, Anthony Mukumbwa and Olivia Liwewe.

Jun 07, 2020

Iran Blocking Sites Access, UN Nuclear Watchdog Says

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says that for more than four months Iran has been blocking inspections of two suspect locations.
It is believed the activity there took place long before Iran agreed to curb its nuclear ambitions in a 2015 deal.
The IAEA says Iran's enriched uranium stockpile now exceeds the agreed limit.
It comes amid rising tensions between Iran and the US, which pulled out of the 2015 international agreement.
Iran has always denied that it has ever sought to develop a nuclear weapon, insisting that its programmes have been peaceful.

Facebook Places State Media Labels on Russian, Chinese Outlets

Facebook Inc will start labelling Russian, Chinese and other state-controlled media organisations, and later this summer will block any ads from such outlets that target U.S. users.
The world's biggest social network will apply the label to Russia's Sputnik, Iran's Press TV and China's Xinhua News, according to a partial list Facebook provided. The company will apply the label to about 200 pages at the outset.
Facebook will not label any U.S.-based news organisations, as it determined that even U.S. government-run outlets have editorial independence.
Facebook, which has acknowledged its failure to stop Russian use of its platforms to interfere in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, has since stepped up its defences and imposed greater transparency requirements for pages and ads on its platforms.

US Approves over $340 Million Aid to Indian Firms

The US has approved loans and investments worth over $340 million for Indian firms and organisations as part of its efforts to uplift under-served communities around the world against the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Most of these loans were part of $1 billion in investments approved recently by the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC)'s board of directors to advance development in Africa, Latin America, the Indo-Pacific, and emerging markets.

Jun 06, 2020

IMF Asks Pakistan to Freeze Govt. Employees' Salaries

The IMF has asked cash-strapped Pakistan to freeze salaries of government employees and adhere to the fiscal consolidation path by showing a nominal primary deficit in the new budget due to the unsustainable public debt that is set to hit 90 per cent of the total value of the national economy.
Pakistan is finding it hard to concede to the two demands but the IMF is insisting that the country should continue to follow the fiscal consolidation path due to the high and unsustainable public debt.
However, the government is resisting the demand due to high inflation that has eroded people's real income.
Nonetheless, it is inclined to abolish over 67,000 posts that have remained vacant for over one year and is also ready to further squeeze current expenditures including a ban on purchase of vehicles.

Eight Countries form Alliance to Counter China

A group of senior lawmakers from eight democracies including the US have launched a new cross-parliamentary alliance to help counter what they say is the threat China's growing influence poses to global trade, security and human rights.
The list of participating nations includes the US, Germany, the UK, Japan, Australia, Canada, Sweden and Norway, as well as members of the European parliament.

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