General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - March 2016

Mar 2016

Feb 09, 2020

Mohammed Allawi Appointed the PM of Iraq

Former Communications Minister of Iraq, Mohammed Allawi was appointed the Prime Minister of the country by the President of Iraq, Barham Salih.
Allawi was appointed the Prime Minister of the Country amidst long protests that has so far killed 600 in the country.
The 2019 Iraqi protest has been named Tishreen Revolution or October Revolution or Iraqi Intifada. It was started in October 2019 in the social media by civil activists. The protest was against the 16 years of corruption in the country. It also aimed to stop the Iranian intervention in Iraq.

Nepal to Count LGBT Population in Census

Nepal's upcoming national census will for the first time count the LGBT population in the Himalayan nation in order to better allocate government jobs and education set aside for minority groups. The LGBT community in Nepal has long demanded that the census taken every 10 years include a count of sexual minorities. Nepal's laws prescribe special quotas for minorities in workplaces, schools and colleges, and access to discounted healthcare, but in the absence of census data, members of the LGBT community say they haven't been allocated these privileges.

Prince Charles Unveils Children's Protection Fund for India & Katy Perry as New Ambassador

Britain's Prince Charles unveiled a new Children's protection fund for India as part of British Asian Trust and announced Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson (Katy Perry), American singer as the new ambassador for the British Asian Trust Children's Protection Fund for India during a function at Banqueting House in London, England.
The British Asian Trust Children's Protection Fund will protect the child from child labour, child sexual abuse, anti-trafficking fund in South Asia.

Feb 08, 2020

Kosovo Gets New Prime Minister

Former rebel leader Albin Kurti was appointed as the new and 4th Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo by its parliament. Albin replaced Ramush Haradinaj as the PM, as Ramush resigned the post in July 2019 when he was summoned to be questioned at the war crimes court in The Hague, Netherlands.
Albin who is the leader of the political party Vetëvendosje (Self Determination), was famously known as Kosovo's Che Guevara (marxist leader) by reporters in the 1990s when he organised mass student protest against repression of Serbia.
He also served as the vice-president of the University of Prishtina Student Union in Kosovo, and a main organizer of non-violent demonstrations in 1997 and 1998.
The new govt under Albin has formed after lawmakers approved a coalition of his Vetevendosje party and the centre-right Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) party with 66 votes of support in the 120-member assembly.

Scottish Finance Chief Quits

Scotland's Finance Minister resigned after revelations he had reportedly sent hundreds of messages to a 16-year-old boy on social media.
As per Scottish Sun newspaper, Mackay sent the teen more than 270 messages on Facebook and Instagram, telling the boy he was "cute" and offering to take him to a rugby match and to dinner.
Mackay is not accused of breaking the law.
But Scottish Labour Party leader Richard Leonard said that his behavior had been "nothing short of predatory" and "an abuse of power." Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said Mackay had also been suspended from the governing Scottish National Party.

UK Court Okays Dawood Aide's Extradition to the US

The Westminster magistrates court cleared the extradition of Jabir Motiwala, a close aide of fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, to the United States, where he faces charges of money-laundering, extortion and drug trafficking.
Dawood Ibrahim is wanted in India for his alleged role in the 1993 Mumbai bombings which claimed lives of more than 200 people.
Motiwala is accused of laundering around US $1.4 million. The charges against him date back to 2011 and 2012 and could carry a sentence of around 25 years behind bars in the US.

Feb 07, 2020

Nigeria's New Visa Policy to Attract Foreign Talent

Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari unveiled a new visa policy which he says is intended to attract innovation, specialised skills and knowledge from abroad.
The President in 2019 in Egypt, announced the new visa policy which he described as a "strategic decision to bring down barriers that have hindered the free movement of our people within the continent".
The new policy sees the introduction of visas on arrival for short visits for holders of passports of African Union countries.
There are 79 new categories which the government says is to ensure that "visas are more efficiently matched to the purpose of travel, thus helping improve the efficiency of processing and response".
The government also announced a new biometric visa database which is able to conduct checks for those on Interpol watch lists.

Feb 06, 2020

Leader of All Religions in China

According to new regulations that came into effect in January (this month), all religions in China should now look up to the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) for leadership and promote its policies.
The rules, which have been by criticised by religious groups, lay down measures for supervision and administration of religions in the country by the National Religious Affairs Administration of China. The rules do away with all doubts, if any that the five religions legally practised in China - Islam, Buddhism, Taoism, Catholicism and Protestantism - are secondary to the CPC.
In December 2019, the National Religious Affairs Administration of China had released the set of regulations on the management of religious groups.
The regulations essentially say all religions and related organisations must support the CPC's leadership and support the "Sinicisation" of religions.

Senate Acquits Trump in Impeachment Trial

President Donald Trump was cleared in his impeachment trial, ending a congressional bid to oust him from office that bitterly divided the US.
The Senate, run by the President's fellow Republicans, voted to acquit him 52-48 on charges of abuse of power and 53-47 on obstruction of Congress.
Democrats charged Mr. Trump in December 2019 with pressuring Ukraine to smear a potential White House rival.
In November, Mr. Trump will be the first impeached President to go for election.
In its historic vote, the Senate decided not to remove America's 45th President from office on charges arising from his dealings with Ukraine.
If convicted on either charge, Mr. Trump would have had to turn over his office to Vice-President Mike Pence.

Feb 05, 2020

Macau Casinos, Bars, Cinemas to be Closed

Macau would temporarily close all casinos and many other entertainment venues as the gambling hub battles the deadly coronavirus, cutting off the lifeblood of the city's economy. The move came as the former Portuguese colony confirmed its 10th case of the virus.
Other countries are counting the economic cost of the outbreak. Delegates from the OPEC club of oil-producing countries - as well as their ally Russia - began a meeting at the organisation's headquarters in Vienna to discuss the impact of the outbreak on global demand. Crude prices have tumbled since the outbreak in China, which is a huge consumer of crude.

South African Court Issues Arrest Warrant for Ex-leader Zuma

A South African court issued an arrest warrant for former President Jacob Zuma, after he skipped court on grounds of needing medical treatment, but the judge stayed the warrant until his corruption trial resumes on May 6, 2020.
The former leader is on trial on 18 charges of fraud, racketeering and money laundering relating to a $2 billion arms deal with French defense firm Thales in 1999, when Zuma was Deputy President. He rejected the allegations as a politically motivated witch-hunt.
Zuma, President from 2009-2018, had previously applied for a permanent stay of prosecution but the court in Pietermaritzburg threw out his appeal in November 2019.

Pak. Parliament Passes Resolution on Kashmir

Pakistan's Parliament unanimously passed a resolution expressing unflinching and unwavering support to the Kashmiri people and demanding India to reverse its decision to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.
The National Assembly or lower house passed the resolution on the eve of what Pakistan observes as the Kashmir Solidarity Day on February 5 annually.
Tensions between India and Pakistan have spiked since India abrogated Article 370 of the Constitution to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir in August 2019.

Buttigieg Takes Lead in Iowa Caucuses

Democratic White House candidate Pete Buttigieg seized a lead in the chaotic Iowa caucuses, closely trailed by leftist senator Bernie Sanders.
Progressive standard-bearer Elizabeth Warren was in third place followed by Joe Biden, a disappointing showing for the former vice president who claimed he is best positioned to defeat Donald Trump in November 2020.

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