General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - March 2016

Mar 2016

Jan 10, 2020

House Approves Measure to restrain Trump's Actions on Iran

Reigniting a debate over who has the power to declare war, the Democratic-controlled House approved a resolution asserting that President Donald Trump must seek approval from Congress before engaging in further military action against Iran.
The war powers resolution is not binding on the President and would not require his signature. But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi nonetheless insisted it "has real teeth" because "it is a statement of the Congress of the United States."
The measure will "protect American lives and values" by limiting Trump's military actions, Pelosi said. "The administration must de-escalate and must prevent further violence.?
The White House called the resolution "ridiculous" and "completely misguided."

British Lawmakers Approve Brexit Deal

Britain's parliament finally approved Brexit, allowing it to become the first country to leave the European Union by the end of this month, ending years of arguments that toppled two governments and divided a nation.
The House of Commons erupted in cheers after MPs ratified Prime Minister Boris Johnson's divorce deal with Brussels 330 votes to 231, drawing a line under an extraordinary era of political drama and chaos.
For much of the time since the 2016 Brexit referendum, lawmakers have been at each others' throats over how, when or even if Britain should leave its closest trading partners after nearly 50 years. Some viewed Brexit with horror, fearing that it stripped them of their European identities and turned Britain into an insular, less important nation.
Others embraced it with fervour, viewing it as a chance to "take back control" from officials in Brussels and see Britain regain some of its past might.
Businesses and governments in Europe, puzzled by Britain's struggles, hoped that Brexit could still somehow be undone.

European Council Chief Defends Iran Nuclear Deal After

EU chief Charles Michel defended the crumbling Iran nuclear deal after US President Donald Trump urged Europe to quit it, but warned Tehran against "irreversible acts" that would sink the accord.
The president of the European Council used a call with Iran's President Hassan Rouhani to urge for a de-escalation of tensions after Tehran carried out missile strikes on US military bases in Iraq in retaliation for the assassination of one of its top generals.
A White House statement from Trump calmed fears of all-out war erupting, but the US leader demanded that the other parties to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal follow his lead and withdraw from the pact.
The European parties -- Britain, France and Germany -- have led efforts to save the deal, which has been crumbling since Trump pulled out in 2018 and reimposed sanctions, and Michel insisted it remained vital.

Meghan and Harry Give Up on Royal Life

Prince Harry and his wife Meghan stunned the British monarchy by quitting as front-line members — reportedly without first consulting Queen Elizabeth II.
In a shock announcement, the couple said that they would spend time in North America and rip up long-established relations with the press.
The surprise news follows a turbulent year for the couple, who have openly said they have struggled in the spotlight and grown apart from Harry's brother Prince William. They have also reacted badly to negative news coverage.

Spain Government to Have 5 Members from Anti-austerity Party

Spain's new coalition government will include five members from the left-wing, anti-austerity United We Can party and that three of its four deputy prime ministers will be women.
The Socialist Party of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has partnered with United We Can to give Spain its first coalition government since the restoration of democracy in 1978.
United We Can leader Pablo Iglesias will be the deputy prime minister in charge of social rights and sustainable development. His fellow party heavyweight, and wife, Irene Montero will be the minister of equality. Also from United We Can, Yolanda Díaz will be minister of labor; Alberto Garzón, minister of consumption; and Manuel Castells, minister of universities.
The other three deputy prime ministers will be women from Sánchez's Socialist Party.

Jan 09, 2020

China Opens Oil And Gas Exploration To Foreign Firms

China will allow foreign companies to take part in oil and gas exploration and production in the country, as a "major reform" opening up the industry.
The Ministry of Natural Resources said foreign firms registered in China with net assets of not less than 300 million yuan ($43 million) will be eligible to obtain oil and gas mining rights.
The move comes as China looks to open to private firms more sectors of the economy that have been dominated by state-owned companies.
The country's oil and gas market has been dominated by state players such as the China National Petroleum Company and China Petrochemical Corp (Sinopec).

World's Most Powerful Passports In 2020

Indian passport, ranked 84th in the world's most powerful passport index 2020, can get you visa-free entry to 58 destinations worldwide.
Based on data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Henley & Partners has come out with a passport index where countries are ranked according to the number of destinations their passport holder can access without a prior visa.
While Japan continues to top the list of the world's most powerful passport as it fetches visa-free access to 191 countries, India's rank has dropped from 82nd spot in 2019 to 84th in 2020.
World's top 10 most powerful passports:

1) Japan: Visa-free entry to 191 countries
2) Singapore: 190 countries
3) Germany, South Korea: 189

Turkey, Russia Launch Turkstream Pipeline Carrying Gas To Europe

The presidents of Turkey and Russia formally launched the TurkStream pipeline which will carry Russian natural gas to southern Europe through Turkey, part of Moscow's efforts to reduce shipments via Ukraine.
The pipeline project, stretching 930 km (580 miles) across the Black Sea, reinforces strong energy ties between Moscow and Ankara, which have also increased defense cooperation after Turkey bought advanced Russian missile defenses last year.
The pipeline was a sign of interaction and cooperation for the benefit of our people and the people of all Europe, the whole world.

Ukrainian Boeing Plane Crashes In Iran

Kiev-bound Ukraine International Airlines Boeing 737 plane crashed after takeoff from Tehran, killing all 176 people on board.
Victims from seven countries: The victims include 82 Iranians, 63 Canadians, 11 Ukrainians, 10 Swedes, four Afghans, three Germans and three British nationals, according to Ukraine's Foreign Minister.
Minutes after takeoff: The airline also confirmed that the plane disappeared from radars a few minutes after its departure from the Iranian capital.

Jan 08, 2020

Pakistan's National Assembly Passes Bills To Extend General Qamar Javed Bajwa's Tenure

Pakistan's National Assembly, the lower house of Parliament, passed three crucial bills to give extension to Army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa for another three years.
Bajwa, a close confidant of Khan, was to retire on November 29 last year (2019) at the end of his three-year original term but Prime Minister Imran Khan gave the 59-year-old Army chief another extension of same length citing regional security situation through a notification on August 19.
The bills were approved by the Standing Committee on Defence, paving the way for approval by the Assembly.

Sanchez Wins Parliament Vote To Remain Spain PM

Spain's Parliament confirmed Socialist leader Pedro Sanchez by a razor-thin margin as Prime Minister for another term at the helm of the country's first-ever coalition government since its return to democracy in the 1970s.
Mr. Sanchez, who has stayed on as a caretaker premier, won 167 votes in the 350-seat Assembly compared to 165 against, with a decisive 18 abstentions by Catalan and Basque separatist MPs.
He plans to form a minority coalition government with hard-left party Podemos this time around, in what would be the first coalition government in Spain since the country returned to democracy following the death of longtime dictator Francisco Franco in 1975.

Jan 07, 2020

Manav Thakkar becomes world No.1 in U-21 category

Young Indian paddler Manav Thakkar has jumped nine places to become the world no.1 in the Under-21 men's singles category in the latest International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) rankings.Thakkar is the first Indian to be ranked No.1 in the world in the U-21 category. He had reached the No.1 rank in the U-18 category two years ago, then becoming the first Indian to be ranked No.1 in the world in any age group in table tennis.
19-year-old Thakkar won the U-21 men's singles title at the ITTF Challenge Plus Benemax-Virgo North American Open in Markham, Canada in December last year. He beat Argentina's Martin Bentancor 11-3 11-5 11-6 to win the crown.
Thakkar is the fourth Indian to win a U-21 title of such stature after Harmeet Desai, G Sathiyan and Soumyajit Ghosh.

India extended USD 75 mn line of credit for solar parks in Cuba

India extended a line of credit of USD 75 million (over Rs 500 crore) to Cuba for financing solar parks.An agreement was signed between Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank) and Banco Exterior De Cuba in July last year came into effect from December 12.
Banco Exterior De Cuba is a nominated agency of the Government of Cuba.Under the LoC, the terminal utilisation period is 60 months after the scheduled completion date of the project.
As per the agreement, financing of export of eligible goods and services from India would be allowed subject to their being eligible for export under the Foreign Trade Policy.

Jan 06, 2020

Iran will no longer abide by uranium enrichment limits under 2015 nuclear deal

• Less than a week after Iran's top military commander was killed by U.S. drone strike, the regime would further scale back compliance with an international nuclear pact.
• Iran will not respect any limits established in the 2015 nuclear deal on the number of uranium enrichment centrifuges, according to a state-run television broadcast.
• While the other signatories of the nuclear deal ⁠— France, Germany, the U.K., Russia and China ⁠— have tried to keep the agreement alive.

LS Speaker to lead Indian delegation to attend Commonwealth conference in Canada

An Indian Parliamentary delegation led by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will be attending the 25th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (CSPOC) scheduled to be held from January 5 to 11 in Canada's Ottawa.
The delegation also comprises Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha Harivansh and Secretary-General of Lok Sabha Snehlata Shrivastava, according to a press release.
Four workshop sessions and a special plenary will be held during the conference.
The theme of the first workshop is -- 'Parliamentary Engagement: Openness, Transparency and Accountability, while the second workshop is based on 'Challenges and Opportunities Arising from the Displacement of a Parliamentary Assembly'.
The theme of the third and fourth workshops are -- 'Parliamentarians as Effective Legislators and Constituency Representatives: Evolving Support Required' and 'Security of Individuals in the Parliamentary Context and Beyond', respectively.
The Lok Sabha Speaker will be the workshop presenter in the fourth workshop and will also attend the meeting of CSPOC standing committee to be held on January 6.

CIC website inaccessible again outside India

While the website of the Central Information Commission (CIC) has been inaccessible in many countries since the beginning of the year, Chief Information Commissioner Sudhir Bhargava says there has been no policy decision to block the website outside India.
The CIC is the highest appeal body under the Right To Information (RTI) Act. Its website, cic.gov.in, offers facilities to file appeals online, as well as a database of all appeals and decisions. The RTI Act specifies that "all citizens shall have the right to information", which would include non-resident citizens.

Pelosi says House will introduce 'War Power Resolution' aimed to limit Trump's Iran military action

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi sent a letter to Democratic members of Congress announcing the House will introduce and vote on a "War Powers Resolution to limit the President's military actions regarding Iran" amid rising tension.
The resolution, Pelosi writes, "reasserts Congress's long-established oversight responsibilities by mandating that if no further Congressional action is taken, the Administration's military hostilities with regard to Iran cease within 30 days."
The letter comes as the US is deploying thousands of additional troops to the Middle East following the airstrike that killed Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani. President Donald Trump reiterated his threat to target Iranian cultural sites.
"Last week, the Trump Administration conducted a provocative and disproportionate military airstrike targeting high-level Iranian military officials. This action endangered our servicemembers, diplomats and others by risking a serious escalation of tensions with Iran," Pelosi writes.
The resolution would be led by Rep. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, who previously worked for the CIA and was an analyst for the Defense Department specializing in Shia militias.

Bangladesh orders arrest of 'fugitive' ex-chief justice

An arrest warrant was issued against Bangladesh's first Hindu chief justice Surendra Kumar Sinha on charges of embezzling 40 million taka.
Sinha, 68, who lives in the U.S., has been described as a "fugitive" by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) in its charge-sheet. Judge K.M. Emrul Kayesh of Dhaka's Senior Special Judges' Court took cognizance of the graft charges brought against Sinha and 10 others by the ACC.

Share on

TCY Analytics (View Subscription Plans)

Subscribe to GK Updates

I want to receive

GK Tags

September GK, August GK, July GK, INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS, ENVIRONMENT, BUSINESS AND ECONOMY, SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY, SPORTS, NATIONAL AFFAIRS, DEFENCE, PERSONS IN NEWS, DAYS AND EVENTS, AWARDS AND HONOURS, GOVERNMENT POLICIES AND SCHEMES, GENDER/ HEALTH/ EDUCATION, ART AND CULTURE, BOOKS AND AUTHORS, TOURISM AND HOTEL INDUSTRY AWARENESS, ART AND CULTURE, LAW AND CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Start Discussion

On any topic

Take Tests

Compiled from GK updates

Login

Sign Up

Forgot Password

Download TCY App

Unlock All Services And Enjoy The Premium Benefits

US$ 10

US$ 13

US$ 15

US$ 17

US$ 19

US$ 20

US$ 21

US$ 22

US$ 23

US$ 24

US$ 25

US$ 26