General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - March 2016

Mar 2016

Dec 28, 2019

Saudi Planning OIC Meeting to Discuss J&K

Saudi Arabia is planning to convene a meeting of the foreign ministers of member states of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) for a discussion on the situation in Jammu and Kashmir. This was conveyed by the Saudi foreign minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud during a meeting with Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi in Islamabad.
Prince Faisal was on a day-long visit to Pakistan. Qureshi reportedly briefed Saud on the situation in Kashmir in the aftermath of India's August 5 move to nullify Article 370 that gave special status to J&K. He also reportedly spoke about the recently amended citizenship law and the National Register for Citizens in India.

Musharraf Files Plea against Sentencing

Pakistan's former President and army chief Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf filed a petition against the special court's verdict convicting him of high treason and sentencing him to death.
Last week, a court in Islamabad sentenced him to death in absentia for high treason following a six-year case.

Israel's Netanyahu Sweeps Party Poll

Benjamin Netanyahu won a landslide victory in a primary election for leadership of the ruling Likud party in Israel.
Official results announced early showed Netanyahu capturing 72% of the votes, compared with 28% for challenger Gideon Saar. Earlier, Netanyahu had declared a huge victory following an exit poll that put him on course for more than 70% of the vote.
The Prime Minister, head of Likud for the past 14 years, retained the famously loyal rightwing party's leadership in the internal ballot, despite battling three damning corruption indictments.

Indonesian Muslims Protest China's Treatment of Uighurs

More than a thousand Muslims marched to the heavily guarded Chinese Embassy in Indonesia's capital to protest China's treatment of its Uighur Muslims.
The protesters, many wearing blue headbands reading "Save Uighurs," chanted "Get out, China!" and unfurled Indonesian and Uighur flags as they marched to the embassy in downtown Jakarta.
In a speech, Yusuf Martak, a protest organizer, condemned the "oppression, torture and cruelty by the Chinese Communist government against brother Uighur Muslims."
Martak, a leader of a conservative Muslim alliance that held mass protests against Jakarta's ethnic Chinese governor, a minority Christian, in 2016, demanded an end to mass detentions of Uighur Muslims in China's Xinjiang region.
Slamet Maárif called on the Indonesian government to take action to help the Uighurs.

Dec 27, 2019

India Set To Cross 100gw Renewable Energy Capacity Mark In 2020

India is all set to cross the 100GW renewable energy capacity mark in 2020 and can make rapid strides towards the ambitious 175GW clean energy target by 2022 provided the government keeps a close eye on key issues and deals with those well in time.
The government however needs to promote storage to ensure 24X7 clean energy supply as coal fired thermal power still remains the base load in the country.

Turkey Top Court Rules Wikipedia Ban Breaches Free Speech

Turkey''s Constitutional Court ruled that the government''s ban on access to online encyclopedia Wikipedia violated freedom of expression, the official Anadolu news agency reported.
The ban imposed by Turkey''s Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK) has remained in place since April 2017.
At the time the measure was needed as Wikipedia had failed to remove content deemed false from its pages that linked Turkey with terror groups.
But the move caused an outcry among freedom of information activists who accuse Turkey of slapping bans on websites and social media with alarming regularity.

Dec 26, 2019

XUAR Muslims are Not the Target

China has appealed to Islamic countries not to believe in the fabricated western narrative of detention camps and religious repression in Xinjiang, saying the anti-terrorism policies in the troubled province do not target Muslims and their normal religious rights are fully protected.
Xu Guixiang, the deputy director of the publicity department of the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region was addressing a gathering of selected journalists from Islamic countries and India, which has the largest Muslim population outside Muslim-majority countries.
There are no detention centres or camps in the province but only vocational training institutes where locals are taught the "national language", law and livelihood skills, aimed at deradicalisation of citizens influenced by religious extremism.

Philippines Hit by Typhoon Phanfone

Typhoon Phanfone pummelled the central Philippines on Christmas Day, bringing a wet, miserable and terrifying holiday to millions in the mainly Catholic nation.
At the height of the festive season, tens of thousands were stranded at shuttered ports or evacuation centres, while the rest of the region's population cowered in rain-soaked homes.

Dec 25, 2019

Iran Has Started New Operations

Iran began new operations at a heavy water nuclear reactor. The move was seemingly designed to intensify pressure on Europe to find an effective way around US sanctions that block Tehran's oil sales abroad.
Starting up the Arak heavy water reactor's secondary circuit doesn't violate Iran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers. But it does inch Tehran's program closer toward weapons-grade levels.
Heavy water helps cool reactors, producing plutonium as a by-product that can potentially be used in nuclear weapons. Iran insists its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. UK is helping Iran redesign the Arak reactor to limit its plutonium production. Iran has slowly stepped up violations of the nuclear deal to pressure world powers to provide more incentives to make up for the US withdrawal from the deal and economic sanctions, which are having a crushing effect on Iran's economy.

New Construction Seen at Pyongyang Missile Site

A new satellite image of a factory where North Korea makes military equipment used to launch long-range missiles shows the construction of a new structure.
The release of several images from Planet Labs came amid concern that North Korea could launch a rocket or missile as it seeks concessions in stalled nuclear negotiations with the United States.
North Korea warned that what "Christmas gift" it gives the U.S. depends on what action Washington takes.
One of the new satellite images shows the March 16 Factory near Pyongyang, where North Korea manufactures trucks used as mobile launchers for its long-range missiles.
Jeffrey Lewis, director of the East Asia nonproliferation program at the Middlebury Institute, tweeted that the construction appeared to be an expansion of the factory.

Tayyip Erdogan Discusses Libya Ceasefire

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan paid a surprise visit to Tunisia to discuss cooperation for a possible ceasefire in neighbouring Libya, where Ankara supports the internationally recognised government. Erdogan, speaking at a joint news conference with Tunisia`s President Kais Saied, also reaffirmed Ankara`s willingness to send troops to Libya if it received such a request.
Erdogan`s visit to Tunis came a month after Turkey and Libya signed two separate accords, one on maritime boundaries in the eastern Mediterranean and another on security and military cooperation. Turkey backs Fayez al-Serraj`s Government of National Accord (GNA), which has been fending off a months-long offensive by Khalifa Haftar`s forces in eastern Libya.

Senate Leaders at an Impasse over Trump Impeachment Trial

The fate of a Senate impeachment trial for President Donald Trump is at an impasse as Republican and Democratic leaders remained at odds over what form it would take and what witnesses would be called.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said that he has not ruled out calling witnesses but also indicated that he was in no hurry to seek new testimony either. The Senate's top Democrat, Chuck Schumer of New York, responded that any trial without witnesses would be "Kafkaesque" and a "sham." He remained open to negotiating with Mr. McConnell, a Kentucky Republican.

South Korea, Japan, China Leaders to Promote North Korea-US Dialogue

Following a summit in China South Korean President Moon Jae-in said that the three countries China, Japan and South Korea agreed to work together to promote dialogue between the United States and North Korea.
North Korea has set a year-end deadline for the United States to change what it says is a policy of hostility amid a stalemate in efforts to make progress on their pledge to end the North`s nuclear programme and establish lasting peace.

Dec 24, 2019

Russia Hopeful of India's Free Trade Pact with EAEU

According to Nikolay Kudashev, Russia is looking forward to India concluding a new Free Trade Agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).
Kudashev said that both countries would move forward on military and technical cooperation based on commitments, with Russia seeking de-escalation of the domestic challenges that arose after the adoption of the new citizenship law in India. In 2020 Russia is hopeful of an early conclusion of the Free Trade Agreement between the EAEU and India and the next round of the Russian-Indian Strategic Economic Dialogue with the focus on transport, agriculture, small and medium enterprises.

Algeria Army Chief Dies

Algeria's powerful army Chief General Ahmed Gaid Salah died. Gaid Salah was seen as Algeria's de facto strongman following the April resignation of long-time President Abdelaziz Bouteflika in the face of massive protests. The army chief played a key role pushing through December 12 presidential elections in the face of stiff opposition from the street.

Boeing Fires CEO Muilenburg

Boeing Co has fired Chief Executive Dennis Muilenburg after repeatedly failing to contain the fallout from a pair of fatal crashes that halted output of its best-selling jetliner and tarnished its reputation with airlines and regulators.
Chairman David Calhoun, a former General Electric executive who has been on the Boeing board since 2009, will take over as CEO and president, effective from Jan. 13, Boeing said. Until then, Chief Financial Officer Greg Smith will run the world's largest planemaker.

UK Announces Plan to Fast-track Visas

The Boris Johnson government announced the expansion of the list of UK-based fellowships whose international holders such as scientists and experts will be extended by a fast-track visa process, so that they can begin work as soon as possible.
This is one of the measures the Johnson government is taking in the near year to attract professionals and experts needed in the country, as the UK prepares to leave the European Union on January 31.

Beijing Attacks Washington for Weaponisation of Outer Space

Beijing warned that the US was turning the cosmos into a battlefield, after Washington announced a new military arm called the Space Force.
Following concerns that China and Russia are challenging its position in space, U.S. President Donald Trump signed the 2020 National Defense Authorisation Act, which created a new branch of the U.S. military.
Beijing responded by accusing the US of pursuing the weaponisation of outer space.
Ass per foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang, these actions from the U.S. strongly violate the international consensus of the peaceful use of outer space... posing a direct threat to outer space, peace, and security.

France Carries Out First Drone Strike in Mali

France's defence ministry announced that it had carried out its first armed drone strike, killing seven Islamic extremists in central Mali over the weekend. France joins a tiny group of countries that use armed drones, including the US. The drone strike targeted jihadists in the Ouagadou forest, where the Macina Liberation Front group is active. French commandos were attacked by a group of terrorists who infiltrated on motorcycles.

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