General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - March 2016

Mar 2016

Dec 03, 2019

RCEP Cannot Achieve Its Full Potential Without India: Japan

As per the Japanese foreign minister, Japan believes the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) trade pact can achieve its full potential only with the participation of India in view of its status as a major power in the Indo-Pacific.
India opted out of RCEP, whose other participants are the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the grouping's FTA partners, Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea, last month, saying the agreement doesn't satisfactorily address New Delhi's concerns.

Gotabaya Seeks Pakistan Help

Sri Lanka's President Gotabaya Rajapaksa sought Pakistan's help in tackling drug trafficking and Islamist extremism.
The Pakistan Foreign Minister also met Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa to convey a special message from his Prime Minister Imran Khan.
The discussion focussed on topics including trade, fighting terrorism, youth affairs, unemployment, agriculture and cricket.

Trump to Restore Tariffs on Steel from Brazil and Argentina

US President Donald Trump said that he will place tariffs on steel and aluminium imports from Brazil and Argentina.
He justified the move saying that those countries' weak currencies had made it harder for US food exports to compete.
Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro said he would seek talks with Mr Trump.
Argentine production minister Dante Sica would also request a conversation with his US counterparts.
Despite Mr Trump's claims, both countries have taken steps over the past two years to try to bolster their currencies, which have dropped sharply amid domestic political turmoil and economic woes.

Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat To Resign

Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat will resign amid growing calls for his departure over the scandal surrounding the murder of prominent anti-corruption journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.
The Labour Party, which had been expected to hold a leadership election in January, has a comfortable majority in Parliament, which suggests a new leader could become Prime Minister without the need for a national election.

China Hits Back at U.S. Over Hong Kong Bill

China said that it would suspend visits to Hong Kong by American warships and impose sanctions on several United States-based nongovernmental groups, in a mostly symbolic retaliation for tough human rights legislation President Trump signed.
As per Hua Chunying, a spokeswoman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, the measures were a response to the "unreasonable behavior" on the part of the United States. She denounced the new human rights legislation as illegal interference into its domestic affairs.

Siberia Pipeline Cements China-Russia Bond

Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putiny remotely inaugurated the "Power of Siberia" gas pipeline — a massive cross-border undertaking not only central to China's energy security but also for bolstering special ties between Beijing and Moscow. The 30-year project is anchored by a $400 billion gas deal.
Russia has been a primary gas supplier to Europe, but the Power of Siberia is the first cross-border gas pipeline between Russia and China, adding a prominent eastern dimension to Moscow's energy blueprint.
Under the contract, Russia will deliver 1 trillion cubic meters of natural gas to China over the next 30 years.
Gas is being sourced from Chayandinskoye and Kovytka fields in eastern Siberia, and is then piped to Blagoveshchensk — the last town on the Russian side of the border. From there, it is tunneled under the Amur River, before entering Heihe on the Chinese side.

Dec 02, 2019

Iraq Parliament Approves PM's Resignation

Iraq's Parliament approved the resignation of the embattled Cabinet, after two months of violent unrest that have left more than 420 people dead and thousands mourning them in nationwide marches.
Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi said that he would submit his resignation to Parliament following a spike in the death toll among protesters who accuse the entire ruling elite of being inept, corrupt and beholden to foreign powers.
The protest movement is Iraq's biggest since the US-led invasion of 2003 toppled Saddam Hussein and installed a democratic system in the oil-rich but poverty-plagued nation.

Israel Plans New Jewish Settlement

Israel's new hard-right Defence Minister ordered officials to start planning a new Jewish settlement in the heart of the divided West Bank city of Hebron.
The announcement came as the prospects of a third snap election since May loomed larger, with Defence Minister Naftali Bennett's New Right party leaning heavily on settlers for support at the polls.
The Defence Ministry said that Bennett had instructed ministry departments responsible for the Israeli occupied West Bank "to notify the Hebron municipality of planning a new Jewish neighbourhood in the wholesale market complex".
The city is holy to both Muslims and Jews and is a flashpoint for clashes between the two sides.

China Introduces Mandatory Face Scans for Phone Users

China will require telecom operators to collect face scans when registering new phone users at offline outlets.
In September, China's industry and information technology ministry issued a notice on safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of citizens online, which laid out rules for enforcing real-name registration.

Iran: May Reconsider Atomic Watchdog Commitments

Iran said that it may seriously reconsider its commitments to the UN atomic watchdog if European parties to a nuclear deal trigger a dispute mechanism that could lead to sanctions.
The 2015 nuclear accord has been unravelling since last year when the United States unilaterally withdrew from it and began reimposing sanctions on Iran. The three European countries still party to the deal — Britain, France and Germany — have been trying to salvage it but their efforts have so far borne little fruit.

Six European Nations Join Iran Barter System

Paris, London and Berlin welcomed six new European countries to the INSTEX barter mechanism, which is designed to circumvent U.S. sanctions against trade with Iran by avoiding use of the dollar.
As founding shareholders of the Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges (INSTEX), France, Germany and the U.K. warmly welcome the decision taken by the governments of Belgium, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden, to join INSTEX as shareholders.
The Paris-based INSTEX functions as a clearing house allowing Iran to continue to sell oil and import other products or services in exchange.

Dec 01, 2019

Climate Protesters Storm German Coal Mines

Several major coal mines in eastern Germany were hit by protests as activists criticized the German government's climate change plans and urged an immediate coal phase-out.
As per reports, more than 1,000 people took part in the protests, which targeted the Jänschwalde and Welzow-Süd mines in the state of Brandenburg, as well as the United Schleenhain mine in the state of Saxony.
Activists blocked train tracks at some sites, seeking to disrupt the flow of coal to power plants.
The energy plant at the Jänschwalde mine is considered one of the most climate-polluting in Europe — and was recently ordered by a court to scale back most operations due to a lack of environmental impact assessments.

Hong Kong Elders Join Youths, Vow to Continue Pro-democracy Protests

Hundreds of activists joined young Hong Kong protesters for a unity rally, vowing that their months' long movement will not fade away until there is greater democracy in the Chinese territory.
The rally at a park downtown was among several peaceful gatherings by protesters this week to keep up pressure on the government amid a lull in violence following a local election victory by the pro-democracy bloc and the gaining of U.S. support for their cause.
The protesters are angry over creeping Chinese interference in Hong Kong that they say is eroding their rights promised when the former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997.

Iraqis Keep up Protests Despite PM's Vow to Quit

Iraqis kept up anti-government protests, unsatisfied with the Prime Minister's vow to resign and insisting on the overhaul of a system that they say is corrupt and beholden to foreign powers.
Protesters have hit the streets since early October in the largest grassroots movement Iraq has seen in decades, sparked by fury at poor public services, lack of jobs and endemic government graft.
The decentralised protests were met with violence from security forces and armed groups, leaving more than 420 people dead and 15,000 wounded, according to a tally compiled from medics and an Iraqi rights commission.

China Brings in Strict Rules to End Fake News

Chinese regulators have announced new rules governing video and audio content online, including a ban on the publishing and distribution of fake news created with technologies such as artificial intelligence and virtual reality.
Any use of AI or virtual reality also needs to be clearly marked in a prominent manner and failure to follow the rules could be considered a criminal offence, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) said on its website.
The rules, effective from January 1, 2020, were published publicly on its website on Friday after being issued to online video and audio service providers.

Nov 30, 2019

India To Set Up 12 Hi-Tech Parks In Bangladesh

India will set up 12 hi-tech parks in Bangladesh at a cost of $193 million.
Speaking at a business meeting in Rangpur organised by the local Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Thursday, High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh Riva Ganguly Das said that these hi-tech parks will provide training to 30,000 youth of Bangladesh as skilled IT professionals.
Responding to the issue of the trade imbalance between the two countries, Riva Ganguly Das said that diversification of the product basket of Bangladesh will help reduce the gap by increasing exports to India.
She also inaugurated Swami Vivekananda Bhawan at Rangpur which houses a Computer Center, Charitable Medical Centre, Coaching centre and student's home.

Swiss Firm Zurich Airport Wins Bid To Develop Jewar Airport

Zurich Airport International AG will develop the Jewar Airport on the outskirts of Delhi, officials said after the Swiss company outbid competitors like Adani and DIAL for what is billed to be the biggest airport in the country.
The Switzerland-headquartered company, which runs the Zurich Airport, made the highest per passenger bid, beating Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), Adani Enterprises and Anchorage Infrastructure Investments Holdings Limited.

Modi Announces Over Rs 3,200 Crore Line Of Credit To Lanka

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a financial assistance of Rs 3,230 crore (approx) to Sri Lanka, including USD 50 million, to fight terrorism after he held "fruitful" talks with the island nation's newly elected President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
The talks focused on issues like fulfilling aspirations of the Tamil community in Sri Lanka, ways to boost security and trade ties and address concerns of the fishermen.
Modi said he assured Rajapaksa of India's full assistance in taking his country in the path of rapid development.
The prime minister announced a line of credit of USD 400 million for development projects in Sri Lanka besides granting a separate fund of USD 50 million to help the country deal with challenges of terrorism.
Sri Lankan capital Colombo was hit by a series of bombings in April in which over 250 people were killed.

Def Min Rajnath Singh Meets Mozambique Counterpart

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held talks to enhance security cooperation with his Mozambique counterpart Atanasio Salvador M'Tumukeis, who is on an official visit to India.
M'Tumukeis' visit to India comes months after Singh's trip to the African nation in July, 2019.
The Mozambican Minister met with Raksha Mantri in South Block today. During today's meeting, both Ministers reiterated their commitment to strengthen the bilateral defence relationship between the two countries. M'Tumukeis also met Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar.

Nov 29, 2019

Army Chief Bajwa's 3-year Extension Cut to 6 Months

In a partial relief to Prime Minister Imran Khan's government, the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) extended Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa's tenure till May 2020. While a relief, the Supreme Court's decision cuts the original three-year extension down to six months.
The court announced the verdict stating that the Pakistan government gave assurance of making required amendments in the Constitution Article 243 within six months and specify the appointment, extension and tenure of the Army Chief.
The Pakistan government has submitted an undertaking to the Supreme Court, assuring it of bringing a legislative amendment through the parliament within six months.

U.S. to Cut Spending on NATO Budget, Germany to Pay More

The U.S. is to cut its contribution to NATO's operating budget, with Germany increasing payments as the alliance tries to appease President Donald Trump ahead of a summit next week.
Mr. Trump has repeatedly criticised European members for freeloading on the U.S., singling out Germany — the continent's economic powerhouse — for lagging behind on an alliance commitment to spend at least 2% of GDP on defence.
Washington currently pays 22.1% of the NATO budget — which totalled $2.5 billion (2.37 billion euros) in 2019 — and Germany 14.8%, under a formula based on each country's gross national income.
Under the new agreement, the U.S. will cut its contribution to 16.35% of the total, Germany's will rise to the same level and other allies will pay more.

Maldives Ex-president Gets 5 Years Jail

Former Maldives President Abdulla Yameen was sentenced to five years of imprisonment in a money laundering case.
A five bench panel of a court in Maldives also odered Yameen to pay a USD 5 million fine in the case.
The court ruling found the 60-year old guilty of laundering over USD 1 million of state money for personal gain.
Abdulla Yameen, who ran the Maldives with an iron hand for five years, has since faced investigations over a number of deals sealed during his tenure.

Sweden Expresses Concern about Kashmir Lockdown

Sweden has joined the list of European countries that have expressed concern about the security lockdown and communications blackout in Kashmir, with Foreign Minister Ann Linde saying India should lift the remaining curbs in the region.
Linde said t the Swedish Parliament that the country doesn't want any escalation of the situation in Kashmir, and that any long-term political solution "must involve Kashmiri inhabitants". Linde will be part of the delegation accompanying King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden on a state visit to India during December 1-6, 2019.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Finland Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto said that the situation in Kashmir is "not sustainable". They too called for lifting of restrictions imposed after the Indian government revoked Jammu and Kashmir's special status.

Muttiah Muralitharan to be Governor of Sri Lanka's Northern Province

Sri Lankan cricket legend Muttiah Muralitharan is tipped to be appointed as Governor of Sri Lanka's Northern Province by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
He is among three new Governors set to be appointed by the new government of Lankan President.
President Rajapaksa had personally invited Muralitharan to accept the post of the Governor of the Northern Province.
The former ace spinner would be appointed the Governor of the Northern Province, while Anuradha Yahampath would be appointed the Governor of the Eastern Province and Tissa Vitharana would take charge as Governor of the North Central Province.

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