General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - September 2016

Sep 2016

May 04, 2021

WHO Chief Tedros Adhanom Plans to Seek Re-election

As per reports, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, plans to run for a second five-year term as the head of the agency.
Tedros, as he is widely kno¬wn, has been the public face of the WHO's efforts to grapple with the Covid-19 pandemic ever since the new SARS-CoV-2 virus emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019.
In 2017, Ethiopia's Tedros became the first African to head the Geneva-based UN agency and made universal health care coverage his priority.

Differences with China Hard to Reconcile: NZ

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern took a tougher stance on China's human rights record, and said that it was getting harder to reconcile differences as China's role in the world grew.
While her language remained moderate when compared with that of many other leaders, it still marked a significant shift for the country. Ardern in past speeches has often avoided direct criticism of China.
New Zealand has been trying to strike the right tone on China in recent weeks after finding itself on the defensive with its Five Eyes (New Zealand, the US, the UK, Australia and Canada) security allies by resisting speaking out in unison with them against China on certain human rights issues.

Bill and Melinda Gates End 27 Years of Marriage

Billionaire benefactors Bill and Melinda Gates, co-founders of one of the world's largest private charitable foundations, filed for divorce after 27 years of marriage but pledged to continue their philanthropic work together.
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has become one of the most powerful and influential forces in global public health, spending more than $50 billion over the past two decades to bring a business approach to combating poverty and disease.
The Gates have backed widely praised programs in malaria and polio eradication, child nutrition and vaccines. The foundation last year committed some $1.75 billion to COVID-19 relief.

May 03, 2021

US Denies Iran's Claims of Prisoner, Cash Swap

The United States denied a report by Iran's state-run television broadcaster that deals had been reached between the Islamic Republic, Washington and the United Kingdom that would see prisoners swapped and Tehran receive billions of dollars.
The announcement by state television, relying on an unnamed source, comes amid a wider power struggle between hard-liners and the relatively moderate government of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. That conflict only has grown sharper as Iran approaches its June 18 presidential election.

May 02, 2021

North Korea Accuses Joe Biden of Pursuing Hostile Policy over its Nuclear Programme

North Korea has hit out at the Biden administration as it prepares to unveil its strategy for dealing with Pyongyang and its nuclear programme.
The foreign ministry said that comments out of Washington showed President Joe Biden was intent on maintaining a "hostile policy".
Earlier this week, Mr. Biden called North Korea's nuclear programme a "serious threat" to global security.
The White House says he plans to take a "calibrated" approach to North Korea.
Spokeswoman Jen Psaki said on Friday that a review of US policy had been completed and suggested Mr Biden had learned from the experience of the previous four administrations who have tried, and failed, to get North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons programme.
"Our policy will not focus on achieving a grand bargain, nor will it rely on strategic patience," she said, saying that instead the US would pursue a "calibrated practical approach that is open to and will explore diplomacy" with North Korea while making "practical progress" on increasing security for the US and its allies.
The US is expected to host Japan and South Korea's national security advisers for a discussion about the review soon.

Pentagon to Cancel Trump's Mexico Wall Projects Using Military Funds

In the US, the Pentagon said that it was canceling the construction of parts of former US President Donald Trump's border wall with Mexico that were being built using military funds.
Pentagon spokesman Jamal Brown said that the Department of Defense is proceeding with canceling all border barrier construction projects paid for with funds originally intended for other military missions and functions such as schools for military children, overseas military construction projects in partner nations, and the National Guard and Reserve equipment account. He added that the returned funds would be used for deferred military construction projects.
Former US President Trump had declared a national emergency in 2019 in an effort to redirect funding to build a wall along the U.S. southern border. The diversion of funds from the Pentagon had been heavily criticized by US lawmakers, who said it put national security at risk and circumvented congress.
US President Joe Biden had issued a proclamation on January 20th, his first day in office, ordering a freeze on border wall projects and directing a review of the legality of its funding and contracting methods.

May 01, 2021

U.S. and European Countries Reject Syria Election Results in Advance

Western members of the UN Security Council, led by the United States, France and Britain, rejected the outcome of Syria's May 26 presidential election in advance, a position denounced by Russia as unacceptable.
The failure to enact a new constitution is proof positive that the so-called election on May 26 will be a sham," US ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said during a monthly session of the Security Council on Syria.
The regime of President Bashar al-Assad -- projected to win the vote under the current circumstances -- "must take steps to enable the participation of refugees, internally displaced persons, and the diaspora in any Syrian elections. Until then, we will not be fooled," she said.

World's Longest Pedestrian Suspension Bridge Open in Portugal

Nestling among the rocky mountains of Portugal's Arouca Geopark, a new bridge has become the world's longest pedestrian suspension bridge.
It's taken two years to build and cost 2.3 m euros ($2.8 million). It is due to open fully to visitors from 3 May, but some local residents have already had a chance to try it out.
The bridge hangs 175 meters above the fast-flowing River Paiva.

Apr 30, 2021

UK Allows Driverless Cars

The United Kingdom has become the first country to announce regulation for the use of self-driving vehicles at low speeds.
The UK wants to be at the forefront in rolling out autonomous driving technology. The Government of UK forecasts that around 40% of UK cars will have self-driving capabilities by 2035. This will create 38,000 jobs in the country.
The Government of UK has been working on the highway code for the use of self-driving vehicles. The Ministry of Transport is to begin with Automated Lane Keeping Systems (ALKS).
The speed limit of the ALKS is to be set at 37 miles per hour.
The ALKS shall drive itself in a single lane.

Palestinian Elections: Abbas Postpones Rare Polls

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas postponed rare parliamentary elections amid a dispute over voting rights.
He said that they could only happen if Israel allows Palestinians to vote in Israeli-occupied East Jerusalem.
Israel has not made clear whether it will allow this without restrictions.
Parliamentary and presidential elections - the first since 2006 - were scheduled to take place in May and July.
It was not immediately clear whether the presidential vote would go ahead.
It comes as Mr. Abbas is facing unprecedented challenges from political rivals which could weaken his party's chance of success.
If elections are shelved, it would deal a blow to Palestinians hoping for a show of national unity after years of deep splits.

Zulu Queen Mantfombi Dlamini Dies

The Zulu royal family in South Africa announced the death of its monarch Queen Shiyiwe Mantfombi Dlamini Zulu just a month after she became regent.
Queen Mantfombi became interim leader of the country's largest ethnic group last month after the death of her husband, King Goodwill Zwelithini.
A successor as ruler of the 11 million-strong nation has not yet been named.
She had been appointed to the role on 24 March 2021 after the death of her husband.
Queen MaDlamini Zulu held the highest status among the king's wives, as she came from royalty.

US Eyes Major Rollback in Iran Sanctions to Revive Nuke Deal

The Biden administration is considering a near wholesale rollback of some of the most stringent Trump-era sanctions imposed on Iran in a bid to get the Islamic Republic to return to compliance with a landmark 2015 nuclear accord, according to current and former US officials and others familiar with the matter.
As indirect talks continue this week in Vienna to explore the possibility of reviving the nuclear deal, American officials have become increasingly expansive about what they might be prepared to offer Iran, which has been driving a hard line on sanctions relief, demanding that all US penalties be removed, according to these people.
American officials have refused to discuss, which sanctions are being considered for removal. But they have said they are open to lifting any sanctions that are inconsistent with the nuclear deal or that deny Iran the relief it would be entitled to should it return to compliance with the accord. Because of the complex nature of the sanctions architecture, that could include non-nuclear sanctions, such as those tied to terrorism, missile development and human rights.

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