General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - September 2016

Sep 2016

Dec 05, 2020

Donald Trump Orders American Troops to Leave Somalia

The Pentagon is pulling most US troops out of Somalia on President Donald Trump's orders, continuing a post-election push by Trump to shrink US involvement in counterterrorism missions abroad.
Without providing details, the Pentagon said that a majority of US troops and assets in Somalia will be withdrawn in early 2021. There are currently about 700 troops in that Horn of Africa nation, training and advising local forces in an extended fight against the extremist group al-Shabab, an affiliate of al-Qaida.
Trump recently ordered troop draw down in Afghanistan and Iraq, and he was expected to withdraw some or all troops from Somalia. The Pentagon said that the drawdown in Somalia does not mark the end of U.S. counter terrorism efforts there.

Austria Former Finance Minister Grasser Jailed

A former Austrian Finance Minister has been sentenced to eight years in prison for his role in a high-profile corruption scandal.
Karl-Heinz Grasser was found guilty of embezzlement, receiving bribes and falsification of evidence in a deal to sell thousands of publicly owned apartments.
The court in Vienna said Grasser was involved in kickbacks of more than €9 million (£8.1m).
He denies wrongdoing and will appeal.
Grasser became the youngest Finance Minister in the country's history in 2000.

Dec 04, 2020

Iran Rejects Biden's Terms for Reviving Nuclear Deal

As per Iran's foreign minister, Iran will not accept preconditions from a new Biden administration over its nuclear programme and the US must return to a 2015 deal before talks can take place.
Javad Zarif said that the US had its own "commitments" that must be implemented.
President-elect Joe Biden said that he will rejoin the nuclear deal and lift sanctions if Tehran returns to strict compliance with the nuclear deal.
Both sides appear to want the other to readopt the agreement's terms first.
In May 2018, US President Donald Trump pulled out of the deal negotiated under his predecessor, Barack Obama.
He then reimposed strict economic sanctions against Iran, targeting the country's oil and financial sectors.
Tehran has since exceeded limits to its nuclear activities set under the deal, raising suspicions that it could be using the programme as a cover to develop a nuclear bomb.
Its government insists, however, that its nuclear ambitions are entirely peaceful.

UK Appoints Entrepreneur as First Technology Envoy to US

The UK has appointed an entrepreneur as its first technology envoy to the United States and consul-general to San Francisco.
Joe White has worked for 20 years in the digital sector, including as a Silicon Valley investor.
It is the first time the two roles have been combined and Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said that the move underlined the UK's commitment to the tech sector.
The Foreign Office said that he had extensive experience as an entrepreneur and venture capital investor and most recently worked as a general partner at tech fund Entrepreneur First.
He was made an MBE in 2017 for services to technology businesses.
Mr. White will take up his appointment later this year and report to the British ambassador to the US.

Dec 03, 2020

Court Strikes Down Trump's H-1B Rules

A US judge threw out two rules proposed by the Trump administration to narrow eligibility for H-1B visa aspirants and raise their salaries in an effort to make it tougher for companies, mostly in IT, to use this short-term employment programme to hire foreigner workers instead of local Americans.
US district judge Jeffrey S. White of the Northern District of California ruled that the changes were introduced in a hurry and did not abide by the usual transparency obligations: provide notice and sufficient time for public comments.

PoK Govt. Signs Agreements with Chinese Firm to Build Hydropower Project

The government in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir has signed agreements with a Chinese company and a local renewable energy firm for the construction of 700MW hydropower project at an estimated cost of USD 1.35 billion in the region as part of the ambitious China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
China Gezhouba Group and its local partner Laraib Group Pakistan are the shareholders of the 'Azad Pattan Hydropower Project', which is located on Jhelum River in Sadhanoti district of PoK.
The consortium of lenders consists of China Development Bank, China Construction Bank, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China and Bank of China.
The implementation agreement and water use charges agreement for construction of the project were signed by PoK Electricity Secretary Zafar Mahmood Khan and Azad Pattan Power Private Limited CEO Li Xiaota.

Thai PM Acquitted, Retains Post

Thailand's highest court acquitted Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha of breaching ethics clauses in the country's constitution, allowing him to stay in his job.
The Constitutional Court ruled on a complaint brought by the Pheu Thai Party that Prayuth had violated the law by continuing to live in his military residence after he retired as an army commander in September 2014.

Kabul and Taliban Reach 1st Written Peace Deal

The Afghan Government and Taliban representatives reached a preliminary deal to press on with peace talks, their first written agreement in 19 years of war and welcomed by the United States as a chance to halt the violence.
The agreement lays out the way forward for discussion but is considered a breakthrough because it will allow negotiators to move on to more substantive issues, including talks on a ceasefire, even as Taliban attacks on Afghan government forces have continued unabated.
"The procedure, including its preamble of the negotiation, has been finalised and from now on, the negotiation will begin on the agenda," Nader Nadery, a member of the Afghan Government's negotiating team, said.

Dec 02, 2020

China Drafts Rules on Mobile Apps' Collection of Personal Data

China unveiled draft guidelines seeking to limit the scope of mobile apps' collection of personal data in the latest attempt to curb the sprawling technology sector.
The set of draft rules published by the Cyberspace Administration of China covers 38 types of apps from online shopping and instant messaging to ride-hailing and bike sharing.
China has increased scrutiny of its technology sector in recent weeks, last month drafting anti-monopoly rules for tech firms.
It has also expressed concerns about data protection and consumer rights, while authorities have on a number of occasions ordered apps to be suspended for mishandling user information.

France will Not Accept Brexit Deal if Not in Long Term Interests

French President Emmanuel Macron said that France was paying particular attention to negotiations around trade conditions and fisheries in talks over a Brexit deal, adding that the country's long term interests were at stake.
France will not accept a Brexit deal that does not respect our long term interests.

Iran's Parliament Advances Bill to Stop Nuclear Inspections

Iran's Parliament advanced a Bill that would end UN inspections of its nuclear facilities and require the government to boost its uranium enrichment if European signatories to the 2015 nuclear deal do not provide relief from oil and banking sanctions.
The vote to debate the Bill, which would need to pass through several other stages before becoming a law, was a show of defiance after the killing of a prominent Iranian nuclear scientist last month.
As per reports, 251 lawmakers in the 290-seat chamber voted in favour of the Bill.
The Bill will commission new centrifuges at nuclear facilities at Natanz and the underground Fordo site. It will require another parliamentary vote to pass as well as approval by the Guardian Council, a constitutional watchdog.

Dec 01, 2020

India Refuses to Support China's Mega Connectivity Project at SCO

Reiterating its stance yet again, India refused to extend support to China's mega connectivity project One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). India was the only country in the 8 member grouping, which refused to support the project that has often been in news for its lack of transparency and whooping cost for the host country.
The Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Tajikistan and the Republic of Uzbekistan, reaffirming their support for China's One Belt, One Road" (OBOR) Initiative (BRI).
India had become a member of the Beijing headquartered grouping in 2017.

Biden Names Top Economic Advisers

President-elect Joe Biden unveiled his picks for several top economic positions, including former Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen as his nominee for Treasury Secretary, setting the stage for a more diverse White House.
Biden named leading members of an economic team that will have to combat the crushing blows to United States workers and businesses from the Covid pandemic.
Indian-origin Neera Tanden has been named for the position of Director of the Office of Management and Budget. State Department ex-spokesperson Jen Psaki has been named White House press secretary. Cecilia Rouse, will be the Chair of the Council of Economic Adviser.
In contrast to Trump, who largely picked white men for key positions, Biden's early appointments were shaping up to be highly diverse, including an all-women communications team unveiled earlier.

Aseefa Bhutto Zardari, Benazir Bhutto's Daughter, Makes Political Debut in Multan

Aseefa Bhutto Zardari, the youngest daughter of Pakistan's slain Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, made her political debut in Multan at a rally of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), the 11-party opposition alliance.
In her speech, Aseefa called on the crowd to remember her mother's sacrifices for democracy and urged them to support her brother Bilawal Bhutto in his fight for true democracy in the country.

China's Proposed Hydropower Project in Brahmaputra, Tibet

Under the 14th five-year plan that is to be implemented from 2021, China has proposed hydropower project on Brahmaputra River in Tibet. The project has been proposed by the Central Committee of the ruling Communist Party of China. The Committee prepared the fourteenth five-year plan, 2021 to 2025 and the long-term goals through 2035 of China.
The riparian states of the Brahmaputra River such as Bangladesh and India have raised concerns against the proposal.
The Brahmaputra is called Yarlung Zangpo in the region. According to the Chinese, the river has the richest water resources in the Tibet autonomous region. It has a potential to generate 80 million kilowatt hours. On the other hand, the 50-kilometre section of the river's Grand Canyon alone has potential to develop 70 million kilowatt hours which could be easily generated with just 2000 metres drop. This equals more than 3 gorgeous power stations installed in the Hubei province.

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