General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - November 2016

Nov 2016

Aug 28, 2024

Former Malaysian PM Muhyiddin Yassin Charged with Sedition for 'Mocking Former King'

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin was charged with sedition over a speech he made that allegedly questioned the integrity of the country's previous King.
Muhyiddin, who led Malaysia from March 2020 until August 2021, pleaded not guilty in a court in northeast Kelantan state. According to the charge sheet, Muhyiddin made the seditious remarks during a by-election campaign in Kelantan.
Nine ethnic Malay state rulers take turns as Malaysia's king for five-year terms under the country's rotating monarchy, which began when Malaysia gained independence from Britain in 1957. The monarchy plays a largely ceremonial role, but is revered by the nation's majority Muslims.
In his speech, Muhyiddin had questioned why then-King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah didn't invite him to be prime minister following a hung Parliament in November 2022. Muhyiddin had claimed he had the backing of majority lawmakers.

Aug 27, 2024

Canada to Cut Down on Low-Wage, Foreign Workforce

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that the country would reduce the number of low-wage, foreign workers. He added that it was now time for Canadian businesses to invest in their own workers and youth.
The announcement came after unemployment rate in Canada was at a 30-month high of 6.4 per cent in July 2024.

Aug 26, 2024

Arun Agarwal Named Chairman of Texas Economic Development Corporation

Texas Governor Greg Abbott appointed Dallas-based Indian-American entrepreneur Arun Agarwal as the chairman of the Texas Economic Development Corporation's (TEDC) board of directors. A key public-private partnership with the Governor's Office of Economic Development and Tourism, TEDC is responsible for marketing Texas as the top US state for business, both domestically and globally.
This appointment underscores Texas's commitment to diversity and highlights the growing influence of Indian American leaders in major economic roles.
Agarwal's extensive experience in business, philanthropy, and international relations is expected to further elevate Texas's standing as a global economic powerhouse.

Australia's 'Right to Disconnect' Law: Workers Can Now Ignore After-Hours Emails and Calls

Australia introduced a groundbreaking "right to disconnect" law, allowing workers to ignore work-related emails, texts, and calls outside of their official working hours without fear of repercussions. This new legislation, which took effect on August 26, is a response to the increasing intrusion of work into personal time—a trend exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which blurred the boundaries between home and the workplace.
The law aims to empower employees by giving them the legal right to refuse after-hours work communications, except in specific cases where it is deemed reasonable to respond.

Second India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable held in Singapore

Four Union Ministers – Nirmala Sitharaman, Piyush Goyal, S. Jaishankar and Ashwini Vaishnaw, attended the second India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable meeting. The ministers interacted with their Singaporean counterparts and leadership.
The ISMR is a unique mechanism established to set a new agenda for India-Singapore bilateral relations. Its inaugural meeting was held in New Delhi in September 2022.
This second meeting enabled both sides to review various aspects of their strategic partnership and identify new avenues to further elevate and broaden it.
For India, Singapore has been a major source of FDI (foreign direct investment).

Zelenskyy Red-flags 'Balancing' Act on War as He Pitches for India to Host Peace Summit

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that India can be a possible venue for a peace summit, and New Delhi is examining the offer to bring together the warring parties of Russia and Ukraine.
This came even as Zelenskyy said that he needed India on his side and "not balancing between US and Russia".
The inaugural peace summit was held at a resort near Lucerne in Switzerland in June that was attended by more than 90 countries and global institutions with a sole focus on bringing peace to Ukraine.

Aug 23, 2024

World's Second-largest Diamond Found in Botswana

The second-largest diamond ever found - a rough 2,492-carat stone - was unearthed in Botswana at a mine owned by Canadian firm Lucara Diamond.
It is the biggest find since the 3,106-carat Cullinan diamond, found in South Africa in 1905 and cut into nine separate stones, many of which are in the British Crown Jewels.
The diamond was found at Karowe mine, about 500km (300 miles) north of Botswana's capital, Gaborone.
As per Botswana's government, it is the largest diamond ever discovered in the southern African state.
The previous biggest discovery in Botswana was a 1,758-carat stone found at the same mine in 2019.
Botswana is one of the world's biggest producer of diamonds, accounting for about 20% of global production.

Aug 22, 2024

Ukraine Parliament Votes in Favour of Joining International Criminal Court

Ukraine's parliament voted to join the International Criminal Court (ICC), as Kyiv seeks to bring Russia to justice over war crimes it is alleged to have committed throughout its invasion.
The ICC prosecutes grave offences like genocide and crimes against humanity and has the power to issue arrest warrants that its 124 members are obliged to execute.
Ukraine signed the Rome Statute that founded the court in 2000 but had not ratified it, as some political and military figures expressed fears Ukrainian soldiers could face prosecution.
Ukraine's Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, called the move "historic" after parliament adopted the ratification of the statute.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) is an intergovernmental organisation and international tribunal seated in The Hague, Netherlands. It is the first and only permanent international court with jurisdiction to prosecute individuals for the international crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the crime of aggression. The ICC is distinct from the International Court of Justice, an organ of the United Nations that hears disputes between states.
Established in 2002 pursuant to the multilateral Rome Statute, the ICC is considered by its proponents to be a major step toward justice, and an innovation in international law and human rights.

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