General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - May 2017

May 2017

Sep 03, 2019

PM Modi To Embark On 3-Day Visit To Russia To Attend EEF summit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will leave for Vladivostok in Russia to take part in the 5th Eastern Economic Forum - EEF summit. The Prime Minister will also attend the 20th annual summit between Russia and India during the three-day visit.
Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale said strengthening bilateral relationship in field of oil and gas exploration will be high on the agenda during the visit. The Foreign Secretary said, both India and Russia want to move beyond the conventional cooperation in defence and nuclear civil cooperation to the new areas of economy.
The Foreign Secretary said India attaches lot of importance to Eastern Economic Summit as the government wants to focus on having business engagement with Russia and other Far Eastern countries.
On the sidelines of Eastern Economic Summit, the Prime Minister is expected to hold bilateral talks with the Government Heads of Japan, Malaysia and Mongolia.

Bangladesh Asks Telecom Operators To Stop Mobile Service For Rohingyas

Bangladesh Telecom Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has directed mobile phone operators to halt sale of SIM cards to Rohingyas and ensure that mobile phone use by them is stopped.
The directive was issued after Posts and Telecommunications Minister Mustafa Jabbar asked Bangladesh Telecommunication and Regulatory Commission (BTRC) to take immediate steps to stop mobile phone services at Rohingya camps in Cox's Bazar.
The ban on the sale of mobile SIM cards to Rohingya refugees was first imposed in September 2017.
Following the directive, the mobile operators are reported to have weakened their networks in the border areas including Cox Bazar and Bandarban.
The notice was issued following allegations that the telecom operators were providing SIM cards to Rohingyas defying government ban.

Nepal: School Built With India's Assistance Inaugurated

Nepal's Attorney General Agni Prasad Kharel and Ambassador of India to Nepal Manjeev Singh Puri jointly inaugurated a school building constructed with India's assistance in Jhapa District.
The new building of Shree Schoolchaun Higher Secondary School has been built with Government of India's grant of 35.70 million Nepali Rupees.
The newly built infrastructure is expected to boost the learning environment of the students. Government of India is happy to be associated with the project which compliments the effort of the Government of Nepal in augmenting infrastructure in the field of education.
Minister of Internal Affairs and Law of Province No. 1 of Nepal, Hikmat Kumar Karki, political leaders, Govt officials and a large number of friends of India-Nepal partnership were also present on the occasion

Pakistan Government Launches Its Own Mineral Water Brand 'Safe Drinking Water'

Pakistan has launched its own mineral water to cut costs as part of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government's austerity drive.
The Pakistan Council of Research and Water Resources (PCRWR) has prepared a 500 ml water bottle named "Safe Drinking Water."
In the first phase, mineral water bottles will first be used at the Prime Minister's Office, President House and Parliament House after which it will be made available to the general public.

Saudi Arabia: Indian Delegation Reviews Arrangements For Hajj-2019

A Government of India delegation led by Ministry of Minority Affairs Secretary Sailesh to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia reviewed the arrangements for Hajj-2019 for Indian pilgrims and discussed ways of improving arrangements for Hajj-2020.
Minority Affairs Secretary, who is on a four-day visit to Saudi Arabia, discussed about Makkah Route Initiative, ways of reducing waiting time for pilgrims at airport during arrival & departure, SIM cards for the pilgrims, Hajj-visa process, pilgrims' accommodation norms, arrangements in Mashaer region and flight operations.
The Secretary thanked the Government of the Kingdom for enhancing India's Hajj quota to 200,000 as well as extending full cooperation to Indian Officials involved in Hajj operations.
The Officials of Ministry of Hajj and Umrah and the South Asian Moassassa also expressed their appreciation for the various arrangements made by the Indian Hajj Management for Indian pilgrims, specially pre-tagging of baggages which drastically reduced waiting time for pilgrims at airport. They also appreciated the medical facilities and accommodation arrangements made available for Indian pilgrims.
The delegation also visited Indian Hajj Pilgrims' Office-cum-Dispensary at Jeddah Haj Terminal and interacted with Indian pilgrims at the Terminal who were returning to India after a successful Haj.

Bangladesh TV Starts Telecast In India

The state-owned TV channel Bangladesh Television (BTV) started telecast for viewers in India on DD free dish.
Information Minister of Bangladesh Dr. Hasan Mahmud inaugurated the broadcast program at BTV Auditorium in Dhaka.
State Minister for Information Md. Murad Hasan and India's High Commissioner to Bangladesh Riva Ganguly Das were the special guests at the event.
Speaking on the occasion India's High Commissioner to Bangladesh Riva Ganguly Das said that it was a historic occasion brought to fruition through constant efforts of both the governments.
Reminding audiences of the shared history of both the countries she said that this would create platforms for learning from each other's experiences and fostering better understanding between the two countries. She lauded the role of All India Radio's Akashwani Maitree in this context.
India and Bangladesh signed an agreement in May 2019 to make BTV and DD available in both the countries.

Hong Kong Protests: 10,000 Students Boycott Classes

In Hong Kong, ten thousand pupils from 200 secondary schools boycotted classes on the first day for the new school year in the latest pro-democracy protests.
Thousands of secondary school and university students did not turn up for the classes. The student action comes on the same day as a call for a broad two-day strike and large rally.
Protests over the weekend saw some of the worst violence in weeks between protesters and police.
Protesters threw petrol bombs, lit fires and attacked the city's parliament building while police used tear gas, rubber bullets, water cannons and fired live warning shots. Hong Kong is now entering its 14th successive week of demonstrations.
The protests were sparked by changes to a law that would allow extradition to mainland China, but have since widened to include calls for an independent inquiry into police brutality and universal suffrage.

ECI To Host The 4th General Assembly of Association of World Election Bodies (A-WEB) at Bengaluru

India will take over as A-WEB Chair for 2019-21. The Election Commission of India is scheduled to host the 4th General Assembly of Association of World Election Bodies (A-WEB) at Bengaluru on 3rd September, 2019.
Over 50 countries across the globe will join the meeting at Bengaluru from 02nd to 04th September, 2019.
An International Conference on "Initiatives and Challenges of Social Media and Information Technology in Elections" will also be held on 04th September, 2019.
The Association of World Election Bodies (A-WEB) is largest association of Election Management Bodies (EMBs) worldwide.
A-WEB was established on October 14, 2013 in Song-do, South Korea. The permanent secretariat of A-WEB is located at Seoul.
A-WEB's vision is to foster efficiency and effectiveness in conducting free, fair, transparent and participative elections worldwide.
Its activities are guided by its mission to identify latest trends, challenges and developments in democratic electoral management and electoral processes and to facilitate appropriate exchange of experience and expertise among members with the objective of strengthening electoral democracy worldwide.

China Lodges WTO Trade Complaint Against US

China lodged a complaint against the United States with the World Trade Organization (WTO), a day after new tariffs imposed by Washington on billions of dollars of Chinese goods came into force.
The world's two biggest economies have been embroiled in a bruising year-long trade war which escalated further when both sides moved ahead with fresh tit-for-tat levy hikes.
Referring to trade discussions in the Japanese city in June, Beijing's commerce ministry said, these American tariffs seriously violate the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries in Osaka.
In a statement published on its website, the Ministry said, in accordance with relevant WTO rules, China will firmly safeguard its legitimate rights and interests. It has lodged complaint with the WTO body for dispute settlement.
Washington's latest levies on imports from China took effect from 1st of September as it stepped up a high-pressure campaign aimed at compelling Beijing to sign a new trade deal. The trade dispute has rattled markets and hit growth across the globe, and trade negotiations between the two countries have been at an impasse for months.

Sri Lanka Inks Four Agreements With Maldives

Sri Lanka and Maldives exchanged four agreements of cooperation including facilitation of visa arrangements allowing for free 90-day on-arrival visas for visitors between the two countries.
An MoU on Cooperation in the area of social protection, higher education, vocational training and youth development are other areas in which MoUs were signed during Sri Lankan Prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's visit to Male.
The visa agreement contains provisions for grant of multiple entry non-resident business visas, thereby facilitating commercial engagements and private sector collaboration.
Both countries also issued a joint statement highlighting the enduring friendship that defines the relationship between Sri Lanka and the Maldives.
Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih expressed gratitude for Sri Lanka's numerous assistance to the Maldives over the years, which has proven a boon to the Maldives' socio-economic development.
Both leaders expressed their satisfaction at the substance and pace of cooperation on the international fora, bilaterally and multilaterally.

Italian President Gives Conte Mandate To Form New Government

The Italian prime minister, Giuseppe Conte, has said now is the time to "turn a crisis into an opportunity" after accepting a fresh mandate to try to form a new government that could mark a turning point in Italy's fractured relations with the EU.
President Sergio Mattarella has tasked Conte with securing a pact between the anti-establishment Five Star Movement (M5S) and the centre-left Democratic party (PD) in a move that would oust the far-right League from government and stave off early elections.

Sri Lanka's SC Rules Provincial Council Elections Cannot Be Held Under Previous Law Or Amendment Act

Sri Lanka's Supreme Court has ruled that the Provincial Council elections cannot be held under the previous law or the amendment act. The decision was conveyed to President's office on a reference made by the latter to ascertain the possibility of holding the polls.
According to a statement issued by the Secretary to the President, the President had sought Supreme court opinion saying that the delay in holding the Provincial Council elections would cause the people to lose their voting rights.
The five-judge bench of court ruled that the election cannot be held under the Provincial Council (Amendment) Act since the President does not have the authority to declare the boundaries set out in the report of the Delimitation Committee.
Eight out of nine Provincial Councils in Sri Lanka are due for elections while the ninth one is completing its term next month. Sri Lankan Government had changed the electoral system for the Provincial elections in 2017 but failed to adopt report for delimitation of constituencies.

Japan To Launch Special Police Unit To Patrol Isles In East China Sea

Japan will launch a special police unit equipped with submachine guns and helicopters to patrol disputed isles in the East China Sea.
The National Police Agency said it had put in a budget request for an additional 159 officers to head off illegal landings on remote islands by armed groups. The deployment near the tiny islands could take place in 2020.
NHK said it was the first time police had stepped up patrols near the disputed islands.
The uninhabited islets are at the centre of a festering row between Tokyo and Beijing, which is also involved in a widening dispute with several Southeast Asian countries over islands in the South China Sea.
The Japanese Government has long complained about China's routine dispatch of coastguard ships to waters surrounding the islands.
Relations between Japan and China deteriorated in 2012 when Tokyo nationalized some of the islets.

Fourth South Asian Speakers' Summit on Achieving the SDGs

The 4th South Asian Speakers' Summit on Achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), jointly organised by the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the People's Majlis, will take place in Male' (Maldives), on 1 and 2 September 2019. It will be followed by a half-day field visit on 2 September.
This is the fourth event in a series of Speakers' Summits for the region on SDGs, the previous three having been hosted by the Jatiya Sangsad of Bangladesh (in 2016), the Sansad of India (in 2017) and the Parliament of Sri Lanka (2018).
This high-level Summit will build on the conclusions of the previous summits and will allow Speakers of Parliament to continue to develop dialogue and parliamentary cooperation on achieving the SDGs.
Given their legislative, oversight, representative and budgetary functions, parliaments play a key role in ensuring a sustainable future for current and future generations.
The Summit is intended for Speakers of the Parliaments of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Maldives.

Sep 02, 2019

India Raises The Issue Of Global Oil Price Volatility With Russia

India has raised the issue of global oil market's price volatility with Russia, that is hurting the interests of both consuming and producing nations. This was articulated by India's oil minister Dharmendra Pradhan in a meeting with Russia's energy minister Alexander Novak.
India has been urging its long time ally Russia to take into account the interest of energy consuming nations during its engagement with the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) at a time when the Opec plus arrangement including Russia has extended its compact for production cuts.
Minister Pradhan also conveyed expectation that Russia, a member of the Opec Plus, can play an important role in balancing global oil market both in terms of ensuring adequate supply as well as in having a responsible and reasonable price.

China To Start 27 New CPEC Projects In Pakistan

China plans to launch 27 new projects in Pakistan under the second phase of the USD 60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The ambitious CPEC links China's Kashgar city in Xinjiang province with Pakistan's Gwadar port in Baluchistan through a network of roads, railways and highways.
There will be 27 new projects in the second phase of the CPEC. Following the signing of the memorandum of understanding between China and Pakistan for the second phase of CPEC earlier in 2019, work on these 27 new projects was expected to begin by the end of the year 2019.
Agriculture, education, vocational training, industry, increase in water supply, etc, are all part of our plans for the next phase.

Shri Dharmendra Pradhan visits Russia to Strengthen Cooperation in Energy and Steel Sectors

Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas & Steel Shri Dharmendra Pradhan led a business delegation from Oil and Gas as well as Steel sectors to Moscow, Russia. The visit is a part of active overreach to strengthen bilateral relationship between India and Russia in energy and steel sectors.
The visit started with meeting with Russian Deputy Prime Minister and Presidential Envoy to Far Eastern Federal Districts of Russia, HE Yury P Trutnev.
Discussions centered on expanding the scope of co-operation between India and Far Eastern Russia, in the energy and steel sectors.
The two sides discussed to further co-operation in sourcing of metallurgical coal and crude oil from Far East of Russia. They also talked about potential Indian investments in oil and gas and steel sectors in Far Eastern Russia and reviewed the progress in these sectors in the run up to the visit of Honorable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi during the first week of September (2019) to Vladivostok for the Eastern Economic Forum and for the 20th Annual Bilateral Summit.

Tamil Nadu Signs Three Agreements For Healthcare Collaborations In UK

In the first leg of Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami's visit abroad, as far as the health sector is concerned, the team from Tamil Nadu seems to have marked up substantial gains for the State, going only by the merit of agreements signed. A swathe of health sector interventions have been envisaged to improve healthcare and parameters of the Human Development Index.
Among the key tie-ups are those with International Skills Development Corporation for skilling the health work force, primarily nurses and doctors. The team from ISDC had already visited training schools in Chennai and was satisfied with the infrastructure even before the Chief Minister's team left for London. There is also a proposal to recruit the trained nurses from the State, after they go through their specialised training courses, to work for the NHS in the U.K.
The tie up with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine is another agreement that the team, led by Mr. Palaniswami, seems to be chuffed about. Tamil Nadu's health officials say they hope to harness the famous school's expertise in vector borne disease control, particularly in the area of malaria and dengue control.

India, Japan Defence Ministerial Meet Underway In Tokyo

Defence Ministerial meeting between India and Japan is presently underway in Japan's capital Tokyo. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is heading the Indian side while Japanese side is led by Japan's Minister of Defence Takeshi Iwaya. The Ministerial Dialogue will aim to further strengthen India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership and include wide-ranging discussions to enhance the bilateral defence and security engagements between the two countries.
The two sides are also expected to deliberate on the long-pending issue of supply of the US-2 amphibious aircraft by Japan to India.
Earlier, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh reached Tokyo during the first leg of his five-day visit to Japan and South Korea to enhance strategic ties and explore possibilities of collaboration of major military platforms.

Sep 01, 2019

Amit Shah Meets His Singaporean Counterpart K Shanmugam

Union Home Minister Amit Shah met his Singaporean counterpart K Shanmugam in New Delhi and discussed several issues of mutual interest.
Mr Shah said, India under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi always looks forward to further strengthening India-Singapore ties.
The two leaders also exchanged views and concerns on the challenges posed by terrorism and extremism.
They agreed to strengthen the existing bilateral institutional mechanisms on security issues.
Both the sides also agreed to enhance cooperation in dealing with trans-national organized crimes including drug trafficking and economic offences.
Mr Shah noted that India-Singapore relations are based on shared values and approaches, economic opportunities and convergence of interest on key issues.

Saudi Arabia Creates New Ministry Of Industry And Mineral Resources

Saudi Arabia announced that it has created an independent Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources, separating it from the Energy Ministry, a move that is understood as part of the kingdom's strategy to diversify the economy away from oil.
In 2016, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman launched a plan called Vision 2030 aimed at reducing the country's dependence on crude by reinforcing other economic and investment activities, increasing non-oil industry trade of goods and consumer products with other nations, and growing government spending on health, education, infrastructure, recreation, tourism, and the military.
It will be fully independent starting on January 1, 2020. Bandar Al-Khorayef, a businessman from the Saudi industrial conglomerate Khorayef Group, will be the department's head.
Under Al-Khorayef, the ministry should reach the goal of increasing the value of mining operations to reach $69.3 billion. Currently, the direct and indirect contribution of the sector to the kingdom's GDP is estimated to be around $21.3 billion.

Aug 31, 2019

Tulsi Won't Contest Election Independently

Tulsi Gabbard, the first Hindu lawmaker in the US Congress who is running for the presidency, said that she would not contest as an Independent candidate if she fails to win the Democratic presidential nomination.
Gabbard, an Iraq war veteran who has been serving as the US Representative for Hawaii's second congressional district since 2013, would focus on moving the campaign forward, continuing this grassroots campaign, continuing to deliver the message to the American people and ask for their support.

Boris Johnson's Brexit strategy

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's move to "prorogue" or suspend Parliament for over five weeks beginning September second week (2019) has triggered furious responses from opposition leaders, who call the decision a threat to democracy.
The decision comes at a time when Britain is inching closer towards the October 31, 2019 deadline for Brexit.
The suspension of Parliament between September 9-12 and October 14 (2019) would mean that the lawmakers would have less time to debate, scrutinize or to block Mr. Johnson's Brexit plan.
By suspending Parliament for over a month, Mr. Johnson has effectively narrowed the lawmakers' opportunities to reject his Brexit plans.
The MPs, who are currently on recess, are supposed to be back in session on September 3, 2019. Before the suspension of Parliament, they were scheduled to be in session till September 16, 2019.
This would have been crucial time for rebel MPs to come up with legislation against a no-deal Brexit, which Mr. Johnson has not ruled out.
Now that Parliament will be closed on either September 9 or 12, 2019, the time available for MPs in the current session to legislate against a potential no-deal Brexit has shrunk.

Trump's Personal Assistant Steps Down

Donald Trump's personal assistant Madeleine Westerhout resigned after she shared information about the President's family with journalists.
Westerhout's unexpected departure came after Trump learned that she had talked about his family and White House matters with reporters at an off-the-record session during the President's recent working vacation in New Jersey.
Westerhout's office was in front of the Oval Office and she had been described as Trump's "gatekeeper" in US media. She had been his personal assistant from the beginning of his presidency.
Westerhout was not a high-profile staffer, but her exit adds to a long list of administration officials who have quit since Donald Trump was elected president in 2016.

Aug 30, 2019

The World's Highest-Paid Women In Music 2019: Taylor Swift Doubles Up No. 2 Beyoncé

Forbes revealed its list of highest-paid celebrities and Taylor Swift took the top spot, having earned $185 million from June 2018 to June 2019.
Swift beat out Kylie Jenner, and, according to Forbes' new list of the world's highest-paid women in music, she's number one in her industry too.
Her $185 million income far surpassed Beyonce's $81 million. Queen Bey is number two on the list, followed by Rihanna, who earned $62 million, according to Forbes.

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