General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - May 2017

May 2017

Aug 03, 2019

First Electoral Setback as PM for Borris

Boris Johnson suffered a setback in his first ballot box test as British prime minister after the Conservative candidate lost to a pro-EU rival in a by-election that slims his parliamentary majority to one.
The vote in the Welsh sheep farming community of Brecon and Radnorshire offered a stark choice between the Brexit-backing incumbent from Johnson's ruling Tories and a Liberal Democrat who wants to preserve Britain's four-decade membership of the European Union.

Landmark Change for Women in Saudi Arabia

According to a policy shift that marks a significant loosening of the Kingdom's notorious restrictions on women, women in Saudi Arabia would finally be allowed to hold passports and travel abroad without the consent of a male guardian.
The Saudi Cabinet approved the new amendment, which would allow all Saudi women to apply for passports like all citizens and for women aged 21 and above.
Previously women had to gain approval from a male guardian in order to obtain a passport. Women without a passport of their own were instead given a page in their male guardians' passports, making it impossible for them to travel without guardian accompaniment.

Aug 02, 2019

U.S. to Withdraw from (INF) Treaty

The United States is about to officially withdraw from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty and make way for a new arms race with Russia, and throwing China into the mix.
The treaty, which was concluded in 1987 by then US president Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, limited the Cold War powers' medium-range missiles, both conventional and nuclear.
As per UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, the demise of the treaty is a dangerous step and would likely heighten the threat posed by ballistic missiles.

Ex-Maldives Vice President Detained

Indian security agencies detained former Maldives Vice President Ahmed Adeeb Abdul Ghafoor in the waters off Tamil Nadu's Thoothukudi coast while he was trying to sneak into the country disguised as a crew member of a tugboat.
Ghafoor is facing several criminal charges, including a graft charge related to alleged embezzlement of $90 million from the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation. He was also named as a witness in a money laundering case against former president Abdulla Yameen.

EU to Work with Iran Despite U.S. Sanctions

Despite US sanctions the European Union vowed to continue working with Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.
The US government announced that it was freezing any of Zarif's assets in the United States or that are controlled by US entities, adding it also will curtail his international travel.
Trump last year pulled out of a 2015 deal struck by his predecessor Barack Obama, EU powers, China and Russia aimed at curbing Iran's nuclear program.
The EU has been trying to salvage the deal ever since.

Dutch Ban on Burqas

The Netherlands has banned the wearing of a face-covering veil, such as a burqa or niqab, in public buildings and on transport from as a contentious law on the garment worn by some Muslim women came into force.
The Dutch legislation was passed in June 2018.
Geert Wilders had proposed the face-covering veil ban back in 2005.
According to the Dutch interior ministry, wearing of clothing which covers the face is banned in educational facilities, public institutions and buildings, as well as hospitals and public transport.
The Dutch law does not ban the wearing of a burqa on the street, unlike France's ban which took effect in 2010.
Other European countries such as Belgium, Denmark and Austria have similar laws.

Aug 01, 2019

Johnson Visits North Ireland

Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson held talks with allies in Northern Ireland in a bid to solve the Irish border conundrum that has scuppered all efforts to secure an orderly withdrawal from the European Union.
Mr. Johnson held talks with the Democratic Unionist Party, the pro-Brexit party whose 10 lawmakers prop up his government. The party's leader said that she believed a compromise could be reached and another party member present said a time-limited backstop was discussed.
As per Arlene Foste, there are ways to deal with this issue if there is willingness on both sides.

China Bans Individual Permits to Visit Taiwan

As per China's Culture and Tourism Ministry, China will stop issuing individual travel permits for Taiwan to people in 47 mainland cities from August 1, its, citing the state of ties with the self-ruled Island.
People from the mainland need permission to travel to what Beijing regards as a renegade province.
Only travellers from 47 cities, such as Beijing, Shanghai and Xiamen, were allowed to visit Taiwan independently.
China's military held exercises this week in waters near Taiwan, following a warning last week that it was ready for war if there was any move towards independence by the Island for what Beijing regards as a renegade province.

Iran Prepared for Talks

According to Iran's foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran is prepared for dialogue if Saudi Arabia is also ready.
Tensions have spiked between the arch foes for predominance in West Asia, since Riyadh accused the Islamic Republic of carrying out attacks that damaged six oil tankers in the Gulf, an allegation that Tehran has denied.
As per Zardari, Iran has never closed the door to dialogue with its neighbours and we will never close the door to dialogue with its neighbours.
Zarif also said that Iran could hold similar talks with the UAE, another regional rival and a close ally of the Saudis, adding, "If they change their policies it is a very good opportunity for dialogue."
His comments came as officials from the UAE and Iran met to discuss maritime security for the first time in six years amid a spike in tensions in the Persian Gulf.

Iran Slashes 4 Zeroes off its Currency

Iran's Cabinet gave initial approval to a plan to slash four zeroes off its currency, the rial, State media reported, after the currency plunged in the past year in an economic crisis fuelled by U.S. sanctions.
Proponents have said that the reform would, among other things, make transactions easier simply by avoiding huge figures. Currently, one U.S. dollar is worth about 120,000 rials. The proponents said that the move would also make it cheaper to print banknotes.
The proposed reform has to be passed by Parliament and approved by a clerical body that vets legislation before it takes effect.

Jul 31, 2019

Nirav and Mallya Extradition Cases Pushed to Next Year

The trial in the Westminster Magistrates Court on India's request to extradite fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi will be held in May next year while the High Court of England and Wales is scheduled to hear businessman Vijay Mallya's appeal against his extradition in February 2020.

Boris Johnson Waits for EU to Move on Brexit

New British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is waiting for EU leaders to agree to renegotiate their Brexit deal before he meets them as the government stepped up "no deal" planning.
Johnson, who took office last week, wants to change the exit terms struck by his predecessor Theresa May but insists he will leave the European Union without any agreement at all if necessary on October 31.

Muslim Ministers Rejoin Sri Lankan Govt.

Four Sri Lankan Muslim Ministers, who resigned following the Easter Sunday bombings that killed 258 people, rejoined the government after investigators found no link in their alleged involvement with a local islamist extremist group.
Two senior Muslim leaders Rauff Hakeem — the leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) and Rishad Badiyudeen, the leader of the All Ceylon Makkal Congress — were sworn in by President Maithripala Sirisena.
Along with them, two more Muslims, a State Minister and a Deputy Minister rejoined the government.

Iran, UAE Begin 1st Maritime Talks Since 2013

Iran received a coastguard delegation from the United Arab Emirates aimed at reviving maritime security talks that were cut off in 2013.
The sixth joint coastguard meeting between Iran and a visiting seven-member delegation from the UAE will be held in Tehran in order to discuss border cooperation between the two countries," state news agency IRNA said, citing a statement from Iran's foreign ministry.
Illegal trafficking and shared maritime borders are among the topics to be discussed, according to the report. The meeting is the first between the coast guards of the two nations since 2013.
It comes after the confrontation between Iran and the US sent tensions in the Persian Gulf soaring, with American officials blaming Iran for recent attacks on oil tankers off the UAE coast.

Jul 30, 2019

Pakistan Opens Historic Hindu Temple after 72 Years

Pakistan opened a 1,000-year-old Hindu temple in eastern city Sialkot for worship for the first time since partition on the demand of the local Hindu community.
The Shawala Teja Singh temple, located in city's congested Dhaarowal locality, some 100-km from Lahore, is more than 1,000 years old, according to the book 'History of Sialkot' by the late Rashid Niaz.
The Evacuee Trust Property Board, which looks after the holy places of minorities in Pakistan, opened Shawala Teja Singh.
The temple was partially damaged during attacks on temples here in reaction to Babri Mosque in 1992. The ETPB carried out restoration work of the temple on the direction of Board chairman Dr. Amir Ahmed.

Donald Trump Appoints New Intelligence Czar

US intelligence boss Dan Coats, who once publicly acknowledged being blinded by White House invitation to the Russian president, is stepping down and would be succeeded by Republican congressman John Ratcliffe, who reportedly impressed President Donald Trump with his aggressive grilling of Special counsel Robert Mueller, clinching the job.
Coats's tenure as Director of National Intelligence, an agency created in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks to oversee and coordinate the work of 16 intelligence services, had been in jeopardy for a while, specially after he admitted being kept out of the loop on the invitation to President Vladimir Putin.

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