General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - May 2017

May 2017

Jul 06, 2019

Rule of Law in Venezuela

The UN rights chief warned that the rule of law has eroded in Venezuela, pointing to attacks on political opponents and activists, including torture and thousands of killings by security forces.
Presenting a damning report to the UN Human Rights Council, Michelle Bachelet said that attempting to exercise the most basic rights like freedom of opinion, expression, association and assembly entails a risk of reprisals and repression.
Essential institutions and the rule of law in Venezuela have been eroded.
She decried attacks against actual or perceived political opponents and human rights defenders ranging from threats and smear campaigns to arbitrary detention, torture, ill-treatment, sexual violence, killings and enforced disappearance.
Venezuela immediately slammed the report, which was published and followed a visit by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to the troubled South American country last month.
As per William Castillo, Venezuela's deputy foreign minister, the report is dominated by a selective and partial vision and demanding a correction.

Sri Lanka Supreme Court stays Death Penalty

The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka stayed the death penalty for four persons convicted on drug-related offences until October 30, temporarily preventing the country's first hanging in 43 years.
In June, President Maithripala Sirisenahe signed papers to execute four convicts, effectively ending a 43-year-old moratorium on capital punishment. Amid concern voiced by local and international rights groups, President Sirisena has defended his stance while criticising those opposed to his move.
Appearing for one of the convicts, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP and President's Counsel M.A. Sumanthiran argued that around the time Sri Lanka's current Constitution was adopted in 1978, when President J.R. Jayawardene was at the helm, the country's policy was that in a "Dharmishta" (righteous) society, the State shall not put an end to any person's life. The last time Sri Lanka executed someone was in 1976.

Jul 05, 2019

France Focuses to Boost Ties with India

France identified cyber security and digital economy, artificial intelligence, outer space and global ocean governance as key pillars for strengthening its relations with India.
The two countries have widespread convergence in these areas and this provides the foundation for further boosting cooperation, including working together on these issues bilaterally and at multilateral forums.
In the field of digital economy, France and India are on the same page in supporting the full sovereignty of data and ensuring that data protection and sovereignty is guaranteed to their citizens.
The two sides are already cooperating in cyber security by working together on matters such as the regulation of the internet and the "Christchurch Call", an initiative launched by France and New Zealand in May 2019 to prevent the use of social media to organise and promote acts of terror.

Putin Confirms Fire-hit Submersible was Nuclear-powered

Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed reports that the navy's deep-sea submersible vessel that caught fire, killing 14 seamen, was nuclear-powered.
Russian officials previously declined to release any details of the vessel, citing its secret mission.
Putin met with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, who returned from the Navy's Arctic base of Severomorsk, and asked him about the submersible's nuclear reactor. Shoigu said that the reactor is completely isolated now and it is in full working order.

Jul 04, 2019

IMF Approves $6 Billion Loan for Pakistan

The IMF approved a USD 6 billion loan over a period of three years for cash-strapped Pakistan, aimed at returning sustainable growth to the country's fragile economy and improve the standards of living.
Pakistan's finance ministry had approached the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in August 2018 for a bailout package when the Imran Khan government took over.
The USD 6 billion financial aid includes an immediate disbursement of USD 1 billion to help Pakistan address its balance of payment crisis.
The remaining amount will be phased over the duration of the programme, subject to four quarterly reviews and four semi-annual reviews.

Jul 03, 2019

US Passes Provision to Give India NATO Ally-like Status

The US Senate passed a legislative provision that brings India at par with America's NATO allies and countries like Israel and South Korea for increasing defence cooperation.
The National Defense Authorisation Act or NDAA for the fiscal year 2020 that contained such a proposal was passed by the US Senate.
Introduced by Senate India Caucus Co-Chair Senator John Cornyn with the support of Senate India Caucus Co-Chair Senator Mark Warner, the amendment provides for increased US-India defence cooperation in the Indian Ocean in the areas of humanitarian assistance, counter-terrorism, counter-piracy and maritime security.

China blames the US and UK

China warned the US, the UK and the EU against sending any misleading signals to the ultra-radicals who violently attacked the legislature in Hong Kong, saying Beijing strongly opposes their gross interference in the country's internal affairs.
A group of protestors broke through the legislative council (LegCo) building in Hong Kong and occupied it for several hours.
They damaged the building and the furniture inside.
The violence followed weeks of mass protests over a controversial extradition law, which the locals apprehend could be used to send political dissidents from Hong Kong to mainland China for prosecution.
Hong Kong, a former British colony, became a Special Administrative Region of China in 1997, when Britain's 99-year lease expired.
The city is governed under the principle of "one country, two systems".
Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam had put off plans to pass the controversial legislation and apologised but the protests continued, calling for her resignation.
July 1 marked the 22nd anniversary of the handing over of Hong Kong to China by the UK in 1997.

U.S. brands Balochistan Liberation Army Terrorist Group

The US designated Baloch Liberation Army as a terror organisation blaming it for attacks on Chinese assets amid ongoing civil war like situation in Balochistan, Pakistan's biggest province.
BLA is an armed separatist group that targets security forces and civilians, mainly in ethnic Baloch areas of Pakistan. BLA carried out several terrorist attacks in 2018, including a suicide attack in August 2018 that targeted Chinese engineers in Balochistan, a November 2018 attack on the Chinese consulate in Karachi, and a May 2019 attack against a luxury hotel in Gwadar, Balochistan.
Since 2004 the BLA has waged an armed struggle against Pakistan demanding equal rights and self-determination for the Baloch in Pakistan.

Pakistan Tries to Block Extradition of Dawood's Aide

Pakistani diplomats in London are making all-out efforts to prevent the extradition of D-Company's top lieutenant Jabir Motiwala to the United States.
Hearing the extradition plea of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) at the Westminster Magistrates' Court, the D-Company's defence lawyer, backed by Pakistani diplomats, said that Motiwala was suffering from acute depression and cannot be flown to the US to face money laundering, drug trafficking and underworld crime charges.
Motiwala, one of the trusted aides of Dawood Ibrahim, was arrested in London in August 2018 on money laundering and drug trafficking charges, following a tip-off from the FBI.
In fact, Pakistan fears that once Motiwala is extradited to the US, the close aide of D-Company can reveal the entire nexus between Dawood Ibrahim's underworld network (being operated from Karachi) and the don's connection with Pakistan's spy agency, the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI).
The US has already declared Dawood Ibrahim a global terrorist running an international drug syndicate and sharing the gang's routes with Pakistan-based terror outfits.

Jul 02, 2019

Iran Breaks Uranium Enrichment Limit

Iran acknowledged it had broken the limit set on its stockpile of low-enriched uranium by the 2015 nuclear deal, marking its first major departure from the agreement a year after the US unilaterally withdrew from the accord.
Iran had been expected for days to acknowledge it broke the limit after earlier warning it would do so.
Iran threatened to increase its enrichment of uranium closer to weapons-grade levels by July 7.
Under terms of the nuclear deal, Iran agreed to have less than 300kg of uranium enriched to a maximum of 3.67%. Previously, Iran enriched as high as 20%, which is a short technical step away from reaching weapons-grade levels. It also held up to 10,000 kg of the higher-enriched uranium.

Sirisena Rejects Appeal on Death Penalty

Sri Lanka's President rejected a telephone appeal by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to reconsider his push to reintroduce the death penalty after 43 years.
Antonio Guterres had telephoned him after Sirisena signed four death warrants.
He accused the European Union of interfering in the internal affairs of his country, and said that EU diplomats had threatened him with tariffs if Sri Lanka went ahead with the executions.

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