General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - May 2017

May 2017

Mar 15, 2019

MPs Reject Second Referendum Proposal

The rollercoaster week for British politics continued, as a motion in Parliament enabling the government to seek an extension to the Brexit process has turned into an opportunity for MPs to seek alternatives, including a second referendum, and Parliament wresting control of the Brexit process from the government.
It came after the government suffered another significant and surprising defeat as MPs voted to reject a no-deal Brexit at any time, overriding the government's initial motion that ruled out no-deal but only on March 29 and left open the possibility of it taking place at a later stage.
Speaker John Bercow has selected four amendments to the new government motion due to be voted on, including one calling for a second referendum, with the choice of remaining in the EU as one of the options.

China and US to Push Back Trump-Xi Summit

As per reports, a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping to resolve the ongoing trade war won`t take place in March and is more likely to occur in April at the earliest.
Negotiators from both countries have been working towards a deal to resolve the trade dispute.

U.K. Lifts Cap on PhD-level Work Visas

Indians are among the largest group of professionals set to benefit from a new U.K. government plan to remove any limit on the number of PhD-level work visas to be granted.
U.K. Chancellor Philip Hammond announced in a Budget update, referred to as the annual Spring Statement, that from later this year all such highly-qualified roles will be exempted from any cap on the numbers that can apply and come to work in Britain.
From Autumn 2019, PhD-level occupations will be exempt from the Tier 2 (General) cap, and at the same time the government will update the immigration rules on 180-day absences so that researchers conducting fieldwork overseas are not penalised if they apply to settle in the U.K.

U.S. Senate Votes to End Emergency

The U.S. Senate passed a proposal to terminate President Donald Trump's declaration of an emergency at the southern border, with 12 Republicans defying the President, and Mr. Trump vowing a veto.
The 59-41 vote marks the second Senate rebuke of Mr. Trump in two days. Senators approved a resolution seeking to end U.S. support for the Saudi Arabia-led coalition in the war in Yemen, rejecting Mr. Trump's policy toward the kingdom.
During the first two years of his term, the Republican-led Congress mostly accommodated Mr. Trump, who has not yet used his veto pen.

Mar 14, 2019

California Governor Halts Death Penalty

California Governor Gavin Newsom has announced that he will place a moratorium on the State's use of the death penalty by signing an executive order.
This will mean that the 737 prisoners on California's death row will not be executed while the moratorium is in effect.
Mr. Newsom, who became the Golden State's Governor in January, said that he is morally opposed to capital punishment and had promised such a move as part of his campaign.
California is the country's most populous State and has the most number of inmates on death row.

British MPs Seek to Rule Out no-deal Exit

British MPs will vote on whether or not they want to avoid a no-deal Brexit, a day after the Prime Minister's withdrawal deal was resoundingly rejected by a margin of 148 in the House of Commons.
The motion does not, however, eliminate the risk of a no-deal crash-out, simply Parliament's intention to avoid that scenario.
Crashing out of the EU will remain the default position for March 29 unless the U.K. and the EU agree a delay, or a deal is agreed, or if Article 50 is revoked.
If MPs back the motion to rule out a no-deal exit, brought by the government, and on which Conservative MPs will have a free vote on, then the MPs will be given a vote on whether or not to ask for an extension from the EU.

China Places Hold on Listing Azhar

China once again blocked the proposal to blacklist Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed's chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist by the UN Security Council by placing a technical hold on it.
The proposal was moved by France, the UK and the US on February 27, days after the Pulwama terror attack that increased tensions between Pakistan and India.
The listing would have put strict restrictions on Azhar, including the seizure of his assets.
China, a veto-wielding permanent member of the Security Council has blocked India's proposal from being adopted by the Sanctions Committee in 2009 and 2016.
In 2017, Beijing also blocked a move by the US, the UK and France to designate Azhar as a "global terrorist" by the UN.

U.K. Unveils Tariff Plan

Ahead of the parliamentary vote on whether MPs want to rule out crashing out of the EU without a deal, the government published details of a temporary tariff regime that would apply to goods in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
While tariffs on 87% of goods would be reduced to zero as part of the 12-month plan, tariffs would apply to certain industries, including the farming sector, and to finished vehicles to support the automotive sector. To avoid disruption on supply chains, carmakers relying on EU supply chains, such as Jaguar Land Rover, won't face additional tariffs on car parts.
The government has also said it would temporarily take steps to avoid new border checks on goods at the border between Ireland and Northern Ireland, for goods that would remain on the island. However, its plans have done little to allay concerns of business.

Mar 13, 2019

Brexit Could Be Lost

Theresa May warned MPs that Brexit could be lost unless they backed her deal, as she sought to persuade them to back her deal.
Meanwhile, she suffered a major political blow as Britain's Attorney-General said that despite legally binding changes to the EU withdrawal deal, the legal risk of the U.K. being locked in an indefinite backstop with the EU remained unchanged.
The advice published by Geoffrey Cox QC on three changes to the withdrawal deal (not included in the withdrawal agreement itself) said that the legal risk had been reduced but not eliminated entirely, and that the U.K. had no internationally lawful means of exiting the protocol's arrangements, save by agreement.

Pakistan Assures that it Will Deal Firmly' with Terrorists

According to National Security Advisor John Bolton, Pakistan has assured the U.S. that it would deal firmly with all terrorists operating from the country, and take steps to de-escalate tensions with India.
The assurance was given by Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi.

UK to Raise New Battalion of Gurkha Rifles

The Theresa May government in the United Kingdom announced plans to establish a new battalion of Royal Gurkha Rifles, which has a history dating to the East India Company, and saw action in the two World Wars and several contemporary conflicts.
The 3rd Battalion Royal Gurkha Rifles is to be established as a Specialised Infantry Battalion and will begin recruiting in 2019. All Gurkha soldiers are recruited in Nepal.
For more than 200 years, Gurkhas have been an integral part of the British Armed Forces and have demonstrated exceptional military aptitude, with a 100% pass rate through basic training.

Pulling Out Diplomats from Venezuela

The U.S. is pulling out its last remaining diplomats from Venezuela, saying their continued presence at the country's embassy in Caracas had become a constraint on U.S. policy as the Trump administration aggressively looks to oust socialist President Nicolas Maduro.
The U.S. has led an international effort to replace Mr. Maduro with Opposition leader Juan Guaido, who vows to hold a new Presidential election.
Mr. Guaido is backed by some 50 countries, while Mr. Maduro maintains support from countries such as China, Russia and Cuba.
Mr. Maduro ordered all U.S. diplomats to leave Venezuela in late January because of its support for Mr. Guaido, but he later retreated and allowed them to stay.
The U.S. still withdrew the bulk of embassy personnel, leaving skeletal staff led by career foreign service officer James Story.

Xinjiang Camps for Jobs and Education

A Chinese official rejected international criticism of internment camps in the restive Xinjiang region, calling them job training centres that will gradually disappear if one day society no longer needs them.
According to estimates cited by a UN panel, nearly one million Uighurs and other mostly Muslim Turkic minorities are being held in detention centres in Xinjiang.
But Beijing has denied the accusations, saying people are attending "vocational education centres" to rid them of any extremist thoughts in a region that was hit by deadly riots and attacks in recent years.

Mar 12, 2019

Trump Unveils Proposal for Wall Funding

U.S. President Donald Trump unveiled his proposal for billions in fresh border wall funding and repeated his demand for Republican loyalty at the Senate ahead of a vote on the emergency declaration.
The Senate is expected to vote in the second half of this week on a Democratic effort to nullify Mr. Trump's emergency declaration.

TNA and JVP Agree to Cooperate

Members of Sri Lanka's Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) agreed to work together on a progressive political agenda for the country.
The JVP and TNA have also resolved to work together for "a broader, progressive politics" for the country, which would challenge the two mainstream parties — the United National Party and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party — according to those present.
The meeting, anchored by JVP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake, TNA Leader R. Sampanthan and select MPs from both sides, lasted over an hour and covered a range of topics pertaining to the current political situation in Sri Lanka.

Mar 11, 2019

Removal of India from FATF Co-chair Post

Pakistan has asked the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to remove India as the co-chair of the international terror financing watchdog's Asia/Pacific Joint Group, which is reviewing Islamabad's progress on action against terrorism.
The FATF had in February said that Pakistan made "limited progress" in curbing terror financing and failed to show a proper understanding of the risks terrorist groups pose.
Pakistan faces economic sanctions if it fails to act.
In a letter to FATF president Marshall Billingslea, Pakistan Finance Minister Asad Umar asked him to appoint any other member country as the co-chair "to ensure that the review process is fair, unbiased and objective".

Iconic Chrysler Building to Be Sold

Owners of the Chrysler Building have reached a deal to sell the iconic New York City building for a little more than $150 million.
The sale price of the tower in midtown Manhattan, considered an Art Deco masterpiece, marks a significant loss for Emirati investment firm Mubadala, which paid $800 million for a 90 percent stake in 2008.
Real estate group Tishman Speyer, which had bought the building for a reported $210-250 million in 1997, retained a 10% stake.
As per reports, building owners do not own the ground beneath it and pay annual rent that went up from $7.75 million to $32 million in 2018 and was set to increase again to $41 million in 2028.
The Chrysler Building, which opened in 1930, stands 1,046 feet (319 meters) tall. It was the world's tallest building, but only for 11 months, after which it was dethroned by the Empire State Building, also in Manhattan.

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