General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - May 2017

May 2017

Feb 21, 2019

Venezuela Suspends Links with Dutch-controlled Island

Venezuela's military said that it was on alert at its frontiers following threats by U.S. President Donald Trump. The country also suspended air and sea links with the island of Curaçao ahead of a planned aid shipment.
Opposition leader and self-declared interim President Juan Guaidó has vowed to bring aid in from various points "one way or another" despite military efforts to block it.
Regional commander Vladimir Quintero later confirmed that Venezuela had ordered the suspension of air and sea links with Curaçao and the other two Dutch-controlled islands of Aruba and Bonaire.

Putin Threatens West

Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened to deploy new missiles against Western capitals as he delivered a state of the nation address aimed at boosting falling approval ratings.
The long-time Russian leader warned Washington against deploying any new missiles in Europe following the collapse of a key Cold War-era treaty.
The U.S. and Russia raised fears of a new arms race when they announced earlier this year that they were pulling out of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty, a 1987 deal that limited medium-range missiles.

Feb 20, 2019

France to Move a Proposal at the UN

In a significant development, France will be moving a proposal at the UN in a "couple of days" to ban Masood Azhar, chief of the UN-proscribed JeM which has claimed responsibility of the Pulwama terror strike that left 40 CRPF personnel dead.
This will be the second time France will be party to such a proposal at the UN. In 2017, the US, supported by the UK and France, had moved a proposal at the UN's Sanctions Committee 1267 to ban the chief of the Pakistan-based terror outfit.
However, the proposal was blocked by China.
The French decision was discussed between Philippe Etienne, Diplomatic Advisor to the French President and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.

Trump Sued Over Border Wall Emergency

Sixteen U.S. states sued President Donald Trump's administration over his decision to declare a national emergency to fund a wall on the southern border with Mexico, and said that the move violated the Constitution.
Mr. Trump announced the emergency in order to bypass Congress, which approved only a quarter of the $5.6 billion he wanted for the wall in a spending Bill.

Feb 19, 2019

Venezuela Expels European MPs

Venezuela expelled five visiting European lawmakers, an act which Opposition leader Juan Guaidó branded irrational as his showdown with President Nicolás Maduro over the arrival of international aid intensifies.
The incident is the latest point of tension between the international community and Mr. Maduro, who is in the grip of a power struggle with Mr. Guaidó.

MPs Quit Labour Party

A group of MPs from Britain's Opposition Labour Party broke away in protest at leader Jeremy Corbyn's support for Brexit and his failure to stamp out anti-Semitism.
The seven MPs included Chuka Umunna, who has led a campaign for a second referendum that could stop Brexit and was once seen as a potential leader of the centre-left party.
The seven MPs will form a breakaway independent group in Parliament.
Many Labour voters, particularly in northern England, chose to leave the EU in the 2016 referendum — but a majority of Labour MPs and members supported staying in.

Feb 18, 2019

Riyadh Defends App that Allows Men to Track Women

Saudi Arabia defended a mobile app that allows men in the kingdom to track women relatives after rights groups and a U.S. lawmaker criticised tech giants for offering it.
The Absher app provides services for all members of the society, including women, the elderly, and people with special needs.
The free app is available on Android and Apple smartphones and allows users to renew passports, visas and eases a variety of other electronic services.
But critics have said the app enables abuse against women and girls by allowing men to track their movements.

Iran Summons Pakistan Envoy

Iran summoned Pakistan's ambassador after Tehran accused Islamabad of harbouring the terror outfit responsible for the deadly terror attack on its security forces.
Iran lodged an official protest with Pakistan's envoy over the suicide attack in Sistan-Baluchestan province that claimed the lives of 27 paramilitary forces on February 13.
Iran Foreign Ministry spokesperson Bahram Ghasemi conveyed to Pakistani Ambassador Rafat Masoud that Tehran expected Islamabad to make a serious and decisive action against the Jaish al-Adl outfit operating in Pakistani.
The terror outfit claimed responsibility for the attack.
Iran which borders Pakistan shares a nearly 1,000 km between the two countries.
Iran has witnessed several cross-border attacks carried out by Jaish al-Adl and other affiliated groups.

Saudi Crown Prince in Pakistan

Visiting Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman has expressed optimism about the economic future of Pakistan, and said that his country had been waiting for a leadership like that of Prime Minister Imran Khan to partner with Islamabad in various areas.
According to Mohammad bin Salman, Salman believes that Pakistan is going to be a very, very important country in the coming future and Salman wants to be sure Saudi is part of that.
The Saudi royal said that his country would collaborate with Pakistan economically, politically and in terms of security.
The two countries signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) for bilateral cooperation worth $20 billion.
The deals include exploration of investment opportunities in refining and petrochemical sectors; cooperation in the field of sports; financing agreement for the import of Saudi goods; power generation projects; and development of renewable energy projects.

Feb 17, 2019

Last-minute Nigeria Election Delay

Nigerians hoping to cast their ballots in elections were instead turned away from polling stations after the Electoral Commission's snap decision to delay the vote by a week.
President Muhammadu Buhari was deeply disappointed by last-gasp postponement and called for calm, as rumours swirled on both sides of a plot to rig the vote. Leading Opposition candidate Atiku Abubakar was absolutely not comfortable with the delay.
Both Mr. Buhari and Mr. Abubakar headed to Abuja from their home towns in northern Nigeria for a meeting with electoral officials to discuss the postponement.
Members of the Independent National Electoral Commission held emergency talks and after examining the logistics plans concluded the timetable was "no longer feasible".
Presidential and parliamentary elections are now set for February 23, and governorship and State Assembly elections have been pushed back to March 9.

Sri Lanka Seeks to Revive Northern Province

With a partial debt write off, a cap on lending rates of micro-finance companies and an imminent master plan for economic development, the Sri Lankan government has sought to revive the war-affected northern region.
Recently, Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera who was in Jaffna, along with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, announced that the government was writing off debts amounting to LKR 1,400 million, in 13 districts including the five northern districts.
The government has also passed a regulation to cap interest rates at 35% per annum.

Pakistan Faces Heat from Iran and India

Pakistan's nefarious designs to shelter and support terrorist organisations has forced the country to fight fire on its western as well as eastern borders.
Both Iran and India have tightened the noose on Islamabad for its role in the killing of its security forces.
India has maintained that Pakistan uses terror organisations to wage proxy wars, its scathing attack on the country comes in the aftermath of the ghastly attack on a CRPF convoy in J&K's Awantipora.
Iran, in no uncertain terms, warned Pakistan that it would pay a heavy price for harbouring terrorists who killed 27 of its elite Revolutionary Guards in a suicide attack earlier in the week.

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