General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - May 2017

May 2017

Jul 01, 2018

Four Sites Added to UNESCO's World Heritage List

The World Heritage Committee, meeting in Manama under the chair of Shaikha Haya Bint Rashed al-Khalifa of Bahrain, inscribed four cultural sites on the World Heritage List

The new World Heritage sites, in order of inscription, are: Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensemble of Mumbai (India), Sassanid Archaeological Landscape of Fars region (Islamic Republic of Iran), Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region (Japan) and Sansa, Buddhist Mountain Monasteries in Korea (Republic of Korea).

Pakistan's First Sikh Newsreader

In a first, a Sikh man has been hired as an anchor by a news channel in Pakistan.

Harmeet Singh, who is a resident of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province's Chakesar city, has joined the Public News channel.

Recently, Manmeet Kaur had become the first female Sikh reporter in Pakistan.

Jun 30, 2018

Japan to Buy Advanced U.S. Radar

Japan will buy a U.S.-made advanced radar for its multibillion-dollar missile defence system, an upgrade that could help ease trade friction with Washington and provide cutting-edge protection against the arsenals of North Korea and China.

International Day of Parliamentarism

For the first time, June 30 this year is celebrated as the International Day of Parliamentarism. It is also the date, in 1889, on which the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) - the global organization of parliaments - was established.

IOM Gets New Director General

Member states of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) elected Portugal's Antonio Manuel de Carvalho Ferreira Vitorino as the IOM's next Director General.

IOM's current Director General, William Lacy Swing, will be stepping down after completing the second of two five-year terms.

Vitorino is expected to begin his directorship on Oct. 1 of 2018.

Jun 29, 2018

Indian-origin Judge in the Race

As per reports, Amul Thapar an Indian-American legal luminary is among the 25 shortlisted judges U.S. President Donald Trump could nominate to replace Justice Anthony Kennedy.
Last year, Mr. Trump appointed Mr. Thapar as a District Judge in Kentucky.

BP's Acquisition of UK's Largest EV Charging Firm

Majority of Britain's electric vehicle (EV) may soon start running on British Petroleum's charge. BP has entered into an agreement to purchase Chargemaster, the UK's largest electric vehicle (EV) charging company.
Chargemaster operates the UK's largest public network of EV charging points, with over 6,500 across the country.
BP's presence in India is majorly in the areas of technology and upstream oil and gas sector. It is in 30 per cent partnership with Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) for its major blocks including the flagship KG-D6.

Trump-Putin Summit

US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold a summit in July in Helsinki.
The two leaders will discuss relations between the United States and Russia and a range of national security issues.

Jun 28, 2018

Polish Law on Holocaust Amended

Poland amended a controversial Holocaust law that sparked outrage in Israel by imposing jail terms on anyone claiming that the government was responsible for Nazi German war crimes.

The amendment removes fines or criminal penalties of up to three years in prison for anyone found guilty of ascribing Nazi crimes to the Polish nation.

Pakistan Back on Terrorism Financing Grey List

Pakistan has officially been put on the grey list of countries for financially aiding terrorism by global anti-terror financing watchdog Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

The decision was taken during a plenary meeting in Paris, with the global watchdog arguing that Pakistan has failed to act against terror financing on its soil.

Pakistan was previously on the grey list from 2012 to 2015.

Operations at North Korea's Nuclear Search Centre

According to reports, North Korea is carrying out rapid improvements to its nuclear research facility, despite declaring a commitment to denuclearisation of the peninsula at the Singapore summit.

Recent satellite imagery showed that not only were operations continuing at present at the North's main Yongbyon nuclear site, it was also carrying out infrastructure works.

Tariffs on Indian Goods to be Lowered

China will reduce or cut to zero tariffs on a total of 8,549 types of goods originating in India and four other Asian countries from July 1. The adjustment, covering products made in India, Bangladesh, Laos, South Korea and Sri Lanka, was part of the tariff concession arrangement reached under the Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement.

The goods include chemicals, agricultural and medical products, clothing, steel and aluminium products.

Jun 27, 2018

China to Cut Import Tariffs

China announced it will cut tariffs on soybean imports from India and four other Asia-Pacific countries to zero and reduce duties on a few more items as Beijing prepares for a looming trade war with Washington.

The reduction of duties, announced by the State Council or China's cabinet, will take effect from July 1. The decision reflected Beijing's efforts to seek alternative sources of items it needs at competitive products.

Iran Will Not Give in to U.S. Pressure

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani lambasted U.S. President Donald Trump's withdrawal from a deal with Iran on its nuclear programme and said that Iranians will not give in to U.S. pressure but would defend their independence and Islamic values.

According to Rouhani, Iran maintained the right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes.

A Big Legal Win for Trump

The U.S. Supreme Court handed U.S. President Donald Trump one of the biggest victories of his presidency, upholding his travel ban targeting several Muslim-majority countries and rejecting the argument that it represented unconstitutional religious discrimination. The 5-4 ruling, with the court's five conservatives in the majority, ended a fierce fight in the courts over whether the policy amounted to an unlawful Muslim ban.

Brexit Bill Becomes Law

A Bill enacting Britain's decision to leave the European Union (EU) has become law after months of debate.

The EU (Withdrawal) Bill, which repeals the 1972 European Communities Act through which Britain became a member, had received royal assent from Queen Elizabeth II.

The Bill transfers decades of European law onto British statute books in a bid to avoid any legal disruption.

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