General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - September 2017

Sep 2017

Jul 12, 2021

India Evacuates Diplomats, Security Personnel from Kandahar as Taliban Captures New Areas

India has pulled out around 50 diplomats and security personnel from its consulate in Kandahar in Afghanistan in view of the deteriorating security situation and the Taliban gaining control of new areas around the southern Afghan city.
A special aircraft of the Indian Air Force was sent to bring back the Indian diplomats, officials and other staff members, including a group of Indo-Tibetan Border Police personnel.
India's move to temporarily shut the consulate in Kandahar came in view of Taliban fighters rapidly seizing control of a number of key areas in the region as well as in western Afghanistan triggering huge security concerns.

Abiy Ahmed wins landslide victory in Ethiopian election

Ethiopia's ruling Prosperity party has been declared the winner of 2021's national election in a landslide, assuring a second term for the prime minister, Abiy Ahmed.
The National Election Board of Ethiopia that the ruling party won 410 seats out of 436 in the federal parliament, which will see some seats remain vacant because no vote was held as a result of unrest or logistical reasons.
The vote was a test for Abiy, who came to power in April 2018 after the former prime minister resigned amid widespread protests. Abiy oversaw dramatic political reforms, but critics say he is backtracking from some promises on political and media freedoms. He also has drawn intense international criticism for his handling of the conflict in the Tigray region has that left thousands of people dead.

Hong Kong 'unnerved' by Chinese Security Law

As many as 60% of the citizens in Hong Kong have reportedly expressed doubts about their futures under the draconian national security law that was imposed by China on the city back in June last year. The impact of the legislation imposed by the Xi Jinping-led communist government in China has left a "chilling effect" on the people of Hong Kong.
The council had, in its report marking the 24th anniversary of the handover of Hong Kong to China, said that the US-based Freedom House gave the territory the worst rating in the history of its Freedom in the World report at 52 points, back in March. Hong Kong was ranked "partly free," due mainly to the security legislation.
Germany's Global Public Policy Institute and Reporters Without Borders similarly downgraded the territory in their respective reports on academic and press freedom, it added.

Leaders of North Korea, China vow to strengthen ties

The North Korean and Chinese leaders expressed their desire Sunday to further strengthen their ties as they exchanged messages marking the 60th anniversary of their countries' defense treaty.
In a message to Chinese President Xi Jinping, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said it is "the fixed stand" of his government to "ceaselessly develop the friendly and cooperative relations" between the countries, the official Korean Central News Agency said.
Xi said in his message that "he is willing to provide greater happiness to the two countries ... by strengthening the strategic communication with (Kim) to properly control the direction of the advance of the China-(North Korea) relations and by steadily leading the relations of friendship and cooperation between the two countries to a new stage," KCNA said.
North Korea has been expected to seek greater support from China, its major ally and aid benefactor, as it grapples with economic hardship exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic and crippling US-led sanctions over its nuclear weapons program. China, for its part, sees preventing a North Korean collapse as crucial to its security interests and would need to boost ties with North Korea and other traditional allies amid fierce rivalry with the United States.

Jul 11, 2021

US State Secretary Discusses Afghanistan Issue with Pakistan FM

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken underscored the importance of bilateral relations with Pakistan in a telephonic conversation with his counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi, amidst a rapid withdrawal of American and NATO troops from neighbouring Afghanistan.
The conversation took place in the backdrop of reports that the Taliban has made huge territorial gains in Afghanistan. Taliban militants are now thought to control about a third of the war-torn country.
The Secretary and the Foreign Minister discussed the importance of continued US-Pakistan cooperation on the Afghanistan peace process following the visit to the United States by Afghan President Ghani and Chairman Abdullah.

Meena Seshamani Appointed to Key US Medicare Position

Indian-American health policy expert Dr. Meena Seshamani, who served on the leadership of the Biden-Harris transition Health and Human Services (HHS) agency review team, has been appointed as the Director of the US Centre for Medicare.
Sheshamani will lead the Centre's efforts in serving the people 65 or older, people with disabilities and people with End-Stage Renal Disease that rely on Medicare coverage.
Dr. Meena Seshamani brings her diverse background as a health care executive, health economist, physician and health policy expert to CMS, said CMS (Centres for Medicare & Medicaid Services) Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure.

Jul 10, 2021

Sustainable Development Goals Report 2021

Sustainable Development Goals Report 2021 was published by UN department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA). It was launched at 2021 session of High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF).
Report highlights the impacts of COVID-19 on SDG implementation. It also identifies areas which require urgent and coordinated action. Report was prepared using data and estimates in Global SDG Indicators Database comprising of global, regional and country data & metadata on official SDG indicators.

Jul 09, 2021

Fourth Rajapaksa Sibling Joins Govt.

Basil Rajapaksa, the youngest of the four Rajapaksa siblings, was sworn in as Sri Lanka's Finance Minister, marking the further consolidation of political power by the powerful clan in the island nation.
Basil became the fourth Rajapaksa brother after President Gotabaya, Prime Minister Mahinda, and Agricultural Minister Chamal to enter the Cabinet. He took the oath before President Gotabaya. With the entry of Basil in the Cabinet, there are as many as seven family members in the top echelons of the government.
The Finance Ministry was under Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa. Mahinda has now been given a new portfolio of economic policy and plan implementation.

Sri Lanka Issues Gold Coins to Mark Chinese Communist Party's Centenary Anniversary

As China's ruling Communist Party turned a century old, Sri Lanka issued two gold and one silver coins to commemorate the occasion and mark 65 years of its ties with Beijing. The move assumes significance as this is first time Sri Lanka has minted coins to honour a political party of another country.
The coins were minted by Sri Lanka's Central Bank. "The coins have been issued at the request of the government as an accolade for long-standing friendship and mutual trust between the two countries", the bank stated. The commemorative coins are of rupees 1,000 denominations.
The last time the island-nation minted a gold coin was in 1998 to celebrate its 50th anniversary of independence from Britain.
In 2012, the Central Bank had issued a nickel-plated silver coin to mark the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations with Japan.

Jul 08, 2021

Haiti President Jovenel Moise Assassinated

Haitian President Jovenel Moise was assassinated after a group of unidentified people attacked his private residence.
Interim Premier Claude Joseph condemned what he called a hateful, inhumane and barbaric act, adding that Haiti's National Police and other authorities had the situation in the Caribbean country under control.
The nation of more than 11 million people had grown increasingly unstable and disgruntled under Mose's rule. Its economic, political and social woes have deepened, with gang violence spiking heavily in the capital of Port-au-Prince, inflation spiraling and food and fuel becoming scarcer at times in a country where 60% of the population makes less than USD 2 a day.
Moise had been ruling by decree for more than two years after the country failed to hold elections, which led to Parliament being dissolved.

Iran Hosts Afghan Peace Talks

Iran hosted the first significant talks in months between Taliban and Afghan Government representatives, a surprise meeting that comes as the US completes its withdrawal from Afghanistan and districts fall to the Taliban across the country.
The high-level peace talks between the warring sides follow months-old discussions in Qatar that have been stalled by a diplomatic stalemate and escalating violence. Even as officials faced each other across vast tables in Tehran and Iran's top diplomat pledged to end the crisis, fighting surged in Afghanistan's Badghis.
The Taliban political committee, led by chief negotiator Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, met Afghan government officials, including former Vice-President Younus Qanooni and others from the High Council for National Reconciliation.

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