General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - September 2017

Sep 2017

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.

Jul 07, 2021

New York Governor Declares Gun Violence a Health Emergency

New York has become the first US state to declare a disaster emergency order to address rising gun violence.
New York State saw 51 shootings over the 4 July holiday weekend, Governor Andrew Cuomo said as he signed the executive order.
The directive will funnel $138.7m (£100m) towards gun violence intervention and prevention programmes.
It comes amid reports of a rise in gun deaths countrywide, including nearly 200 over the past weekend.
In March, the FBI released preliminary 2020 statistics showing a significant jump - 25% - in murders from the year before. So far, the upward trend has continued into 2021. In the US, the majority of homicides are gun-related.
US President Joe Biden unveiled a White House strategy to combat the rise in homicides in late June, which includes curtailing rogue gun dealers and firearms trafficking. It also delegates more funding for personnel - including law enforcement.

Trudeau Names Indigenous Leader in 'Historic' First

Canadian Prime Minister has named Mary Simon as governor general, the first indigenous person to hold the post.
The former diplomat and advocate for Inuit rights will represent Canada's head of state, Queen Elizabeth II.
The announcement comes nearly six months after the former governor general, Julie Payette, resigned amid accusations of bullying.
While the role is largely ceremonial, the governor general presides over important state duties.
Ms. Simon's appointment follows a national reckoning over Canada's legacy of residential schools. These government-funded boarding schools were part of policy to attempt to assimilate indigenous children and roll back indigenous cultures and languages.

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