General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - October 2017

Oct 2017

Jul 23, 2021

US, Germany Reach Agreement on Nord Stream 2 Gas Pipeline Project

The US and Germany have announced an agreement on the issue of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project, an effort to reduce the risk that the contentious project could pose to Ukraine.
The 1,230-km gas pipeline, expected to be completed next month, would bring 55 billion cubic meters of gas annually from Russia to Germany through the Baltic Sea.
According to a US-Germany joint statement, should Russia attempt to use energy as a weapon or commit further aggressive acts against Ukraine, Germany will take action at the national level and press for effective measures at the European level, including sanctions, to limit Russian export capabilities to Europe in the energy sector, including gas.

Taiwan Will Set up its First Office in Lithuania Using the Name 'Taiwan'

Using the name "Taiwan," Taiwan's government will set up its first office in Europe, in the Baltic nation of Lithuania. The Taiwan government has come up with this decision as it seeks to strengthen its diplomatic presence across the globe with the ever increasing pressure from Beijing.
This decision has drawn a rebuke from China while it was praised by the USA.
Joseph Wu, Foreign Minister of Taiwan announced the government's decision to open its office in Lithuania.
The other diplomatic outposts of Taiwan on the continent are named "Taipei."
Taiwan Affairs Office of Beijing has issued statement saying that the formation of the Lithuania office is an attempt at seeking independence. China has also urged Lithuania to adhere to China's one-China principle.

Jul 22, 2021

Ariel Henry is New Prime Minister of Haiti

Amid political turmoil caused by the assassination of President Jovenel Moise, Ariel Henry was appointed as the new Prime Minister of Haiti.
Ariel Henry, a neurosurgeon and former cabinet minister was tapped as Prime Minister by the President just days before he was gunned down.
Henry will lead the nation until a new President is chosen in an election scheduled for September.

Belarus' Embattled Opposition Leader Seeks New US Sanctions on Country

The main leader of Belarus' embattled opposition has sought and apparently won US support for increasing pressure on the country's authoritarian leader.
In meetings with senior US officials, Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya said that she asked the Biden administration for active and non-symbolic" measures to be taken in response to a massive crackdown on Belarus dissidents by President Alexander Lukashenko's government.
In response, the White House said national security adviser Jake Sullivan pledged to hold the government accountable for its actions to quell massive protests against disputed elections last year, including through the imposition of new sanctions on the former Soviet republic.

UNESCO Strips England's Liverpool of World Heritage Status

UNESCO, the United Nations' cultural agency, said that the English city of Liverpool has been stripped of its world heritage status after years of development near its Victorian docks.
After a vote in China by members of its World Heritage Committee, UNESCO said that Liverpool should be deleted from the international cultural organisation's list.
The vote means that Liverpool will lose the status it has held since 2004 that saw it placed alongside world famous sites like the Taj Mahal and the Great Wall of China.

Jul 21, 2021

Pedro Castillo Wins Presidential Election

Rural teacher-turned-political novice Pedro Castillo won Peru's presidential election after the country's longest electoral count in 40 years.
Castillo, whose supporters included Peru's poor and rural citizens, defeated Right-wing politician Keiko Fujimori by just 44,000 votes. Electoral authorities released the final official results, more than a month after the runoff election took place in the South American nation.
Wielding a pencil the size of a cane, the symbol of his Peru Libre party, Mr. Castillo popularised the phrase "No more poor in a rich country".

Saudi Arabia Ends Male Guardian Requirement for Women Attending Hajj

According to the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, Saudi Arabia, women can now register for the annual Hajj pilgrimage without a male guardian (marham). In registration guidelines of Hajj for domestic pilgrims, the ministry highlights, women do not need to require a male guardian to register and could do registration along with other women. Women wishing to perform Hajj will have to register individually.
India had announced the same rule in 2017 when the Modi government declared that women could go on Hajj without a male companion. Muslim women were exempted from mahram and also from the lottery system.

Jul 20, 2021

US, allies accuse China of Microsoft Exchange hack

The United States and its Nato, EU and Five Eyes allies on Monday jointly accused the Chinese government of using "criminal contract hackers" to carry out the hacking of Microsoft Exchange's mail servers earlier this year that impacted tens of thousands of entities around the world.
The White House has called the move "unprecedented". This is the first instance of the Nato, a military alliance of 30 nations, condemning China for cyberattacks.
The collection of countries in this effort is the largest to jointly denounce aggressive cyber operations by China. The EU has 27 members, and the Five Eyes is an intelligence sharing pact of the US, the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

UK Celebrates 'Freedom Day' But Covid Cases Peak

Day-to-day pandemic restrictions were lifted in England as the country's "freedom day" met with deep concern from scientists as coronavirus cases surge across the nation.
In other parts of the U.K. — Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland — devolved governments are taking more cautious steps and will not reopen fully.

China, Iran Diplomats Among People in Pegasus list: Report

A number once used by Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and those of dozens of diplomats in India from countries such as China and Iran are among potential targets selected by users of the Pegasus spyware programme.
Paris-based Forbidden Stories and Amnesty International have gained access to a leaked list of more than 50,000 records of phone numbers that clients of the Israeli company NSO Group, the developer of Pegasus, selected for surveillance.
More than 1,000 phone numbers in India were part of the list, according to 17 media outlets that examined the list.
The records included at least one number once used by Prime Minister Khan and that had been selected by a NSO client for surveillance.

Jul 19, 2021

Syrian President Assad takes Oath for 4th Term after Controversial Re-election

Syrian President Bashar Assad was sworn in for a fourth seven-year term in the war-torn country.
The May elections were described by the West and Assad's opposition as illegitimate and a sham.
The swearing-in ceremony was held at the presidential palace and attended by clergymen, members of parliament, political figures and army officers.
In power since 2000, Assad's re-election in a landslide was never in doubt. His new term starts with the country still devastated by 10 years of war and sliding deeper into a worsening economic crisis.

Afghanistan Recalls its Ambassador in Islamabad

Afghanistan has recalled its Ambassador in Islamabad.
In a statement, the Afghan Foreign Ministry said that following the abduction of the Afghan Ambassador's daughter in Pakistan, the Leadership of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan called back Afghanistan's Ambassador and senior diplomats from Pakistan until all security threats are addressed including the arrest and trial of the perpetrators of abduction.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs explicitly called on the Pakistani government to take immediate action to identify and punish the perpetrators of this crime and ensure the full security and immunity of Afghan diplomats and their families in accordance with international conventions.
The statement said that Ms. Silsila Alikhil was abducted for several hours in Islamabad.

UN Appeals to Assist Afghanistan's War Crisis with $850 Million

The UN humanitarian chief in Afghanistan appealed for USD 850 million to help the war-torn country cope with the impact of the Taliban offensive, protracted malnutrition for a third of the country, a severe drought, and the return of 627,000 Afghans this year, most of them deported from neighbouring Iran.
Ramiz Alakbarov told reporters at UN headquarters after a virtual briefing from the capital of Kabul that at least 18 million Afghans are in need of assistance and the UN plan is to provide help for at least 15.7 million of them.
But he said the UN's USD 1.3 billion appeal is only 37 per cent funded -- USD 450 million — with the United States the largest donor. He said the remaining the USD 850 million being sought is desperately needed.

U.S., Afghanistan, Pakistan, Uzbekistan to Form Quad Group

The US, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Uzbekistan have agreed in principle to establish a new quadrilateral diplomatic platform focused on enhancing regional connectivity, the Biden administration has said.
"The parties consider long-term peace and stability in Afghanistan critical to regional connectivity and agree that peace and regional connectivity are mutually reinforcing," the State Department said.
Recognising the historic opportunity to open flourishing interregional trade routes, the parties intend to cooperate to expand trade, build transit links, and strengthen business-to-business ties, it said.

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