General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - November 2017

Nov 2017

Dec 26, 2020

UK clinch Narrow Brexit Accord from European Union

Britain clinched a narrow Brexit trade deal with the European Union, just seven days before it exits one of the world`s biggest trading blocs in its most significant global shift since the loss of empire.
The deal, agreed more than four years after Britain voted by a slim margin to leave the bloc, offers a way out of a chaotic finale to a divorce that has shaken the 70-year project to forge European unity from the ruins of World War Two.
It will preserve Britain`s zero-tariff and zero-quota access to the bloc`s single market of 450 million consumers, but will not prevent economic pain and disruption for the United Kingdom or for EU member states.

Dec 25, 2020

The UK and EU Ready to Unveil Brexit Trade Accord

Negotiators from the European Union and Britain worked through the night and right into Christmas Eve to put an end to the historic Brexit Trade Accord, which is expected to be announced very soon.
After resolving the remaining fair completion and almost all fisheries issues, negotiators combed through hundreds of pages of legal text that should become the blueprint for post-Brexit relationship.
The agreement, which will formally complete Britain's separation from the bloc four-and-a-half years after the 2016 referendum, will allow for tariff and quota-free trade in goods and cooperation in areas from security to aviation.
The outline of the deal was agreed, and an announcement is expected very soon. Meanwhile in Brussels, chief negotiators were still working to nail down the exact wording of the final treaty in the European Commission's headquarters.

Alex Padilla to Replace Kamala Harris in US Senate

Alex Padilla has been named to replace Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris in the US Senate by California Governor Gavin Newsom, filling the remainder of her term in the Upper House.
He is the first Latino to represent California in the house and a close ally of Mr. Newsom.
The son of Mexican immigrants, he became California's first Latino secretary of state in 2015.
He is due to hold the Senate seat until 2022 when Ms. Harris's term ends.

Prachanda-led Faction Elects Him as New Parliamentary Leader

Nepal Communist Party's executive chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' was elected as the ruling party's new parliamentary leader, replacing Prime Minister K. P. Sharma Oli.
The 66-year-old leader's nomination was proposed by senior leader Madhav Kumar Nepal, who was earlier named as one of the two chairmen of the party, at a parliamentary party meeting of the Prachanda-led faction at the Parliament Building in New Baneshwar.

Dec 24, 2020

Trump Refuses to Sign Covid Relief Bill

US President Donald Trump has refused to sign the Covid relief Bill, saying the $600 stimulus payment to most Americans was not enough as he asked Congress to increase the amount to $2,000.
Despite all of this wasteful spending and much more, the $900 billion package provides hard-working taxpayers with only $600 each in relief payments, and not enough money is given to small businesses and in particular restaurants whose owners have suffered grievously.
Meanwhile, the US will pay Pfizer Inc nearly $2 billion for 100 million additional doses of its Covid vaccine to bolster its supply as the country grapples with a nationwide spike in infections. Under the new agreement, Pfizer will deliver at least 70 million doses by June 30.

Kosovo Pins UN Membership Hopes on Biden Presidency

Kosovars cattle seller hopes incoming US President Joe Biden will help the small Balkan country's push for United Nations membership.
Biden is respected in Kosovo for his active support of the 1999 NATO bombing of Serbia to halt the killing and expulsion of ethnic Albanians in its then southern province. Kosovo declared independence in 2008 but Belgrade refuses to recognize it.
Many hope that a Biden administration, which is likely to take more of a multilateral and diplomatic approach aimed at repairing Washington's relationships with its key NATO allies, will actively help Kosovo's bid for a U.N. seat.

Dec 23, 2020

Leaders Seek Way Out of Brexit Trade Impasse

Leaders and negotiators from the European Union and the United Kingdom continued their struggle to get a trade deal past the New Year's Day finish line as EU nations looked at legal options to do it without formal European Parliament backing.
Over the past few days, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen have been drawn more and more into the talks and have been in contact seeking to unblock negotiations on the last major outstanding difference — EU fishing rights in UK waters.

Israeli Government Collapses

Israel's divided government collapsed early, triggering the country's fourth election in under two years and bringing an unprecedented threat to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's lengthy grip on power.
Netanyahu, who is used to labelling his opponents as weak leftists, finds himself confronted by a trio of disgruntled former aides who share his hard-line ideology, led by a popular lawmaker who recently broke away from the prime minister's Likud party.
Whether Netanyahu can fend off these challenges or not, the country is almost certain to be led by a right-wing politician opposed to concessions to the Palestinians, complicating hopes of the incoming Biden administration to restart peace talks.

US Congress Stings China with new Tibet Law on the Next Dalai Lama

The US Congress has passed a bill that reaffirms the right of Tibetans to choose a successor to their spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama. The law has been described by Dharamshala, the seat of the Tibetan government-in-exile, as a historic move and a clear message to China.
The Tibetan Policy and Support Act of 2020 (TPSA), which was passed by the US Senate, calls for the establishment of a US consulate in Tibet's main city of Lhasa and underlines the absolute right of Tibetans to choose a successor to the Dalai Lama.

Dec 22, 2020

Opponents of Nepal PM's Challenge Constitutional Coup in Court

Opponents of Nepal's Prime Minister turned to the Supreme Court to challenge his dissolution of parliament and the calling of an election, denouncing it as a constitutional coup.
Prime Minister K. P. Sharma Oli's dissolution of parliament raises the prospect of months of political turmoil in the Himalayan country as it battles the novel coronavirus.
Seven government ministers stepped down after Oli's dissolution saying it was violation of the "popular mandate" given to them in a 2017 general election.
Under the Constitution, the Prime Minister has no prerogative to dissolve parliament.

India and Vietnam Draw Three-year Road Map to Upgrade Ties

India and Vietnam adopted a "Joint Vision for Peace, Prosperity and People" during an hour-long virtual summit between Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Nguyen Xuan Phuc.
To implement this vision, a plan of action for the period 2021-2023 was also signed between the two Foreign Ministers, which identify concrete follow-up actions.
India and Vietnam also signed seven new agreements in areas, including scientific research, nuclear & renewable energy, petrochemicals, defence and cancer treatment.

Houston Post Office to be Named after Slain Sikh Police Officer

US President Donald Trump signed into law legislation to name a Texas post office after slain Sikh police officer Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal, who was gunned down in the line of duty during a routine traffic stop in Houston a year ago.
The post office named after Dhaliwal in Houston is only the second US post office to be named after an Indian American. The first one was named after the first Indian American Congressman Dalip Singh Saund in Southern California in 2006.

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