General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - November 2017

Nov 2017

Oct 28, 2020

Mateusz Morawiecki Defends Abortion Ruling

Poland's Prime Minister defended the tightening of the country's abortion law and condemned massive nationwide protests led by women's rights activists, and said that they should not be happening amid heightened coronavirus restrictions and decrying acts of aggression.
Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki reacted to five days of massive protests across Poland against a ruling by the country's top court that declared abortions due to fetal congenital defects unconstitutional.
The Constitutional Tribunal's ruling tightened what was already one of Europe's most restrictive abortion laws. When it takes effect, abortion will be permitted only when a pregnancy threatens the woman's health or is the result of crime like rape or incest.

US Urges Diplomacy as Nagorno-Karabakh Fighting Rages

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged Armenia and Azerbaijan to pursue a diplomatic solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict as fighting in and around the mountain enclave entered a second month, defying a ceasefire brokered in Washington.
Armenia acknowledged overnight that Nagorno-Karabakh forces had withdrawn from a strategic town between the enclave and the Iranian border, an apparent military gain for Azerbaijan.
World powers want to prevent a wider war that might suck in Turkey, an ally of Azerbaijan, and Russia, which has a defence pact with Armenia. The conflict is also close to pipelines that carry oil and gas from Azerbaijan to international markets.
Azerbaijan's military gains could make a diplomatic solution more difficult: it rejects any solution that would leave Armenians in control of an enclave that is part of Azerbaijan but populated and controlled by ethnic Armenians.

Saudi Arabia to Reform Kafala Worker Sponsorship System in 2021

Saudi Arabia plans to cancel a foreign worker sponsorship system, known as kafala, and replace it with a new form of contract between employers and employees.
Saudi Arabia, which this year is chairing the Group of 20 major economies (G20), seeks to boost the private sector, and make it more attractive to foreign talent - under an ambitious plan to diversify its oil-based economy.
The kafala system, which has been in place for seven decades in Saudi, generally binds a migrant worker to one employer. Rights groups criticised the system and said that it leaves workers vulnerable to exploitation.
The initiative will be implemented in the first half of 2021.
Currently more than 10 million foreign workers live in Saudi Arabia under the kafala system that requires them to be sponsored by a Saudi employer and be issued an exit/re-entry visa whenever they want to leave the country.

Sixth BRICS Parliamentary Forum

Indian Parliamentary delegation under the leadership of Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla attended the sixth BRICS Parliamentary Forum. It was chaired by the Chairman of State Duma of the Federal Assembly of Russia.
The speakers and members of other BRICS parliaments such as Brazil, China and South Africa participated in the meeting. The forum was held virtually under the theme 'BRICS Partnership in the interest of Global Stability, Innovative Growth and General Safety: Parliamentary dimension'.
The forum discussed improvement in quality of life of people in BRICS countries, social protection of citizens during COVID-19 pandemic, preparation of legislative initiatives in the area of public health care and economic rehabilitation in the post COVID-19 period. This includes support measures to MSMEs and development of future Parliamentary cooperation among BRICS countries.

Oct 27, 2020

Senate Confirms Amy Coney Barrett to US Supreme Court

The Senate voted 52-48 to confirm Amy Coney Barrett to the US Supreme Court, giving the court a 6-3 conservative majority that could determine the future of the Affordable Care Act and abortion rights.
All Democrats in the chamber voted against Barrett's confirmation, as did Republican Susan Collins of Maine, who agreed with Democratic objections to confirming a justice so close to the November 3 election.
President Donald Trump and his GOP allies in the Senate pushed for a quick confirmation of Barrett, and it came just 38 days after the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who for 27 years anchored the court's liberal wing.
Trump had said that he wanted his replacement for Ginsburg in place to avoid a deadlocked court should the outcome of the presidential election depend on a ruling, as was the case in 2000.

Brazil to Extend Military Deployment in Amazon Rainforest

According to Vice President Hamilton Mourao, Brazil's right-wing government will extend the military's deployment to fight destruction of the Amazon rainforest by five months through April 2021 from its previous November end date.
President Jair Bolsonaro would sign a decree by next week to extend the deployment to protect the world's largest rainforest, which acts as a curb on climate change by absorbing vast amounts of greenhouse gas.
Bolsonaro deployed the military to the Amazon in May this year (2020), repeating a similar deployment made in 2019 when fires spiked in the region and provoked international criticism that Brazil needed to do more to protect the world's largest rainforest.

Japan Rejects Nuclear Ban Treaty

Japan said that it would not sign a UN treaty that bans nuclear weapons and did not welcome its entry into force next year, rejecting the wishes of atomic bomb survivors in Japan who were urging the government to join and work for a nuclear-free world.
The United Nations confirmed that 50 countries have ratified the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, paving the way for its entry into force in 90 days.
The announcement was hailed by anti-nuclear activists, but the treaty has been strongly opposed by the United States and other major nuclear powers.

China to Sanction US Firms

China would impose sanctions on Lockheed Martin, Boeing Defense, Raytheon and other United States' companies involved in Washington's arms sales to Taiwan.
Zhao Lijian said that China was acting to protect its national interest, but did not spell out what form the sanctions would take.
The US State Department has approved the potential sale of three weapons systems to Taiwan, including sensors, missiles and artillery that could have a total value of $1.8 billion.
Beijing considers Taiwan a wayward province it has vowed to bring under control, by force if necessary.
China has imposed sanctions on Lockheed Martin and other US companies in the past for selling weapons to Taiwan, though it is unclear what form the penalties have taken.
The United States, like most countries, has no official diplomatic ties with Taiwan, but Washington is bound by law to provide the island with the means to defend itself.

Oct 26, 2020

Indian-origin Priest is Seychelles President

An Indian-origin priest from Bihar has been elected President of Seychelles which has a substantial population from the subcontinent.
Wavel Ramkalawan, whose grandfather came from Gopalganj, Bihar, defeated incumbent Danny Faure.
Ramkalawan, who had remained underground for some time during the one-party rule by Faure's predecessors, is opposed to the "Assumption agreement" for handing over an island to India.
In a reflection of the changing political climate in the country, a four-party parliamentary majority led by Ramkalawan's Linyon Demokratik Seselwa (LDS), has refused to ratify the agreement.

Punjabis Win British Columbia Election

Eight candidates of Punjabi origin have emerged winners in the British Columbia provincial elections in Canada. All eight belong to the ruling New Democratic Party, which secured an absolute majority with 55 seats in the 87-member House.
Three of them — Labour Minister Harry Bains, Deputy Speaker Raj Chouhan and Parliamentary Secretary Jagrup Brar — have been elected MLAs for the fifth time.
Chouhan won from Burnaby-Edmonds. He defeated Liberal Party's Tript Atwal, the daughter of former Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker and SAD leader Charanjit Singh Atwal. Brar retained his Surrey-Fleetwood seat. He belongs to Deon village in Bathinda.
Rachna Singh, daughter of Punjabi writer Dr. Raghbir Singh and an alumna of Panjab University, has been re-elected from Surrey-Green Timbers. She defeated Dilraj Atwal of the Liberal Party.
Ravi Kahlon retained his Delta North seat. Aman Singh defeated Jas Johal from Richmond-Queensborough. Jinny Sims and Niki Sharma won from Surrey-Panorama and Vancouver-Hastings, respectively.

Chile Votes to Rewrite Constitution

Chileans have voted overwhelmingly in support of rewriting their Constitution, which dates to the dictatorship of Gen Augusto Pinochet.
With nearly 90% of the vote counted, 78% of people had voted yes in a referendum that was called after mass protests against inequality.
President Sebastian Piñera acknowledged the result and praised the peaceful vote.
He said that it was the beginning of a path that we must all walk together.
A mass anti-government protest movement began in Chile a year ago. From the beginning one of the demonstrators' key demands was that the country needed a new constitution to be able to fix deep inequalities in society.
"Until now, the constitution has divided us," Mr. Piñera said as people took to the streets in celebration. "From today we must all work together so that the new constitution is the great framework of unity, stability and the future.

Guinean President Wins Third Term amid Stir

Guinea's President Alpha Conde has won a third term with 59.49 per cent of the vote, the National Independent Electoral Commission declared.
His victory came amid widespread protests that were violently suppressed by security forces.
Some people went on to the streets to protest immediately after the announcement. Such demonstrations have occurred for months after the government changed the constitution through a national referendum, allowing Condé to extend his decade in power.
Opposition candidate Cellou Dalein Diallo received 33.50% of the vote. Voter turnout was almost 80%.

Oct 25, 2020

Central Asia's Biggest State Takes Key Step towards Democracy

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has signed a decree scheduling Majilis elections for January 2021, in what can be described as a key step towards democracy in the region.
Majilis is the lower chamber of the Kazakh Parliament consisting of 107 deputies, who are elected for a five-year term.
The previous elections were held in March 2016. Six political parties participated in the elections and three of them including Nur Otan (82.2 per cent), AkZhol Democratic Party of Kazakhstan (7.18 per cent), the Communist People's Party of Kazakhstan (7.14 per cent), received more than 7 per cent of the votes and won the right to delegate their deputies to the chamber.
Currently, the Nur Otan party has a majority of 84 deputies in the Majilis, the Ak Zhol and the Communist People's party have 7 deputies each.

Malaysia's King to Consult with Rulers amid Talk of Emergency

Malaysia's King Al-Sultan Abdullah will consult with other rulers to discuss proposals by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, after the premier had asked the king to declare a state of emergency.
Muhyiddin met with the king to present the emergency proposal that includes a suspension of the Parliament, a move that opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim denounced as an attempt by the premier to retain control amid a power struggle.
The proposal comes as Malaysia faces a resurgence in coronavirus cases, a pandemic-battered economy and doubts over Muhyiddin's ability to command a majority in parliament and pass the budget for 2021.
The palace did not identify the recommendations made by Muhyiddin and said that the king would soon hold the consultation with other Malay rulers.

Sudan Joins UAE, Bahrain in Recognizing Israel

Sudan became the third country to join UAE and Bahrain in recognizing Israel. The United States recently brokered pacts between Israel and UAE and Bahrain. Under the agreement, UAE and Bahrain agreed to recognise Israel as an independent state.
In September 2020, UAE, Bahrain and Israel signed the first peace agreement in 26 years. The agreement was called the Abraham Accord.
Egypt was the first country to recognise Israel. Following Egypt Jordan recognised Israel by establishing peace with the country. After 26 years following Jordan, UAE signed a peace deal with Israel recently. After UAE, Bahrain became the fourth country to sign a peace deal with Israel.
On May 14, 1948, the head of Jewish agency David Ben Gurion proclaimed the establishment of Israel.

Oct 24, 2020

Libya Rivals Sign Ceasefire Deal in Geneva

Libya's warring factions have signed an agreement on a permanent ceasefire, after five days of talks in Geneva.
The deal between military leaders from Libya's government, and those from opposition forces lead by General Khalifa Haftar, was brokered by the UN.
Its Libya envoy Stephanie Williams called the agreement "a crucial sign of hope for the Libyan people".
Libya has been riven by violence since Col Muammar Gaddafi was deposed by Nato-backed forces in 2011.
The oil-rich nation is a key transit point for migrants heading to Europe from Africa, and many Libyans within the country have been forced from their homes.
The UN's envoy said that the ceasefire will allow displaced people and refugees inside and outside the country to return to their homes.

China Threatens to Stop Recognising BNO Passports

China threatened to stop recognising the UK-issued passports for Hong Kong residents after the country reaffirmed its plan to offer a route to its citizenship to thousands of people living in the former British colony.
The British government announced in July that it will open a new special pathway to obtaining British citizenship for eligible Hong Kongers from January 2021 after China imposed a new, sweeping national security law on Hong Kong.
The British offer is not for all residents of Hong Kong, but only those holding a British National Overseas (BNO) passport.
China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said that the Chinese government has repeatedly made clear its strong stance on this issue, but the British side has insisted on interfering with Hong Kong affairs and China's domestic issues.
As the British side broke its own promises, the Chinese government will consider not recognising the BNO passport as a valid travel document, and reserve the right to impose further measures.

India Assumes Chairmanship of International Labour Organisation

The Union Ministry of Labour announced that India has assumed the chairmanship of International Labour Organisation after 35 years. The current Labour Secretary Apurva Chandra has been elected as the chairperson of the Governing Body of ILO. He is to preside over the upcoming meeting of the Governing body in November 2020.
The Governing Body of the International Labour Organisation is the apex executive body. It decides on policies, agenda, programmes and elects the Director-General. Currently, there are 187 members associated with ILO.
India is one of the founding members of ILO. It was created in 1919 under Treaty of Versailles and became a specialized agency in 1946.
The organisation creates World Employment and Social Outlook Report and Global Wage Report.
Apurva Chandra is a 1988 batch IAS officer who spent more than seven years in Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. He has worked for over four years as Principal Secretary to the Government of Maharashtra. In 2017, he was appointed as the Directorate General (Acquisition) to strengthen Indian Armed Forces.

Facebook Poised to Face Antitrust Suit

US antitrust officials are nearing a final decision on bringing a lawsuit against Facebook that accuses the social media giant of using its dominance to harm competition, according to a person familiar with the matter.
The FTC has been investigating whether Facebook violated antitrust laws for more than year, including whether its acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp were designed to eliminate emerging competitive threats.

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