General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - March 2018

Mar 2018

May 02, 2021

North Korea Accuses Joe Biden of Pursuing Hostile Policy over its Nuclear Programme

North Korea has hit out at the Biden administration as it prepares to unveil its strategy for dealing with Pyongyang and its nuclear programme.
The foreign ministry said that comments out of Washington showed President Joe Biden was intent on maintaining a "hostile policy".
Earlier this week, Mr. Biden called North Korea's nuclear programme a "serious threat" to global security.
The White House says he plans to take a "calibrated" approach to North Korea.
Spokeswoman Jen Psaki said on Friday that a review of US policy had been completed and suggested Mr Biden had learned from the experience of the previous four administrations who have tried, and failed, to get North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons programme.
"Our policy will not focus on achieving a grand bargain, nor will it rely on strategic patience," she said, saying that instead the US would pursue a "calibrated practical approach that is open to and will explore diplomacy" with North Korea while making "practical progress" on increasing security for the US and its allies.
The US is expected to host Japan and South Korea's national security advisers for a discussion about the review soon.

Pentagon to Cancel Trump's Mexico Wall Projects Using Military Funds

In the US, the Pentagon said that it was canceling the construction of parts of former US President Donald Trump's border wall with Mexico that were being built using military funds.
Pentagon spokesman Jamal Brown said that the Department of Defense is proceeding with canceling all border barrier construction projects paid for with funds originally intended for other military missions and functions such as schools for military children, overseas military construction projects in partner nations, and the National Guard and Reserve equipment account. He added that the returned funds would be used for deferred military construction projects.
Former US President Trump had declared a national emergency in 2019 in an effort to redirect funding to build a wall along the U.S. southern border. The diversion of funds from the Pentagon had been heavily criticized by US lawmakers, who said it put national security at risk and circumvented congress.
US President Joe Biden had issued a proclamation on January 20th, his first day in office, ordering a freeze on border wall projects and directing a review of the legality of its funding and contracting methods.

May 01, 2021

U.S. and European Countries Reject Syria Election Results in Advance

Western members of the UN Security Council, led by the United States, France and Britain, rejected the outcome of Syria's May 26 presidential election in advance, a position denounced by Russia as unacceptable.
The failure to enact a new constitution is proof positive that the so-called election on May 26 will be a sham," US ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said during a monthly session of the Security Council on Syria.
The regime of President Bashar al-Assad -- projected to win the vote under the current circumstances -- "must take steps to enable the participation of refugees, internally displaced persons, and the diaspora in any Syrian elections. Until then, we will not be fooled," she said.

World's Longest Pedestrian Suspension Bridge Open in Portugal

Nestling among the rocky mountains of Portugal's Arouca Geopark, a new bridge has become the world's longest pedestrian suspension bridge.
It's taken two years to build and cost 2.3 m euros ($2.8 million). It is due to open fully to visitors from 3 May, but some local residents have already had a chance to try it out.
The bridge hangs 175 meters above the fast-flowing River Paiva.

Apr 30, 2021

UK Allows Driverless Cars

The United Kingdom has become the first country to announce regulation for the use of self-driving vehicles at low speeds.
The UK wants to be at the forefront in rolling out autonomous driving technology. The Government of UK forecasts that around 40% of UK cars will have self-driving capabilities by 2035. This will create 38,000 jobs in the country.
The Government of UK has been working on the highway code for the use of self-driving vehicles. The Ministry of Transport is to begin with Automated Lane Keeping Systems (ALKS).
The speed limit of the ALKS is to be set at 37 miles per hour.
The ALKS shall drive itself in a single lane.

Palestinian Elections: Abbas Postpones Rare Polls

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas postponed rare parliamentary elections amid a dispute over voting rights.
He said that they could only happen if Israel allows Palestinians to vote in Israeli-occupied East Jerusalem.
Israel has not made clear whether it will allow this without restrictions.
Parliamentary and presidential elections - the first since 2006 - were scheduled to take place in May and July.
It was not immediately clear whether the presidential vote would go ahead.
It comes as Mr. Abbas is facing unprecedented challenges from political rivals which could weaken his party's chance of success.
If elections are shelved, it would deal a blow to Palestinians hoping for a show of national unity after years of deep splits.

Zulu Queen Mantfombi Dlamini Dies

The Zulu royal family in South Africa announced the death of its monarch Queen Shiyiwe Mantfombi Dlamini Zulu just a month after she became regent.
Queen Mantfombi became interim leader of the country's largest ethnic group last month after the death of her husband, King Goodwill Zwelithini.
A successor as ruler of the 11 million-strong nation has not yet been named.
She had been appointed to the role on 24 March 2021 after the death of her husband.
Queen MaDlamini Zulu held the highest status among the king's wives, as she came from royalty.

US Eyes Major Rollback in Iran Sanctions to Revive Nuke Deal

The Biden administration is considering a near wholesale rollback of some of the most stringent Trump-era sanctions imposed on Iran in a bid to get the Islamic Republic to return to compliance with a landmark 2015 nuclear accord, according to current and former US officials and others familiar with the matter.
As indirect talks continue this week in Vienna to explore the possibility of reviving the nuclear deal, American officials have become increasingly expansive about what they might be prepared to offer Iran, which has been driving a hard line on sanctions relief, demanding that all US penalties be removed, according to these people.
American officials have refused to discuss, which sanctions are being considered for removal. But they have said they are open to lifting any sanctions that are inconsistent with the nuclear deal or that deny Iran the relief it would be entitled to should it return to compliance with the accord. Because of the complex nature of the sanctions architecture, that could include non-nuclear sanctions, such as those tied to terrorism, missile development and human rights.

Apr 29, 2021

Russia: Ties with US Worse than During Cold War

Russia's top diplomat said on Wednesday that relations with the United States were even worse than during the Cold War times because of a lack of mutual respect.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow stood ready to normalise the ties with Washington, but warned that the US should stop posturing like a "sovereign" rallying its allies against Russia and China. He warned: "If the US shuns a mutually respectful dialogue on the basis of a balance of interests, we will live in conditions of a Cold War or worse."
"During the Cold War, tensions were flying high and risky crisis situations often emerged, but there was also a mutual respect," Lavrov said. "It seems to me there is a deficit of it now." Earlier this month, the Biden administration slapped Russia with sanctions for interfering in the 2020 US presidential.

Apr 28, 2021

Lanka Cabinet Approves Proposal to Ban Face Coverings in Public Places

Sri Lanka's Cabinet approved a controversial proposal to ban all forms of face coverings in public places, citing a threat to national security.
The move came weeks after Minister of Public Security Sarath Weerasekara signed a note in March, seeking the approval of the Cabinet to ban burqas—outer garments that cover the body and face worn by some Muslim women.
The proposal now must be approved by Parliament to become a law.

Nigeria Wants US Military Base to Move to Africa

Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari called on the US to move its Africom military headquarters to the continent from Germany.
He made the request during US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's online virtual visit to Africa, a substitute for an in-person visit that didn't happened because of coronavirus restrictions.
"Considering the growing security challenges in West and Central Africa, Gulf of Guinea, Lake Chad region and the Sahel, weighing heavily on Africa, it underscores the need for the United States to consider re-locating Africom headquarters... near the theatre of operation," President Buhari said.

Brexit: Tensions Overshadow EU Vote on UK Trade Deal

The European Parliament is expected to ratify the post-Brexit EU-UK trade deal - a key move to ensure that tariff-and quota-free trade continues.
The Trade and Co-operation Agreement (TCA) has been operating provisionally since January. MEPs voted on Tuesday and a result is due on Wednesday.
Brexit tensions remain, including a French threat of "reprisals" against the UK over new fishing restrictions.
Northern Ireland trade is also a thorny issue.
Under a separate protocol, Northern Ireland remains de facto part of the EU's single market, so goods arriving there from Britain have to undergo EU checks. Since Brexit there has been some disruption to that trade.
The TCA covers EU-UK trade in goods, but not services. The UK economy is dominated by services - sectors such as banking, insurance, advertising and legal advice.

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