General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - March 2018

Mar 2018

Feb 16, 2021

Malaysia Defends Plan to Deport Myanmar Nationals

Malaysia defended a plan to deport 1,200 Myanmar nationals on navy ships sent from their homeland just weeks after a coup, following criticism from the United Nations.
Malaysian immigration chief Khairul Dzaimee Daud said the detainees, who will be deported on February 23, are accused of offences including not having valid travel documents and overstaying their visas.
"It is part of our usual programme to deport illegal immigrants held at detention centres," he said in a statement, adding Malaysia sent home over 37,000 foreigners last year.
He said that no refugees registered with the UN or members of Myanmar's Rohingya Muslim minority are among those being deported.

WTO Formally Appoints Nigeria's Okonjo-Iweala as its First Female Leader

The World Trade Organization selected Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to be the first woman and first African as its leader, tasking the former Nigerian Finance Minister with restoring trust in a rules-based global trading system roiled by protectionism and the pandemic.
During a virtual meeting the WTO's 164 members unanimously selected the 66-year-old development economist to serve a four-year term as director-general.
After withstanding a veto of her candidacy by the now-departed Trump administration, Okonjo-Iweala takes the helm of the Geneva-based WTO at a precarious time for the world economy and just as the organization itself is mired in a state of dysfunction.
She held a previous role as chair of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization after a public sector career in international finance, including two terms as Nigeria's finance minister and some 25 years at the World Bank. Her dual U.S. citizenship means she's also the first American to hold the organization's top job.

Feb 15, 2021

US Senate Acquits Former President Donald Trump in Impeachment Trial

The US Senate has acquitted former President Donald Trump for a second time blocking the Democrat's attempt to punish him for the storming of the Capitol by his supporters. After a week of the impeachment trial, only 57 Senators, including seven Republicans voted to convict him last night.
The 57-43 tally fell 10 votes short of the two-third majority needed to convict him and to allow the Senate to move to disqualify him from holding future office.
Mr. Trump welcomed his second impeachment acquittal and said his movement has only just begun. He slammed the trial as yet another phase of the greatest witch hunt in the history of America.

Myanmar Amends Law on Protecting Citizens' Personal Freedom, Security

Myanmar's new military-led State Administration Council led by Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Sen-Gen Min Aung Hlaing issued an order amending the Protection of the Citizens for the Personal Freedom and Personal Security Law.
According to the order issued, Sections 5, 7 and 8 of the law will be suspended during the state of emergency declared on February 1.

Mario Draghi Italy's New Prime Minister

The ex-head of the European Central Bank, Mario Draghi, was sworn-in as Italy's Prime Minister.
Mr. Draghi put together a unity government of the main political parties, following the collapse of the previous administration last month.
It was thrown into chaos amid a row over how to spend EU coronavirus recovery funds.
Italy is still grappling with the pandemic and is also facing its worst economic crisis in decades.
The country has recorded more than 93,000 deaths, the sixth-highest death toll in the world.

Italy's New PM Mario Draghi Announces Composition of Government

Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio, Interior Minister Luciana Lamorgese, and Health Ministers Roberto Speranza retained their mandates in the new government formed by Mario Draghi.
Former head of the European Central Bank Mario Draghi officially accepted the post of prime minister after the meeting with President Sergio Mattarella, to whom he presented the list of ministers of the new government.

Karim Khan New International Criminal Court Prosecutor

Parties to the International Criminal Court elected Britain's Karim Khan as the new prosecutor for a nine-year term starting on June 16.
Mr. Khan won a secret ballot against three other candidates to replace lead prosecutor Fatou Bensouda.
The 123-member Hague-based court, which began work nearly 20 years ago, handles war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and crimes of aggression.
British barrister Karim is best known for heading the United Nations' special investigative team looking into Islamic State crimes in Iraq.

Mexico's President Welcomes US Cancellation of Border Wall Construction

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador welcomed the decision by his US counterpart Joe Biden to cancel the construction of a border wall separating the two countries.
Lopez Obrador also welcomed Biden's proposal to set up a visa system for Mexican and Central American migrants. Both measures are among Biden's first actions since taking office in January.

Feb 14, 2021

EU Ready to Work with Biden Administration to Settle Trade Disputes

The European Union acknowledged a move by the new US government to refrain from imposing additional tariffs on EU goods in a long-running dispute over aircraft tariffs, and said that it was ready to work to resolve trade disputes.
The US Trade Representative's office said that it had agreed with US industry that it was unnecessary to revise existing tariffs on European goods at this time, refraining from changes that would have been possible during a periodic review.
The move came a day after USTR said it looked forward to working with European allies to resolve a 16-year-long battle over subsidies provided to Europe's Airbus and its US rival Boeing Co.

Biden Rescinds Donald Trump's Emergency Order on US-Mexico Border Wall

US President Joe Biden rescinded the emergency order used by former President Donald Trump to justify the construction of the US-Mexico border wall.
"I have determined that the declaration of a national emergency at our southern border was unwarranted," Biden wrote in a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, reported The Hill.
Trump had first floated the idea of a border wall on the campaign trail in 2016, repeatedly insisting that Mexico would pay for its construction. However, illegal immigration increased in Trump's four years.

Somalia Rejects Further Kenya Maritime Dispute Delays

The Somali government has rejected Kenya's fourth request to postpone for the hearing of a maritime case between the two countries at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
"Justice delayed is justice denied," Osman Dubbe tweeted, adding that they should all head to The Hague next month "come what may".
The dispute is over the ownership of a 100,000 sq-km triangle in the Indian Ocean thought to be rich in oil and gas reserves.
Somalia took the case to the ICJ in 2014, asking the global court to determine its maritime boundary with Kenya.

Feb 13, 2021

BBC World News Barred from Airing in China

British television channel BBC World News has been barred from airing in China, a week after Britain's media regulator revoked Chinese state television's broadcast licence.
In a statement issued on the stroke of the Lunar New Year, the administration said an investigation found BBC World News' China-related reports had "seriously violated" regulations, including that news should be "truthful and fair," had harmed China's national interests and undermined national unity.
The channel therefore does not meet requirements for foreign channels broadcasting in China and its application to air for another year will not be accepted, it added.
On Feb. 4, British media regulator Ofcom revoked China Global Television Network's (CGTN) licence to broadcast in the United Kingdom after an investigation found the licence was wrongfully held by Star China Media Ltd.

Russia Clashes with US and West over Conflict in Ukraine

Russia clashed with the United States and its Western allies over the nearly seven-year conflict in eastern Ukraine, and the UN warned that the current fragile cease-fire risks being reversed if peace negotiations become deadlocked.
Russia called the Security Council meeting to mark the sixth anniversary of the signing of the Minsk peace plan brokered by France and Germany. It aimed to resolve the conflict between Ukraine and Russia-backed separatists that flared in April 2014 after Russia's annexation of Crimea and its support for the separatists in the mostly Russian-speaking industrial east called Donbass.
Russia's UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia accused Ukraine of failing to implement the 2015 Minsk agreement saying.
The United States and European allies France, Germany, Estonia, Ireland, Norway, Belgium and the United Kingdom blamed Russia for fuelling the conflict, which has killed more than 14,000 people, by providing financial and military support to the separatists.

Feb 12, 2021

Tanzania's President 'Will Not Be Seeking Third Term

The ruling party in Tanzania has dismissed growing calls from its MPs for President John Magufuli to extend his term in office.
The 61-year-old President, who won elections in October, is currently serving his second and final five-year term in office.
Humphrey Polepole, the CCM party's publicity secretary, has told parliament that Mr. Magufuli has no intentions of remaining in power beyond his current constitutional mandate.
Some ruling party MPs have been proposing the Constitution be changed to allow for a third term for him.

US Senators Revive Bill to Make Refugee Status Easier for Hong Kong Protesters

A bipartisan group of senior US senators reintroduced a bill to make it easier for people from Hong Kong fearing persecution after joining protests against China to obtain US refugee status.
The 12 senators, led by Republican Marco Rubio and Democrat Bob Menendez, said the bill was a response to a Draconian national security law introduced by China in Hong Kong last year that was the focus of mass street protests.
The Hong Kong Safe Harbor Act would make "Hong Kongers who participated peacefully in the protest movement and have a well-founded fear of persecution" eligible for processing as refugees in Hong Kong or a third country.

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