General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - March 2018

Mar 2018

Aug 28, 2020

South African President Grilled over COVID-19 Graft Scandals

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa faced tough questioning by lawmakers over COVID-19 corruption scandals, days after he asked ruling party members to refrain from stealing money meant for the poor.
Many South Africans have been dismayed to see the country's widespread graft problem infiltrate efforts to stop the spread of the coronavirus. South Africa has the world's fifth largest virus caseload with more than 600,000 confirmed infections.
Ramaphosa has been accused of being soft on corruption amid concerns that implicating too many senior leaders of the ANC could split the ruling party.
Having secured the presidency on an anti-corruption ticket after predecessor Jacob Zuma was pressured to resign amid multiple scandals in 2018, Ramaphosa has been under pressure to show that his government is taking a tough stance on the scourge.

EU Trade Commissioner Phil Hogan Resigns

The embattled European trade commissioner, Phil Hogan, resigned his post after an outcry over his breaches of coronavirus rules during a golfing break in Ireland.
Hogan issued a statement apologising to the Irish people and the EU commission for causing hurt and embarrassment, ending his attempts to ride out the controversy and keep his post as a key player in Brexit talks.
Hogan said that it was his decision to quit and he was not forced to quit.
The leaders of Ireland's three governing parties welcomed the resignation.

Ericsson and UNICEF Partner to Map School Internet Connectivity in 35 Countries

Networking and telecommunications company Ericsson entered into a global partnership with UNICEF to help map internet connectivity in schools across 35 countries by the end of 2023.
This is part of the Giga initiative, led by the United Nations Children's Fund and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), which was launched last year (2019). Ericsson is the first private sector partner to make a multimillion-dollar commitment to the initiative, which aims to connect every school to the internet.
Mapping the internet connectivity landscape for schools and their surrounding communities is a critical first step towards providing every child with access to digital learning opportunities.
In addition to funding, Ericsson will commit resources for data engineering and data science capacity to accelerate school connectivity mapping. Specifically, Ericsson will assist with the collection, validation, analysis, monitoring and visual representation of real-time school connectivity data.
The data generated through the mapping will enable governments and the private sector to design and deploy digital solutions that enable learning for children and young people.

Aug 27, 2020

Pakistan's Senate Rejects two FATF-linked Bills

Pakistan's Opposition-dominated Senate has rejected two bills related to the tough conditions set by the FATF, jeopardising the government's efforts to escape from being blacklisted by the global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog.
The move drew a strong reaction from Prime Minister Imran Khan who accused the Opposition leaders of trying to save their illegal money.
The Anti-Money Laundering (Second Amendment) Bill and the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Waqf Properties Bill, passed by the National Assembly a day before, were rejected through a voice vote by the Senate.
The legislations were part of efforts by Pakistan to move from the FATF'S grey list to the white list.
The Paris-based Financial Action Task Force (FATF) put Pakistan on the grey list in June 2018 and asked Islamabad to implement a plan of action by the end of 2019 but the deadline was extended later on due to COVID-19.

US Blacklists 24 Chinese Companies, Individuals

The United States blacklisted 24 Chinese firms and targeted individuals it said were part of construction and military actions in the South China Sea, its first such move over the disputed waterway.
The US Commerce Department said that the two dozen companies "played a role in helping the Chinese military construct and militarise the internationally condemned artificial islands in the South China Sea."
The US also said that it would impose visa restrictions on Chinese individuals "responsible for, or complicit in," such action.

Taiwan Warns of Accidental Conflict as Regional Tensions Rise

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen said that the risk of accidental conflict is rising because of tension in the South China Sea and around Taiwan and communication must be maintained to reduce the risk of miscalculation.
Democratic Taiwan, claimed by Beijing as "scared" Chinese territory, has complained of Chinese military activities near the island, in what it says in an attempt to force Taiwan to accept Chinese sovereignty.
The United States and China have also been conducting military exercises near Taiwan and in the disputed South China Sea.
Tsai said that Taiwan needed to strengthen its defence capabilities, which she has made a priority.
We do this because we know that in terms of our current situation, strength can be co-related with deterrence. It also reduces the risk of military adventurism," said Tsai, who was re-elected for a second term in a landslide in January.
Tsai reiterated her commitment to peace and desire to talk.
"We are open to discussions with China, as long as they contribute to a beneficial relationship."

Aug 26, 2020

Pascal Lissouba Ex-Congo President Passes Away

Former Congolese President Pascal Lissouba died in France at the age of 88.
He was President of the Republic of Congo - also called Congo-Brazzaville, to distinguish it from the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) - from 1992 to 1997.
He fled the country after being overthrown in a civil war by the current president, Denis Sassou Nguesso, who had lost the country's first multi-party elections in 1992.
Born in Tsinguidi, in the southwest of the country, Lissouba studied agricultural engineering, gaining a doctorate in France.
In the 1960s, he became Minister of Agriculture in the newly-independent country before serving as Prime Minister under the then President, Alphonse Massamba-Debat.

Ivorian Ex-president Gbagbo Barred from Elections

Ivory Coast's former President Laurent Gbagbo has been barred from running for the presidency in upcoming elections after a court upheld the electoral commission's decision to remove him from the electoral list.
The country's electoral commission struck him off the list of candidates because he was convicted of a crime.
The President of the electoral commission, Ibrahime Coulibaly-Kuibiert, had in August said that anyone convicted of a crime would not be allowed to stand.
Four candidates including former rebel leader Guillaume Soro were also removed from the list.
Mr. Gbagbo was sentenced in absentia in November 2019 for the looting of the Central Bank of West African States (Bceao) following a disputed 2010 election that resulted in violence.

Africa Now Free of Wild Poliovirus, but Polio Threat Remains

Health authorities are expected to declare the African continent free of the wild poliovirus after decades of effort, though cases of vaccine-derived polio are still sparking outbreaks of the paralysing disease in more than a dozen countries.
The declaration would leave Pakistan and neighbouring Afghanistan as the only countries thought to still have the wild poliovirus, with vaccination efforts against the highly infectious, water-borne disease complicated by insecurity and attacks on health workers.
The announcement by the African Regional Certification Commission for Polio Eradication came after no cases were reported for four years. Polio once paralysed some 75,000 children a year across Africa.
Health authorities see the declaration as a rare glint of good news in Africa amid the coronavirus pandemic, an Ebola outbreak in western Congo and the persistent deadly challenges of malaria, HIV and tuberculosis.
The World Health Organisation says it is just the second time a virus has been eradicated in Africa, after the elimination of smallpox four decades ago.

Aug 25, 2020

Taliban Delegation in Pakistan for Afghan Peace Dialogue

A high-level delegation from the Taliban's political office in Doha arrived in Pakistan to discuss the way forward in the Afghan peace process with the Pakistani leadership.
As per foreign office spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri, Pakistan has invited the Afghan Taliban delegation to visit Pakistan to discuss the way forward in the Afghan peace process.
This will be the second visit of Mullah Baradar to Pakistan in the last 10 months.
He visited Islamabad in October last year when President Donald Trump abruptly called off the peace talks with the Taliban, citing the militant group's continued attacks against the US-led foreign forces in Afghanistan.

Pompeo Urges more Arab States to Make Peace with Israel

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that he hopes to see other Arab states following the United Arab Emirates and normalising relations with Israel.
According Mr. Pompeo, it would not only increase Middle East stability, but also improve people's lives.
But he added that the US would ensure Israel retained a military advantage.
Mr. Pompeo spoke after meeting Israel's prime minister in Jerusalem, at the start of a five-day trip that will also take him to Sudan, Bahrain and the UAE.
Earlier this month President Donald Trump helped broker the historic agreement between Israel and the UAE - only the third peace treaty between Israel and an Arab country.
Under the agreement, Israel and the UAE agreed to full diplomatic ties - exchanging ambassadors, starting direct flights and trading openly. Israel also said it would suspend its plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank, a move many believed would have killed off chances of peace with the Palestinians.

Republican Party Re-nominates Trump as Presidential Candidate

The Republican National Convention formally re-nominated US President Donald Trump as the party's presidential candidate for the November 3 elections.
Trump, 74, who faces a formidable challenge from former Democratic vice president Joe Biden, 77, is scheduled to deliver his acceptance speech from the South Lawns of the White House on August 27.
The once in four-year GOP (Grand Old Party) convention is being held in virtual mode due to the coronavirus pandemic. A small part of the official business of the convention is being held at Charlotte in North Carolina.
Trump was re-nominated following a roll call of votes from elected GOP delegates from all the 50 states. Vice-President Mike Pence was re-nominated as the running mate of Trump. Pence made a surprise appearance at the Charlotte where the roll call vote was done.

Aug 24, 2020

Kellyanne Conway Resigns as Senior White House Adviser

Kellyanne Conway announced that she is resigning from her post as senior adviser to US President Donald Trump.
Her husband, George, an outspoken critic of the President, will also be stepping back from political activism.
The announcement came hours after one of Mrs. Conway's daughters, Claudia tweeted that her mother's job had "ruined (her) life".
A Republican strategist and veteran pollster, she was the first woman to manage a successful US presidential campaign, spearheading Mr. Trump's effort in 2016.
As senior counsellor at the White House, Mrs. Conway acted as political adviser to President Trump and maintained a highly influential position in the administration.

Top West Africa Delegation Goes to Mali to Meet with Junta

Top West African officials are arriving in Mali's capital following a coup in the nation this week to meet with the junta leaders and the deposed president in efforts to negotiate a return to civilian rule.
The mediation efforts came a day after thousands of Malians took to the streets of Bamako, the capital city, to celebrate the coup.
The West African regional bloc known as ECOWAS has strongly condemned the coup and said the high-level delegation will work "to ensure the immediate return of constitutional order".
ECOWAS also demanded the reinstatement of deposed president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita.
ECOWAS had said that it is mobilising a regional military force, an indication that it is preparing for a military intervention in case its negotiations with the junta leaders fail.
The high-level delegation is to hold talks with the junta, including Col. Assimi Goita, who has declared himself the group's leader.
Later the regional delegation will meet with Keita and the other detained officials.

Cyprus Denies New Allegations in "Golden Passport" Scheme

Cyprus denied fresh allegations that it was granting citizenship to foreigners accused of crimes in exchange for millions in investments, insisting that all those who received a passport met all criteria in place at the time.
The Cypriot parliament last month beefed up the eligibility criteria for the so-called "golden passport" investment program, which has brought billions in revenue since its introduction following a 2013 financial crisis.
The program has attracted many investors because a passport from the Mediterranean island of Cyprus automatically grants its holder citizenship to the entire 27-member European Union.
Cyprus' interior ministry said that 12 foreigners named in an Al Jazeera report received citizenship under the investment program only after being approved by Cypriot and foreign agencies tasked with vetting such applications.
The report claimed that the 12 — including four Russians, two people each from Ukraine, China and Iran, and one each from Venezuela and Vietnam — secured Cypriot passports after paying at least 2 million euros (USD 2.36 million) in investments despite being under investigation for an assortment of crimes such as corruption and fraud.
The Cypriot interior ministry said that it would look into the new information in the report.

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