General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - June 2018

Jun 2018

Dec 16, 2020

Malaysian PM Muhyuddin Passes Leadership Test in Final Budget Vote

Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin passed an important test of his parliamentary support after a narrow majority of lawmakers approved his 2021 budget at the final stage amid a challenge by the opposition.
The result could signal a firmer footing for Muhyiddin, whose eight months in office have been beset by infighting in his ruling coalition and a leadership challenge from opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, just as the country grapples with the economic and health crises caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
Parliament voted 111-108 to approve the next year's budget, a record 322.5 billion ringgit ($79.61 billion) of spending aimed at spurring economic activity.

Kabul's Deputy Governor Killed

Kabul's Deputy Governor Mahboobullah Mohebi was killed in a bomb attack in Afghanistan's capital city.
As per reports, a sticky bomb was attached to his car by unknown assailants.
His secretary was also killed in the blast.
No militant group has made an immediate claim of responsibility for the blast.

Electoral College Confirms Biden's Win

US President-elect Joe Biden told Americans that it is time to "turn the page", after the Electoral College affirmed his triumph over President Donald Trump, who has refused to concede and filed a litany of legal challenges to overturn the poll result.
The 538-member Electoral College pushed Biden past the 270-vote threshold to win the bitterly-contested race for the White House. It was one of the crucial steps required for the 78-year-old Democrat to take office on January 20 as the 46th US President.

PM Boris Johnson Will Attend Republic Day Celebrations in India as Chief Guest

During talks with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar in New Delhi, visiting UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab confirmed that PM Johnson has accepted India's invite to be the chief guest at the Republic Day Parade next month.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will travel to India in January, his first bilateral visit since taking office. During his visit, he will try to strengthen trade and investment ties and work together on tackling climate change.

Dec 15, 2020

Somali Government Cuts Diplomatic Ties with Kenya

The federal government of Somalia has cut diplomatic ties with neighbouring Kenya.
It has recalled all its diplomats from Nairobi and given Kenyan diplomats in Mogadishu seven days to leave the country.
The announcement was made by the Minister of Information Osman Abukar Dubbe.
The decision comes after Somalia submitted a letter of protest against Kenya to Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, who is also chair of the regional bloc Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).
Somalia recently accused Kenya of meddling in its internal affairs.

Kuwait Names New Oil and Finance Ministers

Kuwait's emir approved the formation of a new cabinet that included new ministers of oil and finance for the OPEC member state, following a parliamentary election this month.
Mohammad Abdulatif al-Fares was named Oil, Electricity and Water Minister, replacing Khaled al-Fadhel. Khalifa Hamade became Finance Minister, replacing Barak al-Shitan.

Sudan no Longer on List of Terror Sponsors

The US Embassy in Khartoum said that President Donald Trump's administration has removed Sudan from the US list of state sponsors of terrorism, a move that could help the African country get international loans to revive its battered economy and end its pariah status.
The designation of Sudan as a state sponsor of terrorism dates back to the 1990s, when Sudan briefly hosted al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden and other wanted militants. Sudan was also believed to have served as a pipeline for Iran to supply weapons to Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip.
Delisting Sudan is also a key incentive for the government in Khartoum to normalise relations with Israel.

Electors Meeting to Formally Choose Biden as Next US President

Presidential electors are meeting across the United States to formally choose Joe Biden as the nation's next President.
The results will be sent to Washington and tallied in a January 6, 2021 joint session of Congress over which Vice President Mike Pence will preside.
The electors' votes have drawn more attention than usual this year because President Donald Trump has refused to concede the election and continued to make baseless allegations of fraud.

Dec 14, 2020

EU and UK to Push Brexit Talks beyond Deadline

London and Brussels agreed to go the extra mile in coming days to try to reach an elusive trade agreement despite missing their latest deadline to avert a turbulent 'no deal' exit for Britain from the European Union's orbit at the end of the month.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the president of the EU's executive Commission, Ursula von der Leyen had given negotiators deadline to find a way to resolve an impasse on arrangements that would guarantee Britain zero-tariff and zero-quota access to the EU's single market.
Both said that a 'no-deal' was now the most likely outcome, but they mandated negotiators to continue.

India, Uzbekistan and Iran to Hold Trilateral Meet on Chabahar Port

The first meeting of India, Uzbekistan and Iran on the joint use of Chabahar Port will take place virtually. The meeting will be jointly chaired at the deputy minister level from Uzbekistan and Iran and at the secretary-level from India.
The announcement comes just a day after the virtual summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. The proposal for the trilateral meet was made by the Uzbek side and India has welcomed Uzbekistan interest to use the Chabahar Port as a transit port and said that this would open up economic opportunities for the traders and business community of the region.
The development is seen as an important shot in the arm for India's connectivity plans in the west of it, were often Pakistan has been playing an obstructionist role. India sees the Chabahar Port as a fulcrum of connectivity in the region, and even the US gave an exemption to the project from Iran sanctions since it not only provided humanitarian supplies to Afghanistan but also economic alternatives.

US Proposes $1 Billion Arms Sale to Morocco after Israel Deal

The US has proposed selling as much as $1 billion in weapons including Reaper drones to Morocco, after President Donald Trump paved the way for a diplomatic deal with Israel by recognising the country's claims of sovereignty over Western Sahara.
The State Department sent informal notification of the proposed sale to Congress, which got the ball rolling for formal processing of the sale.
The agreement includes four weapons-capable MQ-9 Reaper drones along with laser-guided munitions, the people said. Reuters reported earlier that the deal was in the works.

Dec 13, 2020

Argentina Lower House Legalises Abortion

Argentina's lower house of Congress approved a government-backed Bill to legalise abortion, a big step forward for the legislation that could set the tone for a wider shift in conservative Latin America.
The draft law, which would provide for the legal termination of pregnancy up until the 14th week, was passed with 131 votes in favour, 117 against and 6 abstentions. It will now move up to the Senate, where an even tighter vote is anticipated.
The South American country is the birthplace of Pope Francis, and the abortion Bill comes as a number of countries in the predominantly Roman Catholic region are seeing drives to give women greater reproductive rights.

Imran Khan Reshuffles Cabinet on Court's Directive

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan reshuffled his Cabinet on the directions of a court that barred un-elected advisers and special assistants from heading the Cabinet committees.
This is the fourth Cabinet shakeup since Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) came to power in 2018. The change followed the recent verdict of the Islamabad High Court barring un-elected advisers and special assistants from heading the Cabinet committees.

Dec 12, 2020

Time Names Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as Person of the Year in 2020

US President-elect Joe Biden and his running mate Kamala Harris have been chosen as Time magazine's Person of the Year in 2020.
The Democratic pair beat three other finalists: frontline healthcare workers and Dr. Anthony Fauci, the racial justice movement, and President Donald Trump, who lost the White House race.
Time has been choosing the year's most influential person since 1927.
"For changing the American story, for showing that the forces of empathy are greater than the furies of division, for sharing a vision of healing in a grieving world, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are TIME's 2020 Person of the Year," wrote Time's editor-in-chief Edward Felsenthal.

Faced with US, EU Sanctions, Erdogan Calls for Dialogue

Faced with the prospect of sanctions from both the United States and the European Union, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that economic penalties would be detrimental to all sides and that Turkey's disputes with its allies can be resolved through dialogue and cooperation.
Erdogan's comments came hours after the EU gave the green light for the expansion of sanctions against Turkey over its exploration of gas reserves in eastern Mediterranean waters claimed by EU members Greece and Cyprus.
Turkey also faces US sanctions over its purchase of a Russian air defense system, which has already resulted in the NATO-member being kicked out of the U.S. F-35 stealth fighter program.

No-deal Brexit Very Likely

Britain is likely to leave the European Union without a trade deal in just under three weeks' time, British PM Boris Johnson and European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said.
Britain quit the EU in January but remains an informal member until December 31, the end of a transition period during which it has remained in the European Union single market and customs union.
Both sides say they want to agree arrangements to cover nearly $1 trillion in annual trade, but talks are at an impasse. European Commission chief von der Leyen told EU leaders that a no-deal was more likely than a deal.

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