General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - June 2018

Jun 2018

Nov 16, 2020

Peru's President Steps Down After Just 6 Days

Facing widespread opposition, Peru's interim president stepped down, plunging a country already facing an economic tailspin and a devastating pandemic into a constitutional crisis.
The interim president, Manuel Merino, had taken power after legislators shocked the nation by voting to remove the popular incumbent, Martín Vizcarra, and then swearing in Mr. Merino, who was the head of Congress.

Aung San Suu Kyi, NLD Win Second Landslide Election in Myanmar

Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi and her ruling National League for Democracy have clinched a second consecutive landslide win in national elections, though analysts still expect slow going for democratic reforms and peace talks in the war-torn country.
The Union Election Commission declared the NLD the winner of the Nov. 8 poll, with the party gaining 396 of the 498 contested seats in the bicameral parliament. That not only puts it well over the 322 it needs to govern alone but gives it nine more seats than it won in 2015, when it swept to power in Myanmar's first democratic elections after decades of military rule.

RCEP: Asia-Pacific Countries Form World's Largest Trading Bloc

Fifteen countries have formed the world's largest trading bloc, covering nearly a third of the global economy.
The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is made up of 10 Southeast Asian countries, as well as South Korea, China, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.
The pact is seen as an extension of China's influence in the region.
The deal excludes the US, which withdrew from a rival Asia-Pacific trade pact in 2017.

US judge rejects Trump limits on 'Dreamer' immigration programme

A judge has rejected the White House's limitations on a programme protecting 700,000 so-called "Dreamers," undocumented migrants brought to the United States as children.
The federal judge in New York ruled that President Donald Trump's acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf was not lawfully serving in his role when he issued the new rules for the DACA programme in July.
The ruling is another victory for proponents of the Barack Obama-era programme after the US Supreme Court in June rejected Trump's cancellation of it.

Nov 15, 2020

US Pitches for Free and Open Indo-Pacific at ASEAN Summit

US National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien has pitched for a free and open Indo-Pacific, a strategic region that has witnessed renewed global focus in view of China's expansionist behaviour.
Addressing the US-ASEAN virtual summit, O'Brien highlighted the tremendous benefit the partnership has brought to the prosperity, security and well-being of over one billion people in the United States and ASEAN nations.
He reaffirmed the US' longstanding commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.
The ASEAN is considered one of the most influential groupings in the region, and India and several other countries including the US, China, Japan and Australia are its dialogue partners.
The virtual ASEAN summit is taking place amid China's aggressive behaviour in the disputed South China Sea. A number of ASEAN countries have territorial disputes with China in the South China Sea.
Beijing claims almost all of the 1.3 million square-mile South China Sea as its sovereign territory. China has been building military bases on artificial islands in the region which, in parts, is claimed by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.

UK PM's Adviser Cummings Quits

Dominic Cummings, one of the most influential and high-profile aides of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, left Downing Street after a power struggle that has rocked the UK government.
Johnson's senior advisor exited carrying a large box following a bitter dispute which also led to the resignation of Cummings' fellow Vote Leave veteran Lee Cain as communications chief.
The dramatic events came ahead of crucial Brexit talks with Brussels with the transition period deadline of December 31 looming.
He will continue to work from home, on issues such as mass coronavirus testing, until the middle of December.

Nov 14, 2020

US Election Security Officials Reject Trump's Fraud Claims

US election security officials rejected President Donald Trump's fraud claims and said that there is no evidence that the 2020 presidential election, the most secure in American history, was compromised.
Republican President Donald Trump has repeatedly made unsubstantiated claims of electoral fraud and has not yet conceded. He has also launched a flurry of legal challenges to projected results in key states won by his Democratic rival Joe Biden.
The security groups said all the states with close results in the race have paper records of each vote, which can be counted if necessary.

War Crimes Feared in Ethiopia's Tigray Conflict

Fighting between Ethiopian government forces and rebellious northern leaders could spiral out of control and war crimes may have been committed, the United Nations said that as repercussions spread around the volatile Horn of Africa.
The 10-day conflict in Tigray region has killed hundreds, sent refugees flooding into Sudan, and raised fears it may suck in Eritrea or force Ethiopia to divert troops from an African force opposing al Qaeda-linked militants in Somalia.
It may also blemish the reputation of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who won a Nobel Peace Prize for a 2018 peace pact with Eritrea and had won plaudits for opening Ethiopia's economy and easing a repressive political system.
UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet said that there is a risk this situation will spiral totally out of control, leading to heavy casualties and destruction, as well as mass displacement within Ethiopia itself and across borders.

Nov 13, 2020

Strategic Partnership with ASEAN core of India's Act East Policy

Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted that the strategic partnership between India and ASEAN is based on shared historical, geographical, and cultural heritage and it has always been the core of India`s Act East Policy.
In his opening remarks at the 17th ASEAN-India Summit, he said that improving connectivity between India and ASEAN has been a priority area. It is of prime importance for us to improve physical, economic, societal, digital, financial and maritime connections between India and ASEAN. We`ve come closer in these sectors in the last couple of years and I believe this summit will go further to bridge gaps.
He noted that there are many similarities between India`s `Indo Pacific Oceans Initiative` and ASEAN`s `Outlook on Indo Pacific`.

UK Considers Sanctions as China Breaches HK Treaty

Britain said that China had broken its main bilateral treaty on Hong Kong by imposing new rules to disqualify elected legislators in the former British colony, cautioning that it would consider sanctions as part of its response.
The British flag was lowered over Hong Kong when the colony was handed back to China in 1997 after more than 150 years of British rule — imposed after Britain defeated China in the First Opium War.
Hong Kong's autonomy was guaranteed under the 'one country, two systems' agreement enshrined in the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration signed by then Chinese Premier Zhao Ziyang and British PM Margaret Thatcher.
Beijing's imposition of new rules to disqualify elected legislators in Hong Kong constitutes a clear breach of the legally binding Sino-British Joint Declaration. China has once again broken its promises and undermined Hong Kong's high degree of autonomy.

Blow to China and Pakistan as Russia Backs India at SCO Meet

Russia has come out in support of India noting that bilateral matters should not be raised at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) forum. The development comes after Pakistan attempted to raise India-Pakistan matters at the virtual meet.
The Russian Deputy Envoy to Delhi, Roman N. Babushkin, in response to a question by WION, said that this is a part of SCO charter and SCO basic documents not to bring the bilateral issue into the agenda. It has been made clear to all members' states that it should be avoided for the sake of the progress of multilateral cooperation.
The importance of SCO is to deal with regional challenges, to promote economic, financial, humanitarian partnership among member states in order to keep the momentum.

Construction of India-funded Integrated Check Post Begins in Nepalgunj in Western Nepal

India's Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Nepal's Urban Development Minister Krishna Gopal Shrestha jointly witnessed the ground-breaking ceremony to mark the beginning of the construction of an Integrated Check Post (ICP) at Nepalgunj in Western Nepal, aimed at bolstering bilateral trade and people-to-people contact.
India is building the Integrated Check Post on either side of the Indo-Nepal border to systematise the movement of cross-border cargo trucks between the two countries by bringing customs and immigration facilities under one roof.
The ICP at Nepalgunj, once completed, will have export and import cargo handling facilities including warehousing, refrigerated cargo facilities, medical, plant and animal quarantine areas, amenities for travellers, CCTV and other security systems, 24/7 power backup, waste-water treatment facilities, etc. to facilitate smooth movement of cargo and passenger vehicles.

Nov 12, 2020

UK Tables New Bill to Ban Takeovers from Hostile Actors

UK Business Secretary Alok Sharma warned that hostile actors will have no back door into Britain as he tabled a new Bill in Parliament, which aims to tackle hostile takeovers from foreign organisations.
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) said that the new National Security and Investment Bill will strengthen the UK's ability to investigate and intervene in mergers, acquisitions and other types of deals that could threaten national security.
Investors and businesses will have to tell the government about proposed deals in a number of sensitive sectors, such as defence and artificial intelligence (AI), and screening powers will be extended to include assets and intellectual property as well as companies.

Georgia to Conduct a Full Recount of Election Ballots

Georgia's top election official said that the state will conduct a recount of all paper ballots cast in the November 3 presidential election.
Georgia's Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said that you actually have to do a full hand-by-hand recount of all because the margin is so close.

Hong Kong's Pro-democracy Lawmakers Resign En Masse

Hong Kong's pro-democracy lawmakers have resigned en masse following a move by the city's government to disqualify four pro-democracy legislators.
The pro-democracy camp announced their decision hours after the Hong Kong government said that it would be disqualifying four pro-democracy legislators — Alvin Yeung, Dennis Kwok, Kwok Ka-ki and Kenneth Leung from the legislature.
The disqualifications came after China's National People's Congress Standing Committee, which held meetings, passed a resolution stating that those who support Hong Kong's independence or refuse to acknowledge China's sovereignty over the city, as well as commit acts that threaten national security or ask external forces to interfere in the city's affairs, should be disqualified.

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