General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - June 2018

Jun 2018

Aug 08, 2019

Pakistan Expels India's Envoy, To Suspend Bilateral Trade

Pakistan expelled Indian High Commissioner Ajay Bisaria, minutes after it decided to downgrade diplomatic ties with India over what it called New Delhi's "unilateral and illegal" move to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.
This announcement came after Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan chaired a meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC), attended by top civil and military leadership. This meeting also decided to suspend bilateral trade and review the "bilateral arrangements".
"Our ambassadors will no longer be in New Delhi and their counterparts here will also be sent back," Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said in televised comments soon after the NSC meeting.
The NSC also decided to take up the issue with the UN Security Council.

Turkey, US Agree On Safe Zone

Turkey and the US have reached a long-sought agreement to distance American-backed Syrian Kurdish fighters from the Turkish border, removing a major point of contention between the NATO allies.
Turkish and American officials in Ankara agreed to set up a joint operation centre to coordinate efforts to carve out a buffer zone in northern Syria.
The area would be off-limits to the Kurdish forces, which Turkey regards as a threat to its territorial integrity.

China Blocks Films, Stars From Taiwan Film Awards

China's film regulator said it was blocking the mainland movie industry from participating in Taiwan's Golden Horse Awards without giving a reason, in the latest sign of rising tensions between Beijing and the selfruled island.
The China Film News, a magazine published by the China Film Administration, made the announcement.
China Film Administration says that it will suspend mainland movies and their personnel from participating in 2019' 56th Golden Horse Awards.

US Formalizes Ban On Govt Contracts To China's Huawei

The United States unveiled rules formally banning technology giant Huawei and other Chinese firms from government contracts.
The move is a part of the escalating trade war between the two countries. The interim rule will preclude any US federal agency from purchasing telecom or technology equipment from the firms as a substantial or essential component, or as critical technology as part of any system.
The new rules are part of a sweeping effort by President Donald Trump's administration to restrict Huawei, which is linked to Chinese intelligence.

China: Biggest Crisis Since 1997 Handover

Hong Kong is facing its biggest crisis since it returned from British to Chinese rule in 1997, as more anti-government protests rocked the Asian financial hub.
Hong Kong's crisis has continued for 60 days, and is getting worse and worse. Violent activities are intensifying and the impact on society is spreading wider.
Hong Kong has faced months of sometimes violent protests that began with opposition to a now-suspended extradition law and which have evolved into a direct challenge to the government of embattled leader Carrie Lam and calls for full democracy.
Hong Kong's protests pose a major challenge to Chinese President Xi Jinping who is grappling with a trade war with the United States and a slowing economy.
Zhang held a forum on Wednesday to discuss the political crisis in Hong Kong which included Hong Kong delegates to China's parliament, the National People's Congress and China's main consultative body, the CPPCC. No opposition democratic figures or protest representatives were invited.

Aug 06, 2019

Bill to Scrap Executions is Illegal

Sri Lanka's attorney general informed President Maithripala Sirisena said that a bill presented to Parliament seeking to abolish the death penalty is illegal.
Lawmaker Bandula Lal Bandarigoda presented a bill in Parliament seeking to abolish the death penalty and commute the sentences of those already on death row to life imprisonment.
The move came after President Maithripala Sirisena signed the death warrants of four prisoners convicted of drug offenses and is seen as an effort by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to stall the planned executions.
Despite the attorney general's opinion, the bill can still be taken up for a vote in 14 days unless it is challenged in the Supreme Court.

US and South Korea Start Joint Drills

Defying warnings from Pyongyang, Seoul and Washington began annual joint military exercises.
The drills come after Pyongyang tested a series of short-range projectiles in recent days, calling one of them a "solemn warning" to Seoul against pursuing the mainly computer-simulated drills with Washington.
Under the US-South Korea security treaty, an American general will take command of their combined forces in the event of armed conflict, but Seoul has long sought to reverse the position.

Russia to Follow Suit if US Develops N - Missiles

President Vladimir Putin warned that Russia would be forced to start developing short and intermediate-range land-based nuclear missiles if the US started doing so after the demise of a landmark arms control treaty. The US formally left the Intermediate Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty with Russia after determining that Moscow was violating the treaty and had already deployed at least one banned type of missile, an accusation the Kremlin denies. Putinheld a meeting with his Security Council after which he ordered the defence and foreign ministries and Russia's SVR foreign intelligence service to closely monitor any steps the US took to develop, produce or deploy missiles banned under the defunct treaty.

North Korea Launches more Missiles

As Pyongyang protested that joint US-South Korea military drills violated diplomatic agreements, North Korea fired missiles into the sea off its east coast for the fourth time in less than two weeks.
Trump has played down the tests by saying they did not break any agreement he had with Kim but the talks have yet to resume. Analysts believe the tests are designed both to improve North Korean military capabilities and to pressure Washington to offer more concessions.

Aug 05, 2019

13 HRS, 2 CITIES : 29 SHOT DEAD

Two mass shootings in the US — one at a Walmart in El Paso and another outside a bar in Dayton.
A gunman armed with an assault rifle opened fire at a Walmart in El Paso packed with nearly 3,000 people, leaving 20 dead and more than two dozen wounded.
A gunman in body armour opened fire in Dayton, Ohio, killing nine people and wounding at least 26 others.
The suspect of walmart was 21-year-old white male Patrick Crusius, surrendered to police as officers closed in on him, and he was arrested without incident.
Cops who were on patrol near bar in dayton arrived on the scene in less than a minute and shot the attacker dead, likely preventing a much higher casualty toll.

U.S. to Pull Out Troops

As per reports, if the Taliban promises that it would renounce al-Qaeda, a proposed peace deal would see the U.S. withdraw thousands of troops from Afghanistan .
The eight round of talks between the Taliban and the US is soon expected to begin in Doha to reach a deal that would end the U.S.'s 18-year involvement in Afghanistan.
An initial deal would see U.S. troop numbers in the country fall to as low as 8,000 from their current level of around 14,000.

Aug 04, 2019

U.K. issues alert message

BRITONS could be alerted to a devastating nuclear attack by a text message from the Government, under new proposals.
The Government has called on the Telecoms industry to create a way to send the alerts to mobile phones in the event of a national emergency.It is unlikely that people would have to sign up for the alerts - as the message would be delivered to all British mobiles.
The system could also be used to send messages of high national importance - like to alert people of a terror attack.

Aug 03, 2019

First Electoral Setback as PM for Borris

Boris Johnson suffered a setback in his first ballot box test as British prime minister after the Conservative candidate lost to a pro-EU rival in a by-election that slims his parliamentary majority to one.
The vote in the Welsh sheep farming community of Brecon and Radnorshire offered a stark choice between the Brexit-backing incumbent from Johnson's ruling Tories and a Liberal Democrat who wants to preserve Britain's four-decade membership of the European Union.

Landmark Change for Women in Saudi Arabia

According to a policy shift that marks a significant loosening of the Kingdom's notorious restrictions on women, women in Saudi Arabia would finally be allowed to hold passports and travel abroad without the consent of a male guardian.
The Saudi Cabinet approved the new amendment, which would allow all Saudi women to apply for passports like all citizens and for women aged 21 and above.
Previously women had to gain approval from a male guardian in order to obtain a passport. Women without a passport of their own were instead given a page in their male guardians' passports, making it impossible for them to travel without guardian accompaniment.

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