General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - June 2018

Jun 2018

Jun 15, 2019

48th Coordination Conference between BSF and BGB

The 48th Director General Level Border Coordination Conference between BSF (India) and BGB (Bangladesh) was organised by BGB at Dhaka, Bangladesh.
A 10-member delegation of India headed by Rajni Kant Mishra, Director General, BSF alongwith senior officials of the Ministry of External Affairs and other law enforcement agencies met members of BGB headed by Gen Md Shafeenul Islam, NDC, PSC, Director General, Border Guards Bangladesh.

Jun 14, 2019

Turkey Rejects U.S. Ultimatum

Turkey's Defence Minister described as inappropriate an ultimatum from the U.S. urging Ankara to abandon its purchase of a Russian missile defence system.
Acting U.S. Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan sent a letter telling Turkey that it had to renounce the S-400 system by July 31, or Turkish pilots training on the F-35 fighter jet programme would be expelled from the U.S.
According to Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, no one can give Turkey an ultimatum.
Mr. Çavuşoğlu repeated an offer to set up a joint working group to resolve U.S. concerns, and said that President Donald Trump looked favourably on the idea but that it was rejected by "some institutions" in the U.S.

U.K. Certifies U.S. Extradition Request

Britain's Home Secretary Sajid Javid said that he had certified the U.S. request to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on espionage grounds in a procedural move that opens the way for a court battle.
The U.S. Justice Department confirmed that it had submitted a formal extradition request.
The final decision on whether Mr. Assange can be extradited will rest with the courts.
Mr. Assange is now serving a 50-week sentence in jail for skipping bail when he entered the Ecuadorean Embassy in 2012.

New Far-right European Parliament Group

France`s Marine Le Pen unveiled a new far-right group in the European Parliament, uniting eurosceptics from across the continent who aim to devolve power from Brussels back to capitals.
Calling itself the Identity and Democracy (ID) group, the new alliance brings together Le Pen`s National Rally, Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini`s League party and Germany`s Alternative for Germany (AfD) plus nationalists from Austria, Finland and Denmark, among others.

U.S. Open to Talks on GSP with India

U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo hinted that it was possible to reinstate the Generalised System of Preferences, a scheme for preferential access to certain goods markets in the U.S., for India.
The administration official is expected to discuss this and other issues during his New Delhi visit later in June 2019.

Jun 12, 2019

MPs Defy President to Resume Easter Attack Probe

The Sri Lanka's Parliament defied President Maithripala Sirisena and resumed investigations into security lapses surrounding the Easter suicide bombings that killed 258 people as a political crisis in the country deepened.
The Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) began hearing testimony from Muslim leaders who claimed they repeatedly alerted the authorities to dangerous radicalisation.
In what appeared to be a tit-for-tat move, Mr. Sirisena did not call the routine weekly Cabinet meeting to discuss the day-to-day running of the administration.
The Opposition Sri Lanka People's Front said that the standoff between the President and the Cabinet, controlled by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's party, meant the government was at a standstill.

US Submits Extradition Request for Assange

The U.S. government has formally submitted an extradition request to the U.K. for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.
Mr. Assange faces an 18-count indictment that accuses him of soliciting and publishing classified information.

Jun 11, 2019

Hong Kong Pushes Ahead with Extradition Bill

Hong Kong's leader signaled that her government would push ahead with amendments to extradition laws. A day earlier, hundreds of thousands of people gathered in protest of the proposed measure. It was the city's largest protest in more than 10 years.
The bill would mean people charged with crimes could be sent from Hong Kong to mainland China to face punishment.
China has a much different legal system than Hong Kong. The possibility of extradition has worried many in Hong Kong, from international business groups to legal experts to pro-democracy parties.
Residents have long fought against efforts by China to increase control.
Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam described the legislation as important. She said that it would help Hong Kong uphold justice and meet international requirements. Lam also said that she had not received any orders from mainland China to push the bill forward.
According to Lam, the bill seeks to prevent Hong Kong from becoming a place for criminals to hide.

Pakistan Announces Five-year Visa for US Citizens

Pakistan decided to grant five-year, multiple-entry visas to American nationals after the US in March 2019 reduced visa validity for Pakistanis from five years to one year.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs advised Pakistani diplomatic missions in the US to follow the new policy while issuing visas to American nationals.
The five-year visa would benefit the investors and tourists of both countries. The visa policy is according to Prime Minister Imran Khan's vision to improve tourism and business.

Final Report on Easter Attacks

A three-member committee appointed to probe the Easter Sunday attacks in Sri Lanka, which killed more than 250 people, submitted its final report to President Maithripala Sirisena.
Supreme Court Justice Vijith Malalgoda, who headed the committee, handed over the report to Mr. Sirisena.

Jun 10, 2019

Parliament Warns Sirisena

Sri Lanka's Parliament warned President Maithripala Sirisena not to scuttle an investigation into security lapses before the Easter suicide bombings.
The warning came after Mr. Sirisena said that he would not cooperate with the parliamentary probe and would not allow defence or police officials to testify before the committee.
Mr. Sirisena called an emergency Cabinet meeting to oppose the legislature's investigation into the attacks.

Iran and Europe Economic Ties

Iran said that Europe was in no position to criticise Tehran for its military capabilities and it called on European leaders to normalise trade ties with the Islamic Republic despite US sanctions, or face consequences.
President Donald Trump, in 2018, withdrew the United States from world powers' 2015 nuclear deal with Iran and reimposed sweeping sanctions.
The west European signatories to the deal - France, Britain and Germany - share the same concerns as the United States over Iran's ballistic missile development and regional activities.
However, they have defended the nuclear accord as the best way to limit Iran's enrichment of uranium, a potential pathway to nuclear weapons, and a basis for future negotiations on a broader palette of security and other longstanding disputes.

Venezuela to Close Canada Consulates

Venezuela is temporarily closing its consulates in three Canadian cities and will leave open only its embassy in Ottawa.
In a statement posted online, the Venezuelan foreign ministry said the decision to close its consulates in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal is a response to Canada's decision to shut down its embassy in Caracas, the Venezuelan capital, amid worsening diplomatic tensions.

EU Willing To Re-open Brexit Deal

British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, a contender to replace Theresa May as Prime Minister said that German Chancellor Angela Merkel had indicated that the European Union (EU) was willing to renegotiate the Brexit divorce deal.
Mr. Hunt spoke with Ms. Merkel at D-Day commemorations and was convinced that changing Ms. May's agreement was possible.

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