General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - June 2018

Jun 2018

May 03, 2019

Voters Set to Punish PM May's Conservatives

English voters are expected to use local government elections to punish Prime Minister Theresa May`s Conservative Party over its failure to deliver Brexit, revealing a divided and dissatisfied electorate.
More than 8,000 seats on English councils - administrative bodies responsible for day-to-day decisions on local policy from education to waste management - are up for grabs in the first elections since Britain missed its March 29 Brexit date.

Abe Ready to Meet Kim Unconditionally

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has offered to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in a bid to restore diplomatic ties between the historic foes.
Abe, seen as a foreign policy hawk, has recently softened his rhetoric toward Pyongyang, calling for a summit with Kim to resolve an emotional row over past kidnappings of Japanese nationals by North Korean agents.
Tokyo has been one of the most hawkish of the major powers on reclusive North Korea, and has been on the receiving end of some of Pyongyang's harshest rhetoric — as well as missiles launched over its territory.

May 02, 2019

Putin Fast-tracks Citizenship for Ukrainians

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a new decree fast-tracking Russian citizenship for some Ukrainians despite concerns the move will exacerbate the crisis between the countries. Under a decree, several categories of Ukrainian nationals will have the right to a simplified nationality process, including those who already have Russian residence permits.

U.K. Defense Secretary Fired

British Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson was fired after an investigation into leaks from a secret government meeting about Chinese telecommunications firm Huawei.
Penny Mordaunt, the International Development Secretary, has been appointed as Mr. Williamson's replacement. She becomes the first woman to hold the post.

Assange Sentenced to 50 Weeks in Jail

Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks who took refuge in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London in 2012 to avoid being extradited to Sweden over sexual assault charges, has been sentenced to 50 weeks in jail for flouting bail conditions by a court in London.
It comes ahead of a hearing due to take place later this week at Westminster Magistrates Court as part of efforts to extradite him to the U.S.

Thailand's King Marries Bodyguard

Just days before his official coronation, Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn married the deputy head of his personal guard force and gave her the title Queen Suthida.
Vajiralongkorn also known by the title King Rama X, became constitutional monarch after the death of his revered father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, in October 2016.
In 2014, Vajiralongkorn appointed Suthida Tidjai, a former flight attendant for Thai Airways, as a deputy commander of his bodyguard unit.

May 01, 2019

China Defends Crackdown

China rejected any interference in its internal affairs after U.N. chief Antonio Guterres raised the plight of ethnic Uighurs in the restive Xinjiang region during a visit to Beijing.
Mr. Guterres had been under pressure from rights groups to publicly confront Beijing over the mass detention of Uighurs and other Muslim minorities in Xinjiang.
As per Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang, China was willing to discuss human rights issues with all parties on the basis of equality and mutual respect.

Changes to Asylum Case Handling

U.S. President Donald Trump has directed his administration to charge fees for asylum claims and handle cases within 180 days.
The memo outlined other changes including charging asylum seekers to file work permit applications and barring people who enter the U.S. illegally, or attempt to, from receiving temporary work permits before being approved for relief.
It also directed officials to revoke the work permits of immigrants who receive final deportation orders.

Apr 30, 2019

Sirisena Replaces Police Chief

President Maithripala Sirisena appointed a former Army commander to the post of Defence Secretary, and named a new police chief, as part of his promised effort to overhaul Sri Lanka's security establishment in the wake of the Easter blasts that killed over 250 people.
General S. H. S Kottegoda was appointed the Secretary of Defence, after Hemasiri Fernando resigned from the post.
President Sirisena also named Deputy Inspector-General Chandana Wickramaratne as the acting police chief. The incumbent Pujith Jayasundara, who Mr. Sirisena had earlier asked to resign, was asked to go on compulsory leave after he refused to resign.
As per Sri Lankan law, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) can be removed from the post only with a parliamentary resolution backed by a majority and based on a subsequent inquiry by a committee.

China and Pakistan Sign Agreement on Space Cooperation

China and Pakistan have signed an agreement on joint space exploration including manned missions. This agreement marks a new phase of cooperation between the two all weather allies.
The agreement will serve as a high-level foundation for cooperation in space science and exploration. Both nations will conduct scientific and technological experiments, astronaut training, along with manned space applications and achievement transformation.

Socialist Party of Spain Wins Election

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's Socialists have won snap elections, without the necessary majority to govern solo, in a fragmented political landscape marked by the far-right's entry into parliament. The results raise the spectre of another period of instability for Spain, with Mr. Sánchez depending on alliances with hostile rivals in an environment that has soured since Catalonia's failed secession bid in 2017.

Ultimatum to Netanyahu

Israel's Attorney-General has given Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a week's time to confirm that he wants a formal hearing to defend himself before corruption charges are filed against him.
Avichai Mandelblit said that Mr. Netanyahu's lawyers that if he wants to exercise his right to defend himself before possible indictment, he must notify authorities by May 10. The hearing itself must then take place no later than July 10. Mr. Netanyahu's lawyers have been protesting non-payment of their fees and are refusing to collect the case files until they are paid, the letter said. Mr. Netanyahu, who won a fifth term in office, faces the prospect of becoming the first sitting Premier to be indicted.

Apr 29, 2019

BRI Framework

India's decision to skip the Belt and Road Forum (BRF) may have led to the exclusion of the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) economic corridor from the list of projects covered by the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) umbrella.
In an annex tagged with the Joint Communiqué of the Leaders' Roundtable of the BRF, which concluded in Beijing, the Chinese Foreign Ministry website has not listed the BCIM as a project covered by the BRI, the giant connectivity initiative speared by China to revive the ancient Silk Road across Eurasia and Africa.
South Asia is covered by three major undertakings — the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC); the Nepal-China Trans-Himalayan Multi-dimensional Connectivity Network, including Nepal-China cross-border railway; and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Spain's Snap Election

Spaniards flocked to vote in a tense snap general election that could see the far-right make a dramatic entrance in Parliament.
Opinion polls give outgoing socialist Premier Pedro Sánchez a win but without the necessary majority to govern alone, meaning he will have to seek alliances in a political environment that has soured since Catalonia's failed secession bid. After a tense campaign, voter turnout stood at 60.75%, up from 51.21% at the same time in the preceding polls in 2016.

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