General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - June 2018

Jun 2018

Apr 28, 2019

Deals Signed at BRI Summit

Chinese President Xi Jinping said that $64 billion in deals were signed at a summit on his Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and more nations would join the global infrastructure programme.
Mr. Xi and 37 world leaders wrapped up a three-day forum in Beijing with pledges to ensure that projects on the new Silk Road are green and financially sustainable.
A document released after the meeting showed Equatorial Guinea, Liberia, Luxembourg, Jamaica, Peru, Italy, Barbados, Cyprus and Yemen were the latest countries to join the club.

Joint Committee Meet

A joint committee representing Sudan's military leadership and protesters will hold its first meeting to discuss their demand for civilian rule.
Protest leaders have held several rounds of so far inconclusive talks with the ruling military council since the army toppled veteran President Omar al-Bashir on April 11 following four months of nationwide protests.
Earlier this week, the two sides agreed to set up a joint committee to chart the way forward.
The Alliance for Freedom and Change, which brings together grassroots organisers with opposition and rebel groups, has kept up mass protests for a return to civilian rule since Mr. Bashir's overthrow after three decades in power.
Western governments have expressed support, but Sudan's key Gulf Arab lenders have backed the military council, while African states have called for more time for the army to hand over to civilians.

Apr 27, 2019

Prisoner Swap Offer Only for U.S.

A prisoner swap offered by Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif is only for the United States and would not involve Britain.
Mr. Zarif proposed that Iranians jailed in the United States or held in other countries on extradition requests issued by the Americans could be swapped for foreigners imprisoned in Iran.

China and Russia Pose Threat to U.S.

FBI Director Christopher Wray described China as the most significant "intelligence collection" threat. His comments were made at a discussion at the Washington offices of the Council on Foreign Relations, a think-tank.

Qatar is Set to Abolish Controversial Exit Visa System

According to the UN's International Labour Organisation, Qatar is set to abolish its controversial exit visa system for all foreign workers by the end of 2019.
Last year, the exit visa was eliminated for the majority of workers, this year that will be extended to all remaining categories of workers.
In September 2018, Qatar approved legislation to scrap the kafala, or sponsorship, system which required that foreign workers obtain permission from their employers to leave the country.

Apr 26, 2019

Law Strengthening Ukrainian Language Use

Ukraine's Parliament passed a law enforcing the use of the Ukrainian language in official settings, a move likely to rile Russian-speaking areas of the country and Moscow.
Lawmakers approved the measure, which also increases the quota for Ukrainian-language television and radio programming, just days after Russian-speaking Volodymyr Zelensky was elected President.
Officials at all levels as well as doctors, teachers, lawyers and others, will have to speak Ukrainian or face fines. The law will not apply to private communications or religious rites.
The law will not be enforced for three years as centres are set up around the country to support the learning of Ukrainian language and culture.

Muslim Refugees in Negombo Flee

Days after a deadly bomb attack shook Negombo, killing over a hundred people praying at the St. Sebastian's Church, a new, unexpected conflict has heightened tensions in the coastal town.
Hundreds of refugees who live in Negombo, some 40 km north of Colombo, have been forced to leave their homes and seek shelter in nearby mosques and police stations, following a sudden hostility from a section of locals.
A mixed ethnic town, Negombo is home to a sizeable number of Catholics and fewer Muslims, and hundreds of refugees who fled persecution in their countries.
Over 1,000 refugees and asylum-seekers, hailing from countries including Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran, live in the town, with government and UNHCR support.
They have enjoyed cordial ties with the local community.

Sri Lanka's Defence Secretary Resigns

Sri Lanka's Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando resigned, taking responsibility for what the government earlier termed "a major lapse" in intelligence on the Easter attacks.
Mr. Fernando is the first official to step down after both President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said they were unaware of the imminent threat, though the security establishment had received prior intelligence.
While Mr. Sirisena promised to overhaul the security structure, making key changes in 24 hours, the new Secretary is yet to be named.

Apr 25, 2019

Kazakhstan May Scale up Supply of Uranium

According to Kazakh ambassador Bulat Sarsenbayev, Kazakhstan the world's largest producer of uranium, is looking at scaling up its supply of the key energy source to India from 5,000 tonnes during 2015-19 to more than 7,500 tonnes over the next five years.
The Central Asian nation, with the second largest uranium reserves or almost 15% of the world's recoverable uranium, is currently the largest supplier of the commodity to India. It was also among India's earliest partners in civil nuclear cooperation and supplied 3,000 tonnes under the first contract signed in 2009.

Top Security Officials Told to Resign

Sri Lanka's President has asked for the resignations of the Defence Secretary and national police chief, a dramatic internal shake-up after security forces shrugged off intelligence reports warning of possible attacks before Easter bombings.
It wasn't immediately clear who would be replacing them, but President Maithripala Sirisena said that he planned to change the head of the defence forces within 24 hours.

China Formally Arrests Former Interpol Chief

China has formally arrested former Interpol chief Meng Hongwei on suspicion of accepting bribes, prosecutors announced on Wednesday, as he faces possible graft charges.
Mr. Meng, who had also served as Vice Minister of Public Security, vanished last September during a visit to China from France, where Interpol is based, and was later accused of accepting bribes.
Mr. Meng has been expelled from the Communist Party and his official positions.

Apr 24, 2019

Iran Brands Entire U.S. Military as Terrorist

Iranian lawmakers overwhelmingly approved a Bill that labels all U.S. military forces as terrorist, a day after Washington ratcheted up pressure on Tehran by announcing that no country would any longer be exempt from U.S. sanctions if it continues to buy Iranian oil.
The Bill is a step further from the one last week, when lawmakers approved labelling just U.S. troops in West Asia as terrorist, in response to the U.S. terrorism designation for Iran's Revolutionary Guards earlier this month.

More Calls for Theresa May to Quit

As many as 70 chairmen of local Conservative associations signed a motion calling for an emergency session of the party's grassroots forum to express no confidence in Prime Minister Theresa May, bringing the Brexit debate back to Westminster after the Easter break.
The new Brexit date has been pushed down the road to October 31, but the immediate challenge before May is to reach a situation in which the UK avoids taking part in the May 23 elections to the European Parliament. This is possible if a consensus is reached to resolve the logjam.

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