General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - June 2018

Jun 2018

Apr 09, 2019

US Designates Iran's IRGC Foreign Terrorist Organisation

The Trump administration designated Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a foreign terrorist organisation, using the listing for the first time against a part of another government in an unprecedented and historic development marking a new escalation in tensions with Iran.
The United States designated Iran a state sponsor of terrorism in 1984 and has accused it of supporting Hizballah, Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Kata'ib Hizballah, al-Ashtar Brigades.

UK Parliament Approves Brexit Law

Britain`s parliament approved legislation that gives lawmakers the power to scrutinise and even change Prime Minister Theresa May`s request that the European Union agree to delay Brexit until June 30.
May has already asked Brussels to extend Britain`s EU membership to allow talks with the opposition Labour Party in search of different exit plan, a last-ditch attempt to keep control after parliament rejected her Brexit deal three times.
But lawmakers want additional legal guarantees against a "no-deal" exit happening on April 12 - the current exit day - and have crafted a law forcing ministers to consult with parliament before May goes to Brussels.

Apr 08, 2019

Pak Not to Send Ships for Chinese Navy's Birthday Parade

The Pakistan Navy is unlikely to send warships to take part in China's high-profile maritime parade to mark the 70th anniversary of the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) to be held off China's east coast later this month.
At least two Pakistani ships were expected to attend the review to be inspected by President Xi Jinping in the coastal city of Qingdao on April 23.
The withdrawal of the Pakistani ships wasn't announced officially but the reason behind it could be the current heavy deployment of the Indian Navy in the Arabian Sea.
India, meanwhile, has dispatched one of its frontline warships, INS Kolkata, an indigenously built stealth destroyer, to take part in the fleet review. Accompanying INS Kolkata will be one of the Indian Navy's largest ships, fleet tanker INS Shakti.
Around 500 Indian Navy personnel will be on the two ships.
For India, sending warships to PLAN's prestige event is part of the post-Wuhan reset of Sino-India ties following the cold snap in the aftermath of the Doklam (Donglang) standoff. Military engagement between the armed forces is expected to expand.

Apr 07, 2019

New UK Passports Shed 'EU' Label

Brexit has proved to be a veritable bridge too far with the Theresa May government struggling to see it through.
But the UK home office has already begun issuing new passports without the words "European Union" on the burgundy cover.
British passports issued from March 30 onwards don't have the prominent "European Union" label at the top of the front cover.
Instead, the new cover only mentions "United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland".
The words were dropped because the home office had assumed Brexit would happen as scheduled on March 29.
But events inside and outside the House of Commons have led to continuing uncertainty, with Prime Minister May now seeking an extension until June 30.
Dropping the two words from the British passport's front cover is not the only change to be carried out.
Its colour will change from burgundy to blue later in the year. It will mark a return to the colour first used in 1921.
The existing burgundy colour was adopted in 1988.
There will be no difference for British citizens whether they are using a passport that includes the words 'European Union' or a passport that doesn't. Both designs will be equally valid for travel.

US Reaches H-1B Visa Cap for 2020

The United States announced it had received enough petitions for H-1B visas for the congressionally mandated annual cap of 65,000 for 2020, the first under new rules that favour foreigners with advanced degrees from US colleges and might disadvantage Indians with Indian degrees.
US citizenship and immigration services, which runs the visa programme, said it has "received a sufficient number of petitions projected as needed to reach the congressionally mandated 65,000 H-1B visa regular cap for fiscal year 2020". And that it will next determine "if we have received a sufficient number of petitions to meet the 20,000 H-1B visa US advanced degree exemption, known as the master's cap".
Indians have historically accounted for more than 70% of the total of 85,000 H-1B visas the US grants every year against applications by American employers for speciality occupations.
Some of them were those employed by Indian companies with US operations such as TCS and Infosys, but most were hired by American companies such as Google, Facebook and Microsoft.
The H-1B programme has come under intense scrutiny from the Trump administration which believes, agreeing with long-time critics, these visas have been used to hire foreigners at the cost of Americans, to displace local workers. And in line with President Donald Trump's "Buy American, Hire American" policy, rules have been introduced and changed to make it harder to qualify, costlier and less welcoming.
The new rule favouring foreigners with US degrees, which was announced in January, is expected to boost their numbers by an estimated 16%, or 5,340 workers.

Apr 06, 2019

A Colourful end to Campaigning

Scores of Maldivians gathered at the seafront in capital Male to participate in their final rally on the eve of the island nation's parliamentary election.
The city had closed down for the weekend and Friday prayers, but hours after lunch, the streets were teeming with people, as if it were a carnival.
The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), the chief constituent of the ruling coalition, held a final rally where President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and former President Mohamed Nasheed, who is running for a seat in Male this election, shared centre stage, flanked by other candidates and prominent party members.

May Asks EU for a Further Brexit Extension

The U.K. and European Council President Donald Tusk appeared to be nearing a consensus on a further Brexit extension. Prime Minister Theresa May has written to Mr. Tusk, asking for an extension till at least June 30 this year.
It comes as Mr. Tusk himself was reported to be proposing a flextension, an extension that could last till April next year, but could also last a much shorter period were the U.K. to break the EU deadlock before that.

Apr 05, 2019

MPs Pass Legislation to Rule out No-deal Brexit

British MPs, by a majority of one vote, passed emergency legislation that instructs Prime Minister Theresa May to seek an extension to Article 50 that triggered the Brexit process.
The Bill, which was opposed by the government, received support from 313 MPs with 312 voting against it. It was put forward by Labour MP Yvette Cooper and Conservative MP Oliver Letwin in an attempt to rally MPs across the political spectrum.
It comes as Ms. May and the leader of the Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, embarked on a second day of talks to try to find the road ahead. The Bill will still have to pass through the House of Lords before it comes into force.

Brunei's LGBT Community

Transgender woman Zoella Zayce fled her native Brunei last year as the country shifted towards hard-line Islam, and thinks more of the LGBT community will follow after the death penalty for gay sex was introduced.
The absolute monarchy on tropical Borneo Island, ruled by a sultan who has been on the throne for over five decades, implemented tough new Islamic laws, including death by stoning for sex between men, and adultery.

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