General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - August 2018

Aug 2018

Mar 05, 2021

Turkey Widens War Technology Hunt

Turkey is pushing to co-manufacture warplanes and missiles with Pakistan, a hookup that could also give it access to prized war technology from China.
Turkish defence and government officials have held periodic talks with Pakistani counterparts — the last high-level discussion was in January —about developing and manufacturing military hardware with Pakistan, according to people from both countries who are familiar with the negotiations. The people didn't say when they'll meet again or how close they are to an agreement.
A deal would get Nato-member Turkey closer to some of China's military technology. Pakistan builds its JF-17 fighter jets with China and is said to have adapted Chinese designs for its Shaheen ballistic missile.

Viktor Orban's Fidesz to Quit Europe's Centre-right EPP

Hungary's ruling party, the right-wing Fidesz, is to leave the largest grouping in the European Parliament.
The European People's Party (EPP) voted overwhelmingly in favour of changing its internal rules in a move that would have made it easier to expel Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's party.
Mr. Orban denounced the decision as "anti-democratic" and announced Fidesz's withdrawal from the bloc.
He and the EPP have long been at odds over his democratic record in Hungary.
The party had been suspended from the centre-right EPP since 2019 over concerns about human rights in Hungary and its attacks against the EPP leadership.

President Joe Biden's Pick to Lead White House Economic Council Confirmed

The US Senate has overwhelmingly voted to confirm President Joe Biden's nominee Cecilia Rouse, a Princeton University economist, to lead the White House Council of Economic Advisers, making her the first African-American to hold the position.
The upper chamber of Congress confirmed Rouse's nomination in a 95-4 vote.
Rouse, who currently serves as dean of the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, was a member of former President Barack Obama's Council of Economic Advisers.

Imran Khan to Seek Confidence Vote after Shock Loss

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan will seek a confidence vote in the National Assembly, or parliament's Lower House, after his Finance Minister lost an election for a seat in the upper house, the biggest test yet for his three-year-old government.
Khan addressed the nation and the premier met the powerful army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa and the head of the country's spy agency, General Faiz Hameed.
The developments followed a surprise loss for the prime minister in the country's Senate after Finance Minister Abdul Hafeez Shaikh lost a tightly fought battle for a seat in the indirectly elected house against the opposition-backed former Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.

India Proposes Inclusion of Chabahar Port in International North-south Corridor

India proposed the inclusion of Iran's Chabahar port in the International North South Transport Corridor (INSTC), a 7,200 km multi-mode route spanning 13 countries, and also called for Uzbekistan and Afghanistan to be made part of the corridor.
Chabahar Port, where an Indian state-run firm operates a terminal, is a key part of India's plans to enhance connectivity to Afghanistan and the Central Asian states. The port played an important role in shipping humanitarian aid to Afghanistan amid the Covid-19 pandemic and India recently supplied heavy cranes to boost its capabilities.

Mar 04, 2021

Egypt and Sudan Back DR Congo to Mediate Dam Dispute

Egypt and Sudan have backed the Democratic Republic of Congo to lead negotiations on their row with Ethiopia over the mega dam on the Nile River.
A joint statement by their foreign ministers affirmed their support for an enhanced structure of negotiation sponsored by the African Union (AU) that include the US, the European Union and the UN.
The ministers also noted that a unilateral filling of the dam for the second phase would be a direct threat to their countries' water security.
Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi, who met Sudan's Foreign Minister Mariam al-Sadiq, said that the dam was a vital issue for both countries.

Mar 03, 2021

Zanzibar's new vice-president sworn in

The new vice-president of Tanzania's semi-autonomous islands of Zanzibar was sworn in less than two weeks after his predecessor died.
Othman Masoud Othman Sharif replaced Seif Sharif Hamad who died in 17 February 2021, aged 77.
Mr. Masoud has previously served in senior positions in Zanzibar government, including as attorney-general.

Zimbabwe VP Resigns

Zimbabwe's second Vice-President Kembo Mohadi has resigned a week after he denied accusations of sexual impropriety.
Mr. Mohadi repeated his defence that he was the victim of hacking and "voice cloning" after an online newspaper published lurid phone call recordings with several women allegedly including a subordinate.

China Asks Australia to Abandon its Interference in Hong Kong's Affairs

- China has condemned Australia for granting protection visas to Hong Kong passport holders in December and asked Canberra to abandon its interference in Hong Kong's affairs.
- Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said that China's position on Hong Kong-related issues is consistent and clear. Hong Kong affairs fall entirely within China's internal affairs.
- No foreign country has the right to interfere.

Mar 02, 2021

Trump Hints at 2024 Presidential Run

In his first public speech since leaving office, former US President Donald Trump has called for Republican Party unity while indicating that he might launch a third presidential bid in 2024 even as he slammed the Biden administration, claiming the country had gone from "America First" to "America Last" in just one month.
Speaking at the Conservative Political Action Committee in Orlando, Florida, the 74-year-old leader, who left the White House on January 20, stopped short of announcing to run for the president in 2024, although he gave enough indications that he is moving in that direction.

Former French President Sarkozy Convicted of Corruption

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy was found guilty by a Paris court of corruption after he offered to pull strings to help a magistrate land a prestigious job in return for a favour.
The 66-year-old was also sentenced to a 1-year prison term, though under the French system he's unlikely to serve it, even if he fails to overturn the verdict on appeal.
"Sarkozy used his status as former French President," said Presiding Judge Christine Mée as she read out the court's decision.
The judgment puts the former president on the back-foot just two weeks before he's due back in court on separate charges that he illegally exceeded campaign-spending limits ahead of his electoral defeat.

Republican Leaders Call for US Boycott of 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing

Accusing China of horrific human rights abuses, some top Republican leaders, including Indian American Nikki Haley, have demanded that the US boycott the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing and called on the International Olympic Committee to select a new site for the event.
The White House, however, said that no decision has been taken yet on the demands of the leaders.
It is no secret that China wants to use the Winter Olympics as part of its "massive communist propaganda campaign", Haley, a former US ambassador to the UN, said as she launched a campaign to demand President Joe Biden announce a boycott of the games.

Morocco Suspends Relations with German Embassy

Morocco has announced that it has suspended contacts with the German embassy in the country over its stance on Western Sahara.
The country's foreign affairs ministry cited "deep disagreements concerning crucial issues," without elaborating.
A senior Moroccan diplomat cited Germany's reaction to the US decision in December to recognise Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara as a reason for the suspension of relations.
The diplomat also cited Germany's decision not to invite Morocco to an international meeting about Libya last year.
Germany called a UN Security Council meeting to discuss the issue after former US President Donald Trump said that Washington recognised Morocco's sovereignty over Western Sahara.

Mar 01, 2021

Myanmar Envoy Appeals to UN to Stop Military Coup

Myanmar's U.N. envoy urged the United Nations to use "any means necessary" to stop a military coup there, making a surprise appeal on behalf of the ousted government as police cracked down on anti-junta protesters.
The Southeast Asian country has been in crisis since the army seized power on Feb. 1 and detained elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi and much of her party leadership, alleging fraud in a November election her party had won.
Myanmar's ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun told the U.N. General Assembly he was speaking on behalf of Suu Kyi's government and appealed to the body "to use any means necessary to take action against the Myanmar military and to provide safety and security for the people".

Iran Says it Will Continue to Support Syria in War against Terrorism

Iran will keep supporting the Syrian government in the fight against terrorism, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in a telephone conversation with the Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad.
Zarif reaffirmed that the Islamic Republic will continue its supports for Syria in various fields and in its efforts to ensure security and stability across Syria, the Xinhua news reported.
The Iranian foreign minister also stressed the need for a solution that preserves the interests, sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of the Arab country.
For his part, Mekdad thanked Iran for supporting the Syrian people in the economic arena with the purpose of mitigating the effects of unilateral economic sanctions.
The two sides also urged the western states to abide by the UN Security Council resolutions on Syria.

US Democrats Reintroduce Legislation to Prevent Future Muslim Bans

As many as 140 Democratic lawmakers have reintroduced a legislation in the US Congress to prevent future Muslim bans and prohibit discrimination on the basis of religion.
The Muslim travel ban, introduced by former US President Donald Trump, targeted several Muslim-majority nations and restricted the entry of people from Iran, North Korea, Syria, Libya, Yemen, Somalia and Venezuela. President Joe Biden ended the Muslim ban on his day one in the office last month.
In the House of Representatives, the National Origin-Based Anti-discrimination for Non-immigrants (NO BAN) Act was reintroduced on Friday by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler and Judy Chu, while in the Senate it was done by Senator Chris Coons.

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