General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - August 2018

Aug 2018

Feb 23, 2021

Russia Welcomes Iran-IAEA Deal

The Russian Foreign Ministry welcomed the agreement reached by Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to continue "essential verification" for up to three months.
"We hope that this step will help improve the general political situation regarding Iran and its nuclear program," the ministry's spokesperson Maria Zakharova.
The IAEA and Iran have made a "tangible" contribution to the formation of conditions for the start of "a substantive conversation" between the current participants in the Iran nuclear deal and the US.

Justin Trudeau and his Cabinet Abstain from China Genocide Vote

Canada's House of Commons has voted to declare that China is committing genocide against more than 1 million Uighurs in the western Xinjiang region but Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his cabinet abstained from the vote.
The non-binding motion passed 266-0 as virtually all but Trudeau and his cabinet voted for the measure that also called on the International Olympic Committee to move the 2022 Winter Olympics from Beijing.
As per reports, Canada's foreign minister will make the government's position clear but said declaring something in Parliament is not going to adequately get results in China and that work with international allies and partners is needed.

Sri Lanka Seeks India's Support Ahead of UNHRC Session

Sri Lanka has sought India's support ahead of the March session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva during which Colombo's record in human rights and related accountability will be probed.
As per reports, Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking support during the upcoming session of the UNHRC.
Foreign Secretary Jayanath Colombage said that it was part of the President's efforts to secure the support of the member states.
The core group of countries that work on Sri Lanka's issue at the UNHRC has indicated that it will move a resolution this time, but the Sri Lankan side is yet to see the draft of it.
The core group includes five countries—the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Macedonia and Montenegro.

Italian Ambassador to DR Congo Dies

The Italian ambassador to Congo, an Italian carabineri police officer and their Congolese driver were killed in an attack on a U.N. convoy in an area that is home to Myriad rebel groups.
The ambush occurred as the convoy was travelling from Goma, Congo's eastern regional capital, to visit a World Food Program school feeding project in Rutshuru.
Ambassador Luca Attanasio, Italy's ambassador to the country since 2017, carabinieri officer Vittorio Iacovacci and their driver were killed.

Panel to Vet Chinese Investment

The government has set up a coordination committee comprising officials from the Ministries of Home, External Affairs and Commerce, besides the Niti Aayog, for case-by-case vetting of Chinese foreign investment proposals stuck for nearly a year.
The plan is to divide the proposal into sensitive and non-sensitive categories. There could be faster clearances for proposals from automobiles, electronics, chemicals and textile sectors while the ones in sensitive categories, such as data generation and finance, may see slower clearances.
Among the proposals is a car plant to be set up by US giant General Motors in collaboration with Chinese firm Great Wall ($1 billion investment). SAIC, owner of UK brand MG Motor, plans to invest $250 million.
In April last year, the government had amended the FDI policy to keep out China. The approach was in line with Germany, Italy and Australia to safeguard Covid-hit industries that could be soft takeover targets.

Feb 22, 2021

US Won't Bow to Pressure from Iran

The United States plans to take no additional actions in response to pressure from Iran before talks with Tehran and major powers about returning to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.
Tehran and Washington have been at odds over who should make the first step to revive the accord. Iran says the United States must first lift former President Donald Trump's sanctions, while Washington says Tehran must first return to compliance with the deal.
The United States said that it was ready to talk to Iran about both nations returning to the deal that aimed to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons, which Trump, a Republican, abandoned nearly three years ago.

Trump Ally, UAE Firm Violated Libya Sanction, Planned Executing Targets

American security contractor Erik Prince, a close ally of former U.S. President Donald Trump, violated the U.N. arms embargo against Libya along with three United Arab Emirates-based companies and their top managers during an operation to help a rebel military commander take the capital Tripoli.
In a key section of a report to the U.N. Security Council obtained by a panel of experts, the panel of experts outlined a well-funded private military company operation called Project Opus designed to provide military equipment to eastern-based commander Khalifa Hifter.

India and Ethiopia Sign Agreements

India and Ethiopia signed two agreements on visa facilitation and leather technology. Demeke Mekonnen Hassen, Ethiopian Deputy Prime Minister, and Foreign Minister is on a four-day visit to India.
The agreements between both the countries were signed in the presence of the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Ethiopia, Demeke Mekonnen Hassen, and the External Affairs Minister of India S. Jaishankar.
The two ministers, while signing the agreement, also agreed on expanding the bilateral agenda of India and Ethiopia especially on economic, defence, digital, Science and Technology, and cultural cooperation. The Ethiopian Minister also briefed in detail about the ongoing situation in the region.

Feb 21, 2021

India, Nepal sign MoU for Reconstruction of Six Secondary Schools in Himalayan Nation

India and Nepal signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the reconstruction of six secondary schools in the Himalayan nation.
The MoU was signed between the Indian Embassy and Nepal's Central Level Project Implementation Unit (Education) of Nepal Reconstruction Authority (NRA).
The MoU was for the construction of six secondary schools at a total cost of Nepali Rupees 518 million, according to a statement by the Indian Embassy.
Of the six schools, four including Kanti Bhairab Secondary School, Champa Devi Secondary School, Dhapasi Secondary School and Bishnu Devi Secondary School are located in Kathmandu district and the remaining two Siddheshwar Secondary School and Harisiddhi Secondary School are located in Kavre district. Of the six schools, a groundbreaking ceremony of one was held yesterday amid a ceremony in Thali of Kathmandu.

Feb 20, 2021

France Approves the Ant-Radicalism Bill

The lower house of the French parliament approved the Ant-Radicalism Bill in a bid to fight the Islamic radicalism.
The bill seeks to strengthen the government oversight of mosques and religious schools.
It will also take strong actions against the polygamy and forced marriage.
The bill provides for measures with the aim of rooting out the Islamic radicalism.
It is a part of the broader French efforts that it initiated with the aim of fighting extremism.
It will also promote respect for French values.
The bill was passed in the backdrop of fighting extremism in the country. This fight against extremism gained momentum after a teacher was beheaded in October 2020.

China Overtakes US as EU's Biggest Trading Partner

China is now the EU's biggest trading partner, overtaking the US in 2020.
China bucked a wider trend, as trade with most of Europe's major partners dipped due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Trade between China and the EU was worth $709bn (€586bn, £511bn) last year, compared with $671bn worth of imports and exports from the US.
Although China's economy cratered in the first quarter due to the pandemic, its economic recovery later in the year fuelled demand for EU goods.
China was the only major global economy to see growth in 2020, stoking demand for European cars and luxury goods.
Meanwhile, China's exports to Europe benefited from strong demand for medical equipment and electronics.

Feb 19, 2021

U.S. will Pay Over $200 Million in WHO Contributions

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that his country would pay the World Health Organization (WHO) $200 million by the end of this month.
The announcement is significant as former U.S. President Donald Trump had begun the process of withdrawing the U.S. from the WHO, a process stopped by his successor, President Joe Biden.
Mr. Trump had pulled the U.S. out of the WHO which he had called a "puppet of China". This process would have been complete in mid-2021, but Mr. Biden halted and reversed it hours after assuming office last month.

Harsh Vardhan Shringla meets Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia Sergey Ryabkov in Moscow

Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla had a productive meeting with Deputy Foreign Minister of Russian Sergey Ryabkov during which the two sides exchanged views on a number of issues concerning regional and global security.
Mr Shringla is on an official visit to Moscow. The Foreign Secretary also briefed the Deputy Foreign Minister about India's priorities during its BRICS chairmanship in 2021.
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic situation, India and Russia have sustained the momentum of the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership between the two countries. This year's first visit abroad by the Foreign Secretary to Moscow signifies the importance India attaches to its close and friendly relations with the Russian Federation.

Facebook Blocks Australians from Accessing News on Platform

Facebook has blocked Australians from viewing and sharing news on the platform because of proposed laws in the country to make digital giants pay for journalism.
Australian publishers can continue to publish news content on Facebook, but links and posts can't be viewed or shared by Australian audiences, the U.S.-based company said in a statement.
Australian users cannot share Australian or international news.
International users outside Australia also cannot share Australian news.
"The proposed law fundamentally misunderstands the relationship between our platform and publishers who use it to share news content," Facebook regional managing director William Easton said.

Georgia PM Giorgi Gakharia Quits

The prime minister of Georgia has resigned over plans to arrest an opposition leader, saying the move could cause "political escalation".
Giorgi Gakharia said a court decision to place Nika Melia in pre-trial detention posed "a risk to the health and lives of our citizens".
Mr Melia has been accused of organising mass violence during anti-government protests in 2019.
He denies the charges but faces a nine-year sentence if convicted.
The country's Interior Ministry said in a tweet that Mr Melia's arrest had been "temporarily postponed" after the prime minister announced he was stepping down on Thursday morning.

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