General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - August 2018

Aug 2018

Dec 12, 2020

Time Names Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as Person of the Year in 2020

US President-elect Joe Biden and his running mate Kamala Harris have been chosen as Time magazine's Person of the Year in 2020.
The Democratic pair beat three other finalists: frontline healthcare workers and Dr. Anthony Fauci, the racial justice movement, and President Donald Trump, who lost the White House race.
Time has been choosing the year's most influential person since 1927.
"For changing the American story, for showing that the forces of empathy are greater than the furies of division, for sharing a vision of healing in a grieving world, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are TIME's 2020 Person of the Year," wrote Time's editor-in-chief Edward Felsenthal.

Faced with US, EU Sanctions, Erdogan Calls for Dialogue

Faced with the prospect of sanctions from both the United States and the European Union, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that economic penalties would be detrimental to all sides and that Turkey's disputes with its allies can be resolved through dialogue and cooperation.
Erdogan's comments came hours after the EU gave the green light for the expansion of sanctions against Turkey over its exploration of gas reserves in eastern Mediterranean waters claimed by EU members Greece and Cyprus.
Turkey also faces US sanctions over its purchase of a Russian air defense system, which has already resulted in the NATO-member being kicked out of the U.S. F-35 stealth fighter program.

No-deal Brexit Very Likely

Britain is likely to leave the European Union without a trade deal in just under three weeks' time, British PM Boris Johnson and European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said.
Britain quit the EU in January but remains an informal member until December 31, the end of a transition period during which it has remained in the European Union single market and customs union.
Both sides say they want to agree arrangements to cover nearly $1 trillion in annual trade, but talks are at an impasse. European Commission chief von der Leyen told EU leaders that a no-deal was more likely than a deal.

Dec 11, 2020

Biden Picks China Expert Tai as Top US Trade Representative

President-elect Joe Biden roped in Katherine Tai as US Trade Representative as he named former national security advisor Susan Rice for top domestic policy job at the White House and Tom Vilsack as Secretary of Agriculture.
Biden also named Congresswoman Marcia Fudge as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, and Denis McDonough, Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

Morocco Latest Arab Country to Normalise Ties with Israel

Morocco has become the latest Arab League country to agree to normalise relations with Israel in a deal brokered with US help.
As part of the deal, the US has agreed to recognise Morocco's claim over the disputed Western Sahara region.
It is the subject of a dispute between Morocco and the Algeria-backed Polisario Front, which has been seeking to establish an independent state.
Morocco is the fourth state to make such a deal with Israel since August.
Agreements have also been struck recently with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Sudan.
Along with Egypt and Jordan, Morocco becomes the sixth Arab League member to normalise ties with Israel.

DR Congo Parliament Votes to Remove Speaker

Lawmakers in the Democratic Republic of Congo have voted to remove the parliament's speaker.
The result is a victory for President Félix Tshisekedi, who's been involved in a power struggle with supporters of his predecessor, Joseph Kabila.
Earlier this week police had to intervene to break up fights between rival politicians.
The speaker, Jeanine Mabunda, was an ally of Mr. Kabila. She was impeached after being accused of "partisan leadership" by President Tshisekedi's supporters - allegations she denied.
The vote also saw the majority in parliament swing in favour of President Tshisekedi.
He can now put into motion plans that he put forward earlier. They include forming a government which he said would allow him to deliver more to the Congolese people.
The removal of the speaker is a major blow to former President Kabila, who stepped down last year after leading the central African country for 18 years.
He had full control of both national and provincial assemblies.

Dec 10, 2020

France Unveils Draft Law to Fight Islamist Radical Enemy

A draft law aimed at arming France against Islamist radicalism was unveiled, a measure promoted by President Emmanuel Macron to rout out what he calls "separatists" undermining the nation.
Parliament is expected to open what is likely to be a lively debate on the draft law in the months ahead. The measure, long in the making and refined until days before its presentation, has gone through various name changes and is now known by the delicate title "Supporting Republican Principles".
Prime Minister Jean Castex and others insist that neither Islam as a religion nor regular Muslims are targeted by the draft law.
Neither is named in the text made up of about 50 articles aimed at enabling better oversight of mosques, associations, public services and schools.

Pakistan Lawmakers to Resign en Masse

The political crisis in Pakistan has deepened after an 11-party Opposition alliance announced that their lawmakers would resign en masse by the end of this month from parliament to paralyse the government and force Prime Minister Imran Khan to call early snap polls.
The decision was taken after the Pakistan Democratic Movement, a group of 11 opposition parties, held a meeting in Islamabad.

Major Blow to Pakistan and China

In a major blow to Pakistan and China, the US has placed them on violators of religious freedom list along with eight other nations.
The United States designated Pakistan, China, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Nigeria, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Eritrea and Myanmar, as Countries of Particular Concern (CPC) under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998.
The US also placed the Comoros, Cuba, Nicaragua, and Russia on a Special Watch List for governments that have engaged in or tolerated severe violations of religious freedom.
Sudan and Uzbekistan have been removed from the Special Watch List based on significant, concrete progress undertaken by their respective governments over the past year.

Dec 09, 2020

Biden Picks Retired Army General to Run Pentagon

US President-elect Joe Biden has selected retired Army General Lloyd Austin to run the Pentagon as Secretary of Defence. If confirmed by the Senate, the 67-year-old career military officer would be the first African-American to lead the Department of Defence.

Forbes 2020 List of 100 most Powerful Women

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, US Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, Biocon Founder Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw and HCL Enterprise CEO Roshni Nadar Malhotra have been named among the world's 100 most powerful women by Forbes, a list topped by German Chancellor Angela Merkel for the 10th year in a row.
The women on the 17th annual Forbes Power List hail from 30 countries and were born across four generations.
Sitharaman is ranked 41st on the list, Nadar Malhotra comes in at the 55th spot, Mazumdar-Shaw is ranked 68th and chairwoman of Landmark Group Renuka Jagtiani is ranked 98th.

Romanian PM Ludovic Orban Resigns

Romanian Prime Minister Ludovic Orban has resigned after his party's disappointing performance in parliamentary elections.
Despite losing to the opposition Social Democrats (PSD), Mr. Orban said that he still hoped that his National Liberal Party (NLP) could put together a majority coalition to choose his successor.
With 95% of ballots counted, the PSD had 30% of the vote to the NLP's 25%.
Despite winning, it is unlikely that the opposition PSD will take charge, as the NLP has more potential allies.
Several smaller parties will hold the balance of power, which appears to favour a Liberal-led coalition.

EU and Burundi Agree to Resume Dialogue

Burundi and the European Union have agreed to relaunch a political dialogue with hopes of normalising diplomatic ties after a five-year suspension, the presidency has announced.
President Evariste Ndayishimiye hosted the EU representative in Burundi together with ambassadors of European countries.
The two sides agreed to break free from the past and look to the future by rebuilding their relationship.
Burundi had accused the EU of "sponsoring instability" in the country following a failed coup in May 2015. The EU subsequently cut off budgetary support to the government citing concerns of human rights violations.

Dec 08, 2020

Liberians Vote on How Long a President Should Serve

Liberians voted in a referendum about shortening presidential terms from six to five years and allowing citizens to have dual nationality.
Some of President George Weah's critics were concerned that he could use the constitutional change to extend the number of terms that he serves.
Liberian Presidents are limited to two terms, but constitutional changes in neighbouring Guinea and Ivory Coast meant that the heads of state there could run for third terms despite the term limit still being in place.

EU Weighs New Dawn for Trans-Atlantic Ties under Biden

The European Union Foreign Ministers debated ways to work together more closely with the United States on global diplomacy, with the bloc hopeful that the arrival of President-elect Joe Biden will breathe new life into trans-Atlantic relations.
Trans-Atlantic ties have eroded over the past four years under President Donald Trump. He has slapped tariffs on European exports and pulled the United States out of a number of security agreements that they hold dear, notably the Iran nuclear deal.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, who is chairing the meeting, said that the aim was to establish a new, refreshed start of our engagement with the US. The bloc's leaders will also discuss trans-Atlantic ties this week at a two-day summit.

China Suggests Dialogue with US

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that Beijing and the US should initiate dialogue at all levels. This comes after reports suggesting that US President-elect Joe Biden may take a tough stance on China-related issues such as the South China Sea. Also, Biden is likely to come through with his pledge to mobilise America's allies in determination to stand up to China.
As per a report by ANI, Sputnik quoted Wang saying that "China and the US should initiate dialogue at all levels, any issue can be discussed at the negotiating table. Thus, it is possible to keep in touch on strategic and long-term issues". He added, "The Chinese side is always ready to negotiate, the sides can draft a list [of topics] to promote dialogue, cooperation and to settle differences". He said this at the meeting with the US-China Business Council's Board of Directors.

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