General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - August 2018

Aug 2018

Aug 07, 2020

US Senate Bans TikTok on Government Devices

The US Senate unanimously approved a bill from Senator Josh Hawley banning federal employees from using video-sharing app TikTok on government-issued devices, amid threats from the White House to ban the company. The app has come under fire from U.S. lawmakers and the Trump administration over national security concerns due to China`s ByteDance owning the technology.
The company currently faces a deadline of Sept. 15 to either sell its U.S. operations to Microsoft Corp or face an outright ban. Under a Chinese law introduced in 2017, companies have an obligation to support and cooperate in the country`s national intelligence work.
Last month, the House of Representatives voted to bar federal employees from downloading the app on government-issued devices as part of a proposal, offered by Representative Ken Buck. With passage in the House and approval by the Senate, the prohibition is expected to soon become law in the United States.

Mahinda Rajapaksa-led SLPP Registers Landslide Victory

Sri Lanka's strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa staged a political comeback as his party registered a landslide victory in the twice-postponed general elections.
The official results declared showed that the Sri Lanka People's Party (SLPP) alone had won 145 seats and with its allies have 150 seats, a two-thirds majority in the 225-member parliament.
The party led by the Prime Minister won all but 4 of the 22 electoral districts on offer. The victory margins in the South, dominated by the majority Sinhala community, were in the high 60 per cent mark in most areas. The party polled 6.8 million votes at 59.9 per cent.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who won the November presidential election on the SLPP ticket, had called a snap election six months ahead of the schedule.

India Extends Line of Credit Worth 18 million Dollars to Maldives

India has extended Line of Credit worth 18 million US dollars to the Government of Maldives for the expansion of fishing facilities at Maldives Industrial Fisheries Company (MIFCO).
The project envisages investment in fish collection and storage facilities and the setting up of a tuna cooked plant and fishmeal plant. It is part of the 800 million US dollars line of credit offered by India with repayment tenor of 20 years and a 5-year moratorium. Indian High Commission in Male said fishing is deeply connected to the Maldivian way of life and is a key driver of the economy through exports.

Aug 06, 2020

India Contributes over $15 Million to India-UN Development Partnership Fund

India contributed $15.46 million to the India-UN Development Partnership Fund, underscoring the country's commitment to supporting developing nations in their developmental priorities across all the Sustainable Development Goals.
India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador T. S. Tirumurti handed over a cheque of $15.46 million to the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC) Director Jorge Chediek at a low-key ceremony held within social distancing guidelines at the Permanent Mission of India to the UN.
The tranche of $15.46 million includes $6 million to the overall fund, in which all the developing countries are eligible for partnership, and $9.46 million dedicated to the Commonwealth countries.
The India-UN Development Partnership Fund is managed by the UNOSSC and implemented under the leadership of partner developing countries leveraging the strengths of United Nations Agencies, Funds and Programmes.

Zimbabwe VP New Health Minister after Covid-19 Scandal

Zimbabwe's Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga was appointed as Health Minister, about a month after the ministry was rocked by a scandal surrounding the procurement of coronavirus tests and equipment.
Mr. Chimwenga is a former head of the army who led the military takeover from former President Robert Mugabe.
His predecessor at the health ministry, Obadiah Moyo, appeared in court in June over corruption charges related to a $20m (£16m) contract awarded to a Hungary-registered firm, allegedly without going through proper processes.

US Looking to Ramp up Arms Sales to India

The US is looking to ramp up arms sales to India, including those of armed drones that can carry over 1,000 pounds of bombs and missiles, said a media report, noting the new push comes following the violent clashes in June between Indian and Chinese troops in Ladakh.
As per reports, the US in recent months has laid the groundwork for new arms sales to India that go above and beyond what previous administrations considered, including longer-term weapon systems with higher levels of technology and sophistication, such as armed drones.
President Donald Trump has officially amended rules that restrict the sale of military-grade drones to foreign partners like India, it said, adding that prominent among them being the recent announcement by the Trump administration changing its interpretation of the Missile Technology Control Regime.

Aug 05, 2020

Suu Kyi to Run for Second Term

Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi formally declared her intention to seek a second term in an election in November that is seen as a test of the Southeast Asian nation's tentative democratic reforms.
After decades of military rule, Suu Kyi, who won the Nobel Peace Prize for campaigning for democracy, took the reins in 2016 after an electoral landslide, but has been forced to share power with the generals. Her international reputation slumped over Myanmar's treatment of Rohingya Muslims but she remains popular at home, where her image is undented by accusations of complicity in atrocities against the minority.
Suu Kyi waved to a crowd on the outskirts of the former capital Yangon to submit an application to run as a candidate.

EU Imposes Cyber-attack Sanctions on Chinese Nationals Associated with Chinese Intelligence Agency

In a first, the European Union has imposed sanctions on two Chinese nationals and one Chinese company linked with the Chinese intelligence agency in the aftermath of a massive Cyber Attack targetting companies in the continent.
The two Chinese nationals are Gao Qiang, Shilong Zhang and the company that funded them is Tianjin Huaying Haitai Science and Technology Development. All of them based are located in Tianjin, China. The sanctions include a travel ban and an asset freeze and no EU persons or entities will be allowed to deal with them.
They were involved in Operation Cloud Hopper which was a major cyber attack spanning 6 continents including targetted attacks on companies located in European union. The attack involved gaining unauthorised access to commercially sensitive data, resulting in significant economic loss.
What is an added worry is that EU says all 3 were linked to APT10--Advanced Persistent Threat 10 which is backed by the Chinese intelligence agency.

Aug 04, 2020

Irfaan Ali President Elect of Guyana

The presidential candidate for the main opposition People's Progressive Party/Civic, Mohamed Irfaan Ali, was declared President elect of Guyana.
Chairperson of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Retired Justice Claudette Singh in the declaration of the election stated that article 177 (2) of the Constitution (states) that where there are two or more Presidential candidates, if more votes are cast in favour of the list in which a person is designated as presidential candidate than in favour of any other list, that presidential candidate shall be deemed to be elected president and shall so be declared by the Chairman of the Elections Commission, acting only in accordance with the advice of the Chief Election Officer, after the advice has been tendered to the Elections Commission at a duly summoned meeting.
According to a report by the Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield, submitted to GECOM, the ruling Coalition – A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), received – 217 920 votes; the main opposition PPP/C received 233 336; while 5 214 went to other parties.

Donald Trump Bans Hiring H1-B Visa Holders for Federal Contracts

In a major disappointment for Indian IT professionals, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order banning federal agencies from hiring H1-B visa holders for federal contracts.
Earlier on June 23, President Trump had passed an order suspending the H-1B visas along with other types of foreign work visas until the end of 2020. The Trump administration had justified the move saying that it was done to safeguard the American workers in the time of coornavirus COVID-19 pandemic. The new restrictions came into effect from June 24.
The H1B visa is most sought-after among Indian IT professionals as it allows US companies to hire foreigners for jobs which require theoretical or technical expertise.

Aug 03, 2020

Prachanda Launches Fresh Salvo against PM K. P. Sharma Oli

Nepal's former Maoist leader and PM aspirant Prachanda continues to be adamant as he launched a fresh salvo against PM K. P. Sharma Oli undermining Communist unity in the Himalayan State notwithstanding desperate measures by China to safeguard the regime.
As per reports, Prachanda launched a tirade against Oli for delaying the debate in the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP), particularly in the Standing Committee –– the highest decision-making body of the party.
Both Dahal and Oli have been sticking to their guns even as the Chinese envoy in Kathmandu is trying her best to unite the two camps. Political circles in Nepal are not confident if Chinese President Xi Jinping's remarks on China-Nepal ties will be enough to safeguard Communist unity.

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