General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - August 2018

Aug 2018

Dec 17, 2019

Johnson Set to Welcome Lawmakers, Get Brexit Rolling

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is ready to give a pep talk on Monday to a new group of Conservative Party lawmakers as he begins his push to secure parliamentary approval for his Brexit deal.
Mr. Johnson will welcome 109 newly elected colleagues, many of them coming from parts of the country that were once strongholds of the opposition Labour Party.

Qatar Hopeful of Ending Rift with Saudi Arabia

Qatar's Foreign Minister voiced optimism over ending a bitter rift with Saudi Arabia, and said that early talks had broken a stalemate but Doha was unwilling to alter ties with Turkey as a pre-condition.
Saudi Arabia along with its allies the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt cut all diplomatic and transport ties with Qatar in June 2017.
The four nations accused Doha of backing radical Islamists, including the Muslim Brotherhood, and seeking closer ties with Saudi arch rival Tehran -- allegations Qatar vehemently denies.

Pension Reform Chief of France Resigns

The French official leading a controversial pensions overhaul stepped down over a scandal involving undeclared payments, as a crippling transport strike against the proposals entered its 12th day, imperilling the holiday plans of thousands.
Jean-Paul Delevoye became the target of unions after admitting that he had failed to disclose 13 private sector posts, both paid and unpaid, in a recent asset declaration. One of his jobs, as president of the Parallaxe education think-tank, paid nearly 5,400 euros (USD 6,000) a month on top of his ministerial salary - money he should have forfeited under a 2013 political transparency law.

Turkey Deploys Surveillance Drone in Northern Cyprus

Turkey dispatched a surveillance and reconnaissance drone to the breakaway north of ethnically divided island nation of Cyprus amid tensions over offshore oil and gas exploration.
The Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 drone took off from an airbase in Dalaman, Turkey, and touched down at the airport in Gecitkala — known as Lefkoniko in Greek, on Cyprus.
The Turkish deployment would be limited to unarmed drones as there was "no need" for armed ones.

Democrats Accuse Trump of Federal Crimes

Democrats have accused President Donald Trump of multiple federal crimes including criminal bribery and wire fraud in a report that explains the two articles, or charges, of impeachment that the House of Representatives is expected to approve.
The US Senate will hold a trial in January 2020. Indian American lawmakers Pramila Jayapal and Raja Krishnamoorthi could be among impeachment managers appointed by House Democrats to argue their case.

Dec 16, 2019

Three-Digit Suicide Prevention Hotline - 988 - Given Green Light in US

A free, three-digit suicide hotline is being set up for Americans after it was approved by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
When it becomes operational, the 988 dial-code will provide mental health support and ease pressure on the 911 line, which covers all emergencies.
The hotline would reduce stigma and save lives.
Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the US and has increased by 33% in the past 20 years.
The proposal for the suicide hotline, which was unanimously approved by all five members of the commission, requires telephone providers to implement the 988 dial code within 18 months.

Israel Will Hold Unprecedented Third Election in a Year

Israel will hold an unprecedented third general election in less than a year after politicians again failed to form a majority coalition in parliament.
Members of the Knesset voted to set the election date for 2 March hours after a midnight (22:00 GMT) deadline passed.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his main rival, Benny Gantz, were unable to secure majorities following September's inconclusive election.
The two leaders also could not agree on a power-sharing arrangement.
Mr Netanyahu's legal problems were a big obstacle to negotiations. He was indicted on corruption charges.
In the end, Mr Gantz demanded that he promise not to seek parliamentary immunity from prosecution as a precondition for further talks.

Trump Halts New Tariffs in US China Trade War

The US and China have announced a preliminary trade agreement.
The so-called phase one deal will see billions of dollars in tariffs removed or delayed.
US stocks hit a fresh record on hopes there will be a continued softening of trade tensions between the world's two largest economies.
If the new, higher tariffs had gone ahead, Chinese-made goods such as smartphones, clothing and toys would have become more expensive for Americans just ahead of Christmas.
US negotiators are reportedly offering to significantly reduce existing tariffs on about $360bn (£270bn) worth of Chinese imports.
In return, China has promised to buy large quantities of US soybeans, poultry and other agricultural products.
The agreement is a deal in principle, which means if China breaks any part of the agreement, the Trump administration has the ability to re-implement tariffs.

Dec 15, 2019

China Welcomes Trade War Thaw

China put a positive face on Saturday on a first-step trade agreement that dials down a trade war it blames the US for starting.
Chinese experts and news media joined government officials and said that the deal would reduce uncertainty for companies, at least in the short term. Both sides will have to show a willingness to compromise to resolve the more fundamental differences between them.
The two countries announced a "Phase 1" agreement under which the US will reduce tariffs and China will buy more US farm products. Chinese officials said the text, which includes intellectual property, technology transfer, financial services and dispute settlement, has to undergo legal and translation review before it can be signed.

N. Korea Conducts Missile Test Again

North Korea successfully conducted a crucial test at a long-range projectile launch site and boosted its nuclear-deterrent capabilities. It didn't provide any details about the exercise.
The news follows a North Korean announcement last week that it held a very important test, without elaborating. South Korea's military believes the North tested an engine for its ballistic missiles.
South Korean and US military officials are closely monitoring activities in North Korea and analysing what was tested.
Pyongyang's latest tests put further pressure on the US to try to break the deadlock in negotiations between the two countries after working-level talks in Stockholm in October 2019 collapsed.

The US, UK, France, Canada and Isarael Issue Travel Advisories

Amid protests in the Northeast against the Citizenship Amendment Act, the US, UK, France, Canada and Israel have issued travel advisories asking their citizens to exercise caution while travelling to the region.
Demonstrations against the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) are taking place in some parts of the country. There have been reports of violent protests in Northeast India, especially in Assam and Tripura. An indefinite curfew has been imposed in Guwahati (Assam) and mobile internet services have been suspended in 10 districts of Assam. Transport may be affected in various parts of the region.
The advisories were issued after the office of the High Commissioner of the United Nations Human Rights expressed concern saying that the Citizenship (Amendment) Act was fundamentally discriminatory in nature.

Lam Visits China

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam visited Beijing for her first trip to the Chinese capital since her government was handed a crushing defeat in local elections last month, prompting speculation about changes to her leadership team.
During a four-day visit, Lam will discuss the situation in China-ruled Hong Kong with Chinese officials. She is expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Hong Kong has been convulsed by daily and sometimes violent protests for the last six months as demonstrations against a now-withdrawn extradition bill broadened into demands for greater democratic freedom. Hundreds of thousands of people marched last Sunday to protest against what is seen as Beijing undermining freedoms guaranteed when the former British colony was handed back to China in 1997.

Dec 14, 2019

Australia Names First ever Female Spy Chief

Prime Minister Scott Morrison appointed a woman to head a major Australian spy agency for the first time.
Rachel Noble will become next director-general of the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD), which intercepts electronic communications from foreign countries.
Noble, who will begin her new role in February 2020, will lead the ASD at a time when Australia is increasingly concerned about cyber-attacks.

Donald Trump Impeachment Looms As US House Committee Approves Charges

Democrats in the US House of Representatives took Republican President Donald Trump to the brink of impeachment by approving two charges against him over his efforts to pressure Ukraine to investigate Democratic political rival Joe Biden.
A divided House Judiciary Committee voted 23-17 along party lines to approve articles of impeachment charging Trump with abusing the power of his office over the Ukraine scandal and obstructing House Democrats` attempts to investigate him for it.
Trump is expected to become the third US President to be impeached when the full Democratic-led House votes on the charges, likely next week, setting up a trial in the Republican-controlled Senate.

World Bodies Raise Concerns; UN Panel Terms the Law Biased

The United Nations human rights office described the Citizenship (Amendment) Act as "fundamentally discriminatory in nature" and called for it to be reviewed even as a US panel that monitors religious freedom again expressed concern about the law.
The government has said the CAA, approved by parliament, was aimed at protecting minorities from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan, though the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights noted that the law does not extend the same protection to Muslims, including minority sects.
The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), which had asked the Trump administration to consider sanctions against India's top leadership if the law was approved, made a renewed call for action.

Japanese PM Calls off India Visit

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called off a visit to India amid violent protests over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) in Guwahati, where he was due to hold an annual summit with his counterpart Narendra Modi.
The government planned to hold the December 15-17, 2019 summit in Assam's main city as part of efforts to showcase the country's diversity by holding high-profile diplomatic events outside the national capital. The two leaders were also expected to make a brief visit to a World War 2 memorial in Imphal.
Guwahati, which was chosen because Japan has provided considerable aid to develop infrastructure in India's northeastern states, has been at the centre of violent protests against the CAA that left two people dead and caused widespread damage to public property.

China Seeks to Add Sheen to its Human Rights Track Record

China is ramping up a global campaign to promote its own vision of human rights, inviting the likes of North Korea and Syria to a forum on the topic and drafting other countries to back its policies at the UN.
Western nations have condemned China's rights record, including a security crackdown that has detained an estimated one million mostly Muslim minorities in re-education camps in northwest Xinjiang region.
China is responding with an increasingly strong counter-narrative, which emphasises security and economic development over civil and political freedoms.
"The people of each country all have the right to decide for themselves their human rights development path," Chinese vice foreign minister Ma Zhaoxu told delegates at a summit.
Attendees at the South-South human rights forum included representatives from North Korea, Pakistan and Syria - three countries with their own chequered human rights records.

Johnson Gets Landslide Mandate

Prime Minister Boris Johnson swept into Downing Street after the Conservative Party won a thumping majority, gaining what he called a "powerful new mandate to get Brexit done", and potentially ending uncertainty in the United Kingdom (UK) since the 2016 EU referendum.
The Conservative Party won 365 of the 649 seats declared (the House of Commons' strength is 650), comfortably passing the 326 majority mark that had eluded it in the 2017 midterm election, sending the pound north against the dollar.
Buoyed by the landslide win, Johnson, who called the election to resolve the Brexit imbroglio, said Brexit is now the "unarguable decision of the British people", seeking to set at rest deep divisions in the country between those who want to remain or leave the European Union (EU).
Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, who led the party to one of its worst election tallies of 203, said amid recriminations by colleagues that he would not lead the party into the next election, but will stay on in the post for a "period of reflection".

Dec 13, 2019

Human Rights Not Part of 2+2 Talks, But J&K to Come Up: US

As per the Trump administration's point person for South Asia, human rights issues aren't part of the second India-US 2+2 ministerial dialogue in Washington next week though Kashmir-related matters and India's threat perceptions are expected to be on the agenda.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will meet their US counterparts Mark Esper and Mike Pompeo in Washington next week for a comprehensive review of cross-cutting foreign policy, defence and security issues.
During the meeting, the two sides are expected to sign the Industrial Security Annex (ISA), which will allow US companies to share sensitive proprietary technology with Indian private firms and not just state-owned partners, marking another milestone in the growing partnership.

Trump Says US and China Very Close To Trade Deal

Wall Street share markets hit a record high on signs of an imminent pause in the trade war between the US and China.
Business chiefs who met White House officials hinted that a deal could come this week.
It would avert another round of tariffs that the US was due to impose on China.
President Donald Trump has been meeting his trade advisers, and tweeted earlier that the US and China were very close to a deal.
"They want it and so do we!" he wrote.
The US has reportedly offered to halve tariff rates on about $350bn worth of Chinese goods, some of which had climbed as high as 25%. In exchange, China would commit to boost its purchases of US agricultural products.
However, the so-called Phase One deal is not expected to address many of the more difficult issues that triggered the fight, like China's subsidies for certain industries.

Gotabaya Assures Media Freedom under His Govt.

Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa assured that media freedom will not be hindered in any form during his tenure.
His assurance came amid concerns among sections over media freedom in Sri Lanka after the November 2019 presidential election. Several journalists and dissidents in Sri Lanka were targeted in the past.

Spain's King Tells Sanchez to Form New Government

Spain's King Felipe VI tasked acting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez with forming a new government even though he lacks support from other parties to form a workable majority in parliament.
After meeting party representatives at the royal palace, as is the norm after an election, the king had formally asked the Socialist leader to attempt to form a government with enough backing the assembly to govern.
His Socialists won 120 seats in the 350-seat parliament - three fewer than it won in April - in a repeat general election on November 10, 2019 that saw far-right party Vox surge to third place.
Two days after the election, the Socialists signed an agreement with the hard-left party Podemos, which won 35 seats, to form a coalition government in what would be the first such power-sharing deal in Spain's modern history.
But to achieve an absolute majority of 176 seats required to win a confidence vote and be sworn in for another term, Sanchez still needs the support of several smaller parties including Catalan separatists ERC, which won 13 seats in last month's polls.

Bangladesh Ministers Call off Visits

Bangladesh Foreign Minister A. K. Abdul Momen and Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan called off visits to India hours after the passage of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, or CAB, which has generated concern and debate in the neighbouring country.
Officially, Dhaka attributed Momen's decision to his participation in events related to Victory Day, observed on December 16 to commemorate the surrender of Pakistani forces in the 1971 war of liberation and Bangladesh's emergence as an independent state.

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