General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - August 2018

Aug 2018

Nov 22, 2018

EU to Scale up Ties with India

The European Union has unveiled a sweeping new vision to significantly scale up ties with India, including closer coordination to forge a multilateral rules-based world order and enhanced military-to-military relations and joint exercises.

The strategy will build on the partnership forged by the two sides in 2004, and recommends the EU should consider negotiating a Strategic Partnership Agreement to update the 1994 EU-India Cooperation Agreement.

EU envoy Tomasz Kozlowski said that India is on top of our priorities in terms of external agenda. The EU is ready for a leap forward in ties and is proposing to reinforce the EU-India strategic partnership.

Security Aid to Pakistan Suspended

The US has suspended $1.66 billion in security assistance to Pakistan after President Donald Trump's directive. This comes days after Trump said that Pakistan does not "do a damn thing" for the US, alleging that its government had helped al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden hide near its garrison city of Abbottabad.

Interpol's New President

The Interpol elected Kim Jong Yang of South Korea as its next president.

Kim, who had been serving as acting president, was elected for a two-year term at the body's annual congress in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Nov 21, 2018

Indian-American Women Honoured in US

Indian-American women have been honoured in the US in recognition of their achievements in diverse fields ranging from politics and business to civil rights activism and astrophysics.

The awardees are: Sheela Murthy, Jagruti Panwala, Madhulika Guhathakurta, Aruna Miller, Manisha Gaekwad, Ann Ramakumaran, and Suman Raghunathan.

They were honoured at the inaugural American Bazaar Women Entrepreneurs and Leaders Gala.

UN Environment Chief Resigns

UN environment chief Erik Solheim resigned after an audit questioning his huge travel expenses triggered an outcry.

The former environment minister of Norway had been at the helm of the Nairobi-based UN Environment since June 2016.

Nov 20, 2018

May Wins Business Backing

British Prime Minister Theresa May won support from big business for her draft Brexit deal ahead of intense negotiations with Brussels in the coming week.

May told the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) that she was determined to deliver her Brexit deal as she prepares for the European Council summit to sign Britain's divorce papers.

Maldives to Pull Out of China FTA

As per reports, the Maldives' new government will pull out of a free trade agreement (FTA) with China because it was a mistake for the tiny nation to strike such a pact with the world's second biggest economy.

According to Mohamed Nasheed chief of the Maldivian Democratic Party, China is not buying anything from Maldives. It is a one-way treaty.

The new President of the Maldives has decided that the country will rejoin the Commonwealth group of former British colonies following a two-year absence.

Lankan Parties to Form Select Committee

Political parties in Sri Lanka decided to form a select committee to conduct parliamentary affairs following amidst a power struggle set off by President Maithripapala Sirisena's controversial decision to remove Prime Minister Ranil Wickeremesinghe last month.

The decision came a day after an all-party meeting called by President Sirisena to resolve the crisis ended inconclusively.

Nov 19, 2018

Peace Deal with Taliban

The US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad to Afghanistan is in Kabul to lead talks between the United States, the Taliban and the Afghan government and hopes to cement a peace deal with insurgents by April 2019.

Interpol to Select New President

Police chiefs from around the world gathered in Dubai for Interpol's general assembly to select a new president after the agency's former official in the post was detained in China.

Pakistan's Economic Woes Not Over

Though the Pakistan government has managed to secure a breather for the economy with Saudi help, larger challenges which include raising tax revenues remain to be addressed.

The International Monetary Fund has asked Pakistan to slap new taxes worth nearly Rs. 160 billion including raising the standard general sales tax to 18%, but Finance Minister Asad Umar insists that signing an agreement with the IMF is one of many options given the help we have received from friendly states.

A deal with the IMF is inevitable. Pakistan and the IMF have been negotiating a bailout package to avoid defaulting on international payments.

Nov 18, 2018

Thomas Kurian to Head Google Cloud

Oracle's ex-product chief Thomas Kurian will head Google's Cloud division, replacing Diane Greene.

Kurian will join Google Cloud later this month and transition into the leadership role in early 2019.

Submarine ARA San Juan Found

Argentina's navy found the missing submarine ARA San Juan deep in the Atlantic a year after it disappeared with 44 crewmen aboard.

The San Juan was returning to its base in the coastal city of Mar del Plata when contact was lost.

The German-built diesel-electric TR-1700 class submarine was commissioned in the mid-1980s and was most recently refitted between 2008 and 2014.

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