General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - November 2018

Nov 2018

Aug 06, 2021

US Urges Iran's New President Ebrahim Raisi to Resume Nuclear Talks

The US has called on Iran's new President to return to talks on reviving a historic nuclear deal.
The window for diplomacy would not remain open forever, a spokesman for the US state department warned.
Tensions between the US and Iran have soared since 2018, when then-President Donald Trump pulled out of the nuclear deal and restored sanctions.
Ebrahim Raisi was sworn in saying he would support "any diplomatic plans" to end sanctions on Iran.
"All illegal US sanctions against the Iranian nation must be lifted," he said.
Western countries accuse Iran of trying to build nuclear weapons - a charge Tehran denies.

No Plan to House Indian Military Base on Agalega Island

Mauritius has denied a report that it has allowed India to build a military base on the remote island of Agalega, with a government official telling AFP that no such agreement exists between the two nations. News broadcaster Al Jazeera had earlier reported on the construction of an airstrip and two jetties to house an Indian military base on Agalega, located about 1,000 km north of the archipelago's main island.
But the Mauritian government denied any plans to allow a military installation on the Agalega island, home to about 300 people.
Mr. Arian said that although work was under way on two projects agreed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 2015 visit to Mauritius — a three-kilometre air strip and a jetty — they would not be used for military purposes.

Ebrahim Raisi Sworn in as New President of Iran

Ebrahim Raisi was officially sworn in as the new President of Iran on August 05, 2021. He won the 2021 Iranian presidential election in June, with 62 per cent of the vote. Raisi succeeded Hassan Rouhani to begin his four-year term. He is also been the Chief Justice of Iran since March 2019.
Raisi's inauguration comes at a pivotal time, with Iran currently in indirect negotiations with the United States over how to revive the 2015 nuclear agreement. Raisi will also face the task of reviving his country's economy, which has been battered in recent years by the previous US administration's "maximum pressure" campaign of sanctions. Tensions in the region are also high following a string of maritime provocations blamed by the West on Tehran.

Aug 05, 2021

Joe Biden Nominates Mark Brzezinski as U.S. Ambassador to Poland

President Joe Biden has nominated Mark Brzezinski, an Obama-era diplomat with deep ties to Poland, to serve as his Ambassador to Warsaw.
If confirmed, Mr. Brzezinski would be dispatched to Poland at a moment when Central and Eastern European allies of the United States are closely watching the Biden administration's approach to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Mr. Brzezinski served in Barack Obama's administration as the first executive director of the White House's Arctic Executive Steering Committee and as the U.S. Ambassador to Sweden.
He also served on the White House National Security Council during Bill Clinton's administration, first as a director for Russia and Eurasia and later as director for the Balkans.

Malaysian PM Muhyiddin Yassin Refuses to Resign

Embattled Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin refused to resign after a key ally pulled support for him, but said that he will seek a vote of confidence in Parliament next month to prove his legitimacy to govern.
Shortly after a meeting with King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah at the palace, Muhyiddin said that he had been informed by the monarch that eight lawmakers from a key party in his ruling alliance had withdrawn support for him.
The party, the United Malays National Organization, is the largest in the alliance with 38 lawmakers, but it is split with some not backing the premier. UMNO's president declared that Muhyiddin had lost the right to govern with the withdrawal of support from some party lawmakers and after an UMNO minister resigned.
Muhyiddin took power in March 2020 after initiating the collapse of the former reformist government that won 2018 elections. His party joined hands with UMNO and several others to form a new government.

Aug 04, 2021

Afghan Foreign Minister Speaks to EAM Jaishankar on Escalating Violence by Taliban

Afghan Foreign Minister Mohammed Hanif Atmar spoke to his Indian counterpart S. Jaishankar on August 3 to explore the possibility of convening an emergency session of the U.N. Security Council (UNSC) to discuss ways to stop the Taliban's violence and human rights abuses in Afghanistan.

Aug 03, 2021

Nikol Pashinyan Re-appointed as PM of Armenia

Nikol Pashinyan has been re-appointed as the Prime Minister of Armenia by President Armen Sarkissian on August 02, 2021. Pashinyan, the leader of the Civil Contract Party, won the majority of seats in parliamentary elections in June 2021. The 46-year-old Pashinyan was first appointed as the Prime Minister in 2018.

Thailand Moves to Strengthen EU Ties

According to analysts, European investors are increasingly playing a bigger role in the Thai economy, allowing the Southeast Asian country to diversify trade and business away from the United States and China.
In 2020, European Union investment accounted for 8.2% of all overseas investment in Thailand, compared with 3.8% for the US and 15.4% for China. The figure has increased each year from just 4.4% in 2016.
The bloc is also Thailand's fourth-largest trading partner, with bilateral trade worth €29 billion ($35 billion) in 2020.
According to the ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute's latest State of Southeast Asia report, around 47% of Thai respondents chose the EU as their preferred "third country" to hedge against the uncertainties of the US-China strategic rivalry.

Myanmar Military Leader Extends Rule, Pledges to Hold New Multiparty Elections in 2023

Nearly six months after the Myanmar military snatched power from the country's civilian government, the chief of the armed forces said that the new elections would be held in the country and the prevailing state of emergency would be revoked by August 2023, thus extending the rule of the military by nearly 18 months.
The state of emergency was imposed initially for a period of one year, according to the military's announcement days after it ousted the elected leader of the country Aung San Suu Kyi in February this year.
The state administration council, as the junta calls itself, also appointed Min Aung Hlaing as the Prime Minister of the caretaker government.

Aug 02, 2021

Pakistan Finalises Law to Award New Status to Gilgit-Baltistan

Pakistan authorities have finalised a law to award provisional provincial status to strategically located Gilgit-Baltistan.
As per reports, under the proposed law by the Ministry of Law and Justice, the Supreme Appellate Court (SAC) of Gilgit-Baltistan may be abolished and the region's election commission is likely to be merged with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
The draft of the bill titled '26th Constitutional Amendment Bill' had been prepared and submitted to PM Imran Khan.

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