General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - May 2019

May 2019

Sep 14, 2020

Japan's Suga Poised to Win Party Race

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, a longtime loyal aide of outgoing Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, is poised to win a ruling party leadership election, virtually ensuring that he replaces Abe this week in the nation's top job.
Mr. Suga said that he would pursue Mr. Abe's key economic and foreign policies, is expected to get the bulk of votes from 394 Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) lawmakers and is likely to win a majority of 141 votes from the party's local chapters.

Former UK Leaders Unite to Slam Boris Johnson on Brexit Plan

Two former British Prime Ministers who played crucial roles in bringing peace to Northern Ireland joined forces to urge lawmakers to reject government plans to override the Brexit deal with the European Union, arguing that it imperils that peace and damages the UK's reputation.
John Major and Tony Blair slammed the current British government for shaming the country with legislation that, in places, goes against the very deal it signed to allow for the UK's smooth departure from the EU earlier this year.
The British government has admitted that the legislation would break international law, but argues that it is an insurance policy in the event a trade deal with the EU is not secured by the end of this year. Johnson said that the legislation is needed to end EU threats to impose a blockade in the Irish Sea that the Prime Minister asserted could carve up our country. EU leaders have furiously rejected that charge.

Macron Presses Lebanese Politicians as Cabinet Deadline Looms

French President Emmanuel Macron has been pressing Lebanese politicians to deliver on promises to form a new government this week and haul the country out of its worst crisis since the 1975-1990 civil war.
Lebanon's leaders had promised Macron on September 1, during his visit to Beirut, that they would form a cabinet of technocrats without party loyalties in about two weeks to end a crippling economic crisis made worse by a huge August 4 blast in the capital.
Berri, head of the Amal Movement, an ally of the politically powerful and heavily armed Shi'ite group Hezbollah, said that his group opposed the manner the cabinet was being formed, citing a lack of consultation, and did not want to join. But he said he would cooperate to stabilise the nation.

Sep 13, 2020

Putin apology to Serbia

Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued a rare apology to his Serbian counterpart Aleksandar Vucic for a senior Russian official's Facebook post which angered Mr Vucic.
Mr Vucic told Serbian TV about the apology and the Kremlin confirmed it.
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova posted a photo of Mr Vucic sitting opposite President Donald Trump in the White House and below it a photo of actress Sharon Stone's legs.
Ms Zakharova herself later apologised.
The provocative screenshot of the crossed legs came from the film Basic Instinct, in a scene where Sharon Stone's character briefly exposes herself.
Ms Zakharova's post said Mr Vucic looked as if he was being interrogated by President Trump.

Virtual Meeting of G-20 Agriculture,Water Ministers Held

A virtual meeting of G-20 Agriculture and Water Ministers was held on September 12, 2020.
The meeting was attended by Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmer's Welfare Parshottam Rupala. During the meeting, the Jal Shakti Minister assured the forum of India's commitment to contribute towards the objectives, goals and targets set by G-20.
He said, Government of India is implementing the 'Jal Jeevan Mission' to provide household tap connections to 190 million rural homes, thereby ensuring drinking water security.
About Open Defecation Free India, the forum was informed about the efforts to sustain the gains of 'Swachh Bharat Mission', with more focus on solid and liquid waste management and grey water treatment and reuse.

Liberia Declares Rape a National Emergency

Liberian President George Weah has declared rape a national emergency and ordered new measures to tackle the problem after a recent spike of cases in the West African state.
The move comes after thousands of Liberians protested against rising incidents of rape in the capital Monrovia in a bid to draw attention to the country's alarming rate of sexual assault.
- The government will also establish a so-called "national security task force" on sexual and gender-based violence.
- The high rates of rape in Liberia have been a long-standing concern.
- A United Nations report in 2016 recorded 803 rape cases the previous year in the country of 4.5 million, and found only 2 percent of sexual violence cases led to a conviction.

Nigeria's Kaduna Passes Law to Castrate Child Rapists

Lawmakers in Nigeria's Kaduna State have approved surgical castration as punishment for those convicted of raping children under the age of 14.
State governor Nasir Ahmad el-Rufai needs to sign the bill for it to become law in the north-western state.
He has previously supported castration to prevent rapists from re-offending.
The move follows public outrage over a wave of rapes, which prompted the nation's state governors to declare a state of emergency.

Jaishankar Participates in Inaugural Session of Intra-Afghan Negotiations in Doha

External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar participated in the inaugural session of the Intra-Afghan negotiations held in Doha via video teleconference. The Minister's participation was in response to an invitation extended to him by the Qatar's Foreign Minister Mohammad bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani.
In his address, Dr. Jaishankar referred to the millennia-old relationship between India and Afghanistan, which he said had withstood the test of time. He highlighted India's role as a major development partner of Afghanistan with over 400 projects completed in all the 34 provinces of Afghanistan.
Dr. Jaishankar wished for the success of the Intra-Afghan negotiations in delivering to the people of Afghanistan what they have longed for.

US Signs Defence Cooperation Deal With Maldives

The US has signed a framework for defence cooperation with the Maldives to deepen engagement in support of maintaining peace and security in the strategic Indian Ocean, as the Trump administration looks for strengthening alliances in the Indo-Pacific to counter China's growing presence in the region.
The framework for defence and security relationship was signed in Philadelphia on September 10, 2020 between Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for South and Southeast Asia Reed Werner and Maldivian Minister of Defence Mariya Didi.
The framework sets forth both countries' intent to deepen engagement and cooperation in support of maintaining peace and security in the Indian OCean.

Mali Coup: Military Agrees to 18-Month Transition Government

Mali's new military leaders have agreed to establish an 18-month transition government until an election can take place, following last month's coup.
Spokesperson Moussa Camara said the interim government would either be led by a military officer or a civilian.
The pledge came after three days of talks with opposition and civil society groups on a timeline for Mali's return to civilian rule.
Ousted President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta fled the country.
The 75-year-old former leader flew to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on 5 September, 2020 for medical treatment, after suffering a minor stroke.

Bahrain Joins UAE in Establishing Relations with Israel

Bahrain has become the second Gulf nation to establish full diplomatic relations with Israel, joining the United Arab Emirates in normalizing ties with the Jewish state and reshaping politics in the Middle East.
Bahraini officials said the agreement will help promote peace in the region, a position that is not shared by its neighbor Iran. The government in Tehran, which supports the island nation's majority Shiite population, warned the deal will further destabilize the region.

Sep 12, 2020

UK Secures First Major Post-Brexit Trade Deal with Japan

The UK secured its first major post-Brexit trade deal after signing an agreement with Japan just as discussions with the European Union appeared to be teetering on the brink of collapse.
The deal, which has so far only been agreed upon in principle and for which details are thin, will increase commerce with Japan by around 15 billion pounds ($19 billion), the UK said.
The government said UK businesses will benefit from tariff-free trade on 99% of exports to Japan and that it will give British businesses a gateway to the Asia-Pacific region.

Sep 11, 2020

India, Japan Ink Mutual Military Logistics Agreement

After years of negotiations, India and Japan have inked a landmark agreement that will allow their militaries to access each other's bases for logistics support, a key development that comes in the backdrop of growing concerns over China's military muscle flexing in the region.
The acquisition and cross-servicing pact was signed by Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar and Japanese Ambassador Suzuki Satoshi.
The agreement provides for creation of an enabling framework for closer cooperation and interoperability, besides allowing militaries of the two countries to use each other's bases and facilities for repair and replenishment of supplies.

V. Muraleedharan Attends 10th East Asia Summit Foreign Minister's Meeting

The Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan attended the 10th East Asia Summit Foreign Minister's virtual meeting during which views upon the international and regional developments including the Coronavirus pandemic were discussed.
As per the statement by the External Affairs Ministry, the meeting which was held via video conference was attended by the Foreign Ministers of the East Asia Summit (EAS) participating countries.
It was chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Vietnam Pham Bin Minh.

More Than 3 Billion People Protected From Harmful Trans Fat in Their Food: WHO Report

Two years into the World Health Organization's (WHO) ambitious effort to eliminate industrially produced trans fats from the global food supply, the Organization reports that 58 countries so far have introduced laws that will protect 3.2 billion people from the harmful substance by the end of 2021.
But more than 100 countries still need to take actions to remove these harmful substances from their food supplies.
Consumption of industrially produced trans fats are estimated to cause around 500,000 deaths per year due to coronary heart disease.

Beirut Fire: Large Blaze Erupts in Port a Month After Explosion

Lebanon has launched an investigation into a huge fire at a warehouse storing aid that erupted in the port of Beirut - one month after a massive explosion there killed more than 190 people.
The blaze broke out where an aid agency had been storing food and cooking oil.
Firefighters and military officials spent hours battling the fire, using helicopters to drop water on it, before getting it under control.
No injuries were reported and the cause of the fire is not yet known.

US Cancels over 1,000 Visas for Chinese Nationals Citing Security

The United States has revoked visas for more than 1,000 Chinese nationals under a May 29 presidential proclamation to suspend entry from China of students and researchers deemed security risks.
The acting head of the US Department of Homeland Security, Chad Wolf, said earlier that Washington was blocking visas "for certain Chinese graduate students and researchers with ties to China's military fusion strategy, to prevent them from stealing and otherwise appropriating sensitive research."

India, China Agree on 5-Point Plan for Resolving Border Tension

After a two-and-a-half-hour-long meeting that went in Moscow, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said they had agreed on a five-point course of action to de-escalate the four-month-long standoff between troops at the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
The five-point plan includes abiding by the consensus between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping to "not allow differences to become disputes", quick disengagement to ease tensions, abiding by existing India-China border protocols and avoiding escalatory action, continuing dialogue between the Special Representatives NSA Ajit Doval and Mr. Wang as well as the other mechanisms, and finally, to work towards new confidence-building measures.

United in Science 2020 Report

The United in Science 2020 Report has been compiled by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) under the direction of the United Nations Secretary-General to bring together the latest climate science related updates from a group of key global partner organizations – WMO, Global Carbon Project (GCP), UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (UNESCO-IOC), Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Met Office.
At the same time, the heating of our planet and climate disruption has continued apace.
Record heat, ice loss, wildfires, floods and droughts continue to worsen, affecting communities, nations and economies around the world.
Furthermore, due to the amount of greenhouse gases emitted in the past century, the planet is already locked into future significant heating.
The solution to slowing down the rate of global temperature rise and keeping it below 1.5°C is for nations to dramatically cut emissions, with the aim of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.

Sep 10, 2020

India, France and Australia Hold First Trilateral Dialogue With Focus on Indo-Pacific

The foreign secretaries of India, Australia and France co-chaired the first senior officials' trilateral dialogue, with the focus on enhancing cooperation in the Indo-Pacific and strengthening multilateralism.
The three sides discussed economic and geostrategic challenges and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, particularly in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic and domestic responses to Covid-19.
The virtual meeting was co-chaired by foreign secretary Harsh Shringla, François Delattre, the secretary-general of the French ministry for Europe and foreign affairs, and Frances Adamson, secretary of Australia's department of foreign affairs and trade.
People familiar with developments said on condition of anonymity that Australia and Japan, both members of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue or Quad along with India and the US, have been driving efforts to forge greater cooperation among countries that have a stake in the Indian Ocean and with members of the Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean).
China's aggressive actions, including the border standoff with India and its military build-up in the South China Sea, have spurred these efforts, the people said. India, Australia and Indonesia are also set to hold two virtual meetings of their foreign and defence ministers to bolster regional cooperation and maritime security in the Indo-Pacific in the coming weeks.

Netflix Appoints Indian American Bajaria as Head of Global TV

Netflix promoted Indian American media leader Bela Bajaria to head its international TV operations as vice president for Global Television.
As per Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos, Bela has demonstrated her versatility and creativity - building out our unscripted team and helping to take our local language slate, which is increasingly important for our members, to the next level.
Earlier as the vice president in charge of Local Language Originals, Bajaria was behind the popular Netflix reality show "Indian Matchmaking," the drama series "Sacred Games" and the comedy serial "Never Have I Ever" about an Indian American teenager.
In her new position, she will be taking over all the Netflix TV programming, including in English, which had been overseen by another vice president, Cindy Holland.
Before her promotion, Bajaria oversaw Netflix's original content for India and elsewhere in Asia and across Europe, the Middle East, Turkey, Africa, and Latin America.

Dombrovskis Named EU's New Trade Commissioner

The European Commission's Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis (New Unity) has been chosen to also become the European Union's new trade commissioner, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced.
Dombrovskis has already been holding the post temporarily since European Trade Commissioner Phil Hogan's resignation in August amid a scandal about his flouting of Ireland's coronavirus rules.
Von der Leyen also named European Parliament heavyweight Mairead McGuinness as the new financial services commissioner to fill Ireland's seat at the table.

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