General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - May 2019

May 2019

Aug 30, 2020

President Erdogan Wants to Replace Mustafa Kemal Ataturk

Anybody who frequently passes through Lutyens zone must have come across a road named after Mustafa Kemal Ataturk -the founding father of Republic of Turkey. In fact, Ataturk has been the most popular Turk leader in India, with cross-cutting popularity as well as the strongest pillar of Indo-Turkic friendship. However, his legacy is being jeopardised in his home country itself as Erdogan is working on an ambitious agenda of projecting himself as the tallest leader of Turkey and undermining Ataturk's legacy is a part of the same plan.
As per some analysts, " The Turkish population as well as the world is noticing the pattern how Erdogan has been taking over the state institutions of Turkey to establish his authoritarian control. The Diyanet as well as the Council of States are the two major institutions that have been acting as puppets of Erdogan to help him fulfil his ambitions."
In another sinister attempt to dent Ataturk's heritage, Erdogan's government banned the celebrations of Victory Day, falling on August 30, under the excuse of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Victory Day is one of the most important national days of Turkey when the Turkish President offers tributes at Kemal Ataturk's mausoleum and delivers his speech during a grand celebration at the place. The day is also marked by celebrations all across the nation.

Japan's Suga to Join Race to Succeed PM Abe

Yoshihide Suga, a long-time lieutenant of Japan's Shinzo Abe, has emerged as a strong contender to succeed him as Prime Minister, an outcome that would extend the fiscal and monetary stimulus that defined Abe's nearly eight years in office.
While some other would-be successors have declared their intention to run, Suga said that he did not want the job. But such comments have been called into question by an aggressive media push in recent days that put him squarely in the public eye.
A self-made politician, Suga was chosen by Abe in 2012 for the pivotal role of chief cabinet secretary, acting as top government spokesman, coordinating policies and riding herd on bureaucrats.
The winner of the LDP vote, which domestic media said could be held around September 15, is virtually ensured the premiership because of the party's majority in parliament. The victor will serve out Abe's remaining term as LDP chief, which ends in September 2021.

UN Security Council Approves Cut in Lebanon Peacekeepers

The UN Security Council unanimously approved a resolution cutting the UN peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon and expanding its mandate to address US and Israeli concerns about activities of the militant group Hezbollah in the area.
The French-drafted resolution reduced the troop ceiling for the force, known as UNIFIL, from 15,000 to 13,000 under US pressure. And it also made another concession to the Trump administration and close ally Israel.
It calls on the Lebanese government to facilitate prompt and full access to sites requested by UN peacekeepers for investigation, including tunnels crossing the UN-drawn Blue Line between Lebanon and Israel. And it urges freedom of movement and unimpeded access for peacekeepers to all parts of the Blue Line, and condemns in the strongest terms all attempts to restrict UN troop movements and attacks on mission personnel.
Israel has repeatedly accused Hezbollah, which is backed by its greatest foe Iran, of impeding UNIFIL peacekeepers from carrying out their mandate, a view strongly backed by the Trump administration.

Aug 29, 2020

India 72nd on Global List with Average Monthly Wage of Rs. 32,800

India was ranked a lowly 72nd among 106 countries in terms of the average wage per month, while Switzerland topped the chart, according to a global ranking of average wages prepared by Picodi.com. With an average monthly wage of Rs. 32,800 (USD 437), an international e-commerce platform which provides discount coupons.
Switzerland, where the average wage converted into rupees amounts to Rs 4,49,000 (USD 5,989), topped the ranking, while in Cuba the average wage is the lowest at Rs. 2,700 (USD 36).
Switzerland was followed by Luxembourg and the United States, whose citizens on an average earn Rs. 3,00,900 (USD 4,014) and Rs. 2,64,900 (USD 3,534), respectively.
Others in the top ten list include Denmark (USD 3,515), Singapore (USD 3,414), Australia (USD 3,333), Qatar (USD 3,232), Norway (USD 3,174), Hong Kong (USD 3,024) and Iceland (USD 2,844).

UN Chief Asks G20 Nations, Including India, to Invest in Clean Transition

UN chief Antonio Guterres renewed his call on India and other G20 countries to invest in a clean and sustainable transition as they recover from the Covid-19 pandemic, expressing deep concern over the continued support for polluting fossil fuels by nations across the world.
UN Secretary-General Guterres, virtually delivered the 19th Darbari Seth Memorial Lecture by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), and said that clean energy and closing the energy access gap are good business.
"They are the ticket to growth and prosperity. Yet, here in India, subsidies for fossil fuels are still some seven times more than subsidies for clean energy," he said.
Guterres praised India for raising the proportion of renewable energy in its total consumption to 24 per cent from 17 per cent despite the Covid-19 pandemic.

Japan's PM Resigns for Health Reasons

Japanese PM Shinzo Abe announced his resignation for health reasons.
He said that he did not want his illness to get in the way of decision making, and apologised to the Japanese people for failing to complete his term in office.
The 65-year-old has suffered for many years from ulcerative colitis, an inflammatory bowel disease, but his condition had worsened recently.
Last year, he became Japan's longest serving Prime Minister. His current period in office began in 2012.
He will remain in his post until a successor is chosen.
Mr. Abe has a reputation as a staunch conservative and nationalist, and for stimulating growth with his aggressive economic policy known as "Abenomics".

Aug 28, 2020

South African President Grilled over COVID-19 Graft Scandals

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa faced tough questioning by lawmakers over COVID-19 corruption scandals, days after he asked ruling party members to refrain from stealing money meant for the poor.
Many South Africans have been dismayed to see the country's widespread graft problem infiltrate efforts to stop the spread of the coronavirus. South Africa has the world's fifth largest virus caseload with more than 600,000 confirmed infections.
Ramaphosa has been accused of being soft on corruption amid concerns that implicating too many senior leaders of the ANC could split the ruling party.
Having secured the presidency on an anti-corruption ticket after predecessor Jacob Zuma was pressured to resign amid multiple scandals in 2018, Ramaphosa has been under pressure to show that his government is taking a tough stance on the scourge.

EU Trade Commissioner Phil Hogan Resigns

The embattled European trade commissioner, Phil Hogan, resigned his post after an outcry over his breaches of coronavirus rules during a golfing break in Ireland.
Hogan issued a statement apologising to the Irish people and the EU commission for causing hurt and embarrassment, ending his attempts to ride out the controversy and keep his post as a key player in Brexit talks.
Hogan said that it was his decision to quit and he was not forced to quit.
The leaders of Ireland's three governing parties welcomed the resignation.

Ericsson and UNICEF Partner to Map School Internet Connectivity in 35 Countries

Networking and telecommunications company Ericsson entered into a global partnership with UNICEF to help map internet connectivity in schools across 35 countries by the end of 2023.
This is part of the Giga initiative, led by the United Nations Children's Fund and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), which was launched last year (2019). Ericsson is the first private sector partner to make a multimillion-dollar commitment to the initiative, which aims to connect every school to the internet.
Mapping the internet connectivity landscape for schools and their surrounding communities is a critical first step towards providing every child with access to digital learning opportunities.
In addition to funding, Ericsson will commit resources for data engineering and data science capacity to accelerate school connectivity mapping. Specifically, Ericsson will assist with the collection, validation, analysis, monitoring and visual representation of real-time school connectivity data.
The data generated through the mapping will enable governments and the private sector to design and deploy digital solutions that enable learning for children and young people.

Aug 27, 2020

Pakistan's Senate Rejects two FATF-linked Bills

Pakistan's Opposition-dominated Senate has rejected two bills related to the tough conditions set by the FATF, jeopardising the government's efforts to escape from being blacklisted by the global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog.
The move drew a strong reaction from Prime Minister Imran Khan who accused the Opposition leaders of trying to save their illegal money.
The Anti-Money Laundering (Second Amendment) Bill and the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Waqf Properties Bill, passed by the National Assembly a day before, were rejected through a voice vote by the Senate.
The legislations were part of efforts by Pakistan to move from the FATF'S grey list to the white list.
The Paris-based Financial Action Task Force (FATF) put Pakistan on the grey list in June 2018 and asked Islamabad to implement a plan of action by the end of 2019 but the deadline was extended later on due to COVID-19.

US Blacklists 24 Chinese Companies, Individuals

The United States blacklisted 24 Chinese firms and targeted individuals it said were part of construction and military actions in the South China Sea, its first such move over the disputed waterway.
The US Commerce Department said that the two dozen companies "played a role in helping the Chinese military construct and militarise the internationally condemned artificial islands in the South China Sea."
The US also said that it would impose visa restrictions on Chinese individuals "responsible for, or complicit in," such action.

Taiwan Warns of Accidental Conflict as Regional Tensions Rise

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen said that the risk of accidental conflict is rising because of tension in the South China Sea and around Taiwan and communication must be maintained to reduce the risk of miscalculation.
Democratic Taiwan, claimed by Beijing as "scared" Chinese territory, has complained of Chinese military activities near the island, in what it says in an attempt to force Taiwan to accept Chinese sovereignty.
The United States and China have also been conducting military exercises near Taiwan and in the disputed South China Sea.
Tsai said that Taiwan needed to strengthen its defence capabilities, which she has made a priority.
We do this because we know that in terms of our current situation, strength can be co-related with deterrence. It also reduces the risk of military adventurism," said Tsai, who was re-elected for a second term in a landslide in January.
Tsai reiterated her commitment to peace and desire to talk.
"We are open to discussions with China, as long as they contribute to a beneficial relationship."

Aug 26, 2020

Pascal Lissouba Ex-Congo President Passes Away

Former Congolese President Pascal Lissouba died in France at the age of 88.
He was President of the Republic of Congo - also called Congo-Brazzaville, to distinguish it from the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) - from 1992 to 1997.
He fled the country after being overthrown in a civil war by the current president, Denis Sassou Nguesso, who had lost the country's first multi-party elections in 1992.
Born in Tsinguidi, in the southwest of the country, Lissouba studied agricultural engineering, gaining a doctorate in France.
In the 1960s, he became Minister of Agriculture in the newly-independent country before serving as Prime Minister under the then President, Alphonse Massamba-Debat.

Ivorian Ex-president Gbagbo Barred from Elections

Ivory Coast's former President Laurent Gbagbo has been barred from running for the presidency in upcoming elections after a court upheld the electoral commission's decision to remove him from the electoral list.
The country's electoral commission struck him off the list of candidates because he was convicted of a crime.
The President of the electoral commission, Ibrahime Coulibaly-Kuibiert, had in August said that anyone convicted of a crime would not be allowed to stand.
Four candidates including former rebel leader Guillaume Soro were also removed from the list.
Mr. Gbagbo was sentenced in absentia in November 2019 for the looting of the Central Bank of West African States (Bceao) following a disputed 2010 election that resulted in violence.

Africa Now Free of Wild Poliovirus, but Polio Threat Remains

Health authorities are expected to declare the African continent free of the wild poliovirus after decades of effort, though cases of vaccine-derived polio are still sparking outbreaks of the paralysing disease in more than a dozen countries.
The declaration would leave Pakistan and neighbouring Afghanistan as the only countries thought to still have the wild poliovirus, with vaccination efforts against the highly infectious, water-borne disease complicated by insecurity and attacks on health workers.
The announcement by the African Regional Certification Commission for Polio Eradication came after no cases were reported for four years. Polio once paralysed some 75,000 children a year across Africa.
Health authorities see the declaration as a rare glint of good news in Africa amid the coronavirus pandemic, an Ebola outbreak in western Congo and the persistent deadly challenges of malaria, HIV and tuberculosis.
The World Health Organisation says it is just the second time a virus has been eradicated in Africa, after the elimination of smallpox four decades ago.

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