General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - May 2019

May 2019

Jul 11, 2020

France Asks Israel to Drop West Bank Annexation Plans

Emmanuel Macron asked Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to refrain from annexing Palestinian territory in the West Bank and elsewhere during a telephone call between the two leaders.
Macron emphasised that such a move would contravene international law and jeopardise the possibility of a two-state solution as the basis of a fair and lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians.
It was the latest move by European leaders pressing Netanyahu to drop plans to annex Jewish settlements in the West Bank and the strategic Jordan Valley.
The controversial move was endorsed in a Middle East plan unveiled by US President Donald Trump in January.
Israel's government had set July 1 as the date when it could begin taking over the Palestinian areas, where the population of Israeli settlers has grown since the 1967 Six-Day War.
The foreign ministries of France and Germany, along with those of Egypt and Jordan -- the only Arab states to have peace deals with Israel -- warned this week that any annexation could have consequences for relations.

France's Notre Dame Cathedral to be Rebuilt the Same as Before

As per reports, Paris' centuries-old Notre-Dame Cathedral will be rebuilt as it was before being engulfed in a fire last year.
On April 15, 2019 a blaze destroyed the Gothic landmark and major tourist attraction, destroying the spire and roof in a disaster that stunned the nation.
A national heritage and architectural commission approved plans to restore the cathedral to its last "complete, coherent and known" state, including the spire.
President Emmanuel Macron promised after the fire to rebuild Notre-Dame within five years, and later suggested that a contemporary design could be used for the spire.
Church officials hope Notre-Dame will be open for mass by 2024, when Paris is due to host the Olympic Games.

China Rejects New US Invite to Join Nuclear Talks Along With Russia

China rejected a new US invitation to join arms control talks with Russia, complaining that Washington had continued to pester Beijing over the issue.
President Donald Trump's administration has demanded that China take part in talks on a successor to the New START treaty, which caps the nuclear warheads of the US and Russia. Beijing said it would only join the talks if the US reduced its arsenal to match China's much smaller nuclear deterrent, prompting Washington to again issue a fresh invitation to the talks.

US Envoy, after Seoul Visit, Reassures Japan of Alliance

A U.S. envoy reassured top Japanese officials of the importance of their alliance in dealing with regional security threats, just as the North Korean leader's sister expressed low expectations of a summit between her brother and President Donald Trump this year.
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun was in Tokyo after his visit to Seoul where he discussed nuclear diplomacy with North Korea, which refused to resume talks due to what it calls hostile American policies.
Kim Yo Jong said that her brother will not be meeting Trump because there is no need for the North to gift Trump meetings when it's not getting any reward in return. In her statement she called for major concessions from Washington to keep alive the nuclear diplomacy.
Kim Yo Jong is seen as her brother's closest confidant and was recently confirmed as his top official for inter-Korean affairs.
South Korea asked Biegun to try to revive the talks with the North. He stressed during his meetings in Seoul that resuming the diplomacy with the North was important.

Jul 10, 2020

Nepal MP Sarita Giri Loses Her Parliament Membership

Nepal MP Sarita Giri, who had defied her party's stand to endorse the constitutional amendment to revise the country's new map, officially lost her membership of Parliament.
The lawmaker had earlier defied her party's decision to unanimously endorse the constitutional amendment to revise Nepal's map to include three key places from Indian territory.
Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP) decided to sack Sarita Giri for defying the party whip to support the Nepal government's second amendment to the Constitution.
She had argued that there was no clear evidence to claim Lipmiyadhura, Lipu Lekh and Kalapani as Nepali territories. He party had asked Giri to withdraw the amendment but she had refused to take back her amendment proposal.

India Ranks 8th for Cancer Preparedness among 10 Asia-Pacific Countries

In the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) report on "Cancer preparedness in Asia-Pacific: Progress towards universal cancer control", India was ranked eighth with an overall score of 51.6 for cancer preparedness among 10 Asia-Pacific countries. The report sponsored by Roche, examined the findings from the EIU's Index of Cancer Preparedness (ICP) which was created upon the findings of the global ICP (evaluated 28 countries based on 45 separate indicators).
The 10 Asia-Pacific countries included in this report were — Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam.
India records below-average scores across all three pillars in the EIU's ICP — policy and planning, care delivery, and health system and governance.
The report is topped by Australia (score 92.4), followed by South Korea (83.4) and Malaysia (80.3).

Seoul Mayor Found Dead

The mayor of Seoul, the country's second-most powerful official and a potential presidential candidate, was found dead just days after a secretary in his office told the police that he had sexually harassed her since 2017.
Word of the mayor's death and its possible links to sexual misconduct sent shock waves across the country, not only because Mr. Park was a political star but also because he had long been seen as a champion of women's rights.
Mr. Park, who was serving his third term as mayor of Seoul had often been cited as a possible successor to President Moon Jae-in, whose single five-year term is set to expire in 2022.
Before becoming mayor, Mr. Park was a prominent human rights attorney who founded the country's most influential civil rights group.

Nepal Stops Transmission of India's News Channels

Nepal stopped the transmission of all Indian private news channels except Doordarshan, accusing them of airing reports hurting the country's national sentiment.
There was no immediate reaction from India on the issue. The Nepalese embassy in New Delhi apprised its views to the Indian government over coverage of Nepal's political developments by the Indian channels.
The development comes after some Indian channels aired reports critical of Prime Minister K. P. Sharma Oli and his government.
However, the Nepal government did not officially announce halting the telecast of the Indian news channels.

Jul 09, 2020

Maldives and Sri Lanka First Two Countries in South-East Asia to Eliminate Rubella and Measles Ah...

According to the World Health Organisation's (WHO) South East Asian Region (SEAR) office, Maldives and Sri Lanka were verified to eliminate both measles and rubella, making them the first two countries in the WHO South-East Asia region to achieve beyond their 2023 target.
This was announced after the 5th meeting of the South-East Asia Regional Verification Commission for Measles and Rubella Elimination, which comprises of 11 independent international experts in the fields of epidemiology, virology and public health, held virtually.
Maldives had reported cases of measles in 2009 and rubella in October 2015, on the other hand, Sri Lanka had reported cases of measles in May 2016 and rubella in March 2017.
All the 11 member countries (Bangladesh, Bhutan, East Timor, India, Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar, North Korea, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand) of the South-East Asia region of WHO set year 2023 as a target to fight measles and rubella in September 2019.
Whereas since 2014, the focus was on eradicating measles and controlling rubella and work on it was started.
It is to be noted that, a country is considered to have eliminated measles and rubella when there is no evidence of endemic transmission of the viruses for more than three years and there is a well- performing surveillance system.

Australia Suspends Hong Kong Extradition Treaty

Australia has suspended its extradition treaty with Hong Kong in response to fears over a new national security law imposed by China.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said that the new law undermined "Hong Kong's own basic law" and the territory's current level of autonomy from Beijing.
Australia planned to extend visas for Hong Kong residents and encourage businesses there to relocate.
China has criticised the move as "gross interference" in its domestic affairs.
Since the law was enacted last week, Canada has also suspended its extradition treaty, while the UK has offered citizenship options to Hong Kong residents.
Critics say the law makes it easier to punish protesters and critics of the Chinese government.
Hong Kong's government says the law is required to bring order to a city that saw mass pro-democracy protests last year that often turned violent.

US Announces Visa Restrictions for Chinese Officials

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced visa restrictions for a certain group of Chinese officials under the Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act.
Beijing has continued systematically to obstruct travel to the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR) and other Tibetan areas by US diplomats and other officials, journalists, and tourists, while Chinese officials and other citizens enjoy far greater access to the United States.
Access to Tibetan areas is increasingly vital to regional stability, given the Chinese human rights abuses there, as well as Beijing's failure to prevent environmental degradation near the headwaters of Asia's major rivers.
Pompeo said that the US will continue to work to advance the sustainable economic development, environmental conservation, and humanitarian conditions of Tibetan communities within China and abroad.

Jul 08, 2020

Pakistan, Afghanistan and China Hold Talks

A day after India participated in a digital meeting of 20 regional countries on promoting peace in Afghanistan, Pakistan held a foreign secretary-level trilateral talks with Afghanistan and China. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani singled out PM Narendra Modi for providing Covid-related assistance.
China and Pakistan appreciated the efforts by the Ghani government and "relevant parties" (Taliban) for exchange of the prisoners. They also hailed WHO's role in combating Covid.

Beijing Security Office Opens in Hong Kong

A new national security office has been officially opened in Hong Kong, placing mainland Chinese agents in the heart of the territory for the first time.
The office is one element of a sweeping new law which outlaws criticism of China's government.
Hong Kong was, until the law was passed, the only part of China not subject to such policies.
The law has caused alarm in Hong Kong but officials say it will restore stability after violent protests.
Chief Executive Carrie Lam said that it was actually relatively mild as far as national security laws are concerned and would enable Hong Kongers to exercise their rights and freedoms without being intimidated and attacked.
The temporary base of the new office is a hotel in Causeway Bay, the commercial district next to Victoria Park, which had long been the focal point of pro-democracy protest marches and rallies in Hong Kong.

US Withdrawal from WHO will come into Effect from July 2021

As per the United Nations, the United States will leave the World Health Organization (WHO) on July 6, 2021, after receiving notification of the decision by President Donald Trump, who has accused the agency of becoming a puppet for China during the coronavirus pandemic.
Trump, who announced the decision over a month ago, has to give one-year notice of the US withdrawal from the Geneva-based body and pay all Washington`s dues under a 1948 joint resolution of the US Congress. The United States currently owes WHO more than $200 million in assessed contributions, according to the WHO website.

India Rises One Place in JLL's 11th Edition of the Global Real Estate Transparency Index 2020

According to the 11th edition of the 'Global Real Estate Transparency Index 2020', which covers 99 countries and territories and 163 cities, released by US based property consultant Jones Lang LaSalle's (JLL), India has improved by one place to 34th with a total score of 2.69 under 'semi-transparent' zone. Regulatory reforms, better market data and sustainability initiatives led to a one-point improvement in the nation's ranking.
The United Kingdom (UK) has topped the list with a score of 1.31 followed by the United States (1.35 points), Australia (1.39 points), France, Canada, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Ireland, Sweden and Germany.
India's neighbouring country Sri Lanka ranks 65th position while Pakistan is at 73rd position.

Jul 07, 2020

INFORM Risk Index 2020 for Humanitarian Crises and Disasters

In accordance with the "INFORM Report 2020:Shared evidence for managing crises and disasters" released in 2020 by research centre INFORM, operating under European Commission (EU), India was ranked at 31st place with an inform risk of 5.4, means risk of humanitarian crises and disasters . The report ranked the countries based on "INFORM Risk Index" which has been topped by Somalia with an inform risk of 8.9. The report has analyzed 191 countries.
Notably, this report is produced by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN-OCHA) on behalf of all INFORM Partners.
It is the first global, objective and transparent tool for understanding the risk of regions based upon crises and disasters. A higher figure means more exposure to risks. The report considers the following while framing the index:
Natural Factors: Tsunami, Earthquake, Drought, Flood, Epidemic and Tropical Cyclones
Human Factors: Human Conflicts and conflict risks
Socio-Economic factors: Inequality, vulnerable people, deprivation and aid dependency
Institutional: DRR, Governance
Infrastructure: Communication, Physical infrastructure, Access to health system
INFORM is a multi-stakeholder forum for developing shared, quantitative analysis relevant to humanitarian crises and disasters. INFORM is a collaboration of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee and the European Commission.
The Joint Research Center of European Commission is the scientific and technical lead for INFORM.

India Ranks 117th in SDG Index 2020

In accordance with the "Sustainable Development Report 2020- The Sustainable Development Goals and Covid-19", comprising of SDG index 2020, there will be severe negative impacts on most of the United Nations (UN)-mandated Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) due to COVID-19 pandemic. India, which has ranked at 117th position with a score of 61.92 is also facing major challenges in 10 of the 17 SDGs including zero hunger, good health, gender inequality among others. The index has been topped by Sweden.
The report contains data on changes over time in 17 SDG indicators, the future of the SDGs amidst Covid-19, as well as calculations for trajectories until 2030.
The 2020 report reviewed the performance of 193 UN Member States out of which 166 were ranked under SDG index 2020. The top 3 countries are Sweden (84.72), Denmark (84.56) and Finland (83.77).
As per 2020 report COVID-19 had negatively affected several SDGs including:
SDG 1 (no poverty), SDG 2 (zero hunger), SDG 3 (good health and wellbeing), SDG 8 (decent work and economic growth) and SDG 10 (reduced inequalities)
Meanwhile, the pandemic had brought "immediate relief" in following SDGs:
SDG 12 (responsible consumption and production), SDG 13 (climate action), SDG 14 (life below water) and SDG 15 (life on land)
Since its launch in 2016, this annual report provides the most up-to-date data to track and review the performance of all 193 UN member states on the 17 SDGs.

Hong Kong Police Get Sweeping Powers

Hong Kong administration released additional details of China's sweeping new national security law.
Under China's new legislation, crimes of secession and sedition will be punishable by up to life in prison, stoking concerns of a much more authoritarian era in a city which has been racked by anti-China protests for the past year. Authorities will have the power to enter and search places for evidence. They can also restrict people under investigation from leaving Hong Kong.
It may also allow for confiscation of the proceeds related to any offence endangering national security. It will require foreign and Taiwan political organisations and agents to provide information on activities concerning Hong Kong.
Meanwhile, Facebook, WhatsApp and Telegram said that they will deny law enforcement requests for user data in Hong Kong as they assess the impact of the new national security law enacted last week.

Share on

TCY Analytics (View Subscription Plans)

Subscribe to GK Updates

I want to receive

GK Tags

October GK, September GK, August GK, INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS, ENVIRONMENT, BUSINESS AND ECONOMY, SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY, SPORTS, NATIONAL AFFAIRS, DEFENCE, PERSONS IN NEWS, DAYS AND EVENTS, AWARDS AND HONOURS, GOVERNMENT POLICIES AND SCHEMES, GENDER/ HEALTH/ EDUCATION, ART AND CULTURE, BOOKS AND AUTHORS, TOURISM AND HOTEL INDUSTRY AWARENESS, ART AND CULTURE, LAW AND CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Start Discussion

On any topic

Take Tests

Compiled from GK updates

Login

Sign Up

Forgot Password

Download TCY App

Unlock All Services and Enjoy The Premium Benefits

US$ 10

US$ 13

US$ 15

US$ 17

US$ 19

US$ 20

US$ 21

US$ 22

US$ 23

US$ 24

US$ 25

US$ 26