General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - May 2019

May 2019

Feb 08, 2020

Kosovo Gets New Prime Minister

Former rebel leader Albin Kurti was appointed as the new and 4th Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo by its parliament. Albin replaced Ramush Haradinaj as the PM, as Ramush resigned the post in July 2019 when he was summoned to be questioned at the war crimes court in The Hague, Netherlands.
Albin who is the leader of the political party Vetëvendosje (Self Determination), was famously known as Kosovo's Che Guevara (marxist leader) by reporters in the 1990s when he organised mass student protest against repression of Serbia.
He also served as the vice-president of the University of Prishtina Student Union in Kosovo, and a main organizer of non-violent demonstrations in 1997 and 1998.
The new govt under Albin has formed after lawmakers approved a coalition of his Vetevendosje party and the centre-right Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) party with 66 votes of support in the 120-member assembly.

Scottish Finance Chief Quits

Scotland's Finance Minister resigned after revelations he had reportedly sent hundreds of messages to a 16-year-old boy on social media.
As per Scottish Sun newspaper, Mackay sent the teen more than 270 messages on Facebook and Instagram, telling the boy he was "cute" and offering to take him to a rugby match and to dinner.
Mackay is not accused of breaking the law.
But Scottish Labour Party leader Richard Leonard said that his behavior had been "nothing short of predatory" and "an abuse of power." Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said Mackay had also been suspended from the governing Scottish National Party.

UK Court Okays Dawood Aide's Extradition to the US

The Westminster magistrates court cleared the extradition of Jabir Motiwala, a close aide of fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, to the United States, where he faces charges of money-laundering, extortion and drug trafficking.
Dawood Ibrahim is wanted in India for his alleged role in the 1993 Mumbai bombings which claimed lives of more than 200 people.
Motiwala is accused of laundering around US $1.4 million. The charges against him date back to 2011 and 2012 and could carry a sentence of around 25 years behind bars in the US.

Feb 07, 2020

Nigeria's New Visa Policy to Attract Foreign Talent

Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari unveiled a new visa policy which he says is intended to attract innovation, specialised skills and knowledge from abroad.
The President in 2019 in Egypt, announced the new visa policy which he described as a "strategic decision to bring down barriers that have hindered the free movement of our people within the continent".
The new policy sees the introduction of visas on arrival for short visits for holders of passports of African Union countries.
There are 79 new categories which the government says is to ensure that "visas are more efficiently matched to the purpose of travel, thus helping improve the efficiency of processing and response".
The government also announced a new biometric visa database which is able to conduct checks for those on Interpol watch lists.

Feb 06, 2020

Leader of All Religions in China

According to new regulations that came into effect in January (this month), all religions in China should now look up to the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) for leadership and promote its policies.
The rules, which have been by criticised by religious groups, lay down measures for supervision and administration of religions in the country by the National Religious Affairs Administration of China. The rules do away with all doubts, if any that the five religions legally practised in China - Islam, Buddhism, Taoism, Catholicism and Protestantism - are secondary to the CPC.
In December 2019, the National Religious Affairs Administration of China had released the set of regulations on the management of religious groups.
The regulations essentially say all religions and related organisations must support the CPC's leadership and support the "Sinicisation" of religions.

Senate Acquits Trump in Impeachment Trial

President Donald Trump was cleared in his impeachment trial, ending a congressional bid to oust him from office that bitterly divided the US.
The Senate, run by the President's fellow Republicans, voted to acquit him 52-48 on charges of abuse of power and 53-47 on obstruction of Congress.
Democrats charged Mr. Trump in December 2019 with pressuring Ukraine to smear a potential White House rival.
In November, Mr. Trump will be the first impeached President to go for election.
In its historic vote, the Senate decided not to remove America's 45th President from office on charges arising from his dealings with Ukraine.
If convicted on either charge, Mr. Trump would have had to turn over his office to Vice-President Mike Pence.

Feb 05, 2020

Macau Casinos, Bars, Cinemas to be Closed

Macau would temporarily close all casinos and many other entertainment venues as the gambling hub battles the deadly coronavirus, cutting off the lifeblood of the city's economy. The move came as the former Portuguese colony confirmed its 10th case of the virus.
Other countries are counting the economic cost of the outbreak. Delegates from the OPEC club of oil-producing countries - as well as their ally Russia - began a meeting at the organisation's headquarters in Vienna to discuss the impact of the outbreak on global demand. Crude prices have tumbled since the outbreak in China, which is a huge consumer of crude.

South African Court Issues Arrest Warrant for Ex-leader Zuma

A South African court issued an arrest warrant for former President Jacob Zuma, after he skipped court on grounds of needing medical treatment, but the judge stayed the warrant until his corruption trial resumes on May 6, 2020.
The former leader is on trial on 18 charges of fraud, racketeering and money laundering relating to a $2 billion arms deal with French defense firm Thales in 1999, when Zuma was Deputy President. He rejected the allegations as a politically motivated witch-hunt.
Zuma, President from 2009-2018, had previously applied for a permanent stay of prosecution but the court in Pietermaritzburg threw out his appeal in November 2019.

Pak. Parliament Passes Resolution on Kashmir

Pakistan's Parliament unanimously passed a resolution expressing unflinching and unwavering support to the Kashmiri people and demanding India to reverse its decision to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.
The National Assembly or lower house passed the resolution on the eve of what Pakistan observes as the Kashmir Solidarity Day on February 5 annually.
Tensions between India and Pakistan have spiked since India abrogated Article 370 of the Constitution to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir in August 2019.

Buttigieg Takes Lead in Iowa Caucuses

Democratic White House candidate Pete Buttigieg seized a lead in the chaotic Iowa caucuses, closely trailed by leftist senator Bernie Sanders.
Progressive standard-bearer Elizabeth Warren was in third place followed by Joe Biden, a disappointing showing for the former vice president who claimed he is best positioned to defeat Donald Trump in November 2020.

Feb 04, 2020

OIC Rejects US Mideast Plan

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation rejected US President Donald Trump's peace plan for the Middle East, calling on its 57 member states not to help implement it.
A meeting of foreign ministers at OIC headquarters in the Saudi city of Jeddah called on "all member states not (to) deal with this plan or cooperate with the US administration efforts to enforce it in any way or form".
Under the US plan, Israel would retain control of the disputed city of Jerusalem as its "undivided capital" and annex settlements on Palestinian lands. Trump said that Palestinians would be allowed to declare a capital within annexed east Jerusalem.
The OIC reiterated its support for east Jerusalem as capital of a future Palestinian state.

Hamburg Court Rules against School Niqab Ban

The Hamburg Administrative Court in Germany ruled against an attempt to forbid a 16-year-old student from wearing a niqab during class time.
Hamburg education officials had earlier ordered the girl's mother to ensure that her daughter did not wear the veil at school.

China Leadership Admits Mistakes

China's top leadership admitted shortcomings and difficulties in its response to the coronavirus outbreak and the government said that it urgently needed medical supplies to battle the outbreak which has killed 361 people.
The elite Politburo Standing Committee called for improvements to the national emergency management system following shortcoming and difficulties exposed in the response to the epidemic.
The comments came as 57 new deaths were confirmed in the single-biggest daily increase. Infections crossed 17,200 with some 2,800 new cases.

Britain and EU Talk Tough on Trade

Britain and the European Union set out clashing opening gambits on striking a post-Brexit trade deal, making it clear that each side is willing to walk away without an agreement rather than compromise on key issues.
U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson sent a bravado-filled salvo toward Brussels three days after Britain left the bloc, the first country to exit. In a speech to business leaders and international diplomats in London, Johnson said that we want a free trade agreement — but not at any cost.
In their divorce agreement, Britain and the EU agreed to strike an ambitious, broad, deep and flexible partnership, including a free trade deal and agreements for security and other areas. The details are to be worked out during a transition period lasting until the end of 2020, in which relations stay essentially unchanged. For the rest of this year the U.K. will continue to follow EU rules, although it will no longer have a say in EU decision-making.

Democrats Start 2020 Race for White House

Democrats kicked off their nominating contest for the 2020 presidential election with Iowa caucuses. Senator Bernie Sanders is clearly ahead in polls, followed by former vice president Joe Biden, Senator Elizabeth Warren and former Mayor Pete Buttigieg.
Despite being a small and mostly white state, Iowa caucuses are critical to the race. Democrats who won the Iowa caucuses in recent decades went on to win the party nomination — Al Gore in 2000, John Kerry in 2004, Barack Obama in 2008 and Hillary Clinton in 2016.

Denmark Arrests Three Iranians on Charges

Three leading members of an Iranian Arab opposition group were arrested in Denmark and charged with spying for Saudi Arabia.
The three, who live in Denmark, were long suspected of links to rebels who attacked an Iranian military parade in September 2018, killing 24 people.
Danish police said that the three are in the Arab Struggle Movement for the Liberation of Ahvaz (ASMLA).
Ethnic Arabs live in oil-rich Ahvaz, south-western Iran.
Denmark's PET intelligence service accuses the three of having spied on individuals in Denmark between 2012 and 2018 and having passed on information to Saudi intelligence.

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