General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - May 2019

May 2019

Feb 03, 2020

Republicans Block Impeachment Witnesses

The Senate brought President Trump to the brink of acquittal of charges that he abused his power and obstructed Congress, as Republicans voted to block consideration of new witnesses and documents in his impeachment trial and shut down a final push by Democrats to bolster their case for the President's removal.
In a nearly party-line vote after a bitter debate, Democrats failed to win support from the four Republicans they needed. With Mr. Trump's acquittal virtually certain, the President's allies rallied to his defense, though some conceded he was guilty of the central allegations against him.
The Democrats' push for more witnesses and documents failed 49 to 51, with only two Republicans, Mitt Romney of Utah and Susan Collins of Maine, joining Democrats in favor. A vote on the verdict is planned in a couple of days.

Historic Invite to Washington for Sudan Leader

The US invited the head of Sudan's governing body to Washington - the first such visit in more than three decades.
Sudan said that Lt Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan would go to the US soon to discuss ways of developing bilateral ties.
He has been the head of Sudan's sovereign council since August under a transitional power-sharing deal that will see a civilian take over in 2021 until elections in 2022.
Relations between the US and Sudan have improved since former President Omar al-Bashir was toppled last year.
Sudan remains on the list of state sponsors of terrorism, but Washington has hinted that it might be removed from the blacklist soon.

Boris Johnson Sets out vision of UK-EU Trade Deal

Boris Johnson is to set out his vision for a trade deal with the European Union, and said that there is no need for the UK to follow Brussels' rules.
The Prime Minister will use a speech in London later to call for a Canada-style free trade agreement - and threaten to walk away if one cannot be struck.
There is no need for a free trade agreement to involve accepting EU rules.
But the Irish PM said that the UK needed to agree to a level playing field.
Leo Varadkar said that a Canada-style deal with the UK is possible - but that Canada isn't the UK and there is a need for common rules and standards.
President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said that negotiations will be hard and fair and fast but that the closer the UK wants to be to the bloc, the more of its common rules it will have to abide by.

Iowa Poll Results Held Back

The Des Moines Register and CNN cancelled the release of their much-awaited final poll before the Iowa caucuses after Pete Buttigieg's campaign raised concern about how it was conducted.
The poll, long considered the gold standard in Iowa, was shelved just minutes before CNN was set to host a special hour of TV dedicated to the poll results and the state of the race in Iowa.

Russia Questions US Middle East Peace Plan

A Middle East peace plan presented by Donald Trump contravenes several United Nations resolutions, Russian news agencies cited a Kremlin spokesman as saying, questioning the plan's feasibility.
The Palestinian Authority has cut all ties with the United States and Israel, including those relating to security, after rejecting the Middle East peace plan put forward by Trump.

Feb 02, 2020

Erdogan Hits Out at Arab 'Treason' over Trump Plan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan blasted some Arab countries for backing a Middle East plan unveiled by the United States, condemning it as "treason".
Erdogan said in the parliament that some Arab countries that support such a plan commit treason against Jerusalem, as well as against their own people, and more importantly against all humanity.
President Donald Trump unveiled long-awaited details of a US plan for solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, warning it may represent the last chance at statehood for the Palestinians.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called the peace plan the 'slap of the century'.

Trump Restricts Immigration from Six Countries

The US announced it is expanding its curbs on immigration to include six more countries, including Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation.
Citizens from Nigeria, Eritrea, Sudan, Tanzania, Kyrgyzstan and Myanmar will now be blocked from obtaining certain types of visas.
People from those countries will still be able to visit the US as tourists.
In 2018 the US issued twice as many immigration visas to Nigeria than to the other five nations combined.
An official said that the new measures were the result of failures by the six countries to meet US security and information-sharing standards.

End Draws Near in Donald Trump's Impeachment Trial

US President Donald Trump's impeachment trial faces a climactic vote when senators are due to decide whether to call witnesses and prolong the historic proceeding or instead bring them to the swift conclusion that Trump wants. Senate Democrats have been arguing throughout the two-week trial that lawmakers need to hear from witnesses like John Bolton, Trump`s former national security adviser. But they do not appear to have enough support from Republicans who control the chamber.
Republican Senator Lamar Alexander, who had been undecided, declared that further evidence in the case was unnecessary. Barring an unforeseen change of heart by another Republican senator, that would leave Democrats short of the 51 votes they need and allow Trump`s allies to defeat the request for additional evidence and move towards a final vote that is all but certain to acquit the President.

Pakistan May Not Be Able To Escape FATF Grey List

As per diplomats of two European countries, Pakistan is expected to be retained in the Financial Action Task Force's (FATF) "grey list" at an upcoming meeting of the multilateral watchdog as it hasn't made adequate progress in countering terror financing.
The working group and plenary meetings of FATF in Paris from February 16 to 21 will assess the implementation of a 27-point action plan by Pakistan, which was placed in the grey list in June 2018 for failing to stop fund raising by groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, Taliban and al-Qaeda.
However, the diplomats contended that there has been a softening of the US position on Pakistan, and they attributed this to Washington's hope that Islamabad will play a role in arranging a deal with the Taliban. As things stand, Pakistan needs the support of only three of FATF's 39 members to stay out of the "black list" — it is sure to get China, Malaysia and Turkey's votes.

Brexit Brings a New Dawn for U.K.: Boris

Thousands of Brexit supporters descended on Parliament Square to mark Britain's official departure from the European Union, even though it had felt for weeks as though the moment might pass without notice.
After years of bitter debate and infighting, the Withdrawal Agreement passed with little fanfare last week and, in a fit of restraint, Boris Johnson and his government settled for a muted celebration of the UK's exit. In an address shortly before the appointed hour, the Prime Minister acknowledged many would have "a sense of anxiety and loss".

Feb 01, 2020

Netanyahu Meets Putin on Mideast Peace Deal

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed US President Donald Trump's Middle East peace plan as a new opportunity after flying to Moscow to discuss it with President Vladimir Putin.
Trump's plan angered Palestinians by proposing Israel retain control over Jerusalem as its "undivided capital" and giving the green light to annex Jewish settlements in the West Bank.
Netanyahu, facing graft charges, is contesting March elections and hoping the proposal will boost his re-election chances. The March 2, 2020 vote is Israel's third in less than a year, with polls suggesting the Prime Minister's rightwing Likud is again neck-and-neck with the centrist Blue and White party led by ex-military chief Benny Gantz.

UN Envoy Says Foreigners Still Meddling in Libya

The United Nations said that foreigners are continuing to meddle in Libya's civil war, in violation of commitments made at an international conference earlier this month.
UN envoy Ghassan Salamé said that reckless interference in the conflict risked making it much more dangerous.
He did not name any country that was breaching agreements reached at the conference in Berlin, which was attended by Turkey, France, Egypt and other states.
But the French have recently accused Turkey of taking Syrian mercenaries to Libya.
The Turks support the government in Tripoli. They accuse France of backing the government's rival, military strongman Gen Khalifa Haftar.

Longest Ever Smuggling Tunnel Discovered

US officials said that they have discovered the longest smuggling tunnel ever found on the border with Mexico.
Stretching for 4,309 ft (1,313 m), the tunnel had a lift, rail track, drainage and air ventilation systems, and high voltage electrical cables.
The passageway connected an industrial site in the Mexican city of Tijuana to the San Diego area in California.
There were no arrests made or drugs found. Authorities did not say who they suspected of being behind the tunnel.
But Mexico's Sinaloa cartel, described by the US government as one of the largest drug-trafficking organisations in the world, operates in the area. Its founder and long-time leader, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, is serving life in prison in the US.

Kenyan Court Halts Biometric Registration

Kenya's High Court halted the implementation of a new biometric registration system until data protection laws are enacted.
The court also declared the collection of GPS and DNA data unconstitutional.
The Kenya government had been collecting sensitive personal data, including fingerprints, family details and even location details in the mandatory exercise.
All the sensitive data would be available at the click of a button.
The government insisted the registration was mandatory, saying citizens would not be eligible to receive government services including passports and birth certificates unless they took part.
But the High Court found that the collection of all this private data was putting Kenyans at risk of suffering irreversible damage if the information was misused.
So the three-judge panel ordered a halt to the implementation of the project – known as Huduma Namba - until comprehensive data protection laws have been enacted.
The court also ruled that the collection of DNA and using GPS to record the precise location of people's homes was unconstitutional.

Jan 31, 2020

EU Eyes 'Association Deal' after Brexit

Britain's departure from the European Union was set in law as London returned a signed treaty and EU lawmakers voted overwhelmingly to approve the Brexit deal.
After half a century of sometimes awkward membership, the United Kingdom will leave the EU at midnight Brussels time. Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier told the 27 EU states staying on together that a loose so-called 'association agreement' like the one the bloc has with Ukraine should serve as the basis for a new relationship with Britain.
Barnier met Brussels envoys of the 27 countries as part of preparations for looming talks on a new EU-UK deal that will start after Britain leaves the bloc.

MEPs Say Goodbye to Brussels

MEPs overwhelmingly backed the terms of the UK's departure from the EU.
MEPs ratified the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement by 621 votes to 49 following an emotional debate in Brussels.
Martina Anderson and Naomi Long made their final speeches in the chamber, while Diane Dodds spoke at an event after the vote.

Greek Plans to Stop Migrant Boats with Floating Barriers

Greece is planning to install a floating barrier in the Aegean Sea to help stop migrant boats reaching its islands from Turkey.
The barrier, possibly made of netting and equipped with flashing lights, will cover 1.7 miles (2.7 km) and rise above water near the Greek island of Lesbos.
Migrants trying to reach Europe often travel through Turkey to Greece. Arrivals have proved hard to manage.
Many are fleeing violence and persecution in their countries. The majority of arrivals are from Afghanistan and Syria, according to the United Nations.
Strikes and protests took place on the Greek islands of Lesbos, Samos and Chios over the government's handling of migrant arrivals.
This latest initiative is "aimed at containing the increasing inflows of migrants" on islands such as Lesbos.

Jan 30, 2020

Israeli PM Formally Charged

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was formally charged with bribery, fraud and breach of trust, the justice ministry said, shortly after the embattled politician dropped his request for parliamentary immunity. The indictment came as Netanyahu was in Washington for a meeting with President Donald Trump for the unveiling of a long-awaited US peace plan. Attorney general Avichai Mandelblit presented the charge sheet to the Jerusalem district court, where Netanyahu will face trial for corruption over gifts and favourable media coverage received in return for regulatory and financial benefits. Mandelblit had announced his decision to charge Netanyahu in November 2019.

New Zealand PM Ardern Calls September Polls

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has called a general election on September. The centre-left leader announced Kiwis would go to the polls on September 19, when she will seek a second three-year term.

European Parliament Puts off CAA Resolution Vote

The European Parliament decided to put off a vote on a resolution critical of India's Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) to a session beginning on March 2, a move that is being seen as linked to the upcoming India-EU Summit next month.
The Parliament decided to go ahead with a debate on the CAA from midnight on Thursday. A statement by the European Union's high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, Josep Borrell, will be part of the debate.
As the plenary session of the European Parliament got underway, the Identity and Democracy (ID) Group – a far-right grouping whose Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) were part of a controversial visit to Kashmir arranged by the government last October – called for the resolution to be withdrawn because it was "very badly timed".
This proposal was voted down by a majority of the 483 MEPs present in the House.
The European People's Party (EPP) Group that is backing the resolution, said voting should be postponed to the session beginning on March 2. This was accepted by a vote of 271 to 199.

US House Warns China over Dalai Lama Succession Process

The US House of Representatives passed a bill that authorises financial and travel sanctions against Chinese officials who interfere in the process of selecting the successor to the Dalai Lama, the exiled spiritual leader of Tibet.
Introduced by Congressman James P McGovern, Chairman of the House Rules Committee and the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, the bill was passed by a overwhelming vote of 392 to 22.
The bill, if passed by the Senate and signed into law by the President, will also prohibit China from opening any new consulate in the US until Beijing allows Washington to open its diplomatic station in Lhasa, the Tibetan capital.
According to the bill, the succession or reincarnation of Tibetan Buddhist leaders, including a future 15th Dalai Lama, is an exclusively religious matter that should be decided solely by the Tibetan Buddhist community.

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