General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - May 2019

May 2019

Nov 11, 2019

Working Right of H-4 Visa Holders hangs in Balance

The US Court of Appeals in its recent order has concurred with the views of 'Save Jobs USA' that granting of work permits (employment authorisations) to spouses of H-1B visa holders increases competition for American jobs. As spouses are able to work, it provides an incentive to the H-1B visa holders to continue to stay in the US.
The crux of the matter which will now be examined by the lower court is whether the US department of homeland security (DHS) has the authority to give EADs to H-4 visa holders.
But, the sword of Damocles continues to sway over the families where the spouse holds an EAD, as the Trump administration in the course of court hearings had reiterated the intent to rescind the EAD policy.
In its letter to the court, DHS stated that a proposed rule to rescind the EAD programme could be published earliest by spring 2020. Typically, post publication of the rule, it takes a few months for the new policy to come into effect.
If the finding by the lower court is that DHS acted beyond its scope in granting EAD or the policy is rescinded by the Trump government, it will adversely impact many Indian families.

China Opens a New Bridge Close to Border with India

Chinese engineers have constructed a new bridge over the Brahmaputra river (Yarlung Tsangpo in Tibet), which will enhance rail connectivity in south Tibet, near the Chinese border with India. Rail connectivity is crucial for logistical support in both infrastructure building and military activities.
Bayu bridge, the new 283-metre-long and 19-metre-wide bridge, an engineering feat has been constructed in a difficult mountainous terrain. The bridge, standing 61.5 metres above the river in the city of Shannan, finally connects a 435km-long railway line, from Lhasa to Nyingchi in southeast Tibet.
This comes months after China opened a 409km new expressway linking Lhasa with Nyingchi, which is close to the border with Arunachal Pradesh. The 409km tollfree expressway, which cost nearly $5.8 billion, linked the two major cities which are also tourist attractions in Tibet.

Iran Finds New Oilfield with 53bn Barrels

Iran discovered an oil field containing the equivalent of 53 billion barrels, potentially boosting its reserves as the Opec member struggles to overcome the effects of US sanctions on its energy industry.
It wasn't immediately clear how much of the oil discovered in Khuzestan province is new, or how much of it can be developed commercially.
Iran currently ranks fourth in reserves worldwide — behind Venezuela, Saudi Arabia and Canada — with almost 156 billion barrels.

Nov 10, 2019

Iran Finds New Oil Field

Iran has discovered a new oil field in the country's south with over 50 billion barrels of crude, a find that could boost the country's proven reserves by a third as it struggles to sell energy abroad over U.S. sanctions.
The announcement by Hassan Rouhani comes as Iran faces crushing American sanctions after the U.S. pulled out of its nuclear deal with world powers in 2018.
Rouhani made the announcement in a speech in the desert city of Yazd. He said the field was located in Iran's southern Khuzestan province, home to its crucial oil industry.

Brazil's former president Lula walks free after 18 months behind bars

Brazil's leftist icon Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva walked free from jail after a year and a half behind bars for corruption following a court ruling that could release thousands of convicts.
The former president, wearing a black T-shirt and suit jacket, pumped his fist in the air as he exited the federal police headquarters in the southern city of Curitiba and was quickly mobbed by hundreds of supporters and journalists.
Lula addressed the crowd, thanking his supporters, colleagues and lawyers, his voice at times drowned out by the cheers of the crowd and fireworks.

Trump to Release Transcript of a Second Call with Ukrainian President

President Donald Trump said he plans to release a transcript of a second phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, one that occurred months before the July call that kickstarted House Democrats' impeachment inquiry.

Mauritius elects incumbent PM for five-year term

2019 vote was dominated by calls for fairer distribution of wealth on the prosperous Indian Ocean island of 1.3 million people, which touts itself as a bridge between Africa and Asia and has a flourishing financial sector.
MSM won 38 of the 62 seats up for grabs while its rivals, the Labour Party and the Mauritian Militant Movement (MMM), garnered 13 and 9 seats respectively.
Two seats on the island of Rodrigues were won by the Organisation of the People of Rodrigues (OPR) party.
Jugnauth, 57, became prime minister in 2017 when his father stepped down from the post, and has already introduced a minimum wage to try and improve wealth distribution.

Jordan ends border enclaves land lease for Israeli farmers

The King of Jordan has announced the end of a lease agreement that gave Israelis access to two border enclaves.
Under a 1994 peace treaty, Israeli farmers could cultivate land in the Jordanian areas of Naharayim and Tzofar - known as Baqura and Ghamr in Arabic.
The lease governing them was for 25 years, but could have been extended.
However King Abdullah announced in 2018 that he planned to end the lease - in what was seen as a sign of worsening ties between Jordan and Israel.
At the time, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had said that he still hoped to negotiate an extension to the arrangement.
As the lease expired, gates on the border were closed, and Israelis were prevented from entering.

30th Anniversary of the Berlin Wall fall

Google on November 9 (2019) celebrated the 30th year of the fall of the Berlin Wall with a doodle that captured the essence of the breaking down of boundaries that separated many families.
The doodle created by Berlin—based guest artist Max Guther, shows a man and woman walk over the wall brought down.
It was the moment that signalled the simultaneous end of the Cold War and the beginning of reunification of East and West Germany.

PM Modi inaugurate historic Kartarpur Corridor

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that opening of Kartarpur Corridor and Integrated Check Post would bring double happiness.
Addressing a gathering at Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur after inaugurating the Kartarpur Corridor, PM Modi said it will be easy to pay obeisance at Darbar Sahib Gurudwara after the opening of Kartarpur Corridor.
He also thanked Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan for understanding India's sentiment. Asserting that he is fortunate to be able to dedicate the Kartarpur corridor to the country, Prime Minister said he has a feeling like doing Kar Sewa.
He said, Guru Nanak Dev is revered and inspiration for all mankind. When Guru Nanak Dev had left Kartarpur nobody knew that he will give a new direction to the society.
Meanwhile, the first Jatha of Sikh pilgrims entered Pakistan through Kartarpur Corridor.
Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the first batch of over 500 Indian pilgrims led by Akal Takhat Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib through the corridor.

Nov 09, 2019

Piyush Goyal To Participate In 9th BRICS Trade Ministers Meet

Commerce and Industry and Railway Minister, Piyush Goyal, will be on tour to Brazil and United States from 9th – 14th November 2019.
On the first leg of his visit the Commerce and Industry Minister will attend 9th BRICS Trade Ministers Meet in Brasilia, Brazil, on the 11th of November 2019.
Discussions at the 9th BRICS Trade Ministers Meet will be focussed on opportunities for enhanced intra-BRICS trade and investment cooperation.
Issues like cooperation in e-commerce, investment facilitation, MSMEs, Intellectual Property Right, will be discussed during the meet.

UNGA votes 187-3 to condemn United States' continued embargo against Cuba

The UN General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to condemn the American economic embargo of Cuba for the 28th year, rejecting US criticism of human rights violations there and criticising the Trump administration's increasingly tough enforcement measures.
The vote in the 193-member world body was 187-3 with the US, Israel and Brazil voting "no," and Colombia and Ukraine abstaining.
In 2019, Moldova did not vote.
Brazil's conservative government, led by President Jair Bolsonaro, was the first in Latin America to vote against the resolution in at least five years.

Meeting Of Heads Of Departments Of Member-States Of Shanghai Cooperation Organization

The tenth SCO Meeting of the Heads of Departments of Member-States of Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Dealing with Prevention and Elimination of Emergency Situations was held in New Delhi on 8th November, 2019.
The event was chaired by the Union Minister of Home Affairs of India, Shri Amit Shah.
Apart from Shri Shah, the Ministers and Heads of the Departments of Prevention and Elimination of Emergency Situations of SCO Member-States, the representatives of Diplomatic missions of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the Republic of Tajikistan and the SCO Secretariat participated in this meeting.

Donald Trump Fined $2m For Misusing Charity For Political Ends

Donald Trump has been ordered by a judge to pay $2m in damages for illegally using funds intended for charity to boost his 2016 presidential election campaign.
The US president admitted to personally misusing the money, according to New York's attorney general, despite having previously denied any wrongdoing.
The humiliating fine adds to Trump's woes that include several investigations into allegations that he is using public office for self-enrichment, as well as an impeachment inquiry by the House of Representatives.

PM inaugurates Integrated Check Post

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Integrated Check Post and flagged off first batch of pilgrims at Kartarpur Sahib corridor in Gurdaspur, Punjab.
Prime Minister took a guided tour of digital installation on life of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, and the Passenger Terminal Building prior to the inauguration of Kartarpur Corridor.

Nov 08, 2019

Bolivia Mayor Has Hair Forcibly Cut By Crowd Of Protesters

The mayor of a small town in Bolivia has been attacked by opposition protesters who dragged her through the streets barefoot, covered her in red paint and forcibly cut her hair.
Patricia Arce of the governing Mas party was handed over to police in Vinto after several hours.
It is the latest in a series of violent clashes between government supporters and opponents in the wake of controversial presidential elections.
At least three people have died so far.

Iran Cancels Accreditation Of IAEA Nuclear Inspector

Iran has cancelled the accreditation of an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspector who was prevented from entering a nuclear facility.
It said the woman triggered an alarm at the gate to the Natanz uranium enrichment plant, raising fears that she was carrying "suspicious material".
The IAEA disagreed with the account and said the inspector was also temporarily prevented from leaving Iran.
It was apparently the first such case since the 2015 nuclear deal was signed.
Meanwhile, the US said Iran might be "positioning itself to have the option of a rapid nuclear break-out" - the time it would take to acquire enough fissile material for one bomb - after it suspended another commitment under the accord.

Cyprus Strips 'Golden' Passports From 26 Investors

The Cyprus government says it will revoke the "golden passports" bought by 26 rich foreign investors and family members from outside the EU.
Interior Minister Constantinos Petrides did not name the individuals involved.
Reports say they include nine Russians, eight Cambodians and five Chinese. The EU says such schemes may mask fraud.
Cyprus offers an EU passport for an investment of at least €2m (£1.7m). Malta and Bulgaria have similar schemes, now under EU scrutiny.
The other non-EU individuals among the 26 are reported to be from Malaysia, Kenya and Iran.
In January the EU told member states to tighten checks on non-EU nationals seeking passports via investments.

'No Money For Terror' Ministerial Conference In Melbourne, Australia

Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Shri G.Kishan Reddy is leading a five-member delegation to the 'No Money For Terror' Ministerial Conference taking place in Melbourne, Australia.
The delegation comprises of high ranking officials including DG NIA. 65 nations are represented at the conference. Shri Reddy announced at the conference that India would host the next 'No Money For Terror' Conference in 2020.

Russia Re-Enacts Historic WW2 Parade In Moscow

Thousands of Russian troops marched across the Red Square in Moscow to mark the 78th anniversary of a historic World War Two parade.
In 1941, German forces were closing in on Moscow. The Red Army's reaction has become a symbol of courage and tenacity.
The elaborate display included WW2-era uniforms, weapons and vintage tanks.

China Is World's Worst Abuser Of Internet Freedom: Freedom On Net 2019 Report

China was ranked as the world's worst abuser of internet freedom for the fourth consecutive year and Pakistan was declared as 'not free' in terms of internet freedom status for the ninth consecutive year in the Freedom on the Net (FoTN) report 2019.
The Freedom on the Net report 2019 titled 'The Crisis of Social Media' was released by an international internet watchdog, the Freedom House on November 5, 2019.
The report recorded an overall decline in global internet freedom status between July 2018 and May 2019.

Nov 07, 2019

Rajnath Singh Co-Chairs IRIGC-M&MTC Meeting With His Russian Counterpart

Russia assures full support in enhancing India's defence capabilities under 'Make in India' initiative.
Both sides agree to constitute specific working groups for after-sales support of key defence platforms.
The 19th India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military and Military-Technical Cooperation (IRIGC-M&MTC) meeting, co-chaired by Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh and Russian Defence Minister General Sergey Shoigu was held in Moscow.

Trump's EU Envoy Admits Ukraine Quid Pro Quo In Updated Testimony

An ally of Donald Trump has changed his impeachment inquiry testimony to confirm that the US president offered Ukraine a quid pro quo to investigate a political rival.
Gordon Sondland, the US ambassador to the European Union, said that nearly $400m in military aid would probably be withheld until the country announced an investigation into corruption, including allegations concerning a gas company with ties to the former vice-president Joe Biden's son Hunter.

Finland Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto Arrives In India

Finland Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto arrived in New Delhi on a four-day visit to India with an aim to boost bilateral relations.
The foreign minister will be accompanied by a high-level business delegation and is expected to hold talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.
The two ministers had earlier met in Helsinki, Finland's capital, in September, 2019.

UAE To Host IORA Council of Ministers Meeting

The United Arab Emirates (UAE), as the incoming chair of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), will host the 19th IORA Council of Ministers (COM) Meeting with foreign ministers of the member states in attendance.
The COM Meeting will be held in Abu Dhabi on November 7, 2019 under the theme of "Promoting a Shared Destiny and Path to Prosperity in the Indian Ocean".
During the meeting, the UAE will assume the chair of the IORA for the period between 2019 and 2021, according to the IORA's official website.
The Chairship passes from the Republic of South Africa, which has been IORA Chair for the period 2017-2019.

Pakistan Among Worst Countries For Internet Freedom

Pakistan is among the worst 10 countries in the world for internet and digital media freedom. The Freedom House, an international internet rights group, released its 'Freedom on the Net' (FoTN) report for the year 2019, titled 'The Crisis of Social Media', recording an overall decline in global internet freedom between June 2018 and May 2019.
The watchdog in its report placed Pakistan at 26, out of 100 (100 being the worst) — one place down from last year's (2018) ranking.
The country scored 5 out of 25 for obstacles to access, 14 out of 35 for limits on content, and 7 out of 40 for violation of user rights index.
Globally, Pakistan is among the worst 10 countries in terms of internet and digital media freedom. In terms of regional ranking, Pakistan emerged as the third worst country after Vietnam and China.

Massive H-1B Visa Denial Rates For Indian IT Companies Under Trump Administration

As a result of the more restrictive Trump Administration policies, denial rates for H-1B petitions have increased significantly from just six percent in 2015 to 24 percent in the third quarter of the current fiscal, a study carried out by an American think-tank has showed.
The study by the National Foundation for American Policy, based on data received from the US Citizenship and Immigration Services or USCIS, also reflects that denial rate for H-1B visas is highest among major Indian IT companies.
Between 2015 and 2019, the denial rate jumped from four percent to 41 percent for Tech Mahindra, from six percent to 34 percent for Tata Consultancy Services, from seven percent to 53 percent for Wipro and from just two percent to 45 percent for Infosys, the study showed.

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