General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - May 2019

May 2019

Oct 22, 2019

Nepalese Govt Officers' 2nd Group Starts Training On Special Tailor-Made Course At NACIN

The second group of 18 officers of the Government of Nepal has started their training on Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism at Regional Centre of National Academy of Customs, Indirect Taxes and Narcotics (NACIN) in Bengaluru.
This is a special tailor-made course designed at the request of Government of Nepal.
It is an example of India's commitment to enhance the capacities of various agencies of the Government of Nepal.
The course is fully supported by the Government of India under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Programme of Ministry of External Affairs.

Nepali Officers Begin Training On 'Anti Money Laundering And Countering Financing Of Terrorism' I...

The second group of eighteen officers of Nepal has begun their training on 'Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism' at the National Academy of Customs, Indirect Taxes and Narcotics (NACIN), Bengaluru.
This is a special tailor-made course designed at the request of Nepal for a total of 60 officers. It is an example of India's commitment to enhance the capacities of various agencies of Nepal.
The training will enhance the capabilities of participating officers to effectively deal with the matters pertaining to Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism.
The course is fully supported by the Government of India under the Ministry of External Affairs' Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Programme.
The first group of 20 Nepali officers had successfully completed their six-day training module on August 24, 2019. The third batch of 21 officers will undergo training in December 2019.

Japan To Hire More Skilled Pakistani Workers

Ambassador of Japan in Pakistan Kuninori Matsuda has said his country would sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Pakistani government to hire more skilled workers.
The Ambassador said Pakistan was among top 10 countries from where Japan was looking to hire skilled workforce.
He told the press that Pakistani workers currently serving in Japan were contributing to the country's development with dedication and honesty.
Coming to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the ambassador said the preparations for Games were in full swing.
The 2020 Tokyo Olympics was scheduled to take place from July 24 to August 9 in Tokyo, Japan.

India-Bangladesh Stakeholders' Meet Begins In Guwahati

India-Bangladesh Stakeholders' Meet begins in Guwahati with trade and connectivity high on the agenda.
A 70-member delegation from both countries is participating in the two-day meet. The focus would be on improving its connectivity with the neighbouring country to get the best of the rest under Act East Policy for the host Assam.
The idea of the meet is to put Assam at the focus point of India's trade expansion with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations as well as Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal.
The technical sessions will have discussions on connectivity aspects as the broad theme, with several sessions planned to specifically focus on road agreements, cross border surface route trade and port use agreements.
The Business meet on agriculture, mines and minerals, tea and infrastructure will also be held during the meet.

Pakistan Stops Postal Mails From India

Pakistan has stopped postal mails from India in the wake of the abrogation of Article 370.
The last postal consignment from India was received by Pakistan more than one-and-a-half months ago on August 27, 2019.
This has made postal authorities in India put mails for Pakistan on hold.
The government has also criticised Pakistan for its decision to stop postal mail services between the two nations.
Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that Pakistan took the decision without giving any notice to India.

Lebanon Cabinet Approves Economic Reforms After Growing Protests

The Lebanon Cabinet approved economic reforms, after growing protests that fuelled calls for Prime Minister Saad Hariri's resignation.
Lebanon's 30-member Cabinet also approved halving of ministerial wages, amid growing public anger at the perceived corruption of the country's political elite.
There is to be a 50 per cent decrease in salaries of all current and former presidents, lawmakers and ministers. Key measures bring in no new taxes or fees on citizens or public sector employees.
The protests which started five days earlier over tax hikes have evolved into an unprecedented push to remove Lebanon's entire political leadership.

Iran Elected International Social Security Association's Bureau Member

The World Social Security Forum took place in Brussels, Belgium, from October 14 to 18, 2019.
The Forum is the largest and most important international event for social security involving more than 1,000 participants, from more than 150 countries, including ministers, administrators, CEOs and senior managers in social security administration.
The Bureau constitutes the administrative authority of the Association, composed of the President of the ISSA, the Treasurer, the Secretary General, and elected members representing the different geographical regions of the world.
The ISSA is the world's leading international organization for social security institutions, government departments and agencies.
The ISSA was founded in 1927 under the auspices of the International Labour Organization, and today has over 320 member institutions from over 150 countries.

Venezuela Opposition leader seeks support from China, Russia

Venezuela's opposition leader Juan Guaido has asked China and Russia to help end the political crisis crippling the country. Guaido's diplomatic representative Teresa Belandria informed the same while presenting the opposition's economic plan to Brazilian and Venezuelan investors in Sao Paulo.
Oil-rich Venezuela's economy is crumbling amid a political standoff between leftist President Nicolas Maduro and Juan Guaido. Mr Guaido is the national assembly speaker and is widely recognized as the country's legitimate leader. Ms Belandria expected that the talks will bear positive fruits for the restoration of democracy.
She said that opposition parties had agreed to re-elect Guaido in January 2020 as National Assembly leader.

India stands for three Ds - Democracy, Demography and Dimaag

Members of US India Strategic Partnership Forum, USISPF called on the Prime Minister in New Delhi.
It was led by USISPF Chairman, John Chambers.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that India stands for three Ds - Democracy, Demography and Dimaag. He said that the target of the government is to ensure Ease of Living.
A non-profit organization, USISPF aims at strengthening the India-US strategic partnership in the fields of economic growth, entrepreneurship, employment-creation, and innovation.

India Ready To Sign Kartarpur Corridor Agreement, Asks Pakistan To Consider Waiving Fee On Pilgrim

India and Pakistan are all set to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on October 23, 2019 for the opening of the Kartarpur corridor that will link two important Sikh shrines on either side.
New Delhi has asked Islamabad to reconsider its demand of charging $20 service fee a pilgrim.
The corridor is being built by both nations to connect Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur and Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan's Kartarpur, the final resting place of Guru Nanak, to commemorate the 550th birth anniversary of the founder of Sikhism on November 12, 2019.
On November 9, 2019 Prime Minister Narendra Modi would flag off the first jatha (group) of 550 pilgrims to Kartarpur Sahib and address a public meeting.

Trump Likely To Sign Mini-Trade Deal With China

US President Donald Trump has said he is likely to sign the mini-trade deal with China in November 2019, on the sidelines of the summit when he meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping. He had announced the deal earlier in October, 2019.
US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said that efforts to commit the agreement to paper before the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Chile are on track. He, however, added that some work remains to be done.
The new mini-deal includes a surge in Chinese purchases of American farm exports and also covers intellectual property, financial services and currency exchange.

Oct 21, 2019

PM to attend 18th NAM Summit in Baku Oct 25-26

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will attend the 18th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) to be held on October 25-26 in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen has confirmed the prime minister's participation at the Summit of the Heads of State and Government.
The summit will be preceded by the preparatory senior officials meeting on October 21-22 and the preparatory ministerial meeting on October 23-24, 2019.
Foreign Minister Dr Momen will attend the ministerial meeting.
Host Azerbaijan will formally take over the chairmanship of NAM for the next three years at the Baku Summit.

Indonesia's President Joko Widodo Sworn In For Final Term

Indonesia's President Joko Widodo has been sworn into office for his second and final five-year term amid a string of fresh challenges around security, corruption and economic slowdown.
Widodo, a former furniture salesman popularly known as Jokowi, took oath at a ceremony in the capital, Jakarta, attended by politicians and foreign dignitaries. Re-elected in polls that took place in April, 2019 the 58-year-old was sworn into office along with 76-year-old vice president Maruf Amin, who replaces Widodo's vice president in his first term, Jusuf Kalla.

Oct 20, 2019

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson writes to EU for Brexit delay

In Britain, After the UK Parliament forced him, Prime Minister Boris Johnson sent three letters to the European Union to request another Brexit delay. Meanwhile, Johnson refused to sign the letter, which was a photocopy of a draft set out in UK law.
The Prime Minister was required by law to ask the EU for an extension to the 31 October, 2019 deadline after losing a vote in Parliament's House of a Commons.
The first of the letters sent to European Council President Donald Tusk contains the request for an extension that he is legally required to deliver.
In the second letter sent to the EU, Johnson argues against granting an extension to the United Kingdom, saying that a further Brexit delay would be a mistake. The third message was sent by the British ambassador to the EU, Tim Barrow.
In a parliamentary session, UK lawmakers voted 322-306 to withhold their approval of the Brexit deal until legislation regulating its implementation had passed.

India, Philippines Sign Four Agreements In Manila During President Kovind's Visit

India-Philippines signed four bilateral agreements during President Ram Nath Kovind's Manila visit. Indian President Ram Nath Kovind is on an official tour to the Philippines and Japan. He reached Manila in the first leg of his visit to both countries.
President of India Ram Nath Kovind met his Philippines counterpart Rodrigo Duterte and signed four agreements.
It was believed that Kovind's visit will make an impact in the region as China claims most of the sea area. China had claimed its possession on the South China Sea many times despite UN-backed international tribunal ruled that China's claim was without any legal basis.
India and Philippines had four agreements including Science and Technology, Maritime, Tourism and Culture. These agreements include exchanging of white shipping data that includes identification and information about the movement of commercial and non-military vessels.

Chilean State Of Emergency Extended Around Country After Deadly Riots

Chile´s government will extend a state of emergency to cities in its north and south after at least seven people died amid violent clashes and arson attacks.
Andres Chadwick said in the capital Santiago the decision to extend the emergency measure came amid an "escalation of violence and vandalism," two weeks after protests led by students began over fare hikes on public transport.
He cited 70 incidents of "serious incidents of violence", including 40 lootings of supermarkets and other businesses, and said military and police numbers were at 10,500 in Santiago and would be reinforced where necessary.
Santiago and other Chilean cities have been engulfed by several days of riots as protests over an increase in public transport costs prompted President Sebastian Pinera to reverse the move and declare a state of emergency.
Chadwick said seven people had been killed in incidents related to the protests.
The state of emergency applied in Santiago and would be rolled out to Antofagasta, Valparaiso, Valdivia, Chillan, Talca, Temuco and Punta Arenas.

IMF Members agree to double pool of money to aid distressed countries

Global Finance Ministers agreed to double a key pool of money that the International Monetary Fund can use to aid distressed countries but again put off giving more votes to major emerging economies.
The IMF has been working to restructure its voting shares to give more weight to growing economies like China, India and Brazil but some traditional powers have resisted since they stand to lose influence in the institution.
The IMF's governing body did agree to a plan to shore up the crisis lender's resources, doubling to 500 billion dollars a temporary fund provided by 40 of the fund's 189 members.

Oct 19, 2019

Venezuela Given Seat On UN Human Rights Council

Venezuela has won a seat on the UN Human Rights Council after a vote by the General Assembly.
The decision came despite rights groups and opponents of Nicolas Maduro's government urging countries to vote against the move.
The 193-member General Assembly is electing 14 members to the 47-member Human Rights Council for three-year terms starting 1 January, 2020.
The Geneva-based council can spotlight abuses and has special monitors watching certain countries and issues.
It also periodically reviews human rights in every UN member country.

President Kovind Embarks On 7-Day Visit To Philippines, Japan

President Ram Nath Kovind departed for an official seven-day visit to the Philippines and Japan with an aim to expand the bilateral cooperation between the two countries.
The highlights of the visit would be the President attending the enthronement ceremony of new Japanese Emperor Naruhito and unveiling the bust of Mahatama Gandhi at the Center of peace education at a college in Philippines' capital Manila.
Kovind will arrive in Manila on the first leg of the tour. The five-day-long visit has been organised at the invitation of Philippines President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and will carry forward the high-level engagements between the two countries.
The relations of New Delhi with Manila have been friendly. The economic relationship between the two countries has been growing and trade stands at USD 2.3 billion dollars.

FATF Gives Pakistan Until February 2020 To Act On Terror Financing

The global body leading the fight against terror financing failed Pakistan on most "action items" prescribed for it and left it with a stark warning that a formal blacklisting is highly probable within months if it fails to move now.
The Paris-based Financial Action Task Force (FATF) failed Pakistan on 22 out of its 27 parameters, cautioning that blacklisting could follow in February 2020 if Islamabad fails to curb the flow of funds to terrorist groups.

Interpol To Hold Its General Assembly In India In 2022

The Interpol will hold its General Assembly in India in 2022 to coincide with the 75th year of the country's independence.
A proposal in this regard was given to Interpol Secretary General Jrgen Stock by Union Home Minister Amit Shah when the two met during the former's official visit in August, 2019.
The Interpol (International Criminal Police Organisation) is an inter-governmental organisation having 194 member countries including India.
Headquartered in Lyon, France, it was formed in 1923 as the International Criminal Police Commission, and started calling itself Interpol in 1956. India, one of its oldest members, joined the organisation in 1949.

Oct 18, 2019

Qatar Pledges To End 'Kafala' Employment

The energy-rich nation of Qatar is pledging to fully eliminate a labour system that ties foreign workers to their employer and requires them to have their company's permission to leave the country.
Workers would be able to freely change employers under draft laws described as being "expected to come into force by January 2020".
The ILO also says Doha also is considering a minimum wage.
Qatar, whose citizens enjoy one of the world's highest per-capita incomes due to its natural gas reserves, partially ended the "kafala" system in 2018.
The move comes as the Arabian Peninsula nation prepares to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

India Ranked Third In 2019 Hurun Global Unicorn List

The Hurun Research Institute has released the inaugural Hurun Global Unicorn List 2019, a ranking of the world's billion-dollar tech 'start-ups' founded in the 2000s and not yet listed on a public exchange.
This is the first year of the list, and follows from the sixth quarterly Hurun China Unicorn Index. Valuations are a snapshot as of 30 June 2019.
Hurun Research found 494 unicorns in the world, based in 25 countries and 118 cities. Set up seven years ago on average, they are worth $3.4 billion on average and $1.7 trillion in total.

EU And UK Reach Agreement On Brexit Deal

Negotiators from the European Union and the UK have reached an agreement on a Brexit deal before the meeting of European leaders in Brussels.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker called it a fair outcome. He urged MPs to come together to get Brexit done and get this excellent deal over the line.
The EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said, there was no need to extend the Brexit deadline.
On the other hand, British lawmakers voted narrowly in favour of holding the first Parliamentary Session on a Saturday in 37 years, to debate the government's new Brexit deal.
Members of the lower chamber House of Commons voted 287 to 275 in favour. It would only be Parliament's fifth Saturday session since the eve of World War II.

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