General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - May 2019

May 2019

Aug 05, 2019

13 HRS, 2 CITIES : 29 SHOT DEAD

Two mass shootings in the US — one at a Walmart in El Paso and another outside a bar in Dayton.
A gunman armed with an assault rifle opened fire at a Walmart in El Paso packed with nearly 3,000 people, leaving 20 dead and more than two dozen wounded.
A gunman in body armour opened fire in Dayton, Ohio, killing nine people and wounding at least 26 others.
The suspect of walmart was 21-year-old white male Patrick Crusius, surrendered to police as officers closed in on him, and he was arrested without incident.
Cops who were on patrol near bar in dayton arrived on the scene in less than a minute and shot the attacker dead, likely preventing a much higher casualty toll.

U.S. to Pull Out Troops

As per reports, if the Taliban promises that it would renounce al-Qaeda, a proposed peace deal would see the U.S. withdraw thousands of troops from Afghanistan .
The eight round of talks between the Taliban and the US is soon expected to begin in Doha to reach a deal that would end the U.S.'s 18-year involvement in Afghanistan.
An initial deal would see U.S. troop numbers in the country fall to as low as 8,000 from their current level of around 14,000.

Aug 04, 2019

U.K. issues alert message

BRITONS could be alerted to a devastating nuclear attack by a text message from the Government, under new proposals.
The Government has called on the Telecoms industry to create a way to send the alerts to mobile phones in the event of a national emergency.It is unlikely that people would have to sign up for the alerts - as the message would be delivered to all British mobiles.
The system could also be used to send messages of high national importance - like to alert people of a terror attack.

Aug 03, 2019

First Electoral Setback as PM for Borris

Boris Johnson suffered a setback in his first ballot box test as British prime minister after the Conservative candidate lost to a pro-EU rival in a by-election that slims his parliamentary majority to one.
The vote in the Welsh sheep farming community of Brecon and Radnorshire offered a stark choice between the Brexit-backing incumbent from Johnson's ruling Tories and a Liberal Democrat who wants to preserve Britain's four-decade membership of the European Union.

Landmark Change for Women in Saudi Arabia

According to a policy shift that marks a significant loosening of the Kingdom's notorious restrictions on women, women in Saudi Arabia would finally be allowed to hold passports and travel abroad without the consent of a male guardian.
The Saudi Cabinet approved the new amendment, which would allow all Saudi women to apply for passports like all citizens and for women aged 21 and above.
Previously women had to gain approval from a male guardian in order to obtain a passport. Women without a passport of their own were instead given a page in their male guardians' passports, making it impossible for them to travel without guardian accompaniment.

Aug 02, 2019

U.S. to Withdraw from (INF) Treaty

The United States is about to officially withdraw from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty and make way for a new arms race with Russia, and throwing China into the mix.
The treaty, which was concluded in 1987 by then US president Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, limited the Cold War powers' medium-range missiles, both conventional and nuclear.
As per UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, the demise of the treaty is a dangerous step and would likely heighten the threat posed by ballistic missiles.

Ex-Maldives Vice President Detained

Indian security agencies detained former Maldives Vice President Ahmed Adeeb Abdul Ghafoor in the waters off Tamil Nadu's Thoothukudi coast while he was trying to sneak into the country disguised as a crew member of a tugboat.
Ghafoor is facing several criminal charges, including a graft charge related to alleged embezzlement of $90 million from the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation. He was also named as a witness in a money laundering case against former president Abdulla Yameen.

EU to Work with Iran Despite U.S. Sanctions

Despite US sanctions the European Union vowed to continue working with Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.
The US government announced that it was freezing any of Zarif's assets in the United States or that are controlled by US entities, adding it also will curtail his international travel.
Trump last year pulled out of a 2015 deal struck by his predecessor Barack Obama, EU powers, China and Russia aimed at curbing Iran's nuclear program.
The EU has been trying to salvage the deal ever since.

Dutch Ban on Burqas

The Netherlands has banned the wearing of a face-covering veil, such as a burqa or niqab, in public buildings and on transport from as a contentious law on the garment worn by some Muslim women came into force.
The Dutch legislation was passed in June 2018.
Geert Wilders had proposed the face-covering veil ban back in 2005.
According to the Dutch interior ministry, wearing of clothing which covers the face is banned in educational facilities, public institutions and buildings, as well as hospitals and public transport.
The Dutch law does not ban the wearing of a burqa on the street, unlike France's ban which took effect in 2010.
Other European countries such as Belgium, Denmark and Austria have similar laws.

Aug 01, 2019

Johnson Visits North Ireland

Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson held talks with allies in Northern Ireland in a bid to solve the Irish border conundrum that has scuppered all efforts to secure an orderly withdrawal from the European Union.
Mr. Johnson held talks with the Democratic Unionist Party, the pro-Brexit party whose 10 lawmakers prop up his government. The party's leader said that she believed a compromise could be reached and another party member present said a time-limited backstop was discussed.
As per Arlene Foste, there are ways to deal with this issue if there is willingness on both sides.

China Bans Individual Permits to Visit Taiwan

As per China's Culture and Tourism Ministry, China will stop issuing individual travel permits for Taiwan to people in 47 mainland cities from August 1, its, citing the state of ties with the self-ruled Island.
People from the mainland need permission to travel to what Beijing regards as a renegade province.
Only travellers from 47 cities, such as Beijing, Shanghai and Xiamen, were allowed to visit Taiwan independently.
China's military held exercises this week in waters near Taiwan, following a warning last week that it was ready for war if there was any move towards independence by the Island for what Beijing regards as a renegade province.

Iran Prepared for Talks

According to Iran's foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran is prepared for dialogue if Saudi Arabia is also ready.
Tensions have spiked between the arch foes for predominance in West Asia, since Riyadh accused the Islamic Republic of carrying out attacks that damaged six oil tankers in the Gulf, an allegation that Tehran has denied.
As per Zardari, Iran has never closed the door to dialogue with its neighbours and we will never close the door to dialogue with its neighbours.
Zarif also said that Iran could hold similar talks with the UAE, another regional rival and a close ally of the Saudis, adding, "If they change their policies it is a very good opportunity for dialogue."
His comments came as officials from the UAE and Iran met to discuss maritime security for the first time in six years amid a spike in tensions in the Persian Gulf.

Iran Slashes 4 Zeroes off its Currency

Iran's Cabinet gave initial approval to a plan to slash four zeroes off its currency, the rial, State media reported, after the currency plunged in the past year in an economic crisis fuelled by U.S. sanctions.
Proponents have said that the reform would, among other things, make transactions easier simply by avoiding huge figures. Currently, one U.S. dollar is worth about 120,000 rials. The proponents said that the move would also make it cheaper to print banknotes.
The proposed reform has to be passed by Parliament and approved by a clerical body that vets legislation before it takes effect.

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