General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - May 2019

May 2019

May 07, 2019

Ceasefire along Gaza

Palestinian leaders in Gaza announced a ceasefire with Israel to end a deadly two-day escalation in violence that threatened to widen into a fourth war between them since 2008.
Egypt brokered the agreement to cease hostilities.

Re-poll Ordered for Istanbul Election

Turkey's top election body ordered a re-run of the Istanbul mayoral election after President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's party complained about its shock defeat.
The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) narrowly lost in the March 31 local election for Mayor.

May 05, 2019

Trump and Putin Discuss New Nuclear Accord

U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the possibility of a new accord limiting nuclear arms that could eventually include China in what would be a major deal between the globe's top three atomic powers.
The 2011 New START treaty, the only U.S.-Russia arms control pact limiting deployed strategic nuclear weapons, expires in February 2021 but can be extended for five years if both sides agree.
Without the agreement, it could be harder to gauge each other's intentions, arms control advocates say.

Hand Over Sharp Weapons

Sri Lankan police directed the public that those who are in possession of any sharp-edged weapons like swords or Kris knives, and uniforms similar to that of the Army and the police, should deposit them at the nearest police station by 6th May.
The move was taken after police recovered a large haul of weapons, including swords, during searches of mosques following the Easter Sunday's suicide attacks.

Rockets Fired from Gaza

Gaza militants fired a barrage of dozens of rockets at Israel, which responded with strikes that killed a Palestinian as a fragile ceasefire again faltered.
The latest flare-up came with Hamas seeking further concessions from Israel under the ceasefire.
Israel said that around 90 rockets were fired from the Palestinian enclave and its air defences intercepted dozens of them.
According to the police, a house near the Israeli city of Ashkelon close to the Gaza border was damaged, but no one was injured. Other rockets hit open areas.
The Israeli Army had targeted two rocket launchers in Gaza with an air strike in response and its tanks had hit a number of military posts used by Hamas.

May 04, 2019

Malaysia Frees Vietnamese Woman Accused in Killing

A Vietnamese woman who spent more than two years in a Malaysian prison on suspicion of killing the half-brother of North Korea's leader was freed.
Doan Thi Huong was charged along with an Indonesian woman of poisoning Kim Jong Nam by smearing his face with liquid VX, a banned chemical weapon, at Kuala Lumpur airport in February 2017.

North Korea Fires Short-range Missile

As per the Soth Korean military, North Korea fired several short-range projectiles from its east coast.
Analysts said that the country is stepping up pressure against the United States after February`s failed nuclear summit in Bangkok.
The South Korean military initially described it as a missile launch, but subsequently gave a more vague description.
If the unidentified projectiles were missiles, it would be the first missile launch since the North fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in November 2017.
Soon after that missile test, the North declared that its nuclear force was complete, after which Pyongyang extended an olive branch to the South and the United States.

Labour and Tories Suffer Losses

Britain's two major political parties suffered heavy losses in local elections that took place across England and Northern Ireland, in a development that some attributed to their stance on Brexit, while others saw it as a continuation of the fragmentation of politics that had been under way before the Brexit referendum, but saw a temporary halt after it.
The heaviest losses were suffered by the Conservatives, who had lost over 510 Councillors in seats up and down the country, while Labour had lost over 70. Substantial gains were made by both the Liberal Democrat and Green parties, which have gained over 300 and 60, respectively.

May 03, 2019

Voters Set to Punish PM May's Conservatives

English voters are expected to use local government elections to punish Prime Minister Theresa May`s Conservative Party over its failure to deliver Brexit, revealing a divided and dissatisfied electorate.
More than 8,000 seats on English councils - administrative bodies responsible for day-to-day decisions on local policy from education to waste management - are up for grabs in the first elections since Britain missed its March 29 Brexit date.

Abe Ready to Meet Kim Unconditionally

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has offered to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in a bid to restore diplomatic ties between the historic foes.
Abe, seen as a foreign policy hawk, has recently softened his rhetoric toward Pyongyang, calling for a summit with Kim to resolve an emotional row over past kidnappings of Japanese nationals by North Korean agents.
Tokyo has been one of the most hawkish of the major powers on reclusive North Korea, and has been on the receiving end of some of Pyongyang's harshest rhetoric — as well as missiles launched over its territory.

May 02, 2019

Putin Fast-tracks Citizenship for Ukrainians

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a new decree fast-tracking Russian citizenship for some Ukrainians despite concerns the move will exacerbate the crisis between the countries. Under a decree, several categories of Ukrainian nationals will have the right to a simplified nationality process, including those who already have Russian residence permits.

U.K. Defense Secretary Fired

British Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson was fired after an investigation into leaks from a secret government meeting about Chinese telecommunications firm Huawei.
Penny Mordaunt, the International Development Secretary, has been appointed as Mr. Williamson's replacement. She becomes the first woman to hold the post.

Assange Sentenced to 50 Weeks in Jail

Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks who took refuge in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London in 2012 to avoid being extradited to Sweden over sexual assault charges, has been sentenced to 50 weeks in jail for flouting bail conditions by a court in London.
It comes ahead of a hearing due to take place later this week at Westminster Magistrates Court as part of efforts to extradite him to the U.S.

Thailand's King Marries Bodyguard

Just days before his official coronation, Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn married the deputy head of his personal guard force and gave her the title Queen Suthida.
Vajiralongkorn also known by the title King Rama X, became constitutional monarch after the death of his revered father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, in October 2016.
In 2014, Vajiralongkorn appointed Suthida Tidjai, a former flight attendant for Thai Airways, as a deputy commander of his bodyguard unit.

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