General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - June 2019

Jun 2019

Sep 03, 2020

Switzerland First, India 48th on Global Innovation Index (GII) 2020

Marking a major advancement amid the coronavirus pandemic, India has moved up four places to rank 48th in the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2020.
Compiled by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), Cornell University and INSEAD business school, the index assessed 131 economies.
Switzerland, Sweden, the US, the UK and the Netherlands lead the innovation ranking.
South Korea joined the top 10 for the first time while Singapore is at number 8. The top 10 is dominated by high-income countries.
India retained the highest rank in the Central and Southern Asian region, followed by Iran.
Moving up four positions since last year, India became the third most innovative lower-middle-income economy in the world.

Tunisia's Parliament Approves Hichem Mechichi as New Prime Minister

Tunisia's Parliament approved Prime Minister-designate Hichem Mechichi's government - the country's third administration in less than a year.
Following a 15-hour session, Mechichi's cabinet - dominated by independent technocrats - won 134 votes out of the 217 members of parliament.
A former Interior Minister, Mechichi replaces Elyes Fakhfakh, whose government stayed in power for just five months before he resigned as Prime Minister last month after questions over his business dealings.
Mechichi proposed a government with 25 ministers and three secretaries of state that includes seven women and a blind man - a first in the country's history.

Taiwan to Change Passport

Fed up with being confused for China amid the coronavirus pandemic and Beijing's stepped-up efforts to assert sovereignty, Taiwan said that it would redesign its passport to give greater prominence to the island's name.
Taiwan has complained during the outbreak that its nationals have encountered problems entering other countries, as Taiwanese passports have the words "Republic of China", its formal name, written in large English font at the top, with "Taiwan" printed at the bottom.
The new passport, to roll out in January, enlarges the word "Taiwan" in English and removes the large English words "Republic of China", though that name in Chinese and in small English font around the national emblem will remain.

Australia Appoints Matthew Hayden as Trade Envoy to India

The Australian government appointed former cricketer Matthew Hayden and Indian-origin politician Lisa Singh as trade envoys for advancing business ties with India.
Ashok Jacob has been reappointed as chair, and will be joined by three new board members.
Lisa Singh, former Labor Party Senator from Tasmania, would be the Deputy Chair. Former Victoria Premier Ted Baillieu and former cricketer Hayden are the other new members.
The council plays an important role in advancing Australia's foreign and economic policy interests with India.

Five Countries Block Pakistan's Move to List Indians as Terrorists at UN

Five countries on Wednesday blocked the move of Pakistan to list Indians as terrorists at the United Nations (UN). Pakistan has failed to list two Indians as United Nations listed international terrorist under the 1267 committee of the UNSC.
The listing was blocked by five UNSC countries--UK, USA, France, Germany and Belgium after no evidence was found to substantiate Pakistan's claim. Pakistan was keen to list Indian nationals Gobinda Patnaik, and Angara Appaji as UN terrorists.
UNSC members had given Pakistan time to provide evidence but Islamabad could not provide it.

Sep 02, 2020

India, Japan and Australia Decide to Launch Resilient Supply Chain Initiative in the Indo-Pacific...

India, Japan and Australia said an initiative to build resilient supply chains in the Indo-Pacific region could be launched later this year, as they seek to reduce dependence on China following its hostile political and military conduct. The trio aim to create a free and transparent trade and investment environment.
This was decided at a virtual meeting attended by Australia's Minister for Trade, tourism and investment Simon Birmingham; India's Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal and Japan's Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Kajiyama Hiroshi.
This initiative was first proposed by Japan and is now taking shape.
The ministers instructed their officials to work out the details of the initiative for its launch later this year. They called for other countries in the region, which share similar views, to participate in the initiative.
The initiative comes at a time when there is a likelihood of rechurning of supply chains in the Indo-Pacific region.

Afghanistan Resumes Taliban Prisoner Release

Afghanistan has resumed the controversial release of hundreds of Taliban prisoners.
As per reports, 200 prisoners had been freed by the Afghan authorities, while the Taliban reportedly released four Afghan commandos.
The release of Taliban inmates has been a pre-condition to negotiations to end 19 years of conflict in the country.
Peace talks are expected to start in Qatar within days of the full release.
Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai praised the resumption of the prisoner release, and described the resumption as a positive step towards peace in Afghanistan.

Malaysia to Bar Long-term Pass Holders from India, Indonesia and Philippines

Malaysia would bar entry of long-term immigration pass holders from India, Indonesia and the Philippines from September 7, in a bid to curtail imported coronavirus cases amid a spate of new clusters in the country.
The entry ban on pass holders from the three countries will include permanent residents, expatriates, students and those on spouse visas and participants of Malaysia's 'My Second Home' programme.
A total of 7,505 people have died of the coronavirus in Indonesia, the highest in the region, while the Philippines, which has reported over 224,000 cases, has seen a continuous rise in infections.

Sep 01, 2020

Lebanon's Mustapha Adib Set to be Designated as New Prime Minister

Lebanese leading Sunni politician Saad al-Hariri nominated the country`s ambassador to Germany Mustapha Adib to be the next Prime Minister in formal consultations.
Speaking after a meeting with President Michel Aoun, Hariri also said that the new government should be formed quickly and made up of specialist ministers.
Former prime minister Najib Mikati was the first MP to formally nominate Adib in consultations at the presidential palace. President Michel Aoun is required to designate the candidate with greatest support among MPs.

Pritam Singh Formally Takes Charge as First Leader of the Opposition in Singapore

Pritam Singh, Singapore's Indian-origin politician scripted history when Parliament conferred the duties and privileges to him as the city-state's first Leader of the Opposition.
Singh's Workers' Party won 10 parliamentary seats out of the 93 it contested in the July 10 General Election, making it the biggest opposition presence in Singapore's parliamentary history.
The House passed a motion to double Singh's speaking time from 20 minutes -- which is allotted to backbenchers -- to 40 minutes, the duration allotted to office holders.
Singh took the seat directly opposite Prime Minister Lee in the chamber.
This is similar to the practice in other countries that formally recognise the role of the Leader of the Opposition, Indranee pointed out.

France Accuses United Kingdom of Stalling in Post-Brexit Trade Talks

On the cusp of a crucial month of negotiations on a post-Brexit trade deal between the European Union and the United Kingdom, France has lambasted the government of Prime Minister Boris Johnson for what it sees as deliberate stalling and for harboring unreasonable expectations.
The 27-nation EU and the UK remain deadlocked in their talks on future trade ties after a transitional divorce period ends on December 31. That has raised concerns that no agreement will be in place in time and that tariffs and other impediments to trade will have to be enacted at the start of next year.
Britain left the EU on January 31 but both sides hoped that a chaotic Brexit could be avoided during 11 months of negotiations.
Both sides have said that September will be a crucial month in the discussions. The EU, for its part, insists that the talks conclude before November to allow time for parliamentary approval and legal vetting and Le Drian insisted that the 27 won't buckle under pressure from London.

Ex-defence Minister Ishiba is People's Choice for Next Japan PM

Former Japanese Defence Minister Shigeru Ishiba is the most popular choice among the public to be the next prime minister, media opinion polls showed, as the race kicks off to succeed Shinzo Abe after his abrupt resignation last week.
As per reports, Ishiba has about 34% of the public's support, more than double the 14% for Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, the second-most popular choice.
A Nikkei/TV Tokyo poll showed Ishiba with 28% support, followed by current Defence Minister Taro Kono with 15%. Suga came in fourth place with 11%.
The surveys highlight a split between public opinion and internal Liberal Democratic Party politics.
Suga, a longtime lieutenant of Abe's in a key supporting role -- is expected to get the backing of the faction led by LDP Secretary-General Toshihiro Nikai and of other major factions, local media reported, putting him in a favourable position.

First Historic Direct Flight between Israel and UAE

In a historic step towards peace in the Middle East, the first commercial direct flight between Israel and the UAE landed in Abu Dhabi after both countries announced normalisation of relations.
The flight carried a top level Israeli delegation led by National Security Adviser Meir Ben Shabbat while the US delegation was headed by US President Donald Trump''s adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner and US National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien.
The delegation left aboard the commercial El Al flight 971 that took off from Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv. The word peace was painted on it in Arabic, English and Hebrew above a cockpit window.
Saudi Arabia granted permission for the use of its air space.
Israel and the UAE announced on August 13 that they were establishing full diplomatic relations, in a US-brokered deal that required Israel to suspend its plan to annex parts of the West Bank.
UAE is only the third Arab country to establish diplomatic ties with the Jewish state.

Aug 31, 2020

Arjuna Ranatunga Enters UNP Leadership Fray

Arjuna Ranatunga, the captain of Sri Lanka's 1996 Cricket World Cup winning team, joined the race to lead the Opposition United National Party (UNP) after former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe decided to resign from the party leadership after 26 years at the helm following its crushing defeat in the parliamentary elections.
UNP general secretary and Wickremesinghe's cousin Ruwan Wijewardena and former Speaker Karu Jayasuriya have also offered to lead and revive the party after its humiliating defeat in the parliamentary elections.
The UNP, the oldest party in the country, suffered its worst electoral defeat since it was formed in 1946 by failing to win a single seat from any of the 22 electoral districts in the August 5 election won by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa-led Sri Lanka People's Party (SLPP).

Afghan President Names Council for Peace Deal with Taliban

Afghanistan's president has appointed a council for national reconciliation, which will have the final say on whether the government will sign a peace deal with the Taliban after what are expected to be protracted and uncertain negotiations with the insurgents.
The negotiations were envisaged under a US-Taliban peace agreement signed in February as intra-Afghan talks to decide the war-torn country's future.
However, their start has been hampered by a series of delays that have frustrated Washington. Some had expected the negotiations to begin earlier this month.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani issued a decree late Saturday establishing the 46-member council, led by his former rival in last year's presidential election, Abdullah Abdullah, who is now in the government.
The council is separate from a 21-member negotiating team, which Ghani appointed in March and which is expected to travel to the Gulf Arab state of Qatar, where the Taliban maintain a political office, for intra-Afghan talks.
The council will have the final say and will ultimately decide on the points that the negotiating team takes up with the Taliban.

Aug 30, 2020

President Erdogan Wants to Replace Mustafa Kemal Ataturk

Anybody who frequently passes through Lutyens zone must have come across a road named after Mustafa Kemal Ataturk -the founding father of Republic of Turkey. In fact, Ataturk has been the most popular Turk leader in India, with cross-cutting popularity as well as the strongest pillar of Indo-Turkic friendship. However, his legacy is being jeopardised in his home country itself as Erdogan is working on an ambitious agenda of projecting himself as the tallest leader of Turkey and undermining Ataturk's legacy is a part of the same plan.
As per some analysts, " The Turkish population as well as the world is noticing the pattern how Erdogan has been taking over the state institutions of Turkey to establish his authoritarian control. The Diyanet as well as the Council of States are the two major institutions that have been acting as puppets of Erdogan to help him fulfil his ambitions."
In another sinister attempt to dent Ataturk's heritage, Erdogan's government banned the celebrations of Victory Day, falling on August 30, under the excuse of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Victory Day is one of the most important national days of Turkey when the Turkish President offers tributes at Kemal Ataturk's mausoleum and delivers his speech during a grand celebration at the place. The day is also marked by celebrations all across the nation.

Japan's Suga to Join Race to Succeed PM Abe

Yoshihide Suga, a long-time lieutenant of Japan's Shinzo Abe, has emerged as a strong contender to succeed him as Prime Minister, an outcome that would extend the fiscal and monetary stimulus that defined Abe's nearly eight years in office.
While some other would-be successors have declared their intention to run, Suga said that he did not want the job. But such comments have been called into question by an aggressive media push in recent days that put him squarely in the public eye.
A self-made politician, Suga was chosen by Abe in 2012 for the pivotal role of chief cabinet secretary, acting as top government spokesman, coordinating policies and riding herd on bureaucrats.
The winner of the LDP vote, which domestic media said could be held around September 15, is virtually ensured the premiership because of the party's majority in parliament. The victor will serve out Abe's remaining term as LDP chief, which ends in September 2021.

UN Security Council Approves Cut in Lebanon Peacekeepers

The UN Security Council unanimously approved a resolution cutting the UN peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon and expanding its mandate to address US and Israeli concerns about activities of the militant group Hezbollah in the area.
The French-drafted resolution reduced the troop ceiling for the force, known as UNIFIL, from 15,000 to 13,000 under US pressure. And it also made another concession to the Trump administration and close ally Israel.
It calls on the Lebanese government to facilitate prompt and full access to sites requested by UN peacekeepers for investigation, including tunnels crossing the UN-drawn Blue Line between Lebanon and Israel. And it urges freedom of movement and unimpeded access for peacekeepers to all parts of the Blue Line, and condemns in the strongest terms all attempts to restrict UN troop movements and attacks on mission personnel.
Israel has repeatedly accused Hezbollah, which is backed by its greatest foe Iran, of impeding UNIFIL peacekeepers from carrying out their mandate, a view strongly backed by the Trump administration.

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