General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - April 2020

Apr 2020

Dec 17, 2021

IAEA, Iran Agree to Replace Surveillance Cameras at Karaj Nuclear Site

As per reports, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will soon install new surveillance cameras at Iran's Karaj nuclear facility under an agreement between the two sides.
The agreement was concluded by IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi and the Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, Mohammad Eslami.
The agreement with Iran is an important development for the IAEA's verification and monitoring activities in the country.

EU Leaders Consider New Sanctions against Russia to Deter Attack on Ukraine

The European Union is being assaulted on multiple fronts by Russia and must unite behind new economic sanctions, Baltic and central European leaders said, with Lithuania citing possible Russian military strikes from Belarus.
The warnings at an EU summit were some of the most direct in recent weeks as the United States and its NATO allies seek to deter any possible Russian attack on Ukraine.
Meanwhile, the Kremlin said that Russia submitted draft documents outlining security arrangements it wants to negotiate with the United States and its NATO allies.

Nepal Defence Minister Minendra Rijal Exits after Defeat in Party Election

Nepal's Defence Minister Minendra Rijal resigned after he was defeated by younger leaders in the election to the post of general secretary of the ruling Nepali Congress party.
The Nepali Congress (NC) delegates elected its youth leaders Gagan Kumar Thapa and Bishwa Prakash Sharma as general secretaries during the 14th General Convention of the country's largest democratic party.
The election came a day after Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba was re-elected as the president of the party for a consecutive second four year term after defeating his rival Shekhar Koirala in a run-off.

Dec 16, 2021

Nepal PM Sher Bahadur Deuba Secures Second Tenure as Party President

Nepal Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba secured a comfortable majority securing the post of party president for the second consecutive term after the second round of voting in the ongoing General Convention of the ruling Nepali Congress.
The leader, who has become Prime Minister five times, secured 2733 votes leaving his contender Dr Shekhar Koirala behind with 1855 votes, as per the final results published by the election committee.

Dec 15, 2021

Tunisian President Kais Saied Announces Constitutional Referendum

Tunisian President Kais Saied he would call a constitutional referendum next July, a year to the day after he seized broad powers in moves his opponents call a coup, and that parliamentary elections would follow at the end of 2022.
Laying out the timeline for his proposed political changes in a televised speech, Saied said that the referendum would take place on July 25, following an online public consultation that will start in January.
Saied's announcement of a road map out of the crisis has been awaited since he suspended parliament, dismissed the prime minister and assumed executive authority.

Dec 14, 2021

Joe Biden's Advisor Catherine Russell is director of UNICEF

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced the appointment of Catherine Russell, an assistant to U.S. President Joe Biden, as the next head of the U.N. children's agency UNICEF.
Ms. Russell also heads the White House Office of Presidential Personnel and served as the State Department's Ambassador-at-large for global women's issues from 2013 to 2017.
She will succeed Henrietta Fore, who resigned in July because of a family health issue.
U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric announced the Secretary-General's appointment of Ms. Russell following consultations with UNICEF's executive board.

Elon Musk is Time's 2021 'Person of the Year'

Tesla (TSLA.O) Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk was named Time magazine's "Person of the Year" for 2021, a year that saw his electric car company become the most valuable carmaker in the world and his rocket company soar to the edge of space with an all-civilian crew.
Musk is also the founder and CEO of rocket company SpaceX, and leads brain-chip startup Neuralink and infrastructure firm The Boring Company.
Last year (2020), U.S. President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris were jointly given the "Person of the Year" title. Time began this tradition in 1927. Facebook (FB.O) CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Amazon (AMZN.O) founder Jeff Bezos have also received the title in the past.

Dubai First in World to Go 100% Paperless

Dubai became the world's first government to turn 100 per cent paperless, the Emirate's Crown Prince, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, announced, pointing at savings of 1.3 billion Dirham (USD 350 million) and 14-million-man hours.
All internal, external transactions and procedures in the Government of Dubai are now 100 per cent digital and managed from a comprehensive digital government services platform.
The achievement of this target marks the beginning of a new stage in Dubai's journey to digitise life in all its aspects - a journey rooted in innovation, creativity, and a focus on the future.
The US, UK, Europe and Canada have expressed plans to digitise government operation on a larger scale, which encompass government procedures and citizen identifications. However, sceptics have argued its vulnerability to cyber-attacks.

Dec 13, 2021

Dubai - the World's First Govt to Become 100% Paperless

Dubai has become the world's first government to turn 100 per cent paperless, the Emirate's Crown Prince, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, has announced, pointing at savings of 1.3 billion Dirham ($350 million) and 14-million-man hours.
All internal, external transactions and procedures in the government of Dubai are now 100 per cent digital and managed from a comprehensive digital government services platform.

US to Rename Street in front of Saudi embassy 'Jamal Khashoggi Way'

The street in front of the embassy of Saudi Arabia will be called "Jamal Khashoggi Way," after the Washington city council voted to honor the Saudi journalist murdered by government agents.
The council voted unanimously to symbolically name the 700-foot (213-meter) stretch of New Hampshire Avenue that runs between the embassy and the Watergate complex for Khashoggi, a dissident journalist working for The Washington Post at the time of his murder in Turkey.
"Through his journalism, Jamal Khashoggi was a fierce advocate for democracy, human rights, and the rule of law," said a council report on the bill.
"By designating the street fronting the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia after Jamal Khashoggi, the District is creating a memorial in his honor that cannot be covered up or repressed," it said.

New Caledonia rejects independence from France in third referendum

Residents of the Pacific territory of New Caledonia voted overwhelmingly to remain part of France in a third referendum that was boycotted by pro-independence groups.
Police reinforcements have been sent to the territory known as "the pebble", which is of strategic importance to France and is part of a wider tussle for influence in the Pacific between Western countries and China.
90.23 percent of ballots counted, 96.32 percent of voters had voted "No" to independence in a result that will raise fears of unrest and questions about the legitimacy of the process.

US Imposes Sweeping Human Rights Sanctions on China, Myanmar and North Korea

The United States imposed extensive human rights-related sanctions on dozens of people and entities tied to China, Myanmar, North Korea and Bangladesh, and added Chinese artificial intelligence company SenseTime Group to an investment blacklist.
Canada and the United Kingdom joined the United States in imposing sanctions related to human rights abuse in Myanmar, while Washington also imposed the first new sanctions on North Korea under President Joe Biden's administration and targeted Myanmar military entities, among others, in action marking Human Rights Day.

Saudi Arabia Govt Bans Tablighi Jamaat

Saudi Arabia government has banned the Tablighi Jamaat calling it one of the gates of terrorism.
Saudi Islamic Affairs Ministry has directed the mosques to warn people during Friday sermon against the Tablighi Jamaat.
Government has also warned people against associating with the Tablighi Jamaat which has been banned in Saudi Arabia.
Saudi government also asked mosques to inform people about the danger that Tablighi Jamaat pose to society.

G7 nations warn Russia of 'massive consequences' if it invades Ukraine

The Group of Seven richest democracies, or G7 nations, warned Russia of "massive consequences" if it launches military offensive against Ukraine.
The continued military build-up in areas close to Ukraine has raised concern over a Russian invasion, with US intelligence officers determining that the attack can take place as early as January 2022.
Taking cognisance of the issue, the G7 delegates condemned Russia's military build-up and called on Kremlin to de-escalate.

Chile Prez Brings Law to Legalise Same-sex Marriage

Chile's center-right President Sebastián Piñera signed into law a bill legalizing same-sex marriage, days after it was approved by Congress in a historic vote.
The law "puts all love relationships between two people on an equal footing," Piñera said at a ceremony at La Moneda government palace together with LGBT activists, representatives of civil society, legislators and officials.
Lawmakers passed the law, in a milestone for the conservative South American nation after a decade-long legal battle and with the country delicately poised ahead of a crossroads election this month.

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