INTERNATIONAL DECEMBER 2016
- China says it seized US Navy drone to ensure safety of ships
China says its military seized a US Navy unmanned underwater glider in the South China Sea but it will give the drone back. The Chinese navy on 15th December seized the drone, which the Pentagon said was being operated by civilian contractors to conduct oceanic research. The US lodged a formal diplomatic complaint and demanded the drone back.
- China returns US underwater drone seized in South China Sea
China on 20th December handed back to the United States an underwater drone it had seized last week in an incident that raised tensions in a relationship that has been tested by President-elect Donald Trump's signals of a tougher policy toward Beijing.
The Chinese navy vessel that seized the drone returned it near where it was seized, and it was received by the USS Mustin about 80 kilometers (50 miles) northwest of Subic Bay in the Philippines, Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook said in a statement. Cook said Washington considered the seizure illegal. - UN votes to set up body to help document crimes in Syria
The UN General Assembly voted on 21st December to establish an investigative body that will assist in documenting and prosecuting the most serious violations of international law in Syria, including possible war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The 193-member world body adopted a resolution by a vote of 105 to 15 with 52 abstentions over strenuous objections from Syria and close ally Russia who accused the assembly of interfering in the work of the Security Council, which is responsible for issues of international peace and security.
The resolution establishes an “International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism” under UN auspices. - Civilian evacuation from east Aleppo resumes
Buses loaded with Syrian civilians have begun leaving the last rebel-held enclave of eastern Aleppo again on 21st December, after being stalled for a day. A convoy of 60 buses carrying people desperate to leave the enclave had been held up in freezing temperatures when an evacuation deal hit a last-minute hitch. - MS Dhoni' and 'Sarbjit' make it to Oscars long list
Indian biopics "MS Dhoni: The Untold Story" and "Sarbjit" have made it to the long list of 336 feature films eligible for the Oscars. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences released the list of films in contention for the best picture Oscar on 21st December. To make it to the 2016 Academy Awards list, feature films must have played in a commercial theater in Los Angeles County between January 1 and December 31 for at least seven consecutive days.
The exhibited theatrically on 35mm or 70mm film, or in a qualifying digital format, must have a running time of more than 40 minutes. Apart from the Sushant Singh Rajput and Randeep Hooda starrer films, Indian-American filmmaker Mira Nair's directorial venture "Queen of Katwe" is also part of the list. - UNSC passes resolution demanding end to Israeli settlements on occupied Palestinian territory
After the United States abstained from voting, the UN Security Council on 22nd December passed a resolution demanding Israel to stop building settlements on occupied Palestinian territory.
The resolution was put forward at the 15-member council for a vote by New Zealand, Malaysia, Venezuela and Senegal. Israel and US President-elect Donald Trump had called on the United States to veto the measure. It is the first resolution the Security Council has adopted on Israel and the Palestinians in nearly eight years.
The UN Security Council has defeated a US-sponsored resolution that would have imposed an arms embargo on South Sudan and three key figures in the conflict in the world's newest nation. Seven council members voted in favour of the resolution and eight abstained last night. To be adopted by the UN's most powerful body a resolution needs nine "yes" votes. - Sri Lanka Claims World's Tallest Artificial Christmas tree
Sri Lanka has unveiled a towering Christmas tree, claiming to have surpassed the world record for the tallest artificial Christmas tree. The 73-meter (238-foot) tree, built in capital Colombo, is 18 meters taller than the current record holder, organizers said.
The tree's steel-and-wire frame is covered with a plastic net decorated with natural pine cones, 600,000 LED bulbs and topped by a 6-meter-tall (20-foot) shining star. Sri Lanka's claim is subject to confirmation from Guinness World Records, which said it has received an application from the organizers and that it is waiting for evidence. - EU, Mali sign deal to return migrants
The European Union signed an agreement with the Malian Government with an objective of enabling the return of migrants who have reached Europe's shores, and whose asylum requests have been refused. A statement from the Dutch foreign ministry on 11th December, which signed the agreement on the EU's behalf, said that agreement seeks to address the root causes of illegal migration and to enable the return from Europe of Malian migrants.
The agreement came after a summit in the Maltese capital Valletta in November 2015, when EU leaders agreed with their African counterparts to set up a 1.8-billion-euro fund to help address the root causes of migration. In return, African countries would step up border controls and accept the repatriation of those who make it to Europe, however, are judged to have no right to remain. - Changes to Qatar’s Kafala law to take effect Dec. 14, 2016
New legislation that is expected to make it easier for expats to change jobs in Qatar has been entered into the official gazette this month and is expected to be implemented in one year’s time.
The main reforms are that there will be a new system to appeal refused exit permits; and expats who finish fixed contracts will no longer need their sponsor’s approval to take up another job. World Bank 'Pauses' Indus treaty processes of India, Pakistan
World Bank has paused the separate processes initiated by India and Pakistan under the Indus Waters Treaty to allow the two countries to consider alternative ways to resolve their disagreements. The pause was announced by Kim in letters to the finance ministers of India and Pakistan. It was also emphasised that the Bank was acting to safeguard the Treaty.
Pausing the process for now, the Bank would hold off from appointing the Chairman for the Court of Arbitration or the Neutral Expert. Surprised at the World Bank's decision to appoint a Neutral Expert, as sought by the Indian government and at the same time establish a Court of Arbitration as wanted by Pakistan, India had said proceeding with both the steps simultaneously was "legally untenable".
Both processes initiated by the respective countries were advancing at the same time, creating a risk of contradictory outcomes that could potentially endanger the Treaty, the Bank noted.
The current processes under the treaty concern the Kishenganga (330 megawatts) and Ratle (850 megawatts) hydroelectric power plants. The power plants are being built by India on the Kishenganga and Chenab Rivers.
Neither of the two plants is being financed by the World Bank. The bank said the Indus Waters Treaty, 1960, is seen as one of the most successful international treaties and has withstood frequent tensions between India and Pakistan, including conflict.- Planet's poorest countries falling further behind: United Nations
The planet's poorest countries are falling further behind the rest of the world and cannot catch up without more aid and favorable trade deals, a UN report said on 13th December.
UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in its annual report said during 45 years since the United Nations created its list of Least Developed Countries (LDC), only four have graduated from the impoverished group that are Botswana, Cape Verde, Maldives and Samoa.
The report said efforts to boost economic development in the remaining 48 LDCs have been glacial. Nearly half of the global poor- currently defined as people living on less than USD 1.90 per day- live in the 48 most impoverished countries.
The current list of least developed countries includes 34 African nations, nine in Asia, four in the Pacific region as well as Haiti. - India tops Asia in innovation chart
India has emerged as the most preferred destination for innovation in Asia and third biggest globally, with 'Silicon Valley' of East Bengaluru leading the charge, says a research by global consulting major Capgemini. India has been ranked as the No. 1 innovation destination in Asia and No. 2 in the world for new innovation centres,"
Bengaluru, which saw the opening of three new centres between March and October this year and an announcement by Apple to establish a startup accelerator, leads the Indian challenge on innovation and is ranked 5th hub at global level.
Nine new innovation centres were opened in the country during the period, taking total number of Innovation centres to 25. The US leads the list with 146 centres, followed by Britain with 29 and India is at third place with 24 centres. - EU agrees to extend sanctions on Russia for six month
European Union leaders meeting on 14th December in Brussels agreed to extend sanctions on Russia for another six months. The decision to extend sanctions on Russia is in light of Russia's failure to abide by the Minsk agreements on Ukraine. The decision, to be announced officially in the next few days, came despite growing pressure among investors and energy interests in Europe, including within Germany itself, for sanctions to be rolled back. - International Chamber of Commerce gets UN Observer status
The United Nations (UN) General Assembly has granted Observer status to the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the world’s largest business organisation representing more than six million members in over 100 countries.
The decision, taken by 193 members of the UN General Assembly at its ongoing 71st session in New York, is the first time that a business organisation has been admitted as an Observer at the UN General Assembly. The list of UN observers is highly restricted and features principally inter-governmental organisations. - New deal reached between rebels and Syrian Government
A new deal has been reached to complete the evacuation of rebel-held areas of Syria's east Aleppo which ground to a halt on 16th December over demands from pro-government forces that people also be moved out of two villages besieged by rebels.
The deal comprised an evacuation from the two Shia villages besieged by insurgents, the evacuation of wounded people from two towns besieged by pro-government forces near the Lebanese border, and the full evacuation of rebel-held east Aleppo. - Nuclear threat persists: UN Watchdog
"Nuclear terrorists" can strike anywhere, the head of the UN atomic watchdog warned on 5th December at the start of a week-long ministerial conference on preventing misuse of radioactive materials and attacks on facilities.
Countries all over the world have stepped up their investment in nuclear security with support from the IAEA. The IAEA has given countries over 3,000 instruments for detecting nuclear material and this year provided radiation detection equipment and other assistance to Brazil during the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
In 2016, the IAEA also hosted the International Conference on Computer Security in a Nuclear World looking at the growing issue of cyber security as the reliance on digital systems within nuclear facilities grows. - Russia, China veto UN resolution on Ceasefire in Syria
Russia and China have vetoed a draft resolution at the UN Security Council that called for a seven days ceasefire in Syria's embattled city of Aleppo. Russia said the document infringed the council rule allowing countries 24 hours to consider the final wording. The US dismissed this as a made-up alibi, saying Russia wanted to preserve recent military gains by Syrian government troops in Aleppo.
The army is reported to have seized more parts of rebel-held east Aleppo. More than 100,000 people may be under siege in districts still under rebel control, where food supplies are exhausted and there are no functioning hospitals.
On 5th December, Russia and China, both veto-wielding council members, voted against the draft submitted jointly by Egypt, New Zealand and Spain. Venezuela also voted No, while Angola abstained. The other 11 UN Security Council members backed the resolution. - IAEA Prompts States to prevent terrorists from obtaining nuclear materials
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) ministerial conference adopted on a declaration committed to the further strengthening of global nuclear security, including by ensuring that nuclear materials cannot be obtained by terrorist groups.
The declaration was adopted at the IAEA International Conference on Nuclear Security that kicked off on 5th December in Vienna. The declaration called for nuclear non-proliferation, disarmament and peaceful use of nuclear energy and expressed commitment to further strengthen the global nuclear security. About 2,000 participants from over 130 member states and 17 international organization are participating in the event. - EU negotiator sets October 2018 as deadline for 'Brexit' deal
European Union Chief negotiator on Brexit, Michel Barnier has said that Britain will have to secure an agreement on its departure from the EU by October 2018. Barnier announced the schedule of negotiations and said if British Prime Minister Theresa May notifies the EU of the country's departure by the end of March as scheduled, negotiations will need to be completed by October 2018.
He said the remaining procedures, such as securing the ratification of member countries, should be finished by March 2019. The EU treaty stipulates a 2-year limit for departure from the bloc after formal negotiations begin. - Quake of 6.8 magnitude hits near Banda Aceh, Indonesia
An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.8 struck 130 km (80 miles) southeast of Banda Aceh in northern Sumatra, Indonesia, the United States Geological Survey said. The quake struck at a depth of 33 km (21 miles) at 22:03 GMT, the USGS said. No tsunami warning for Indonesia was immediately issued. - British PM wins Brexit timetable vote in Parliament
In a symbolic victory, British Prime Minister Theresa May won a vote in Parliament backing her timetable for negotiating Britain's exit from the European Union. MPs voted in the House of Commons 461 to 89 in favour of May triggering Article 50 by the end of March 2017, which will begin the formal process of exit negotiations from the 28-member economic bloc. - Earthquake rocks Solomon Islands
A major 7(point)7-magnitude quake struck on 8th December off the Solomon Islands triggering severe shaking and a tsunami warning. However, officials said there were no reports of any serious damage.
Initially the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre issued warning of possible "widespread, hazardous" tsunami waves which forced villagers to flee to higher ground. But the warning was downgraded within three hours as the threat passed without major incident.
The US Geological Survey said the quake hit at 4:38 a.m., with its epicentre located 68 kilometres west of Kirakira, a provincial capital in the Solomon Islands. - South Korea Parliament votes to impeach President Park Geun-hye
South Korea's Parliament has voted to impeach President Park Geun-hye over a corruption scandal. The motion passed by 234 votes to 56. Hwang Kyo-ahn, the country's Prime Minister, has become interim President. Thousands of people took to the streets in recent weeks demanding Ms. Park's removal.
The Parliamentary vote means Ms Park - South Korea's first female President - has been suspended. The case now goes before the Constitutional Court, which has 180 days to make a final ruling.
If at least six of the court's nine judges approve the decision, Ms. Park will become the first sitting South Korean president to be deposed in the country's democratic era and a new presidential election will be held within 60 days. - Barack Obama Orders Review of 2016 Election Cyber Attacks
US President Barack Obama has ordered intelligence agencies to review cyber attacks and foreign intervention into the 2016 election and deliver a report before he leaves office on Jan. 20
In October, the US government formally accused Russia of a campaign of cyber attacks against Democratic Party organizations ahead of the Nov. 8 presidential election, and Obama has said he warned Russian President Vladimir Putin about consequences for the attacks.
The review and its timeline are a signal that Obama wants the issue addressed before he hands power to President-elect Donald Trump, who cast doubt on Russia's hacking role and praised Putin during the campaign. Obama's homeland security adviser, Lisa Monaco, told reporters the report's results would be shared with lawmakers and others. - India abstains from voting on UNGA resolution on Syria
An UN General Assembly's resolution urged for an immediate ceasefire in Syria. The Assembly also expressed a concern at the continued deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the country and demanded quick, safe, sustained, unhindered and unconditional humanitarian access throughout the country.
The Canada-led resolution, which expressed outrage at the escalation of violence in Syria, particularly Aleppo, was adopted by a vote of 122 in favour, 13 against and 36 abstentions on 9th December. India along with 35 other nations abstained from voting.
India abstained from voting on the resolution in line with its traditional approach that it does not mix humanitarian issues with political issues. China, Russia, Iran and Syria voted against the General Assembly resolution, while Bangladesh, Iraq, Lebanon, Myanmar, Pakistan and Nepal abstained. - China launches new cargo service linking Tibet with Nepal
China has launched a new cargo service connecting Tibet and Nepal as dozens of trucks carrying goods worth 2.8 million dollar left the Tibetan border port of Gyirong enroute to Kathmandu.
New rail and road cargo service which launched on 9th December, connecting Guangdong, Tibet and Nepal, is with the objective to enhance trade with the South Asian neighbor in line with China's Belt and Road (Silk Road) initiative. - Francois Fillon wins France's Conservative Presidential primary
In France, former Prime Minister Francois Fillon has won France's Conservative Presidential primary, beating rival Alain Juppe. In the first U.S. style primary contest for French Republicans, Fillon won 68 percent of the vote against Juppe, another former Prime Minister.
He is likely to face a Socialist candidate and the far-right's Marine Le Pen in next April's election. During the campaign, ex-Prime Minister Fillon proposed economic reforms that include slashing 500,000 public jobs, ending the 35-hour week, raising the retirement age and scrapping the wealth tax.
The French presidential vote is being seen as a key test for mainstream political parties after the success of Donald Trump in the United States and the Brexit campaign in Britain, both of which took advantage of anti-elite and anti-establishment anger. - 5.6 magnitude earthquake hits Nepal
A moderate intensity earthquake measuring 5.6 on the Richter scale on 28th November was felt in Nepal's Capital Kathmandu and other central and eastern regions. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damages.
The epicentre was located at Solukhumbu district near the Everest region, about 150 km east of Kathmandu, Nepal's National Seismological Center said. - Singapore tops global education rankings
The international rankings, Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study, are published every four years, based on tests taken by more than 600,000 students, aged nine to 10 and 13 to 14 in 57 countries.
Singapore has the highest-achieving primary and secondary pupils in international education tests in Maths and Science.
England's performance has not advanced since tests four years ago. The top places in these rankings are dominated by East Asian countries, such as South Korea and Japan, which are pulling away from their competitors. - Plane taking Brazilian football team to Colombia crashes
A charted plane taking Brazilian football team Chapecoense to a South American cup final crashed in Colombia after reporting an electrical fault, killing 71 people, including most of the team and accompanying journalists.
The plane slammed into a mountainside near Medellin on 28th as the team flew to face Atletico Nacional for the Copa Sudamericana, which is South America's equivalent of the Europa League. - OPEC agrees first oil output cut in eight years
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC has agreed its first oil output cuts since 2008, sending oil prices soaring. In late London trade Brent North Sea crude for January delivery was up 3.71 US Dollar at 50.09 dollar, the first time it has risen above 50 dollar in a month.
West Texas Intermediate was up 3.85 US dollar at 49.08 dollar. The accord announced by the OPEC in Vienna is aimed at reducing a global supply glut that has kept prices low.
Qatar's Energy Minister and President of the OPEC conference, Mohammed Bin Saleh Al-Sad said that the cartel will lower its monthly output by 1.2 million barrels per day to 32.5 million barrels per month from 1st of January 2017. He said this is a major step forward and they think this is a historic agreement.
The Minister also said that the deal will help global inflation accelerate to healthier rate, including in the United States. Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Iraq will reduce output, while Iran will increase production under the deal. - UK scientists give green light to three-parent babies
British scientists have approved the use of so-called three-parent baby fertility treatments, paving the way for the country to become the first in the world to officially introduce the procedures.
An independent panel of experts tasked with reviewing the safety of mitochondrial gene therapy said the practice should be cautiously adopted to prevent certain genetic diseases from being passed on to future generations. British MPs voted in February to allow the creation of In-Vitro Fertilization babies with DNA from three people.
Doctors want to make babies from three people to prevent diseases that starve the body of energy, leading to brain damage, muscle wasting and heart failure. It is worth recalling that a baby has been born from the technique in Mexico. - Yoga inscribed as Cultural Heritage of Humanity
The Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage has inscribed Yoga in UNESCO’s Representative List as the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
The declaration describing Yoga as a Human Treasure got unanimous support of the 24 members of the Committee. According to the India’s External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson the inscription gives immense recognition to Yoga and emphasizes its role as a social practice, an oral tradition and a system of ancient and scientific knowledge facilitating an enhanced harmony and peace across caste, creed, gender, age and nationality. - UN imposes toughest sanctions on North Korea
The United Nations Security Council has unanimously imposed its toughest sanctions on North Korea following the country's defiant nuclear tests. Under the new sanctions resolution, Pyongyang will be restricted from exporting more than 7.5 million tons of coal in 2017, a reduction of 62 per cent from 2015. The resolution demands that North Korea abandon all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs and takes aim at the state's exports of coal, its top external revenue source.
The resolution, which was passed by a 15-0 vote, was spearheaded by the United States and came after three months of negotiations with fellow veto-wielding council member China. - Colombia’s legislature ratifies peace deal
Colombia’s Congress has given its stamp of approval to a peace accord aimed at ending a 52-year-old armed conflict with FARC guerrillas, but experts say implementing it will not be easy. The lower house of the Congress approved the accord with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, by a unanimous vote on 30th November, clearing one of the last legal hurdles for it to go into effect. - UNESCO: 55 out of 1,052 world heritage sites are in danger
Fifty-five out of a total of 1,052 heritage sites around the world feature on the UN cultural organization’s World Heritage in Danger list. By listing such sites, UNESCO is seeking to mobilise the international community to protect them.
During its 40th session in July, 2016, in Istanbul, UNESCO's World Heritage Committee added sites in Mali and Uzbekistan to the list, along with Libya's five world heritage sites which have already been damaged by conflict in the North African country.
UNESCO says conflict, earthquakes and other natural disasters, pollution, poaching, uncontrolled urbanisation and unchecked tourism development pose major problems to world heritage sites.
Numerous national parks are also listed, including in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Central African Republic and Senegal. The Everglades National Park in the US state of Florida was listed in 2010. - US defence bill pledges $900 million in assistance to Pakistan
The US House of Representatives has passed a Defense bill pledging 900 million dollars in economic and other assistance to Pakistan. However, the assistant pledge has put the condition of a certification from the US Defence Secretary that Pakistan is committed to fighting all terrorist groups, including the Haqqani network.
Meanwhile, a top US commander has said Pakistan-based Haqqani network continues to pose greatest threat to US troops in Afghanistan. General John Nicholson, Commander of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan have said the Haqqanis pose the greatest threat to Americans and to the coalition partners and to the Afghanistan.
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