INTERNATIONAL DECEMBER 2017

INTERNATIONAL DECEMBER 2017

INTERNATIONAL NOVEMBER 2017

INTERNATIONAL NOVEMBER 2017

• Israel hints to continue military strikes across its frontier with Syria
  Israel on 12th November signalled that it would keep up military strikes across its frontier with Syria to prevent any encroachment by Iranian-allied forces, even as the United States and Russia try to build up a ceasefire in the area.
  
  U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin affirmed joint efforts to stabilise Syria as its civil war wanes, including with the expansion of a July 7 truce in the southwestern triangle bordering Israel and Jordan.
  
  A U.S. State Department official said, Russia had agreed to work with the Syrian regime to remove Iranian-backed forces a defined distance from the Golan Heights frontier with Israel, which captured the plateau in the 1967 Middle East war. Moscow did not immediately provide details on the deal.
  
  Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned Gaza militants against attacking Israel after the Islamic militant group vowed revenge for the demolition of one of its attack tunnels.
  
• India, Australia, Japan, US hold talk on peace, stablity in Indo-Pacific region
  India, Australia, Japan and the United States discussed cooperation based on their converging vision and values for promotion of peace, stability and prosperity in an increasingly inter-connected Indo-Pacific region.
  
  The ministry officials of the four countries held consultations in Manila on 12th November. They agreed that a free, open, prosperous and inclusive Indo-Pacific region serves the long-term interests of all countries in the region and of the world at large.
  
  The officials also exchanged views on addressing common challenges of terrorism and proliferation linkages impacting the region as well as on enhancing connectivity.
  
  The Indian side highlighted India’s Act East Policy as the cornerstone of its engagement in the Indo-Pacific region.
  
• 31st ASEAN summit in Manila, Philippines
  World leaders gathered in Manila on 13th November to attend the 31st ASEAN Summit at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City.
  
  The Summit, with the theme "Partnering for Change, Engaging the World," was packed with business conferences and meetings between world leaders.
  
  Some of the highlights of the first day of the Summit were the meeting between President Rodrigo Duterte and US President Donald Trump, the signing of an agreement between ASEAN member-countries and China on the drafting of a South China Sea code.
  
• China proposes inclusive dialogue with Indo-Pacific nations
  China on 13th November proposed an inclusive dialogue among all countries in the Indo-Pacific area, following fledgling attempts to form a quad group comprising India, the United States, Australia and Japan.
  
  Rejecting a Cold War mindset, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said that all relevant parties can put forward their vision and proposal on how to develop cooperation between the countries and regions. During a visit to China last week, U.S. President Donald Trump had rejected the doctrine of ‘containment’ of China, and signalled that Washington and Beijing will be the main pillars of a more inclusive international system.
  
• Southeast Asia summit issues statement skipping Rohingya crisis
  A draft of the statement issued after a Southeast Asian summit makes no mention of the exodus of Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar’s Rakhine state following a military crackdown that has been described by the United Nations as ethnic cleansing.
  
  One paragraph of the communiqué mentions the importance of humanitarian relief provided for victims of natural disasters in Vietnam and a recent urban battle with Islamist militants in the Philippines, as well as “affected communities” in northern Rakhine state.
  
  The statement was drawn up by the Philippines, current chair of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) - which includes Myanmar.
  
  The draft did not give any details of the situation in northern Rakhine or use the term Rohingya for the persecuted Muslim minority, which Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi has asked foreign leaders to avoid. The government in mostly-Buddhist Myanmar regards the Rohingya as illegal migrants from Bangladesh and does not recognize the term.
  
  Well over 600,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh to find shelter in refugee camps after military clearance operations were launched in response to attacks by Rohingya militants on security posts on Aug. 25.
  
  The plight of the Rohingya has brought outrage from around the world and there have been calls for democracy champion Suu Kyi to be stripped of the Nobel peace prize she won in 1991 because she has not condemned the Myanmar military’s actions.
  
  In September, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the situation in Rakhine was best described as ethnic cleansing.
  
  Some members of ASEAN, particularly Muslim-majority Malaysia, have voiced concern. However, in keeping with ASEAN’s principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of one another, the issue appears to have been put aside at the summit.
  
  In September, Malaysia disavowed a statement issued by the Philippines on behalf of ASEAN’s foreign ministers as misrepresenting “the reality” because it did not identify the Rohingya as an affected community in Rakhine state.
  
  Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi wound up his three-day official visit to the Philippines capital Manila, with his participation in three major summits and five bilateral meetings with world leaders.
  
  In his address in the 15th ASEAN-India Summit, Mr Modi called for intensified cooperation in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism. He said the countries in the region have individually striven hard to fight the scourge of terrorism, adding a joint effort is now necessary.
  
  Mr Modi highlighted that India’s Act East Policy is shaped around the ASEAN. He added that the bloc is at the centrality in the regional security architecture of the Indo-Pacific region.
  
• Yemen records 925,000 suspected cholera cases, nearly 2,200 deaths: UN
  United Nations has said there were more than 925,000 suspected cholera cases with over 2,200 associated deaths in Yemen as of 12th November. UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on 15th November said Aid workers continue to respond to the outbreak, but fuel to run hospital generators and to pump clean water will run out in less than three weeks, as key ports for humanitarian shipments remained closed.
  
  It also warned that vaccines needed to treat diphtheria will also run out in two weeks. The agency said ships and planes carrying humanitarian supplies have been unable to reach Yemen since the start of a blockade on 6th of November.
  
  Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has said, the coalition would reopen seaports and airports in areas controlled by the Yemeni government. However it said those in rebel-held areas, including Hudaydah and Sanaa, would remain closed unless a stricter UN verification and inspection mechanism is in place over cargo transferred through those ports.
  
  According to UN, more than two-thirds of people in need and more than 80 percent of all cholera cases are located in the areas closest to Hudaydah and Saleef ports.
  
• India has highest number of people without basic sanitation: Report
  India, the world's second-largest country by population, has the highest number of people without basic sanitation, according to a report.
  
  The report says despite immense progress through the Swachh Bharat (Clean India) Mission, more than 732 million people still suffer fear and indignity of relieving themselves in the open or in unsafe or unhygienic toilets- a situation that is worse for women and girls.
  
  In India, a staggering 355 million women and girls are still waiting for a toilet; if they were all to stand in a queue, it would stretch around the Earth more than four times!" Water Aid's State of the World's Toilets 2017 report says.
  
  The report, quoting government data, says there has undoubtedly been immense progress made in improving access to sanitation by working with the Swachh Bharat Mission- with 52 million household toilets built between October 2014 and November 2017.
  
  According to the report, after India, China, the world's most populous country, comes in second, with 343 million people without decent toilets. However, it too has made a lot of progress since 2000, when 40 per cent of the population lacked basic sanitation. Africa's most populous country, Nigeria, is in the third place.
  
  The report says globally, one in three people still have nowhere decent to go to the toilet, and demonstrates how women and girls bear the brunt of this global crisis.
  
  For more than 1.1 billion women and girls, this injustice results in an increased risk of poor health, limited education, lost opportunities, vulnerability and embarrassment of having to go out in the open.
  
  According to VK Madhavan, Chief Executive for WaterAid India, India is making rapid progress in improving sanitation under the ongoing Swachh Bharat Mission.
  
• Russia casts 11th UN Syria veto, again blocking inquiry
  Russia has again cast a veto to block a UN Security Council resolution that would have extended an international inquiry into chemical weapons attacks in Syria. Russia rejected a Japanese draft resolution to prolong by 30 days the Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM), whose mandate ended at midnight on 17th November.
  
  But Russia used its veto power to prevent the adoption of the resolution after 12 council members voted in favour of the measure.
  
  China abstained, while Bolivia also voted no. It was the 11th time that Russia has used its veto power to stop Security Council action targeting its ally Syria.
  
  The JIM was set up in 2015 to identify perpetrators of chemical attacks. It is the only official mission investigating the use of chemical weapons in Syria. Moscow strongly criticised the inquiry when it blamed the Syrian government for a deadly nerve agent attack on the town of Khan Sheikhoun in April, which left more than 80 people dead.
  
• 11 princes and 4-ministers in Saudi Arabia detained by anti-corruption body
   Saudi Arabia has arrested dozens of senior figures including princes, ministers and a top business tycoon, with authorities pledging fair justice after a sweeping purge seen as consolidating the crown prince's hold on power.
  
  After a new anti-corruption commission headed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was established by royal decree that prominent billionaire Al-Waleed bin Talal was among the princes arrested late on 4th November.
  
  Separately, the head of the Saudi National Guard, once a leading contender to the throne, as well as the navy chief and the economy minister were replaced in a series of high-profile sackings.
  
  Saudi-owned Al Arabiya television reported that 11 princes, four current ministers and dozens of ex-ministers were arrested as the commission launched a probe into old cases such as floods that devastated the Red Sea city of Jeddah in 2009.
  
  The suspects are being granted the same rights and treatment as any other Saudi citizen, attorney general Sheikh Saud al-Mojeb said in a statement, adding that a number of investigations had been initiated.
  
• UNSC drops plans to adopt resolution demanding end to violence in Myanmar
  In the face of strong opposition from China, the United Nations Security Council has dropped plans to adopt a resolution demanding an end to the violence in Myanmar and instead opted for a statement.
  
  The statement calls for an end to the violence, full access for humanitarian aid workers to the Rakhine state and for the return of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims who have fled to Bangladesh. It does not threaten sanctions against Myanmar's military.
  
  Britain and France had circulated a draft resolution in October, 2017, but diplomats said veto power China, a supporter of Myanmar's former ruling junta, had argued that a resolution was not the appropriate response to the crisis.
  
  Since late August, more than 6 lakh Rohingya Muslims have been driven from their homes by an army campaign in Rakhine that the United Nations has denounced as ethnic cleansing.
  
• 64 cities join the UNESCO creative cities network
  64 cities from 44 countries have been designated as UNESCO Creative Cities by Director-General, Irina Bokova. They join a Network at the frontline of UNESCO’s efforts to foster innovation and creativity as key drivers for a more sustainable and inclusive urban development. This network attracts growing interest from local authorities. The UNESCO Creative Cities Network now counts a total of 180 cities in 72 countries.
  
  While differing geographically, demographically or economically, all Creative Cities commit to develop and exchange innovative best practices to promote creative industries, strengthen participation in cultural life, and integrate culture into sustainable urban development policies.
  
  Chennai, often called as cultural capital of South India, joined the elite club of world cities on 8th November when it was included in Creative Cities Network of UNESCO for its contributions to music. The city joins two other cities in India - Jaipur and Varanasi - to have figured in the prestigious list for their contributions to music and folk arts. The dossier to nominate Chennai for the CCN was submitted a few months back to the UNESCO by the Union culture Ministry.
  
• JeM chief Masood Azhar is bad guy and should be declared as a global terrorist: US
  According to US, Pakistan-based JeM chief Masood Azhar should be declared as a global terrorist. The JeM, founded by Azhar, has already been in the UN's list of banned terror outfits. China for the fourth time had blocked a proposal backed by the US, France and Britain to list Azhar as a global terrorist.
  
  China is the only country opposing the designation of Azhar by the Security Council as a terrorist. All other 14 of the 15 members of the UN Security Council were supporting the bid to place Azhar on the sanctions list that would subject him to an assets freeze and travel ban. Azhar is accused of several terrorist attacks in India, including one on the Pathankot air force station in January last year.
  
• 201 people arrested in anti-corruption swoop, says Saudi Arabia
  Saudi Arabia says 201 people are being held so far for questioning over an estimated 100 billion US dollars in embezzlement and corruption, after the biggest purge of the kingdom's elite in its modern history.
  
  Quoting attorney general Sheikh Saud al-Mojebthe, Saudi information ministry said in a statement in Riyadh that total of 208 individuals were called in for questioning of which seven have been released without charge.
  
  Princes, ministers and a billionaire business tycoon were among dozens of high-profile figures arrested or sacked at the weekend, as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman consolidated power.
  
  The purge comes amid heightened regional tensions, with Saudi Arabia and Iran facing off over a missile attack from Yemen and a political crisis in Lebanon after Prime Minister Saad Hariri's shock resignation announced from Riyadh.
  
• Trump, Putin issue joint statement on fighting ISIS in Syria
  Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump agreed on a joint statement on Syria on 11th November that said there was no military solution to the conflict and political one was needed.
  
  Kremlin which published the text of the joint statement on its website said the statement on Syria was coordinated by the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov and the US Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson.
  
  According to the Kremlin website, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin approved the statement on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in the Vietnamese resort of Danang.
  
  Russian officials said Putin and Trump had a conversation before the group photo ceremony for APEC leaders in Danang. The White House did not immediately respond to questions about the Kremlin announcement or the conversation the Kremlin said took place.
  
  In their joint statement, the two world leaders repeated the urgency of destroying the Islamic State. They agreed to maintain open military channels of communication among army professionals to help ensure the safety of both U.S. and Russian forces.
  
  Trump and Putin also confirmed their commitment to Syria’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity and called on all parties involved in the Syrian conflict to use the Geneva process to find a resolution.
  
• Cuba announces new immigration policies
  Cuba has announced changes to the island's immigration policies, seeking to strengthen ties with the 8 lakh Cubans living outside the country.
  
  Speaking to a group of Cubans residing in the United States, Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said the new rules go into effect as of first January.
  
  Rodriguez said the foreign ministry will authorise the entry and exit of expatriate Cubans through two tourist ports and allow the return of nationals who left the country illegally.
  
  He also said the children of Cubans residing outside the country and those born in foreign countries will be able to obtain Cuban citizenship and identification documents.
  
• Kenya president wins 98% of vote in repeat of disputed election
  Kenya's incumbent president Uhuru Kenyatta won 98 per cent of the vote in a repeat presidential election in Kenya, although only 39 per cent of voters turned out due to an opposition boycott, the country's electoral commission said on 30th October.
  
• US court largely blocks Trump's military transgender ban
  A US court has largely blocked President Donald Trump's controversial ban on transgender people serving in the military. Mr Trump had, in August, signed an executive order banning transgender people from serving openly, reversing former President Barack Obama's directive allowing them to do so.
  
  The move prompted a flood of lawsuits, many of them filed on behalf of transgender service members or veterans. US District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly sided in part with a group of transgender service members who sued to block the change, halting Mr Trump's ban on service.
  
  It, however, upheld the Trump administration's move to block the military from paying for gender reassignment surgery. The order by Kollar-Kotelly temporarily prevents the Pentagon from enacting the ban.
  
• Spain court suspends Catalan independence declaration
  Spain’s Constitutional Court on 31st October ordered the suspension of last week’s declaration of independence by the Catalan parliament
  
  The court plenary has just provisionally suspended the independence declaration” while it examines an appeal by the Spanish government, indicating the latest in a series of measures by Madrid to stifle the region’s independence drive.
  
  Spain's Supreme Court has called on the speaker for Catalonia's parliament Carme Forcadell as well as five other senior lawmakers from the region to testify on Nov. 2 and 3, a court spokeswoman said
  
  The country's State prosecutor on 31st October called for rebellion and sedition charges to be brought against Catalan leaders over their push to separate from Spain.
  
• World’s third largest book fair opens in Sharjah
  World’s third largest book fair opened on 1st November at Sharjah.
  
  It began with a glittering opening ceremony at Expo Centre, in the presence Dr Shaikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, other shaikhs and guests.
  
  The theme of this year’s Sharjah International Book Fair, SIBF is ‘A World inside My Book’.
  
  The India Pavillion saw the participation of more than 120 publishing Houses including Publications Division, National Book Trust, National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language, Malyalam Manorama, Mathrubhoomi , DC Publishing etc.
  
  Indian Pavilion was jointly inaugurated by Sadhna Rout, Director General of the Publications Division, Vikas Swarup, Indian High Commissioner to Canada and Neeraj Aggarwal, Head of Chancery at the Indian Consulate in Dubai.
  
• China blocks bid to list Masood Azhar as global terrorist
  China on 2nd November blocked another bid by the US, France and the UK to list Pakistan-based Jaish e Mohammad Chief and Pathankot terror attack mastermind Masood Azhar as a global terrorist by the UN. China said it has rejected the move as "there is no consensus". A veto-wielding permanent member of the Security Council, China has repeatedly blocked India's move to put a ban on the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief under the Al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the Council.
  
  China had in August extended by three months its technical hold on the US, France and UK-backed proposal to list Azhar as a global terrorist by the UN after having blocked the move in February this year at the United Nations.
  
  The comment came as the China's technical hold on a proposal by the US, France and Britain to list Azhar as a global terrorist was set to lapse on 2nd November.
  
• Bangkok hosted the 7th Asian Ministerial Energy Roundtable
  The 7th Asian Ministerial Energy Roundtable (AMER7) was held in Bangkok from 1st November to 3rd November. The event was organized by the Government of Thailand together with the United Arab Emirates. India is the current chair of International Energy Forum (IEF) which is promoting the AMER - a biennial event bringing together Energy Ministers and experts from Asian countries.
  
  This year the meeting was entitled “Global energy markets in transition: from vision to action” and was focused on the current state and prospects of Asia’s oil and gas markets in the context of security challenges, new investment opportunities and emerging breakthrough energy technologies that are all being generated in a world in transition.

INTERNATIONAL OCTOBER 2017

INTERNATIONAL OCTOBER 2017

• Shinzo Abe's ruling coalition wins majority in Japan
  
  • Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner, Komeito, have secured enough seats to maintain what is known as an absolute stable majority.
  • It will allow the parties to maneuver legislation through the chamber smoothly.
  • The governing coalition has passed the threshold of 261 seats.
  • With an absolute stable majority, it will have the ability to chair all standing committees and fill a majority of seats.
  • The majority is vital to Mr Abe's ambition to revise Japan's post-war, pacifist constitution.
  • Article 9 of the Constitution, enacted by the country's American occupiers in 1947, calls for the complete renunciation of war.
  • Japan has worked around the rule by stating that its army exists for the purposes of defence, but Mr Abe has long made it clear that he wishes to revise it.
  • The election raises Mr Abe's chances of securing a third three-year-term as leader of the LDP when the party votes next September.
  • That would give him the opportunity to become Japan's longest serving Prime Minister, having been elected in 2012.
  
  
• Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and US President Donald Trump agree to raise pressure on North Korea
  Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and US President Donald Trump have agreed to strengthen bilateral ties to increase international pressure on North Korea. The two leaders agreed to discuss ways to address North Korea during Trump's visit to Japan.
  
• US withdraws military assistance from Myanmar over Rohingya violence
  The US is withdrawing military assistance units from Myanmar over the country's treatment of its Rohingya Muslim minority in Rakhine state. The State Department said it had also dropped travel waivers for Myanmar military officials and is considering economic sanctions. Myanmar's military says, it is fighting militants and not targeting civilians.
  
  The US State Department said that it is imperative that any individuals or entities responsible for atrocities be held accountable. Bangladesh's envoy has said to the UN that almost a million Rohingya people have fled Myanmar for Bangladesh.
  
• Russia vetoes UN resolution to extend Syria chemical weapons inspections
  Russia has vetoed a US-sponsored UN resolution that would extend the work of inspectors seeking to determine who is responsible for chemical weapons attacks in Syria. The veto will prevent inspectors from doing their job and investigating chemical weapons attacks in Syria unless a new agreement is struck to extend them before mid-November.
  
  The Joint Investigative Mechanism was set up in 2015 to identify perpetrators of chemical attacks on the town of Khan Sheikhoun in April. Russia had been pushing to postpone a vote on its extension but could not get enough support and used its veto to block adoption.
  
• Trump administration makes it more difficult for H-1B, L1 visa renewal
  In the United States, the Trump administration has made it more difficult to renew non-immigrant visas such as H-1B and L1, popular among Indian IT professionals. Revoking its more than 13-year-old policy, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services, in its latest memorandum, said the burden of proof in establishing eligibility is, at all times, on the petitioner.
  
  Under the previous policy, if a person was once found to be eligible for a work visa initially, they would usually be considered for extension of their visa. Now during every extension, they need to prove to the federal authorities that they are still eligible for the visa they apply for.
  
• Move to introduce ‘gender inclusivity’ at WTO
  Waking up to the need to enable more women to participate in international trade, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and a group of member countries are making efforts to get a joint declaration on gender and trade to be adopted at the Buenos Aires Ministerial meet in December.
  
  The proposed declaration has been initiated by Iceland, Sierra Leone and the International Trade Centre (ITC), a joint agency of the WTO and the United Nations.
  
  Already endorsed by 40 member countries, the declaration asks members to exchange best practices that would happen over the next two years so that a report could be submitted to the next Ministerial meet two years down the line on the progress in connecting more women to international trade.
  
  A report released by McKinsey Global Institute in 2015 finds that in a “full potential” scenario in which women play an identical role in labour markets to that of men, as much as $28 trillion, or 26 per cent, could be added to the global annual GDP by 2025.
  
  While 40 countries, including Argentina, Canada and the European Union are already supporting the initiative, several others, including India, are thinking about it. The proposed declaration will not be part of the formal Ministerial Declaration in Buenos Aires and is proposed to be adopted separately.
  
  ITC is also part of another initiative ‘SheTrades’ to encourage women in business. The ‘SheTrades’ programme aims to connect one million women entrepreneurs to markets by 2020 with a campaign, a focussed networking app and a range of international and national information resources,” Gonzalez said speaking at a session on the role of women in trade at the two-day World Export Development Forum 2017 in Budapest. Launched last year, the initiative has already spread to 14 countries and has 10,000 registered members.
  
• Catalan Parliament votes to declare independence from Spain
  The Catalan regional parliament has voted to declare independence from Spain, just as the Spanish government appears set to impose direct rule. The move was backed 70-10 in a ballot boycotted by opposition MPs. The crisis began when Catalans backed independence in a disputed vote earlier this month.
  
  The Catalan government said that of the 43% of potential voters who took part in the referendum, 90% were in favour of independence. But Spain's Constitutional Court had ruled the vote illegal.
  
  In all, the motion declaring independence was approved with 70 in favour, 10 against and two abstentions in the 135-seat chamber.
  
  Spain's Senate is still to vote on whether for the first time to enact Article 155 of the Spanish constitution, which empowers the government to take "all measures necessary to compel" a region in case of a crisis. It would enable Madrid to fire Catalan leaders, and take control of the region's finances, police and public media.
  
• 14th SAARCLAW Conference begins in Colombo
  The 14th South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation in Law (SAARCLAW) conference along with the 11th SAARC Chief Justices Conference was inaugurated in Colombo ON 27th October. The conference provides a platform for legal professionals to meet and discuss issues of mutual interests and emerging legal trends in the South Asian countries.
  
  The conference felicitated Attorney General of India K.K.Venugopal for his lifetime contribution to the legal field. An encyclopedia containing the major treaties, charters and legal documents in SAARC region written by legal expert Hemant Batra was also unveiled at the inaugural function.
  
  Over next two days, discussions will be held on 'The Role of National and International Counter-Tracking Laws in combating issues of Tracking and Forced Labour ‘, 'Artificial Intelligence and Human Aptitude working in Tandem', 'A Common Regional Platform for Combating Climate Change', 'The Confluence of Law and Technology', 'The Role of Law and Judicial Activism' and 'Promoting FDI and Cross-Border Transactions in the SAARC Region'.
  
• UN raises number of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh To 537,000
  The United Nations has raised the number of newly arrived Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh fleeing violence in Myanmar to 537,000. This is an increase of about 1,000 since the last UN report.
  
  The report by the Inter Sector Coordination Group of the UN includes data up to October 14 and said the UN had been able to verify the arrival of 18,000 new refugees last week
  
  The report also said that the makeshift settlements in Kutupalong and Balukhali in the Cox's Bazar area, which have joined together due to increasing arrivals, have received 374,000 persons. Another 89,000 refugees have taken shelter with local host communities.
  
  The Bangladesh government had counted 27,825 families and the Ministry of Home Affairs had registered 161,963 refugees until now, which is around 28 per cent of the total refugee population, according to the report.
  
  The UN said that all the recently arrived refugees were in need of food, medical services and housing, although only 37,000 families had received an emergency kit, which includes a tarpaulin for temporary shelter.
  
  The crisis began on August 25 when a insurgent group of the Rohingya Muslim minority staged a series of attacks on the police and army posts in Rakhine state, to which the Myanmar military responded with an ongoing large-scale offensive.
  
  According to eyewitnesses and human rights organisations, the Myanmar army has razed villages and shot and killed an undetermined number of civilians while clearing the area.
  
  Although Myanmar maintains that the violence was triggered by Rohingya rebels, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has accused the military of ethnic cleansing.
  
  Before the military campaign, an estimated one million Rohingyas lived in Rakhine state in Myanmar, where the government denies them citizenship.
  
• EU reaffirms support for Iran nuclear deal
  The European Union on 16th October reaffirmed its support for a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers despite sharp criticism of the accord by US President Donald Trump.
  
  It also urged U.S. lawmakers not to reimpose sanctions on Tehran. Trump defied both U.S. allies and adversaries by refusing to formally certify that Tehran is complying with the accord, even though international inspectors say it is and said he might ultimately terminate the agreement.
  
  EU Foreign Ministers meeting in Luxembourg said a failure to uphold an international agreement backed by the UN Security Council could have serious consequences for regional peace and also undermine efforts to check North Korea's nuclear ambitions.
  
  After a closed-door meeting chaired by EU Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini on how best to proceed on the Iran issue, the ministers issued a joint statement saying the 2015 deal is key to preventing the global spread of nuclear weapons.
  
• European Union imposes fresh sanctions on North Korea
  European Union has imposed fresh sanctions on North Korea as part of international efforts to punish the pariah regime for its nuclear and ballistic weapons programmes. Foreign ministers meeting in Luxembourg on 16th October signed off a new package of measures including a ban on investments in North Korea and on EU exports of oil to Pyongyang.
  
  They also tightened the restrictions on North Korean workers in the EU to try to stop money being sent home that could be used to fund the disputed weapons programmes.
  
• India should not ask Veto to get permanent membership: US
  The key to India becoming a permanent member of the UN Security Council is “not to touch the veto”, US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley has said as she identified Russia and China as the two global powers against changes in the current structure of the Security Council.
  
  The permanent five (members of the Security Council) have the ability to veto. Russia, China, UK (United Kingdom), US and France and none of them want to give that up. So, the key to getting India on the Security Council would have to be not to touch the veto, according to Haley.
  
  For long India has been calling for reform of the UN Security Council. India and a large number of countries believe that the current UN and its powerful Security Council does not reflect the ground realities of the 21st century. Last month, foreign minister of G4 countries – India, Brazil, Germany and Japan – met in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly to push their case for reform of the Security Council including expansion of its permanent and non-permanent members.
  
  India has also received support from several other multilateral groupings during the current General Assembly session in this regard, including BRICS and IBSA. Several countries have taken up the floor of general assembly to support India’s permanent membership.
  
• US Judge rules against latest travel ban
  A federal judge in Maryland early 18th October issued a second halt on the latest version of President Donald Trump's travel ban, asserting that the president's own comments on the campaign trail and on Twitter convinced him that the directive was akin to an unconstitutional Muslim ban.
  
  U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang issued a somewhat less complete halt on the ban than his counterpart in Hawaii did a day earlier, blocking the administration from enforcing the directive only on those who lacked a "bona fide" relationship with a person or entity in the U.S., such as family members or some type of professional or other engagement in the United States.
  
• Pakistani anti-corruption court indicts ousted PM Sharif, daughter
  A Pakistani anti-graft court on 19th October indicted ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter for allegations linked to ownership of posh London flats.
  
  Sharif, his daughter Maryam, as well as her husband Muhammad Safdar, had all been indicted. They all pleaded not guilty.
  
  Sharif was disqualified by the Supreme Court in July for not declaring a source of income that he disputes receiving.
  
  Pakistan’s top court also ordered a wide-ranging investigation by the National Accountability Bureau and trial of Sharif family members.
  
• G7 and Google, Facebook and Twitter agree on plan to block dissemination of Islamist extremism over internet
  G7 countries and tech giants including Google, Facebook and Twitter on 21st October agreed to work together to block the dissemination of Islamist extremism over the internet.
  
  Italian Interior Minister Marco Minniti said in Ischia, after a two-day meeting with his Group of Seven counterparts that these are the first steps towards a great alliance in the name of freedom.
  
  He stressed upon the importance of the internet for extremist "recruitment, training and radicalisation.
  
  Officials said the accord aimed at removing jihadist content from the web within two hours of being posted.
  
  The Group of Seven Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the US said it had also called on the web giants to work with their smaller partners to bolster the anti-extremism shield.
  
• Donald Trump outlines tough immigration measures
   US President Donald Trump, who pledged to help protect young people known as “Dreamers” brought illegally to the United States as children, called for money to fund a border wall to be part of any immigration deal.
  
  In a list of “principles” laid out in documents released by the White House, the Trump administration also pressed for a crackdown on unaccompanied minors who enter the United States, many of them from Central America.
  
  The plan, which was delivered to leaders in Congress on Sunday night, drew a swift rebuke from Democrats, who are seeking a legislative fix for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) programme that Trump ended last month.
  
  The Trump administration wants the wish list to guide immigration reform in Congress and accompany a bill to replace DACA, the Obama-era programme that protected nearly 800,000 “Dreamers” from deportation and allowed them to secure work permits.
  
  Tightening Norms
  • Trump is insisting on the construction of a wall across the southern border
  • The hiring of 10,000 immigration agents
  • Tougher laws for those seeking asylum and denial of federal grants to sanctuary cities
  • The White House is also demanding the use of the
  • E-Verify programme by companies to keep illegal immigrants from getting jobs
  • End to people bringing their extended family into the US
  • A hardening of the border against thousands of children fleeing violence in Central America
  
  
• WHO distributes 900,000 doses of cholera vaccine in Rohingya refugee camps
  The World Health Organization, WHO, on 10th October began distributing 900,000 doses of cholera vaccine in Bangladesh's camps for Rohingya refugees fleeing from Myanmar, the aim is to prevent a major outbreak of the deadly disease. WHO said more than 10,000 cases of diarrhea have been reported in the past week alone.
  
  Dr N. Paranietharan, the WHO's representative in Bangladesh said there is a clear risk for cholera. Cholera has not been identified in testing of patient samples by Bangladesh's health ministry; although clinics say they are waiting for reports of some samples sent last week.
  
  The first round of the vaccination campaign will cover 650,000 people aged one year and older. A second round will target 250,000 children aged between one and five with an additional dose for extra protection.
  
• Catalan leaders sign independence declaration but put it on hold
  Catalan President Carles Puigdemont and other regional leaders have put on hold the implementation of declaration of independence for several weeks after signing it.
  
  They signed the declaration of independence from Spain on 10th October, calling for Catalonia to be recognised as a sovereign state, following the disputed referendum.
  
  However, its implementation was suspended for weeks to allow talks with the government in Madrid. The move was immediately dismissed by the Spanish central government in Madrid.
  
  A October-1 referendum in the north-eastern province which Catalan leaders say resulted in a Yes vote for independence, was declared invalid by Spain's Constitutional Court.
  
• US withdraws from UNESCO accusing the cultural body of 'anti-Israel bias'
  The United States announced on 12th October that it will withdraw from the United Nations Scientific and Cultural Organisation, UNESCO, accusing the body of anti-Israel bias. UNESCO head Irina Bokova has regretted the US decision, and called it a loss to multilateralism.
  
  While the US stopped funding UNESCO after the international body voted to include Palestine as a member in 2011, the State Department has maintained a UNESCO office at its Paris headquarters and sought to weigh in on policy behind the scenes.
  
  The decision comes as the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation is voting to choose a new director this week, intense balloting overshadowed by the agency’s funding troubles and divisions over Palestinian membership.
  
• Trump refuses to sign off on Iran nuclear deal
  US President, Donald Trump has condemned Iran as a fanatical regime and refused to continue signing off on a landmark international nuclear deal. He said Iran has already violated the 2015 deal, which imposed curbs on Iran's nuclear capability in return for easing international embargoes.
  
  Trump said he is acting in order to deny Iran all paths to a nuclear weapon. The president said that congressional leaders are already drafting amendments that will curb the ballistic missile development and eliminate expiry dates on restrictions to Iran's nuclear development.
  
  In a joint statement, the UK, Germany and France said they are concerned by Trump's move but remain committed to the deal. Russia said it remains committed to the deal and is opposed to the use of aggressive and threatening rhetoric in international relations.
  
  Congress requires the US President to certify every 90 days that Iran is upholding its part of the agreement. Trump has already re-certified twice, but refused to sign a third time ahead of a 15th October deadline. Congress now has 60 days to decide whether to pull out of the nuclear deal by re-imposing sanctions.
  
• Burqa ban comes into effect in Austria
  Austria's law banning face veils such as burkhas or niqabs comes into effect from on 1st October. The government said, acceptance and respect of Austrian values are basic conditions for successful cohabitation between the majority Austrian population and people from third countries living in Austria.
  
  It also said, exemptions under certain conditions include items like clown disguises at cultural events, work wear such as medical masks, and scarves in cold weather. There are around 7 lakh Muslims in Austria, which has a population of about eight million.
  
• China opens new highway in Tibet close to Arunachal Pradesh border
  China on 1st October opened a 409-km new expressway costing about linking Tibet's provincial capital Lhasa with Nyingchi, which is close to Arunachal Pradesh border. According to the State-run Xinhua news agency, the toll-free expressway has linked the two major cities which are also tourist attractions in Tibet. Most of the expressways in Tibet are compatible for military equipment, providing advantage for the Chinese military to move its troops and weaponry faster.
  
• More than 50 killed, 500 hundred injured in Las Vegas shooting
  In the United States, more than 50 people have been killed and 500 hundred injured in a mass shooting at a Las Vegas concert. Islamic State claimed to be behind the attack. A gunman, named as 64-year-old Nevada resident Stephen Paddock, opened fire from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Hotel towards an open-air music festival attended by 22,000.
  
  Police say he killed himself as officers stormed the room where 10 guns were found. The attack is the worst mass shooting in recent US history.
  
• Catalonia to declare independence from Spain
  Catalonia will move on 9th October to declare independence from Spain following October 1's banned referendum as the European Union nation nears a rupture that threatens the foundations of its young democracy.
  
  Catalan President Carles Puigdemont said he favored mediation to find a way out of the crisis but that Spain’s central government had rejected this. Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy’s government responded by calling on Catalonia to “return to the path of law” first before any negotiations.
  
  Mireia Boya, a Catalan lawmaker from the pro-independence Popular Unity Candidacy (CUP) party, said a declaration of independence would follow a parliamentary session on 9th October to evaluate the results of the Oct. 1 vote to break away.
  
• IMF calls on world's largest economies to address stalling growth, productivity
  The IMF on 6th October called on the world's largest economies to address stalling growth and productivity and worrisome current accounts imbalances, saying the global recovery is not guaranteed to continue.
  
  In a report on the economic health of Group of 20 nations, the International Monetary Fund said group members had made substantial progress in spurring recovery after the Great Recession, with growth stabilising and unemployment falling.
  
  According to the report, as potential growth rates in more than half of G20 economies were estimated at two percent or lower. Current accounts imbalances in the Britain and the United States, which run persistent trade deficits, could spur protectionism, it added.
  
  The report said collective action by G20 members would promote the largest gains in GDP growth, adding about 3.5 percent to member countries' growth by 2028 under IMF forecasting models.
  
  The IMF and World Bank are due to convene annual meetings next week with member states, during which G20 representatives will also gather.
  
• US agrees to sell THAAD missile defence to Saudi Arabia
  The US government has approved the sale to Saudi Arabia of its advanced Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defence system. In a statement, the State Department said on 6th October that the 15 billion US dollar agreement furthered US national security and foreign policy interests.
  
  The statement said this would enhance Saudi Arabia and Gulf security against Iranian and other regional threats. The Pentagon's Defense Security Co-operation Agency opined this agreement would not alter the military balance in the region.
  
• BRICS-themed subway train debuts in China
  A BRICS-themed subway train with carriages representing the five member nations, including India, has started test operations in China's south-eastern Xiamen city where the grouping's summit was held last month. According to China’s state-run Xinhua news agency the Indian carriage depicts elephants and yoga. The Chinese carriage is red and displays icons such as the Great Wall and Tian'anmen Square. The Brazilian carriage is green and decorated with images of footballs and football stars.
  
  The Russian carriage shows off the country's ballet and Matryoshka dolls, while the South African carriage displays pictures of diamonds.
  
  The sixth carriage combines cultural elements from all the five BRICS countries. The subway's test operations will last until 11th October.
  
• Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi stripped of Oxford honour
  An honour bestowed on Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi by the city of Oxford has been withdrawn as a reaction to her perceived inadequate response to the plight of Rohingya Muslims in the country.
  
  The 'Freedom of Oxford' had been granted to the de facto leader of Myanmar in 1997 for her "long struggle for democracy" by the Oxford City Council.
  
  A cross-party motion was unanimously passed by the council on 2nd October which said it is no longer appropriate for her to hold the honour.
  
  Oxford City Council leader Bob Price supported the motion to remove her honour and confirmed it is an unprecedented step for the local authority. The city council will hold a special meeting to confirm that the honour is removed on the 27th of next month.
  
  Nearly 500,000 people belonging to Myanmar's Rohingya minority have been displaced after violence allegedly instigated by the country's military, causing a major humanitarian crisis. Suu Kyi has been Myanmar's State Counsellor, a position similar to Prime Minister, since April, 2016.

INTERNATIONAL SEPTEMBER 2017

INTERNATIONAL SEPTEMBER 2017

• China to cut oil exports, ban textile imports from North Korea
  China will restrict oil exports to and ban textile imports from North Korea, the commerce ministry announced on 23rd September, as Beijing joined global efforts to enforce tighter UN Security Council sanctions on Pyongyang for its provocative nuclear and missile tests. China, the closest ally of North Korea, accounts for about 90 per cent of Pyongyang’s foreign trade.
  
  China has halted its imports of coal, iron ore, seafood and other goods, implementing UN sanctions imposed on North Korea for its provocative nuclear and missile tests. As China is North Korea most important trading partner, the suspension of textile imports is expected to affect Pyongyang’s income.
  
  The Ministry of Commerce said it will implement UN Security Council Resolution 2375 by halting the export of liquefied natural gas and gas condensate to North Korea from 23rd September and limit exports of refined oil from October 1.
  
  The ban on textile imports will be effective from 23rd September, it said. Refined oil exports to North Korea from all UN members is capped at 500,000 barrels from October 1 to the end of the year and two million barrels annually from January 1, 2018.
  
  China will suspend such exports once the total exports approaches the ceiling, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
  
  Exported refined oil products must be used fully on civil purposes, not for North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile programmes, or other activities banned by the UN Security Council, the ministry said.
  
  A limited amount of petroleum products and liquefied natural gas, allowed under the UN resolution, would still be exported to North Korea.
  
  The UN Sanctions followed recent missile and nuclear tests by the North Korean regime violating the previous resolutions.
  
  China’s latest tougher stance is expected to bring about a financial isolation for Pyongyang, cutting off its international transactions routed through Chinese banks.
  
• Angela Merkel wins fourth term in Germany's parliament elections
  Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives beat their rivals on 24th September to win her a fourth term in an election that will brought a far-right party into Germany's parliament for the first time in more than half a century. The elections left Merkel's bloc weakened — with only 246 of the new parliament's 709 seats. However, the result leaves no other party able to lead a new government, and Merkel herself lacks any obvious internal challenger.
  
  Her conservative bloc won 32.9 percent of the vote, down 8.6 points from the 2013 election and hitting its lowest level since 1949.
  
  Merkel now faces lengthy talks to secure an alliance with parties that have a tradition of mutual suspicion as well as differences on issues including migration, European financial policy and the auto industry's future.
  
  One of the biggest shocks was the strength of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) which won 13 percent of the vote. It was the first time a far-right party entered the German parliament in more than half a century.
  
• North Korea, Venezuela and Chad in new US travel ban
  U.S. President Donald Trump issued a new open-ended travel ban on 24th September that saw North Korea, Venezuela and Chad among a list of eight countries cited for poor security and lack of cooperation with U.S. authorities.
  
  The new restrictions replace an expiring 90-day measure that had locked Mr. Trump in political and legal battles since he took office in January over what critics alleged was an effort to block Muslims from the country. But the White House stressed that the measure was to protect the United States from terror attacks. Sudan, one of the six majority-Muslim countries on the original travel ban, was removed from the list.
  
  The U.S. has recently praised Sudan’s efforts in fighting terrorism ahead of a decision expected in October on whether to lift decades-old sanctions on Khartoum. Full bans were newly placed on nationals from North Korea and Chad, and extended for five countries on the original list: Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen.
  
  Limited restrictions meanwhile were placed on Venezuela, for officials from government agencies including Interior and Foreign Ministries, the main police and intelligence services, and other agencies. Mr. Trump’s order said Caracas was not cooperating on security issues.
  
• UN says 480,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled to Bangladesh
  The United Nations said on 26th September that some 480,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled to Bangladesh since violence broke out in Myanmar on August 25, increasing its estimate by 45,000 in two days. A report by UN agencies and international charities said the change was due in large part to an estimated 35,000 Rohingya moving into two refugee camps who had not been accounted for before.
  
  It also said numbers crossing the border had started to rise again. The UN gave a figure of 435,000 Rohingya arrivals on 24th September.
  
• US imposes new economic sanctions against North Korea
  US President Donald Trump has warned North Korea that any U.S. military option would be devastating for North Korea, but said the use of force was not Washington's first option to deal with the North's ballistic and nuclear weapons program. According to Trump US is totally prepared for military action which is not a preferred option.
  
  The strong reaction from the US president came a day after North Korea said that it was ready to defend itself by shooting down US bombers.
  
  United States has imposed sanctions on eight North Korean banks and 26 bank executives, ratcheting up pressure on the country amid increasingly bellicose exchanges with North Korea over its nuclear programme.
  
• More than 500,000 Rohingya enter Bangladesh: UN
  United Nations on 28th September said, the number of Rohingya refugees who have fled to Bangladesh since violence broke out in Myanmar's Rakhine state on August 25 has exceeded half a million. The new figure of 501,800, up from around 480,000, was due mainly to the counting of refugees not previously included in the tally rather than a dramatic increase in arrivals.
  
• North Korean firms in China ordered to close by January, 2018
  China has ordered North Korean companies in the country to shut down by January as it applies UN sanctions imposed following Pyongyang's sixth nuclear test.
  
  China's commerce ministry said on 28th September that the companies, including joint ventures with Chinese firms, have 120 days to close from the date the United Nations resolution was adopted, September 11.
  
  The announcement comes days after China confirmed that it will apply another major part of the sanctions: a limit on exports of refined petroleum products to North Korea starting October 1 and a ban on textiles from its neighbour.
  
  China's application of UN sanctions is particularly biting for North Korea. Beijing is Pyongyang's main ally and trading partner, responsible for around 90 per cent of the hermit nation's commerce. The US has pressed China to use its economic leverage to strongarm North Korea into giving up its nuclear ambitions.
  
• US lawmakers introduce resolution to support India’s UNSC membership
  A resolution has been introduced in the US House of Representatives by two influential lawmakers to support India’s permanent membership in the UN Security Council, saying the time has come to recognise India’s role in increasing global prosperity.
  
  Introduced by Congressman Ami Bera, Vice Ranking Member on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Congressman Frank Pallone, founder of Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans, the resolution would put the House officially on record in supporting India’s bid.
  
  Bera said securing a permanent spot for India on the UN Security Council would strengthen democracy around the world.
  
  Pallone said it was in the interests of the US and the world to have a UN Security Council whose members combine military strength with respect for democracy and pluralism, and an appreciation of the dangers posed by rouge states and terrorist groups.
  
  The UN Security Council still reflects the world as it was in 1945 when the United Nations was created, a Congressional statement said.
  
  Despite the fact that the UN has grown from 51 member nations at its inception to nearly 200, the Security Council has not grown to reflect these changes.
  
  There are currently five permanent members of the council, including the US, the UK, Russia, China and France. The bill was introduced on the last day of the UN General Assembly session in New York.
  
• UNICEF to set up another 1300 schools for Rohingya children
  The United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund-UNICEF announced to setup more than 1,300 educational centers for Rohingya children who have fled from Myanmar to Bangladesh as refugees.
  
  UNICEF is currently running 182 learning school in Rohingya camp s and at Cox's Bazar, and has enrolled more than 15,000 children. According to press release, UNICEF also plans to increase the number of learning centres to reach 200,000 children by next year.
  
  The UNHCR says, around half a million Rohingyas have entered Bangladesh after the latest spell of violence to erupt in Myanmar's insurgency-affected Rakhine state. Children constitute a huge part of the displaced Rohingyas.
  
  The learning centres are providing early education to children aged 4 to 6 years and non-formal basic education to children aged 6 to 14 years. In each learning centre there are three shifts, with each shift comprising of 35 children.
  
  Children learn Bengali, English, Maths, Burmese, Science and Arts in the learning centres. They also receive counselling, and are taught hygiene and life skills. The children are given books, pens, colouring pencils, school bags and other educational materials.
  
  The official of Bangladesh Relief and Disaster Management ministry said that, the World Food Programme (WFP) will provide food assistance to 500,000 Rohingyas, who entered Bangladesh fleeing violence in Myanmar.
  
• Russia, Iraq restore commercial airlines services after 13-years
  Russia and Iraq restored scheduled commercial airline services on 17th September for the first time after thirteen years. It is a sign of stability returning to the war-torn country. Russia suspended regular flights to Iraq in 2004 after the US-led invasion in 2003 plunged the Arab country into war.
  
• US resume premium processing of H-1B visas after five months
  The US has resumed fast processing of H-1B work visas in all categories subject to Congress-mandated limit, five months after it was suspended temporarily to handle the huge rush of applications for the work visas popular among Indian IT professionals.
  
  The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. The technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year. Premium processing of H-1B visa was suspended in April to handle huge rush of new petitions.
  
  The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) resumed premium processing on 18th September for all H-1B visa petitions subject to the Fiscal Year 2018 cap. The Fiscal Year 2018 cap has been set at 65,000. Premium processing has also been resumed for the annual 20,000 additional petitions that are set aside to hire workers with a US higher educational degree.
  
• UN treaty to ban nuclear weapons, nations signed
  About fifty countries signed the United Nations treaty to ban nuclear weapons. Brazil was the first country to sign onto the ban, followed by nations from Algeria to Venezuela. More than 120 countries approved the new nuclear weapons ban treaty in July.
  
• India seeks probe into nuke proliferation links between Pakistan, North Korea
  India has 21st September asked for investigations into North Korea's nuclear proliferation linkages and said those responsible for it must be held responsible, in a veiled reference to Pakistan.
  
  External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj made the assertion during her trilateral meeting with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and her Japanese counterpart Taro Kono, on the sidelines of the ongoing United Nations General Assembly session in New York.
  
  Her remarks came days after North Korea fired another mid-range ballistic missile over Japan. On September 3, North Korea had conducted its sixth and most powerful nuclear test in direct defiance of United Nations sanctions and other international pressure.
  
  The leaders of the three countries - India, Japan and the US - also emphasised on the need for ensuring freedom of navigation, respect for international law and peaceful resolution of disputes, as they held a trilateral meeting in the backdrop of Doklam crisis and assertive Chinese behaviour.
  
  India and China last month ended a 73-day standoff in Doklam area of the Sikkim sector that was triggered by China's move to build a road in the border area. The road would have been a serious security issue because it would give Beijing access to the so-called Chicken's Neck, a narrow piece of land linking mainland India with its seven north-eastern states.
  
  China is also engaged in hotly contested territorial disputes in both the South China Sea and the East China Sea. Beijing has built up and militarised many of the islands and reefs it controls in the region. China claims sovereignty over all of South China Sea. However, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei and Taiwan have counter claims.
  
• China launches fastest bullet train in the World, running between Beijing and Shanghai
  China launches the world's fastest bullet train ‘Fuxing’ between Beijing and Shanghai at 350 kms per hour, covering the 1,250-km-long distance in just 4 hours and 30 minutes. China has the world’s longest high-speed rail network of over 22,000 kilometres, about 60% per cent of the world’s total.
  
• China, Russia begin naval drills near North Korea
  China and Russia began naval drills near North Korea on 18th September amid continuing tensions over the isolated state’s nuclear ambitions and ahead of a United Nations General Assembly meeting this week. The joint exercises will take place between Peter the Great Bay, just outside of the Russian far eastern port of Vladivostok, near Russia-North Korea border, and into the southern part of the Sea of Okhotsk, to the north of Japan. The drills are the second part of China-Russian naval exercises this year, the first part of which took place in the Baltic in July.
  
• Bhutan backs G-4 countries bid for permanent UN Security Council membership
  Bhutan on 22nd September said countries like India,Japan, Brazil and Germany must be given permanent seats in the UN Security Council, as it backed reforms in the world body to revitalise and strengthen it.
  
  Bhutan Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay said the UN reforms would be incomplete without reforming the Security Council to reflect the changing realities of the world.
  
  In his address to the UN General Assembly Tobgay said countries like India and Japan, Brazil and Germany must be called upon to serve as permanent members in the Security Council. He also said Africa must be appropriately represented.
  
  Portuguese support to India: Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Luis Da Costa has supported India’s bid for a permanent membership of the UN Security Council, asserting that efforts must continue to ensure greater representation in the most powerful wing of the world body.
  
• WHO to monitor health issues of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh
  The World Health Organization has set up a control room to monitor health issues affecting the over 4,22,000 Rohingya refugees from Myanmar, who are living in camps and settlements in Bangladesh’s Cox Bazar. The control room will help strengthen disease surveillance system and daily reporting of morbidity and mortality, a World Health Organisation (WHO) statement said.
  
  WHO Representative to Bangladesh Dr N Paranietharan, after inaugurating the control room, said the system will help in the management of the health situation, as the population is very mobile, dispersed in 68 camps, and is undocumented. In general, there is limited reliable data on the health profile of the newly arrived population
  
• Qatar Airways becomes the Worlds First Airline to launch Double beds in Business Class
  Qatar Airways has launched the first-ever double bed within business class. The Qsuite allows passengers to recline two middle seats into a fully flat bed and features partition panels to create a private bedroom with two entertainment screens inside. The suite features a fully reclinable double bed enclosed with partition panels which ensure guests unrivalled privacy. Qatar’s Boeing 777 is the first to fly the luxurious new business class feature, on a daily service from London Heathrow.
  
• 3.4 magnitude earthquake hits North Korea
  In North Korea, a 3 point 4 magnitude earthquake reported to have occurred near a nuclear test site where previous quakes have occurred during weapons' tests. Chinese seismologists said it was a suspected explosion. But South Korea says that it could be a natural quake not caused by a nuclear test.
  
  North Korea carried out a massive nuclear test on the 3rd of this month which has been widely condemned at the UN. The size of tremor is smaller than that usually detected when North Korea has tested weapons.
  
• China and Australia joint military training exercise called Panda Kangaroo 2017 held in Kunming
  China and Australia joint military training exercise called "Panda-Kangaroo 2017" concluded in Kunming, capital of southwest China's Yunnan Province, on September 20. This exercise kicked off on September 10, China and Australia each sent 10 soldiers to participate in the joint training.
  
• North Korea exported $270 mn of commodities illegally, says UN
  According to UN experts North Korea illegally exported coal, iron and other commodities worth at least $270 million to China and other countries, including India, Malaysia and Sri Lanka, during the six-month period ending in August in violation of UN sanctions.
  
  A report released on 9th September by the experts monitoring sanctions says Kim Jong Un’s government continues to flout sanctions on commodities, an arms embargo and shipping and financial restrictions.
  
  The experts say North Korea is also reportedly continuing prohibited nuclear activities with weapons-grade fissile material production at the Yongbyon nuclear complex.
  
• Hurricane Irma makes landfall in South Florida
  Hurricane Irma struck Florida after devastating much of the Caribbean. The eye of the Hurricane first hit the Florida Keys before moving north toward the west coast of the state and making landfall around Marco Island and Naples.
  
  Massive storm surges have flooded areas across South Florida, including Miami and Fort Lauderdale, while downed trees and power lines have left over 2 million residents without power.
  
  Hurricane Irma has since been downgraded to a Category 2 hurricane as it continues to move up the west coast toward Tampa, which is bracing for what may be a devastating hit.
  
• UN Security Council imposes new sanctions on North Korea
  The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on 11th September unanimously adopted new sanctions on North Korea for conducting its sixth and largest nuclear test. The resolution is designed to accomplish six major goals: cap pm North Korea's oil imports, ban textile exports, end additional overseas laborer contracts, suppress smuggling efforts, stop joint ventures with other nations and sanction designated North Korean government entities.
  
  But later in the day, the US put forward another draft that removed the full oil embargo, asset freeze, travel ban for Kim and softened the language on foreign workers and other issues.
  
  Although the resolution won unanimous backing from all 15 council members, the weakened penalties reflected the power of Russia and China, which had objected to the original language and could have used their votes to veto the measure
  
  Ahead of the vote, North Korea warned that United States will pay a "due price," if harsh sanctions against Kim Jong Un and the country are agreed at a United Nations Security Council meeting.
  
  The International community condemned North Korea for testing the hydrogen bomb on August 27, marking the sixth time the isolated state has tested a nuclear weapon.
  
• US Supreme Court allows President Trump to implement refugee ban
  The US Supreme Court has allowed President Donald Trump to implement broadly a ban on refugees entering the country from around the world.
  
  The court granted a request from the Trump administration to block a federal appeals court decision that would have eased the restrictive refugee policy and, according to the Justice Department, allowed up to 24,000 additional refugees to enter the US before October.
  
  Mr Trump had signed a revised executive order in March that banned travelers from six Muslim-majority countries - Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen - for 90 days and locked out most refugees for 120 days. The US President had said, the move was needed to prevent terror attacks.
  
• British Parliament passed EU Withdrawal Bill
  The Union Government to extract the UK from EU law in time for Brexit passed its first Parliamentary test. The EU Withdrawal Bill was backed by MPs by 326 to 290. The bill which will end the supremacy of EU law in the UK now moves onto its next Parliamentary stage. It was previously referred to as the Great Repeal Bill, the EU Withdrawal Bill overturns the 1972 European Communities Act which took the UK into the then European Economic Community.
  
• EU announces additional aid of 3M euros to Rohingya
  The European Union has announced additional aid of three million euros to address the pressing needs of the Rohingyas both in Bangladesh and Myanmar. Making the announcement, EU Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid Cristos Stylianides said, the funding comes on top of the 12 million euros aid announced in May 2017 when he visited Rakhine State.
  
  As more and more refugees continue pouring into Bangladesh, the additional funding will be used to provide emergency shelter, food, water and medical assistance to the Rohingyas.
  
  Like all EU aid, the funding will be chanelised through international NGOs, the UN or the Red Cross. The EU continues to call for full humanitarian access to the Rohingyas in Myanmar so as to be able to address the precarious humanitarian situation there and to ensure that it does not spiral into a crisis.
  
  In a separate statement, EU Vice President Federica Mogherini said besides full humanitarian access, the priority is also to address the root cause of the conflict by implementing the recommendations of the Kofi Annan commission.
  
• North Korea fires ballistic missile across Japan
  North Korea has fired a ballistic missile across Japan, creating new tension in the region after its nuclear bomb test less than two weeks ago. The launch took place from the Sunan airfield north of Pyongyang. South Korea military says, the missile reached an altitude of about 770 kms, travelling 3,700 kms before landing in the sea off Hokkaido. It flew higher and further than one fired over Japan late last month.
  
  As with the last test on the 29th of last month, the missile flew over Japan's northern Hokkaido island before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean. There are no immediate reports of damage to aircrafts or ships. Sirens sounded across the region and text message alerts were sent out warning people to take cover.
  
• North Korea fires missile eastwards from Pyongyang towards Japan
  North Korea has fired a missile eastwards from its capital, Pyongyang, towards Japan. South Korea’s military said, North Korea fired the missile from the Sunan district in its capital. It said, South Korea and the US are analysing the details of the launch. Japan has said that the missile likely passed over its territory and has warned residents to take shelter.
  
  Seoul's Defence Ministry said the missile probably travelled around 3,700 kilometres and reached a maximum altitude of 770 kilometres, which is both higher and further than the previous device.
  
• Bangladesh announces to build shelters for Rohingya Muslims fleeing from Myanmar
  The Bangladeshi government has announced plans to build shelters for up to 400,000 Rohingya Muslims fleeing from neighbouring Myanmar.
  
  The army and aid agencies are due to erect 14,000 shelters, each housing six families, near the city of Cox's Bazar. Since late August over 400,000 Rohingya are thought to have fled to Bangladesh, to escape a government offensive.
  
  Meanwhile, a fresh diplomatic row between Bangladesh and Myanmar has broken out over alleged violations of Bangladeshi airspace in the past week. Bangladesh Foreign Ministry summoned the Myanmar envoy and strongly protested the instances of violation of the country's airspace by Myanmar's military drones and helicopters on 10, 12 and 14th of this month. Foreign Ministry sources said Bangladesh expressed concern to the envoy Aung Myint and handed him a protest note saying these provocative acts may lead to unwarranted consequences.
  
  According to sources, Myanmar's helicopters and military drones have violated Bangladesh air space more than 20 times since the military crack down on insurgents on August which has led to a constant influx of Rohingya refugees into Bangladesh. This is the fifth time in 3 weeks that the envoy has been summoned and handed over protest notes.
  
• North Korea conducts 'strongest' ever nuclear test, says it was Hydrogen bomb
  North Korea said it set off a hydrogen bomb on 3rd September in its sixth nuclear test, which judging by the earthquake it set off appeared to be its most powerful explosion yet.
  
  North Korea conducted two nuclear tests in 2016, the last nearly a year ago, on the Sept. 9 anniversary of the nation's founding. It has since maintained a torrid pace in weapons tests, including its first two intercontinental ballistic missiles test in July. North Korea fired a potentially nuclear-capable midrange missile over northern Japan.
  
  North Korea's nuclear and missile program has made huge strides since Kim rose to power following his father's death in late 2011. The North followed its two tests of Hwasong-14 ICBMs by threatening in August to launch a salvo of its Hwasong-12 intermediate range missiles toward the U.S. Pacific island territory of Guam.
  
• BRICS summit strongly deplores terrorism in all its forms and manifestations
  Xiamen BRICS summit has strongly deplored terrorist attacks worldwide, including attacks in BRICS countries. In its declaration BRICS has condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and stressed that there can be no justification whatsoever for any act of terrorism.
  
  BRICS expressed concern on the security situation and violence caused by the Taliban, ISI or DAISH, Al-Qaida and its affiliates the Haqqani network, Pakistan based terrorist organisations Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad and TTP.
  
  BRICS leaders also strongly deplored the latest nuclear test conducted by the North Korea. In Xiamen Declaration they expressed deep concern over the ongoing tension and prolonged nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula, and emphasized that it should be settled only through peaceful means and direct dialogue of all the parties concerned.
  
  The declaration reaffirmed BRICS support to the people of Afghanistan in their efforts to achieve Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace and national reconciliation, to the ongoing international efforts.
  
  Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also held bilateral meetings with Russian president Putin and Brazilian President Temer on the sidelines of the Summit. Mr. Modi discussed a partnership based on a common global vision with Brazilian President Michel Temer during his bilateral meeting.
  
  Signed four documents
  BRICS leaders have signed four documents during the summit on Action Agenda on Economic and Trade Cooperation, Innovation, Customs Cooperation and MOU with Development Bank on Strategic Cooperation.
  
  The documents signed by the BRICS leaders are aimed at improving and broadening cooperation mechanism and promoting industrial and technical upgradation to enhance economic complementarties.
  
  BRICS action plan for innovation cooperation intends to facilitate innovation driven development for sustainable development.
  
  Strategic frame work of BRICS custom cooperation is meant for mutual sharing of information recombination of customs control and mutual assistance in enforcement as guiding principles.
  
  MoU between BRICS business council and New Development Bank on strategic cooperation is for economic and financial research activities in local markets, knowledge exchange financial institution cooperation and human resource development.
  
  Naming of the Pakistan-based terror groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad and calling for a comprehensive approach to combat terrorism by BRICS leaders is being seen as a big achievement for India's campaign against terrorism emanating from Pakistan.
  
• US President Donald Trump scraps Obama-era amnesty programme
  US President Donald Trump has scrapped an Obama-era amnesty programme that granted work permits to immigrants who arrived in the country illegally as children. This move is likely to impact 8 lakhs undocumented workers including more than seven thousand Indian-Americans. US Attorney General Jeff Sessions on 4th September announced the revocation of the programme also known as the Deferred Action for Children Arrival (DACA). India ranks 11th among countries of origin for the DACA students, according to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services statistics available till March 31st of this year.
  
• China military holds drills in waters near Korean Peninsula
  China carried out military drills in waters near the Korean Peninsula two days after North Korea said it exploded a hydrogen bomb, the Chinese defense ministry reported.
  
  The ministry said that the exercise in the Bohai Gulf was aimed at “boosting the forces expulsion mission capability” and not at any specific nations or targets. The drills had been pre-planned as part of routine training, according to the statement posted by the ministry’s official Sina Weibo microblog account.
  
  While it is usual for the Chinese military to hold drills in the Bohai Sea off its northeastern coast, the timing of present exercise has drawn special attention. China has repeatedly said it will not tolerate an armed conflict on its doorstep and says there can be no military solution to the current tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
  
• EU to impose sanctions against North Korea
  EU Foreign Ministers have agreed to consider additional sanctions against North Korea which recently conducted its 6th nuclear test. Foreign Ministers of 28 member countries of the European Union ended an unofficial 2-day meeting in Estonia's capital, Tallinn.
  
  They agreed that they cannot tolerate North Korea failing to fulfill its international obligation and threats to international security. EU senior representative Federica Mogherini, who's in charge of foreign policy and security issues, said the EU will increase economic pressure, and will aim to eventually make the Korean Peninsula fully nuclear-free. According to EU diplomats, member countries are considering sanctions targeting North Koreans working in the EU.
  
• Powerful earthquake measuring 8.1 strike southern Pacific coast of Mexico
  One of the most powerful earthquakes ever to strike Mexico has hit off its southern Pacific coast. The U.S. Geological Survey said the earthquake hit off Chiapas state near the Guatemalan border with a magnitude of 8.1 slightly stronger than the magnitude 8 quake of 1985 that killed thousands and devastated large parts of Mexico City.
  
• 270,000 Rohingya Muslims seek refuge in Bangladesh: UNHCR
  The United Nations refugee agency says an estimated 270,000 Rohingya Muslims of Myanmar have sought refuge in Bangladesh over the past two weeks. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, UNHCR, said the numbers are so alarming-it really means that it is necessary to step up our response to address the situation in Myanmar urgently.
  
  Meanwhile, US Ambassador to United Nations, Nikki Haley said in a statement issued that over the past week, conditions in Rakhine have continued to deteriorate. She said United States will continue to urge Myanmar security forces to respect civilians as it conducts security operations.
  
  The US, however, welcomes Myanmar government committing humanitarian assistance to all displaced by violence. While, the Government of Bangladesh is accommodating many displaced Rohingya, significant numbers of civilians are stranded along the border waiting for much-needed relief.

INTERNATIONAL AUGUST 2017

INTERNATIONAL AUGUST 2017

• International Solar Alliance to be a recognised multilateral agency of UN by December
  The International Solar Alliance is likely to be a recognised multilateral agency of the UN by this year-end. According to the Minister of State (Independent Charge) Coal, Power, New and Renewable Energy and Mines Piyush Goyal before the end of this calendar, Indian Government wants to ensure that the International Solar Alliance as a multilateral agency ratified by the first 15 countries who would then be founding members. ISA was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Francoise Hollande in November 2015. It aims to channel $300 billion in 10 years to promote renewable energy projects under a global mega fund for clean energy.
  
  The ISA was instituted to connect nearly 121 solar-resource-rich nations for research, low-cost financing and rapid deployment of clean energy.
  
• BRICS Governance Seminar Highlights another Golden Era
  The BRICS Seminar on Governance opened in southeast China on 17 August, during which over 160 representatives from BRICS members – -Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — as well as other developing nations brainstormed ideas on how to usher BRICS cooperation into another “golden decade”.
  
  The two-day Seminar, themed with “Openness, Inclusiveness, Mutual Benefits and Win-Win: Working Together to Build a Community of Shared Future for Mankind”, served as an important supporting event of the ninth BRICS Summit to be held early next month.
  
  The academics, consultants and business leaders, during the meeting held in Quanzhou, Fujian Province, contributed their wisdom on how to enrich the outcomes of the upcoming summit.
  
  The meeting also passed a “Quanzhou consensus” that encourages the signatories to prioritize development, launch mutually beneficial cooperation, engage in global governance in an active manner and learn more from other civilizations.
  
  The representatives agreed that an intensified exchange of state governance experience will endow the BRICS members with a better prospect.
  
  The great vision mapped out by Chinese President Xi Jinping on global governance could make unique contribution to the win-win cooperation of the entire world, Robert Lawrance Kuhn, chairman of the US-based Kuhn Foundation, said when commenting on China’s new governance ideas.
  
• Trump signs memo banning transgender recruits from US military
  US President Donald Trump has signed a memo ordering the Pentagon to ban an Obama-era plan of recruiting transgender individuals in the military, a move Democrats said is cruel and meant to hurt and humiliate American soldiers.
  
  In a memorandum, a copy of which was released by the White House, Mr Trump directed the Secretary of Defense, Secretary of Homeland Security with respect to the US Coast Guard, to return to the longstanding practice on military service by trans gender individuals that was in place prior to June last year.
  
  In the memorandum, Mr Trump alleged that his predecessor Barack Obama dismantled the Defense Departments' established framework by permitting transgender individuals to serve openly in the military, authorising the use of its resources to fund sex-reassignment surgical procedures, and permitting accession of such individuals after July 1, this year.
  
  The memorandum has requested the Pentagon to develop an implementation plan for the ban by February 21, 2018, which should be put in place on March 23, 2018.
  
• Trump seeks India’s help to achieve Afghanistan ‘goals
  US President Donald Trump has said that he wants to further develop strategic partnership with India to achieve country’s goals in Afghanistan, saying American troops “will fight to win” and “from now on victory will have a clear definition.”
  
  Trump on 22nd August detailed several of the US’s goals in Afghanistan, including “obliterating IS”, “preventing the Taliban from taking over Afghanistan” and strengthen Afghan security forces. He noted that “the stronger the Afghan security forces become, the less we will have to do.”
  
  The US President also vowed to change the country’s approach to dealing with Pakistan, promising to crack down on Pakistan’s harbouring of terrorist and militant groups.
  
  Trump promised that Pakistan has “much to gain” from partnering with the US, but also warned “it has much to lose by continuing to harbour criminals and terrorists.” Trump also said the US would pressure India to increase its support for Afghan economic development. Trump’s plan involves a modest increase of several thousand troops.
  
  According to Pentagon, additional troops, above current levels of about 8,500, would serve very specific purposes, including boosting training, capacity-building and allowing advisers to work more closely with Afghan soldiers along the front lines.
  
  The increase was effectively approved in June, when Trump gave Defense Secretary James Mattis the go-ahead to boost levels by as many as 3,900 troops.
  
  US commanders would bring in additional advisers to support Afghan special forces, the Afghan air force and the Afghan army and police professional schools, such as the infantry and artillery schools.
  
• Qatar restores diplomatic ties to Iran
  Qatar has restored full diplomatic relations with Iran, disregarding the demands of Arab nations that it lessen its ties to Tehran.
  
  Qatar's Foreign Ministry announced early on 24th August that the country's ambassador would return to Tehran. Qatar pulled out its ambassador in early 2016 after Saudi Arabia's execution of a prominent Shiite cleric sparked attacks on two Saudi diplomatic posts in Iran, a move to show solidarity with the kingdom.
  
  A Foreign Ministry statement said the state of Qatar expressed its aspiration to strengthen bilateral relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran in all fields.
  
• Trump signs memo banning transgender recruits from US military
  US President Donald Trump has signed a memo ordering the Pentagon to ban an Obama-era plan of recruiting transgender individuals in the military, a move Democrats said is cruel and meant to hurt and humiliate American soldiers.
  
  In a memorandum, a copy of which was released by the White House, Mr Trump directed the Secretary of Defense, Secretary of Homeland Security with respect to the US Coast Guard, to return to the longstanding practice on military service by trans gender individuals that was in place prior to June last year.
  
  In the memorandum, Mr Trump alleged that his predecessor Barack Obama dismantled the Defense Departments' established framework by permitting transgender individuals to serve openly in the military, authorising the use of its resources to fund sex-reassignment surgical procedures, and permitting accession of such individuals after July 1, this year.
  
  The memorandum has requested the Pentagon to develop an implementation plan for the ban by February 21, 2018, which should be put in place on March 23, 2018.
  
• Nepal, China sign three pacts to boost their ties
  Nepal and China on 15th August signed three pacts to further boost their ties in power and energy sectors. The pacts were signed to undertake a feasibility study to excavate natural gas and petroleum in the Himalayan country, including in the southern Terai plains.
  
  Both the countries signed the deals after visiting Chinese vice premier Wang Yang held discussions with Nepal's deputy prime ministers Bijaya Kumar Gachhadar and Krishna Bahadur Mahara.
  
  According to Nepal's foreign ministry, the agreements signed on 15th August cover economic and technological cooperation, oil and gas resources exploration, and promotion of investment.
  
  China's vice premier Yang arrived in Kathmandu from Pakistan after attending the country's Independence Day celebrations as a special guest.
  
• Harvard ranked first in Chinese ranking of best universities
  US universities retained their dominance in an annual Chinese ranking of the world’s top academic institutions, with Harvard staying number one for the 15th straight year. In a top 10, little changed from last year, Stanford held on to the second spot in the “Academic Ranking of World Universities” compiled by the independent Shanghai Ranking Consultancy, which has ranked the top 500 institutions each year since 2003.
  
  A statement accompanying this year’s results said the rankings were based on a range of indicators including alumni and staff winning Nobel Prizes and Fields Medals, and papers published in the journals “Nature” and “Science”.
  
  The University of Cambridge and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology each moved up a slot to take third and fourth as the University of California at Berkeley dropped two rungs to fifth position. Princeton, Oxford, Columbia, the California Institute of Technology, and the University of Chicago rounded out the top 10.
  
  China’s prestigious Tsinghua University was one of the biggest upward movers, climbing 10 spots to number 48, entering the top 50 for the first time.
  
  The highest-ranked Asian institution remained Tokyo University at 24th, though it was down four spots as other schools moved up, such as Washington University of St. Louis, which moved to 20th, its highest showing yet.
  
  The ranking is consistently largely static at its top levels. The list has generated controversy in the past for what critics say is stressing science over the humanities. The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich remained the highest-ranked entry from continental Europe, holding on to 19th place, while the University of Copenhagen in Denmark moved up one slot to 30th.
  
• US designates Hizbul Mujahideen a foreign terrorist organisation
  The US on 16th August designated Kashmiri militant outfit Hizbul Mujahideen as a "foreign terrorist organisation", nearly two months after declaring the group's Pakistan-based chief Syed Salahuddin as a global terrorist. The designation, which slaps a series of US sanctions on the outfit, came against the backdrop of upsurge in the terror activities of the militant group in Kashmir in recent months.
  
  Among other consequences, all of Hizbul Mujahideen's property and interests in property subject to US jurisdiction are blocked, and US persons are generally prohibited from engaging in any transactions with the group. The US decision marks a severe blow to Pakistan which has been projecting the militant group as a voice of Kashmiri people.
  
• Melbourne named as World's Most Liveable City
  According to the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Global Liveability Report 2017, Melbourne (in Australia) world’s most liveable city for a record seventh year in a row. Melbourne scored an overall rating of 97.5 out of 100 on the liveability index. It is the first time in the survey’s 15-year history that a city has held the No 1 rank in its own right for seven consecutive years.
  
• US lawmakers express concern over human rights violations in Pakistan
  In the United States, seven lawmakers have expressed concern over human rights violations in Pakistan's Sindh province and urged the State Department to place it on priority during interactions with the country.
  
  Expressing concerns about it the Congressmen led by Brad Sherman, Chair of the Congressional Sindh Caucus wrote a letter to the Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asia Alice G Wells and US ambassador to Pakistan David Hale. The lawmakers urged them to place a priority on human rights and democracy in its interactions with the government of Pakistan.
  
  The lawmakers also urged them to work with the government of Pakistan to seek the release of persons held on false charges in Sindh. Congressmen also urged to protect religious freedoms of the Sindhi people, to end the forced conversions of minority Sindhi girls and women.
  
  Noting that the people of Sindh face religious extremist attacks, the Congressmen said, reports suggest that every year, over 1,000 girls and young women in Pakistan, including many in Sindh, are forcibly converted upon marriage. They said Pakistani government has not done enough to stop this practice, and reform measures are circumvented or not enforced.
  
• World Health Organisation declared Somalia as polio free
  The United Nations World Health Organisation (WHO) declared no record of any case of polio disease in Somalia in the last three years declaring the country polio free. Afghanistan, Nigeria, and Pakistan are the remaining countries where polio is still being recorded. Somalia is still responding to an outbreak of acute watery diarrhea/cholera which began in January 2017.
  
• Doklam standoff: Japan throws weight behind India, Bhutan
  Two months into the Doklam border standoff between Indian and Chinese soldiers, Japan has conveyed its unequivocal support to India and Bhutan through diplomatic channels — a first by a major country, which is China’s neighbor. This comes a month ahead of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s visit to India from September 13 to 15.
  
  Hiramatsu, who is also concurrently accredited as Ambassador to Bhutan, met Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay in early August and conveyed Japan’s support to him and the top functionaries of the government.
  
  Japanese diplomats, who have been in touch with Indian officials since late June, have been briefed by Indian and Bhutanese government functionaries on the situation in Doklam, and its complexities.
  
• Disputed Venezuela assembly takes parliament's powers
  Venezuela's controversial new constituent assembly has overwhelmingly voted in favour of assuming the powers of the opposition-led parliament. The move has been rejected by parliament, which said Venezuelans and the international community would not recognise the new powers.
  
  President Nicolas Maduro said the new assembly will end the deadly political unrest in the country. But many have called it a slide towards dictatorship. The head of the Organization of American States (OAS) Luis Almagro called the move an "illegitimate dissolution" of the elected parliament.
  
  Meanwhile the heads of the parliament and the new assembly have been trading insults on social media. Parliament head Julio Borges accused the new assembly of a "coup" while new assembly head Delcy Rodriguez - a close ally of Mr Maduro - denounced his "lies". Mr Maduro's wife and son are among the 545 members of the new assembly, which was set up following a controversial election earlier this month.
  
• UN chief calls for intensified global effort on nuclear disarmament
   With the presence of some 15,000 nuclear weapons on Earth, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has urged all States to intensify their efforts in the shared pursuit of a nuclear-weapons-free world. In a message delivered on his behalf by High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu at an annual memorial held in Hiroshima, Japan, for the victims of the atomic bomb dropped on August 6, 1945 in the city.
  
  The states possessing nuclear weapons have a special responsibility to undertake concrete and irreversible steps in nuclear disarmament," Guterres stressed, warning against the continued presence of some 15,000 nuclear weapons and dangerous rhetoric regarding their use.
  
  He said that the world looks to Hiroshima, as the city built on "resilience and hope," which has come back from the tragic event 72 years ago, adding that the city's determination for peace is an inspiration to the world.
  
  On a positive note, Guterres highlighted a major development in 2017, in particular the adoption last month of the treaty on the prohibition of nuclear weapons by UN Member States.
  
  This outcome was the result of a global campaign focused on the unconditional unacceptability of the use of nuclear weapons, the Secretary-General noted, acknowledging the invaluable contribution made by Hiroshima's message of peace and the heroic efforts of hibakushas or survivors of the atomic bombs.
  
  They have reminded the world of the devastating humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons, he said, expressing UN support for a global effort towards a world free of nuclear weapons.
  
  The United States had dropped nuclear bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and 9, 1945, respectively during the final stage of World War II.
  
  The two bombings, which killed at least 129,000 people, remain the only use of nuclear weapons for warfare in history.’
  
• ASEAN, China adopt framework for crafting code on South China Sea
  Foreign ministers of Southeast Asia and China adopted on 6th August a negotiating framework for a code of conduct in the South China Sea, a move they hailed as progress but seen by critics as tactic to buy China time to consolidate its maritime power.
  
  The framework seeks to advance a 2002 Declaration of Conduct (DOC) of Parties in the South China Sea, which has mostly been ignored by claimant states, particularly China, which has built seven manmade islands in disputed waters, three of which are equipped with runways, surface-to-air missiles and radars.
  
  All parties say the framework is only an outline for how the code will be established but critics say the failure to outline as an initial objective the need to make the code legally binding and enforceable, or have a dispute resolution mechanism, raises doubts about how effective the pact will be.
  
  Signing China up to a legally binding and enforceable code for the strategic waterway has long been a goal for claimant members of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), some of which have sparred for years over what they see as China's disregard for their sovereign rights and its blocking of fishermen and energy exploration efforts.
  
• Widespread and systematic use of excessive force in Venezuela: UN
  The UN on 8th August slammed Venezuela for what it called its widespread and systematic use of excessive force against demonstrators. The UN rights office said this in a statement, presenting preliminary findings from an investigation conducted in June and July. It said security forces were responsible for deaths of at least 46 protesters.
  
• Indonesia, Russia to strengthen cooperation to fight terrorism
  Indonesia and Russia pledged on 11th August to strengthen cooperation in cyber-security and counter-terrorism as concern grows about the spread of radicalism in Southeast Asia. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who is on a two-day visit to Indonesia, said the two countries would work together more closely to counter the spread of Islamic State (IS) ideology.
  
  The terrorists seized parts of the city over two months ago and have resisted all attempts by the Philippine army to evict them.
  
  Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said the two countries had strong ties on political and defence issues, and Indonesia wanted to deepen trade ties.
  
  The ministers also discussed tensions on the Korean peninsula, the South China Sea and conflict in the West Asia, but gave no details.
  
• 15th BIMSTEC ministerial meeting begins in Kathmandu
  Nepal Prime Minister of Nepal Sher Bahadur Deuba has said that terrorism continues to be the greatest threat to peace, democracy, development and good neighborliness. Inaugurating the 15th BIMSTEC Ministerial on 10th August at Kathmandu, Mr. Deuba said that Nepal firmly and unequivocally condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.
  
  He said that BIMSTEC region is blessed with vast and diverse natural resources and if they are harnessed properly and efficiently prosperity will not be out of reach of our peoples. Nepal PM also said that as BIMSTEC mark the twentieth anniversary it is the right moment to focus on deepening rather than widening the areas of cooperation.
  
  During the two day meeting foreign ministers of member countries will review the progress in identified fourteen areas of cooperation and discuss ways to accelerate cooperation under the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) process. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj representing India in the meeting.
  
• Unexploded bomb found at Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan
  A suspected unexploded bomb has been found at the site of the Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan. The US is thought to have dropped the 89 cm-long device during World War-II.
  
  It is found by workers building a car park at the site where a four-decade-long decommissioning process is under way.
  
  Tens of thousands of residents had to evacuate the area after a reactor meltdown in 2011 following an earthquake and tsunami. The incident at the Tokyo Electric Power Co (Tepco) site was the world's most serious nuclear accident since Chernobyl in 1986. No-one died directly in the meltdown but three former Tepco executives are facing trial on charges of negligence because of deaths related to the area's evacuation.
  
• BIMSTEC decides for great cooperation
  The 15th Ministerial Meeting of Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) was concluded at Kathmandu 11th August. In a joint statement issued after the meeting the members agreed to intensify their collaborative efforts to realise the aims and purposes of the group embodied therein and pledged to make BIMSTEC stronger, more effective and result oriented.
  
  The members also reaffirmed commitment to intensify their efforts to realise the directives outlined and the Agenda of Action as agreed by the Leaders during the Goa Retreat in 2016.
  
  They agreed to emphasise the need for greater cooperation in trade and investment in order to deepen regional integration in the Bay of Bengal region.
  
  The members also recognised paramount importance of early conclusion of BIMSTEC Free Trade Area. The Trade Negotiating Committee and Working Groups were directed to expedite the finalization of its constituent Agreements.
  
  The members also urged authorities for early finalisation of the BIMSTEC Trade Facilitation Agreement and BIMSTEC Agreement on Mutual Assistance on Customs Matters.
  
  The foreign ministers expressed satisfaction that the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the Establishment of the BIMSTEC Grid Interconnection is ready for signature. They also welcomed launch of BIMSTEC Tele-medicine Network by JIPMER India to strengthen collaboration among premier medical institutions in the region.
  
  They reiterated strong commitment of their leaders to combat terrorism, which remains the single most significant threat to peace and stability of the region. The members agreed to take concrete measures to step up cooperation and coordination among law enforcement, intelligence and security organisations.
  
  They also expressed gratitude to the Government of India for hosting the First Annual Meeting of the National Security Chiefs in New Delhi on 21 March 2017. The members expressed satisfaction on activities and commemorative events undertaken so far to celebrate the Twentieth Anniversary of the establishment of the BIMSTEC.
  
  The leaders of delegation of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand expressed their profound appreciation to the Government of Nepal for the warm hospitality and excellent arrangements made for the meeting.
  
  The statement said that ministers look forward to meeting in Nepal for the Sixteenth Ministerial Meeting and the Fourth BIMSTEC Summit.
  
• Facebook launches YouTube competitor called ‘Watch’
  Facebook has a new home for original video content produced exclusively for it by partners, who will earn 55 percent of ad break revenue while Facebook keeps 45 percent. The “Watch” tab and several dozen original shows will start rolling out to a small group of U.S. users on mobile, desktop and Facebook’s TV apps.
  
  By hosting original programming, Facebook could boost ad revenue and give people a reason to frequently return to the News Feed for content they can’t get anywhere else.
  
• US tests missile-interceptor system THAAD
   US forces carried out a successful test on 30th July of a missile-interception system. The test of the THAAD system, which the United States wants to set up in South Korea, came two days after North Korea's second test of an ICBM. The US Missile Defense Agency said, in the American test, a medium-range missile was launched from a US Air Force C-17 aircraft flying over the Pacific and a THAAD unit in Alaska detected, tracked and intercepted the target.
  
• No free movement between UK and EU countries after March 2019
  Prime Minister Theresa May’s office says free movement to Britain from European Union countries will end when the UK leaves the bloc in March 2019, but it’s uncertain what migration arrangements will look like after that. May’s government is divided over Brexit, and ministers have been sending mixed signals. Last week Treasury chief Philip Hammond said Britain will abide by some EU rules for up to three years post-2019, suggesting some form of continued free movement to help businesses avoid a “cliff edge.”
  
• India, China home to 39% of young Internet users: UN report
  India and China are home to 39 per cent of the 830 million young people worldwide who use the Internet. According to a UN report, there is significant increase in broadband access and subscriptions, with China leading the way.
  
  The data released by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations specialised agency for Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), shows that youths (15-24 years old) are at the forefront of Internet adoption.
  
  In the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), up to 35 per cent of individuals using the Internet are aged 15-24, compared with 13 per cent in developed countries and 23 per cent globally. The report adds that mobile broadband subscriptions have grown more than 20 per cent annually in the last five years and are expected to reach 4.3 billion globally by the end of 2017.
  
  The number of fixed-broadband subscriptions has increased by 9 per cent annually in the last five years with up to 330 million subscriptions added. There has been an increase in high-speed fixed broadband subscriptions parallel to the growth in the number of fibre connections.
  
  While the Internet user gender gap has narrowed in most regions since 2013, the proportion of men using the Internet remains slightly higher than the proportion of women using the Internet in two-thirds of countries worldwide.
  
  Developing countries, which are home to 83 per cent of the global population, generate 39 per cent of the world's telecommunication revenues.
  
• Pakistan National Assembly elects Shahid Khaqan Abbasi as PM
  Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has has been elected Prime Minister by Pakistan's National Assembly, becoming the interim leader of the country after Nawaz Sharif was disqualified by the Supreme Court over the Panama Papers scandal.
  
  Abbasi got elected after getting 221 votes in the House of 342. Naveed Qamar of Pakistan People’s Party got 47 votes, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf got 33 while Jamaat-e-Islami's Sahibzada Tariqullah managed just four votes.
  
  The Supreme Court disqualified 67-year-old Prime Minister Sharif for dishonesty and ruled that corruption cases be filed against him and his children over the Panama Papers scandal, forcing him to resign. The National Assembly, the lower house of Parliament, was summoned by President Hussain to elect the new leader.
  
• US President signs Russia sanctions bill into law
  Us President Donald Trump has signed into a law a bill which imposes new sanctions on Russia for their alleged meddling in the 2016 election.
  
  The bill, which was signed in private at the White House, also imposes sanctions on Iran and North Korea. The legislation handcuffs the President from easing penalties on Russia without congressional approval. Russia denies interfering in the US election, and Mr Trump has denied colluding with Russia.
  
  The White House had previously indicated that Mr Trump would sign the bill after it had passed through both houses of Congress.
  
• China opens its first overseas Military base in Djibouti
  China formally launched its first overseas naval facility in Djibouti, an East African nation. Five Chinese formations and Djibouti’s Three Services HonorGuard took part in the launch ceremony on 1 of August 2017. The event marked the 90th anniversary of the Chinese military Services.
  
• UN Security Council resolution to slash North Korea exports
  A US-drafted United Nations Security Council resolution, aims to slash by a third North Korea's $3 billion annual export revenue by banning the country's trade of coal, iron, iron ore, lead, lead ore and seafood. North Korea ally China and Russia would support the draft resolution, which was circulated to the 15 Security Council members on 4th August.
  
  The United States is aiming for a vote on 5th August to impose the stronger sanctions over North Korea's two intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) tests in July, though Russia and some other council members are asking for more time
  
  A resolution needs nine votes in favor, and no vetoes by the United States, China, Russia, France or Britain, to be adopted.
  
  The draft resolution would also prohibit countries from increasing the current numbers of North Korean laborers working abroad ban new joint ventures with North Korea and any new investment in current joint ventures.
  
• Qatar to offer permanent residency to some Non-Citizens
  Qatar’s Cabinet has approved a law making permanent residency available to some non-citizens. The residency permits could be granted to children of Qatari women married to foreigners, people who “offered valuable services to the country” and those with special skills. As in many Arab countries, a Qatari child’s citizenship is granted based on the father’s nationality.
  
• UNSC imposes new sanctions on North Korea
  The United Nations Security Council unanimously imposed new sanctions on North Korea on 5th August that could slash by a third the Asian state's $3 billion annual export revenue over North Korea’s two July intercontinental ballistic missile tests.
  
  The US-drafted resolution bans North Korean exports of coal, iron, iron ore, lead, lead ore and seafood. It also prohibits countries from increasing the current numbers of North Korean laborers working abroad, bans new joint ventures with North Korea and any new investment in current joint ventures.
  
• Hassan Rouhani sworn in as Iran's president for second term
  Iran's re-elected president Hassan Rouhani has been sworn in for his second term in an official ceremony held at the Iranian parliament in Tehran.