Tag Wise Current Affairs
Tag: Miscellaneous
US announces suspension of Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty with Russia
Tags: International Organizations, Miscellaneous
Published on: 02 February 2019
India, Bangladesh sign MoU for training 1800 Bangladesh civil servants
Tags: Miscellaneous
Published on: 09 February 2019
Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi elected as chairperson of African Union
Tags: International Organizations, Miscellaneous
Published on: 11 February 2019
ADB approves US $350 million loan for road project in Chhattisgarh
Tags: International Organizations, Miscellaneous
Published on: 01 June 2019
Statue of Unity shortlisted for UK-based structural award
Tags: Miscellaneous
Published on: 05 August 2019
India-UK workshop on Science for Disaster and Emergency Risk Management
Tags: Miscellaneous
Published on: 30 August 2019
Solomon Islands cuts diplomatic ties with Taiwan
Tags: Miscellaneous
Published on: 18 September 2019
Saudi Arabia to offer tourist visas for the first time
Tags: Miscellaneous
Published on: 27 September 2019
US approves legislation backing Hong Kong protestors
Tags: Miscellaneous
Published on: 28 November 2019
India-Australia Mutual Logistics Support Agreement
Tags: Miscellaneous
Published on: 11 December 2019
America threatens to destroy Iran’s cultural sites
Tags: Miscellaneous
Published on: 07 January 2020
Safe third country agreement: The US- Guatemala asylum deal
Tags: Miscellaneous
Published on: 18 January 2020
WHO declares global emergency on Coronavirus epidemic
Tags: Miscellaneous
Published on: 31 January 2020
Digital identification stopped by Netherlands’ court
Tags: Miscellaneous
Published on: 15 February 2020
Trump requests PM Modi to release Hydroxychloroquine
Tags: Miscellaneous
Published on: 05 April 2020
COVID-19 and its effects on measles immunisation program
Tags: Miscellaneous
Published on: 15 April 2020
Australian government’s issue with Google and Facebook
Tags: Miscellaneous
Published on: 10 September 2020
Barbados to remove Queen Elizabeth II as head of state
Tags: Miscellaneous
Published on: 18 September 2020
Strategic implications of Bangladesh’s economic rise
Tags: Miscellaneous
Published on: 21 October 2020
France to ban discrimination on the basis of accents
Tags: Miscellaneous
Published on: 30 November 2020
US recognises Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara
Tags: Miscellaneous
Published on: 14 December 2020
Turkey’s controversial law to monitor civil society
Tags: Miscellaneous
Published on: 29 December 2020
China’s plans to prevent further sanctions on its companies
Tags: Miscellaneous
Published on: 12 January 2021
EU’s U-turn on vaccine supplies to Northern Ireland and UK
Tags: Miscellaneous
Published on: 03 February 2021
Columbia grants temporary legal status to Venezuelans
Tags: Miscellaneous
Published on: 11 February 2021
Remote weapon technology that killed Iranian scientist
Tags: Miscellaneous
Published on: 09 December 2020
Switzerland makes law against face coverings in public
Tags: Miscellaneous
Published on: 10 March 2021
Indian ocean boundary dispute between Kenya and Somalia
Tags: Miscellaneous
Published on: 17 March 2021
Former military officials warn about civil war in France
Tags: Miscellaneous
Published on: 01 May 2021
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'title' => 'US announces suspension of Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty with Russia',
'description' => '<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">United States announced unilateral suspension from Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty with Russia. The announcement comes after US and Russia failed to resolve long-running accusation that Russia is violating this cold war era treaty. US will exit this treaty in six months unless Russia assures compliance by destroying all of its violating missiles, launchers, and associated equipment under this treaty.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Reasons for suspension</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The suspension comes after US President Donald Trump in October 2018 announced unilateral withdrawal of US from INF treaty.</span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">US alleges that Russia violated this treaty by testing 9M729 ground-launched cruise missile (NATO name SSC-8) in 2014, having range beyond prescribed by this treaty and had deployed the same missile that could strike Europe at short notice.</span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Russia, however, has denied US accusation saying that relevant missile was never tested at distances banned under the agreement and has called on US to show proof of a violation.</span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Russia also has accused US of breaching treaty by deploying its missile-defence systems in Europe, a charge which US rejects.</span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Since then both countries have failed to find resolution using dispute resolution mechanism in treaty. </span></span></li>
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<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">It was crucial Cold War-era treaty signed in December 1987 between then US President Ronald Reagan and his USSR counterpart Mikhail Gorbachev. (Russia was known as USSR before its disintegration after cold war in early 1990s).</span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">It prohibits US and Russia from possessing, producing or test-flying ground-launched cruise missiles with ranges of 500–1,000 km or (short-range) and 1,000–5,500 km (intermediate-range).</span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">It also covers all land-based missiles, including those missiles carrying nuclear warheads. However, i<em>t does not cover sea-launched or air-launched weapons.</em></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The ban under it was originally applied only to US and USSR forces, but its membership was eventually expanded in 1991 to include successor states of former Soviet Union. Thus, it offered blanket of protection to US’s European allies.</span></span></li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Significance</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">This treaty marked watershed agreement between US and USSR which were at centre of arms race during the Cold War.</span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">It was central to ending arms race between two superpowers during cold war and protected US’s NATO allies in Europe from Soviet missile attacks. </span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">It was designed to provide some strategic stability in Europe from USSR (now Russia). It had proved to be potent deterrent against any full-scale nuclear war in Europe. </span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">It had resulted in the destruction of 2,692 missiles (US had demolished 846, and Russia destroyed 1,846 missiles). It kept nuclear-tipped cruise missiles off European continent for three decades. </span></span></li>
</ul>
<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><img alt="Intermediate range Nuclear Forces Treaty" src="https://www.mediafire.com/convkey/efb7/1x654c3d6zuqcii6g.jpg" style="float:left; height:572px; width:754px" /></span></span></p>
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'description' => '<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">China has agreed to provide US $2.5 billion in loans to Pakistan to boost its depleting foreign exchange reserves. It will place $2.5 billion in deposits with Pakistan’s central bank viz. State Bank of Pakistan (SBP).The money is coming as part of Pakistan Government’s strategy to secure breathing space till time its macroeconomic stabilisation measures take effect.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">With this, China’s contribution in this fiscal year alone will be around $4.5 billion. In July 2018, China deposited $2 billion with SBP. In past five years, China has emerged as Pakistan’s single largest saviour in times of economic crisis.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>What is the issue?</strong></span></span></p>
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<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Pakistan is struggling to maintain its foreign exchange (Forex) reserves and is nearly broke with drying up of foreign cash reserves and mounting external debt.</span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Its $8.12 billion reserves, which are below minimum level prescribed by International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank (WB), are sufficient to cover only seven weeks of imports.</span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Due to this, WB, IMF and Asian Development Bank (ADB) are not providing loans or bailing out Pakistan for budget financing.</span></span></li>
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<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>How it Pakistan tackling this issue?</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Pakistan has secured $14.5 billion worth of commitments from China, Saudi Arabia and UAE as emergency loans to avoid looming default and bridge external financing gap.</span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Saudi Arabia has agreed to provide $6 billion financial assistance package to Pakistan, which included $3 billion in short term loans at interest rate of 3.18%. It has already disbursed $3 billion.</span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">UAE has agreed to provide $3 billion in loans at interest rate of around 3% and has already disbursed $1 billion.</span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">But despite $4 billion inflows from Saudi Arabia and UAE during past two months, gross official foreign currency reserves of Pakistan has stayed at only $8.12 billion as of December 2018 end.</span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Pakistan also has launched <em>Diaspora bonds</em> at interest rates of 6.25% for three years and 6.75% for five years to arrange funds for balance of payments support.</span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">It will be also launching two more financial instruments viz. <em>Sukuk bonds (Islamic bonds)</em> and <em>$3 billion Euro bonds</em> to meet external sector financing requirements.</span></span></li>
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<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Key Facts</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">NCGG will train Bangladesh Civil Servants in e-Governance and service delivery, public policy and implementation, information technology (IT), decentralization.</span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">It will also train them in urban development and planning, ethics in administration and challenges in implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).</span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">These trainee officers will undergo training at NCGG Mussoorie centre, Uttarakhand and in Delhi where they would visit Government of India (GoI’s) establishments.</span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">This collaboration is considered as historic milestone in capacity building and training programs between India and Bangladesh.</span></span></li>
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<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in; text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG)</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">It isautonomous institute under Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DAR&PG), Union Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions.</span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">It was established in 2014 by rechristening and expanding mandate of National Institute of Administrative Research (NIAR), set up in 1995 by Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA).</span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Its head office is in New Delhi and registered office in Mussoorie, Uttarakhand.</span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Its mandate is to assist in bringing about governance reforms through studies, training, knowledge sharing and promotion of good ideas.</span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">It seeks to carry out policy relevant research and prepare case studies, curate training courses for civil servants from India and other developing countries.</span></span></li>
<li style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">It also provides platform for sharing of existing knowledge and pro-actively seek out and develop ideas for their implementation in government, both at States and Central level.</span></span></li>
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'description' => '<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"quicksand",serif">Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi was elected chairperson of African Union (AU) by its 55 member nations at 32nd AU summit held in Addis Ababa, capital city of Ethiopia. He will succeed Rwandan President Paul Kagame (in office from January 2018 to January 2019). The post of AU chairperson rotates annually between five regions of continent. This is for first time since establishment of AU, Egypt has assumed top seat of the body.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-family:"quicksand",serif">African Union</span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"quicksand",serif">It is pan-Africa continental union consisting of 55 countries. Its structure is loosely modelled on that of European Union.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"quicksand",serif">It aims at promoting unity and cooperation among African nations and strive to spread democracy and good governance in the continent.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"quicksand",serif">It seeks to accelerate process of integration in continent to enable it play its rightful role in global economy while addressing multifaceted social, economic and political problems.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"quicksand",serif">It was founded in May 2001 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and launched in July 2002 in South Africa. It had replaced Organisation of African Unity (OAU). </span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"quicksand",serif">Its secretariat/headquarters i.e. African Union Commission is based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. </span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"quicksand",serif">Its most important decisions are made by Assembly which is a semi-annual meeting of the heads of state and government of its member states.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"quicksand",serif">It also has official bodies such as Peace and Security Council and Pan-African Parliament. </span></span></span></li>
</ul>
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'metatitle' => 'Abdel Fattah al-Sisi elected as chairperson of African Union',
'metakeyword' => 'In International Current Affairs, Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi elected as chairperson of African Union',
'metadescription' => 'Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi elected chairperson of African Union ',
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(int) 4 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
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'id' => (int) 1235,
'title' => 'WHO recognizes Burnout as medical condition',
'description' => '<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">World Health Organization (WHO) for the first time recognised “occupational burn-out” as a medical condition during its recently concluded World Health Assembly in Geneva. It has put burnout in International Classification of Diseases-11 (ICD-11) list, which is used globally as benchmark for health diagnosis. The updated ICD-11 list will take effect in January 2022, also</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">About Occupational Burn-out</span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">WHO Definition:</span></span></strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif""> It is defined as syndrome conceptualised as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. It refers specifically to phenomena in occupational context and should not be applied to describe experiences in other areas of life.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Three dimensions of Burnour:</span></span></strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif""> (i) Feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion (ii) Increased mental distance from one's job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one's job; and (iii) reduced professional efficacy. </span></span></span></span></li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">International Classification of Diseases (ICD) </span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">It is the international standard diagnostic tool for epidemiology, clinical purposes and health management. </span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Full official name:</span></span></strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif""> International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems. It is maintained by WHO and revised periodically. </span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Purpose:</span></span></strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif""> It serves as foundation for identifying health trends and statistics worldwide. It is designed as health care classification system by providing system of diagnostic codes for classifying diseases, including classifications of wide variety of signs, symptoms, complaints, social circumstances, abnormal findings and external causes of injury or disease. </span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">It provides common language for health professionals to share health information across the globe. It contains more than 55,000 unique codes for injuries, diseases and causes of death. </span></span></span></span></li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif""> <strong>ICD-11</strong></span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">It is updated ICD list that will take effect in January 2022. It also contains several other additions, including classification of “compulsive sexual behaviour” as a mental disorder. It also recognises video gaming as an addiction, listing it alongside drug abuse and gambling. It also has for first time has added chapter on traditional systems of medicine.</span></span></span></span></p>
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'title' => 'ADB approves US $350 million loan for road project in Chhattisgarh',
'description' => '<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Multi-lateral funding agency Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved US $350 million loan for road project in Chhattisgarh. The project aims at rehabilitating and upgrading state highways and major district roads in Chhattisgarh, which will improve connectivity and access to basic services and livelihood opportunities.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">About Project</span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">It aims to provide safer and higher capacity road connectivity between state capital, district centres, and other rural hubs. It also seeks to provide efficient linkages between existing key corridors.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">It will support state government's strategy by rehabilitating or upgrading two state highways and 23 major district roads totalling about 850 kilometres. </span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">The total cost of this project is US $521.69 million of which State Government will finance US $171.69 million. </span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Significance of Project: </span></span></strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">It will boost access of the poor to socio-economic opportunities and to basic services such as healthcare and education. It will also improve the overall quality of life in influence areas along the roads. </span></span></span></span></li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Background</span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Chhattisgarh is overwhelmingly rural (about 96</span></span><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">% </span></span><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">of the area) ad is rich in natural resources and a major producer of minerals such as coal and iron ore. However, according to 2011 census, poverty levels were at about 38</span></span><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">% </span></span><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">of the population. </span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">There is need for safe and efficient road network to significantly improve state's economy and development, and for poverty reduction in the state. </span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Currently, Chhattisgarh relies heavily on roads for movement of people and goods, particularly in rural and semi-urban areas. About 70%of the state highways have only single or intermediate lanes, while most major and other district roads are single lanes. </span></span></span></span></li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Asian Development Bank (ADB)</span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">It is multilateral lending agency based in Manila, Philippines. It was established on 19 December 1966.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">It is collectively owned by its members. It has total 67 members – 48 from Asia-Pacific region (including India) and 19 from outside.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">It envisions prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty in the region.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">It assists its members, and partners, by providing loans, technical assistance, grants and equity investments to promote social and economic development</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">It provides finance to both sovereign countries as well as to private entities. It provides soft loans to poorer countries and hard loans to middle-income countries.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Quicksand","serif"">Most of its lending is concentrated in five operational areas viz. education, environment, climate Change & disaster management, finance sector development, regional cooperation & integration and private sector lending.</span></span></span></span></li>
</ul>
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'title' => 'Statue of Unity shortlisted for UK-based structural award',
'description' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Context: </strong>The Statue of Unity, a memorial to Sardar Patel, in <strong>Gujarat’s Kevadia town </strong>has been shortlisted for ‘<strong>The Structural Awards 2019’ of the UK-based Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE).</strong></span></span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Highlights:</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>The 182-m-tall</strong> statue was unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi <strong>on October 31<sup>st</sup> 2018.</strong></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">It is <strong>among the 49 structures that will vie for the prestigious award,</strong> according to the institution’s website. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The <strong>awards will be announced at a function in London on November 15.</strong></span></span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>About the award:</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The institute has been bestowing this award for <strong>best structural designs for the last 52 years.</strong></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">One of the <strong>aims </strong>of this awards programme is to increase awareness of the important work that structural engineers do.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Other structures shortlisted</strong> for the award include a <strong>sports stadium with a roof made of rotating petals at Hangzhou in China, a 22-m-deep basement beneath a five-star hotel in London and buildings showcasing the world’s best seismic performance in San Francisco,</strong> according to the website. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Past winners </strong>of this award include iconic structures such as <strong>Sydney Opera House in Australia, the Pompidou Centre in Paris and Severn Bridge in England.</strong></span></span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Why this statue was selected?</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">It is considered to be <strong>an impressive sculpture by virtue of its scale and location</strong>.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> It put <strong>great demands on the engineers to conquer the challenges</strong> such as defining the design loads, selecting the right materials for the right purposes, and handling the uncertainties of geology.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The statue, <strong>designed by architect Ram Suthar</strong> <strong>and built by Larsen and Toubro</strong>, has a <strong>viewing gallery at a height of 150 m </strong>which provides visitors a <strong>spectacular view of the Sardar Sarovar dam and its vicinity.</strong></span></span></li>
</ul>
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'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
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'title' => 'India-UK workshop on Science for Disaster and Emergency Risk Management',
'description' => '<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="background-color:white"><span style="color:black">Context:</span></span></strong><span style="background-color:white"><span style="color:black"> <strong>A two days India-UK workshop </strong>on Science for Disaster and Emergency Risk Management was <strong>inaugurated on 29/08/2019 in Delhi by Dr. P. K. Mishra, Additional PS to the PM. </strong></span></span></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="list-style-type:none"> </li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="background-color:white"><span style="color:black">In his <strong>inaugural address</strong> Dr. Mishra stressed that <strong>in an increasingly interconnected world, the disaster and emergency risks are becoming more complex and intractable</strong>. </span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="background-color:white"><span style="color:black">Therefore, it is of <strong>vital importance that India and UK work together to optimize the application of scientific and technological capabilities</strong> in order to understand reduce and manage disaster and emergency risks which have grave implications on life and economy of nations.</span></span></span></span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="background-color:white"><span style="color:black">The key objective of the workshop</span></span></strong><span style="background-color:white"><span style="color:black">: To <strong>share the Indian and UK advise mechanisms and practices</strong> for using <strong>science and technology in the management of emergencies and disasters. </strong></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="background-color:white"><span style="color:black">More about the workshop:</span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li style="list-style-type:none"> </li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="background-color:white"><span style="color:black">The interactions will <strong>focus on presenting both countries respective scientific and technological apparatus for mitigating disasters proactively</strong> with the <strong>aim to facilitate adoption of best practices</strong> by i<strong>dentifying new opportunities and building upon the existing I</strong>ndo-UK collaborations on science and technology. </span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="background-color:white"><span style="color:black">The selected risk areas</span></span></strong><span style="background-color:white"><span style="color:black"> of interest to both countries including <strong>case studies</strong> covering Science for Disaster management, <strong>Risk assessment </strong>for resilience, <strong>Science for epidemic preparedness, Science for extreme weather events, Geophysical hazards</strong> including earthquakes and landslides and Civil nuclear safety including modeling of radiological release will be covered in the two-day dialogue.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="background-color:white"><span style="color:black">The event is organised by the <strong>Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser, GoI</strong> along with the <strong>National Disaster Management Authority in partnership with the UK Governments Office of Science.</strong></span></span></span></span></li>
</ul>
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'title' => 'Solomon Islands cuts diplomatic ties with Taiwan',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Taiwan’s global acceptance has received a setback after its largest ally in pacific ,the Solomon Islands has decided to cut ties with it and shift allegience to China.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> The government had conducted a poll to decide on its policy, where 27 lawmakers voted in favour of switching allegiance to China and six abstained. The Cabinet then voted unanimously in favour of the change.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">After this incident only 16 countries worldwide continue to recognise Taiwan, including five small Pacific nations which includes American llies, the Marshall Islands and Palau. Experts say Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu could soon switch.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">It is said that China’s big purse attitude has created a shift in mindset of the Solomonese government, which planned on favouring china in exchange of monetary support.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Taiwan</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Taiwan, officially called the <strong>Republic of China</strong> (ROC), is a state in East Asia. Neighbouring states include the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the west, Japan to the north-east, and the Philippines to the south.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">China considers Taiwan to be part of its territory and wants to bring the island back into its fold. Taiwan split from mainland China during a civil war in 1949 and set up a rival government.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Solomon Islands</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Solomon Islands is a sovereign state consisting of six major islands and over 900 smaller islands in Oceania lying to the east of Papua New Guinea and northwest of Vanuatu.The country's capital is Honiara.</span></span></p>
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'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 2307,
'title' => 'Area 51 ',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">UFO enthusiasts drawn by alien-themed festivities arrived to rural Nevada in the U.S. near the Area 51 U.S. military base, which is rumoured to house government secrets about extraterrestrial life and spaceships.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Recently a facebook post was created for an event to storm Area 51 where more than 2mn people marked themselves as interested in attending the event.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">This brought into focus the long mystery-shrouded military base, famous for its existence in movies and conspiracy theories.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Area 51 had long been shrouded in mystery, stoking conspiracy theories that it housed the remnants of a flying saucer and the bodies of its alien crew from a supposed unidentified flying object crash in Roswell, New Mexico, in 1947.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The U.S. government did not confirm the base existed until 2013, when it released CIA archives saying the site was used to test top-secret spy planes.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Several Americans believe that it was where the government hid bodies of aliens and UFOs and some believe it was here the government held “meetings” with extraterrestrials, and others speculated it was where the government developed “time travel” technology.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Area 51</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Area 51, a secret US military facility has become immortalized in pop culture thanks to conspiracy theories. It’s appeared in several films, including blockbusters like Independence Day, and was even the sole subject of a 2015 science-fiction film called Area 51.</span></span></p>
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'id' => (int) 2352,
'title' => 'Saudi Arabia to offer tourist visas for the first time',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Saudi Arabia<strong> </strong>has said it will offer tourist visas for the first time, opening up the kingdom to holidaymakers as part of a push to diversify its economy away from oil.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Kickstarting tourism is one of the centrepieces of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's Vision 2030 reform programme to prepare the biggest Arab economy for a post-oil era.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Saudi Arabia will open applications for online tourist visas to citizens of 49 countries.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Visas are currently restricted to expat workers, their dependents and Muslim pilgrims travelling to holy sites in Mecca and Medina.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The government hopes tourism will contribute up to 10% of the gross domestic product by 2030, compared to 3% currently.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Since oil prices have been reeling lately there is a need to look for alternative sources for economic growth.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Indian visa policy</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">India offers Freedom of Movement to countires like Nepal and Bhutan, whose citizens can enter India without Visa and can live and work freely.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">India has expanded Visa on Arrival for more than 40 countries, who can obtain their stay certificate after their landing in India.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">India also extends e-Visas for more than 100 countries globally, where visas can be obtained through online application.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
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'id' => (int) 2465,
'title' => 'Migrant crisis',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">At least 13 people died when an overloaded migrant boat capsized near the island of Lampedusa near Italy.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Large number of people are fleeing Africa and west Asia towards Europe to escape wars and persecution in their home land. They are forced to flee towards Europe in unsecured boats which are susceptible to drowning.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Details</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The European migrant crisis also known as the refugee crisis, is a period beginning in 2015 characterised by high numbers of people arriving in the European Union (EU) from across the Mediterranean Sea or overland through Southeast Europe following Turkey's migrant crisis. It is part of a pattern of increased immigration to Europe from other continents.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Immigrants from outside Europe include asylum seekers and economic migrants.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Reasons for migration</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Refugees as weapons</strong></span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Refugees as Weapons", or "Weapon of Mass Migration" is a term used for mass exodus of refugees from a state to a hostile state as a "weapon" against an enemy.</span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>War and civil war</strong></span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In June 2015 the UN refugee agency reported that wars and persecutions are the main reasons behind the refugee crises all over the world.</span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Human rights violations</strong></span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Discrimination and inequality can also lead many individuals and families to move away from their homelands to other countries or regions.</span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Environment and climate</strong></span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">People displaced by the effects of climate change have often been termed "climate refugees" or "climate change refugees.</span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Economic hardship</strong></span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">People are forced to migrate due to lack of economic security in their home country.</span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Political Reasons</strong></span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">People prosecuted for their political activities are also forced to abandon their home land and move towards another country to seek political asylum.</span></span></p>
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(int) 12 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 2548,
'title' => 'US passes’ Hong Kong Democracy Act’',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue </strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill that aims to defend civil rights in the semi-autonomous territory of Hong Kong.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The law would end the Hong Kong-U.S. special trading status unless the State Department certifies annually that city authorities are respecting human rights and the rule of law.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Th act requires the U.S. president to identify and sanction people who are responsible for the erosion of autonomy and serious abuses of human rights in Hong Kong.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The House of Representatives has said that the act is just an effoert to force China to honor the government's promises that Hong Kong's rights and autonomy would be protected.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>China’s response</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">China has said that U.S. should stop meddling in other affairs and warned China would take strong measures to counter the proposed Hong Kong bill.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Hong Kong protests</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Millions of citizens have taken to the streets of Hong Kong, against a now-dropped effort by its leaders to allow extraditions to the authoritarian Chinese mainland.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The months-long movement has expanded into a broader pro-democracy push in the territory where activists say freedoms are being eroded by Beijing to undermine autonomy of Hong Kong.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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(int) 13 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 2574,
'title' => 'Mexico deports illegal Indian migrants',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> More than 300 Indians were deported back by Mexican immigration authorities for illegally entering the country to sneak into the United States.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Large number of people, especially from 3rd world countries try to enter into the US illegally through porous borders of Mexico. Eventhough it is risky and tiring, immigrants undertake it, hoping for a secured future in the US.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The journey for the majority of the deportees, who are from Punjab and Haryana, started from Ecuador and ended in Mexico via Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras and Guatemala, which is the standard route followed by the immigrants to enter into the US illegally.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Citing rampant migrational trends, US President Donald Trump had threatened tariffs on all Mexican imports if the country did not put a check on people entering America through Mexico's borders.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Mexico had agreed to boost security on the border and expand its policy of taking back migrants.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Reasons for migration</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Migration is commonly practised as a strategy for making a living and is related to the struggle for a better life.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Vulnerabilities caused by environmental disasters can be avoided by moving.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Remittances can improve people's everyday life and health.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Education can also be reason for migrating.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Political and social causes like asylum,can also force people to migrate to new places.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Drawbacks of migration</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Migrants can have problems accessing health care, and also experience much danger at border crossings.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Transnational families can suffer emotionally as well as physically due to separation.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Attacks from natives for entering into their country and encroaching upon their jobs.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Racial threats.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Increasing crime and terrorist activities.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
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(int) 14 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 2686,
'title' => 'India walks out of RECP deal',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that India was dropping out of the RCEP agreement, citing its negative effects on farmers, MSMEs and dairy sector.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">India has reiterated its stand that it would like to be part of a mutually beneficial RCEP deal, which is in interest of all the participants including its own citizens. With chances of repurcusions on domestic industry due to the deal, India has been reluctant to join.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The government is keen uphold the stakes of Indian farmers, traders, professionals and industrialists, all of whom have protested against the government’s decision to go ahead with the negotiations in the last few months.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Since 2012, there have been 28 rounds of negotiations that went right down to the end of the summit at the RCEP ministerial meeting, which ended inconclusively for India.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The outstanding issues included major trade deficits with all the countries in RCEP, lack of assurances on market access, and RCEP negotiators’ insistence on keeping 2014 as the base year for tariff reductions.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">India has also not received any credible assurances on its demand for more market access, and its concerns over non-tariff barriers.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">RCEP participants like China are known to have used non-tariff barriers in the past to prevent India from growing its exports to the country.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Major oppositions</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The decision to join RCEP met with stiff resistance in India from most industry and farmers’ bodies. The All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC), which represents about 10 lakh farmers, had called for an all-India protest on Monday against joining.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Confederation of All India Traders, which represents about seven crore traders, made several representations to the Commerce Ministry to keep steel and allied services, and dairy out of the purview of the RCEP agreement.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">They have argued that some domestic sectors may take a hit due to cheaper alternatives from other participant countries. For instance, the dairy industry was expected to face stiff competition from Australia and New Zealand.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>RCEP deal</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The RCEP brings together 16 member countries. They include Asociation of South Asian Nations (Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam, Brunei, Philippines,Cambodia) along with India, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The purpose of the deal is to create an <strong>integrated market</strong> spanning all 16 countries. This means that it would be easier for the products and services of each of these countries to be available across the entire region.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">The RCEP is billed to be the largest regional trading agreement yet the countries involved account for almost half of the world’s population, contribute over a quarter of world exports, and make up around 30% of the global Gross Domestic Product</span></span></p>
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(int) 15 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 2696,
'title' => 'Iran announces break from nuclear deal',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani has announced that Tehran will begin injecting uranium gas into 1,044 centrifuges in an attempt to produce weapon grade enriched uranium.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Iran has been desperate to produce weapon grade fuels in order to boost its nuclear program. The development is significant as the centrifuges previously spun empty, without gas injection, under the 2015 nuclear accord.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The centrifuges at Fordo are IR-1s, Iran’s first-generation centrifuge. The nuclear deal allowed those at Fordo to spin without uranium gas, while allowing over 5,000 at its Natanz facility to enrich uranium.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Iran is currently working on a prototype that is 50 times faster than those allowed by the deal.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">It is operating 60 IR-6 advanced centrifuges. Such a centrifuge can produce enriched uranium 10 times as fast as the first-generation IR-1s allowed under the accord.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Iran has previously broken through its stockpile and enrichment limitations, trying to pressure Europe to offer it a new deal, more than a year since US from the accord.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Iran nuclear deal</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Iran nuclear deal framework was a preliminary framework agreement reached in 2015 between the Islamic Republic of Iran and a group of world powers: the P5+1 (the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, The United States, The United Kingdom, Russia, France, and China plus Germany) and the European Union.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Negotiations toward JCPOA began with the adoption of the Joint Plan of Action, an interim agreement signed between Iran and the P5+1 countries.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Under JCPOA, Iran agreed to eliminate its stockpile of medium-enriched uranium, cut its stockpile of low-enriched uranium by 98%, and reduce by about two-thirds the number of its gas centrifuges for 13 years.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">For the next 15 years Iran will only enrich uranium up to 3.67%. Iran also agreed not to build any new heavy-water facilities for the same period of time.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Uranium-enrichment activities will be limited to a single facility using first-generation centrifuges for 10 years. Other facilities will be converted to avoid proliferation risks.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">To monitor and verify Iran's compliance with the agreement, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will have regular access to all Iranian nuclear facilities. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The agreement provides that in return for verifiably abiding by its commitments, Iran will receive relief from U.S., European Union, and United Nations Security Council nuclear-related sanctions.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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(int) 16 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 2699,
'title' => 'China launches Sudan’s first ever satellite',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Sudan's first ever satellite for conducting research in military, economic and space technology has been launched by <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/tag/281-244/china/?utm=bodytag" target="_blank">China, </a>according to official sources.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Sudan, which is battling an economic crisis, has been involved in a national <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/tag/1503-1461/space-programme/?utm=bodytag" target="_blank">space programme </a>for decades covering activities such as remote sensing and geoinformatics</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The satellite aims to develop research in space technology, acquire data as well as discover natural resources for the country's military needs.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The officials also announced that the satellite will be operational soon and will be monitored from ground station in Sudan.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>CNSA</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">China National Space Administration is the national space agency of China. It is responsible for the national space program and for planning and development of space activities.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Sudan</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Sudan is a country in Northeast <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Africa" title="Africa">Africa</a>. It is bordered by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egypt" title="Egypt"><strong>Egypt</strong></a> to the north, the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Sea" title="Red Sea">Red Sea</a> to the northeast<strong>, </strong><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eritrea" title="Eritrea"><strong>Eritrea</strong></a> to the east, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethiopia" title="Ethiopia"><strong>Ethiopia</strong></a> to the southeast, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Sudan" title="South Sudan"><strong>South Sudan</strong></a> to the south, <strong>the </strong><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_African_Republic" title="Central African Republic"><strong>Central African Republic</strong></a> to the southwest, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chad" title="Chad"><strong>Chad</strong></a> to the west, and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libya" title="Libya"><strong>Libya</strong></a> to the northwest.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The capital is <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khartoum" title="Khartoum"><strong>Khartoum</strong></a>, located at the confluence of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Nile" title="Blue Nile">Blue</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Nile" title="White Nile">White Nile</a>. The currency is <strong>Sudanese pound</strong>.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>South Sudan</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">South Sudan, officially known as the Republic of South Sudan, is a landlocked country in East-Central Africa.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">It gained independence from the Republic of the Sudan in 2011, making it the most recent sovereign state with widespread recognition. Its capital and largest city is Juba.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">South Sudan is bordered by <strong>Sudan </strong>to the north, <strong>Ethiopia</strong> to the east, <strong>Kenya</strong> to the southeast, <strong>Uganda</strong> to the south, <strong>the Democratic Republic of the Congo</strong> to the southwest and the <strong>Central African Republic</strong> to the west.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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(int) 17 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
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'id' => (int) 2759,
'title' => 'Socialists win Spain elections',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Spain’s Socialist premier Pedro Sanchez emerged as winner but lost some seats in the repeat <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/tag/1369-1349/election/?utm=bodytag" target="_blank">election </a>held on 10th of November.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The ballot, the fourth in as many years, failed to end months of parliamentary deadlock following an inconclusive April poll.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The final results showed the Socialists taking 120 of the parliament’s 350 seats (28% of the votes) while Vox secured 52 (15%) , more than double its mandates in the outgoing Assembly.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In second place was the right-wing Popular Party, which took 88 mandates (nearly 21%), up from 66 in the previous poll.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The results will make forming a government more difficult due to the parliament’s deep fragmentation and the rise of Vox.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Spain</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Spain is a country on Europe’s Iberian Peninsula,which includes 17 autonomous regions with diverse geography and cultures. The Capital city is <strong>Madrid</strong>.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><u>Neighbours</u>: Portugal, France, Morocco (Ceuta and Melilla), Andorra, United Kingdom (Gibraltar).</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><u>Memberships</u>: European Union, United Nations, NATO, OECD,WTO etc.</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><u>Currency</u>: Euro</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><u>Mountains</u>: Pyrenees mountains, Cantabrian mountains, Sistema central.</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><u>Other important features</u>: Andalusian plains, canary islands, Bay of Biscay (between Spain and France).</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><u>Rivers</u>: Tajo, Duero, Guadiana and Guadalquivir, Tagus (all Atlantic ocean), Ebro (Mediterranean sea).</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Map location</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><img alt="Socialists win Spain elections" src="https://www.mediafire.com/convkey/35dc/uktzmcnofkda1ws6g.jpg" style="height:768px; width:1024px" /></strong></span></span></p>
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(int) 18 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 2858,
'title' => 'US deports asylum seekers to Guatemala',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> A foreign asylum seeker was sent to Guatemala under a U.S. agreement designating Guatemala as a so-called safe third country for people fleeing persecution.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The arrival of the individual in Guatemala marks a historic shift in how the United States treats people seeking asylum protections away from its embrace of refugees.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The U.S. government had brokered an agreement with Guatemala in July. The deal allows U.S. immigration officials to make migrants requesting asylum at the U.S.-Mexican border apply for asylum in Guatemala first.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Democrats and activists say it is irresponsible to send vulnerable people to seek shelter in Guatemala, with its high murder rates, tiny asylum system and weak rule of law.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Guatemalan government has said that it would process anybody who wanted to apply for asylum, but noted that United Nations immigration and asylum agencies would be responsible for providing shelter during their stay.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The U.N. International Organization for Migration (IOM) said that the United States had provided it with $10 million to help migrants voluntarily return from Guatemala to their homelands.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Guatemala</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Guatemala, a Central American country south of Mexico, is home to volcanoes, rainforests and ancient Mayan sites. The capital is <strong>Guatemala City</strong>.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">It is bordered by <strong>Mexico to the north and west,</strong> <strong>Belize and the Caribbean</strong> to the <strong>northeast</strong>, <strong>Honduras to the east, El Salvador to the southeast </strong>and<strong> the Pacific Ocean </strong>to the<strong> south.</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">President: <strong>Jimmy Morales</strong> (outgoing), <strong>Alejandro Giammattei</strong> (President elect)</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Currency: <strong>Quetzai</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Location</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><img alt="US deports asylum seekers to Guatemala 22nd nov 19" src="https://www.mediafire.com/convkey/ba1b/xai5hyvkip036s26g.jpg" style="height:277px; width:316px" /></strong></span></span></p>
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(int) 19 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 2867,
'title' => 'Mauritius and Chagos island controversy',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Mauritius has accused the United Kingdom an ‘illegal colonial occupier’ after it failed to meet a UN deadline to return control of an overseas territory to the island nation.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Britain was given six months to return the Chagos Islands after the UN General Assembly voted to condemn its continued occupation of the Indian Ocean territory. After the deadline passed, Mauritian Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth said the UK was now an illegal colonial occupier.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Mauritius, a former British colony, claims it was forced to trade the Chagos Islands in exchange for independence.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">When Mauritius was still a colony, Britain purchased the islands for 3 million pounds in 1965. This archipelago is known as British Indian Ocean Territory.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">UK foreign officials say that the territory will remain in British hands until it is no longer needed for defence purposes.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Chagos Islands</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Chagos Archipelago or Chagos Islands are a group of seven atolls comprising more than 60 individual tropical islands in the Indian Ocean about 500 kilometres south of the Maldives archipelago.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">the United Kingdom had purchased the island from Mauritius in 1965 and gave an island<strong> </strong>to the United States to build a military base on <strong>Diego Garcia</strong>, the largest of the Chagos Islands.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Mauritius</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Mauritius officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean about 2,000 kilometres (1,200 mi) off the southeast coast of the African continent. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The country includes the islands of Mauritius, Rodrigues, Agaléga and St. Brandon. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The islands of Mauritius and Rodrigues form part of the Mascarene Islands, along with nearby Réunion, a French overseas department. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The capital and largest city Port Louis is located on the main island of Mauritius.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Prime Minister: <strong>Pravind Jugnauth</strong></span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">President: <strong>Barlen Vyapoory</strong></span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Currency: <strong>Mauritian Rupee</strong></span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Location</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><img alt="Mauritius and Chagos island controversy 23 daily current affars -1" src="https://www.mediafire.com/convkey/0e9f/e200v1gqndfygkn6g.jpg" style="height:268px; width:392px" /><img alt="Mauritius and Chagos island controversy 23 daily current affars -2" src="https://www.mediafire.com/convkey/4166/j5j0pbj8yfvpfgx6g.jpg" /></strong></span></span></p>
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'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 2886,
'title' => 'GSOMIA pact of South Korea',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">South Korea has decided to suspend its plans to quit an intelligence sharing pact, GSOMIA with Japan amid pressure from the US.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Previously, South Korea had decided to discontinue the intelligence pact called the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA), unless Japan decided to review its export control measures.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The need for GSOMIA was felt amidst a growing threat from North Korea, especially when it started conducting nuclear tests and developing ballistic missiles.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The US’ interest in this agreement arises from its need to forge alliances in the northeast to be able to analyse and respond to any threats from North Korea. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">It is also felt that GSOMIA is an attempt by the US-Japan-South Korea trilateral alliance to contain Beijing, thereby maintaining a degree of opposition between this trilateral alliance and that of China-North Korea-Russia.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The relationship between Japan and South Korea has deteriorated, given the territorial dispute over the Dokdo islands also known as Takeshima in Japan. While South Korea controls them, the islands are claimed by Japan.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Japan imposed export controls on three chemicals that South Korea uses in its important semiconductor industry.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Japan also decided to remove South Korea from its “white list”, a fast track trade list of trusted partners. This is considered to be retaliation for South Korea’s decision to leave the intelligence pact.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>GSOMIA pact</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">General Security Of Military Information Agreements (GSOMIA) is one of the four foundational agreements that the U.S. signs with allies and close partners to facilitate interoperability between militaries and sale of high end technology. GSOMIA allows militaries to share the intelligence gathered by them.</span></span></p>
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(int) 21 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 2916,
'title' => 'US approves legislation backing Hong Kong protestors',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">U.S. President Donald Trump signed into law congressional legislation backing protesters in Hong Kong,<strong> </strong>despite angry objections from Beijing.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Congress passed a second bil, banning the export to the Hong Kong police of crowd-control munitions, such as teargas, pepper spray, rubber bullets and stun guns.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The new legislation, approved unanimously by the U.S. Senate and by all but one lawmaker in the House of Representatives last week, requires the State Department to certify, at least annually, that Hong Kong retains enough autonomy to justify favorable U.S. trading terms that have helped it maintain its position as a world financial center. It also threatens sanctions for human rights violations.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Officials responsible for human rights violations in Hong Kong could also be subject to sanctions, including visa bans and asset freezes.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The law has potential to completely upend relations between the United States and Hong Kong and change the territory’s status to that of any other Chinese city.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">From a business perspective, one of the most important elements of Hong Kong’s special status has been that it is considered a separate customs and trading zone from China. Trade-war tariffs don’t apply to exports from Hong Kong.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Hong Kong</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Hong Kong, officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, is a special administrative region on the eastern side of the Pearl River estuary in southern China.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Currency: <strong>Hong Kong dollar</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><img alt="US approves legislation backing Hong Kong protestors" src="https://www.mediafire.com/convkey/72f4/iazub4wrqa020536g.jpg" style="height:267px; width:366px" /></strong></span></span></p>
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(int) 22 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 2975,
'title' => 'US House approves Uighur bill',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The U.S. House of Representatives have approved a bill that would require the Trump administration to toughen its response to China's crackdown on its Muslim minority, the Uighurs.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> United Nations experts and activists say at least 1 million Uighurs and members of other largely Muslim minority groups have been detained in the camps, located mainly in Xinjiang province of China.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Uighur Act of 2019 is a stronger version of a bill that angered Beijing when it passed the Senate in September. It calls on President Donald Trump to impose sanctions for the first time on a member of China's powerful politburo.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The bill requires the U.S. president to condemn abuses against Muslims and call for the closure of mass detention camps in the northwestern region of Xinjiang.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The revised bill still has to be approved by the Senate before being sent to Trump. The President has the power to Veto the bill if he believes that to be in national interest.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The bill also requires the secretary of state to submit a report on abuses in Xinjiang, to include assessments of the numbers held in re-education and forced labor camps.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Uighurs</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Uyghurs alternately Uigurs, are a minority Turkic ethnic group originating from and culturally affiliated with the general region of Central and East Asia.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Uyghurs have been recognized as native to only one region, the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">They are considered to be one of China's 55 officially recognized ethnic minorities. The Uyghurs are recognized by China only as a regional minority within a multicultural nation and China rejects the idea of them being an indigenous group. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Uyghurs have traditionally inhabited a series of oases scattered across the <strong>Taklamakan</strong> Desert.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">It is estimated that over a million Uyghurs have been detained in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xinjiang_re-education_camps" title="Xinjiang re-education camps">Xinjiang re-education camps</a>. The main feature of the camps is to ensure adherence to Chinese Communist Party ideology.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> Voluntary departure from the camps is not possible and Inmates are detained for a minimum of 12 months depending on their performance in Chinese ideology tests.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><img alt="US House approves Uighur bill Daily Current Affairs 4 des" src="https://www.mediafire.com/convkey/3a39/cbcnyzfyxjx0jl66g.jpg" style="height:290px; width:335px" /></span></span></p>
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(int) 23 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 2984,
'title' => 'PISA test and its importance',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Students of Chandigarh’s government schools will represent India in the Programme for International Student Assessment test in 2021, which will be the first in 6 years.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is a study done to produce comparable data on education policy and outcomes across countries. It is initiated by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), an intergovernmental economic organisation with 36 member countries.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The study, which began in the year 2000, conducts a test evaluating 15-year-olds in member and non-member countries to assess the quality and inclusivity of school systems in these countries. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The PISA test is held every three years and the next test will be held in 2021, in which students from government schools in Chandigarh will represent India.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The test is set by educational experts from across the world. Experts from more than eighty countries have contributed towards framing the test questions, mostly from countries that have already participated in the test.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The PISA test does not assess students on their memory, but attempts to evaluate whether students can apply the knowledge they have gained through primary and secondary education.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Apart from subjects such as Math, reading comprehension and science, the test also includes an optional section on innovative subjects such as collaborative problem-solving and financial literacy. The test is taken in the language of instruction that the students are familiar with.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Regions are identified within the country where the test can be conducted. Within the region, individual schools are chosen which are approved by the PISA governing board and evaluated using stringent criteria. These schools represent the country’s education system.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The aim of the test is not to rank the countries which volunteer to participate in the evaluation, but to give a comprehensive analysis of how education systems are working in terms of preparing its students for higher education and subsequent employment. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">After collecting results from across the world, experts translate these results into data points which are evaluated to score the countries.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">If a country scores well, it suggests that not only does it has an effective education system but an inclusive one, in which students from privileged and underprivileged backgrounds perform equally well.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">OECD also hopes that the test will allow countries to learn from each other about effective education policies and improve their own systems, using others as examples.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>India’s participation</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">India has participated in the PISA test only once before, in 2009. In this round of PISA, where students from Himachal Pradesh and Tamil Nadu sat for the test, India ranked 72nd out of 73 countries, outranking only Kyrgistan.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Way forward</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Indian education is immersed in rote learning and memorisation. PISA requires experiential learning and out of the box thinking. Educators and students need to work hard to adapt to innovative learning.</span></span></p>
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(int) 24 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 3035,
'title' => 'Russia banned from Olympics on doping charges',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Russia has been banned from the Olympics and world championships in a range of sport for four years after the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) ruled to punish it for manipulating laboratory data.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The punishment however allows clean Russian athletes to compete at major international sporting events without their flag or anthem for four years.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The decison was taken after it was found that Moscow had tampered with laboratory data by planting fake evidence and deleting files linked to positive doping tests that could have helped identify drug cheats.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Russia has tried to showcase itself as a global sport power but has been embroiled in doping scandals since a 2015 report commissioned by WADA found evidence of mass doping in Russian athletics.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The biggest beneficiaries of Russia’s exclusion are likely to be the United States, China and Japan, who should claim 10 of the banned nation's projected gold medals between them in the upcoming Olympics in Tokyo.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>World Anti-Doping Agency</strong> (WADA)</span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The World Anti-Doping Agency is a foundation initiated by the International Olympic Committee based in Canada to promote, coordinate and monitor the fight against drugs in sports. Its Headquarters is located in Montreal, Canada.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The agency's key activities include scientific research, education, development of anti-doping capacities, and monitoring of the World Anti-Doping Code, whose provisions are enforced by the UNESCO International Convention against Doping in Sport.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>National Anti-Doping Agency</strong> (NADA)</span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) is the national organisation responsible for promoting, coordinating, and monitoring the doping control program in sports in all its forms in India. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">NADA deals with adopting and implementing anti-doping rules and policies which conform with the World Anti-Doping Agency, cooperates with other anti-doping organisations and promotes anti-doping research and education. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">NADA is formed by the Union Government under the societies Registration Act. NADA includes scientists and representatives from the Indian Olympic Association (IOA). </span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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(int) 25 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 3047,
'title' => 'India-Australia Mutual Logistics Support Agreement',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">India and Australia have moved one step closer towards signing the Logistics Exchange Agreement, which will enhance cooperation between the two countries considerably.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The LSA will be one of the key agenda points during Prime Minister Morrison’s scheduled visit. The Agreement will allow the two countries to use each other’s military bases for logistics support, including food, water, and petroleum.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">India and Australia share a common concern over China, which forms a lot of the bilateral transactions between the two countries. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">While Australia is worried about China’s presence in the Pacific, India is worried about China’s increasing activities and influence in the Indian Ocean.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Australian and Indian navies had recently concluded a two-week-long bilateral maritime exercise code-named <strong>AUSINDEX</strong>. It was carried out to strengthen and enhance mutual cooperation and interoperability between Indian Navy and Royal Australian Navy.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">From 2016-18, the armies of the countries conducted a joint military exercise dubbed “<strong>AUSTRA HIND</strong>”. Australia’s Foreign Policy White Paper identifies India as being at the “front rank” of Australia’s international partnerships, “on par with the US, Japan, Indonesia, and China.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>The QUAD</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The informal strategic Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QSD) that was initiated by Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2007 was largely in response to China’s growing power and influence.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Australia chose to withdraw when Kevin Rudd was Prime Minister, since it did not want to be a part of an anti-China alliance at the time.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Australia later rejoined the dialogue in 2017 on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit, signalling a change in its stand.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Logistics Support Agreement (LSA)</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Logistics agreements are administrative arrangements facilitating access to military facilities for exchange of fuel and provisions on mutual agreement, simplifying logistical support and increasing operational turnaround of the military away from India.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
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'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 3065,
'title' => 'US approves Space Force Bill',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The U.S. House of Representatives approved a defense policy bill providing the first paid family leave for all federal workers and the creation of a Space Force, a top military priority for President Donald Trump.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The establishment of the U.S. Space Force as the sixth Armed Service of the United States, under the Air Force, fulfills one of Trump’s most high-profile requests.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The United States Space Force (USSF) is the anticipated space warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> It will be the sixth branch of the United States Armed Forces and the eighth U.S. uniformed service.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">It will be organized as a military service branch within the Department of the Air Force, one of the three military departments within the Department of Defense.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Once established, the U.S. Space Force is intended to become the lead military service for space operations, responsible for space doctrine, organization, training, matériel, leadership and education, personnel, facilities, and policy.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Functions</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">As described in the Space Force Act, the U.S. Space Force will be organized, trained, and equipped to: </span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">"Provide freedom of operation for the United States in, from, and to space"</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">"Provide prompt and sustained space operations"</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Duties</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The duties of the Space Force include: </span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">"Protect the interests of the United States in space"</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">"Deter aggression in, from, and to space"</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">"conduct space operations"</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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(int) 27 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 3066,
'title' => 'USMCA trade group',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Mexico's Senate has approved the revised U.S.-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) trade deal that includes tougher enforcement of worker rights and the elimination of a patent provision for biologic drugs.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Senators approved the changes to USMCA, which was signed more than a year ago to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Once it passes into law in the three countries, USMCA will encompass $1.2 trillion in annual trade across the continent and support 12 million U.S. jobs and a third of American agricultural exports.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Democrats controlling the U.S. House of Representatives had insisted on major changes to labor and environmental enforcement in USMCA before bringing it to a vote in the United States.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>USCMCA</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Agreement between the United States of America, the United Mexican States, and Canada is a signed but not ratified free trade agreement between Canada, Mexico, and the United States.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Compared to NAFTA, USMCA increases environmental and labour regulations, and incentivizes more domestic production of cars and trucks.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The agreement also provides updated intellectual property protections, gives the United States more access to Canada's dairy market.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Additionally, there is a stipulation that the agreement itself must be reviewed by the three nations every six years, with a 16-year sunset clause. The agreement can be extended for additional 16-year terms during the six-year reviews.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The deal establishes requirements for currency and macroeconomic transparency which, if violated, would constitute grounds for a dispute appeal.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 3078,
'title' => 'Anti-Semitism executive order of US President',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order that will prohibit federal funding for colleges and universities that allow anti-Semitism.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The order is being seen as a threat to those college and university campuses that tolerate anti-Israel movements such as the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement that describes itself as working towards ending international support for Israel’s “oppression of Palestinians and pressure Israel to comply with international law.”</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The order extends the protections against discrimination under the 1964 Civil Rights Act to people who are subjected to anti-Sentimism, which is described as having feelings of hostility or discrimination against Jews, either as a religious group or as a race.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The order extends the protections against discrimination under the 1964 Civil Rights Act to people who are subjected to anti-Sentimism, which is described as having feelings of hostility or discrimination against Jews, either as a religious group or as a race.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">These include targeting the state of Israel, which is considered to be a Jewish collectivity. However, criticism of Israel similar to that levelled against any other country cannot be regarded as anti-semitic.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Other things include calling for, aiding or justifying the killing of Jews in the name of “radical ideology”, making mendacious, dehumanising, demonising or stereotypical allegations against Jews, using symbols and images associated with “classic” anti-Semitism and holding Jews collectively responsible for the actions of the state of Israel among others.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Criticism</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Free speech advocates have criticised it on the grounds that it goes against the tenets of the right to free speech as put forth by the First Amendment of the US Constitution<span style="color:#3e3e3e">.</span></span></span></p>
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'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 3090,
'title' => '‘Phase One’ trade agreement between US and China',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The United States and China cooled their trade war by announcing a "Phase one" agreement that reduces some U.S. tariffs in exchange for increased Chinese purchases of American farm goods.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Reaching the agreement will serve the fundamental interests of the people of the two countries and the world, and is expected to bring positive influences on areas including economy, trade, investment and the financial market.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The US will be maintaining 25 per cent tariffs on approximately $250 billion of Chinese imports, along with 7.5 per cent tariffs on approximately $120 billion of Chinese imports.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In the Phase One agreement, the chapter on trade expansion mentions commitments from China to import various US goods and services over the next two years, the total amount for which will exceed China’s annual levels of imports for those goods and services in 2017 by not less than $200 billion.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The agreement addresses unfair currency practices by committing to refrain from competitive devaluations and exchange rate targeting.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">If the agreement is signed, for the first time in any trade agreement, China would have agreed not to pressure foreign companies to transfer their technology to Chinese companies.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The deal would increase Chinese purchases of American agricultural and energy products, and also place limits on Beijing’s ability to weaken its currency and provide greater protection to US companies that are operating in China.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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(int) 30 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 3199,
'title' => 'Italy approves digital tax',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> Italy has approved a new tax to be levied on large tech companies, a move that is likely to put more strain on the country’s relations with the U.S.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The tax is similar to the one France implemented earlier this year which has attracted severe criticism from the U.S.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Italian parliament has approved a three percent digital tax on some digital revenue of technology companies that make over $831 million in global revenue, including least $6 million in Italy.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Dozens of countries are working on proposals to change corporate tax schemes to capture money from tech firms that have users across the world, such as Facebook and Google’s parent company Alphabet.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The U.S has opposed digital services taxes because they have a discriminatory impact on U.S.-based businesses and are inconsistent with the architecture of current international tax rules.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Representatives of trade body say that France’s digital services tax discriminates against U.S. companies, is inconsistent with prevailing principles of international tax policy, and is unusually burdensome for affected U.S. companies.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Authorities are also planning to explore Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, which provides the U.S. with the authority to enforce trade agreements, resolve trade disputes, and open foreign markets to U.S. goods and services.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Digital tax</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Digital tax is a tax applied to digital business activities. Those include both digital-only brands which deal with virtual commodities and the services traditional market players use while transforming their businesses with digital technologies.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Digital businesses have three distinct characteristics:</strong><br />
(a) They are not physically established - for example, Facebook, can offer all of their services with limited or no physical presence.<br />
(b) They heavily rely on intellectual property assets (which can be quite mobile) and are typically located in, or worse shifted to, a low-tax jurisdiction.<br />
(c) They are able to generate value through highly engaged 'user participation' from the source country market.</span></span><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Protectionism</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Protectionism refers to government actions and policies that restrict or restrain international trade for the benefit of a single domestic economy.</span></span></p>
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(int) 31 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 3210,
'title' => 'Treaty to combat cybercrimes',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The U.N. General Assembly has approved a resolution that will start the process of drafting a new international treaty<strong> </strong>to combat cybercrime over objections from the European Union, the United States and other countries.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Russian-drafted resolution was approved by the 193-member world body by a vote of 79-60 with 33 abstentions.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The resolution establishes an expert committee representing all regions of the world to elaborate a comprehensive international convention on countering the use of information and communications technologies for criminal purposes.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Parties say that this resolution will undermine international cooperation to combat cybercrime at a time when enhanced coordination is essential.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The resolution requires that the new committee must take into account the results of the work of the expert group on cybercrime.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Convention on Cybercrimes</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Convention on Cybercrime, also known as the <strong>Budapest</strong> <strong>Convention</strong> on Cybercrime or the Budapest Convention, is the first international treaty seeking to address Internet and computer crime (cybercrime)by harmonizing national laws, improving investigative techniques, and increasing cooperation among nations. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">It was drawn up by the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, France, with the active participation of the Council of Europe's observer states Canada, Japan, Philippines, South Africa and the United States.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Important countries like Brazil and India have declined to adopt the Convention on the grounds that they did not participate in its drafting.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Russia opposes the Convention, stating that adoption would violate Russian sovereignty, and has usually refused to cooperate in law enforcement investigations relating to cybercrime. It is the<strong> first multilateral legally binding instrument to regulate cybercrime</strong>.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The following offences are defined by the Convention: <strong>illegal access, illegal interception, data interference, system interference, misuse of devices, computer-related forgery, computer-related fraud, offences related to child pornography, </strong>and<strong> offences related to copyright and neighbouring rights</strong>.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Objectives</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Convention aims principally at:</span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Harmonising the domestic criminal substantive law elements of offences and connected provisions in the area of cyber-crime.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Providing for domestic criminal procedural law powers necessary for the investigation and prosecution of such offences as well as other offences committed by means of a computer system or evidence in relation to which is in electronic form.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Setting up a fast and effective regime of international cooperation.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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(int) 32 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 3298,
'title' => 'JUS COGENS',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Following President Donald Trump’s threat to attack sites<strong> </strong>that were important to Iran and Iranian culture, Iran’s Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said that US threatens to commit new breaches of JUS COGENS.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Most states and international organisations accept the principle of jus cogens, which dates back to Roman times. These norms cannot be offset by a separate treaty between parties intending to do so, since they hold fundamental values.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">JUS COGENS or ius cogens, meaning “compelling law” in Latin, are rules in international law that are peremptory or authoritative, and from which states cannot deviate. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The jus cogens rules have been sanctioned by the Vienna Conventions on the Law of Treaties of 1969 and 1986. According to both Conventions, a treaty is void if it breaches jus cogens rules.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Article 64 of the 1986 Convention, “Emergence of a new peremptory norm of general international law (jus cogens)”, says: “If a new peremptory norm of general international law emerges, any existing treaty which is in conflict with that norm becomes void and terminates.”</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">So far, an exhaustive list of jus cogens rules does not exist. However, the prohibition of slavery, genocide, racial discrimination, torture, and the right to self-determination are recognised norms. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The prohibition against apartheid is also recognised as a jus cogens rule, from which no derogation is allowed, since apartheid is against the basic principles of the United Nations.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Vienna Convention on Law of Treaties</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties (VCLT) is an international agreement regulating treaties between states. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Known as the "<strong>treaty on treaties</strong>", it establishes comprehensive rules, procedures, and guidelines for how treaties are defined, drafted, amended, interpreted, and generally operate.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Convention was adopted and opened to signature on 23 May 1969, and entered into force on 27 January 1980. It has been ratified by 116 <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sovereign_state" title="Sovereign state">states</a> as of January 2018. Some non-ratifying parties, such as the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States" title="United States">United States</a>, recognize parts of it as a restatement of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Customary_law" title="Customary law">customary law</a> and binding upon them as such. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The VCLT is regarded as one of the most important instruments in treaty law, and remains an authoritative guide in disputes over treaty interpretation<strong>. India is neither a signatory nor has ratified the Vienna Convention on Law of Treaties</strong>.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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'metatitle' => 'JUS COGENS | new breaches of JUS COGENS',
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'metadescription' => 'Following President Donald Trump’s threat to attack sites that were important to Iran and Iranian culture, Iran’s Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said ',
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'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 3299,
'title' => 'America threatens to destroy Iran’s cultural sites',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">President Donald Trump has said that if Iran strikes any Americans, or American assets in retaliation, the US would target 52 sites in Iran, some of which are important to Iran & the Iranian culture.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Iran is home to one of the world’s oldest civilisations dating back to 10,000 BC. Its rich heritage and culture is an amalgam of Arab, Persian, Turkish and South Asian cultures.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Twenty-four Iranian sites are on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, two of which are natural sites and the rest cultural sites. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Among the main World Heritage Sites in Iran are the Meidan Emam and Masjed-e-Jame in Isfahan, the Golestan Palace in the historic heart of Tehran, Pasargadae and Persepolis, capitals of the Achaemenid Empire and the archaeological site of Takht-e Soleyman, which has the remains of an ancient Zoroastrian sanctuary.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Protection of cultural sites</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Following the unparalleled destruction of cultural heritage in World War II, the nations of the world adopted at <strong>The Hague in 1954</strong>, The <strong>Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict</strong>, the first international treaty focussed exclusively on the protection of cultural heritage during war and armed conflict.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Convention defined cultural property as “movable or immovable property of great importance to the cultural heritage of every people, such as monuments of architecture, art or history, whether religious or secular, archaeological sites etc”. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The signatories, referred to in the Convention as “the High Contracting Parties”, committed themselves to protecting, safeguarding, and having respect for cultural property.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">There are currently 133 signatories to Convention, including countries that have acceded to and ratified the treaty. Both the United States and Iran (as well as <strong>India</strong>) signed the Convention on May 14, 1954, and it entered into force on August 7, 1956.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Rome Statute of 1998, the founding treaty of the International Criminal Court, describes as a “war crime” any intentional attack against a historical monument, or a building dedicated to religion, education, art, or science.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>International Criminal court</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The International Criminal Court started functioning in 2002 with jurisdiction over four main crimes: genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">122 countries are States Parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. The United States is a signatory that has not ratified the Statute. <strong>India</strong> has <strong>neither signed nor ratified the Statute</strong>.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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(int) 34 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 3405,
'title' => 'Rohingya rehabilitation on emerged island',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">A Bangladeshi island regularly submerged by monsoon rains is ready to house 1lakh Rohingya refugees, but no date has been announced to relocate people.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Flood protection embankments, houses, hospitals and mosques have been built on <strong>Bhasan</strong> <strong>Char</strong>, or floating island, in the Bay of Bengal.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The island is built to accommodate 1 lakh people, just a fraction of the million Rohingya Muslims who have fled waves of violent persecution in their native Myanmar.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">About 7 lakh people came after August 2017, when the military in Buddhist-majority Myanmar began a harsh crackdown against Rohingya in response to an attack by insurgents.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Bangladesh navy has been implementing a multimillion-dollar plan to bolster the swampy island, which is submerged for months during annual monsoon season.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">International aid agencies and the United Nations have opposed the relocation plan since it was first proposed in 2015, expressing fear that a big storm could overwhelm the island and endanger thousands of lives.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has repeatedly told the U.N. and other international partners that her administration will consult them before making a final decision on the relocation, and that no refugees will be forced to move.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The current refugee camps near the beach town of Cox’s Bazar are overcrowded and unhygienic. Disease and organized crime are rampant. Education is limited and refugees aren’t allowed to work.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Rohingyas</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Rohingya people are a stateless Indo-Aryan ethnic group who predominantly follow Islam with a minority following Hinduism and reside in Rakhine State, Myanmar.</span></span></p>
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'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 3409,
'title' => 'Safe third country agreement: The US- Guatemala asylum deal',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In July last year, Guatemala’s Ex-President Jimmy Morales had signed a highly criticised asylum deal with the US which allowed Washington to send asylum seekers from third countries to Guatemala.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In the 2019 fiscal year, Guatemala was the largest source of migrants (more than 2.64 lakh persons) detained at the US border. New President Alejandro Giammattei has not cleared his position on the pact, causing uncertainty over its future.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Under the “<strong>safe third country</strong>” agreement, migrants have to apply for asylum in the first country they land in. If they fail to do so and proceed to the second country, they can be sent back to the first country.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In 2019, the Trump administration signed “safe third country” agreements with the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, making it more difficult for refugees to seek asylum in the US.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">A “safe third country” is supposed to mean a nation which is capable of offering protection to refugees. The Northern Triangle countries, which have signed these agreements, are known for high levels of crime, violence, and economic deprivation. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The deal with Guatemala has been criticised, given the risk that migrants might face when they are sent back here.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The US has increasingly adopted policies aimed at deterring refugee migration. Under the ‘Remain in Mexico’ policy, which came into force in January 2019, 55,000 asylum seekers to the US have been sent back to Mexico to wait out their asylum cases in that country.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 3478,
'title' => 'ICJ ruling on Rohingya issue',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague has<strong> </strong>asked the government of Myanmar to immediately take all measures within its power to prevent atrocities against members of the minority Rohingya Muslim community.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Gambia, which is predominantly Muslim, went to the ICJ in November 2019, accusing Myanmar of genocide, which is the most serious of all international crimes. The Gambia was backed by the 57-member Organisation for Islamic Cooperation (OIC).</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The ruling of the court is binding on Myanmar, and cannot be appealed. However, no means are available to the court to enforce it.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Gambia and Myanmar are parties to the Genocide Convention that allows a party to move the ICJ for violations.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Proving genocide has been difficult because of the high bar set by its ‘intent requirement’, that is showing the genocidal acts were carried out with the specific intent to eliminate a people on the basis of their ethnicity.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">So far, only three cases of genocide worldwide have been recognised since World War II: Cambodia (the late 1970s), Rwanda (1994), and Srebrenica, Bosnia (1995).</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Even with the stepping in of the Security Council, there are several hurdles in enforcement of ICJ decisions. Any one of the five permanent members of the Security Council with veto powers can block the enforcement of an ICJ decision against itself or its ally.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>ICJ statement</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Myanmar shall ensure that its military or any irregular armed units within its control, do not commit any of the acts described above, or conspire to commit, direct, attempt to commit, or be complicit in genocide.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Myanmar shall take “effective measures to prevent the destruction and ensure the preservation of evidence related to allegations of acts” of genocide.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Myanmar shall submit a report to the ICJ on all measures taken to give effect to the order within four months, and thereafter every six months, until a final decision is passed.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Rohingya case</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">An estimated 7.3 lakh Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh since 2017 when the Myanmar military launched a brutal crackdown on Rohingya villages in the country’s coastal Rakhine state. In August 2019, the UN said the army’s action was carried out with “genocidal intent”.</span></span></p>
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(int) 37 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 3534,
'title' => 'WHO declares global emergency on Coronavirus epidemic',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The World Health<strong> </strong>Organisation (WHO) has declared an international emergency over the deadly coronavirus from China.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The World Health Organisation defines a global health emergency, also known as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), as an event where disease has the risk to spread internationally.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The WHO's Emergency Committee, an advisory body of international experts, said that evidence had shown that restricting movement of people and goods during public health emergencies may be ineffective and may divert resources from other interventions.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The WHO said there have also been 82 confirmed cases in 18 other countries, including cases of onward transmission in Germany, Japan, the United States and Vietnam.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The designation, which is reviewed every <strong>three</strong> <strong>months</strong>, allows the WHO to issue global recommendations that the international community is expected to follow.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The WHO has called a public health emergency of international concern only <strong>five</strong> <strong>times</strong> since the relevant legislation took effect in 2007 - for swine flu, polio, Zika and twice for Ebola outbreaks in Africa.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The declaration is often referred to by its initials PHEIC (Public Health Emergency of International Concern), pronounced “fake” but it gives the WHO real capabilities to affect the course of an epidemic.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Implications of Global Emergency</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The declaration sends the message that a health emergency is serious.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">It encourages nations to cooperate as much as possible by coordinating personnel, funds and other resources, with the WHO at the helm.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">By underlining the dangers, the designation can be used to help persuade citizens of infected countries to follow health and hygiene recommendations.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">A PHEIC gives the WHO’s Emergency Committee authority to recommend travel advisories for cities, regions and countries.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">While the recommendations aren’t enforceable, there’s considerable pressure for countries to abide by the WHO’s advisories. Member states are bound by the WHO’s 2005 International Health Regulations.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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(int) 38 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
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'id' => (int) 3672,
'title' => 'Digital identification stopped by Netherlands’ court',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">A court in the Netherlands recently stopped a digital identification scheme for reasons of exclusion. This has a context for similar artificial intelligence systems worldwide.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Dutch Ministry of Social Affairs developed <strong>SyRI</strong> in 2014 to weed out those who are most likely to commit fraud and receive government benefits.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">A Dutch district court ruled against an identification mechanism called<strong> SyRI (System Risk Indicator)</strong>, because of data privacy and human rights concerns. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">While the Hague district court found using new technology to control fraud was acceptable, it held SyRI was too invasive and violative of the privacy guarantees given by European Human Rights Law as well as the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Legislation passed by Dutch Parliament allowed government agencies to share 17 categories of data about welfare recipients such as taxes, land registries, employment records, and vehicle registrations with a private company.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The selective rollout was conducted in low-income and immigrant neighborhoods, which have a higher number of beneficiaries.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Elevated risk scores were sent to relevant government arms, which stores these on government databases for a maximum of two years. The government, in that time period, could open an investigation on the targeted person.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Dutch government defended the programme in court, saying it prevented abuse and acted as only a starting point for further investigation instead of a final determination. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The government also refused to disclose all information about how the system makes its decisions, stating that it would allow gaming of the system.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>What does the ruling indicate?</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Similar to the Supreme Court’s Aadhaar judgment setting limits on the ID’s usage, the Hague Court attempted to balance social interest with personal privacy.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The ruling is also an example of how a data protection regulation can be used against government surveillance.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">This decision sets a strong legal precedent for other courts to follow. This is one of the first times a court anywhere has stopped the use of digital technologies and abundant digital information by welfare authorities on human rights grounds.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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(int) 39 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
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'id' => (int) 3816,
'title' => 'US and Taliban sign peace deal',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The United States signed a historic deal with Taliban insurgents on that could pave the way toward a full withdrawal of foreign soldiers from Afghanistan over the next 14 months and represent a step toward ending the 18-year-war there.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">While the agreement paves the way for the United States to gradually pull out of its longest war, many expect that talks to come between the multiple Afghan sides will be far more complicated.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">For U.S President Donald Trump, the deal represents a chance to make good on his promise to bring U.S. troops home. But security experts have also called it a foreign policy gamble that would give the Taliban international legitimacy.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The United States has agreed to withdraw American troops from Afghanistan in exchange for assurances by the Taliban that it will deny sanctuary to terrorist groups like Al Qaeda.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Senior members of the Afghan government and countries surrounding Afghanistan have been concerned that the United States could abandon Kabul much like it was perceived to have left the region after the Soviet Union exited Afghanistan decades ago.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The war, which has killed tens of thousands of people, began when the United States launched attacks on Afghanistan just weeks after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington by the Afghanistan-based al Qaeda militant group.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Washington accused the Taliban of harbouring al Qaeda and its leader Osama bin Laden, and with its allies ousted the group from power. But the Taliban has remained a potent force and currently controls about 40% of Afghan territory.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">There are questions about whether Taliban fighters loyal to hardline Islamist splinter groups will be willing to adhere to the reduction in violence agreement.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Taliban refuses to recognize Afghanistan’s democratic government. The goal of their insurgency has been returning to power and establishing rule based on their view of Islam.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Other major issues, including women’s rights and civil liberties, are also at stake. Many Afghan women have expressed concern that they have been sidelined from the process, and they fear that protections created for them over the past 18 years could be bargained away to the ultraconservative Taliban movement.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The reduction in violence is expected to continue into the next phase of the process, until the two Afghan sides can agree to a more comprehensive cease-fire.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
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'id' => (int) 3818,
'title' => 'Scotland to make sanitary products free for all',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> The Scottish Parliament passed the Period Products (Free Provision) (Scotland) Bill that aims to make sanitary products free for women of all age groups. </span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Bill that aims to make sanitary products free for women of all age groups.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Bill has only passed the first hurdle to become a law. It still needs to be considered by a parliamentary committee, following which it will require approval from the parliament. It will finally need the Royal Assent of the Queen.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Bill defines period products as the “means manufactured articles the purpose of which is to absorb or collect menstrual flow”.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Critics of the legislation pointed out that the passing of the Bill would put the responsibility of the provision of these products entirely on the Scottish Government.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">They also noted that the proposed costs were “underestimated” and that it was not clear whether the Bill is to help those who cannot afford period products or for everyone.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Period poverty mentions some circumstances that make menstruation a difficult experience for women. These include homelessness, coercive, controlling and violent relationships and health conditions such as endometriosis.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">As of now, in Scotland, the provision of free sanitary products is already available in schools, universities and colleges.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Referring to period dignity, the legislation aims to develop a universal system in Scotland, which will provide free sanitary products for “anyone who needs them.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">If the Bill is passed into law, one of its central objectives is to end the silence and stigma that surrounds menstruation and also aims to remove gendered barriers.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">One of the primary aims of the Bill is to ensure that those who menstruate have reasonably convenient access to period products free of charge. Essentially, the Bill places a duty on Scottish ministers to ensure that period products are made available free of charge on a universal basis. It also requires education providers to make period products available free of charge in on-site toilets.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 3911,
'title' => 'Saudi- Russia tussle tanks oil prices',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates announced they would raise crude oil output by the equivalent of 3.6% of global supplies, adding 3.6 million barrels per day (bpd) to a market that is already massively oversupplied.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">This extraordinary flooding of the market will take place at a time when the <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/this-word-means-coronavirus-6210554/">coronavirus</a> outbreak has severely impacted businesses and travel, and global demand is predicted to shrink for the first time in nearly 10 years.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Brent crude was trading at around $36 on Wednesday, up from the week’s low of about $31, but still some 45% lower since the beginning of 2020.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Saudi Arabia and the UAE have taken a united stand in their ongoing battle with Moscow, which last week rejected a demand by Riyadh that the OPEC+ should cut production sharply to arrest crashing prices. In retaliation, the Gulf allies have decided to scrap all limits on production.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The crippling of industrial production in China and other Asian countries such as South Korea has resulted in a sharp reduction in their import of crude oil.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">But Moscow argued that production should not be cut until the full impact of the COVID-19 outbreak is assessed in greater detail, and that any attempt to shore up prices would only benefit the costlier US shale industry, which has raised production to levels higher than both Saudi Arabia’s and Russia’s.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Saudi-Russian fight signals an end, at least temporarily, to the truce between these two large oil producers that had brought Moscow a seat at the OPEC high table, and held off a potential price war for more than three years now. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">However, the OPEC+ deal to control production also helped the American frackers. Analysts have said that in walking out of its marriage of convenience with OPEC and the Saudis now, Moscow may be trying to drive prices below the break-even point of shale oil production.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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(int) 42 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 3951,
'title' => 'Herd immunity',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Britain has announced a unique strategy to tackle Coronavirus situation. The chief scientific adviser to the UK government, said authorities would contain the spread of the virus but would “not suppress it completely”, in order to build up a degree of ‘herd immunity’.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Britain has faced criticism for its soft approach to the coronavirus. The scientific advisor’s statement, too, led to a barrage of criticism from medical professionals and the public.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Herd immunity is when a large number of people are vaccinated against a disease, lowering the chances of others being infected by it. When a sufficient percentage of a population is vaccinated, it slows the spread of disease. It is also referred to as community immunity or herd protection.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Herd protection of the unvaccinated occurs when a sufficient proportion of the group is immune. The decline of disease incidence is greater than the proportion of individuals immunized because vaccination reduces the spread of an infectious agent by reducing the amount and/or duration of pathogen shedding by vaccines, retarding transmission.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The approach would require those exposed to the virus to build natural immunity and stop the human-to-human transmission. This will, it is believed, subsequently halt its spread.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Earlier this month, WHO said COVID-19 was a new virus to which no one has immunity. That means more people are susceptible to infection, and some will suffer severe disease.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Large number of people have criticised the government’s policy regarding herd immunity. They say that immediate focus should have been to save lives.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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(int) 43 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
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'title' => 'The $10 billion JEDI cloud project',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The United States Department of Defense said it was reconsidering its awarding of the $10 billion JEDI cloud computing contract to <a href="https://indianexpress.com/about/microsoft/">Microsoft</a>, after rival tech giant Amazon slammed the bidding process.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Amazon, which is a market leader in cloud computing technology, had called the bidding process flawed, and made the argument that it was not considered for the contract because of US President Donald Trump’s dislike of the company and its CEO Jeff Bezos.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0in"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>JEDI cloud project</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure (JEDI) project is a major cloud computing contract at the US Department of Defence (DoD) that will allow the country’s military to improve communications with soldiers on the battlefield, with artificial intelligence being utilised to enhance fighting capabilities and war planning.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The project is to be a worldwide, highly available, exponentially elastic, secure, resilient cloud computing and storage environment that seamlessly extends from the homefront to the tactical edge and which will enable rapid development and deployment of new applications and advanced capabilities.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The JEDI project is seen as a shift in the DoD’s strategy of acquiring cloud services. The JEDI project will store vast amounts of classified data, and will be the DoD’s first war cloud.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">This week, US government lawyers said in a court filing that the DoD wishes to reconsider its award decision, seeking 120 days to reassess the same. The reconsideration, however, would be based on technical grounds such as pricing, and not on Amazon’s allegation that Trump unduly influenced the bidding process.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">One possible outcome could be that the Pentagon would end up splitting the award between Microsoft and Amazon, or with other vendors, thus helping the project get on track and out of the courts.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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'title' => 'Eurozone’s Coronabonds',
'description' => '<p><strong><span style="font-size:11.0000pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></strong></p>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0000pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">The </span></span><a href="https://indianexpress.com/about/coronavirus/"><span style="font-size:11.0000pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">coronavirus</span></span></a> <span style="font-size:11.0000pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">pandemic has revived the debate between euro zone countries about jointly issuing debt to meet healthcare needs and address the deep economic downturn that is set to follow.</span></span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size:11.0000pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></strong></p>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0000pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Nine of the 19 countries that use the single currency called on March 25 for a common debt instrument issued by a European institution to fight the outbreak and its effects.</span></span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size:11.0000pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></strong></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size:11.0000pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">The idea of such debt, called “coronabonds”, was rejected by Germany, the Netherlands, Finland and Austria, fiscally “frugal” northern states wary of pooling liabilities for the more spendthrift countries in southern Europe.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11.0000pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">The idea of joint debt issuance was previously raised by Italy, during the 2009 global financial crisis, and by France and Italy in 2012, at the peak of the euro zone’s sovereign debt crisis, and dismissed by Berlin and its allies. But ideas are likely to evolve and deepen as the current crisis prompts more discussion.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11.0000pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">The euro zone jointly issues debt through its bailout fund, the European Stability Mechanism, which borrows on the market against the security of its paid-in and callable capital provided by euro zone governments.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11.0000pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">The European Commission had previously issued debt through the European Financial Stability Mechanism (EFSM) to help fund the bailouts of Greece, Ireland and Portugal and give balance of payments help to Latvia, Hungary and Romania.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:11.0000pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">The EIB, the investment arm of the EU, is owned by EU governments and issues around 60 billion euros of debt every year to lend for various projects in the bloc.</span></span></li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size:11.0000pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><strong>Bonds</strong></span></span></strong></p>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0000pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri">Bonds, or fixed-income investments, are essentially loans from an investor to a company or government. Bond investors receive periodic payments based on the interest rate at which the bond was sold.</span></span></p>
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'title' => 'India to join WHO’s COVID-19 trials',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">India has volunteered to participate in the World Health Organization’s (WHO) ongoing solidarity trial for developing vaccines for Covid-19.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">WHO with its partners is organizing a study called the solidarity trial in many countries in which some of the untested treatments are compared with each other. The study has been designed to generate the robust data needed to show which treatments are the most effective.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In order to look at newer drugs that might come, India is soon likely to participate in the WHO solidarity trial for COVID-19. Earlier we did not do it because our numbers were so small and contribution would have looked minuscule.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">WHO’s multi-country solidarity trials aims to isolate drugs approved by regulators for other diseases that can be utilised in the Covid-19 fight. The reason already safety-tested drugs are being looked at is because these do not need lengthy clinical trials.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Among the drugs lined up for immediate testing are antiviral intravenous drug remdesivir, HIV combination lopinavir and ritonavir sold as Kaletra; and anti-malarial chloroquine, and a related drug, hydroxychloroquine.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Many countries, including Argentina, Bahrain, Canada, France, Iran, Norway, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, and Thailand, have already confirmed that they will join the solidarity trial, according to WHO. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">WHO has also created a Covid-19 Solidarity Response Fund, to help provide protective equipment for front-line health workers, equip diagnostic laboratories, improve surveillance and data collection, establish and maintain intensive care units. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">It also aims to strengthen supply chains, accelerate research and development of vaccines and therapeutics, and take other critical steps to scale up the public health response to the Covid-19 pandemic.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> US President Donald Trump invoked the Defense (defence) Production Act in order to boost the production of ventilators as part of efforts to deal with the coronavirus outbreak.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">According to a WHO report, based on an analysis of over 55,000 laboratory-confirmed patients, 18.6 per cent of the patients with COVID-19 experienced shortness of breath.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Defense Production Act, 1950 gives the President the power to mobilise domestic industry so that the supply of essential materials and services is maintained for purposes of national defence. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">By invoking this Act the President can require persons, including businesses and corporations, to undertake government contracts so that production and supply are maintained.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In the present situation, by invoking the Act, Trump has mandated General Motors to manufacture ventilators, considered crucial for those patients who develop breathing difficulties as a result of COVID-19.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Amid the coronavirus pandemic, the demand for ventilators has shot up in many countries. Ventilators, also described as “life support”, are not required for all COVID-19 patients. But in some patients who develop breathing difficulties due to the infection, their breathing needs to be supported by ventilators.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">However, this is only a temporary measure in most cases, used to treat patients if they suffer from illnesses such as pneumonia, which some COVID-19 patients may develop. By using a ventilator, air is pumped into the lungs of the patients, which allows their body to rest and recover.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 4150,
'title' => 'Trump requests PM Modi to release Hydroxychloroquine',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">U.S. President Donald Trump has said that he has requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to release the amount of Hydroxychloroquine ordered by the United States after India last month banned the drugs for exports.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">India’s Directorate General of Foreign Trade on March 25 banned the export of Hydroxychloroquine but said that certain shipments on humanitarian grounds may be allowed on a case-by-case basis.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">With more than three lakh confirmed cases of coronavirus infection and over 8,000 fatalities, the U.S. has emerged as the worst sufferers of the deadly coronavirus diseases to which there has been no cure. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Based on some initial results, the Trump administration is banking heavily on using Hydroxychloroquine, a decades old malaria drug, for the successful treatment of coronavirus.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Following a quick provisional approval from the U.S. Federal Drug Administration last Saturday, the malaria drug along with a combination of some other drug is being used in the treatment of about 1,500 COVID-19 patients in New York.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Scientists across the world in particular in the U.S. are racing against time to find either a vaccine or a therapeutic cure to the virus that has so far killed more than 64,000 people and infected 1.2 million in more than 150 countries.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In the next several weeks, health experts in the U.S. has projected between 100,000 to 200,000 deaths due to coronavirus, which due to human-to-human transmission is spreading like a wildfire in the U.S. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">In anticipation of it being a successful drug in the treatment of coronavirus, the U.S. has already stockpiled some 29 million doses.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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'title' => 'COVID-19 and its effects on measles immunisation program',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">A press release issued by the UN noted that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, measles immunisation campaigns have been delayed in 24 countries and will be canceled in 13 others since healthcare workers are required to deal with the pandemic.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">While there is a vaccine for measles, the disease claimed 140,000 lives of mostly infants and babies in 2018. </span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The coronavirus pandemic, which has necessitated many prevention measures including strict lockdowns, has kept infants from getting routine immunisation services from some other diseases such as polio, yellow fever and cholera.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Measles is a highly contagious viral disease and despite the availability of a vaccine against it, it remains to be a leading cause of death among young children globally. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The disease is transmitted via droplets released from the nose, mouth or throat of infected persons. The initial symptoms occur 10-12 days after contracting the infection and include high fever, a runny nose, bloodshot eyes and the appearance of white spots on the inside of the mouth.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Some of the most serious complications arising out of the disease include blindness, encephalitis (brain swelling), severe diarrhea, dehydration and severe respiratory infections such as pneumonia. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The disease is still common in parts of Africa and Asia and is more likely among poorly nourished children, especially those who are deficient in vitamin A.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Mass immunisation drives and routine vaccination for children are the key public health strategies against the disease. Therefore, delaying the campaigns affects these strategies, potentially putting the life of thousands of children at risk.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Countries including Mexico, Bolivia, Lebanon, Nepal and Chile among others have delayed their immunisation campaigns. It notes that children in rich countries are also not totally immune to this disease, since many parents (presumably a part of the anti-vaccination movement) refuse to get their children vaccinated.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">The WHO released an interim guideline for carrying out immunisation activities during COVID-19, which says if immunisation actvities are negatively impacted during the pandemic, respective countries will need to design strategies for delivering “catch-up” vaccines after the outbreak subsides.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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'title' => 'Use of cologne to fight COVID-19',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Unlike most other countries, where soap and hand sanitisers have become highly sought-after hygiene products, in Turkey, another liquid solution is in demand-cologne.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Eau de Cologne, or simply cologne, is a perfume that originated in the Cologne city in Germany, and has for more than a century been a highly popular accessory in Turkey.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Cologne became popular in the country due to its 19th century Ottoman ruler Abdul Hamid II. The Sultan was exceedingly fond of the perfume, and would carry bottles everywhere with him. Soon, the accessory became part of Turkish lifestyle and crept into Turkish vocabulary, getting ‘Kolonya’ as its local name.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Kolonya today is made from ingredients such as jasmine, rose, and fig blossoms, and has a high content of ethanol. The aroma is popularly referred to as the country’s national scent, and is recognised as a symbol of Turkish health and hospitality.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Particles of the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) are spherical and have proteins called spikes protruding from their surface, which invade human cells.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">A fatty layer that holds the spikes together is disrupted when it comes into contact with soap or a hand sanitiser with more than 60 per cent alcohol. This disruption causes the virus to come undone, and kills it.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Kolonya’s high content of alcohol (around 60 per cent) is known to be effective in killing off germs, and thus serves as a useful hand disinfectant. While more expensive than soap or hand sanitiser, Kolonya’s fragrance attracts customers.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Turkish government has also stopped demanding ethanol blends in petrol, so that enough supplies remain to make Kolonya.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Officials have promised to maintain adequate stocks throughout the pandemic, and retailers have said that they would not increase prices.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
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'id' => (int) 4304,
'title' => 'Yom HaShoah',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">While the world commemorates International Holocaust Remembrance Day on January 27, on the anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi concentration camp and extermination camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau, in Israel, the Shoah, the term in Hebrew for the holocaust, is remembered on a different day.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In March 1951, the Knesset began discussing proposed dates for an official day of remembrance for the Yom HaShoah, the three of which were 10 Tevet; Passover; and September 1, the date on which the Second World War started.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The date for the Yom HaShoah is set in accordance with the Hebrew calendar and hence, unlike the International Holocaust Remembrance Day, it does not have a fixed date. This year, it is being observed from April 20 to 21.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">According to the Hebrew calendar, Yom HaShoah begins on the 27th day of the month of Nisan at sunset, and ends on the evening of the following day, in accordance with the Jewish custom of marking a single day.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In Israel, Yom HaShoah is remembered during a state ceremony conducted at the Yad Vashem in Jerusalem, Israel’s official memorial to the victims of the Holocaust, held on the evening of the 27th day of the month of Nisan.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">On the following morning, a public siren across the country brings everything to a halt for two minutes, during which all work is paused and a people stand in solemn silence in remembrance of the victims of the Holocaust.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Following the sounding of the siren, cars suddenly come to halt as do people in public places. After the end of the silence, a wreath is laid at Yad Vashem. Flags of the State of Israel on public buildings are also flown at half-mast on this day.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The first Holocaust Remembrance Day in Israel occurred on December 28, 1949, approximately 18 months after the State of Israel was established on May 14, 1948. </span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Holocaust</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the World War II genocide of the European Jews. Between 1941 and 1945, across German-occupied Europe, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews, around two-thirds of Europe's Jewish population.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">The murders were carried out in pogroms and mass shootings; by a policy of extermination through work in concentration camps; and in gas chambers and gas vans in German camps, chiefly Auschwitz, Be??ec, Che?mno, Majdanek, Sobibór, and Treblinka in occupied Poland.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 4303,
'title' => 'Milk Tea Alliance',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">A popular Thai actor and his friend were mocked by Chinese social media users for their views against the Chinese government. This led to a social media war between Chinese and their Thai counterparts.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The online battle started when Sukaram, a popular Thai actor’s friend was accused of retweeting and sharing a Thai Twitter post that questioned whether coronavirus had emerged in a laboratory in Wuhan. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Chinese social media users, furious at her purported endorsement of this claim, began searching through her social media profiles and claimed that Sukaram had once suggested on an Instagram post from 2017 that Taiwan is not a part of China.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Beijing has consistently rejected Taiwan’s independence. Pro-China social media users then turned their ire towards Bright, accusing him of once liking a social media post that said Hong Kong was an independent nation, another stance that the Beijing government has rejected.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The two Thai celebrities found support from pro-democracy activists and politicians and other social media users who used the incident to further reject China’s nationalistic war in the region.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The ‘<strong>Milk Tea Alliance</strong>’ is an informal term coined by social media users because in the region, tea is consumed in many nations with milk, with the exception of China. Memes were formed showing flags of the countries in the “Milk Tea Alliance” with China as a lone outsider.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">A barrage of memes and posts ridiculed Chinese social media users for everything from their pro-Communist Party ideology to the spread of Coronavirus. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Failed attempts by Chinese social media users to mass report tweets, posts and memes that they found critical of China were also soundly mocked on social media platforms.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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(int) 52 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 4333,
'title' => 'US offers financial aid to Greenland',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Months after stirring a row with Denmark last August over a proposal to “purchase” Greenland from the Nordic nation, the US has caused ruffles once again with its offers of financial aid to the autonomous island that falls within the territory of the Kingdom of Denmark.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Greenland is the world's largest island, located between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. It is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">This proposal follows plans by the US government to open a consulate in Suuk, Greenland’s capital. Members of Denmark’s parliament expressed outrage at the US government’s attempts to provide financial aid to Greenland with some politicians considering the steps to be “extremely provocative” interference by the US.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The US government has said that reason for this decision was to aid “sustainable growth” in the autonomous island, Sands also cited Russia’s aggressive behaviour and increased militarisation in the Arctic and China’s predatory economic interests as reasons for the US government’s decision.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In Denmark, the US government’s repeated moves concerning Greenland have become a cause for concern and have been criticised in political circles as well as in the news media since Trump first made references to the territory last year.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Purchasing another country or territory is unusual, but the US government has done this twice before, once when President Thomas Jefferson acquired Louisiana from the French in 1803 and the second time when President Andrew Johnson purchased Alaska from Russia in 1867.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">There are many reasons at play here as many among Trump’s voter base in the US, the country acquiring new territory under this administration would appeal to their nationalistic and imperialistic views. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Should the plans for acquiring Greenland ever materialise, it would also secure Trump’s position in US history of having been the third president to add land to the country’s territory.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Greenland, though the world’s largest island, is geographically a part of the North American continent. However, it has always been culturally aligned with Europe. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Greenland is also a resource rich land mass, strategically located between the Arctic Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, with some of the largest deposits of rare-earth metals, including iron-ore, uranium, by products of zinc, neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium and terbium. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">These rare-earth metals are used in the production of electric cars, mobile phones and computers. For the longest time, China has been the world’s largest supplier of these rare-earth metals and has expanded its acquisitory plans by excavating mines across the African continent.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">China’s nationalistic and aggressive foreign policies have consistently clashed with the US, with both fighting for dominance and prominence on the global platform. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">An acquisition of Greenland would make the US less reliant on China for these rare-earth metals. Observers say Greenland, as a part of the Arctic region, also has large deposits of undiscovered oil and gas.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Foreign policy experts believe Trump’s push to open a consulate again can be chalked up to Russia and China’s aggressive foreign policy moves to gain more influence in the region.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Russia has been steadily expanding its military presence in the Arctic and China has done its bit on the economic front. Due to climate change, the Arctic ice is melting at an accelerated rate, opening up water routes for military and maritime trade.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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(int) 53 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 4366,
'title' => 'Diplomatic tensions in South China Sea',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In the middle of the global coronavirus pandemic, China has been busy increasing its presence in the South China Sea. This time the focus of its acquisitory attention is the two disputed archipelagos of the <strong>Spratly Islands</strong> and the <strong>Paracel Islands</strong> in the middle of the South China Sea waters, between the territory of Vietnam and the Philippines.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">If the dispute were to aggravate, Asia-Pacific researchers believe it could have serious consequences for diplomatic relations and stability in the region.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">China unilaterally renamed 80 islands and other geographical features in the area, drawing criticism from neighbouring countries who have also laid claim to the same territory.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">There has been an ongoing territorial dispute between China, Taiwan, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Malaysia concerning the ownership of the Spratly Islands archipelago and nearby geographical features like corals reefs, cays etc. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Since 1968, these nations have engaged in varying kinds of military occupation of the islands and the surrounding waters, with the exception of Brunei, that has contained its objections to the use of its maritime waters for commercial fishing.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Although the Spratly Islands are largely uninhabited, there is a possibility that they may have large reserves of untapped natural resources. However, due to the ongoing dispute, there have been few initiatives to explore the scale of these reserves.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In the 1970s, oil was discovered in neighbouring islands, specifically off the coast of Palawan. This discovery ramped up territorial claims by these countries. Over the years, US government agencies have claimed that there is little to no oil and natural gas in these islands, but these reports have done little to reduce the territorial dispute.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Paracel Islands dispute is slightly more complex. This archipelago is a collection of 130 islands and coral reefs and is located in the South China Sea, almost equidistant from China and Vietnam. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Beijing says that references to the Paracel Islands as a part of China sovereign territory can be found in 14th century writings from the Song Dynasty. Vietnam on the other hand, says that historical texts from at least the 15th century show that the islands were a part of its territory.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">By 1954, tensions had dramatically increased between China and Vietnam over the archipelago. In January 1974, China and Vietnam fought over their territorial disputes after which China took over control of the islands. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In retaliation, in 1982, Vietnam said it had extended its administrative powers over these islands. In 1999, Taiwan jumped into the fray laying its claim over the entire archipelago.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Since 2012, China, Taiwan and Vietnam have attempted to reinforce their claims on the territory by engaging in construction of government administrative buildings, tourism, land reclamation initiatives and by establishing and expanding military presence on the archipelago.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In the past few years, China has stepped up military aggression and has created artificial islands for military and economic purposes in the South China Sea, drawing criticism from neighbouring countries and other western powers.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">A few weeks ago, Vietnam had lodged a complaint at the UN stating that China had illegally sunk a fishing trawler near Paracel Islands, killing eight people on board. In March, China built two research stations on territory claimed by the Philippines.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">The US has no territorial claims in the South China Sea, but is known to send its naval force into the waters each time there are provocative developments in the waters, particularly angering China.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif""> <img alt="" src="https://www.mediafire.com/convkey/9418/m6a2b42q7q33osm6g.jpg" style="height:345px; width:600px" /></span></span></p>
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(int) 54 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
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'title' => 'Sikh doctors protesting in UK',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Some British Sikh doctors in the UK, who are part of the National Health Service (NHS) and at the frontlines of the Covid-19 outbreak, are protesting after they were forced not to take up key roles due to their beards.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Sikh Doctors Association (SDA) reported that at least five Sikh doctors were removed from their usual shifts at NHS hospitals for refusing to shave their beards and failing the “fit test” for critical facial protective gear.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Sikh doctors have been recognised as a risk group whilst treating Covid-19 patients since many keep beards as a result of which face masks do not properly fit them and increase their risk of getting infected.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">While treating Covid-19 patients, healthcare workers are required to wear personal protective equipment (PPE), which includes face masks.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">While there are no official guidelines requiring workers to shave their beards, NHS employers have been asked to speak to staff and local faith groups to explain why facial hair is a concern while treating patients.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">If staff is not willing to shave their facial hair, NHS employers have been given the option to shift clinical staff to non-clinical areas.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">An alternative to using masks are hoods or helmets, or specialist facial protective masks called Powered Air Purifying Respirators (PAPRs). However, these are more expensive, in short supply and require more training time, which makes them less feasible than the traditional masks.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">This shortage is the reason that British Sikh doctors are protesting, calling for a better procurement strategy of the specialist face masks by the NHS, which would allow them to maintain a beard while working.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">While some argue that moustaches and certain types of beards do not impact face masks, research carried out in the UK in 2015 found that even a 24-hour stubble can affect the quality of protection a mask is able to provide.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Beards are a key article of the Sikh religious faith and identity. Shaving of facial hair for Sikhs goes against their religious faith. The Sikh faith requires adherents to follow certain rules. Among these, hair is not to be cut.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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'id' => (int) 4587,
'title' => 'US Space Force to launch secret mission',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The U.S. Space Force's mysterious X-37B space plane has been successfully launched on its sixth mystery mission.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Space Force officials have said that the experiments and technology the X-37B carries enables the U.S. to more efficiently and effectively develop space capabilities necessary to maintain superiority in the space domain.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The X-37B - the military's space plane - was launched on board a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas 5 rocket on Sunday from Cape Canaveral in Florida.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The mission is part of the military's "America Strong" campaign, which also includes a series of flyovers by the Air Force Thunderbirds and Navy Blue Angels.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">This mission marks the second national security launch under the Space Force since its establishment in December.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>US Space Force</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The United States Space Force (USSF) is the space warfare service branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, and is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Space Force is the sixth and youngest branch of the US Armed Forces and the first branch of the military established since the formation of the independent US Air Force in 1947.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The U.S. Space Force is organized as a military service branch within the Department of the Air Force, one of the three military departments within the Department of Defense.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The U.S. Space Force's mission is to organize, train, and equip space forces in order to protect U.S. and allied interests in space and to provide space capabilities to the joint force.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Its responsibilities include developing military space professionals, acquiring military space systems, maturing the military doctrine for space power, and organizing space forces to present to the Combatant Commands.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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'title' => 'US senate passes bill to delist Chinese companies',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The US Senate passed a Bill by a unanimous vote that could delist some Chinese companies from selling shares on American stock exchanges, amid rising tensions between the two countries over the pandemic.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Publicly listed companies should all be held to the same standards, and this bill makes common sense changes to level the playing field and give investors the transparency they need to make informed decisions.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Bill, titled ‘Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act’, was introduced to protect American investors and their retirement savings from foreign companies that have been operating on US stock exchanges while flouting Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) oversight.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Bill must be passed by the House of Representatives and signed by US President Donald Trump before it becomes law.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Bill prohibits securities of a company from being listed on any of the US securities exchanges if the company fails to comply with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board’s (PCAOB) audits for three years in a row. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">It also requires public companies to disclose whether they are owned or controlled by a foreign government, including <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/world/china-coronavirus-tracker-region-wise-cases-and-deaths/">China</a>’s Communist government.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The PCAOB was set up to inspect audits of public companies to ensure the information companies provide to the public is accurate and trustworthy. The Chinese government refuses to allow the PCAOB to inspect audits of companies that are registered in China and Hong Kong.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In order to comply with the requirements of the Bill, Chinese companies may have to break state secret laws in China. Therefore, the Bill might be a way to encourage the Chinese government to take a re-look at its laws.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">As of November 2019, over 150 China-related legislation were pending in the US with the aim to counter Beijing. The subjects of these legislation include the mass internment of Uygurs, cyber-security and Taiwan and the South China Sea among others.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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(int) 57 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 4634,
'title' => 'How China is seeking more control over Hong Kong',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">China has started pushing for an improvement in the Basic Law, the mini-constitution that defines ties between Hong Kong and Beijing.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The new law, which is being described as the most sweeping step at curbing dissent so far, seeks to ban “treason, secession, sedition and subversion”, and could be passed without consulting the Hong Kong legislature.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">A former British colony, Hong Kong was handed over to mainland China in 1997, becoming one of its Special Administrative Regions. It is governed by a mini-constitution called the Basic Law, which affirms the principle of “one country, two systems”. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The constitutional document is a product of the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration, under which China promised to honour Hong Kong’s liberal policies, system of governance, independent judiciary, and individual freedoms for a period of 50 years from 1997.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Since the handover, Hong Kong residents have time and again taken to the streets to protect their Basic Law freedoms, with the first major pro-democracy protest taking place in 2003. In 2014, over one lakh city residents took part in the ‘Umbrella Revolution’ to protest against China’s denial of democratic reforms.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The largest protests since the 1997 handover took place last year, when for months tens of thousands of Hong Kongers agitated against a proposed extradition law, and continued with pro-democracy marches even after the legislation was withdrawn.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Under Article 18, national laws can be applied in Hong Kong if they are placed in Annex III, and must be “confined to those relating to defence and foreign affairs as well as other matters outside the limits of the autonomy of the Region.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Once listed in Annex III, national laws can be enforced in the city by way of promulgation, meaning automatically being put into effect, or by legislating locally in the Special Administrative Region.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The new law would ban seditious activities that target mainland Chinese rule, as well as punish external interference in Hong Kong affairs. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">A major blow to Hong Kong’s freedoms, the law could effectively bring the city under full control of mainland China. The move could also undermine Hong Kong’s position as an East Asian trading hub.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 4645,
'title' => 'Grand Renaissance Dam',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Talks are set to begin between Ethiopia and Egypt in Washington D.C. on the future of the hydropower project on the Nile that is at the centre of these disputes: The Grand Renaissance Dam project.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Africa’s longest river, the Nile, has been at the centre of a decade-long complex dispute involving several countries in the continent who are dependent on the river’s waters. </span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">When completed, the Grand Renaissance Dam hydropower project being constructed by Ethiopia will be Africa’s largest. While the main waterways of the Nile run through Uganda, South Sudan, Sudan and Egypt, its drainage basin runs through other countries in East Africa, including Ethiopia.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Ethiopia began construction of the dam in 2011 on the Blue Nile tributary that runs across one part of the country. Egypt has objected to the construction of this dam and in Sudan has found itself caught in the midst of this conflict. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Due to the importance of the Nile as a necessary water source in the region, observers are concerned that this dispute may evolve into a full-fledged conflict between the two nations.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Ethiopia’s mega project on the Nile may just allow the country to control the river’s waters, and this is essentially what concerns Egypt because it lies downstream.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Tri-party talks between Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan have been unable to reach agreements. Egypt isn’t alone in its concerns. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Sudan is hardly a passive observer caught in the conflict just because of its location. It too believes Ethiopia having control over the river through the dam may affect its own water supplies.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Ethiopia believes this dam will generate approximately 6,000 megawatts of electricity when it is done. This dam will reduce those shortages and help the country’s manufacturing industry. The country may also be able to supply electricity to neighbouring nations and earn some revenue in exchange.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Neighbouring countries like Kenya, Sudan, Eritrea and South Sudan also suffer from electricity shortages. If Ethiopia sells electricity to these nations, they may also reap benefits.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">While Ethiopia has stated that it does not need Egypt’s permission to fill the dam, Egypt on the other hand, wrote to the UN Security Council, saying the dam would jeopardise food and water security and livelihoods of ordinary Egyptian citizens.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p> <img alt="" src="https://www.mediafire.com/convkey/54ce/zpb227z06pek0n46g.jpg" style="height:384px; width:685px" /></p>
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'title' => 'Dieselgate scandal',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Germany’s Federal Court of Justice (BGH) ruled against car manufacturer Volkswagen, the first judgment in the diesel scandal. As a result of the ruling, the company must pay compensation to the owner of a vehicle fitted with a “defeat device” meant to bypass a vehicle’s emissions control system.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The ruling has set a crucial benchmark for over 60,000 such pending cases brought forward by German consumers seeking compensation over the emissions test devices.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">It was in 2015 that Volkswagen admitted to having installed emissions-cheating devices in its vehicles, which cost the company over $33 billion in vehicle refits and regulatory fines, mostly in the United States. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The scandal is often dubbed as the “dieselgate scandal” and Volkswagen has since admitted the device affects over 11 million cars worldwide.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found that in over 590,000 diesel motor vehicles, Volkswagen had violated the Clean Air Act as the vehicles were equipped with “defeat devices” in the form of a computer software, which was designed to cheat on federal emissions tests.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">It alleged that Volkswagen installed these devices in its 2009-2015 two-litre diesel vehicles, thereby violating EPA’s emissions standards since these vehicles emit 40 times more pollution than the level permitted. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Some of the affected vehicles included Jetta (2009-2015), Beetle (2013-2015) and Passat (2012-2015) among others. The major excess pollutant, in this case, were nitrogen oxides.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The EPA issued a separate notice of violation of the Clean Air Act to car manufacturers Audi, Porsche and Volkswagen for producing and selling certain model year 2014-2016 three-litre diesel cars and SUVs that included a software device meant to circumvent the emissions standards.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Regulatory investigations were carried out against the company in several countries including South Korea, France, Italy, Germany, UK and Canada.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The ruling is expected to pave the way for remaining cases pending in Germany as the courts are expected to rule in favour of the plaintiffs.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Emission defeat device</strong></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">A defeat device is one that bypasses or renders inoperative a vehicle’s emission control system. Essentially, software of this kind is designed to detect when the vehicle is undergoing an emissions test and turns on full emissions controls during the testing period. In the course of normal driving, the effectiveness of such devices is reduced.</span></span></p>
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'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 4674,
'title' => 'WHO Solidarity trial',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced it would no longer assign patients to the hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) arm of the multi-country Solidarity Trial on possible treatments for Covid-19.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The announcement raises several questions, particularly in India which is a major manufacturer/exporter of the drug and has also reposed implicit faith in its therapeutic and prophylactic role for health workers exposed to Covid-19 cases.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">“Solidarity” is an international initiative for clinical trials launched by the WHO, along with partners, to help find an effective treatment for Covid-19. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">It was originally supposed to look at four drugs or drug combinations: remdesivir, HCQ, ritonavir/lopinavir and lopinavir/ritonavir/interferon beta 1a. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Now with HCQ trial enrolment stalled for at least the next few weeks, the Solidarity trial will proceed with the other three arms.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">By enrolling patients in multiple countries, the Solidarity Trial aims to rapidly discover whether any of the drugs slow disease progression or improve survival.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Overall, over 100 countries have joined or expressed an interest in joining the trial, and WHO is actively supporting 60 of them.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">So far, remdesivir is widely being described as the most promising, although results of various trials have sometimes being conflicting. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Remdesivir is a broad-spectrum antiviral which was previously tested in humans with Ebola virus disease, and which has also shown promise as a drug against MERS and SARS, both of which are caused by coronaviruses.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The drug was found to speed up recovery during a trial and the results were encouraging enough to warrant publication of the results even while the trial was still on.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Ritonavir and liponavir are second-line HIV drugs, known as HIV protease inhibitors, that have been in use for some time. They bolster the immune system, which reduces the chances of a HIV-positive person developing complications such as tuberculosis.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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(int) 61 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 4694,
'title' => 'Trump’s executive order on social media platforms',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">US President Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at removing certain protections for social media platforms that aim to safeguard them from any liabilities arising out of the content that is posted on their websites.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The order gives federal regulators the agency to take action against online platforms that are seen as censoring free speech.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The executive order says that online platforms are engaging in selective censorship and that Twitter’s labelling of Trump’s Tweets shows political bias.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">“At the same time online platforms are invoking inconsistent, irrational, and groundless justifications to censor or otherwise restrict Americans’ speech here at home, several online platforms are profiting from and promoting the aggression and disinformation spread by foreign governments like China,” the order mentions.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">As part of its new policy undertaken amid the <a href="https://indianexpress.com/about/coronavirus/">coronavirus</a> <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/pandemic-explained-who-novel-coronavirus-covid19-what-is-a-pandemic-6309727/">pandemic</a>, Twitter has introduced labels and warning messages that aim to provide additional context and information on Tweets containing disputed, misleading or unverified claims related to the pandemic.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">However, the labels can also be used in situations where the risk of harm associated with a Tweet is less severe and people may be confused or misled by the content.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act (CDA) provides immunity to online platforms and protects them from being liable for the content billions of people post on their platform every day.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Further, under this section, providers of “interactive computer services” are free from being treated as the publisher or speaker of any information posted by the users, rendering these platforms “unfettered by Federal or State regulation”.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Act also protects online platforms from civil liability, which means that they may not be liable for restricting access to certain content that platforms may consider being, “obscene, lewd, lascivious, filthy, excessively violent, harassing or otherwise objectionable” and when such content is removed in “good faith”.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Twitter has said that the order is a “reactionary” and “politicised” approach to a landmark law. It says that Section 230 protects American innovation and freedom of expression. </span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Executive order</strong></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">An executive order is a written directive issued by the President and is one of the most common presidential documents. Such orders are not legislations and don’t require the approval of the Congress, which also means that the Congress cannot overturn them.</span></span></p>
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(int) 62 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 4705,
'title' => 'George Floyd death issue in US',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Georgia’s Governor declared a state of emergency to activate the state’s National Guard to “provide security and restore safety” amid violence in Atlanta. Protests had erupted in several cities across the US following the death of George Floyd, a 45-year-old African American man, while being restrained by a white Minneapolis police officer.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The death has triggered violent unrest in Minneapolis, leading to a state of peacetime emergency being declared in Minnesota State as well as the activation of its National Guard. </span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Floyd, African American man, died in Minneapolis while he was being restrained by the police. Video footage of the incident, which was broadcast by the media and went viral on social media platforms, showed an officer kneeling on Floyd’s neck as he gasped for breath.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The incident once again brought to the fore concerns over the law enforcement’s bias against the African American minority, with Floyd’s death being cited as the most recent incident of racially-driven police brutality.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Other high profile deaths include the 2016 shooting of Philando Castile, a 32-year-old black man shot seven times at close range during a traffic stop, also in Minnesota.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">A Washington Post database showed that African Americans were 2.5 times more likely to be killed by a police officer than white people.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>National</strong> <strong>Guard</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Comprising the Army National Guard and Air National Guard, it is a reserve component of the US Army and provides trained units to states, territories and the District of Columbia to protect life and property. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The force supports combat missions, domestic emergencies, humanitarian efforts and homeland security operations among others.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">To join the force without prior service, one must be a US citizen or permanent resident between the ages of 17 and 35 and have a high school diploma, among other requirements.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">The forces can be mobilised by the President whenever more units are needed to maintain national security.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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(int) 63 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 4706,
'title' => 'China opposes THAAD missile system in South Korea',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">China has issued a statement reiterating its long-standing objections to the presence of the US THAAD missile defence system in South Korea. </span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">China has been objecting to the defence system since it was first deployed in South Korea three year ago, causing a deterioration in ties between the two countries.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">THAAD is an acronym for Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, a transportable, ground-based missile defense system. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">THAAD is coupled with space-based and ground-based surveillance stations, which transfer data about the incoming missile and informs the THAAD interceptor missile of the threat type classification. THAAD is alarmed about incoming missiles by space-based satellites with infrared sensors.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">This anti-ballistic missile defense system has been designed and manufactured by the US company Lockheed Martin. South Korea is not the only country with the THAAD missile defense system. It has been previously deployed in the UAE, Guam, Israel and Romania.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In South Korea, the THAAD missile defense system is operated by the US army stationed in the country. The US had previously announced that the deployment of this missile defense system was a countermeasure against potential attacks by North Korea.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">China’s opposition has little to do with the missiles itself and is more about the system’s inbuilt advanced radar systems that could track China’s actions.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">China believes the US exerts influence over South Korea and Japan and may interfere with Beijing’s long-term military, diplomatic and economic interests in the region.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">When the controversy first arose in 2017, China had hit South Korea economically. South Korean businesses, including large conglomerates like LG, Lotte and Samsung. These included the shutting down of institutions and enterprises that had little to do with the defence and military, like golf courses and shopping malls.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Post this development in 2017, tourism from China to South Korea fell drastically. Many Chinese tourists who are fans of Korean entertainment travel to South Korea, the tourism industry contributes significantly to South Korea’s economy.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">South Korea’s entertainment industry witnessed concerts, shows and other commercial ventures in China by K-pop stars being forced to cancel as a result of this controversy.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">South Korean cosmetics and beauty products that are extremely popular in China also witnessed their sales being impacted, due to calls on social media to boycott South Korean products.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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(int) 64 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
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'id' => (int) 4717,
'title' => 'The G7 grouping',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that he wanted to include India, Russia, South Korea, and Australia in the G7 group.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Last year, the G-7 summit was held on August 24-26 at Biarritz in south-western France, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi was invited to attend as a special guest of French President Emmanuel Macron.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The G-7 or ‘Group of Seven’ are <strong>Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, </strong>and<strong> the United States</strong>. It is an intergovernmental organisation that was formed in 1975 by the top economies of the time as an informal forum to discuss pressing world issues. Canada joined the group in 1976, and the European Union began attending in 1977.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Initially formed as an effort by the US and its allies to discuss economic issues, the G-7 forum has deliberated about several challenges over the decades, such as the oil crashes of the 1970s, the economic changeover of ex-Soviet bloc nations, and many pressing issues such as financial crises, terrorism, arms control, and drug trafficking.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The G-7 was known as the ‘G-8’ for several years after the original seven were joined by Russia in 1997. The Group returned to being called G-7 after Russia was expelled as a member in 2014 following the latter’s annexation of the Crimea region of Ukraine.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The G-7 does not have a formal constitution or a fixed headquarters. The decisions taken by leaders during annual summits are non-binding. The rise of India, China, and Brazil over the past few decades has reduced the G-7’s relevance, whose share in global GDP has now fallen to around 40%.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The G-20 is a larger group of countries, which also includes G7 members. The G-20 was formed in 1999, in response to a felt need to bring more countries on board to address global economic concerns.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Apart from the G-7 countries, the G-20 comprises <strong>Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, </strong>and<strong> Turkey.</strong></span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Together, the G-20 countries make up around 80% of the world’s economy. As opposed to the G-7, which discusses a broad range of issues, deliberations at the G-20 are confined to those concerning the global economy and financial markets. India is slated to host a G-20 summit in 2022.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
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'id' => (int) 4594,
'title' => 'Ultra-orthodox Jewish sects vulnerable to COVID-19',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Three weeks after Israel marked its first COVID-19 infection on February 21, the country witnessed a spike in infections particularly in the densely populated city of Bnei Brak, where there is a large population of Orthodox and ultra-Orthodox Haredi Jews.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Videos on various platforms showed that police and security officials were subjected to slurs and accusations, being called ‘Nazis’ and ‘Communists’ by some radical Haredi Jews.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Some other reports showed these altercations becoming physical, and how in some cases, young Haredi boys were retaliating against these public health rules by spitting on officials.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Most of these incidents of violence have been recorded in neighbourhoods with large Haredi populations in Jerusalem and in the nearby city of Beit Shemesh.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In New York, where there is a large population of Orthodox Jews, there have also been incidents of conflict between members of the community and police. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Orthodox Jewish communities in and around New York were among the first to record COVID-19 infections. Despite the implementation of public health orders in New York, several Jewish weddings and funerals had taken place.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Members of the Jewish community felt that they were being unfairly singled out due to the actions of some people in the community.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Some members of the community believe that the controversy concerning violations of health rules by Orthodox Jews, including their reluctance to vaccinate, is unfairly inflated and highlighted in the news.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The spike in cases happened in part due to the lifestyles that the Haredim (Orthodox Jews) follow, that are characterised by segregation, them largely containing themselves within their own neighbourhoods and cities.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The ultra-Orthodox Jews also do not use the Internet, smartphones, mass media, social media and other information sources and rely on their own community members for it. Government officials also do not do much to communicate with them.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Among Orthodox and ultra-Orthodox Jewish communities, religious schools or yeshivas play an important role, along with Torah learning and public prayers. Boys live in dormitories in close proximity in these yeshivas, with Torah learning taking up most of their time.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">When Israel’s government suggested closing these religious schools to curb the spread of COVID-19, it caused consternation among the community members.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The hostility towards Israel’s government is, in fact, long-standing. Members of the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community are anti-Zionist and according to their religious belief, they believe they are prohibited from following a secular government.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">There have been other instances of conflict between the Israeli government and these communities in the past, on other issues such as compulsory military conscription in the country.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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'title' => 'Ethiopia- Sudan border dispute',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Amid heightened tension along its border with Ethiopia, Sudan swore in a new defence minister. Major General Yassin Ibrahim Yassin was recalled from retirement to fill the position following the death of General Gamal al-Din Omar.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Yassin’s swearing-in came after an alleged Ethiopian cross-border attack. The attack, which took place in the eastern province of al-Qadarif, started after an Ethiopian militia group penetrated Sudan’s border to fetch water at the <strong>Atbara</strong> river.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">It is not clear exactly what triggered a flare-up of this long-standing border dispute. Sources suggest that Sudanese security forces may have responded to incursions by Ethiopian farmers, which in turn brought in Ethiopian security forces.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The border clashes flared up as Ethiopia and Sudan were preparing to meet in the Sudanese capital Khartoum, for a second round of talks aimed at resolving the border dispute.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Sudan and Ethiopia share a common boundary that stretches over 1,600 km. The border was drawn following a series of treaties between Ethiopia and the colonial powers of Britain and Italy. However, to date, this boundary lacks clear demarcation lines.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Sudan’s al-Fashqa region which covers approximately 600 km, is a rich fertile land conducive for agriculture. For decades, Ethiopia has allowed its farmers to plant crops there.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Former Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir largely turned a blind eye to his country’s territorial incursion. However, Sudan’s transitional authorities, who took over after popular protests which eventually led to the ousting of al-Bashir, have initiated talks with Ethiopia in a bid to have to Ethiopian farmers withdraw.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The border dispute could complicate Ethiopia’s plan to construct the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). Sudan had initially backed Ethiopia’s project but later refused to sign on an initial agreement which would have paved the way for Ethiopia to begin filling the dam.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Ethiopia and Sudan are holding regular discussions to prepare the ground for the resumption of trilateral GERD talks. It does not appear that the border incident has caused significant disruption to the negotiations.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Sudan and Ethiopia need to ramp up their existing discussions over the borderlands in order to come to an understanding that will lead to a final resolution of the issue.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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(int) 67 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 4724,
'title' => 'Antifa group declared terrorist organisation',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">As massive protests following the death of George Floyd continued to rock the United States, President Donald Trump announced that the far-left group Antifa would be designated as a terrorist organisation by his government.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Even in the past, Trump has described Antifa as a terrorist group. Other right-wing politicians have also criticised the group.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The group made headlines in June last year when its members clashed with those of a far-right group called Proud Boys in Portland, Oregon. The violence left members of both sides injured, including a journalist.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Antifa has been around for several decades, though accounts vary on its exact beginnings. The term dates as far back as Nazi Germany, describing ‘antifa’ as borrowed from German Antifa, short for antifaschistische ‘anti-fascist’, in Antifaschistische Aktion (multiparty front initiated by the German Communist Party in 1932 to counter Nazism) and in other.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">While the movement has had a presence in several European countries and has come into focus in the United States in recent years, Antifa does not have a formal organisational structure. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Antifa members typically dress in black and often wear a mask at their demonstrations, and follow far-left ideologies such as anti-capitalism. They take up causes such as LGBTQ and indigenous rights. What makes them stand out is the violence.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Apart from public counter-protests, Antifa members run websites that track white extremist and ultra-right groups.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Antifa groups do not have a uniform presence in the US, with their activity most prominent in the states of Oregon (which includes Portland), California, Texas, and Pennsylvania.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Because of Antifa’s repeated involvement in violence, many liberal figures have criticised the group for bringing disrepute to existing anti-fascism movements in the country.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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(int) 68 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 4727,
'title' => 'North and South Korea violate armistice agreement',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The UN Command, led by the United States, found that North and South Korea were both guilty of violating armistice agreements following a recent incident involving gunfire along the Demilitarised Zone between the two countries.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">This shooting, the first of its kind in approximately two and a half years, was in violation of the armistice agreement which brought a halt to the Korean War in 1953.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">South Korea had also warned North Korea through broadcast messages that the firings were a violation of the 2018 inter-Korean military agreement that had come about following a meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">One of the terms of this agreement, called the Pyongyang Joint Declaration of September 2018, said there would be reduced military tensions between the two countries.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The shootings from North Korea did not appear to be intentional. Prior to this, shootings occurred across the DMZ in December 2017 when a North Korean soldier defected to the other side.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The investigation said North Korea had violated the armistice of 1953 by firing four rounds, as had South Korea by firing five rounds in return. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The report also said investigations had been unable to determine whether the shootings that originated from North Korea had been intentional.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">One of the roles of the UN Command is to ensure the terms of the armistice are being agreed upon by both North Korea and South Korea. </span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Korean Armistice Agreement</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The 1953 Korean Armistice Agreement was a ceasefire though there was no official declaration of the end of the war, and the conflict has continued, without fighting between the parties. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In December 1991, North and South Korea signed a pact where they agreed to refrain from aggressions, in a step that would lead to better relations and a potential resolution of the situation. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Since the armistice was enforced, there have been several violations of it from both North and South Korea, leading to persistent tensions between the two countries.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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(int) 69 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 4836,
'title' => 'Symbols of US Confederate states',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">US President Donald Trump has said he will not consider renaming military bases named after Confederate generals, after such demands arose amid the Black Lives Matter protests.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Amid the anti-racism protests, some of the participants have demanded the removal of statues or monuments that can be perceived as symbols of racism, including Confederate monuments. </span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Not only in the US, but in the UK as well, the statue of noted slaveholder Robert Milligan was removed from outside the Museum of London Docklands. Similarly, anti-racism protestors removed the statue of slave trader Edward Colston in Bristol.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Confederate States of America or the Confederacy refers to the government of 11 Southern slaveholding states that seceded from the Union in 1860-61 in the American Civil War, after they felt threatened by the election of Republican candidate Abraham Lincoln as the US President in 1860.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">These pro-slavery states operated under the Presidentship of Jefferson Davis and vice president Alexander Stephens. Soon, the Confederacy acquired symbols such as the Confederate flag and their own stamps. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">These states carried out all their affairs separately until they were defeated in 1865. States that were a part of the Confederacy included South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia and Texas, among others.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The flag, which is used to honour the Confederates who died in the Civil War, is seen by many white supremacists as a symbol of Southern pride.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Confederate names and symbols can be found on commemorative licence plates, public schools, statues, military bases, parks, roads and counties.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">There are over 220 Confederate symbols in the state of Virginia alone, which include three military bases named after Confederate war heroes.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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(int) 70 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 4837,
'title' => 'Communication stops between North and South Korea',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">North Korea has announced that it will cut off all ties, including communication with South Korea amid souring relationship between the two countries.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Some other experts believe this break in communication may be because of anti-DPRK propaganda being launched into North Korea from activists in South Korea.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Despite conflict between the two countries, at least 49 hotlines have been established between Seoul and Pyongyang to facilitate diplomatic talks, reduce tensions and military conflict, to coordinate air and sea traffic as well as to engage in cross-border economic projects etc.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">When relations deteriorate between the two countries, these lines of communication are stopped between the two countries, till the situation improves. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The lines were last cut in 2016 after diplomatic relations between Seoul and Pyongyang deteriorated, coinciding with Donald Trump becoming the US president.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Most recently, the focus of Pyongyang’s ire appears to be projects of activists and North Korean defectors in South Korea who send anti-DPRK leaflets across the border to North Korea.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Along with these propaganda leaflets, other items such as rice, medicines and Bibles have also been sent across by activists using balloons.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Long-time observers of the Korean Peninsula believe this recent development may just be about economic pressures that Pyongyang is facing, particularly at a time when the coronavirus outbreak that impacted the world economy. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Some researchers believe severing communication lines may have been initiated to add pressure on Seoul to revive inter-Korean economic projects that would help Pyongyang, while at the same time, force Seoul to stop activists and defectors from launching propaganda into the country. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">These inter-Korean tensions come at a time when North Korea and the US have reached an impasse on negotiations on nuclear capabilities of North Korea, discussions that had been aided by South Korea.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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(int) 71 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
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'id' => (int) 4757,
'title' => 'UK’s offer to Hong Kong’s British passport holders',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The UK government said that if China follows through with its new national security law, the government will explore options to allow BN(O)s to apply for leave to stay in the UK, for an extendable period of up to 12 months if eligible.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> Currently, Hong Kong citizens with BN(O)s have the right to enter the UK for six months as a visitor. The UK may offer British National (Overseas) passport holders in Hong Kong a path to live and work in the UK soon.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Chinese legislature approved a national security law that proposes to ban seditious activities targeting mainland Chinese rule. Under this law, Hong Kong could be brought under the full control of mainland Chinese rule.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Hong Kong, which was a former British colony, was handed over to China in 1997 when it became one of its Special Administrative Regions. It is governed by a mini-constitution called the Basic Law, which affirms the principle of “one country, two systems”.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The constitutional document is a product of the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration, under which China promised to honour Hong Kong’s liberal policies, a system of governance, an independent judiciary, and individual freedoms for a period of 50 years from 1997.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">British overseas territories citizens from Hong Kong who did not register as British nationals (overseas) and had no other nationality or citizenship on June 30, 1997, became British overseas citizens on July 1, 1997. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Essentially, these passports are issued to those born in Hong Kong before the 1997 handover and as per the current rules, BN(O) passport holders can visit the UK for a period of six months without a visa.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Hong Kong has flourished as a bastion of freedom. The international community has a significant and long-standing stake in Hong Kong’s prosperity and stability. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Direct imposition of national security legislation on Hong Kong by the Beijing authorities, rather than through Hong Kong’s own institutions of the Basic Law, would curtail the Hong Kong people’s liberties, and in doing so, dramatically erode Hong Kong’s autonomy and the system that made it so prosperous.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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(int) 72 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 4917,
'title' => 'US suspends H1-B visas',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The US administration has said it was extending the 60-day ban on immigration and non-immigrant worker visas till the end of 2020.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> Popular work visas including the much-coveted H-1B and H-2B, and certain categories of H-4, J, and L visas shall also remain suspended until December 31.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The move was to protect domestic workers who had been impacted due to a contraction in the economy in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> <strong>What are work visas?</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In order to fill a vacuum of highly-skilled low-cost employees in IT and other related domains, the US administration issues a certain number of visas each year which allows companies from outside the US to send employees to work on client sites.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The H-1B remains the most popular among Indian IT companies. The US government has a cap of 85,000 total H-1B visas for each year. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Of this, 65,000 H-1B visas are issued to highly skilled foreign workers, while the rest 20,000 can be additionally allotted to highly skilled foreign workers who have a higher education or master’s degree from an American university.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">H-1B: Person is Specialty Occupation: To work in a specialty occupation. Requires a higher education degree of its equivalent. Includes fashion models of distinguished merit and ability and government-to-government research and development, or co-production projects administered by the Department of Defence.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Apart from the H-1B visas, the US government also issues L1 visas which allow companies to transfer highly skilled workers to the US for a period of up to seven years. H-2B visas allow food and agricultural workers to seek employment in the US.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Since it was started in 1952, the H-1 visa scheme has undergone many changes and revisions to allow or disallow certain categories of skilled workers in the US, depending on the economic situation of the country.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">It has since often been criticized for sending low-cost workers to the US at the expense of domestic workers.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Impact of visa suspension</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The processing of all new H-1B, H-2B, J, and L visa categories stand suspended. This means those who do not have a valid non-immigrant visa as of June 23 and are outside of the US, will not be allowed to enter the country until December 31. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">H-1B, H-2B, J, and L visa holders, and their spouse or children already present in the US shall not be impacted by the new worker visa ban.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Indian IT companies are amongst the biggest beneficiaries of the US H-1B visa regime and have since the 1990s cornered a lion’s share of the total number of visas issued each year.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">This could result in a significant impact on margins and worker wages of Indian IT companies which send thousands of low-cost employees to work on client sites in the US. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Though the large Indian IT companies have cut down their dependency on H-1B and other worker visas by hiring as much as 50 percent of staff locally, they still rely on these visas to keep costs in check.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 4923,
'title' => 'Order of Nine Angles',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">A US Army private has confessed to plotting an attack on his own unit by sharing secret information with an obscure satanic neo-Nazi group called the Order of the Nine Angles (O9A).</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">O9A is considered to be a satanic, anarchist group founded in the UK in the 1970s that now operates around the world, including in the US.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The criteria for belonging to the ONA is this pursuit of similar, sinister, subversive interests, aims, and lifestyles, together with the desire to co-operate when it is beneficial to them and the pursuit of shared aims. There is thus no formal ONA membership.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Those who progress through the ONA's hierarchical ranks are required to undertake various tasks, including forming their own small groups to prove their leadership abilities, with the result that a decentralized network of associated bodies exists throughout various countries.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The group lionizes the Nazi era and dates its calendar from the birth of Adolf Hitler, but its supernatural belief system goes beyond anything normally associated with right-wing extremism.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The group has also expressed support for former al-Qaeda emir Osama bin Laden and has praised Nazi Germany as being a practical expression of the satanic spirit. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">They also believe that since the time of Nazi Germany, western civilization has become perverted by Judeo-Christian values, among other things and therefore, they seek to overthrow this civilization by violent means.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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(int) 74 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 4934,
'title' => 'Kosovo President indicted for war crimes',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Specialist Prosecutor’s Office (SPO) at The Hague in the Netherlands has announced that it has filed a 10-count indictment charging Kosovo’s President Hashim Thaci and another Kosovo politician Kadri Vesli of war crimes.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The indictment alleges that Thaci and other charged suspects are responsible for nearly 100 murders of known victims and political opponents of Kosovo Albanian, Serb and Roma ethnicities.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">As of now, the indictment is only an accusation and reflects the SPO’s determination that it can prove the charges against Thaci beyond a reasonable doubt. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">It is now up to the judge at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers (KSC) to review the indictment and decide if the case will go to trial.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Kosovo</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Kosovo is a landlocked country in the Western Balkans with a population of more than 1.8 million situated north of <strong>Greece</strong> and surrounded by <strong>Serbia</strong>, <strong>Albania</strong>, <strong>North</strong> <strong>Macedonia</strong> and <strong>Montenegro</strong>, whose current residents are ethnic Albanians and Serb, Roma and other minority groups.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In 1913, Kosovo was partitioned between Serbia and Montenegro. After World War I, Kosovo was incorporated into the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, which was later named Yugoslavia.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">After World War II, Kosovo became an autonomous province of Serbia, following which the 1974 Yugoslav Constitution gave Kosovo the status of a Socialist Autonomous Province within Serbia.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Following a movement for independence, the government eliminated Kosovo’s autonomy and imposed direct rule from Belgrade (Serbia’s capital) and ordered the removal of ethnic Albanian state employees, whose jobs were then taken over by Serbs, a minority in Kosovo.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">This led to the start of a resistance movement led by Kosovo Albanian leaders in the 1990s, whose main aim was to secure independence for Kosovo. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The leaders set up a parallel government funded by the Albanian diaspora and when this movement failed to show results, it led to the emergence of armed resistance in 1997 in the form of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA).</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In February 2008, Kosovo unilaterally declared independence from Serbia after years of conflict. While Kosovo’s status is recognized by the US and some countries in the EU, Serbia backed by Russia refuses to do so.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">When Kosovo issued independence from Serbia in 2008, India is one of the countries that do not recognize the independence of Kosovo.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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(int) 75 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 4954,
'title' => 'Facebook ads issue',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Amidst a growing pressure campaign led by some of the world’s most prominent corporates to boycott advertising on Facebook, CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that the social media platform was tightening its content moderation policies to better tackle hate speech and misinformation online.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Facebook has been facing mounting pressure ever since the platform chose not to take down a controversial post shared by US President Donald Trump about the nationwide anti-racism protests. </span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In the wake of nationwide anti-racism protests sparked by the custodial killing of unarmed African-American George Floyd in Minneapolis, a number of prominent civil rights groups in the United States came together to urge businesses to pull their ads from Facebook and Instagram. This movement came to be known as the ‘Stop Hate for Profit’ campaign.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The coalition - comprising Colour of Change, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Sleeping Giants, Free Press, Anti-Defamation League (ADL), and Common Sense Media — accused Facebook of doing little to contain the spread of racist content online.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In the run-up to the 2020 US presidential election, the organisers of the campaign fear that a highly polarised audience on social media could increase the potential for spreading misinformation and discriminatory content.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The campaign gained significant steam with major brand names like US ice cream manufacturer Ben & Jerry’s, movie distributor Magnolia Pictures, and outdoor apparel brand Northface joining the league of businesses boycotting ads on Facebook.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The campaign hopes that Facebook will respond by committing to changing its policies and creating a safe, non-discriminatory online experience for its millions of users.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">With advertising forming the foundation of Facebook’s annual revenue of roughly $70 billion, experts have said that the recent spate of companies withdrawing their ads from the platform could pose a significant threat to the business.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">The ongoing ad boycott campaign is not the first instance of protest against the social media platform in the recent past. Several attempts have been made, including the #deletefacebook trend in early 2018, to challenge Facebook’s handling of user data as well as its content regulation policies.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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(int) 76 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 4975,
'title' => 'Iran’s warrant against Trump',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">A local prosecutor in Iran issued an arrest warrant against US President Donald Trump and dozens of others who they believe carried out the drone strike that killed Iranian general Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In early 2020, Soleimani was killed in an airstrike, for which the US claimed responsibility. The drone strike was carried out on a road near Baghdad’s international airport after Soleimani had disembarked from a plane. </span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Soleimani was in charge of the <strong>Quds</strong> Force of Iran’s <strong>Islamic</strong> <strong>Revolutionary Guard</strong> <strong>Corps</strong> (IRGC), which the US designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. The Quds Force undertakes Iranian missions in other countries, including covert ones.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Soleimani, who had headed the Quds since 1998, not only looked after intelligence gathering and covert military operations but also drew immense influence from his closeness to Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and was seen as a potential future leader of Iran.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Because of Soleimani’s influence, his death was equated with the death of a US Vice President. At the time the US Department of Defence also issued a statement underlining Soleimani’s leadership role in the conflict with the US.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The prosecutor has asked <strong>Interpol</strong> to issue a Red corner notice. Interpol describes a Red Notice as “a request to law enforcement worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender, or similar legal action”. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Red Notice is simply an international wanted person’s notice and not an international arrest warrant. It is unlikely Interpol would grant Iran’s request.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The guidelines for issuing such notices limit it from “undertaking any intervention or activities of a political” nature and therefore, at best, Iran’s move signals and the heightened tensions between the two countries.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Interpol notices</span></strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Red Corner Notice</strong><br />
This notice is issued to seek the arrest or provisional arrest of wanted criminals, with the intention of extradition of the culprits.<br />
A Red corner Notice is a request to locate and provisionally arrest an individual who is convicted in a criminal case.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong> Yellow Notice</strong><br />
This notice is issued to locate missing persons, often minors or to seek help in identifying persons who are unable to identify themselves (in case of minors and people of unsound mind).</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Blue Notice</strong><br />
This notice is issued to the country the criminal belongs to and to collect more information about a person's identity or activities related to the crime.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Black Notice</strong><br />
Black Notice is issued by INTERPOL to seek information of unidentified bodies. Here unidentified bodies mean the dead body of a person whose identity cannot be revealed by police and medical examiners.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Purple Notice</strong><br />
This category aids Interpol's efforts to tackle environmental criminals. This notice is issued for those criminals who hunt wild animals and sell their body parts in the international market.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><br />
<span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Green Notice</strong><br />
Green Notice is issued to provide warnings and intelligence about persons who have committed criminal offences and are likely to repeat these crimes in other countries as well. This type of notice is issued to many serial sex offenders.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><br />
<span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong> Interpol-United Nations Security Council Special Notice</strong><br />
This type of notice is issued for groups and individuals who are the targets of UN Security Council Sanctions Committees.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Orange Notice</span></span></strong><br />
<span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">This type of Notice is issued to set alert about a person, an object, parcel bombs, disguised weapons and other dangerous and explosive materials; representing a serious and imminent threat to public safety.</span></span></p>
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'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 4976,
'title' => 'EU’s safe travel list',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">From July 1, residents from over 14 countries that are not part of the European Union (EU) and are deemed to be ‘safe’ will be allowed to enter the EU.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The list excludes residents from the United States, Brazil and China. The US and Brazil have the first and second-highest number of coronavirus cases in the world right now.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">As of now, EU nationals are allowed to move within the bloc, British nationals, who will be treated as part of the EU till December 31, are also allowed to travel the EU.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The list of countries will be reviewed every 14 days and new countries may be added and some taken off the list, depending on the coronavirus statistics and how the countries manage the spread of the disease.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The EU member states and Schengen Associated countries have temporarily suspended non-essential travel from “third countries” to the EU plus area. Third countries are those that are not a member of the Union.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Schengen area comprises 22 of the 27 member states of the EU plus four European Free Trade Association Countries, which are Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. EU member states of Bulgaria, Romania and Croatia, Cyprus and Ireland are not Schengen countries.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Apart from the 27 member states, there are five EU candidate countries, which include Turkey, Montenegro, Macedonia, Serbia and Albania.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>European Union</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The European Union (EU) is a political and economic union of 27 member states that are located primarily in Europe. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The EU has developed an internal single market through a standardized system of laws that apply in all member states in those matters, and only those matters, where members have agreed to act as one. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The European Union has grown from the six founding states (Belgium, France, West Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands) to the current 27. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Austria, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Spain are other members.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 4985,
'title' => 'Political crisis in Nepal',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Two years after Nepal’s two major left parties joined hands to form the Nepal Communist Party, a rift<strong> </strong>between Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli and former PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal (Prachanda), has raised questions about the future of their unity.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Oli, who steered a recently passed Constitution Amendment Bill endorsing the country’s new map that includes territories with India, has been projecting Prachanda and India as conspiring to dislodge him.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Six months ago, Prachanda made a statement that he has agreed to let Oli continue for the five-year term, apparently after Oli assured him that he would function as party chief with all executive authority. However, Oli takes all major decisions and exercises the party chief’s duties, reportedly without informing Prachanda at times.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Until a general convention takes place, both are chairpersons of the NCP. At the time of unification, Oli headed the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (UML) and Prachanda the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoists.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Differences between the two leaders were visible right from the beginning. Oli needed a President who could protect him in a crisis, and chose his long-time ally. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Prachanda, for his part, needed a Speaker who could protect his group from disqualification as House members if the unity broke, and got his man elected as the new Speaker.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Last month, Oli brought an ordinance that said 40% support in the party working committee or in the parliamentary party would qualify as a split (rather than both) and not attract disqualification of House membership.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The ordinance was however, withdrawn following allegations that Oli was out to split opposition parties to secure a two-thirds majority; his government is short by nine members.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Factionalism within the party has not been based entirely on previous associations. The nine-member central secretariat, which has the seniormost party leaders, is seen as heavily weighted against Oli. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Although Oli is in a minority in the standing committee, he will not have to resign immediately, but there will be a clear message given to him that he has only few months.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">There is a likelihood of coups of the Afghanistan, Pakistan or Bangladesh models, which is being widely interpreted as implying that Oli may use the Nepal Army to take total control.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">There is also a chance that Prachanda may be investigated for a corruption case as he is accused of appropriating money meant for Maoist members during the peace process of 2008-2013.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Besides, many in Oli’s camp have demanded that Prachanda and his followers be tried for human rights violation during the conflict.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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(int) 79 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
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'title' => 'West Bank annexation plan',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In 2019, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had stated that he had plans to annex the Israeli settlements in the West Bank. </span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Observers believe that Netanyahu may be in a rush to implement this annexation process while Trump is in office and before the US presidential elections in November.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">These annexation plans have been extremely controversial because it would mean Israel unilaterally declaring sovereignty over parts of occupied Palestinian territory in the West Bank. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Such moves by Netanyahu are also contrary to the two-state solution and have the potential to trigger further conflict in the region.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Palestinians believe that the annexation would prevent their access to essential water resources and key agricultural land, particularly in the Jordan Valley.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Israel is claiming that these settlements that it has established across the West Bank would continue to be Israeli territory under any peace deal with the Palestinians, regardless of their annexed status.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">There are concerns that annexation plans may further increase hostilities between the Israelis and the Palestinians, ensuring that peace between the two would be harder to achieve.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>West Bank</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The West Bank is located on the west bank of the Jordan River and is bounded by Israel on the north, west and south. On the east of this river lies Jordan. Since the Six-Day War in 1967, also known as the Third Arab-Israeli War, the West Bank has been occupied by Israel.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Both Israelis and Palestinians assert their rights to the territory of the West Bank and its disputed status and the conflict has not been resolved as yet.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Also present in the West Bank are some 132 Israeli settlements and 124 unauthorised settlements, along with military outposts. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">While the Israeli government and the US under the Trump presidency have insisted that these settlements are legal, the larger international community does not believe so and considers these settlements to be illegal under the provisions of international law.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Gaza Strip</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Gaza Strip is a self-governing Palestinian territory on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, that borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the east and north. Gaza and the West Bank are claimed by the de jure sovereign State of Palestine.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Golan Heights</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="background-color:white"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">The Golan Heights is a rocky plateau in south-western Syria. Israel seized the Golan Heights from Syria in the closing stages of the 1967 Six-Day War. Most of the Syrian Arab inhabitants fled the area during the conflict.</span></span></span></span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="background-color:white"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">An armistice line was established and the region came under Israeli military control. Almost immediately Israel began to settle the Golan.</span></span></span></span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">The topography provides a natural buffer against any military thrust from Syria. The area is also a key source of water for an arid region. Rainwater from the Golan's catchment feeds into the Jordan River.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 4993,
'title' => 'Hong Kong’s new security law',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">China has unveiled a sweeping new national security law<strong> </strong>for the island city of Hong Kong, taking aim at the pro-democracy movement that had captured global attention.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Titled ‘The Law of the People’s Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region’, the legislation was “unanimously” passed by the Chinese parliament and subsequently made a part of Hong Kong’s Basic Law.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The far-reaching law, which greatly expands Beijing’s power in Hong Kong, has been criticised by the United States as “draconian”. The United Kingdom has also called its passing a “grave step”.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The new law includes the following as offences– Secession, Subversion, Terrorist Activities, and Collusion with a Foreign Country or with External Elements to Endanger National Security. All four offences can invite life imprisonment as the maximum punishment, followed by lesser penalties.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The offences are widely defined. Collusion includes as an offence “provoking by unlawful means hatred among Hong Kong residents” towards Beijing or the city government.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Terrorism includes “sabotage of means of transport, transport facilities, electric power or gas facilities, or other combustible or explosible facilities”, and “attacking or damaging the premises and facilities” of the city government is among the definitions of subversion. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Taking aim at the perceived involvement of foreigners in city politics, the law also allows the prosecution of persons who are not the residents of Hong Kong for committing an offence under the law outside Hong Kong.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Mainland China will establish a new department in Hong Kong called the ‘Office for Safeguarding National Security’. With Beijing’s approval, the Office would be able to take over jurisdiction from the city’s independent law courts if a case is “is complex due to the involvement of a foreign country or external elements”, if “a serious situation” makes the local application of the security law difficult, or due to the occurrence of “a major and imminent threat to national security”.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In cases that are taken over by the Office, prosecutors, as well as adjudicators, will be appointed by mainland China, and Chinese procedural laws would apply.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The police will have sweeping powers to investigate offences, such as being able to search any premises, vehicles, aircraft; ordering the surrender of travel documents; confiscating property; and, upon the Chief Executive’s approval, being able to covertly investigate or tap phones.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Under Article 23 of the Basic Law, Hong Kong was supposed to enact the national security law on its own. But, when the city government first tried to enact the law in 2003, the issue became a rallying point for massive protests that year.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In a sudden move, the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on June 30 formally designated Chinese telecom vendors Huawei Technologies Company and ZTE Corporation, as “national security threats”.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The move is expected to put additional pressure on Huawei and ZTE, which have been accused of being close to the Chinese government and spying for them by sharing data of US citizens.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The first official action on the Chinese telecom equipment maker was taken as early as 2012 when the House Intelligence Committee released a report saying both the companies posed a risk to national security and that US businesses should avoid buying equipment from them.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In 2018, US President Donald Trump had said that of the two vendors, ZTE would be able to remain in business in US after paying a fine of $1.3 billion, and providing “high-level security guarantees.”</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Trump’s predecessor Barack Obama’s administration had blacklisted ZTE for seven years for violating economic sanction norms imposed on Iran.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Both companies have close ties to the Chinese Communist Party and China’s military apparatus, and both companies are broadly subject to Chinese law obligating them to cooperate with the country’s intelligence services.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">A ban on both Huawei and ZTE could mean an increase of up to 30 percent in cost of telecom equipment across the board, especially when countries all over the world are gearing up to launch 5G services.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Apart from hardware, Huawei has also been trying to make inroads into the software and operating systems (OS) industry.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Effect on India</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The US FCC’s decision to classify Huawei and ZTE as “national security threats” could put pressure on friendly allies, such as India, to take similar, if not the same action.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Chinese vendor was a major equipment supplier to companies like Vodafone Idea and Bharti Airtel during the initial roll-out of the 4G services in India.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">One of the most important implications could be the loss of the cost arbitrage, as barring Huawei and ZTE from even bidding in the 5G auctions could mean equipment as much as 30 percent costlier.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 5022,
'title' => 'Swastika symbol on Finland’s Air Force',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Finland’s Air Force Command has suddenly stopped using an old emblem that featured a swastika with a pair of wings, replacing it with a new emblem featuring a golden eagle.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">It has been considered impractical and unnecessary to continue using the old unit emblem, which has caused misunderstandings from time to time.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">While the use of the swastika was stopped on planes of the Finnish Air Force after the Second World War, unit emblems, unit flags, and uniforms had continued to feature the symbol. The revised emblem had been in use since at least 2017.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The symbol arrived in Finland in 1918 long before the symbol became associated with the Nazis. The plane featured a symbol of a blue swastika on a white background that was considered a good luck charm and at that time was in no way associated with anti-Semitism or the crimes of the Nazis.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Finland’s Air Force Academy still uses the swastika in its symbol. Several old aircraft in the Finnish Air Force Museum still depict this symbol. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The flag of Finland’s president also features the Cross of Freedom in the top left corner in yellow, and upon closer inspection shows that it is actually a swastika, indicating its widespread use in design in Finland.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Although it has been a subject of discussion for the past few years, the decision to replace the symbol after more than a century shouldn’t come as a surprise.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Perhaps the government is considering how the continued use of the symbol may impact Finland’s youth and how they view the use of the symbol by the military.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Finland’s next-door neighbor Russia may negatively interpret the use of the symbol. However, it was not immediately clear whether Russia had ever objected to or criticised the use of the swastika in various aspects of design in Finland.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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(int) 83 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 4949,
'title' => 'Constitutional referendum in Russia',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Russian President has proposed substantial amendments to Russia’s constitution for which he suggested holding a nation-wide constitutional referendum.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Many political opponents have accused Putin of political manipulation that would allow him to effectively rule for life through this amendment.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In January, Putin formally submitted the proposed bill to the State Duma, the lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia, that approved this proposal in March. Days later, the Constitutional Court of Russia also gave its approval to the proposed bill.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The proposed amendments included clauses that the heads of law enforcement agencies in Russia must be appointed by the president in consultation with the Federation Council and that the upper house of Russia’s Parliament would be able to propose the dismissal of federal judges and that in specific cases, the Federation Council would have the right to remove judges of the Constitutional and Supreme courts following proposals by the Russian president.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Most importantly, it would allow Putin to occupy the highest office in the country post 2024, when his term is set to expire, till at least 2036. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Other proposed amendments include provisions for the Russian constitution to take over international law. Individuals occupying high government positions, including those in the judiciary would not be allowed to have foreign citizenship or residency. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">A presidential candidate would have to have lived in Russia for at least 25 years and cannot ever have held foreign citizenship or residency.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The government had announced that in this referendum, individuals holding Russian citizenship in eastern Ukraine will also be permitted to vote.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Referendum</strong></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">A referendum is a direct and universal vote in which an entire electorate is invited to vote on a particular proposal and can have nationwide or local forms. This may result in the adoption of a new policy or specific law.</span></span></p>
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'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 4783,
'title' => 'Anonymous hacker group',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">As racial tensions in the US continue to make headlines, the ‘hacktivist’ group Anonymous is back in focus with social media handles believed to be associated with the group becoming active once again.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> </span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In a video, the speaker wearing Anonymous’ signature Guy Fawkes mask accused the Minneapolis police of having a “horrific track record of violence and corruption” and threatened to “expose” its “many crimes”.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The group has been accused of carrying out a cyberattack on the websites of the city of Minneapolis and its police department, making them temporarily inaccessible. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The webpage of a United Nations agency was also defaced, and replaced with a memorial carrying an Anonymous symbol that read “Rest In Power, George Floyd!”.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The group has been described as a decentralised online collective with no particular political affiliation, that rallies around causes such as opposing censorship and government control and promoting freedom of speech. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In the past, it has expressed support for the Occupy movement and Julian Assange’s WikiLeaks. The worldwide group is believed to include anyone who wants to join; its members being referred to as ‘anons’.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">A signature characteristic of Anonymous is the Guy Fawkes mask, portrayed in the dystopian novel and film <em>‘V for Vendetta’,</em> in which an anarchist anti-hero wearing the mask fights against a fascist, white supremacist government.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Another attribute of the group is the use of voice changers or text-to-speech programmes that let anons mask their voice in video messages.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Anonymous does not use any verified social media handles, with multiple factions using portals such as the ‘AnonNews’ website and Twitter account for disseminating the group’s motives and campaigns.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Over the years, the group has targetted child pornography websites and recruiting portals for the Islamic State. It has also gone after government agencies such as the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the Pentagon in the US and the Scotland Yard in the UK.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Anonymous is known to primarily employ what is known as Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, in which hackers swamp a website’s server with data that causes it to crash, making the website inaccessible.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Another tactic that it uses is defacement– when the target website’s pages are replaced with the hacktivists’ messages and graphics. A related method is redirection– in which a change in the chosen web site’s addressing causes its users to be redirected to another page.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">The group also uses more serious methods such as doxing, in which private or sensitive information is stolen, destroying data using computer viruses, and “phishing” for extracting personal data.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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(int) 85 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
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'id' => (int) 4787,
'title' => 'Lawsuit against Google for violating privacy norms',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> Google was sued in a proposed class action suit in the US. The lawsuit alleges that the company tracks people even when they are browsing the internet using the “private mode”.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The class action suit demands $5 billion from Google’s parent firm Alphabet for violating the Federal Wiretap law and the invasion of privacy Act.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Last month, the company was sued for violated user privacy by tracking the user location even when it had been turned off.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The lawsuit, which has been filed on behalf of all those Google subscribers whose internet was tracked from June 1 , 2016 onwards, claims that Google tracks and collects consumer browsing history and other web browsing activity data “no matter what” safeguards consumers may use.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">It further says that Google accomplished this using means such as Google Analytics, Google Ad Manager and other applications and website plug-ins on mobile devices and websites. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">When an internet user visits a webpage or opens an app that uses such services, Google receives detailed, personal information such as the user’s IP address, what the user is viewing, what the user last viewed, and details about the user’s hardware.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The communications intercepted by Google include “contents” of electronic communications in the form of detailed URL requests, webpage browsing histories and search queries made by plaintiffs, it says. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The interception also enables Google to know about who an individual’s friends are, what their hobbies are, what a person may like to eat, watch and shop etc.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The complainers have charged Google with giving users the false impression that they can prevent Google from tracking their browsing history and collecting their personal data online.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Federal Wiretap Act prohibits the intentional interception of the contents of any wire, oral or electronic communication through the use of a safe device. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Google’s actions in intercepting and tracking user communications while they were browsing the internet using a browser while in “private browsing mode” was intentional.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
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'id' => (int) 5036,
'title' => 'Vladivostok and Chinese connection',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Chinese social media users across various platforms have claimed that the territory of Primorsky Krai of which Vladivostok is the administrative capital, historically belonged to China.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">While these claims were not officially endorsed by China’s foreign ministry, they come at a time when the country has been particularly aggressive in the context of its territorial disputes in the region. </span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Before Primorsky Krai became Russian territory in 1860, it was a relatively small Manchu settlement under the sovereignty of the Qing dynasty. At that time, Vladivostok was called Haishenwei or the Bay of Sea Slugs.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">During the First Opium War that occurred between September 1839 and August 1842, fought between Britain and the Qing Dynasty, the former began exploring and mapping this stretch of the coast.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">China learned of Russia’s strategic build-up of military presence on its shared northern border. Russia was only willing to withdraw troops if China were to cede territory along this border.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">This led to the signing of the Treaty of Aigun in 1858,that formed much of the present-day borders between Russia and China, along the Amur River. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Chinese have historically called this treaty an “unequal treaty”, one in a series of treaties signed between the Qing dynasty and neighboring states in the region.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The southeastern part of Russia, that borders North Korea and China, has historically been a bone of contention between Russia and China, in part because of China’s claims that this region once formed ‘Outer Manchuria’. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Some researchers believe that the term ‘Outer Manchuria’ was coined by China in an attempt to lend credence to their territorial claims over this region.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">This area of the Primorsky Krai, along with the Golden Horn Bay, with its administrative capital as Vladivostok, became an important seaport for Russia and allowed the country to expand economic and military influence in this part of the Pacific. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">It is also known as the Russian Maritime Province. Today, Vladivostok is the base for the Russian Pacific Fleet.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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(int) 87 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 5043,
'title' => 'Covid parties in USA',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Recently, reports that college students have been organising ‘COVID parties’ in Alabama, the US, created an uproar on social media.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The developments come at a time when Alabama is one of several states reporting record increases in new coronavirus cases in the past week in what has raised fears of a “second wave” of infections. </span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The aim behind such parties is quite simple: whoever gets infected first, wins the prize money. The students have intentionally been inviting already infected patients so they can infect others.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The concept of COVID parties involves inviting students who have tested positive for the novel coronavirus along with uninfected people. Then bets are placed on who contracts the virus first. The first person confirmed by a doctor to have been infected after the exposure wins the money made off the ticket sales.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The city is working on getting the word out and cracking the whip on such parties. It also passed an ordinance making masks mandatory while stepping out last week.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">What has made the task difficult for authorities to track how many students have been infected is the fact that many of them have out-of-state addresses and just go to school in Alabama.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">A section of people in the US has not been taking the virus seriously since the beginning of the outbreak in the country. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Large protests where people turned up with guns demanding that the lockdown be lifted were held about two months ago.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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(int) 88 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 5062,
'title' => 'Turkmenistan and covid-19',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, Turkmenistan in Central Asia is among the few countries that have not recorded any case of coronavirus infections.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> For the past few months, public places like cafes and restaurants have been operating as well as gatherings of large crowds during events like weddings and mass public events, without the use of face masks.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In early February, Turkmenistan cancelled flights to China and other nations with high rates of COVID-19 infections. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">It also diverted all incoming international flights to Turkmenabat, the country’s second-largest city where a special quarantine zone was created to check passengers for symptoms.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">However, locals had reported that some passengers had been able to bribe their way out of the quarantine zone and avoid the mandatory two-weeks of isolation.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In March, Turkmenistan reportedly closed most of its land borders as well to curb the entry of incoming passengers.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Passengers flying into Turkmenistan were being tested for COVID-19 but there were no available figures to show the exact number of tests being conducted.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The report suggested that hospitals in the country had also been preparing for potential coronavirus cases and movement between cities in the country has been restricted.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The WHO can only conduct assessment following permission from governments of the countries in question. In April, the WHO indicated that Tajikistan and Turkmenistan had both invited WHO for assessment, but while the organization’s representatives proceeded to Tajikistan, the visit to Turkmenistan did not materialise due to unspecified reasons.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Despite the ongoing visit by WHO officials in Turkmenistan, researchers have said that the international organization has not given any public updates concerning investigations that it may have conducted since the mission’s arrival in the country.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">The country’s health ministry also issued health advice that recommended rinsing the mouth with saltwater and using yuzarlik, an herb used in traditional medicine, recommended by the country’s president.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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(int) 89 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 5095,
'title' => 'Mysterious blasts in Iran',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">A series of unexplained fires and explosions at several different geographically separated places in Iran since June 26 have given rise to fresh concerns for the stability of the volatile region.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The most serious of these mysterious incidents was on July 2, at Natanz, where Iran’s main nuclear facility is located. Iran initially played down a fire and explosion at the nuclear enrichment plant.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">It is said to slow down the development of advanced centrifuges. The advanced equipment and precision measurement devices at the site were either destroyed or damaged.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The other incidents were an explosion at a liquid fuel production facility for ballistic missiles in Prachin near Tehran, and a fire at a power plant in Shiraz.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Many western analysts are of the view that the explosion in the Natanz site was an attack, caused either by a bomb or through a cyber attack. They also believe that there has been more severe damage at the facility than the Iranians are conceding so far.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The blasts occurred inside the centrifuge assembly centre, where Iran is said to be building its most advanced centrifuges to produce nuclear fuel in greater quantities and faster than its previously known capabilities.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The facility had been entirely destroyed, likely by a bomb, and that it would be years before Iran could resume its centrifuge project again. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Natanz and other incidents come at a time when the Iranian government is under attack from its new hardline parliament for letting the US get away with breaking up the nuclear deal, plus the killing by the US earlier this year of <strong>General Qasem Soleimani</strong> of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The mystery attacks could also escalate tensions between Iran on the one hand and Israel and the US at a time when the presidential elections are crucially poised.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Some sections of media have said that Israel, with the knowledge and backing of the United States, has found a roundabout solution to the problem in light of Iran’s renewed progress with its nuclear program.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">If indeed Israel is behind the attack, one view is that it wants to act quickly against Iran while it has a strong ally in Trump in the White House.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 5131,
'title' => 'Trinity test',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">On July 16, 1945, the world’s first super bomb exploded in a desert in New Mexico, destroying everything in its vicinity. It was the first nuclear test in the world.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The super bomb, nicknamed ‘Gadget’, was built by a team of scientists at a top-secret site in Los Alamos, New Mexico.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The bomb was developed as part of the US-led Manhattan Project, which sought to build nuclear weapons to give the allied forces an edge over Germany, Japan, and Italy in World War 2.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The scientists tested Gadget, the world’s first atomic bomb that was dubbed the ‘<strong>Trinity Test</strong>’. Less than a month later, an identical nuclear bomb called ‘Fat Man’ was dropped on the Japanese city of Nagasaki, killing tens of thousands.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Merely a month after Germany initiated World War II by invading Poland, a letter signed by Nobel prize-winning physicist Albert Einstein warned then-US President Franklin D Roosevelt of the potential threat posed by an atomic weapon being developed by Adolf Hitler.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Soon after, the United States launched a secret atomic research undertaking, code-named the Manhattan Project, which sought to develop an atomic weapon to end the war. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The project brought together some of the country’s leading atomic experts as well as exiled scientists and physicists from Germany and other Nazi-occupied nations.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Manhattan Project remained a relatively small-scale initiative for the next two years. It was only after the bombing of Pearl Harbour by the Japanese Navy Air Service in 1941 when President Roosevelt declared that the US would enter the Second World War, that the project was officially kicked into gear.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The team developed two types of bombs — one was uranium-based, which was later code-named ‘the Little Boy’ before it was dropped on Hiroshima.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The other bomb had a plutonium core. Testing the ‘Little Boy’ was not feasible, as there was not enough uranium available. The Plutonium bomb was eventually tested at the Trinity site on July 16, 1945.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The dust outfall from the explosion was expected to have travelled nearly 100 miles from the test site, posing a serious threat to residents in the area.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">As many as nine countries around the world are currently in possession of nuclear weapons. These include the US, the UK, Russia, France, India, China, Israel, Pakistan, and North Korea.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">The most recent instance of nuclear bomb test explosions conducted by India were the series of five explosions done as part of the Pokhran-II tests in May 1998.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 5134,
'title' => 'Nagorno-Karabakh region',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">This past weekend, tensions escalated at the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan has resulted in the death of at least four Azerbaijani soldiers. </span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Territorial disputes and ethnic conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan in Central Asia have impacted the <strong>Nagorno-Karabakh</strong> region in the South Caucasus.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Azerbaijan’s President had said peace talks with Armenia had stalled over the ongoing conflict between the two nations in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Conflict in the Nagorno-Karabakh region began following the breakdown of the Soviet Union in the late 1980s and lasted till approximately 1994, with both Armenia and Azerbaijan claiming this strategic territory. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">At that time, the enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh had held a referendum boycotted by Azerbaijan where the people chose independence over joining either of the two countries.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The conflict between ethnic Armenians and ethnic Azerbaijanis in Nagorno-Karabakh reached a particular low with Armenia and Azerbaijan accusing each other of having instigated ethnic cleansing. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The situation worsened when the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast, an administrative unit, decided to vote to join Armenia given its large Armenian population.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Russia mediated a ceasefire between Armenia and Azerbaijan, but the conflict has continued for three decades, with instances of ceasefire violations and violence instigated from both sides.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In a break from the violence that the disputed region has witnessed for over 30 years, this area has been relatively calm for the past two years.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Observers believe an all-out war between Armenia and Azerbaijan is unlikely due to a number of factors including chances of civilian casualty. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Any military escalation would draw regional powers like Turkey and Russia more deeply into the conflict, something that wouldn’t be preferred by either Ankara or Moscow.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">There is also the question of the network of oil and gas pipelines and strategic roads to which access might be blocked or interrupted for the region at large should any large-scale fighting ensue.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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(int) 92 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 5145,
'title' => 'Ireland’s fight to maintain its tax structure',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">European Union’s second-highest court<strong> </strong>ruled in favour of the tech giant Apple, holding that the American company did not owe the Irish government €13bn (around Rs 1.1 lakh crore) in back taxes.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The General Court was hearing a joint appeal by Apple and the Irish government against a 2016 decision of the European Commission, which found that Ireland had given Apple an unfair tax advantage from 2003 to 2014, and had ordered the island nation to recover €13 billion from the technology company.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">While the verdict has been welcomed by Apple and the Irish government, critics have denounced it as a setback to the EU’s tax collection efforts– which have become increasingly important in the wake of Covid-19’s economic fallout.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In August 2016, the European Commission said that the Irish government had been illegally favouring Apple, giving it advantages that it had not offered to other companies. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">It alleged that Apple’s “so-called head office” in the country “only existed on paper”, and accused Ireland of allowing the company to pay “substantially less tax than other businesses over many years”.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Concluding that Ireland had provided illegal aid to Apple, the Commission had ordered the company to repay the Irish government €13 billion in back taxes.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Ireland’s low corporate tax rate is a key feature of its economic policy. At 12.5 percent, it is the second-lowest in the EU. It also has a relatively lenient data protection regime.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">These factors have been instrumental in attracting large tech companies to the island, where American companies like Apple directly or indirectly account for about 20 percent of all jobs.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">To protect its image as an investment destination for large companies, the Irish government took the view that Apple should not be obligated to pay back taxes.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">The ruling could bring together EU states to crack down on Ireland and other low-tax regimes, as well as bolster resolve within the Union for imposing a digital tax on large tech firms.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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(int) 93 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 5162,
'title' => 'Protest in Russia’s far-east',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">More than 10,000 people joined protests in Khabarovsk city in Russia’s far east on Saturday demanding the release of popular regional governor Sergei I. Furgal.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">He was arrested on July 9 on suspicion of multiple murders that happened between 2004-2005. Somewhere between 15,000-50,000 people took part in Saturday’s mass rally in a rare and one of the largest shows of discontent in recent times.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Sergie is the governor of the Khabarovsk region and earlier in July was held in pre-trial detention on the charges of organising the murder of several businessmen 15 years ago. If found guilty Furgal could be sentenced to life in prison.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Furgal, a member of the far-right Liberal Democratic Party of Russia took office in September 2018, after receiving over 70 percent of the votes in the elections. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">He defeated longtime incumbent Vyacheslav Shport, a member of the United Russia Party that backs Russian President Vladimir Putin. Frugal’s victory was seen as a sign of rising anti-establishment sentiment in the region.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The arrest of the governor has sparked resentment against the capital Moscow among people of the region as they see it as a world away from Khabarovsk. Therefore, protestors are demanding that Furgal be given a fair trial at his home soil in Khabarovsk.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Significantly, the protests and Furgal’s arrest have come after nearly 78 percent of Russians backed the constitutional reforms that could keep Putin in power until 2036. </span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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(int) 94 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 5183,
'title' => 'Tech cold war',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">What began as a report by the US House Intelligence Committee flagging issues posed by Chinese telecom companies Huawei Technologies and ZTE nearly a decade ago, has evolved into a full-scale duel between the two global technology powerhouses.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The latest US steps against Huawei mark the first real prohibitory action by a western government in the nearly two decades after the equipment major branched out to set up shop in Europe.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">While China has traditionally resisted allowing American big-data companies such as Facebook and Google to operate within its jurisdiction, there have still been significant dealings between the two countries on the technology side until now. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Last year, Apple recorded $100 million of daily sales in China, while Huawei Technologies reported record revenues primarily from its exposure in western markets, including the US.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">A subsequent move by the UK to reverse an earlier decision and block Huawei from its 5G networks aligns with the US view.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">A new set of US restrictions imposed on the use of chip-making tools means Huawei could face shortages in its supply of specialist chips, an area where the Chinese are trying to build expertise.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Huawei sells its products and services in more than 170 countries, blitzing past Ericsson as the largest telecoms equipment manufacturer in the world in 2012. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">It overtook Apple as the world’s second-largest manufacturer of smartphones in 2018 and had annual revenue of $122 billion and some 194,000 employees.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In its report submitted in 2012, the House panel noted that Huawei and ZTE cannot be trusted to be free of foreign state influence and thus pose a security threat to the United States. Last month, the US Federal Communications Commission designated the two companies as national security threats.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">It is being described as a geopolitical struggle over technology that threatens to divide the world into two distinct technological blocs, with both countries striving to limit the other’s access to its advanced know-how.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">India’s hesitation in acting against Chinese equipment makers in the telecom industry has derived from the view that the Chinese have brought in a semblance of competitiveness to a market earlier dominated by pricier European firms such as Nokia and Ericsson.</span></span></p>
</li>
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'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In recent interviews, US President Donald Trump has been boasting about a cognitive test that he took recently and “aced.”</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> It’s not the first time he made such comments. But he once again has not said what test he took or what his score was, making it difficult to know what to make of his claims.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">One popular test, the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, or MOCA, has a drawing of three animals that patients are asked to identify. It is a 10-minute screening exam meant to highlight possible problems with thinking and memory.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">This screening test was designed about 20 years ago as a possible replacement for another test, the Mini-Mental State Examination, which had been widely used since the 1970s to look for outright dementia.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">While there are many such screening tests, the MOCA is gaining acceptance because it is a bit harder than the Mini-Mental and can pick up problems that occur in the earliest stage of dementia, mild cognitive impairment.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">About 1 in 5 people over age 65 have MCI, and roughly one-third will develop Alzheimer’s disease within five years.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">MOCA has approximately 30 questions meant to briefly assess memory, attention and concentration, control and self-regulation, and other mental skills.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">To test memory, for example, the examiner reads five words at a rate of one per second and asks the subject to repeat them immediately and then again after some time has passed.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">To assess attention and concentration, subjects are read a list of five digits and asked to repeat them in the order they were provided and then in reverse order. The subjects also are asked to count backward from 100 in increments of 7.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Other exercises include drawing a clock with the hands pointing to 11:10 and identifying a lion, rhino or camel. A perfect score is 30. A score from 26 to 30 is considered normal.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Some have pointed out that the president is trying to draw a contrast between his mental faculties and those of former Vice President Joe Biden, a fellow septuagenarian he expects to face off against in November’s election.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">It has almost been a month since the controversial financial services giant Wirecard declared bankruptcy in Germany but details of it are yet to be unveiled.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Wirecard, which offered electronic payment transaction services, risk management as well as physical and virtual cards, collapsed on June 25, owing creditors more than €3.5 billion.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The scandal, arguably Germany’s biggest since Volkswagen’s ‘Dieselgate’ crisis of 2015 and the Siemens corruption scandal of the late 2000s, is being called “Germany’s Enron”– referring to the 2001 accounting scam by the US energy company Enron.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">For many years, there had been complaints of accounting irregularities against Wirecard, and matters came to a head in 2019. Media reports and whistleblowers alleged the company had faked its sales transactions to inflate revenue and profits.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Later in 2019, the accounting firm KPMG was called in as an outside auditor to run an independent probe. In April 2020, KPMG dropped a bombshell, revealing that it could not verify cash balances of €1 billion, and was unable to trace vast sums of advances to merchants.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In June 2020, the accounting firm EY refused to sign off on the company’s 2019 accounts, saying it had been provided false information about company accounts, and could not confirm whether balances worth €1.9 billion existed.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Wirecard insisted the missing money had been sent to two banks in the Philippines — a claim that was refuted by both the banks as well as the country’s central bank.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Wirecard faked two-thirds of its sales, meaning there would be no way it would be able to repay all its debt, notwithstanding all the legal challenges it will face. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">It owes its creditors around €3.5 billion, out of which €1.75 billion come from 15 banks plus a €500 million issued in bonds.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Founded in 1999, Wirecard offered electronic payment transaction services in all continents. At its peak, the company was valued at $28 billion and was among the 30 listed companies on Germany’s prestigious DAX stock index. </span></span></p>
</li>
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'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 5195,
'title' => 'EU recovery deal',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">On July 21, after five days of hectic discussions, the 27-member European Union reached a historic agreement to counter the debilitating effects of coronavirus on the region’s economies.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The EU’s GDP is set to contract by close to 8 percent in 2020 thanks to the COVID-induced disruption, even as the COVID death toll has crossed 130,000. This has been harrowing for investors, especially as many countries, such as Italy, Spain, and Portugal, were in poor financial health going into the crisis.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">There are three chief elements of the agreement. One, a Euro 1.1 trillion budget for the EU over the next seven years. Two, Euro 360 billion in low-interest loans for countries most hit by Covid-19. Three, Euro 390 billion in grants to the worst affected economies.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Instead of individual countries raising funds, this time around, the EU as a whole will borrow money from the markets — a total of Euro 750 billion (for grants and loans). This is a radical departure, economically as well as politically from the past.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The EU will be able to impose taxes in the region to partially pay for the fund. This, along with the Budget details, will entail an unprecedented level of fiscal coordination among the member states for the next seven years.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Almost a third of the overall package — Euro 500 billion — has been earmarked towards countering climate change. This includes expenditure towards developing clean energy, its use via emissions-free cars, and other such technologies, as well as promoting energy efficiency.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Global Financial Crisis of 2008-09 and the efforts undertaken in the EU for economic recovery increased differences between better-off EU economies such as Germany and the worse-off ones such as Greece. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Weaker economies were asked to cut back expenditures and raise taxes to meet the onerous austerity requirements of paying back loans. This resulted in massive political push back across many countries.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">More than saving the economy of the EU, this deal saves the political idea that is the EU. That’s because it has been concluded despite significant differences among a whole host of countries.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Germany has been opposed to massive borrowings that would have the taxpayers paying back for decades. To be sure, under the current arrangement, the borrowings would be done by 2023 and paid back by 2058.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">On the other hand are economies such as Italy and Spain, which are most severely hit, urging for a less onerous recovery package.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 5202,
'title' => 'Cold war between US and China',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The US government has ordered China to close it Houston consulate after tensions between China and the US escalated since diplomatic normalisation.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In defence, trade, technology, human rights, and other categories, actions, and reprisals by one side or the other have escalated sharply under President Donald Trump’s administration.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The administration is even weighing a blanket ban on travel to the United States by the members of China’s ruling Communist Party and the possible expulsion of any members currently in the country.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The severity of the confrontation has jumped the wall from specific and solvable challenges to a clash of systems and values.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Trump and his subordinates have blamed China for spreading the coronavirus, which first emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">They have repeatedly described the virus in racist and stigmatizing terms, calling it the Wuhan virus, China virus, and Kung Flu.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Trump had said China must be held fully accountable. The administration also has defunded and ordered a severing of ties with the World Health Organization, accusing it of having abetted shortcomings in China’s initial response to the outbreak.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Chinese propagandists also have promoted the counter-theory that US soldiers may have been the original source of the virus during a visit to Wuhan last October.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Trump administration has increasingly challenged China’s assertions of sovereignty and control over much of the South China Sea, including vital maritime shipping lanes.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">US has called for international blacklisting of Huawei, China’s largest technology company, calling it a front for China’s efforts to infiltrate the telecommunications infrastructure of other nations for strategic advantage.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Last November, Trump signed legislation that could penalise Chinese and Hong Kong officials who suppress dissent by democracy advocates in Hong Kong, which was guaranteed some measure of autonomy by China.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">This month the Trump administration imposed sanctions on a number of Chinese officials, including a senior member of the Communist Party, over human rights abuses by China in the Xinjiang region against the country’s largely Muslim Uighur minority.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">In 2018 Trump signed a bill that penalizes Chinese officials who restrict U.S. officials, journalists and other citizens from going freely to Tibetan areas.</span></span></p>
</li>
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(int) 99 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 5212,
'title' => 'Operation Legend',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">US President Donald Trump has announced a surge of federal law enforcement in cities run by Democrats, including Chicago, as part of an expanded ‘Operation Legend’.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Trump has been promoting himself as the ‘law and order’ leader “bringing violent perpetrators to justice”, which many see as a blatant attempt to stoke racial fears in White suburban voters.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The operation is named after LeGend Taliferro, a four-year-old Black child who was shot dead in Kansas City, Missouri, on June 29 while sleeping in his apartment.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The operation was announced by the United States Department of Justice on July 8, 2020 to help the local police battle the “sudden surge of violent crime” in the city.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">President Trump said he might deploy agents to New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit, Baltimore and Oakland, California, cities controlled by liberal Democrats. All run, really, by the radical left.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In early July, federal troops were moved into the city “to protect federal property”, but have often violently clashed with protesters and detained many in unmarked vehicles.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Since his election campaign in 2016, when he claimed to save America from its descent into “chaos” and “barbarism”, Trump has often fallen back on the law and order rhetoric to tap into White racial resentment.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Trump’s decision to send federal troops into cities will not stand in court because under the US Constitution, state governors generally have authority to maintain order within their states’ borders. The President only has broad powers over federal spaces such as courts etc.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">While the US Insurrection Act lets presidents deploy forces to suppress domestic insurrection, it can be invoked only when it is impracticable to otherwise enforce US laws in court, or local authorities are depriving some people of equal protection.</span></span></p>
</li>
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(int) 100 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 5215,
'title' => 'Review of UK’s citizenship test',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> Historians have called on the UK’s Home Office to revise the UK citizenship test because the history section of this test contains a “misleading and false” representation of history during Britain’s colonisation.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Called the ‘Life in the UK Test’, it is a requirement for applicants who wish to acquire UK citizenship.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Signatories have called for a review of this test on the grounds that the official handbook published by the Home Office is fundamentally misleading and in places demonstrably false. The test appears to glorify Britain’s colonial past.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">This retelling of Britain’s history in an official handbook that is being used to prepare for the test is an attempt to sanitise the nation’s violent and brutal past that may be particularly difficult for citizenship applicants from countries that were former British colonies.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The letter states that the handbook makes no mention of the over three million people who were transported as slaves and that people died during these journeys.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Independence movements and uprisings in the former colonies also find no mention in this handbook. The handbook promotes the misleading view that the Empire came to an end simply because the British decided it was the right thing to do. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Similarly, the abolition of slavery is treated as a British achievement, in which enslaved people themselves played no part. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The historians state that people of colour and people in colonies also have not been adequately represented in this retelling of history and their contributions to the development and growth of Britain has been entirely omitted.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The official handbook creates a distorted view of the British past. It puts people in the invidious position of being obliged to read, remember, and repeat a version of the past which is false.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">This comes at a time when the Black Lives Matter movement has led to widespread protests across the UK and Europe. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Statues of colonisers and symbols of colonisation have been defaced and toppled in protests against racism and historic injustices perpetrated against people of colour and immigrants.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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(int) 101 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 5263,
'title' => 'Women supporting women movement',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Over the past few days, women, including celebrities, have been posting black-and-white images of themselves on Instagram and other social media platforms as a sign of women’s empowerment. </span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Women part of this campaign are supposed to post a black-and-white photograph of themselves and nominate other women to do the same. These images are accompanied by the caption #challengeaccepted, and is a part of a campaign called “women supporting women”.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">It is claimed that the challenge started in Turkey, where the campaign is associated with raising awareness about femicide in the country.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The women in Turkey are getting frustrated overseeing b&w photos of murdered women in the media almost every day, and by posting b&w photos of themselves, it makes the point that anyone of us could be next.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Critics of the challenge, however, have called the campaign as supporting a “vague cause” and users from Turkey have called out people for participating in the challenge “without knowing its meaning”, causing many to misrepresent its purpose.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">There are others who have initiated a different take on the challenge by incorporating racial injustice.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">This movement is meant to celebrate strength, spread love, and remind all women that supporting each other is everything.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Some have said that the resurgence of the hashtag in Turkey was unrelated to the version of the challenge that spread in the U.S.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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(int) 102 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 5284,
'title' => 'Anti-trust trials in US',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The US Congress has grilled the top bosses of the big four technology companies, Google, Facebook, Amazon, and Apple, and sought to know if they had become too big to fail and if they were stifling the competition from other smaller companies.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Technology companies such as Google, Facebook, Amazon, and Apple have been under the radar of governments in many countries for being big spenders and trying to steamroll competition by either buying them or pushing other vendors to avoid working with their competitors.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The US Congress and an antitrust panel of the House Judiciary Committee began a probe into the nature and working of four biggest names in technology space. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The panel collected documents and testimonies from workers of these firms and from rivals on whether the big four had in any way tried to push them out of the market using unfair means.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Search engine giant Google has often been asked about its dominance on the service, and whether it promotes its own products on its platform instead of rivals, even if the latter provides better service.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">On a specific question which sought to know whether Amazon had ever used seller data for its own benefit, Bezos said that though the company had a policy against the same, he could not guarantee that the policy had never been violated.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Google CEO Sundar Pichai made a commitment to the house panel that it will not tilt or skew the searches in favour of one candidate or another before the upcoming elections in November.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg had been accused of using money power to outright buy competition and then push them aggressively against other competitors in the market.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The panel has talked to various employees working at these organisations, their rivals, and collected as many as 1.3 million documents from public hearings and such interviews.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The House panel will take into account the statements made by them and then come out with a report on whether these companies had avoided all liability of following fair trade practices.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">The house panel has also looked into the use of data by these companies and whether they had followed the sensitive data protection norms set in place by various states across the US.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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(int) 103 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 5230,
'title' => 'Protests in Thailand',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Thousands of students are protesting in Thailand and have demanded the resignation of Thai Army-backed Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Anti-government rap songs and chants of “Get Out” have echoed outside Thai schools and universities, as protestors called for the dissolution of the parliament and the rewriting of the constitution.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The demonstrations first began at Bangkok’s historic Democracy Monument. In the days that followed, smaller protests broke out in cities and towns across the country.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Thai Army Chief General has alleged that the spate of youth-led protests were most likely part of a larger political conspiracy. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">With the government yet to address the protestors’ grievances, Thailand’s recent ‘youthquake’ shows no signs of weakening.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Free Youth protestors first outlined their three big demands— first, they called for the resignation of Chan-ocha and the dissolution of the parliament; second, they demanded the rewriting of the constitution; and third, they urged authorities to stop intimidating activists for exercising their freedom of expression.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Another factor that has fuelled the recent youth-led anti-government movement is the economic impact of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, which has also brought the country’s otherwise thriving tourism industry to a complete standstill.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Students, particularly graduates, find themselves especially vulnerable as they have few to no jobs to choose from. Many denounced the country’s leadership for failing to reverse the economic damage caused by the pandemic.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Many young people protesting claim they are frustrated by the lack of pro-people reforms and years of economic stagnation. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The countries’ stringent lèse majesté laws, which make defaming or insulting the king an illegal offence, have also shrunk the space for dissent considerably.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">The pro-democracy rallies seen this week did not emerge out of thin air, the protestors merely picked up where they left off earlier this year before public assemblies were abruptly halted due to the pandemic.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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(int) 104 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 4434,
'title' => 'Changes in US visa guidelines',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong> </span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">On May 1, the US government announced a grace period of 60 days for H-1B visa holders and Green Card applicants who have been served notices for submission of various documents, in view of the novel coronavirus outbreak.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Earlier, on March 30, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) had first given a flexibility of 60 days for responding to requests or notices having issuance dates between March 1 and May 1, 2020.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">As per the fresh notification from the agency, the grace period will become applicable to the documents if the issuance date listed on the request, notice or decision is between March 1 and July 1, 2020.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The new USCIS notification said the extension of flexibilities could be availed for responding to Requests for Evidence; Continuations to Request Evidence (N-14); Notices of Intent to Deny; Notices of Intent to Revoke; Notices of Intent to Rescind and Notices of Intent to Terminate regional investment centres; and Filing date requirements for Form I-290B, Notice of Appeal or Motion</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The US Department of Homeland Security said it would allow non-immigrant visa holders, such as those on H-1B visa, to apply for an extension of their stay in the country. The decision came as a timely respite for thousands of Indian workers, students, and tourists who remain stranded in the US due to the novel coronavirus.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The notification also had extended flexibility for late applications and had said the government could excuse the failure to file on time if caused due to extraordinary circumstances beyond control, such as those that may be caused by Covid-19.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">The USCIS can issue a maximum of 65,000 H-1B work visas every year to highly skilled foreign workers. It can issue an additional 20,000 H-1B visas to those highly skilled foreign workers who have obtained masters or higher degrees from an American educational institution.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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(int) 105 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 5345,
'title' => 'US job curbs on H1B holders',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order barring federal agencies from hiring H-1B visa holders and other foreign workers in place of US citizens or green cardholders.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">According to data from the US Department of Labour, of 65,000 new visa applications approved every year, an average of 1,800 to 2,000, or roughly 3%, are H-1B visas granted to workers employed by federal agencies.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">To keep costs in check, federal agencies in the US — and various other countries — either hire a large number of foreign workers or outsource their back-end database updation and other jobs to business process outsourcing firms from around the world. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Such jobs in developed countries pay minimum wages, which are not lucrative enough for employable individuals in these countries.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Apart from workers hired by federal agencies, the executive order will also impact workers of Indian companies that are on contract with federal agencies. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Bigger federal agencies such as state-run banks give the contract for supply and maintenance of their databases and other services to bigger Indian companies such as Infosys, TCS, or Wipro.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The order is particularly coming at a time when there is a huge shortage of STEM skills in the US that workers on short-term non-immigrant visas like H-1B and L-1 will help bridge.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The heads of departments will undertake an audit of these contracts and subcontracts, and check whether the jobs could have been performed by US workers, and whether opportunities for domestic workers were impacted by such hiring.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Ever since Trump became President in 2016, the US government had started moving towards a more conservative work visa regime, alleging that Indian and Chinese IT companies had been sending workers at very low cost, which hurt the prospects of skilled workers in the US.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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(int) 106 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 5351,
'title' => 'Trump orders to buy American medicine',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">US President Donald Trump has signed an order aiming to boost domestic production of “essential medicines” and “critical” drug inputs.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">India is one of the largest producer and supply of generic medicine and US is India’s largest customer for general medicine. This move will impact Indian manufacturers.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The order mandates the creation of a list of essential medical products and directs the fast-tracking of regulatory clearances for domestic producers.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Federal agencies are to consider a “variety” of actions to increase their procurement of such products and their critical ingredients from domestic sources while protecting the country’s service members, veterans and their families from increases in drug prices. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">They also have to ensure that the measures they implement do not interfere with America’s ability to respond to the Covid-19 outbreak.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The US, like most countries, is dependent on countries like China and India for critical products like medicines. This dependence put the Trump administration in a tight spot during the pandemic, which highlighted the extent of their presence in global supply chains.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">When Trump began touting hydroxychloroquine as a ‘miracle’ in Covid-19 treatment, India was found to be the largest supplier. Like India, the US seems to have realised the need to maintain domestic capacities of essential medicines.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Unlike China, which is heavily present in the global pharmaceutical supply chain as a producer of key drug ingredients, India is known as an exporter of finished pharmaceutical products. Its generic drugs are popular in the US due to their low cost, which makes them more affordable.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Regardless of the motive, in the short term, the order is not likely to impact Indian pharmaceutical firms, they say. A major reason is that Indian drugs are “largely” not involved in US public procurement processes.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">The order will not apply in cases where procuring domestic essential medicines will bring costs for the agency up over 25%. Nor does it apply in cases where there are no sufficient domestic alternatives.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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(int) 107 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 5451,
'title' => 'Power outrage in Sri Lanka',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Sri Lanka has launched an investigation into the power outage that affected the whole island, after a key power facility on the outskirts of capital Colombo faced technical problems.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The power outage caused traffic jams in Colombo, as traffic lights stopped operating, and water supply was impacted as pumps stalled without electricity.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The oil-fired Kerawalapitiya power grid provides 50 percent of Sri Lanka’s electricity supply, according to the spokesperson of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), the state-run electricity provider.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In Sri Lanka, half of the electricity supply comes from thermal power, and the remaining from wind and hydropower. The hydropower plants would be activated first and then the remaining plants as the nation went back to restoring power.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">This is the second time in less than five years that the nation has faced a complete power outage. In March 2016, a large system breakdown caused a blackout of over eight hours.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">For decades, India and Sri Lanka have considered linking their power grids by constructing an ultra high voltage underwater HVDC line across the Palk Strait that separates the two countries. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">The connection would allow Sri Lanka to buy power from India during peak periods and export off-peak excess power in return.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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(int) 108 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 5461,
'title' => 'Military coup in Mali',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The military in Mali arrested the country’s president and prime minister in a coup staged after weeks of destabilizing protests over a disputed election, government corruption and a violent Islamist insurgency.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta and his prime minister, Boubou Cissé, were detained along with other government officials. Around midnight, the president announced on state TV that he was resigning.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The effects of the turmoil could spill beyond the borders of Mali, a country whose strategic location has geopolitical implications for West Africa, the Sahel, the broader Arab world, the European Union and the United States.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">France has remained deeply involved in the affairs of Mali, its former colony, decades after the country gained independence.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The United States, too, has military advisers in Mali, and U.S. officials have a keen interest in a stable Malian government whose interests align with the West.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">After a previous military coup in 2012, Islamist rebels, some with ties to al Qaeda, took advantage of the disarray to seize control of large areas of the country’s north, including the ancient city of Timbuktu.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Under their brutal rule, Malians in those areas under jihadist control were forced to follow a strict religious code or risk severe punishment. Women were forced into marriage, and historical sites were demolished.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The rebels lost control of their territories after French forces intervened to help the Malian military drive them out. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">But armed groups continue to terrorize civilians in the countryside, and the violence has metastasized across borders into the neighbouring countries of Burkina Faso and Niger.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In the years following its independence from France in 1960, Mali was viewed as having achieved a good track record in democratic government.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">But Mali, once cited as a democratic role model in the region, has lurched from one crisis to another since the 2012 coup that overthrew President Amadou Touré a month before elections were to be held.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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(int) 109 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 5463,
'title' => 'Saudi- Pakistan diplomatic ties sour',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Pakistan’s Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa is on a visit to Saudi Arabia in a bid to straighten out diplomatic relations between the two countries.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Bajwa was sent to Riyadh after the latter insisted on early repayment of a $3 billion loan. Earlier in August, Pakistan repaid a $1 billion loan to Saudi Arabia with China’s help.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In 2019, Saudi Arabia pledged investment deals worth over $20 billion with Pakistan, including a $10 billion investment in Gwadar, to boost its economy. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Before that, in November 2018, Saudi Arabia had announced a loan package worth over $6 billion as Pakistan was staring at a financial crisis with dwindling foreign reserves and a widening trade deficit.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The dispute between the countries arose in February when Saudi Arabia rejected Pakistan’s request to convene a special meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), to gain Muslim countries’ support on the Kashmir issue. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">OIC members include Malaysia, Indonesia, Iraq, Iran, UAE, Bangladesh, Turkey, and Afghanistan, among others, and are largely led by Saudi Arabia and therefore its support is important.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">While Saudi Arabia has supported Pakistan on the Kashmir issue in earlier decades, the kingdom along with other Gulf countries has largely stayed away from issuing statements against India on the abrogation of Article 370.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">While the foreign ministers of UAE and Saudi Arabia went to Islamabad on a symbolic visit to show their support with Pakistan after the abrogation of Article 370, they did not strongly condemn India’s decision. One reason for this could be the emerging trade ties between the Gulf countries and India, especially with Saudi Arabia.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The kingdom is India’s fourth-largest trading partner and the value of bilateral trade between the two countries is estimated to be around $28 billion, with a majority of it being crude oil exports to India, which imports around 19% of its oil requirements from Saudi Arabia.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Apart from this, the countries also have defence, security, and counter-terror cooperation, and have seen steady progress in relations since 2006.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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(int) 110 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 5482,
'title' => 'Aleksei Navalny poisoning case',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Russia’s most prominent opposition leader, Aleksei A. Navalny, was put on ventilator support in a Siberian hospital after he consumed a cup of tea that is suspected to be poisoned.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Last year, Navalny who is a vocal critic of president Vladimir Putin was hospitalised after he suffered an allergic reaction in jail, possibly from an unknown chemical substance.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Navalny, who is a lawyer-turned-activist came to prominence in 2008 after he started exposing corruption in Russian politics through a blog and in 2018, he was barred from standing against Putin in the presidential elections.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">He has also been arrested on multiple occasions and since he started political campaigning, Navalny has spearheaded many anti-corruption rallies in Russia and is considered to be the face of the opposition in Russia, a country that has long been known to eliminate dissidents and spies by poisoning them.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Former Russian spy Skripal and his daughter Yulia Skripal were found unconscious on a bench in the British city Salisbury after they were poisoned by a military-grade nerve agent Novichok.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">After the poisoning, all Russian intelligence officers working under diplomatic cover in the UK and many other countries were expelled.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">An anti-Kremlin activist and Putin critic who is a member of the Russian protest group called Pussy Riot was taken ill after a poisoning attempt that Verzilov alleged was carried out by Russian intelligence services. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In 2017, Putin critic and journalist Kara-Murza fell into a coma after a suspected poisoning attempt. A French lab found elevated levels of heavy metals in his blood.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Former spy Litvinenko, who was being paid by the MI6 and was investigating Spanish links to Russia, was killed in November 2006 after he ingested a fatal dose of polonium 210.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In 2004, Yushchenko was poisoned in the midst of an election campaign, in which he was expected to defeat the Russia-backed candidate.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Russia has long been known to use poison as a way of eliminating political dissidents and spies. They serve as useful symbols of what happens to anyone accused of betraying or otherwise cheating the Kremlin.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 5503,
'title' => 'Conflict in Libya',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Rival authorities have backed a ceasefire in Libya, raising the prospect of a de-escalation in the country’s long-running conflict.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The conflict has cost tens of billions of dollars in lost oil revenue, damaged infrastructure, and sharply reduced living standards.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Khalifa Haftar’s self-proclaimed Libyan National Army (LNA) has been battling forces aligned with the Tripoli-based, internationally recognised Government of National Accord (GNA). </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Both sides are formed from local armed factions, whose shifting loyalties have helped steer the course of the conflict. Both have depended heavily on foreign allies pursuing strategic and political goals in Libya.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Turkey stepped up its military support for the GNA in January after signing a maritime deal with Tripoli, allowing it to repel a 14-month LNA offensive against the capital.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Libya’s fault lines surfaced nine years ago as local groups took different positions in the NATO-backed uprising that toppled Muammar Gaddafi. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">An attempted democratic transition slid out of control as armed groups built local power bases and coalesced round rival political factions.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">After a battle for Tripoli in 2014, one faction moved east and set up a parallel government and institutions. It recognised Haftar as military chief as he began a long campaign against Islamist groups and other opponents in Benghazi.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Front lines are drawn at LNA-held Sirte, roughly the midpoint of Libya’s Mediterranean coastline and a gateway to major oil ports. The GNA and affiliated groups control Libya’s densely populated northwest and the LNA holds the east.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The United Nations is pushing the two sides to resolve issues including oil revenue distribution, the make-up of a unity government and the status of armed groups.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">OPEC member Libya holds Africa’s largest oil reserves, producing 1.6 million barrels per day before 2011. Blockades have caused output to fluctuate sharply.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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'title' => 'Australian government’s issue with Google and Facebook',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> Facebook has threatened to block Australia’s publishers and individuals from sharing news stories on the platform as the government plans to impose tax on media platform that share link to new reports.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Poor advertising revenues have forced over 200 news organisations in Australia to close temporarily or permanently shut down.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Following an inquiry, which found that platforms such as Google and Facebook were bagging too large a share of the online advertising profits from media organizations in Australia, the government proposed the draft News Media Bargaining Code law.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The code urges tech giants Google and Facebook to pay for Australian news content that appears on their news feed and searches.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">If implemented, it will allow media firms to negotiate a price for their content with the digital services, and if the two parties do not agree to an amount, arbitrators would be appointed to take a call.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The legislation also calls upon Facebook and Google to notify news companies in case of a change of algorithms – which could decide which stories appear on top of a search – with penalties of up to 10% of a platform’s annual turnover in case of non-compliance.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The code has been backed by all major news firms including News Corp Australia, the country’s largest conglomerate, Nine Entertainment, and Guardian Australia, among others.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Facebook has argued that news reports make up “only a fraction” of what the platform’s users get in their feeds, and that it is already driving a large amount to traffic to news websites.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Google has claimed that the law is skewed in favour of big media companies and will end up giving them “special treatment”, and “encourage them to make enormous and unreasonable demands that would put our free services at risk”.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The European Union introduced new online copyright rules to help news publishers and tech giants strike deals for sharing content.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">In France, where the legislation was first implemented, Google did not agree to pay publishers, and said instead that they would only display thumbnail images of stories if provided to them for free, leaving many news firms disappointed. In Germany too, the company has adopted the same policy.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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'title' => 'Lincoln project',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">As the US presidential election nears, an anti-Trump group formed by former Republican strategists, known as Lincoln project, is making its presence felt.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The group caught public attention early in May when its video, ‘Mourning in America’, went viral. The minute-long video is a critique of Trump’s governance over spiralling Covid-19 deaths and high unemployment.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Lincoln Project was started on December 17 last year, with four of its founders announcing the group’s launch in a <em>New York Times</em> opinion piece. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Projects openly supports Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, and aims to convince enough conservatives and independents in swing states to ensure that Trump loses the Electoral College.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Political analysts believe that the group’s principal aim is to hand back control of the Republican Party to more moderate figures.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Lincoln Project’s creators have all played influential roles in the Republican Party, and include conservatives who have been a part of the “Never Trump” movement.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The group has not only lambasted Trump’s performance as President, but has gone on to mock his physical and mental fitness, and targeted his family members such as daughter Ivanka Trump and son-in-law Jared Kushner– both highly influential members of the Trump administration.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The group’s founders have fended off criticism that their videos are too aggressive, insisting that they intend to respond to Trump in what they believe are his own methods.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">While videos made by the group are highly circulated among Trump’s detractors, experts are divided on whether the content could have a meaningful impact on the presidential election.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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(int) 114 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 5546,
'title' => 'Riots in Sweden',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Violence erupted in the Swedish city of Malmo where over 300 people had gathered to protest against anti-Islam activities. </span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Protests began after a copy of the Quran was burned in Malmo by members of the far-right Danish party Stram Kurs (Hard Line). </span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Paludan is a Danish politician and lawyer who has founded the far-right party Stram Kurs in 2017 and was noticed for making anti-Muslim videos on YouTube, the contents of which included burning the Quran, at times wrapped in bacon, which he justified as a tribute to free speech.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Paludan was denied permission to hold a meeting in Malmo about “Islamization in the Nordic countries”, where it was rumoured that the Quran would be burned.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Paludan is fighting elections with a policy based on deporting more than 300,000 Muslims from Denmark and banning Islam.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Sweden has historically been a safe haven for refugees and, after Canada and Australia, has taken the most refugees per capita.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Sweden received a record 162,000 applications for asylum primarily from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan and this influx of Muslim asylum seekers from war-torn countries has had a significant impact on Swedish politics.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The Swedish parliament’s third-largest party, the right-wing Sweden Democrats that has created the perception among people in recent years that the influx of predominantly Muslim immigrants has led to a surge in crime and since 2015-2016 migrant crisis.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Many Swedes view refugees as putting pressure on public finances in a country that has one of the most generous welfare programs in the world.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The large influx of immigrants into Sweden threatens the endurance of the country’s model that depends on its residents paying some of the highest taxes in the world and understanding that everyone is supposed to work. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">But a large number of immigrants, many of whom are not as skilled and educated, means that they will depend on welfare for years, something that Swedes are becoming increasingly wary of.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In 2017, the Swedish police launched an investigation after riots erupted in a predominantly migrant area of Stockholm. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">In 2010, rioters burned down a school in the Swedish capital and threw stones at the police in a predominantly immigrant suburb after a group of youths were refused entry to a school dance.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 5550,
'title' => 'Protests in Mauritius',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Thousands of people have been protesting in Mauritius over the government’s handling of the oil spill that ravaged the South-East coast of the country.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The oil spill has been a major blow to the country that relies heavily on tourism and has left a 15 km stretch of the coastline that is recognised as a biodiversity hotspot stained with oil.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">A Japanese ship named M V Wakashio, which is owned by Nagashiki Shipping and operated by Mitsui OSK Lines Ltd, struck a coral reef resulting in an oil spill of over 1,000 tonnes into the Indian Ocean in late July.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The government is not geared up to deal with a catastrophe this size and therefore experts arrived from other countries such as France, Japan, and the UK and a team was sent by the UN to manage the oil spill.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Rather than the size of the oil spill, it was the area where it happened which was a cause for concern. The accident had taken place near two environmentally protected marine ecosystems and the Blue Bay Marine Park Reserve, which is a wetland of international importance.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Oil spills affect marine life by exposing them to harsh elements and destroying their sources of food and habitat. Further, both birds and mammals can die from hypothermia as a result of oil spills.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Oil destroys the insulating ability of fur-bearing mammals, such as sea otters. It also decreases the water repellency of birds’ feathers, without which they lose their ability to repel cold water.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Previous oil spills</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Some of the world’s largest oil spills include the Persian Gulf War oil spill of 1991, when more than 380 million gallons of oil was poured into the northern Persian Gulf by Iraq’s forces.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">The 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is also considered to be among the largest known accidental oil spills in history. Starting April 20, 2010, over 4 million barrels of oil flowed over a period of 87 days into the Gulf of Mexico.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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(int) 116 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 5303,
'title' => 'Black rain survivors of Japan',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">One week ahead of the 75th anniversary of Hiroshima being struck by the first atomic bomb, a district court in Japan has recognised survivors of the post-explosion “black rain”.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The ruling allows people who were outside a government-defined zone at the time of the event, to be recognised as atomic bomb survivors. This enables the 84 plaintiffs to avail benefits, including free medical care, given to the other survivors.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, and another one on Nagasaki three days later on August 9. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The explosions caused by the bombs and the resultant firestorms are believed to have killed around 80,000 people in Hiroshima and around 40,000 people in Nagasaki. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Thousands more died in both cities in the following years due to their exposure to radiation from the blast and also from the black rain that fell in the aftermath of the explosions.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">An estimated 69 percent of the buildings in Hiroshima were destroyed by the atomic bomb.</span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The debris and soot from this, mixed with the radioactive fallout from the bomb, rose high into the atmosphere in the form of a mushroom cloud. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">This material combined with the vapour in the atmosphere and came down as dark drops of liquid that has been called black rain.</span></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Survivors of the black rain described it as consisting of large, greasy drops that are much heavier than normal raindrops. </span></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Witnesses have been quoted as saying that they saw many desperate survivors of the blast, with their skins burnt and severely dehydrated, drinking the dark fluid to quench their thirst.</span></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The black rain contaminated everything it came in contact with, and dead fish were reported floating in water bodies and severely ill cattle were seen lying in the fields.</span></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Black rain has caused acute radiation symptoms (ARS) in many who were exposed to it, with reports of people suffering from nausea and diarrhoea for weeks. </span></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Other ARS include fever, sore throat, and loss of hair. Over time, many people who were exposed to black rain have developed cancer.</span></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">The ruling may pave the way for the government to reconsider the limits it has set on who can be considered a survivor of the atomic bomb.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
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'metatitle' => 'Black rain survivors of Japan',
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'metadescription' => 'One week ahead of the 75th anniversary of Hiroshima being struck by the first atomic bomb, a district court in Japan has recognised survivors of the post-explosion',
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(int) 117 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {
'tag' => 'Miscellaneous',
'keyword' => 'miscellaneous-2',
'id' => (int) 5305,
'title' => 'Postal voting in US',
'description' => '<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Issue</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">As the US presidential election is set to take place in November, many states are making postal voting options more easily accessible due to the coronavirus pandemic.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Ever since the novel coronavirus pandemic has reached the US, many have pushed for the expanded use of postal ballots as opposed to in-person voting to ensure social distancing.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Details</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Republicans have argued that postal voting could increase risks of voter fraud, and have accused Democrats of using the pandemic as a pretext to further election reforms.</span></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Unlike in India, where the Constitution provides for a separate rule-making Election Commission that is independent of the executive in government, all US elections–federal, state, and local– are directly organised by the governments of individual states.</span></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The US Constitution and laws grant the states wide latitude in how they administer elections, resulting in varying rules across the country.</span></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">While every single state allows postal voting, some do so only in certain circumstances.</span></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In 17 states, mainly in the South and the Northeast, voters are provided absentee ballots if they provide an “excuse” as to why they cannot be present in person on election day.</span></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">The states of Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Utah, and Washington have “vote-by-mail”, where every registered voter is sent a ballot without a request.</span></span></p>
</li>
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<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Although individual states continue to have different postal voting rules, most of them are making these options more easily accessible due to the pandemic, and are inching closer to vote-by-mail.</span></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Around 24 per cent of voting during the 2016 election, which Trump won, happened through postal ballots. This year, that proportion is expected to surge significantly.</span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"> </p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong>Postal voting in India</strong></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Postal voting in India is done only through the Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot Papers (ETPB) system of Election Commission of India, where ballot papers are distributed to the registered eligible voters and they return the votes by post. </span></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">When the counting of votes commences, these postal votes are counted first before the counting of votes from the electronic voting machines of all other voters. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span styl