↧
![]()
International Events
UAE hardened military into Africa and elsewhere in the Middle East
- The United Arab Emirates is better known for its skyscrapers and
pampered luxuries, but its small size belies a quiet expansion of its
battle—hardened military into Africa and elsewhere in the Middle East.
- The seven-state federation ranks as one of Washington’s most prominent
Arab allies in the fight against the Islamic State group, hosting some 5,000
American military personnel, fighter jets and drones.
- But the practice gunfire echoing through the deserts near bases outside
of Dubai and recent military demonstrations in the capital of Abu Dhabi show
a country increasingly willing to flex its own muscle amid its suspicions
about Iran.
- Already, the UAE has landed expeditionary forces in Afghanistan and
Yemen. Its new overseas bases on the African continent show this country.
- The UAE, a federation of seven sheikhdoms, only became a country in
1971. It had been a British protectorate for decades and several of the
emirates had their own security forces.
- The forces merged together into a national military force that took part
in the 1991 U.S.-led Gulf War that expelled Iraqi forces occupying Kuwait.
- The UAE sent troops to Kosovo as part of the NATO-led peacekeeping
mission there starting in 1999, giving its forces valuable experience.
- Following the September 11, 2001, attacks, it deployed special forces
troops in Afghanistan to support the U.S.-led war against the Taliban.
Today, the UAE hosts Western forces at its military bases, including
American and French troops.
China bans some muslim names in western China
- The Chinese government, further tightening its grip on Muslims in
western China, has prohibited parents from choosing names like “Muhammad,”
“Arafat” and “Jihad” for their children.
- The ban, introduced this month, as part of an effort to “curb religious
fervour” in the western region of Xinjiang, home to more than 10 million
Uighurs.
- The government considers Xinjiang a hotbed of Islamic extremism,
violence and separatist thought. But many Uighurs say the government’s
strict limits on worship and speech are responsible for tensions in the
region.
- The list of names, a copy of which was provided to The New York Times by
Uighur activists, is titled, “List of Banned Ethnic Minority Names.” It bans
more than two dozen names, including “Mujahid” and “Medina.”
- Rights advocates said the ban showed the lengths to which the government
would go to limit the civil liberties of Uighurs in the name of fighting
terrorism.
Madhesis declared that they would participate in the upcoming elections
- Marking a major shift in strategy, agitators from Nepal’s plains
declared that they would participate in the upcoming elections if Kathmandu
addresses “some” of the concerns about constitutional amendments.
- This was discussed in a meeting between the Madhesi leaders and the
government of Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, even as five
political parties from Nepal’s plains united to form a single platform.
- The new shift is a significant development in view of the earlier
Madhesi position on boycotting the three-tier elections to be held in Nepal.
- The discussion between two sides that began is likely to continue. There
are unconfirmed reports that a high-level special envoy from New Delhi has
also reached Kathmandu to assist the negotiations.
- The unification of the political parties took place a few days after
Nepal’s Foreign Minister Prakash Sharan Mahat said that the Madhesi parties
are unprepared to face the electorate.
Tougher requirements to gain citizenship of Australia
- Canberra unveiled plans to put “Australian values” at the heart of
tougher requirements to gain citizenship, days after scrapping a visa
programme for temporary foreign workers.
- The moves came against a background of growing populist pressure and a
resurgence of the anti-immigration One Nation party led by Pauline Hanson.
- These fundamental values are what make us Australian. Our citizenship
process should reflect that.
- The new requirements include competent English, belief in gender
equality and a four-year qualification period.
- Candidates for citizenship will be required to be permanent residents
for four years against the current one-year period. They will also need to
demonstrate a job record and how they have integrated into the local
community.
- The current “civics” test for would-be Australians would be expanded to
include issues such as domestic violence, Immigration Minister Peter Dutton
said.
- Some 1,14,109 people sat the Australian citizenship test in 2014-15,
with 1,12,474 passing it, according to the latest immigration figures.
China wants India’s participation in the Belt and Road connectivity initiative
- China reinforced its call for India’s participation in the Belt and Road
connectivity initiative, telling that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor
(CPEC), on which India has its reservations, was not linked to the Kashmir
issue.
- India has objected to the CPEC as it passes through Pakistan-occupied
Kashmir. But Mr. Wang said that China’s stance on CPEC projects “had no
relationship with the [Kashmir] dispute”.
- Mr. Wang pointed out that China had even earlier taken up projects, like
the Karakoram highway, in the area. They, however, did not have any bearing
on China’s position on Kashmir.
- “I want to mention that the CPEC is economic, and for the purpose of
serving economic cooperation and development. It has no direct link with
political or border disputes.”
- Referring to the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) economic corridor
— one of the major economic corridors China is planning in its neighbourhood
— Mr. Wang said that the four countries are ready to advance it within the
framework of Belt and Road.
Mother of all bombs did huge damage to the IS
- Afghan authorities reported a jump in fatalities from the American
military’s largest non-nuclear bomb, declaring some 90 Islamic State
fighters dead, as U.S.-led ground forces advanced on their mountain
hideouts.
- Dubbed the ‘Mother Of All Bombs’, the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air
Blast was unleashed in combat for the first time, hitting IS positions in a
remote area of eastern Nangarhar province.
- The bomb smashed the terrorist organisation’s hideouts, a
tunnel-and-cave complex that had been mined against conventional ground
attacks, engulfing the remote area in a huge mushroom cloud and towering
flames.
- Mr. Shinwari said American and Afghan ground forces were slowly
advancing on the mountainous area blanketed with landmines, but there were
still some pockets of resistance from insurgents.
- Security experts say IS had built their hideouts close to civilian
homes, but the government said thousands of local families had already fled
the area in recent months of fighting.
US President changes his stand on NATO
- The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the military alliance of
the U.S., Canada, 25 European countries and Turkey, is the “the bulwark of
international peace and security”, President Donald Trump said.
- “I said it’s obsolete. Now it’s no longer obsolete,” Mr. Trump said,
overturning a campaign position that drew intense criticism from Democrats
and Republicans.
- Mr. Trump has also reversed his positions on China, Syria and Russia in
recent days, aligning his thinking closer to U.S. orthodoxy.
- The President’s supporters point out that because of his tough stance,
partner countries have committed more spending and the alliance is
reorienting itself towards fighting the Islamic State.
- NATO has been involved in the war on terror for long, however. The only
time the alliance has invoked its principle that an attack on one is an
attack on all was after the September 11, 2001 terror attack on the U.S.
NATO has recently started training Iraqi troops to combat the IS.
- Member countries have also expressed willingness to increase defence
spending. Only five of the 28 members now meet the target of 2% of GDP on
defence expenditure.
↧
