Current Affairs 21th november 2015

• Chinese Navy conducts drills in South China Sea

The People’s Liberation Army Navy (Chinese Navy) conducted several naval drills in disputed South China Sea (SCS) by employing its major destroyers and frigates, carrier-based helicopters and new submarines.

Key facts

• The naval exercise was based out of the Sanya training base of the Chinese Navy which mainly focused on anti-submarine warfare.
• It was conducted as part of a regular annual naval drill aimed at implementing President Xi Jinping’s call for a military that is capable of fighting and winning wars.
• Chinese navy claims that these drills have vigorously improved the Chinese navy’s anti-submarine combat abilities based on informationalised systems.
• However, they have not disclosed the details of the exact time and places for the maneuvers of these drills.

• India, China vow to fight terror, transnational crime

India and China vowed to deepen their bilateral cooperation in combating terrorism and fighting transnational crime.

The breakthrough was achieved after Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh held talks with Meng Jianzhu, head of the Commission for Political and Legal Affairs (CPLA) of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee on a wide range of issues.

Following issues were discussed

• India and China should enhance their bilateral cooperation to combat terrorism and fight transnational crime.
• Both countries should coordinate to improve border entry and exit administration in order to facilitate people’s travel and promote stability in the region.

• UNSC unanimously resolution adopts to prevent further IS other terrorist groups attacks

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has unanimously adopted a Resolution 2249 (2015),calling on all nations to re-double and co-ordinate action to prevent further attacks by Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and other extremist groups.

The resolution has been not drafted under Chapter 7 of the UN Charter which empowers UN to give a green signal to the use of force.

The French-sponsored resolution has

• Urged UN member-states to intensify their efforts to stem the flow of foreign terrorist fighters in Iraq and Syria.
• Also called upon member-states to prevent and suppress the financing on terrorism groups and other extremist groups.
• Mentions ISIS group constitutes a global and unprecedented threat to international peace and security and expresses its determination to combat it by all means.

It should be noted that this is the 14th terrorism-related resolution adopted by the UNSC since 1999.

Background

The resolution was adopted by UNSC a week after ISIS extremists had launched a coordinated barbaric gun and bomb assault in Paris (France) on 13 November 2015 which had killed 130 people.

ISIS also has claimed responsibility for twin suicide bombings in Beirut (Lebanon) which had killed 43 people and for bombing of Russian airliner which was crashed over Egypt’s Sinai peninsula killing all 224 people on board.

• Russia inks deal to build Egypt’s first nuclear plant at Dabaa

Russia has signed two agreements with Egypt to finance and build its first nuclear power plant at Dabaa on the Mediterranean coast in the northwest of the country.

As per one of the agreement, Russia will extend a loan to Egypt to cover the cost of construction of the nuclear plant which is expected to be completed by 2022.

Under the agreement

• Russia will grant a 35-year loan to the Egypt which is the Arab world’s most populous country.
• However in the agreement the loan has been not disclosed as the details of the credit agreement are still under discussion.
• Dabaa Nuclear plant will be third-generation plant with four reactors with total capacity of 1,200 MW.
• On completion the plant will make Egypt a regional leader in terms of civil nuclear technology.

• US house passes bill to restrict entry of Syrian, Iraqi refugees

Republican-dominated US House of Representatives has overwhelmingly voted to bar Syrian and Iraqi refugees from entering the United States over the security concerns.

The bill was overwhelmingly voted by 289 in favour to 137 opposed and bill now needs to be passed by the Senate. It seeks to impose more stringent security provisions on already robust screening of Iraqi and Syrian refugees entering US.

The passage of bill is consider as a major setback for the Obama administration as the US President had opposed such a move and also because a large block of Democratic lawmakers voted in favour of the bill. The bill was also passed amid of threat by President Barack Obama to veto it.

Comment

The passage of Bill by US House of Representatives also follows the barbaric terrorist attacks in Paris (France) on 13 November 2015 by seven Islamic State radicals which left 129 people dead. One of these seven perpetuators is thought to have been a Syrian refugee who entered Europe via Greece along the other refugees.

Earlier in September 2015, Obama administration had announced its plan to resettle around 10,000 Syrian refugees in the US till September 2016.

Since Syrian civil war which began in 2011 to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad regime, millions of Syrians have fled to neighbouring countries and to Europe.