CURRENT AFFAIRS:

JUNE 2018:

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS:

 Turkish president Erodgen declared as president on june25 2018

 Turkish voters had for the first time cast ballots for both president and parliament in
the snap elections, with Erdogan looking for a first round knockout and an overall
majority for his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).

British Queen Elizabeth approves Brexit law that will end membership of
European Union
 Britain's Queen Elizabeth granted royal assent to Prime Minister Theresa May's
flagship Brexit legislation on 26th June, ending months of debate over the legislation
that will formally end the country's European Union membership.
 The EU (Withdrawal) Bill repeals the 1972 European Communities Act through
which Britain became a member, and transfers decades of European law onto British
statute books in a bid to avoid any legal disruption.

Top US Supreme Court backs Donald Trump travel ban on Muslim-majority

countries

 in a 5-4 decision on 26th June, the high court found that Donald Trump's action was
"squarely within the scope of presidential authority" under US immigration law and
rejected a challenge that it discriminated against Muslims or exceeded his authority.
 The current ban, announced in September and widely criticised by human rights
and refugee advocacy groups, prohibits entry into the US by most people from Iran ,
Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen.
 It also affects two non-Muslim majority countries, blocking travelers from North
Korea and some Venezuelan government officials and their families.
 A sixth majority Muslim country, Chad, was removed from the list in April after
improving "its identity-management and information sharing practices," Donald
Trump said in a proclamation.

The first International Day of Parliamentarism celebrated on June 30 2018

 The first International Day of Parliamentarism is celebrated on June 30th, 2018, to

highlight the role of parliaments worldwide as indispensable cornerstones of
democracy. This date was chosen by the United Nations General Assembly in a
resolution adopted on May 22nd as it coincides with the day in 1889, close to 130
years ago, that the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) — the global umbrella
organization of parliaments — was founded.
 Largest ever Yoga celebrations in Netherlands
 Spiritual Guru Ravi Shankar on 17th June inaugurated the largest ever celebration of
International Day of Yoga in The Netherlands. Several thousands have assembled at
the prestigious museum square in Amsterdam to experience the day-long wellness
festival.

European Union extends Crimea sanctions for another year

 The European Union on 18th June rolled over for another year's tough sanctions
imposed over Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine. The measures
prohibit certain exports and imports, and ban investment and tourism services by
EU-based companies in Crimea.

US Senate passes bill seeking enhanced defence ties with India

The US Senate on 19th June passed with an overwhelming majority a $716 billion
defence bill which among other things seeks to strengthen ties with America's 'Major
Defence Partner' India.

The US recognised India as a "Major Defence Partner" in 2016, a designation that

allows India to buy more advanced and sensitive technologies from America at par
with that of its closest allies and partners, and ensures enduring cooperation into the
future.

The National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA) 2019, passed by an overwhelming,

bipartisan vote of 85-10, is named in the honour of Senate Armed Services
Committee Chairman John McCain, who is battling cancer for the past several
months.

The House of Representatives has already passed the bill. The two different
versions of the bill now heads for a conference between the Senate and the House.

Once the joint committee agrees on an identical version, they would have to be
voted by the House and the Senate again before being sent to the White House for
US President Donald Trump's assent.

In what is being described could be a major clash between the Congress and the
White House, the Senate as part of NDAA-2019, reinstated trade restrictions on
ZTE.

The bill also allows a pilot programme for testing machine-based inspections in place
of humans to determine the authenticity and security of microelectronic parts in
weapons systems- a necessary ability in an era of Chinese-made knockoffs and
counterfeits.
 The NDAA also calls out China for illegally creating and fortifying islands in the
South China Sea for military purposes and modernises the Committee on Foreign
Investment to address national security concerns and stop China from trying to steal
sensitive technology from US companies.

United States withdraws from UN human rights council

The United States announced it was withdrawing from the United Nations Human
Rights Council. The announcement has come on 19th June.

It marks the latest rejection of multilateral engagement by the Donald Trump

administration - following its exit from the Paris climate accords and the Iran nuclear
deal.

 Donald trump signs executive order to end separation of immigrant families on US

Mexico boarder.
 For the first time after a decade the united nations report dated on 20,2018 stated
that the world hungry’s populations on the rise again.
 North and South Korea agree to hold reunions for war-separated families in
August
North and South Korea agreed to resume reunions for families separated by the
Korean War in August - the first such meetings since 2015 and the latest step in a
remarkable diplomatic thaw on the peninsula.
 SCO( Shanghai cooperation organization)summit adopts Qingdo declaration
calling for 3 year plan to combat terrorism.

 Government of Qatar takes United Arab Emirates (UAE) to UN International

Court of Justice over human right violations. The UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain
and Egypt imposed a boycott on Qatar in June 2017, severing diplomatic and
transport ties with the tiny, wealthy state, accusing it of supporting terrorism.

 United States decides to provide security guarantees to North Korea

The United States on 12th June decided to provide security guarantees to North
Korea, in exchange of Pyongyang's firm and unwavering commitment to complete
denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula. This is according to the joint document
which was signed by US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim
Jong Un following their historic maiden talks at Singapore's Sentosa island.
 International conference on information and communication technology (ICT)
To be held in Khatmandu from june 17. The Theme of two day conference is
“Sustainable Development Goals for Smart Society”.

 UNGA adopts resolution condemning Israel for Palestinian deaths in Gaza

United Nations General Assembly, UNGA has adopted an Arab-backed resolution
condemning Israel for Palestinian deaths in Gaza.