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AROUND THE WORLD

                    ballot  box success  into real  power.  move  which  saw Austria  briefly  approved  tough  new  sanctions
                    Last year, it came close to winning the  ostracised within the European Union.  against  North Korea in response to
                    largely ceremonial presidency.  This time though, the reaction is likely  its latest launch of a ballistic missile
                       The last time the Freedom Party  to  be  much  more  muted  with  the  that  Pyongyang  says  is  capable  of
                    entered government was in 2000 under  Freedom  Party  seen  as  having  reaching  anywhere  on  the  US
                    Joerg Haider, its controversial leader  mellowed and with Europe more inured  mainland. The resolution adopted by
                    at the time who has since died, in a  to right-wing parties.    the  council  includes sharply  lower
                                                                                    limits on  North Korea’s  refined  oil
                    UN                                                              imports, the return home of all North
                                                                                    Koreans working overseas within 24
                    UN  denounces  US  recognition  of                              months,  and a  crackdown on  ships
                                                                                    smuggling  banned items  including
                    Jerusalem  as  Israeli capital                                  coal and oil to and from the country.
                                                                                       But the resolution doesn’t include
                    The  UN  General Assembly  voted  countries  warning  that Washington  even harsher measures sought by the
                    overwhelmingly on 21 December 2017  would be taking names of those who  Trump administration that would ban
                    to  denounce  President  Donald  voted  against  the  US  Trump  went  all oil imports and freeze international
                    Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as  further, threatening a funding cutoff.  assets  of  the  government  and  its
                    Israel’s  capital,  largely  ignoring  India votes against US   leader, Kim Jong Un. The resolution,
                    Trump’s threats to cut off aid to any  The NDA government stuck to New  drafted  by  the  United  States  and
                    country that went against him. The  Delhi’s  principled  position  on  negotiated with  the  North’s  closest
                    non-binding resolution declaring US  Palestine followed over the last seven  ally China, drew criticism from Russia
                    action on Jerusalem “null and void”  decades, including by the UPA, as it  for the short time the 13 other council
                    was approved 128-9 — a victory for  voted in favour of a resolution at the  nations had to consider the draft, and
                    the Palestinians, but not as big as they  United  Nations General Assembly  last-minute changes to the text. Two
                    predicted. Amid Washington’s threats,  which  opposed  and  rejected  US  of those changes were extending the
                    35 of  the 193  UN  member  nations  President Donald Trump’s decision to  deadline for North Korean workers to
                    abstained and 21 were absent.   recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.  return home from 12 months to 24 months
                       The resolution reaffirmed what has  New  Delhi’s  “yes”  vote  comes  — which Russia said was the minimum
                    been the United Nations’ stand on the  even  as  the  NDA  government’s  needed — and reducing the number of
                    divided  holy  city  since  1967:  that  proximity to  Israel and  the US  has  North Koreans being put on the  UN
                    Jerusalem’s  final  status  must  be  grown.                    sanctions blacklist from 19 to 15.
                    decided in direct negotiations between  While New Delhi has, as a norm,  UN  Secretary-General Antonio
                    Israel and the Palestinians. The Trump  always voted in favour of Palestine at  Guterres  also  called  for a  political
                    administration made it clear the vote  the  UN,  India  had  in  July  2015  solution,  “which  requires  de-
                    would have no effect on its plan to  abstained from a vote against Israel at  escalation and open communication
                    move the American Embassy from Tel  the  UN  Human  Rights  Council  in  channels now.” US Ambassador Nikki
                    Aviv to Jerusalem. And Israeli Prime  Geneva — this was seen as a subtle  Haley  recalled  that  the  previous
                    Minister  Benjamin Netanyahu  said  shift  in  India’s  policy towards  the  sanctions  resolution  approved  in
                    afterward that he completely rejects  Israeli-Palestinian issue.  September, when combined with earlier
                    the “preposterous” resolution.     After Trump’s announcement on  measures, would ban over 90 percent of
                       Palestinian Ambassador  Riyad  December 6, New Delhi had said that  North Korea’s exports reported in 2016.
                    Mansour called the vote a victory not  “India’s  position  on  Palestine  is  That  resolution,  adopted  in
                    only for the Palestinians but for the  independent  and  consistent.  It  is  response to North Korea’s sixth and
                    United Nations and international law,  shaped by India’s views and interests,  strongest nuclear  test explosion  on
                    saying US Ambassador Nikki Haley  and  not  determined  by  any  third  September  3,  banned  North  Korea
                    “failed miserably” in persuading only  country.”  This  was  perceived  as  from importing all natural gas liquids
                    seven countries aside from the US and  “lacking  condemnation”  against  and condensates. It also banned  all
                    Israel to vote against the resolution.  Trump’s move by Arab envoys.  textile  exports  and  prohibited  any
                    The  United  States  and  Israel  had  UN Security Council imposes new  country from authorizing new work
                    waged  an  intensive  lobbying  sanctions on North Korea        permits for North Korean workers—
                    campaign against the measure, with  The  UN  Security  Council,  on  22  two key sources of hard currency for
                    Haley  sending  letters  to  over  180  December  2017,  unanimously  the northeast Asian nation.

                    50   Competition  Wizard                                                            March 2018
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