INDIA NEWS
Dec 1-15, 2020 - Vol 1, Issue 11
THE WORLD THIS WEEK Contributed by the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru*
By D Suba Chandran, Harini Madhusudan, Lokendra Sharma, Rashmi Ramesh and Akriti
The United States: Trump’s strategy to block the election results suffer reversals in Georgia and Pennsylvania.
Michigan.” According to the existing tally, Biden has won more than 50 per cent of the votes in Michigan, while Trump has only 47.89 per cent. Michigan would provide another 16 seats to Biden if the State has to certify the election results.
On 19 November, the CEO of Serum Institute of India announced that the Oxford vaccine would be priced at 1000 INR, and would be made available as early as February 2021, with a priority for the elderly and healthcare workers.
What does it mean?
What does it mean?
First, Trump is threatening the very foundations of the electoral
It has been almost a year since the breakout. Though vaccine development is a tedious process, scientists have projected that the protection may be relatively short-lived (likely a year), requiring more than one dosage per person. The multiple vaccines in the race would help in meeting global demand. However, they would also bring out the differences between nations that have the means to develop or procure vaccinations and the developing world.
US President-Elect Joe Biden and US President Donald Trump What happened? On 21 November, a judge in Pennsylvania dismissed a lawsuit filed by the Trump team against voter fraud. According to the judge, the lawsuit had “strained legal arguments without merit and speculative accusations” and was “unsupported by evidence.” Earlier, Rudy Giuliani, the personal attorney for President Trump had filed a lawsuit that the mail ballots had widespread voter fraud. The Wall Street Journal quoted the judge saying: “In the United States of America, this cannot justify the disenfranchisement of a single voter, let alone all the voters of its sixth most populated state.” Pennsylvania would certify the election results in the following days; according to the existing tally, Biden would win 20 seats from the State. On 20 November 2020, in Georgia, the election officials after a “methodical hand recount” reconfirmed the victory of Biden by 12,670 votes. The New York Times (NYT) quoted Georgia’s secretary of state, Brad Raffensperger who bluntly declared on November 20, “I live by the motto that numbers don’t lie.” This would mean, Biden would win 16 seats from the State. Also on 20 November 2020, according to another NYT report, a “delegation of seven Michigan Republicans, who had met with Mr Trump at the White House at his request, said they had no information “that would change the outcome of the election in
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system in the US democracy. He is not only questioning the process legally but also inciting his supporters to undermine the election results by engaging in street protests. Several election officials have been receiving threats from the Trump supporters. Second, the standing of the Republican party and its role in safeguarding the electoral process and the sanctity of the Presidential election system. The party would face serious questions in the long run, for openly siding with Trump’s strategies to undermine the American vote and the larger values. Third, questions over the larger electoral process. There have been a few issues in the larger process through which the US elects its President. Trump has revealed the loopholes and areas where the process needs fixing.
The COVID-19 vaccine race: The politics of development and distribution What happened? On 18 November, Pfizer announced that its vaccine, developed with partner BioNTech SE, has tested to be 95 per cent effective in its final stages of clinical-stage data analysis. It has sought an emergency authorization; the vaccine is expected to be available for use before Christmas.
Given that the news on vaccine developments is exciting, there is cause for concern even in countries like India. “Probably by 2024, every Indian would get vaccinated,” is the only official statement that would come from the leading vaccine lab. The vaccine conundrum brings to the fore the limitations faced during times of crisis despite the heights of technological growth.
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India opts out of the RCEP, cites negative consequences On 18 November, Indian Foreign Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that opting out of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) was justified, as becoming its part would have resulted in “immediate negative consequences” for India’s economy. On 15 November, the 10 ASEAN countries plus China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand signed the RCEP, world’s largest free trade deal. Absence of India and the US would add to China’s rising influence in global commerce flows. India: Phase-II of the Malabar exercise concludes with the US, Australia and Japan On 20 November, the navies of India, the US, Australia, and Japan concluded the Malabar naval exercise in the Arabian sea. The first phase took place from 3-6 November in the Bay of Bengal and the second phase took place from 17-20 November. The exercise reflected the “commitment of the participating countries to support free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific as well as rule-based international order”, the Indian Navy said in a statement.
BRICS summit hosted by Russian President Vladimir Putin. This year’s theme is ‘Global Stability, Shared Security and Innovative Growth.’ He mentioned that ‘SelfReliant India’ can contribute to the global value chain in the postCOVID-19 economic scenario. The leaders also called for joint effort on the COVID-19 vaccine development. Pakistan: Conviction of Hafiz Saeed On 19 November, Jamat-udDawa ( JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed was sentenced to 10 years in jail by an anti-terrorism court in Pakistan in two more terror financing cases. In February 2020, he was also sentenced to 11 years in jail in two terror financing cases. His conviction is an outcome of Pakistan’s efforts to avoid punitive blacklisting by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
WORLD THIS WEEK complex. They were protesting against the introduction of a new infection protection bill in the German parliament. In the ensuing clash of police and protestors, some police officers were injured and 190 protestors were arrested. The bill was passed by both houses of parliament and signed into law by German President FrankWalter Steinmeier on the same day. The opposition populist party Alternative for Germany has likened this law to the Enabling Act of 1933 which paved the way for Hitler’s dictatorship. France: Macron’s ultimatum on the charter of republican values On 18 November, French President Emmanuel Macron gave an ultimatum to the French Council of the Muslim Faith (CFCM) to agree to a “charter of republican values” in 15 days. The charter would entail a rejection
Indian Foreign Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar The United Kingdom: Brexit talks shift to online mode On 19 November, the EU chief negotiator said that one of his team members has tested positive for COVID-19 and due to this, the talks with the UK would be suspended “for a short period.” However, the UK government spokesperson later said that “the UK and EU teams have agreed to continue to negotiate remotely for the time being.” With just a few weeks of transition period left, both sides are under pressure to strike an agreement quickly. Germany: Thousands protest against new infection protection law On 18 November, thousands of protestors gathered in central Berlin near the parliamentary
of political Islam and any foreign interference. CFCM is also asked to create a ‘National Council of Imams’ which would issue official accreditation to Imams in France. A wide-ranging bill to tackle radicalization was also unveiled on the same day. About the authors D Suba Chandran is Professor and Dean, School of Conflict and Security Studies, NIAS. Rashmi Ramesh, Harini Madhusudan, Akriti Sharma and Lokendra Sharma are PhD Scholars in the School of Conflict and Security Studies at NIAS. *The report has been modified by India News due to space considerations.
India: PM Modi addresses BRICS Summit On 17 November, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the 12th
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Hafeez Saeed
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