Major events on the international scene in 2020
News Time
The beginning of the year 2020, which encompassed the whole world and enlightened mankind with new things, is going to end with this. Here we are talking about the global epidemic of corona virus which is the only case affecting human beings in the modern world which is not only as common at the end of the year as it was in the beginning but also a year later. Even so, owning one is still beyond the reach of the average person. While much of the year around the world has been devoted to the corona virus and related events and conflicts, there have been other important global events that we are recording here.
The death of the Iranian general and related matters:
On the third day after the beginning of the year 2020, the biggest news that came out was the death of Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani, the head of the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, in a US airstrike. Conflict proved to be a major blow to Iran. On January 5, two days after the incident, Iran announced its complete withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, from which the United States had already distanced itself. At the same time, the administration of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani had said that Iran would not impose any restrictions on uranium enrichment, the amount of stored enriched uranium, and research and development in its nuclear activities.
Surprisingly, after the victory of Democratic candidate Joe Biden in the US election in November, Iran offered that Iran would fully abide by the 2015 nuclear deal if the United States lifted economic sanctions on Tehran. Earlier, in response to tensions over the death of General Qasem Soleimani, head of the Al-Quds Force, Iran fired ballistic missiles at two US and allied military bases in Iraq. Iran claimed that 80 US troops had been killed in the attack, and said that US helicopters and military equipment had been severely damaged. However, the US Central Command revealed that 11 US soldiers were wounded in the missile strikes on US military bases by Iran and no casualties were reported. The Pentagon later said in a statement that 34 soldiers had been diagnosed with brain injuries following the Iranian missile strikes on a base in Iraq.
On the other hand, countries trying to keep the 2015 agreement on Iran’s nuclear program alive are still insisting that the possibility of a US withdrawal be resolved under the new US administration, and that Germany’s foreign minister had urged Iran not to miss the opportunity to save the deal, which it called the last window.
New Delhi riots:
Demonstrations against the passage of the controversial Citizenship Act have been going on in various parts of India since late 2019, and these demonstrations have turned violent several times, during which the situation has remained particularly tense. However, during the first visit of US President Donald Trump to India in February this year, the protests in the Indian capital New Delhi on February 23 suddenly turned into serious religious riots. Here we would like to tell you about the Citizenship Amendment Bill that the Citizenship Amendment Act was passed by the Indian Parliament on December 11, 2019, under which Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists coming to India from 3 neighboring countries before December 31, 2014 Mat, Jains, Parsis and Christians will be given Indian citizenship while Muslims were not included in the list. As a result of the riots in the Indian capital, at least 53 people were killed and more than 200 were injured, most of them Muslims. It was also revealed that the Delhi Police had deliberately targeted Muslims in the riots. In its report, Amnesty International said that in the riots, the Delhi Police committed serious human rights violations, the Delhi Police tortured and arrested the protesters while supporting the Hindu attackers. The Amnesty report said that the loss of Muslims in the riots was three times higher than that of Hindus, in which Muslim properties and businesses were also set on fire.
US-Taliban peace deal:
A historic peace agreement was signed between the United States and the Taliban on February 29, 2020, to end the war in Afghanistan that began after the 2001 attack on the World Trade Center in New York. A peace deal with the Taliban has been negotiated by Afghan and US leaders for over a decade, with the Taliban setting up a political office in Doha, Qatar, in 2013, but it gained momentum when the Trump administration In September 2019, it appointed Zalmai Khalilzad, an Afghan national, as special envoy for the Afghan peace process. Pakistan was represented at the signing ceremony by Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, as well as representatives from about 50 countries, and a 31-member Taliban delegation to the Qatari capital in anticipation of the signing ceremony. I was present
Under the agreement, the next step in peace in war-torn Afghanistan was inter-Afghan talks, which stipulated direct talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban and the exchange of prisoners to pave the way and build mutual trust. A peace deal between the United States and the Taliban promised to exchange 5,000 Taliban prisoners in exchange for the release of 1,000 Afghan security forces prisoners. However, the move was delayed and regular release began in April, after which the Afghan government and the Taliban continued to release prisoners from time to time. However, Afghan authorities were reluctant to release 400 dangerous Taliban prisoners who were eventually released after approval by the Loya Jirga. In September of this year, for the first time, inter-Afghan talks between the Afghan government and Taliban representatives began in Doha, the capital of Qatar.
Harry and Meghan Markle abdicate:
Leaving the glittering world of Hollywood to join the royal family, Meghan Markle and her husband Prince Harry, the son of British Prince Charles and Lady Diana, announced their resignation from the throne earlier this year. The two had surprised everyone by announcing their sudden resignation from royal responsibilities on January 9, early 2020. Later, the Queen of Great Britain also ratified their decision, after which on January 19, the royal palace Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have announced the end of their monarchy.
A statement from the British royal family stated that “Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will no longer be in charge of the royal palace, nor will they be part of the royal palace.” Born into the royal family, Harry will be called a prince, but he will have no royal status, meaning he will no longer be recognized as an official member of the royal family in any country, and so will his social and business affairs will not be able to use royal honors during engagements. As a result, on March 10, the British royal couple Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle formally parted ways. A day earlier, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, as members of the royal family, attended a ceremony at the royal palace on March 9, their last royal ceremony. The couple later moved to Canada, but later settled in the United States, where they want to become independent, working independently in the fields of entertainment, fashion, sports and health, as well as creating separate identities.
Negative trend in US crude oil prices:
In 2020, while many unique and liberating global events made their place in history, for the first time in the history of the world, the so-called black gold American crude oil prices saw a negative trend. On April 21, the US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) closed at 37.63 a barrel for May delivery, meaning that crude oil sellers were forced to pay buyers 37.63 a barrel, along with oil in addition to the United States, the fall in oil prices in the world market and the dispute between Saudi Arabia and Russia over production have played a major role in reducing oil prices. In early April, Riyadh and Moscow agreed to reduce oil production to 10 million barrels per day, ending the dispute. However, further decline in oil prices continued due to lockdowns in many parts of the world caused by the Corona virus, during which not only air but also land and sea transport was severely restricted and as a result Oil consumption also fell sharply.
Fires in many parts of the world:
Forest fires in Australia, a region of the world, have continued to wreak havoc on wildlife since 2019, but in 2020 there were more fires that garnered international attention. According to a report, the fire spread to more than 115,000 square kilometers of forest and drought-affected land across Australia, covering 44,000 square miles, killing 30 people and destroying thousands of homes.
Research by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) found that this extraordinary fire killed 3 billion animals or left the affected area and is one of the worst wildlife extinctions in modern history. A bomb blast near the Lebanese capital, Beirut, on August 25 shook buildings for miles, killing more than 190 people and injuring 6,000. Initially, it was thought that the blast may have been a terrorist act, but a few days’ investigation revealed that the blast was caused by 2,700 tonnes of neoammonium nitrate that had been lying in the warehouse for six years. The blast was so loud that its sound could be heard as far as the border town of neighboring Israel, while 250 people were displaced by the damage. Citizens protested against the government after the blast, prompting then-Prime Minister Hassan Deb to resign on August 11, along with the cabinet. Despite resigning, he continued to serve as caretaker prime minister and set up a judicial commission headed by a senior judge to investigate the blast, which accused Prime Minister Hussein Deb and three other ministers of negligence that they are responsible for the explosion.
According to the report, the judicial commission found evidence that Prime Minister Hassan Deb had been informed of the presence of hazardous materials in the warehouse and was also told that a major accident could occur at any time. In August, fires broke out not only in Beirut but in a total of 7 countries in just 4 days. Countries where the incidents took place included China, Lebanon, France, North Korea, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.
Christchurch tragedy trial and terrorist convicted:
Terrorist Brenton Tarant, who shot dead 51 worshipers at a mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 2019, has been sentenced to life in prison without parole. For the first time in New Zealand history, a convict was sentenced in such a way that the offender was not given the right to pardon under any circumstances. It is believed that on March 15 last year in Christchurch, New Zealand, a white terrorist indiscriminately opened fire on two mosques, killing and injuring several people, as well as the whole operation via Facebook Live. There was also a live broadcast. Breton Trent was convicted of 51 counts of murder, 40 counts of attempted murder and one count of terrorism. The sentencing proceedings began on August 24 and lasted for four days, during which the bereaved family members recorded their emotional statements. Addressing the convict and sentencing him, the judge said that your crimes are so heinous that even if you are kept in custody till death, the requirements of punishment and condemnation cannot be met. During the proceedings, the prosecution told the court that Brenton Trent wanted to intimidate people he considered a threat and had carefully planned to carry out as many massacres as possible. Brenton Trent, who represented himself at the hearing but made no recommendations, was asked by a judge before sentencing Brenton Trent if he had anything to say. He shook his head when he was told that he He has every right to speak, but he did not say anything.
New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, meanwhile, expressed satisfaction with the decision, saying it would never receive sunlight. “The shock of March 15 may not go away so easily, but I hope today is the last day we will hear the name of this terrorist,” he said. He said he deserved complete silence for the rest of his life.
Several Muslim countries formally recognized Israel:
Proponents of Palestine, especially Muslims, were shocked in August this year when the influential United Arab Emirates (UAE) signed a peace deal with Israel to normalize relations. The so-called “Abraham Agreement”, which has now exposed the long-standing secret relationship between Israel and other Gulf states, was based on concerns over Iran, a common rival in the region in recent years. The agreement was announced by US President Donald Trump, who also predicted that other countries in the region would follow in the footsteps of the UAE, and his claim was later substantiated.
In this regard, the UAE had said that the peace agreement with Israel is a bold step that will lead to a solution to the long-running conflict between Israel and Palestine. Later, on August 29, the UAE repealed the Israeli boycott clause in its law, and not only did relations between the two countries return to normal, but various steps were taken to increase people-to-people contacts. Bahrain was the fourth Muslim country, after the UAE, to announce the resumption of diplomatic relations with Israel, after Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in 1994. Announcing this, the US President said in his message in Hebrew that “I want to tell the citizens of Israel that this evening we have succeeded in concluding a peace agreement with another Arab state and this agreement is the United Arab Emirates.” The peace deal with the UAE will lead to historic peace in the light of the agreement.
The United Arab Emirates and Bahrain formally signed a landmark agreement on September 15 to restore ties with Israel in the presence of President Donald Trump in the United States. This did not stop there, but then another Muslim country, Sudan, announced the normalization of its relations with Israel. Sudan’s decision was also symbolic because in 1967, in its capital, Khartoum, the Arab League decided not to recognize Israel. Furthermore, under US mediation, Morocco and Israel agreed to establish relations. Under the agreement, Morocco will establish full diplomatic relations and contacts with Israel at the official level, and with the permission of flights in airspace, Israel and all This would include allowing flights for Israelis. Later, Bhutan, a South Asian country, was added to the list of countries having relations with Israel. The signing ceremony was held at the residence of Israeli Ambassador to India Ron Malika.
US presidential election:
While the year 2020 has not been a happy one for many, it has also been a shock to US President Donald Trump, who has lost his grip on power after the first term. Voting for the US presidential election also takes place by mail and begins several days before the scheduled polling day, due to the large number of US citizens due to the global epidemic exercised his right to vote by post. According to reports, 102 million Americans cast their ballots before polling day, yet millions of people lined up on Election Day to elect their ruler. Counting was delayed by a large number of postal ballots, and for three days after the election, there was still uncertainty over the outcome, with Donald Trump ridiculing the election and making ridiculous claims of victory. It was also done. On the evening of November 7, however, the 78-year-old Democratic candidate, Joe Biden, won with more than 270 electoral votes.
On the other hand, US President Donald Trump, as expected, refused to concede defeat in the presidential election, accusing the Democrats of rigging the election and not only made this claim, but also went to court in this regard. Later, a lawsuit filed in the Supreme Court by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton called for the annulment of 10 million votes in four states, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan and Wisconsin, all of which were defeated by President Trump. Of the 50 U.S. states, 17 and 120 Republican lawmakers also supported the move. However, the US Supreme Court rejected President Donald Trump’s last attempt to stay in the White House, dismissing a lawsuit invalidating the November 3 election results. Finally, on December 14, the US Electoral College declared Joe Biden the winner of the 2020 election, ending 40 days of tensions over Donald Trump’s refusal to concede defeat. After being elected US President, Biden will be sworn in as the 46th President of the country on January 20, after which the process of power will be completed.
Global pandemic corona virus:
Now, as we take a quick look at the global situation throughout the year, the most prominent and widespread article is the corona virus, without which it is impossible to record this year. The virus appeared in China at the end of 2019 and spread around the world. By March, Italy was the country most affected by the virus, but since then the epidemic has spread to other developed countries. The United States is so entangled that it has not been able to recover. The origin of the virus has been speculated to be that it spread from animals to humans, with bats and then penguins being blamed for the spread, but so far no concrete evidence has been found. It has not been confirmed whether it was transmitted from animals to humans or if there is another secret behind it.
There was a war of words between China and the United States, with the United States explicitly accusing the virus of being developed in a laboratory in Wuhan, Chen, as well as testing sensitive biotechnology laboratories in China. Demand also kept coming up. While the United States has called the Corona virus a Chinese epidemic, China has accused the United States of bringing Corona to its hometown of Wuhan, but such allegations have not been substantiated restricted to embellish statements and media news.
Initially, most countries tried to minimize public contact to prevent the spread of the epidemic, and for this purpose a lockdown was imposed, which included all kinds of business, social, recreational, religious centers in addition to much-needed facilities. However, given the slowdown in the spread of the virus and the economic downturn, developing countries as well as developed countries were forced to end the lockdown and revive the wheel of the economy. As a result, with the onset of winter, the virus re-emerged in the form of a second wave, and now partial and sometimes complete lockdowns have been imposed in most countries.
Encouragingly, the corona vaccine has been formally approved around the world and is still being used in many countries, but by the last decade of the year, more than 77 million people have been vaccinated worldwide. Of these, more than 43.4 million were able to recover, while about 1.7 million had passed away. The latest development is that a new strain of the corona virus has emerged in the UK. The strain was discovered in the UK in mid-December and the World Health Organization was notified on December 19 that the corona virus the new variety is spreading faster than others. On the other hand, several countries around the world have banned travel to the UK in order to prevent the spread of a new strain of corona virus in the southern part of England. In addition, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson immediately put an end to the Christmas plans of millions of people and imposed strict sanctions.
