• The 1267 Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee of the United Nations Security Council on May 1, 2019 designated Pakistan's Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Masood Azhar as a Global Terrorist.
• What would be the impact
• With the addition of Azhar to the Al‑Qaida Sanctions List, he will be subject to the assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo. The Sanctions List currently contains the names of 262 individuals and 83 entities.

• The move came after China lifted its hold on a proposal to blacklist Azhar. China in March 2019 had for the fourth time blocked a bid in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to designate Azhar as a global terrorist.

• Azhar was listed for being associated with Al-Qaeda for participating in financing, planning, facilitating, preparing acts in conjunction with, under the name of, on behalf of, or in support of JeM; for supplying, or transferring arms and related materials; for recruiting for terrorist organisation; and for other acts or activities indicating association with JeM.
• However, the reasons for listing did not mention the Pulwama terror attack of February 14, 2019 in India for which the JeM had claimed responsibility.

• The decision of the United Nations came on the proposal that was moved by P3 countries (France, United Kingdom and United States) on February 27, 2019 to the 1267 Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee in wake of Pulwama terror attack by Pakistan-based terror group JeM that killed over 40 CRPF personnel in India.
• This proposal was the fourth such bid at the UNSC in the last 10 years to list Azhar.
• The members of the Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee were given a time limit of 10 working days to raise any objections to the proposal.
• If there is no objection to the proposal by the end of the no-objection period, the decision is deemed to be adopted.
• The no-objection period deadline was scheduled to end on March 14, 2019 (Indian Time). However, just before the deadline, China blocked the proposal with a ‘technical hold' and asked for "more time to examine" the proposal.
• The technical hold is valid for up to six months and it can be extended by three months thereafter.

Know! about Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee

• The Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee is one of three UNSC committees dealing with counter-terrorism. The other two are - Counter-Terrorism Committee, and the Security Council Committee.
• The 1267 Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee aims to impose strictures against individuals and entities associated with Al-Qaida and the Islamic State.
• The committee makes its decisions by consensus of its members.

• The listing of Azhar as a terrorist would be a significant diplomatic victory for India and would have resulted in restrictions on his travel and freezing of his assets.
• All member states freeze the funds and other financial assets and resources of designated individuals and entities without delay.
• The travel ban prevents the designated individuals from entering into or passing by all states through their territories.
• All states are required to prevent the direct or indirect supply, sale and transfer of the arms and weapons from their territories to the designated individuals and entities.
  

• The 14th edition of the annual Sino-Indian border trade opened at Nathu La in Sikkim
• Officials and traders of both the countries were present at the border to mark the commencement of the border trade

• The 14th edition of the annual Sino-Indian border trade opened at Nathu La, the frontier post at SinoIndian border in Sikkim.
• Every year bilateral border trade between two countries is organised four days a week for period of six months, between May 1 and November 30.
• After a gap of 44 years, cross border trade was resumed on 6th, July 2006. Its reopening not only enhanced benefits of trade, but has also increased tourism in Sikkim and provided a means of livelihood for people of this region.

International affairs
Russian President Vladimir Putin signs controversial internet bill into law
Relevance IN - ( Prelims - about the sovereign internet bill)

What's the NEWS

• President Vladimir Putin on May 1, 2019 signed a new measure into law that will allow Russian authorities to isolate the country's internet from the rest of the world and create a new national network.

• The ‘sovereign internet' bill aims to expand government control over the Internet. Russian lawmakers insist the new law is necessary to ensure the security of Russia's online networks, while critics argue that the vaguely worded bill gives new censorship powers to government monitors.
• The new law aims to protect Russia from foreign online restrictions by creating a "sustainable, secure and fully functioning" local internet.
• The key measures of the bill include creating technology to monitor internet routing and steering Russian internet traffic away from foreign servers allegedly to prevent a foreign country from shutting it down.
• As per the authors of the initiative, Russia must ensure the security of its networks after US President Donald Trump unveiled a new American cybersecurity strategy in 2018 that said that Russia had carried out cyber attacks with impunity.

Defence
17th edition of Varuna
France, India begin 'Varuna' naval exercise off Goa coast
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Varuna)

What's the NEWS

• The first part of the joint naval exercise, 'Varuna', is being held from May 1-10 off the Goa coast

• The joint naval exercise was first initiated in 1983 and was named as ‘Varuna' in 2001.
• The objective behind conducting joint operations is to develop interoperability between two navies and to foster mutual cooperation by learning from each other's best practices.
• It plays a vital part in Indo-French strategic partnership. It underlines shared interests and commitment of both nations in promoting maritime security.
• It is in line with ‘Joint Strategic Vision of India-French Cooperation' in Indian Ocean Region (IOR) signed by President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his state visit to India in 2018.
• The year 2019 is 17th edition of exercise. It will be conducted in two phases, with first part of Varuna 19.1, conducted off the Goa coast from 1st to 10th May 19 and second part, Varuna 19.2, is scheduled to be held at end of May 2019 in Djibouti.

Consider the following open trading border posts between India and China and find the correct one
1. Nathu La in Sikkim
2. Shipkila in Himachal Pradesh
3. Lipulekh (or Lipulech) in Uttarakhand

Find which of the following posts are correctly located
a. 1 and 2
b. 2 and 3
c. 1 2 and 3
d. None

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