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February 12, 2021: National / International Current Affairs
1. Senate poll to be held on March 3: ECP
• With the controversy over the issue of government-proposed open vote mechanism in the Senate elections still unresolved and amid allegations against MPAs of trading their votes, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on February 11, 2021 announced the schedule for holding the election on 48 seats of the upper house of parliament, setting March 3 as polling day.
• According to the schedule announced by the ECP through a notification, returning officers would start receiving nomination papers from aspiring candidates on Friday (today) and the candidates could submit the papers by Saturday.
2. Pak test-fires Babur Cruise Missile
• Pakistan February 11, 2021 conducted a successful Training Launch of Babur Cruise Missile IA with a range of 450 kilometers.
• Babar Cruise Missile is capable of engaging targets at land and sea with high precision. The missile was launched from a state-of-the-art Multi Tube Missile Launch Vehicle.
• It was the third missile launched by the Armed Forces in less than a month, after Shaheen-3 and Ghaznavi ballistic missiles in late January and early February respectively. The Training Launch was witnessed by Chairman NESCOM, Dr Raza Samar, Commander Army Strategic Forces Command, Lieutenant-General Muhammad Ali, and senior officers of Strategic Plans Division, Army Strategic Forces Command, Scientists and Engineers of the strategic organisations
3. Tax policy unit set up after delay of two years
• After a delay of over two years, Finance Minister Dr Hafeez Shaikh on February 11, 2021 approved the establishment of the Tax Policy Unit in the Ministry of Finance to take away policy formation powers from the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).
• The decision was taken in the fifth meeting of the FBR Policy Board chaired by Mr Hafeez. It was also attended by Minister for Privatisation Mohammadmian Soomro, Commerce Adviser Abdul Razak Dawood, Adviser on Institutional Reforms Dr Ishrat Husain and Special Assistant on Revenue Dr Waqar Masood
4. No change in policy on Kashmir: US
• The United States clarified on February 11, 2021 that there has been no change in its policy towards occupied Kashmir, after a State Department tweet referred to the disputed territory as “India’s Jammu and Kashmir”.
• This was said by Edward Price, Spokesperson of the US State Department, during a briefing when a tweet by the State Department was brought to his notice. “Could you comment also on a tweet earlier today that State tweeted out saying that – it refers to India’s Jammu and Kashmir? Now, is this a change in policy? Does State does not recognize this as a disputed territory? Is there some sort of change in position that we need to know? There’s been certain criticism of the phrasing today,” asked a reporter.
5. Iran starts making uranium metal, sparks calls for restraint
• Russia and France on February 11, 2021 urged Iran to show restraint after it started producing uranium metal in a new breach of limits laid out in Tehran`s nuclear deal with world powers.
• The UN`s nuclear watchdog in Vienna reported that Iran has started producing uranium metal in defiance of a 2015 deal with world powers on which ex-US president Donald Trump sensationally reneged in 2018.
• The move came as Iran warned that time was running out for new US president Joe Biden`s administration to save the agreement from collapse
6. Beijing, Delhi agree to withdraw troops from disputed area
• India and China on February 11, 2021 began to pull back troops and battle tanks from a bitterly contested lake area high in the western Himalayas on Thursday in a breakthrough after months-long standoff on the disputed border.
• Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh told parliament the two sides had reached an agreement to withdraw from Pangong Tso, a glacial lake at 14,000feet, after several rounds of talks between military commanders and diplomats from the nuclear-armed neighbours
7. BBC World News barred from airing in China
• China has barred BBC World News channel from airing in China, the National Radio and Television Administration said on Friday, a week after Britain`s media regulator revoked Chinese state television`s broadcast licence.
• In a statement issued on the stroke of the Chinese lunar new year, the administration said an investigation found BBC World News China-related reports had `seriously violated` regulations, including that news should be `truthful and fair`, had harmed China`s national interests and undermined national unity
8. Italy’s 5 Star movement votes on whether to join Draghi govt
• Leaders of Italy’s populist Five Star Movement (M5S) urged party members February 11, 2021 to support a national unity government led by former European bank chief Mario Draghi, as they began voting on whether to join him. Securing the approval of the M5S, the biggest party in parliament, is the final hurdle faced by Draghi before he can take over as prime minister, potentially as early as Friday.
• But the party, which began life as an anti-establishment movement, is agonising over whether to back a quintessentially elite figure like the former European Central Bank (ECB) chief. An online poll of M5S members was postponed from Wednesday to Thursday after its leaders claimed to have secured key commitments from Draghi, including on environmental and welfare policy
9. Rizwan`s magical hundred sinks South Africa in T20 thriller
• A brilliant unbeaten century by in-form `keeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan and fine bowling by leg-spinner Usman Qadir guided Pakistan to a nail-biting three-run victory over South Africa in the first of the three T20 matches at the Gaddafi Stadium on February 12, 2021 night.
• Chasing 170, South Africa put up a valiant effort and fell just three runs short after requiring 19 runs from the last over bowled by Faheem Ashraf. The unbeaten pair of Dwaine Pretorious (15 not out) and Bjorn Fortuin (17) were on the crease when the match ended with the Proteas finishing at 166 for six in 20 overs
10. Meghan wins her privacy case against the Mail on Sunday
• Meghan Markle on February 11, 2021 won a high-profile claim for breach of privacy after a British newspaper published extracts of a 2018 letter she had written to her estranged father.
• A judge at the High Court in London said the Duchess of Sussex, who is married to Queen Elizabeth II’s grandson Prince Harry, “had a reasonable expectation that the contents of the letter would remain private”.
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