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January 09, 2020: National / International Current Affairs
1. Pakistan offers peacemaking role in ME conflict
• Prime Minister Imran Khan on January 8, 2020 asked Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Gen Qamar Bajwa to send out a categorical message to all actors in the evolving Persian Gulf crisis that Pakistan would not become part of the conflict, but was ready to be a peacemaker.
• The prime minister asked Mr Qureshi to visit Tehran, Riyadh and Washington with a message of neutrality in the US-Iran military confrontation and offer of mediation, while Gen Bajwa, who has been in touch with the American leaders since the start of the crisis, was tasked with telling the same to his international interlocutors.
2. World Bank revises growth projections downward
• The World Bank on January 8, 2020 slightly lowered country`s growth rate projections for the current fiscal year and next two years owing to continuation of tight monetary policy and fiscal consolidation coupled with external f actors.
• In its latest report `2020 Global Economic Prospects` released on Wednesday, the bank forecast Pakistan`s current year growth rate at 2.4 per cent about 0.3pc lower than its estimates of June 2019 before touching 3pc next fiscal year and 3.9pc in FY2022.
• `Pakistan`s growth is expected to rise to 3pc in the next fiscal year after bottoming out at 2.4pc in FY2019-20, which ends June 30`, said the bank adding that macroeconomic adjustment in the country including a continuation of tight monetary policy and fiscal consolidation is expected to continue.
3. Two new KP ministers take oath
• Two recently-inducted ministers were sworn-in at a ceremony held at the Governor House here on January 9, 2020.
• Chief Minister Mahmood Khan had inducted Iqbal Wazir and Malik Shah Mohammad into his cabinet on Saturday.
• Mr Wazir, who hails from Nohh Waziristan tribal district, has been given the ponfolio of relief and rehabilitation, while Mr Shah would oversee the transpon department, which he had also held in the previous cabinet of Pervaiz Khattak.
4. New division being set up in Balochistan
• The Balochistan government has decided to create a new division and more districts on the basis of population and area in Quetta, Pishin and Qila Abdullah districts and constituted a committee to draw up a report within 15 days for the purpose.
• It was decided at a meeting presided over by Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan Alyani on January 9, 2020
5. Fouzia Saeed appointed PNCA chief
• Recognised for her services for promotion of culture for three decades, Lok Virsa executive director Dr Fouzia Saeed has been appointed director general of the Pakistan National Council of Arts (PNCA).
• The post was advertised in September 2019, shortly before Jamal Shah concluded his three-year term as director general on 24th of the same month. It took the selection process about two-and-a-half months before a candidate was finalised.
• Dr Saeed has been in the field of culture for the past three decades. She has a PhD in Education with a minor in Cultural Anthropology from the University of Minnesota, US
6. Iran hurls missiles at US bases; Trump sees Tehran relenting
• US President Donald Trump said on January 8, 2020 Iranian missile strikes on bases in Iraq had not harmed any US troops stationed there and damage was minimal, an outcome he claimed showed Tehran wanted to prevent an escalation in the confrontation between the two arch-foes.
• Iranian forces fired missiles at military bases housing US troops in Iraq early on Wednesday, saying it was in retaliation for the killing in a US drone strike of powerful Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani on Jan 3.`All of our soldiers are safe and only minimal damage was sustained at our military bases, Trump said. `Iran appears to be standing down, which is a good thing for all parties concerned and a very good thing for the world.
7. Turkey and Russia unite to urge Libya ceasefire
• Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin called on Wednesday for a ceasefire in Libya after talks in Istanbul, where they also inaugurated a `historic` gas pipeline.
• The leaders used a joint statement to call for a truce from midnight on Sunday `supported by the necessary measures to be taken for stabilising the situation on the ground` in Libya, where they are seen as supporting opposing sides.
• Last week, Turkey sent its first troops to help defend the UN-backed Tripoli government and Erdogan says there are 2,500 Russian mercenaries supporting renegade strongman Khalifa Haftar a claim denied by Moscow.
8. Ukraine passenger jet crashes in Iran, killing all 176 on board
• A Ukrainian passenger plane crashed shortly after takeoff from Tehran on January 8, 2020 killing all 176 people on board, mainly Iranians and Canadians.
• Search-and-rescue teams were combing through the smoking wreckage of the Boeing 737 flight from Tehran to Kiev but officials said there was no hope of finding anyone alive.
• The vast majority of the passengers on the Ukraine International Airlines flight were non-Ukrainians, including 82 Iranians and 63 Canadians, officials said
9. Haris becomes first Pakistani to bag BBL hat-trick
• Haris Rauf on January 9, 2020 became the first Pakistani to take a hattrick in Australia`s Big Bash League (BBL).
• Playing for Melbourne Stars, Haris bagged the three-wicket haul against Sydney Thunder, taking the wickets of Matthew Gilkes, Callum Ferguson and Daniel Sams. The Pakistani paceman has regularly been bowling deliveries above 145kph and caused a lot of problems for the Thunder batsmen.
• With 13 wickets to his name at an average of just 7.23 in the league, Haris stands second on the list of highest wicket takers in the BBL so far
10. `Shanghai to stage 2021 Club World Cup final`
• Shanghai will host the opening ceremony and final of the expanded 2021 Club World Cup in China.
• Eight Chinese cities will stage matches for the FIFA-organised tournament, which will for the first time involve 24 teams rather than the current seven.
• Chinese sports authorities officially launched preparations on Tuesday for the Club World Cup and 2023 AFC Asian Cup, Xinhua news agency said.
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January 2020:
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