Day by Day Current Affairs (November 04 2019) | MCQs for CSS, PMS

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November 04, 2019: National Current Affairs

1. Pakistan rejects maps showing AJK, GB as parts of India

• Pakistan on November 3, 2019 rejected as incorrect and legally untenable the political maps of India issued by the country`s home ministry displaying the disputed Jammu and Kashmir region and seeking to depict parts of Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir within the territorial jurisdiction of India.
• According to a Foreign Office statement, the maps issued by the Indian home ministry on Nov 2 were incorrect, legally untenable, void and in complete violation of the relevant United Nations Security Council Resolutions.
• Pakistan rejects these political maps, which are incompatible with the United Nations maps, the Foreign Office spokesman said.

2. Pak-Afghan tension intensifies as embassy in Kabul shut

• Tension between Pakistan and Afghan intensified November 3, 2019 as Islamabad shut its embassy in Kabul.
• Pakistan’s embassy in Kabul announced it will remain shut indefinitely following the harassment of its diplomats by residents of Afghanistan’s capital.
• The Pakistani mission said that the “Consular Section of the Embassy of Pakistan, Kabul will be closed from tomorrow, Monday, 4th November, 2019 until further intimation” due to security concerns.
• Islamabad had also summoned Afghanistan’s charge d’ affaires to protest the harassment of Pakistani diplomats in Kabul.
• “The Afghan Charge d’ affaires was summoned today to convey serious concerns over the safety and security of the diplomatic personnel of the Embassy of Pakistan, Kabul, and its sub-missions,” said a statement issued by the Foreign Office, adding that the harassment had persisted for two days.
• Washington asks neighbours to resolve issues through talks

3. Thaap Conference concludes with papers on migration, transphobia and cities

• The 10th Thaap Conference, held in collaboration with the Institute for Art and Culture, in Gulberg, concluded on November 3, 2019 after providing a platform to scholars and researchers to present their papers on the theme of `Citizen and the City` for an in-depth dialogue between them and the audience.
• The conference was divided into eight sessions, said a press release.
• The last day commenced with the seventh session, chaired by Mushtaq Soofi of the School of Culture and Language, Institute for Art and Culture.
• Dr Kashif Khan presented the paper, on `Military Offensive and Forced Migration: Analysing the Plight of the North Waziristan IDPs`.

4. `Lahore`s air quality index better than Delhi`s`

• Admitting that smog has become a big issue, Adviser to Prime Minister on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam has said Pakistan has taken measures to stop crops stubble burning, a major cause of the phenomenon, and other countries should also come forward to address it.
• The advisor said that smog was considered as one of the grave environmental problems being faced by the people across the world. The air quality index (AQI) of Lahore was much better than that of New Delhi, he added
• Terming a news about the AQI of Lahore being higher at the international level baseless, he aid the government would increase monitoring capacity of the index in order to ascertain facts and figures regarding climate change.

5. China gets into blockchain race with US

• China has launched an ambitious effot to challenge the US dominance in blockchain technology, which it could use for everything from issuing digital money, to streamlining a raft of government services and tracking Communist Party loyalty.
• The technology received a crucial endorsement from President Xi Jinping last week, a signal that the government sees blockchain as an integral part of the country`s plan to become a high-tech superpower.
• Beijing is the latest in a handful of countries to have adopted a law strictly governing the encryption of data particularly blockchain technology, which allows the storage and direct exchange of data without going through an intermediary

6. Huawei pushes 5G across Southeast Asia

• Chinese phone giant Huawei said on November 4, 2019 it was ready to roll out 5G infrastructure across Southeast Asia, dismissing US warnings its tech could be used to hoover up data for Beijing.
• The firm has emerged as a key protagonist in the wider US-China trade war that has seen tit-for-tat tariffs imposed on hundreds of billions of dollars worth of goods.
• President Donald Trump’s administration has warned Huawei’s equipment could allow China to spy on other countries and has effectively blocked American companies from selling US technology to the firm.
• But the company has repeatedly denied the accusations, saying it is the victim of tech envy

7. Civilian deaths in Afghanistan triple this summer: US report

• Civilian deaths in Afghanistan more than tripled during this quarter compared with the same period last year, says an official US report.
• Most of these deaths happened in Taliban attacks but the US-backed Afghan official forces also had a significant share in these casualties, says the report compiled by the Office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGA R).
• The SIGAR report notes that the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) blames anti-government elements for this increase in overall civilian casualties from Jan 1 through Sept 30.
• Anti-government forces, including the Taliban, were responsible for 5,117 civilian casualties during this period, which is 62 per cent of the total. There was a notable increase in casualties attributed to the Taliban as opposed to other groups

8. Delhi`s air pollution reaches `unbearable levels`

• India`s capital New Delhi was enveloped in heavy, toxic smog on November 3, 2019 the worst levels in recent years with flights diverted or delayed as politicians blamed each other for failing to tackle the crisis.
• Every winter, the megacity of 20 million people is blanketed by a poisonous smog of car fumes, industrial emissions and smoke from stubble burning at farms in neighbouring states.
• Concentrations of particles measuring less than 2.5 microns hit the highest level of this season, exacerbated by light rains late on Saturday, India`s state-run System of Air Quality Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) said.
• The reading for pollutants in the atmosphere hit 810 micrograms per cubic metre on Sunday morning, beyond the `hazardous` zone according to the US embassy in Delhi, which independently monitors pollution levels.
• The recommended World Health Organisation safe daily maximum is 25.

9. World`s most profitable company decides to go public

• Saudi Arabia`s giant state oil company finally kick-started its initial public offering (IPO) on November 3, 2019, announcing its intention to float on the domestic bourse in what could be the world`s biggest listing as the kingdom seeks to diversify its economy away from oil.
• But in its long-awaited announcement, Aramco, the world`s most profitable company, offered few specifics on the number of shares to be sold, pricing or the date for alaunch.
• Bankers have told the Saudi government that investors will likely value the company at around $1.5 trillion, below the $2tr valuation touted by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman when he first floated the idea of an IPO nearly four years ago.
• Aramco also did not mention what measures it has taken to beef up security following unprecedented attacks on its oil plants in September

10. Netherlands take T20 qualifying title

• Netherlands cruised past Papua New Guinea by seven wickets in the final of the T20 World Cup qualifying tournament with Ben Cooper and Brandon Glover starring with bat and ball.
• Both the Dutch and Papua NewGuinea had already made sure of their places at next year`s T20 World Cup in Australia along with Oman, Scotland, Namibia and Ireland