April 2019

Day by Day Current Affairs (April 30, 2019) | MCQs for CSS, PMS

Day by Day Current Affairs
Written by Shahzad F. Malik
WELCOME TO CSS TIMES DAY BY  DAY CURRENT AFFAIRS, YOUR BEST SOURCE FOR UP-TO-DATE AND DAILY TOP CURRENT AFFAIRS 2018 FOR PREPARATION OF CSS, PMS, BANKING, NTS, RAILWAYS AND ALL COMPETITIVE EXAMS.  “DAY TO DAY CURRENT AFFAIRS” BASICALLY IS TOP 10 NEWS SUMMARY ON CURRENT HAPPENINGS OF NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL IMPORTANCE FOR ALL EXAMINATIONS

April 30, 2019: National Current Affairs

1. US, Pakistan discuss trade ties, Afghan peace

• Top Pakistani and US officials in two meetings on April 29, 2019 held talks to promote economic and business relations between the two countries and also agreed to continue their cooperation for Afghan peace and reconciliation.
• At one of the meetings, Adviser to Prime Minister on Finance Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh informed the delegation led by US principal deputy assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asian Affairs Ambassador Alice Wells that Pakistan valued its ties with the United States and both countries needed to create an environment to move forward for mutual benefits.
• An official statement issued after the meeting said that matters pertaining to promotion of economic and business relations between the two countries were discussed. The participants under-lined the need to deepen the engagements between the two countries in the areas of trade, economy and energy.


2. Technical level talks with IMF begin

• Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund kicked off on April 29, 2019 technical level talks to sort out details of the proposed bailout package over the next10 days.
• The visiting IMF mission will stay in Islamabad to conclude the technical details by May 6, while the policy level understanding will be reached over the next three days, a source at the finance division told Dawn. The proposed bailout package is expected to be $6-8 billion.
• The source said that after the successful technical level talks Pakistan would sign an agreement with the IMF latest by May 10. The agreement would then be sent to the IMF board, the source said.
• The understanding on a broader framework had already been reached between former finance minister Asad Umar and top IMF officials in Washington.
• Now, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance Dr Hafeez Shaikh will lead the technical level talks with the visiting IMF mission.


3. Senate passes bill to fix marriage age for girls at 18

• The upper house of the Parliament April 29, 2019 passed a bill to amend the child marriage restraint act 1929 to fix the age of puberty as 18 years for the girls.
• Senator Sherry Rehman presented the bill to be passed unanimously but it triggered a heated debate on the issue.
• Senator Ghafoor Haidri raised an objection saying, fixing the age of 18 years for Nikah is inconsonant with the Shariah law therefore the bill may be sent to Islamic Ideology Council (IIC) for further discussion.
• Senator Mushataq Ahmad rejected the bill saying it is against article 2-A of the Constitution as defining 18 years for puberty is against Shariah. He suggested reducing the age of puberty from 18 to 15 in consultation with the IIC.
• Winding up the debate on the bill the senate chairman sought voting and passed the bill with opposition of 5 votes.


4. Lahore`s tallest building`s construction plan approved

• The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) approved the map of first-ever 45-storey high-rise on April 29, 2019 to be built in Johar Town`s Finance and Trade Centre (FTC) after departments concerned issued no-objection certificates (NOCs).
• The high-rise, which will have a five-star hotel, commercial areas, and the head office of a leading private company, will be 500-foot tall, the second tallest high-tech structure of the country after a 62-storey (938-foot) building in Karachi.
• `We`ve not only accorded approval but also handed over the map of the building to project owners on April 29, 2019.
• They will soon start the construction work,` LDA Chief Town Planner Nadeem Akhtar Zaidi told.
• The approval was granted after the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), Environment Department, Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) and Traffic Engineering and Transport Planning Agency issued NOCs.


5. Pakistan among top 20 military spending countries in 2018: report

• Pakistan was 2018`s 20th biggest military spender in the world with an expenditure of $11.4 billion, a report published by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri) said on April 29, 2019.
• According to the report by the Sweden-based institute dedicated to research on conflict, armaments, arms control and disarmament, the military spending of 2018 made up for four per cent of Pakistan`s gross domestic product (GDP), which is the highest level since 2004.
• The SIPRI report ranked Pakistan among the top 10 countries with the highest `military burden` described as a `state`s military expenditure as a share of GDP`.
• Since 2009, Pakistan`s military spending has increased every year, the report stated, adding that between 2009and2018 the spending increased by 73 per cent. In 2017-18, the increase in military expenditure was 11pc, it said.
• It said that India`s military spending rose in 2018 for the fifth consecutive year, and was 3.1pc higher than in 2017. At $66.5 billion, India`s spending was 29pc higher than in 2009.
• According to the report, the five biggest spenders in 2018 were the United States, China, Saudi Arabia, India and France, which together accounted for 60pc of global military spending. Russia was the sixth-largest spender in 2018.


April 30, 2019: International Current Affairs

6. Trump, Erdogan discuss working group on Russian S-400 missile system

• US President Donald Trump and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan in a phone call on April 29, 2019 discussed a Turkish proposal to strike a joint working group on its planned purchase of a Russian S-400 missile defense system, the Turkish Presidency said.
• “Our Honorable President brought up the proposal to establish a working group regarding the procurement of the S-400 defense system from the Russian Federation,” it said.
• Washington has said the missile system could compromise its F-35 fighter jets. Ankara has said a working group could assess the impact of the S-400 on the fighter jets, but on Friday said that it has not heard back from the Americans.
• The two leaders exchanged views on recent developments in Syria and agreed to cooperate closely in the fight against terrorism, the Turkish presidency said in a statement. Erdogan and Trump also reaffirmed their commitment to increase bilateral trade between both countries to $75 billion annually, and discussed steps to be taken toward reaching that goal.


7. Sri Lanka bans face veils after attacks by militants

• Authorities in Sri Lanka on April 29, 2019 banned women from wearing face veils under an emergency law put in place after deadly Easter attacks by Islamist militants.
• The measures would help security forces to identify people as a hunt for any remaining attackers and their support network continues across the Indian Ocean Island, authorities said.
• But there are concerns within the Muslim community that a prolonged ban could fuel tensions in the religiously diverse nation that emerged from a civil war with ethnic minority Tamil separatists a decade ago.
• Officials have warned that the militants behind the April 21 suicide bombings on hotels and churches that killed over 250 people were planning more attacks, using a van and bombers disguised in military uniforms.
• `It is a presidential order to ban any dress covering faces with immediate effect,` Dharmasri Bandara Ekanayake, a spokesman for President Maithripala Sirisena, said.


8. Trump made 10,000 `false or misleading` claims in office: WP

• After just over 800 days in office, President Donald Trump has made more than 10,000 `false or misleading claims,` according to a tally released on April 29, 2019 by the Washington Post.
• The count, kept by the newspaper`s `Fact Checker` database, was started in the Republican leader`s first 100 days in office in early 2017. At the time, Trump averaged just five false claims a day. In the past seven months, that total has risen to an average of nearly 23 every day, made at rallies, on Twitter, in speeches or in encounters with the media.
• During his `Make America Great Again` rallies, Trump has taken the most liberties with the truth, the Post said: 22 percent of his erroneous comments are made at rallies of his dedicated supporters.


9. Indonesia plans to move capital city out of crowded Java island

• Indonesia`s president has decided to move the capital of the world`s fourth most populous country away from the crowded main island of Java, but has yet to finalise a new location, the planning minister said on April 29, 2019.
• President Joko Widodo`s decision comes less than two weeks after private pollsters said he had won an April 17 presidential election, although official results are not due until May 22. His challenger, Prabowo Subianto, has also claimed victory.
• `The president chose to relocate the capital city to outside of Java, an important decision,` Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro told a news conference after a cabinet meeting.Brodjonegoro said the administration had yet to pick a new location, but was looking at the eastern side of the sprawling archipelago.
• At the opening of his cabinet meeting, Widodo stressed the need for new thinking about the future.


April 30, 2019: Sports Current Affairs

10. 26th Men and 9th Women National Judo begin today

• The 26th Men and 9th Women National Judo Championships will commence today (April 30, 2019) here at Pakistan Sports Complex and will continue till May 4.
• Mansoor said that the PJF is conducting the event in collaboration with Islamabad Judo Association (IJA) and Army Sports Directorate. “Top 14 teams including KP, Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, Islamabad, Fata, Gilgit/Baltistan, AJK, Army, Wapda, Railways, Police, Navy and HEC will participate in the championships.”

Day by Day Current Affairs (April 30, 2019) | MCQs for CSS, PMS

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Shahzad F. Malik

Shahzad Faisal Malik is the administrator of CSSTimes.pk and is responsible for managing the content, design, and overall direction of the blog. He has a strong background in Competitive Exams and is passionate and sharing information with others.
Shahzad Faisal Malik has worked as a Graphic Designer/Content Creator at CSSTimes in the past. In his free time, Shahzad Faisal Malik enjoys watching Cricket, writing blogs for different websites and is always on the lookout for new and interesting content to share with the readers of this website.
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