February 2019

Day by Day Current Affairs (February 02, 2019) | MCQs for CSS, PMS

Current Affairs MCQs 2019 Daily Updates
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

February 02, 2019: National Current Affairs

1. UK rejects Indian request over Kashmir Day events

• The British government has refused the Indian request for stopping planned Kashmir Day events in London, saying citizens` right to protest cannot be curtailed.
• `A number of private events organised by various campaign groups take place each year in the UK. People in the UK have a right to protest and to demonstrate their views, provided they act within the law, brief statement shared by the British High Commission.
• The British government underscored that it was for Pakistan and India to find a solution to the Kashmir dispute and that the UK saw no role for itself in this regard. `The UK`s long-standing position is that it is for the governments of India and Pakistan to find a lasting political resolution to the situation in Kashmir, taking into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people. It is not for the UK to prescribe a solution or to act as mediator,` the statement said.
• This stance was taken by the British government after India strongly protested with it over the planned Kashmir Conference in the House of Commons on Feb 4 and an exhibition in London on Feb 5 to highlight the Jammu and Kashmir dispute and grave human rights violations against the Kashmiri people by India.
• The conference will be hosted by an All Party Parliamentary Group one of many informal cross-party groups. Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi will travel to London to attend the event.

2. Minister`s remarks on Daesh movement from Pakistan `slip of tongue`: Russia

• The Russian foreign ministry on February 1, 2019 dismissed Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Igor Zuboy`s recent remarks about the alleged movement of Daesh militants from Pakistan to Tajikistan by helicopter as a `slip of the tongue`.
• Mr Zubov had on Jan 28 said that fighters with ties to the militant Islamic State (IS) group were being transferred via unidentified helicopters from the Pakistani border to the Tajikistani border `in the direction of the southern borders of Russia`.
• According to Russian news agency Sputnik, the minister had also claimed that Moscow might be preparing for provocations that affect Russia.
• `Daesh fighters in massive quantities were transported from Pakistani territory to the border with Tajikistan.
• In that area, perhaps, the militants might stage massive provocations that would result in huge amounts of refugees fleeing the territory. This would have an impact on Russia,` Mr Zubov was quoted as saying.

3. 3pc NFC share for former Fata recommended

• The Senate on February 1, 2019 adopted recommendations of its Standing Committee on Finance, Revenue and Economic Affairs that the three per cent share of National Finance Commission (NFC) Award should be given to erstwhile Fata and an interim relief allowance of 10pc of basic salary might be granted to all government employees.
• The amendments to Finance Supplementary (Second Amendment Bill) 2019 was presented in the House by Niaz H. Naek, chairman of the committee.
• It was recommended that tax on coal being extracted from Balochistan should be reduced in view of the difficulties and overhead expenditure of coal extraction from mines in the province.
• It was also proposed that Rs5 billion should be released by June 30 to Balochistan for construction of the check and small dams in the province.
• The house said that the customs duty on Crude Degummed Soy Oil (CDSO) be increased to Rs15,000 per ton in order to bring it in line with its replacement products and support local production of those products.

4. Malaysian company ready to invest $250m in Pakistan

• A Malaysia-based company has pledged to make $250 million investment in the telecommunication sector in Pakistan during next five years.
• Malaysia`s Edotco Group chairman of the board of directors, Datuk Azzat Kamaluddin, made this commitment during a meeting with Prime Minister Imran Khan along with a delegation at Prime Minister Office (PMO) on February 1, 2019.
• Mr Kamaluddin told the prime minister that the Edotco Group, with the existing investment of $100m in Pakistan, planned to further increase its investment in tower infrastructure in the telecommunication sector. `The group plans to add an investment of $250m in next five years,` he said.
• The delegation included Nik Ramlah Nik Mehmood, the board member, Suresh Narain Singh Sidhu, CEO, and Arif Hussain, country MD. High Commissioner of Malaysia Ikram Mohammad Ibrahim also attended the meeting.
• The Edotco Group chief appreciated the vision of Prime Minister Khan and the policies being pursued by his government which have restored confidence of the investors. He said that the Edotco Group wanted to become a partner in the Digital Pakistan Programme.

5. Justice Zahid new consultant of Presidency

• Justice Sayed Zahid Hussain, former Judge Supreme Court has assumed the charge as Consultant (Legal Affairs) in the President’s Secretariat (Public), Islamabad, on February 1, 2019.
• Justice Sayed Zahid Hussain obtained Law Graduation Degree from Punjab University Law College, Lahore and joined profession of law in the year 1972.
• He was elevated as judge, Lahore High Court, in May 1998. He was appointed Chief Justice Lahore High Court in 2008 and then elevated as judge Supreme Court of Pakistan in 2009. He has been Chairman, Punjab Judicial Academy, Member Board, Federal Judicial Academy, Member Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan, Acting Governor Punjab

February 2, 2019: International Current Affairs

6. US pulls out from Cold War-era nuclear treaty

• The Trump administration said on February 1, 2019 it is freeing itself from the constraints of a nuclear arms control treaty with Russia and will begin withdrawing from the pact.
• President Donald Trump blamed the Russians for the demise of the Cold War-era pact, known as the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces treaty.
• `For too long,` Trump said in a written statement issued by the White House, Russia has violated the treaty `with impunity, covertly developing and fielding a prohibited missile system that poses a direct threat to our allies and troops abroad.
• The INF treaty, signed in 1987, has been a centrepiece of superpower arms control since the Cold War.
• Some analysts worry its demise could fuel a new arms race.

7. January was Australia`s hottest month on record

• Australia sweltered through its hottest month on record in January and the summer of extremes continued with wildfires razing the drought-parched south and flooding in expanses of the tropical north.
• Australia`s Bureau of Meteorology confirmed the January record on Friday as parts of the northern hemisphere had record cold.
• Australia`s scorching start to 2019 in which the mean temperature across the country for the first time exceeded 30 degrees Celsius followed Australia`s third-hottest year on record. Only 2005 and 2013 were warmer than 2018, which ended with the hottest December on record.

8. US sets deadline for foreigners dealing in Venezuela oil

• Non-U.S. entities buying oil or petroleum products from Venezuela’s state-owned PDVSA in deals that involve the U.S. financial system, brokers or people must be wound down by April 28, the U.S. Treasury Department said in a notice posted early on February 1, 2019.
• The notice clarifies some of the confusion that has surrounded U.S. sanctions imposed on Venezuela earlier in the week. Besides the United States, Venezuela sells its oil to buyers around the world, including India and Europe, and the country has been seeking buyers elsewhere to replace the roughly 500,000 barrels a day it sells to the United States.
• U.S. officials imposed sanctions on state-owned Petroleos de Venezuela, or PDVSA, this week, a move Maduro has called illegal. The global oil industry has since sought to sort out the large-scale sanctions, which froze the assets of PDVSA and also require U.S. firms to pay for oil into accounts controlled by the country’s opposition party head and self-proclaimed interim president, Juan Guaido. Even before Friday’s notice, European buyers had pulled back on taking shipments from Venezuela due to concerns about how to make payments.

February 2, 2019: Sports Current Affairs

9. S. Africa beat Pakistan in first T20

• South Africa won the first Twenty20 against Pakistan by six runs on February 1, 2019 as captain Faf du Plessis led with the bat and David Miller produced a master class in the field.
• South Africa posted 192-6, with du Plessis cracking 78 off 45 balls and opener Reeza Hendricks 74 off 41.
• Pakistan managed 186-9 in their 20 overs.
• Pakistan have won 11 straight T20 series dating to 2016, but South Africa have a good chance of ending that impressive streak in this three-match contest.

10. WI women clinch T20 series against Pakistan

• West Indies` women took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match T20 International series against their Pakistan counterparts on Friday when the tourists won the game in Super Over at the Southend Club Karachi.
• This was the third tied match between the two sides in eight encounters with the West Indies keeping their unblemished record intact.
• Batting first in the Super Over, West Indies scored 18 runs that included Deandra Dottin`s two sixes and a four. In response, Pakistan lost both their wickets in the first three balls with one run on the board.
• Earlier, West Indies, chasing 133 for victory, scored two off the last ball to force a tie. This came after the visitors had reached 117 for four in 18 overs and needed 16 off the last 12 deliveries.

Day by Day Current Affairs (February 02, 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.
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