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January 24 , 2019: National Current Affairs

1. Govt rolls out economic ‘reforms package’

• The PTI’s government January 23, 2019 presented third finance bill for current fiscal year in National Assembly, dubbing it as an economic reforms package which was needed to fix the economy.
• Presented by Finance Minister Asad Umar amid heavy sloganeering by opposition, the Finance Supplementary (Second Amendment) Bill, 2019 is primarily a package of tax measures that are meant for providing concessions to certain sectors of economy and increase ease of doing business.
• The mini budget carries encouraging tax measure for small and medium enterprises, agriculture, housing, print media industry and stock market.
• Under the new finance bill the 49 percent tax on small and medium enterprises has been reduced to 20pc, while interest on agri loans has also reduced from 49pc to 29pc.

2. Pak-Saudi joint military panel vows to boost defence cooperation

• The fifth meeting of the Joint Military Cooperation Committee (JMCC) of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia on January 23, 2019 expressed satisfaction over bilateral defence cooperation and pledged to intensify it.
• The meeting was co-chaired by Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Gen Zubair Mahmood Hayat and Saudi Chief of General Staf f Gen Fayyadh Bin Hamid Al Ruwaili.
• The 5th JMCC was held after nearly two and a half years. It last met in Saudi Arabia in June 2016.
• A military source said the two sides held extensive discussions on all aspects of their military relations, including training, exercises and sup-ply of defence equipment.
• Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have very strong military ties. This cooperation is based on bilateral security cooperation agreement of 1982, under which Pakistan committed to assisting the kingdom in training and defence production capabilities.
• Pakistan in February last year agreed to deploy more soldiers `on training and advice mission`.

3. COAS vows full support for Saudi forces’ capacity building

• Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa said on January 23, 2019 that Pakistan Army takes it as a responsibility to extend full assistance to Royal Saudi Army for their capacity building.
• The Army Chief stated this while talking to a Royal Saudi Army delegation led by General Faiyad Bin Hamed Al Rowali, Chief of General Staff (CGS) at the General Headquarters, Rawalpindi.
• It further said that the Saudi CGS thanked Pakistan Army for the assistance provided by Pakistan Army especially towards training of Royal Saudi Army in Pakistan as well as in Saudi Arabia through bilateral training cooperation.
• The Saudi CGS acknowledged the high standards of professionalism of the Pakistan Army.
• The COAS thanked the visiting Saudi CGS for his expression of acknowledgement and reiterated that Pakistan Army takes it as a responsibility to extend full assistance to Royal Saudi Army for their capacity building.

4. Punjab not to celebrate Basant

• The Punjab government has decided not to celebrate Basant this year.
• The Lahore High Court will be apprised of this decision on January 24, 2019. The court is hearing petitions against the earlier decision of celebrating the festival, which causes deaths almost every time the fans go for it.
• The minister said the festival could be celebrated in future after proper preparations and legislation.
• The ban on Basant was imposed by the Supreme Court in 2007 after deaths of several people due to kite’s strings.

5. Qatar lifts ban on import of Pak rice

• Qatar has lifted ban on the import of rice from Pakistan that would provide additional US $ 40-50 million of rice exports to Qatar.
• During visit of Prime Minister Imran Khan to Qatar on 21-22 January 2019, the Qatari government has finally agreed to include Pakistan-origin rice in the tender documents of the Central Tendering Committee which falls directly under the purview of Qatar’s Ministry of Economy & Commerce.
• As a viable solution a third-party inspection for supply of rice through CTC tenders and to take strict action against those found involved in supplying substandard rice in future will be offered to ensure that quality rice are being exported to Qatar. The lifting of ban is expected to provide additional US $ 40-50 million of rice exports to Qatar if quality is maintained. Qatar annually imports 200,000 tonnes of rice.
• Over the years, rice has been Pakistan’s major export product to Qatar. The exports were 80 to 100 thousand tonnes of rice per annum worth US $ 80-90 million upto 2010-11, which has dropped to US $ 20-25 million per annum (21,000 tonnes) in last five years.

January 24, 2019: International Current Affairs

6. Thailand sets date for first election since coup

• Thailand will hold a general election on March 24, the first national poll since a 2014 coup knocked out the civilian government of Yingluck Shinawatra.
• The military has since rewritten the constitution, muzzled all dissent and appointed junta allies across the bureaucracy in a bid to scratch the Shinawatra clan from the Thai political scene and embed its own influence in the country`s future.
• `March 24 will be the election day,` Election Commission head Ittiporn Boonpracong told reporters, hours after the publication of a decree signed by King Maha Vajiralongkorn empowered the his agency to give a date.
• Thailand`s history is pockmarked by coups, short-lived civilian governments and political crises.
• The poll date is set to ignite campaign season in a country where colourful and boisterous political rallies have often tipped into deadly violence.

7. 1st Turkish woman to free dive in frozen continent

• An internationally renowned diver will be the first Turkish woman to dive without air tanks in Antarctica on a journey set to start end of January.
• She will join the team of the 3rd National Antarctic Science Expedition which will look into the establishment of Turkey’s scientific bases in Antarctica. The team is being supported by the Turkish Presidency, Ministry of Industry and Technology, and Istanbul Technical University Polar Research Center.
• Ercumen will reach the pole in 30 days on a ship which will not have access to mobile phones or the internet. The record breaker said she would dive at a spot where whales, penguins and seals have never had any human contact. “l plan to dive for about 20-30 minutes. We cannot spend more time in water and we do not plan to dive deep,” she said.
• Her journey will be filmed in a documentary. Ercumen said that she was proud to be representing her country. The nine-time record breaker diver said she would not try to break world records in this project.

8. China completes 5G autopilot bus driving test

• An autopilot bus has finished its road test in a 5G network environment in the city of Jinan, eastern China’s Shandong Province.
• The autopilot bus, developed by China’s leading truck maker Sinotruck, underwent the test on a 4.8 km road. The intelligent connected vehicle (ICV) testing road, featuring 5G network service, was officially opened to road tests on January 22, 2019.
• The bus is equipped with facilities such as laser radar, a high-definition camera, integrated navigation and positioning and can run smoothly at night or in fog and rain.

9. S Korea to conduct 1st artificial rain experiment

• South Korea plans to conduct an artificial rain experiment in the Yellow Sea later this week to analyze its effect on reducing fine dust pollution.
• The rare experiment is to be carried out by the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) in the sea between the Korean Peninsula and China.
• South Korea had previously conducted the artificial rain experiment in inland areas but with little success. It will mark the first time that such an experiment occurs in the Yellow Sea.
• The government expects the planned experiment, if successful, will be able to help reduce the density of fine dust particles blowing toward Korea from China.

January 24, 2019: Sports Current Affairs

10. Pakistan suspended from FIH Pro League

• The International Hockey Federation (FIH) has suspended Pakistan from 2019 FIH Pro League.
• The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) informed the FIH that they were no longer able to play their first three games planned against Argentina, Australia and New Zealand, citing ‘inevitable circumstances’. Therefore, the FIH has taken the decision to suspend the Asian team from the 2019 FIH Pro League in order not to jeopardize the regularity and the smooth delivery of the event, which kicked-off successfully last Saturday in Valencia.
• FIH CEO Thierry Weil said: “It is regretful that Pakistan has decided only now to withdraw from the first games of the FIH Pro League. Consequently, the FIH were left with no other option than suspending Pakistan from the rest of the competition’s season. At this stage, I would like to thank all participating national associations, who had adapted their schedules to support a solution for Pakistan to join the competition this year.”