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January 31, 2019: National Current Affairs
1. CII forms committee to suggest ways to establish Madina-like state
• The Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) on January 30, 2019 formed a four-member committee to suggest measures for the establishment in Pakistan of a state similar to Madina.
• The council meeting was presided over by its chairman Dr Qibla Ayaz, who condemned the Sahiwal incident and said the state was responsible for the protection of the life and honour of all citizens.
• Members of the committee were Allama Arif Wahidi, Khursheed Nadeem, Dr Parkhanda Zia and Dr Syed Mohammad Anwar.
• The CII was approached by Minister for Religious Affairs Noorul Haq Qadri on behalf of the government, seeking suggestions and ways to establish governance similar to the state of Madina, in Pakistan.
• The committee will present its recommendations to the CII in its next meeting expected in March.
2. WB team to review Punjab green uplift project
• A World Bank mission is coming to Pakistan to review the pace of implementation of the Punjab Green Development Programme an initiative aimed at strengthening environmental governance and promoting green investments in the province.
• The project became effective in May last year, but its implementation has been delayed after the general elections. The bank is in close communication with the new government on actions needed to initiate implementation of the programme, reveals a document released by the World Bank.
• The planned programme expenditures over five years amount to $273 million, of which $200m is to be financed by the International Development Association (IDA).
• The status report of the bank shows no money has so far been disbursed for the project.
• Punjab being the most populated and second largest province accounting for more than half of the country`s GDP is particularly affected by pollution.
• Lahore is one of the world`s most polluted cities and has been increasingly affected by toxic smog in recent years, caused notably by increasing emissions from industries, vehicles, power generation, and open trash and crop burning.
3. Senate body unanimously passes amendment to raise marriageable age
• The Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights on January 30, 2019 unanimously passed a bill to amend the Child Marriage Restraint Act and raise the marriageable age to 18.
• The Child Marriage Restraint (Amendment) Bill 2018 was introduced by Senator Sherry Rehman last month to address the differences in marriageable age among provinces.
• She said the high child mortality rate and stunting in Pakistan is due to early marriages, adding: `Here CNICs are issued at the age of 18 and people cast their votes at the age of 18, so why are they allowed to start married life, which is very important, before 18? There should be uniformity in all the laws.
• Senator Rehman`s bill was supported by Senator Dr Mehr Taj Roghani, who added that maternal and neonatal mortality is higher due to early marriages.
4. Pakistan certifies first organic cotton bale
• Balochistan on January 30, 2019 marked the certification of Pakistan`s first organic cotton bale at a ceremony held at Kot Sabzal.
• Current Balochistan`s Minster for Agriculture Engineer: Zamrak Khan
• Balochistan would be developing an organic agriculture policy soon.
• WWF-Pakistan Director General Hamad Nagi Khan said, `We have made a major breal(through in the cotton sector of the country that will benefit stakeholders and the overall economy of Pakistan.
• Production of organic cotton will propel the cotton sector into a new direction.
January 31, 2019: International Current Affairs
5. China, US launch trade talks amid deep differences
• The US and China opened a pivotal round of high-level talks on January 30, 2019 aimed at digging out from their months-long trade war amid deep differences over Chinese practices on intellectual property and technology transfer.
• Cabinet-level officials, led by Chinese Vice Premier Liu He and US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, gathered in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building next to the White House, with about a month to reach a deal before a March 2 US deadline to increase tariffs on Chinese goods.
• The talks began two days after the US charged Chinese telecommunications company Huawei Technologies Ltd and its Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou with conspiring to violate US sanctions on Iran by doing business through a subsidiary it tried to hide.
• Meng was arrested in Canada on Dec 1 at the request of the US, which is seeking to have her extradited.
• The talks in Washington are expected to be tense, with little indication so far that Chinese officials are willing to address core US demands to fully protect American intellectual property rights and end policies that Washington has said force US companies to transfer technology to Chinese firms.
6. Spain`s king visits Iraq, first in 40 years
• Spain`s King Felipe VI on January 30, 2019 visited special forces helping Iraq fight jihadists, during the first trip by a Spanish monarch to the war-ravaged country in four decades, a diplomat said.
• The king, whose country is a member of an international coalition battling the Islamic State group, also later met President Barham Saleh.
• Iraq in 2017 declared victory over IS following a bruising months-long campaign backed by the coalition, which continues to carry out operations against the jihadists.
• Spain, which took pan in the US-led 2003 invasion of Iraq that ovenhrew dictator Saddam Hussein, went on to suppon Iraqi troops as they battled to roll back IS, which seized a third of the country including second city Mosul in 2014. Hundreds of Spanish military instructors remain in the country.
• King Felipe is one of a series of leaders to visit Baghdad since the start of the year, including US President Donald Trump, who drew criticism for failing to meet a single Iraqi official.-
7. US approves sale of Aegis weapons systems to Japan
• The Trump administration has approved the sale of high-tech defense missile systems to its ally. The defence deal worth $2.15 billion will buy Japan two Aegis weapons systems and related equipment, Japanese news agency Kyodo said, quoting the U.S. State Department.
• Japan is planning to set the two Aegis Ashore missile defense in the Akita and Yamaguchi prefectures by 2023 “to counter the North Korean missile threat,” the report said.
• “The sale will provide the government of Japan with an enhanced capability against increasingly sophisticated ballistic missile threats and create an expanded, layered defense of its homeland,” the department said. The U.S. Congress has been notified of the new deal. The news of the new defense deal comes amid U.S. plans reported Tuesday to deploy homeland defense radar in Japan.
• Japan is a traditional ally of the U.S. in the Far East, but last year the Trump administration met with North Korea – seen as a threat – to halt its nuclear programs, and a second summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and leader Kim Jong-un is in the cards.
8. China plans first rocket launch at sea
• China’s first seaborne rocket launch is scheduled for mid 2019 with a Long March-11 carrier rocket set to blast off in the Yellow Sea, said Jin Xin, deputy chief commander of the rocket.
• China has achieved a breakthrough in the key technologies for seaborne launches, Jin, of the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, told a press conference by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.
• The Long March-11, with a length of 20.8 meters and a takeoff weight of about 57.6 tonnes, is the only rocket using solid propellants among China’s new generation carrier rockets. It has a relatively simple structure and can be launched in a short time. The rocket could be launched within a week after leaving port, said Jin. The rocket can carry a payload of up to 350 kg to a sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 700 km and 700 kg to a low-Earth orbit at 200 km. It is mainly used to carry small satellites, and can take multiple satellites into orbit at the same time
9. South Africa seal series with crushing 7-wicket win
• An all-round performance by South Africa helped them to seal the series in fifth and final one-day international played at Newlands Stadium, Cape Town on January 30, 2019, thanks to a superb bowling performance by South African bowlers that helped them restrict Pakistan to a modest total which the batsmen then chased down with ease.
• South African captain Faf du Plessis won the toss and decided to field first. Dale Steyn got the hosts off to a perfect start as they took the wicket of Imam ul Haq for just 8 runs. Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman played with positive intent and took on South African bowlers.
• Pakistan had scored 53 for 1 at the end of 10 overs. Azam and Zaman were looking good before the former was bowled around his legs by Dwaine Pretorius for 24 runs. Both of them added 56 runs for the 2nd wicket.
January 31, 2019: Sports Current Affairs
10. Bilal, Noor claim titles at Punjab Open tennis
• Mian Bilal of Lahore and Noor Malik of ZTBL won respective men`s and ladies` singles title of the Gen. Farrukh Khan Memorial Punjab Open Tennis Championships at the Punjab Lawn Tennis courts here on January 30, 2019.
• Bilal overcame Ahmad Kamil 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (10-8) in all Lahore final while Noor proved too good for Lahore`s Shimza Durab to win 6-3, 6-4.
• Ahmad started off strongly, winning the first set quite easily, but it was a different story in the second set as Bilal fought back to level the score.
• The final sett, a tie-breaker witnessed intense fight between the two players before Bilal emerged victorious.
• Noor, unlike Bilal, did not need to work very hard for the title and took only 40 minutes to bring down Shimza.
