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July 03, 2019: National Current Affairs
1. US labels BLA as terrorist group
• The US State Department on July 2, 2019 designated the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) as a global terrorist group, making it a crime for anyone in the US to assist the militants. The action paves the way for similar actions by the United Nations and other states.
• In a separate statement, the US Department of Treasury has also frozen all BLA assets in the United States and forbidden American citizens across the globe from having any financial dealings with the entity or the people associated with it.
• The Foreign Office in Islamabad welcomed the US decision, hoping that the designation would ensure that BLA`s space to operate was minimised. `It is important that the perpetrators, organisers, financers and external sponsors, including those glorifying these acts of terror against Pakistan, are held accountable and brought to justice, the FO said in a statement.
• The US State Department also describes the group`s activities as terrorism, while the European Union calls it a terrorist organisation.
2. Pakistan, India ready to resume Kartarpur talks on 14th
• Pakistan on July 2, 2019 reaffirmed its commitment to expeditious completion of Kartarpur Corridor as it accepted an Indian proposal for a second bilateral meeting on the modalities for the functioning of visa free passage in the second week of July.
• India had earlier pulled out of the second bilateral meeting scheduled for April 2 after the two sides had met at Attari on March 14.
• The FO said the Indian side was asked to share the composition of its delegation visiting wagah on July 14.
• Just last Saturday a report published by Hindustan Times said New Delhi had proposed to Pakistan that the second meeting of the officials for finalising the modalities of the opening of the corridor be held between July 11 and 14 at wagah on the Pakistani side of the border.
3. Services of 10 senior police officers surrendered to Centre
• In yet another major development, the Punjab government has surrendered services of 10 senior police officers to the Establishment Division, Islamabad, with one of them reportedly on `political grounds`.
• An additional IG, six deputy inspectors general (DIGs) and three senior superintendents of police (SSPs) were among them and a notification to the effect was issued.
• The move is being taken as another initiative to further strengthen Inspector General of Punjab Police Capt (Retired) Arif Nawaz Khan to build his team all over the province.
• The Punjab government took decision in consultation with Mr Arif a day after he changed positions of 11 DIGs in the province.
4. France returns stolen ancient artefacts to Pakistan
• France returned more than 400 stolen artefacts to the government of Pakistan on July 2, 2019, including ancient busts, vases, urns and goblets, some dating to the second and third millennia BC.
• Many of the pieces turned up in France in September 2006, sent in parcels addressed to a gallery in Paris.
• The packages were intercepted by customs officers at Roissy Charles de Gaulle airport and identified by the National Centre for Scientific Research as items looted from cemeteries in Indus valley.
• Another consignment of pottery and terracotta pieces destined for the same gallery was stopped two weeks later. And during a search of the unnamed gallery`s premises, customs officers seized several hundred more ceramic pieces.
• In a ceremony held at Pakistan`s embassy in Paris, 445 artefacts were handed back to authorities on Tuesday, with an estimated value of $157,000.
5. Historic temple reopens in Sialkot after 72 years
• The historic Shawala Teja Singh temple has been re-opened for the Hindu community for worship after its 72-year closure.
• Located in the congested Muhallah Dhaarowal on Circular Road, the temple, which is over a 1,000 years old, had been closed since the Partition. It is located on a dune along Allama Iqbal Road and one has to climb up staircases to reach the building. The Hindu community had been pressing successive governments for its rehabilitation and re-opening.
• A special opening ceremony was held at the temple under the auspices of the Evacuee Trust Property Board on July 2, 2019. Deputy Secretary (Shrines) Syed Faraz Abbas visited the site and presided over the ceremony. He met with the local Hindu and Muslim leaders and stressed the need for promotion of religious harmony to establish durable peace.
July 3, 2019: International Current Affairs
6. UAE approves full foreign ownership of firms
• The United Arab Emirates said on July 2, 2019 it had decided to lift a decades-old cap on foreign ownership and allow full foreign control of business ventures.
• `In a cabinet meeting chaired in Abu Dhabi, we approved 100 percent foreign ownership in 122 economic activities,` UAE vice president and prime minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashed Al-Maktoum said on Twitter.
• The decision abolishes a decades-old law that limits foreign ownership to just 49 per cent.
• The move covers `fields including agriculture, manufacturing, renewable energy, e-commerce, transportation, arts, construction and entertainment,` Sheikh Mohammed added.
7. All-Afghan talks on July 7 as Trump recalls 9,000 US troops
• US President Donald Trump`s declaration that he has already withdrawn almost half of his troops from Afghanistan led to another surprise announcement on July 2, 2019 that an all-Afghan peace summit will be held in Qatar on July 7 and 8.
• Germany`s special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Markus Potzel said in a statement on July 2, 2019 that Germany and Qatar were co-sponsoring the talks and invitations had also been jointly issued by the two hosts.
• In another statement, the US State Department said that despite recent terrorist attacks in Kabul, `we remain commit ted to the Afghan peace process` President Trump told that he has already `reduced the force very substantially in Afghanistan`, but does `not talk about (it) very much` The US leader then explained how many troops he had withdrawn so far.
• `We were at 16,000. We`re down to about 9,000, which a lot of people don`t know,` he said.
8. Nasa tests launch-abort system for moon mission capsule
• Nasa carried out a successful test on July 2, 2019 of a launch-abort system for the Orion capsule designed to take US astronauts to the Moon.
• The three-minute exercise at Cape Canaveral in Florida aimed to test in almost real-life conditions the evacuation of astronauts from the capsule in the event of an explosion or rocket booster failure.
• The test `put us one huge step closer to the first Artemis flight carrying people to the Moon,` said Orion program manager Mark Kirasich.
• The technique used is the US equivalent of an emergency system used last October to bring a Russian cosmonaut and a US astronaut safely back to earth when a problem emerged with their Soyuz rocket shortly after liftoff from Kazakhstan.
July 3, 2019: Sports Current Affairs
9. Sharma, Bumrah help India qualify for semi-final
• India opener Rohit Sharma hit his fourth century of the World Cup and fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah took four wickets as Virat Kohli`s side booked their place in the semi-finals with a 28-run win over Bangladesh at Edgbaston on July 2, 2019.
• Sharma`s attacking 104 laid the foundation of India`s 314 for nine after Kohli elected to bat first in India`s penultimate match ofthe league phase.
10. Pakistan thrash India to lift World Snooker Team Cup
• Maintaining their stranglehold, Pakistan thrashed India 3-1 in the final to clinch World Snooker Team Cup for their second team title in four days as the curtain fell at Doha on July 2, 2019.
• According to the results, Pakistan`s duo of Asjad Iqbal and Mohammad Bilal won the best of five frames title clash 64-11, 93-1, 23-79, 58-33 against Indian pair of Pankaj Advani and Laxman Rawat.
• It may be mentioned that Pakistan 2 combination of Zulfiqar A Qadir and Babar Masih defeated India 1 by 3-2 score line in the preceding final to win the Asian Team Event crown.
• All in all, Pakistan returned with a haul of two golds, a silver and three bronze medals from back-to-back four competitions.
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