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October 14, 2018: National Current Affairs
1. Pakistan calls for spotlighting plight of IHK children
- Pakistan has called on the international community to focus attention on the suffering of children living in Indian-occupied Kashmir and other areas of conflict and occupation, saying their wounds long outlive the wars themselves.
- “From Syria to Palestine and Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, children continue to be caught in a vortex of violence, neither of their choosing nor of their making,” Ambassador Maleeha Lodhi told the General Assembly Third Committee, which deals with social, humanitarian and cultural issues.
- “They are victims of unimaginable horror every day,” she said in a debate on the Rights of Child.
- In this context, the Pakistani envoy also referred to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ report which said “children suffer disproportionately from violations of their rights from vulnerable populations affected by war, economic upheaval, public health emergencies and climate change.”
- Indeed, Ambassador Lodhi said, conflicts violated every conceivable right of a child. “Targeted attacks, sexual violence, forced conscription and indiscriminate killing of children paint an extremely bleak picture of the human cost of modern conflict,” she added.
2. Pakistan rejects US claims about China loans
- Pakistan on October 13, 2018 rejected the United States’ claim that Islamabad is borrowing from International Monetary Fund (IMF) to repay Chinese loans.
- Mr. Asad Umer said that an IMF delegation will visit the country from November 7 to finalise terms and conditions for a three years bailout programme.
- But he declared that government would not accept any loan programme with harsh and unacceptable conditions.
- Talking about Washington’s claim, he remarked, “US claim is 100 percent wrong.” The IMF programme has nothing to do with Chinese loans, as Pakistan would have to repay only $300 million at average in next three years to China, he added.
- The United States has recently said that it will examine closely Pakistan request for a loan from the IMF. It said that part of the reason that Pakistan found itself in this situation is Chinese debt.
- Asad said that Chinese loans are long term and given on attractive lower interest rates to Pakistan. He further said that US is the largest contributor of resources for the IMF and has 16.4 percent of the votes on the Fund’s board. However, Pakistan is hopeful to get loan programme according to the charter of IMF.
3. Karachi gets new force to fight street crime
- Additional Inspector General of Police Dr Amir Shaikh on October 13, 2018 formed an anti-street crime force to curb the rising incidents of phone and car snatching in the port city.
- “The Street Watch Force with 1,870 personnel will control street crimes across the city,” says the Shaikh. “Personnel of the Street Watch Force will be deputed in areas notorious for street crime,” he said.
- The additional IG, who was flanked by all district police chiefs, also addressed personnel of the newly-established Street Watch Force at the Police Headquarters. Eighty motorcycles have been given to the force personnel for District South, City, East and Central each and 20 to personnel for West, Malir and Korangi each.
- Majority of the police personnel in the Street Watch Force were recruited recently to the Sindh Police. They will patrol city streets and roads in groups of four each on two motorcycles. SSPs will be heads of the force in their respective districts. The force will act on complaints of street crimes as rapid response force.
4. Punjab set to launch industrial policy
- The Punjab government is all set to launch Industrial Policy 2018 to facilitate private sector investment growth by providing an enabling eco-system in line with its 100-day agenda.
- The policy, which will replace 2003-04 industrial policy, will come into effect after the chief minister`s approval and seeks to increase productivity and competitiveness of the industry.
- The policy envisages a level playing field for domestic and foreign players across all sectors to create jobs for the province`s growing skilled labour force. It will also include measures to incorporate the disenfranchised segments impoverished districts, women and disabled persons.
- The core policy guidelines will be aimed at revamping special economic zones and industrial estates through attractive incentives, optimal locations, dedic ated inf r astructure, business friendly regulatory regime and participation of private sector in development, marketing and operation.
- The policy will look to increase productivity, expand access to finance, establish credit bureaus and investment matching programme, change governance environment through private sector input in policy-making and establish Industrial Intelligence Unit.
October 14, 2018: International Current Affairs
5. Trump threatens `punishment`, Turkey accuses Saudis of not cooperating in Khashoggi case
- US President Donald Trump said on October 13, 2018 that there would be `severe punishment` for Saudi Arabia if it turned out that missing journalist Jamal Khashoggi was murdered in its consulate in Istanbul.
- Khashoggi, a prominent critic of Riyadh and legal resident of the United States, disappeared on Oct 2 after visiting the Saudi consulate in Turkey.
- `We`re going to get to the bottom of it and there will be severe punishment, Trump said.
- Asked whether he thought Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman gave an order to kill him, the president said `nobody knows yet, but we`ll probably be able to find out`.
6. 17 killed in Saudi-led airstrike in Yemen’s Hodeidah
- At least 17 passengers fleeing escalating war in Yemen’s war-torn port city of Hodeidah were killed on Saturday when a Saudi-led coalition airstrike hit two buses near a security checkpoint, a provincial hospital official said.
- The airstrike hit the buses in Masbarah area at the top of Jabal Ras hill near a Houthi-manned security checkpoint south of the port city.
- 20 others were wounded and were transported to several hospitals.
- The Houthi-controlled Saba news agency reported the air attack, while there was no immediate comment from the Saudi-led coalition.
- The October 13, 2018 attack was the latest in a series of airstrikes against the civilians since the coalition intervened in the Yemeni conflict in 2015. On Wednesday, a coalition airstrike killed five farmers near a charity drinking water pump in al-Jah district in Hodeidah, according to the local hospital officials.
7. Khalilzad holds direct talks with Afghan Taliban in Qatar
- The Trump administration held their second direct talks with the Afghan Taliban in Qatar this week as the US State Department underlined the desire to push forward the Afghan peace process.
- Zalmay Khalilzad, a top American diplomat appointed recently to find a way to end the Afghan war, led the US team at the talks with six Taliban representatives in Doha, Qatar, on October 12, 2018.
- Mr Khalilzad left Washington earlier this week on a mission to promote the Afghan peace process. Diplomatic sources in Washington said the talks in Doha were a part of his itinerary, which included visits to South Asia and the Middle East. He has already visited Islamabad, Kabul and Riyadh.
- `The purpose of this entire trip is to talk about the peace and reconciliation progress,` US State Department`s spokesperson Heather Nauert told a news briefing in Washington. `Any time we`re there on the ground we`re making headway.
8. Malaysia’s Anwar returns to frontline politics in big poll win
- Anwar Ibrahim won an overwhelming mandate in a parliamentary by-election October 13, 2018, setting the stage for his return to frontline Malaysian politics and sealing the once-jailed opposition figure’s remarkable resurrection.
- Winning the seat was a key requirement for Anwar to succeed 93-year-old Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who jailed his former protege and heir apparent on sodomy
- and corruption charges in 1998 when their relationship soured.
- Mahathir returned to the premiership this year after a shock election win, saying he would stay in power for only two years before handing the reins to Anwar.
- Figures from the Election Commission showed Anwar got more than 71 percent of the total votes cast in a seven-way contest – which included a former aide who lodged the sodomy charges that landed Anwar in prison for a second time in 2014.
October 14, 2018: Sports Current Affairs
9. England trio sink SL in rain-marred second ODI
- England captain Eoin Morgan and Joe Root shone with the bat while seamer Chris Woakes was on fire with the ball in a 31-run victory against Sri Lanka via the Duckworth Lewis method in the rain-soaked second One-day International here on October 13, 2018.
- Chasing 279 for victory, Sri Lanka overcame Woakes` triple strikes to reach 140-5 in 29 overs when heavy rain stopped play at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium and England won the match under the scoring method governing such rain-marred matches.
- Earlier, Sri Lanka`s Lasith Malinga rediscovered some of his old magic and claimed 5-44 to limit England to 278-9 after the tourists looked set for a 300-plus total.
- Morgan led from the front with nearly a run-a-ball 92, while Test captain Root contributed a stylish 71.
10. International bike rally reaches GB
- The participants of the first ever international bike rally, `the Pakistan Ride the Karakoram` reached the Khunjerab pass on October 13, 2018 through the Karakoram Highway.
- Twenty-six professional bikers from Malaysia are taking part in the bike rally, which started off from Islamabad on Oct 9.
- The bikers have so far covered a distance of over 600 kilometres.
- The same day, the bikers returned to Gilgit on their way back to Islamabad, where they are scheduled to reach on Oct 17.