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April 15, 2019: National Current Affairs
1. Gap between male, female voters jumps to over 12m
• The gap between male and female voters has climbed to 12.54 million, with just two districts of Punjab accounting for over 1m of the difference.
• An analysis of the latest district-wise statistics of voters released by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) shows that Lahore district continues to be in the lead with a gap of 616,945 between male and female voters, who number 3.05m and 2.43m respectively. In Faisalabad, the number of male voters is 2.47m and that of women a little over 2m, reflecting a gap of 479,484.
• The 20 districts with the largest gender gaps include 17 districts of Punjab, two of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and one of Sindh.
• In the 2013 general elections, the gap between male and female voters was 10.97m which jumped to 11.65m in September 2015, at the start of the local government elections.
2. Punjab govt changes secretaries in attempt to set its house in order
• The Punjab government on Sunday changed several important administrative secretaries including those heading the home and finance departments in an effort to, what sources said, improve its performance.
• Insiders attribute the poor performance to a lack of leadership in Punjab and of coordination between the elected leaders and bureaucracy intimidated by regular court and NAB bashings and baffled over the overall administrative situation.
• They said the new faces would also encounter the limitations, hurdles or fears of accountability in matters dealt even with all the legal caution, which struck the outgoing officers.
3. UK-Pakistan chamber to invest £200m
• The UK-Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (UKPCCI) on April 14, 2019 announced to invest £200m in Pakistan under which it would operate an aircraft of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) under the public-private partnership.
• It would invest £140m in the government’s Naya Pakistan Housing Project and other segments of real estate while paying attention to the textile sector also.
• The announcement was made by UKPCCI President Amjad Khan and Secretary Mian Wahidur Rehman at a news conference.
4. IMF may delay visit as bailout talks still going on
• The visit of an IMF mission to Islamabad for finalising a bailout package for Pakistan may be delayed as both sides are still engaged in an intense discussion on the proposed programme.
• Finance Minister Asad Umar said earlier this month that the mission would visit Islamabad soon after the spring meetings of the World Bank Group, which includes the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and an agreement should be signed by the end of this month. The meetings, held in Washington this week, ended on April 14, 2019.
• The finance minister, who led the Pakistani delegation at the meetings, went to New York on Friday but his team, which includes senior officials of his ministry and other government agencies, stayed in Washington for further talks.
5. WB to loan $100m for Karachi`s water supply, sanitation projects
• The World Bank is expected to approve a loan of $100 million that will improve access to safe water and sanitation services in Karachi, and increase financial and operational performance of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB).
• A World Bank team will start appraising the project submitted by the Sindh government later this month while the executive board of the bank is expected to approve the project by end of June, it`s learnt.
• The proposed project seeks to increase equitable and sustainable access to safe water and sanitation services in Karachi, and will address the challenges of infrastructure gaps, operational under-performance of the KWSB and the weak enabling environment.
• In the past the KWSB has successfully implemented many water supply projects, including those supported by the World Bank. However, the institutional capacity of the the KWSB to satisfactorily manage environmental and social safeguards, in accordance with WB requirements, is still considered in sufficient, the World Bank says.
April 15, 2019: International Current Affairs
6. World`s largest plane makes first flight over California
• The world`s largest aircraft took off over the Mojave Desert in California on April 14, 2019, the first flight for the carbon-composite plane built by Strato launch Systems Corp, as the company enters the lucrative private space market.
• The white airplane called Roc, which has a wingspan the length of an American football field and is powered by six engines on a twin fuselage, took to the air shortly before 7am Pacific time and stayed aloft for more than two hours before landing safely back at the Mojave Air and Space Port as a crowd of hundreds of people cheered. `What a fantastic first flight.
7. Israel arrests Palestinian governor of Jerusalem
• Israeli police arrested the Palestinian governor of Jerusalem on April 14, 2019 after he allegedly violated an order previously given to him by authorities, police and his lawyer said.
• The governor, Adnan Gheith, has been arrested several times in recent months in connection with an investigation related to a land sale.
• His lawyer Mohammed Mahmud said he had been given a six-month order not to visit the occupied West Bank or contact certain people there, and police accused him of violating the order.
• Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld confirmed Gheith had been arrested and was being questioned, but could not provide further details.
• Official Palestinian news agency WAFA said he was released later and given a 1,000-shekel fine ($280, 250 euros).
8. Social Democrats lead in Finland elections
• Finland`s Social Democratic Party retained a narrow lead to emerge as the top parliamentary election vote-getter on April 14, 2019.
• The Social Democrats secured 40 seats in Finland`s 200-member parliament based on a preliminary tally of more than 94 percent of ballots. The eurosceptics won 39 after campaigning on the message that the Finnish government should overdo its efforts to combat climate change.
• The election, held six weeks ahead of elections to the European Union`s legislature, was being watched for indications of how eurosceptic parties might do across the EU.
9. UN envoy holds `substantial` talks with Syrian FM
• The UN envoy for Syria held `substantial` talks on April 14, 2019 in Damascus with Foreign Minister Walid Muallem on efforts to find a political settlement to the country`s eight-year-long war.
• `We have had very detailed substantial discussions,` Norwegian diplomat Geir Pedersen told reporters after the meeting.
• `We are now addressing all the issues so all the issues are at the table, he said, without specifying.
• The envoy said he was set to hold more talks with Syrian officials later in the day.
April 15, 2019: Sports Current Affairs
10. Woods wins Masters, claims first major in 11 years
• Tiger Woods completed one of sport`s great all-time comebacks to end an 11-year major title drought at the Masters on April 14, 2019 by claiming a fifth Green Jacket.
• A gritty two-under 70 clinched a one-shot victory over Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and Xander Schauffele and earned the 43-year-old a 15th major title that many thought would never come.
• Unsurprisingly, the triumph also renewed talk of Woods making a run at Jack Nicklaus`s record of 18 majors.
• Not since the 2008 US Open had Woods hoisted a major trophy and the last of his four Augusta titles came in 2005.
