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April 5, 2019: National Current Affairs
1. Pakistan`s GDP growth to fall behind Nepal, Maldives this year: UN
• The annual Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific 2019 titled `Ambitions beyond Growth`, released by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) on April 4, 2019, forecast Pakistan`s GDP to remain lowest in the region at 4.2 per cent in 2019 and 4pc in 2020 compared to Bangladesh`s 7.3pc, India 7.5pc, Maldives and Nepal 6.5pc each in 2019.
• The survey revealed that overall economic conditions in the region are stable with the projected 5-5.1 per cent GDP growth in 2019 and 2020 respectively. However, export-oriented sectors face headwinds from weaker demand in Europe and possibly in US, and looming uncertainty over ongoing US-China trade war.
• Pakistan`s economy is experiencing severe balance of payment difficulties amid large fiscal and current account deficits and mounting pressures on the currency, the report adds.
• Inflation in the developing Asia-Pacific region is forecast to increase moderately in 2019 to 4.2pc before dropping to 3.8pc in 2020.
2. Justice Amin recommended as SC judge
• The Judicial Commission of Pakistan has recommended appointment of retired Justice Qazi Mohammad Amin Ahmed as judge of the Supreme Court to fill the vacancy following the retirement for former chief justice Mian Saqib Nisar on Jan 16.
• The recommendation was made during a meeting of the commission headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Asif Saeed Khosa here on April 4, 2019.
• The name of Justice Ahmed, who was retired as judge of the Lahore High Court on March 25, will now be considered by the Parliamentary Committee.
• Justice Ahmed belongs to Rawalpindi and is considered to be an expert on the criminal side.
3. Akhtar Nawaz new Haripur nazim
• The district council, Haripur, on April 4, 2019 elected Akhtar Nawaz Khan as the new district nazim.
• The process of filing nominations by candidates, scrutiny of nominations and polling was completed on April 4, 2019. AC Mujtaba Arfat was the returning officer. As there was not a single candidate against the PTI’s nominee, all the 54 of 67 members who were in attendance voted in favour of Akhtar Nawaz through show of hands.
• The seat had fallen vacant when officiating district nazim Raja Nasir Kiyani died of cardiac arrest on March 19. Raja had succeeded Adil Islam who was removed from office after no-trust motion on January 10, 2019.
4. Social media bosses face jail under `world first` Australian laws
• Social media executives risk jail for failing to take down violent extremist content quickly, under controversial laws passed in Australia on April 4, 2019-a `world first` in the wake of the Christchurch mosques massacre.
• Lawmakers voted overwhelmingly in favour of the laws, which hold firms like Facebook and YouTube and their executives responsible for removing `abhorrent material` quickly.
• The companies face fines approaching billions of dollars or 10 percent of global annual turnover for failing to enact the `expeditious removal` of footage of terrorism, murder and other serious crimes, while executives could face up to three years in jail.
• Technology companies, policy experts and lawyers pilloried the legislation which was jammed through parliament in two days and faces an uncertain future beyond elections expected in May.
5. MPs body formed to monitor CPEC projects
• A parliamentary committee on CPEC formed on Thursday to monitor the implementation of the projects, besides making rules to regulate its procedure.
• Speaker National Assembly Asad Qasier has formed the multi-party committee on China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in pursuance of motions adopted by the National Assembly on February 21, 2019 and the Senate on March 1, 2019.
• Both the houses of parliament (National Assembly and Senate) had passed a motion last month authorising the chair to constitute parliamentary committees on finance, national security, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The main function of the committee is to perform functions of oversight of CPEC projects; monitor the implementation of the projects and make recommendations for speedy and timely implementation of the projects.
April 5, 2019: International Current Affairs
6. Cats know their names: research
• Cats are able to distinguish their own names from other similar-sounding words, even when said by strangers, according to new research released on April 8, 2019.
• While dogs’ ability to respond to verbal commands from humans has been known for centuries, much less is understood about how cats react to spoken cues.
• Researchers in Japan decided to test how well cats are able to distinguish the meanings of words that sound similar to each other.
• They studied 78 cats from households and a cat cafe and found most were able to recognise their own names from other words that had the same length and stress — even when an unfamiliar person was speaking.
7. Maoists kill four Indian troops in ambush
• Maoist rebels on April 4, 2019 ambushed an Indian military patrol and killed four soldiers in a jolt to security ahead of a national election starting next week.
• Authorities also faced protests over the closure of a major highway in India-held Kashmir for two days a week during voting so it could be used for military convoys.
• Border Security Force troops were on a foot patrol in a remote forested district of Chhattisgarh state when attacked. Six BSF troops were wounded in the attack.
• Indian forces have been fighting Maoists for decades in the mineral-rich central state, which will vote on April 11, the first day of the multi-stage nationwide election which will only end on May 19.
8. Pilotless `air taxi` in Vienna test-flight
• As carmakers push ahead with self-driving vehicles, an Austrian aerospace company and its Chinese partner showed off their pilotless `flying taxi` for the first time in Europe on April 4, 2019.
• The drone`s 16 propellers hummed loudly as it rose above the pitch at Vienna`s Generali Arena, home to soccer club Austria Wien. The slim plane, which weighs 340kg, circled in the air briefly and came down within a few minutes.
• The EHang 216, which can seat two passengers, has been tested comprehensively and is essentially ready for mass production, said Derrick Xiong, co-founder of Chinese drone maker EHang. Joining the race for new autonomous aircraft services that do not require runways, EHang last year entered a strategic partnership with Austria`s FACC, owned by Chinese aerospace group AVIC, aiming to offer short-haul services for passengers, industrial equipment and urgent medical deliveries.
9. EP approves visa-free travel for British after BREXIT
• Amid continuing chaos over Brexit, with Britain’s prime minister seeking another delay on the exit date, the European Parliament April 4, 2019 ratified a measure to allow British citizens visa-free travel after Brexit.
• The EP’s Committee on Civil Liberties proposed April 3, 2019 that after BREXIT, British citizens would be able to enter EU countries visa-free for short periods, “provided EU nationals enjoy the same conditions when travelling to the UK” said a committee statement.
• The proposal was voted in the full EP on Thursday, and passed. It will apply on the day following Britain’s withdrawal from the bloc. From that date, British citizens will not be required to have a visa for stays in the EU of up to 90 days in any 180-day period, under the proposal
10. Thailand, China establish high-speed Railway Institute
• A pair of Chinese and Thai vocational colleges on April 4, 2019 jointly announced the establishment of Lu Ban High-Speed Railway Institute in northeastern Thailand to train high-speed railway technicians.
• The institute is set up at Banphai Industrial and Community Education College in Ban Phai district, Khon Kaen province, with the support from Wuhan Railway Vocational College of Technology (WRC).
• With the donation of WRC’s partner Zhengzhou J&T Hi-Tech Co., Ltd., a simulation driving training base has been set up at Banphai Industrial and Community Education College for Thai students to practice.
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