April 2019

Day by Day Current Affairs (April 8, 2019) | MCQs for CSS, PMS

Day by Day Current Affairs
Written by Shahzad F. Malik
WELCOME TO CSS TIMES DAY BY  DAY CURRENT AFFAIRS, YOUR BEST SOURCE FOR UP-TO-DATE AND DAILY TOP CURRENT AFFAIRS 2018 FOR PREPARATION OF CSS, PMS, BANKING, NTS, RAILWAYS AND ALL COMPETITIVE EXAMS.  “DAY TO DAY CURRENT AFFAIRS” BASICALLY IS TOP 10 NEWS SUMMARY ON CURRENT HAPPENINGS OF NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL IMPORTANCE FOR ALL EXAMINATIONS

April 8, 2019: National Current Affairs

1. GDP growth to slow down to 3.4pc: World Bank

• The World Bank has projected that Pakistan’s economic growth will slow down to 3.4 percent during current fiscal and will further decelerate to 2.7 percent in 2019-2020, as fiscal and monetary policies are tightened to address macroeconomic imbalances.
• In the 2018-19, Pakistan’s GDP growth will remain lower than all the South Asian countries except Afghanistan, however in 2019-20 the country’s growth will lag behind than all the regional countries, said World Bank’s ‘South Asia Economic Focus, Exports Wanted’ report released on April 7, 2019.
• The report has projected that Pakistan GDP growth to slow down to 3.4 percent in fiscal year 2018-19, from 5.8 percent a year before, reflecting a broad-based weakening in domestic demand as monetary and fiscal policies have been tightened to contain macroeconomic imbalances. GDP growth is expected to further slow to 2.7 percent in 2019-2020 as domestic demand remains depressed.
• Growth is expected to recover to 4% in FY21 as structural reforms take effect and macroeconomic conditions improve. Remittances flows are likely to support the current account balance next year.


2. CPEC parliamentary panel to elect its chief on 16th

• A meeting of the newly formed Parliamentary Committee on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has been convened on April 16 for election of its chairman without waiting for nominations from the Senate.
• A notice issued by the National Assembly Secretariat says that the 14-member Parliamentary Committee on CPEC will be held at 3pm on April 16 `for election of its chairman`.
• A list attached to the notice contains the names of 14 members from the National Assembly only, while there is no mention of any senator despite the fact that NA Speaker Asad Qaiser had constituted the committee in pursuance of motions adopted by the National Assembly during its sitting on Feb 21 and the Senate on March 1.
• The speaker had last week notified the formation of the parliamentary committee to oversee the ongoing projects despite reservations by senators over the move.


April 8, 2019: International Current Affairs

3. Turkish, Russian leaders to launch cross-cultural year

• Turkish president and his Russian counterpart will meet April 8, 2019 for the opening ceremony of the Turkey-Russia cross-cultural year, the Russian ambassador to Ankara told Anadolu Agency.
• This will be the third meeting of Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Vladimir Putin in Moscow since the beginning of 2019.


4. Tourist numbers double at North Korea marathon

• Twice as many foreigners as last year gathered in Pyongyang on Sunday for the city`s annual marathon, tour firms said, as reduced tensions see visitor numbers rise in isolated North Korea.
• The event part of the celebrations for the anniversary of founder Kim Il Sung`s birth in 1912 is the highlight of the North`s tourism calendar and offers the chance to run or jog through the streets of the tightly controlled city.
• Around 950 Westerners entered the event, according to market leader Koryo Tours, compared to some 450 last year when numbers slumped.


5. Dutchman ends `world`s longest electric car trip` in Australia

• A Dutchman completed an epic 95,000 kilometre (59,000 mile) journey by electric car in Sydney on April 7, 2019 in a bid to prove the viability of such vehicles in tackling climate change.
• Wiebe Wakker drove his retrofitted station wagon nicknamed `The Blue Bandit` across 33 countries in what he said was the world`s longest-ever journey by electric car.
• The trip from the Netherlands to Australia took just over three years and was funded by public donations from around the world, including electricity to charge the Bandit, food and a place to sleep.
• Wakker drove across a variety of countries and environments including Turkey, Iran, India, Myanmar, Malaysia and Indonesia, with the route determined by the offers he received on his website.


6. Ex-Maldives president makes a comeback with landslide poll win

• A former Maldives president on April 7, 2019 vowed sweeping reforms and an end to government corruption after leading his party to a record landslide victory just Eve months since returning from exile.
• Mohamed Nasheed, 51, made a dramatic return to the top of the national parliament, with his Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) securing more than two-thirds seats in the 87-member assembly.
• Nasheed promised to use his party`s mandate to usher in a new era of stability and democracy in the Indian Ocean archipelago as it emerges from years of strongman rule, political crises and corruption scandals miring the government and judiciary.


7. Israeli PM pledges to annex settlements after vote

• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pledged to annex settlements in the occupied West Bank if he wins Tuesday`s elections, a deeply controversial move that could prove to be the death knell for the two-state solution.
• His comments, just days before the closely-fought April 9 poll, could be seen as an appeal to rightwing voters who do not believe in the feasibility of a peace agreement with the Palestinians.
• `I will apply [Israeli] sovereignty, but I don`t distinguish between settlement blocs and isolated settlements,` he said in an interview with Channel 12 television.He did not provide details on how quickly he planned to move ahead with it and whether it would involve all settlements.


8. UN envoy to meet Libya’s Sarraj in Tripoli

• UN envoy to Libya Ghassan Salame will meet on Saturday with the head of the Libyan Presidential Council for the UN-backed National Accord government Fayez al-Sarraj in the capital Tripoli.
• The meeting comes amid tension in the war-torn country after Khalifa Haftar, commander of forces loyal to East Libya-based government, launched a military campaign to capture Tripoli.
• On April 6, 2019, Salame attended a session of the UN Security Council during which he submitted a report on the current situation in Tripoli, where Libya’s UN-backed unity government is headquartered. The UN envoy stressed that he was doing efforts to avoid a military conflict in Tripoli


9. Swiss scientists invent compact laser source to detect pollution

• Researchers at the Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) said they have developed an infrared laser source that can detect pollution in the air or molecules in someone’s breath which could be important for the environment and human health.
• EPFL said in a press release that the compact system developed by its scientists is the size of a tiny suitcase and the research is detailed in an article published in Nature Communications. The system has two parts that consist of a standard laser together with a photonic chip measuring a few millimeters across.


April 8, 2019: Sports Current Affairs

10. Lin Dan wins Malaysia Open to end title drought

• Chinese badminton ace Lin Dan clinched the Malaysia Open Sunday after an electric performance against countryman Chen Long to claim his first major title in two years.
• The win comes after the five-time world champion made several early round exits since January, including at the Indonesia Masters, German Open and the All-England.
• But in a nail-biting 78-minute match, the world number 16 smashed his way back to victory with a final score that tallied 9-21, 21-7, 21-11.

Day by Day Current Affairs (April 7, 2019) | MCQs for CSS, PMS

About the author

Shahzad F. Malik

Shahzad Faisal Malik is the administrator of CSSTimes.pk and is responsible for managing the content, design, and overall direction of the blog. He has a strong background in Competitive Exams and is passionate and sharing information with others.
Shahzad Faisal Malik has worked as a Graphic Designer/Content Creator at CSSTimes in the past. In his free time, Shahzad Faisal Malik enjoys watching Cricket, writing blogs for different websites and is always on the lookout for new and interesting content to share with the readers of this website.
As the website administrator, Shahzad Faisal Malik is dedicated to providing high-quality content and fostering a welcoming and engaging community for readers. He looks forward to connecting with readers and hearing their thoughts and feedback on the website.

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