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February 14, 2020: National / International Current Affairs
1. Senior TTP leader killed in Kunar bomb blast
• A senior leader of the banned Tehreek-iTaliban Pakistan (TTP), Sheharyar Mehsud, was killed in a bomb attack in Afghanistan`s Kunar province on February 13, 2020.
• Official sources confirmed the killing of Sheharyar in a roadside bomb blast but family members expressed ignorance about the incident.
• No group has claimed responsibility for the killing of Sheharyar.
• Last week, two leaders of proscribed organisations Sheikh Khalid Haqqani and Qari Saifullah were killed in a gun battle with security forces in Afghanistan.
• Sheharyar belonged to Shabikhel, a subsection of Mehsud tribe.
2. Pakistan, Turkey sign two MoUs
• Pakistan and Turkey on February 13, 2020 finalised two memorandums of understandings (MoUs) to increase the level of economic engagement and mobilise the untapped potential for increasing trade and investment.
• The understanding was reached during a meeting of the Joint Working Group (JWG) on Trade and Investment held on the sidelines of the two-day visit of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
• Two MoUs finalised by the JWG include one on Trade Facilitation and Customs Cooperation, and the other to reinforce cooperation in the field of Halal Accreditation. The two sides agreed to explore the possibilities of enhancing bilateral trade by mutually beneficial market access and trade facilitation.
3. Senate panel rejects bills on job quota, ratification of accords
• A Senate panel on February 13, 2020 rejected two important bills moved by PPP Senator Mian Raza Rabbani with a majority vote one seeking revival of the time-bound provincial quota in federal jobs that expired in August 2013and the other for binding the government to place agreements and contracts to be signed with other countries, donors and international monetary organisations before the parliament for ratification.
• Article 27 (1) of the Constitution allocates quotas in federal government jobs to the provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas.
• Through the bill, Mr Rabbani wanted the period to be extended till 2033.
• The statement of objectives and reasons of the bill said: `The objective is to provide a cover to the appointments made from August 2013 and reservation of quotas for further recruitment made from August 2013.
4. Sajid Javid quits as chancellor in UK reshuffle upset
• British Finance Minister Sajid Javid resigned on February 13, 2020 just weeks before the announcement of the government`s annual budget, in a shock move provoked by Prime Minister Boris Johnson`s attempts to shake up his cabinet after BREXIT.
• Javid, the son of a Pakistani immigrant bus driver, stood down after Johnson tried to use a reshuffle to remove some of his aides, a source close to the departing minister said.
• He was immediately replaced by his 39-year-old deputy, Rishi Sunak, a former banker and BREXIT supporter who is seen as close to Downing Street.
• The pound briefly retreated on the departure of chancellor of the exchequer, but soon recovered as analysts said the new chancellor could open the way for more public spending and growth.
• Sunak appears more aligned with Johnson than his predecessor in backing a looser fiscal policy, noted Paul Dales, chief UK economist at Capital Economics
5. Virus cases spike as China changes diagnosis method
• China on February 13, 2020 reported a sharp spike in deaths and infections from a new virus after the hardest-hit province of Hubei applied a new classification system that broadens the scope of diagnoses for the outbreak, which has spread to more than 20 countries.
• Japan reported its first death, a woman in her 80s who had been hospitalised since early February. She is the third confirmed fatality outside of China, after deaths in the Philippines and Hong Kong.
• The new diagnostic approach came on the same day that Hubei and its stricken capital, Wuhan, replaced their top officials in an apparent response to public criticism of how authorities have handled the epidemic.
• The death toll in China reached 1,367, up 254 from the previous day.
6. Ethiopia passes controversial `hate speech` law
• Ethiopia on February 13, 2020 passed a law punishing `hate speech` and `disinformation` with hefty fines and long jail terms, despite fears by rights groups it undermines gains in free speech.
• Nearly 300 lawmakers voted in favour of the bill, with 23 votes against and two abstentions.
• The new law defines hate speech as rhetoric that fuels discrimination `against individuals or groups based on their nationality, ethnic and religious affiliation, sex or disabilities` Penalties for disseminating such speech include fines of up to 100,000 Ethiopian birr ($3,100) and prison terms of up to two years. But when hate speech or `disinformation` results in `an attack on individuals or groups`, jail terms can stretch five years.
7. India to offer 6,000 acres in held Kashmir to investors
• India plans to offer around 6,000 acres of land in held Kashmir as part of a business summit planned for April or May `to help` the disputed region after withdrawing its special rights and making sweeping administrative changes.
• Until August, New Delhi termed the India-held Himalayan region as its Jammu and Kashmir state, but then it split off a Buddhist-dominated enclave and designated both as federally administered territories.
• India enforced the changes through a harsh crackdown, deploying thousands of additional troops, imposing a communication blackout and detaining scores of people.
8. US announces Taliban truce as deal looks near
• The United States has secured a seven day reduction in violence in Afghanistan that it hopes will allow it to strike a deal with the Taliban, officials said on February 13, 2020.
• The announcement came a day after Afghan President Ashraf Ghani reported `notable progress` in negotiations with the militants.
• `The United States and the Taliban have negotiated a proposal for a seven-day reduction in violence,` US Defence Secretary Mark Esper said after a NATO meeting in Brussels.
9. Syrian parliament recognises `Armenian genocide`
• Syria`s parliament on February 13, 2020 recognised the 1915-1917 killings of up to 1.5 million Armenians as `genocide`.
• `The parliament … condemns and recognises the genocide committed against the Armenians by the Ottoman state at the start of the twentieth century,` the legislature said in a statement. The Armenians seek international recognition that the mass killings of their people from 1915 to 1917 amounted to genocide. They say 1.5 million died
10. Pakistan, India cruise into Kabaddi World Cup semis
• Pakistan outplayed an inexperienced Australia side 62-25 on February 13, 2020 to qualify for the Kabaddi World Cup semi-finals at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad.
• In pool `A`, India grabbed top spot after defeating Iran 50-39 and confirmed their place in the last four stage.
• Iran and Australia are the other two teams who reached the semifinals, respectively.
• Pakistan chose to raid first after winning the toss against Australia in their pool `B` clash. Raiders including skipper Irfan Mana, Lala Obaidullah, Kaleemullah Jatt andBilal Mohsin Dhillon looked in fine form and scored valuable points for the hosts.
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