Day by Day Current Affairs (January 19, 2018)

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January 19, 2018 (Day by Day Current Affairs)

Pakistan, US engaged in quiet diplomacy
- Beyond the apparent stalemate over terror sanctuaries, Washington and Islamabad are quietly engaged in diplomacy to address their fast deteriorating relationship
- Foreign Office spokesman Dr Muhammad Faisal disclosed that Pakistan and the United States were engaged in negotiations, which are `ongoing and outside public domain` and that cooperation with the US has remained unaffected despite recent developments
- US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Alice Wells this week visited Pakistan during which she renewed the demand for clearing Pakistani territory of alleged terror sanctuaries
- Earlier US Centcom chief Gen Joseph Votel had reached out to Chief of the Army Staff Gen Qamar Bajwa for calming the frayed nerves at General Headquarters (GHQ)
32 years on, FBI re-launches search for Pan Am hijacking suspects
- The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) renewed its pledge on January 18, 2018 to catch four hijackers of the Pan Am Flight 73, almost 32 years after the failed attempt at Karachi airport
- The attack, which occurred aboard Pan Am Flight 73 during an airport stopover in Karachi on Sept 5, 1986, resulted in the death of 20 passengers and crew. The victims included citizens of the United States, India, Pakistan, Britain, Italy, Denmark, Ireland and Mexico
- The FBI has age-progressed photos of the four hijackers Wadoud Muhammad Hafiz al-Turki, Jamal Saeed Abdul Rahim, Muhammad Abdullah Khalil Hussain ar-Rahayyal and Muhammad Ahmed alMunawar to enable people to identify them
- Since two Americans were also among those killed in the failed attempt, the FBI is legally bound to continue to seek the suspects until they are either brought to the United States for trial or their death is confirmed
Nuclear physicist Dr Ishfaq Ahmad is no more
- Renowned nuclear physicist Dr Ishfaq Ahmad passed away in Islamabad on January 18, 2018. He was 87
- Dr Ahmad served as the chairperson of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission from 1991 to 2001 the tenure during which Pakistan conducted its nuclear test in 1998
- He also worked as adviser to the prime minister for strategic and scientific programmes. In recognition of his services in the field of nuclear physics, Dr Ahmad was awarded three of the highest civil awards of Pakistan Sitara-i-Imtiaz, Hilal-i-Imtiaz and Nishan-i-Imtiaz
India to set up $350m fund to finance solar projects
- India will set up a $350 million fund to finance solar projects, as the country steps up efforts to achieve its ambitious target of adding 175GW in renewable energy by 2022
- India will need at least $125bn to fund a plan to increase the share of renewable power supply in the country`s grid by 2022, underlining the immense financing challenge ahead
- The country, which receives twice as much sunshine as European nations, wants to make solar central to its renewable expansion
Turkey `not satisfied` with US assurance over Syria force
- Turkey described as far from satisfactory US assurances playing down plans to create a border force in northern Syria made up of Kurdish militia forces deemed as `terrorists` by Ankara
- Washington said it is training a 30,000-strong border force on Syria`s northern frontier with Turkey, comprised of the Kurdish People`s Protection Units (YPG) militia, whom Ankara accuses of being a terror group.
India test-fires its longest-range missile
- India tested its longest-range intercontinental missile on January 18, 2018
- The 5,000km range Agni missile was tested from an island in India`s eastern coast in the Bay of Bengal
- The Agni-V is an advanced version of the indigenously built Agni, or Fire, series, part of a programme that started in the 1980s. It has been tested previously. A long-running dispute over the Himalayan border with China has flared in recent years
- According to a report, the missile brings the whole of Asia and China as well parts of Europe and Africa within its nuclear strike envelope
Turkey `not satisfied` with US assurance over Syria force
- Turkey described as far from satisfactory US assurances playing down plans to create a border force in northern Syria made up of Kurdish militia forces deemed as `terrorists` by Ankara
- Washington said it is training a 30,000-strong border force on Syria`s northern frontier with Turkey, comprised of the Kurdish People`s Protection Units (YPG) militia, whom Ankara accuses of being a terror group
- President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reacted furiously to the announcement of the plan over the weekend, denouncing the force as an `army of terror`
Pak-Iran train services to resume by September
- Pakistan and Iran have decided to resume a fortnightly passenger train service between them by September this year due to improvement in the security situation
- The decision was taken at a meeting of railway officials from the two countries on January 19, 2018
- Zahedan Railways director general Majid Arjouni led the Iranian delegation and Railways Board secretary Zubair Shafi Ghauri chaired the meeting
- The passenger train service will run between Quetta and Mashhad or Qom, and will largely cater to the needs of pilgrims during Muharram
AD Khawaja to retain Sindh IG post, rules SC
- The Supreme Court January 18, 2018 ruled that Sindh Police Inspector General AD Khawaja would retain his post till further order, suspending federal and provincial government moves to transfer and replace him
- A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar accepted Sindh government appeal against the Sindh High Court verdict, which had ruled that Khawaja would continue as the provincial police chief
- The government had nominated Sardar Abdul Majeed Dasti, a grade 22 officer, as Khawaja’s replacement. However, the apex court said: “Khawaja is to retain his post”
Japan, Australia push for defence pact
- The prime ministers of Japan and Australia said they would push to seal a major security agreement “as early as feasible,” in the face of tensions over North Korea
- The agreement on joint defence operations and exercises was at the centre of talks between Malcolm Turnbull and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe during a one-day visit by the Australian leader