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
January 20, 2019: National Current Affairs
1. UNGA president calls for resolution of Kashmir issue
• United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) President Ms Maria Fernanda Espinosa January 19, 2019 said she had been encouraged to see that the government of Prime Minister Imran Khan was aligned towards shaping a new future for the people of Pakistan.
• The new future was based on combating poverty, corruption and opening up to investments and tourism, she said in an interview with Radio Pakistan.
• The UNGA president said Pakistan was such a beautiful country, which had so much diversity and so much to show to the world. The country was on the right track, she added.
• Regarding women empowerment in Pakistan, the UNGPA president said there had been a lot of improvement as several women were holding high level positions in the country. They had strong voices in public opinion.
• Ms Maria said Pakistan’s contribution in the war on terrorism was an example. The country had waged a successful and sustained effort against terrorism and its anti-terror efforts had been recognized by the international community.
• Pakistan’s overall role in regional peace and security, she said, was commendable. It was playing a very constructive role in the Afghan peace process. Peace in Afghanistan was also beneficial for Pakistan.
2. In a first, Port Qasim berths two LNG vessels in one day
• Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Ali Haider Zaidi took to his Twitter account to boast that Port Qasim Authority `made history` on January 19, 2019 by berthing two LNG vessels in the same day.
• The two vessels the Al Ghashamiya flagged in the Marshall Islands and Gaslog Singapore flagged in Bermuda began their voyage from Qatar, according to the site Marine Traffic.
• Sharing photos of the two LNG carriers, the minister tweeted: `Kudos to our team at Port Q asim.
• History was written today.
• Alhamdullilah for the first time, we`ve been able to berth two LNG vessels in one tide! PQA also about to start night navigation in a couple of weeks. Once that starts, port chocking issue will be addressed.
• Al Ghashamiya a Q-flex vessel (a membrane type liquefied natural gas carrier) arrived a few days earlier but the captain was apprehensive about entering the channel due to lack of depth. Thevessel has a draft of 11.5 metres while the Gaslog Singapore has a draft of lim.
3. Pakistan, US continue efforts to rescue Taliban talks
• Pakistan and the United States January 19, 2019 continued efforts to convince the Afghan Taliban for talks with all the stakeholders including the Afghan government as US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad extended his stay in Pakistan.
• Pakistan was making all efforts for fruitful US-Taliban talks. “The Afghan Taliban insist on speaking only to the US and are till date not ready to talk to the Afghan government. Pakistan and the US are continuing efforts to bring all the parties on one table,” said an official. He said the Afghan government has also been urged to use their offices to convince the Taliban for the inclusive talks.
• Pakistan only had limited influence over the Afghan Taliban and cannot ‘force’ them to accept the US demands.
• Amid the struggle to bring Taliban to the talks table, Zalmay Khalilzad extended his stay in Pakistan. He was scheduled to travel back on January 19 but decided to stay hoping for the next round of talks with the Afghan Taliban.
4. First polio drive of 2019 from January 21, 2019
• The first anti-polio campaign of the year will be kicked off from January 21, 2019 across the province including the recently-merged sub-divisions (FRs) wherein more than 5.89 million children under the age of five years will be given oral polio vaccines.
• The decision to this effect was taken at a high-level meeting held here at Emergency Operations Centre Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (EOC) with EOC Coordinator Capt (R) Kamran Afridi in the chair. Director EPI KP Dr Akram Shah, Team Lead UNICEF Dr Joahar, Team Lead WHO Dr Abid Nasir, Dr Ijaz Shah and Technical Focal Person BMGF Dr Imtiaz Ali Shah were also present on the occasion.
• Total target of the campaign stood at 5.89 million children for which 27,300 teams had been constituted out of which 19,398 were mobile teams, 1,620 fixed, 999 transit teams and 185 roaming teams
5. PIA starts flights for EU from Sialkot
• National flag-carrier Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) will start direct international passenger flights to Europe through Paris-France and Barcelona-Spain from Sialkot International Airport here on January 20, 2019 (today).
• The PIA has organised a prestigious launching ceremony at Sialkot International Airport here today wherein Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar will formally launch the flights to Europe.
• Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), leading exporters and leading people from travel industry will attend the prestigious launching ceremony.
• Both PIA and SIAL have already made all necessary arrangements for launching the PIA’s direct international flights to Europe.
6. SDPI inks MoU with Saudi think tank
• Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) signed a memorandum of understanding with a leading think tank ‘Rasanah’ based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to establish and facilitate mutual cooperation in research and advisory initiatives and the exchange of technical and scientific information and expertise.
• ‘Rasanah’ is a Saudi-based independent research and studies institute specialising in regional affairs. ‘Rasanah’ was ranked top in Saudi Arabia and 10th in the Middle East and North Africa region and 28th as Best Regional Studies Centre by 2017 Global Go To Think Tank Index Report.
• Executive Director, SDPI, Dr Abid Qaiyum Suleri and Dr Muhammad S Alsulami, Chairperson, ‘Rasanah’, Riyadh, signed here the MoU at the SDPI office.
January 20, 2019: International Current Affairs
7. Swiss scientists develop tiny swimming robots
• Swiss scientists have developed a flexible, nature-inspired tiny robot that can swim through fluids and may deliver drugs to diseased tissue one day.
• The study published in the journal Science Advances described the soft, bio-compatible device “like a living microorganism,” wriggling in fluids that may be dense, viscous or moving at rapid speeds.
• Selman Sakar, the lead author of the study and assistant professor from Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, told Xinhua that the prototypes were around one millimeter in length but they could be made smaller using an origami-based folding method.
• The miniaturized robot can pass through narrow blood vessels and intricate systems without compromising on speed or maneuverability, neither losing control of the moving direction.
• The deformations can be “programmed” in advance without sensors or actuators, allowing the robot automatically morphing into the most efficient shape, according to the study.
8. Burkina Faso PM and govt resign
• Burkina Faso’s government and Prime Minister Paul Kaba Thieba stood down late on January 18, 2019, according to a statement released by the country’s president.
• No explanation was given for the resignations, though sources told AFP President Roch Marc Christian Kabore wants to breathe new life into the leadership of the landlocked west African country, which is battling a rising wave of jihadist attacks and hostage-taking.
• Canadian Edith Blais, 34, and her Italian partner Luca Tacchetto, 30, have been missing since mid-December, and late Wednesday a Canadian geologist kidnapped by suspected jihadists was found dead at a remote gold mine in the northeast.
• “Prime Minister Paul Kaba Thieba submitted this afternoon his resignation as well as that of his government,” the statement said.
9. Philippines’ richest man Sy dies at 94
• The Philippines’ wealthiest man Henry Sy, who rose from being a penniless Chinese immigrant to leading a multi-billion dollar business empire, died on January 19, 2019.
• The 94-year-old, from the Chinese city of Xiamen, made his fortune with a Philippine shopping centre conglomerate that has put up some of the largest malls in the world.
• However his holdings also included banks, hotels and real estate in the Philippines, as well as shopping centres in China.
• He had a net worth of $19 billion as of Friday, according to Forbes.com.
• Forbes said he was the 52nd richest person in the world last year, beating out bold name tycoons like Elon Musk, Rupert Murdoch and George Soros.
January 20, 2019: Sports Current Affairs
10. Pakistan beat S. Africa by five wickets
• Mohammad Hafeez and Imam-ul-Haq set up a five wicket win for Pakistan in the first one-day international against South Africa at St George`s Park on January 19, 2019.
• The left-handed Imam made a cultured 86 off 101 balls and Hafeez hit an unbeaten 71 off 63 deliveries as Pakistan chased down a target of 267 with five balls to spare. Hashim Amla`s 27th one day international century was not enough for South Africa, who lost only two wickets in scoring 266 runs after winning the toss.
• The Pakistan batsmen also proved better at rotating the strike, particularly during a 94-run secondwicket stand between Imam and Babar Azam (49).
