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July 14, 2019: National Current Affairs
1. Pakistan told to pay $5.9bn to mining firm
• The International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), one of the five organisations of the World Bank Group, has announced a huge award of $5.976 billion against Pakistan in the Reko Dig case.
• The international tribunal which provides facilities for conciliation and arbitration of international investment disputes, rendered its judgment on July 12, 2019 a 700-page ruling against Pakistan in the Reko Dig case.
• The ICSID awarded a $4.08bn penalty and $1.87bn in interest. The full details of the case are yet to be released by the tribunal.
• The management of the Tethyan Copper Company (TCC) had claimed $11.43bn in damages. The company had filed claims for international arbitration before the ICSID in 2012 after the Balochistan government rejected a leasing request from the company.
2. Mobile police service centres project inaugurated
• Chief Minister Usman Buzdar on July 13, 2019 inaugurated the Mobile Police Khidmat Marakaz project for all the districts of Punjab at Greater Iqbal Park.
• The citizens visiting these centres should be saved from making repeated visits for the documents. The stamp papers should be provided at the service centres and the counters of the Bank of Punjab should be set up for this purpose. The provision of a copy of FIR and other services would be available at the Police Khidmat Marakaz and Mobile Police Khidmat Marakaz.
• Provision of driving licences and other services through these centres was a laudable step.
• These centres have been set up in all the districts. About 550,000 people have benefited from these centres in six months.
July 14, 2019: International Current Affairs
3. Argentina receives $5.4bn from IMF
• The International Monetary Fund (IMF) completed a review on July 13, 2019 of Argentina`s economic performance, allowing the release of $5.4 billion to the country in a loan program intended to help stabilise its economy.
• The IMF board approved the fourth review of the South American country`s performance under the loan deal signed last year.
• `The Argentine authorities continue to show a strong commitment to their economic policy program, meeting all applicable targets under the Fund-supported program,` said IMF Managing Director David Lipton in a statement, noting that financial markets have stabilised.
• Despite the IMF`s confidence, American credit rating agency Moody`s changed Argentina`s outlook on July 12, 2019 from stable to negative.
4. New Zealanders give up weapons for money
• Dozens of Christchurch gun owners on July 13, 2019 handed over their weapons in exchange for money, in the first of more than 250 planned buyback events around New Zealand after the government outlawed many types of semi-automatics.
• Police said they paid more than 430,000 New Zealand dollars ($288,000) to 169 gun owners during the event. The money was paid directly into the bank accounts of gun owners.
• New Zealand lawmakers in April rushed through new legislation to ban so-called military-style weapons after a lone gunman killed 51 people at two Christchurch mosques in March.
• The government has set aside more than NZ$200 million to buy back weapons such as AR-15 style rifles, although many gun owners remain unhappy with the compensation on off er.
• Under an amnesty, gun owners have until December to turn over their now-banned weapons.
5. Turkey ignores US warnings over Russian S-400 missile deployment
• Turkey ignored US warnings as it continued on July 13, 2019 to take delivery of Russia`s S-400 missile defence system near Ankara, a defence ministry statement indicated.
• `Delivery of S-400 Long Range Air and Missile Defence Systems resumed today,` the statement said.
• `The fourth Russian plane carrying S-400 parts landed at Murted Airport outside Ankara,` it added.
• The US fears that if Ankara integrates the S-400 into its defences, data about the US-built F-35 fighter jet could leak back to the Russians, and Washington has threatened to deny Turkey access to the stealth air-craft.
• Members of the US Congress have repeatedly voiced opposition to the move and threatened sanctions.
6. Russia launches space telescope
• Russia launched a space telescope on Saturday from the cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, a joint project with Germany intended to replace one it lost in January.
• The launch was originally scheduled for June 21 but was postponed twice because of a battery problem.
• The Spektr-RG, developed with Germany, is a space observatory intended to replace the Spektr-R, known as the `Russian Hubble`, which Roskosmos said it lost control of in January.
• Spektr-R was launched in 2011 to observe black holes, neutron stars and magnetic fields. Its successor will take up similar duties but will also work on completing the map of the world, said Roskosmos.
7. Regulator approves $5bn fine for Facebook over privacy issues: report
• US regulators have approved a $5 billion penalty to be levied on Facebook to settle a probe into the social network`s privacy and data protection lapses, the Wall Street Journal has reported.
• The newspaper said the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) approved the settlement in a 3-2 vote, with the two Democratic members of the consumer protection agency dissenting.
• According to the report, the deal, which would be the largest penalty ever imposed by the FTC for privacy violations, requires an approval from the Justice Department before it is finalised.
• Although details have not yet been released, the deal will likely include restrictions on how Facebook is able to use personal data.
July 14, 2019: Sports Current Affairs
8. Amir Khan knocks out Billy Dib in Jeddah fight
• Britain’s Amir Khan claimed the WBC international welterweight title with a fourth-round stoppage of Australian Billy Dib in Saudi Arabia.
• Khan floored Dib in the second round with a fierce left hook at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah. A rapid combination of punches then saw Dib fall to the canvas again, prompting his corner to throw in the towel.
• After flooring Dib with a counter left hook in the second, another left hook in the third saw the Australian shaken but able to stay on his feet. There would be no escape in the fourth, though, as a double left hook followed up by a rapid combination saw Dib go down again and prompt the towel to be thrown.
• The Sydney-born fighter, who has held a world title at featherweight, moved up to make his welterweight debut having only been confirmed as Khan’s opponent last month.
9. Halep wins Wimbledon, stops Serena`s bid for 24th Slam
• Clutching her trophy 20 minutes after becoming Wimbledon`s champion, Simona Halep checked out the board inside Centre Court that lists tournament winners.
• Below all of the mentions of Serena Williams, her opponent in July 13, 2019`s final, there already was inscribed: `Miss S. Halep.` Halep was not concerned with preventing Serena from winning a 24th Grand Slam title. All Halep cared about was winning her first at the All England Club. And she played pretty much perfectly.
• On top of her game right from start to finish, Halep overwhelmed Serena 6-2, 6-2 in stunning fashion for her second major championship.
• The whole thing took less than an hour as Serena lost her third Slam final in a row as she tries to equal Margaret Court`s record for most major trophies in tennis history.
10. Sifan Hassan breaks women`s mile world record on emotional night
• Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands broke the 23-year-old women`s mile world record on July 12, 2019 when she clocked four minutes 12.33 seconds in a race dedicated to former American runner Gabe Grunewald, who died from cancer last month at the age of 32.
• Hassan, 26, initially looked to be off the record pace in the rarely-run event but finished strongly to edge the 4:12.56 set by Russia`s Svetlana Masterkova in Zurich in 1996.
• It was a fitting performance in an event named the `Brave like Gabe` Mile.
• There was a tribute to Grunewald on the big screens at the stadium before the race and once it was underway, Hassan, who moved to the Netherlands after leaving Ethiopia as a refugee when she was 15, was always in control.
