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March 29, 2019: National Current Affairs
1. APG dissatisfied over Pakistan`s compliance with commitments
• Expressing dissatisfaction over Pakistan`s inadequate compliance with global commitments, the Asia-Pacific Group (APG) a regional affiliate of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has flashed contradictory situations and poor coordination among stakeholders fighting money laundering and terror financing as top takeaways of three-day mutual evaluation.
• No official word was available from the APG or the government on the conclusion of the on-site mutual evaluation, but in background discussions offcials involved in the process mostly shared pessimism.
• The visiting delegation highlighted many contradictory positions. For example, the Pakistani side was confronted with the statement that mosques and religious institutions were not involved in terrorism, but data showed most of the punishments and fines imposed on those collecting donations and delivering speeches around mosques and related systems.
2. Every third child under five is stunted in Punjab, says survey
• Almost every third child under five years of age is stunted in Punjab with a majority of them in 11 districts of southern Punjab, reveals the Multiple Indicators Cluster Survey (MICS) 2018 report.
• Since children`s nutritional status reflects their overall health, the report tells that stunting is higher in rural population (34.3 per cent) compared to 26 per cent in urban population of children in age cohort of 0-5 years. In the same age group, some 21.2 per cent children are classified as underweight and wasting rate stands at 7.5 per cent.
• The MICS Punjab report 2018 was launched by the Punjab Planning and Development Board at a local hotel on Thursday a day after Prime Minister Imran Khan described malnutrition and stunting among children as a major problem for the country and pledged to resolve the issue by including it in his ambitious social safety and poverty alleviation programme `Ehsaas` for the welfare of the poor and downtrodden segments of society.
3. Three Chinese towns named sister cities to Karachi, Gwadar, Multan
• Chinese cities Urumqi, Puyang and Xi`an were declared as sister cities to Karachi, Gwadar, and Multan, respectively, at a forum held in Beijing on March 28, 2019 to strengthen the bond of friendship between the two countries.
• Federal Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination Dr Fehmida Mirza headed a Pakistani delegation at the event during which Pakistani and Chinese officials signed separate agreements in this regard.
• Speaking on the occasion, Dr Mirza said Pakistan highly valued its relationship and mutual cooperation with China.
4. Rehab centre for polio victims starts operation
• The first-ever centre for rehabilitation of polio-affected children started operations at the Paraplegic Centre, Hayatabad Township, Peshawar on March 28, 2019.
• Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Finance Minister Taimur Salim Jhagra inaugurated the facility where free medication and supportive stuff would be provided to those affected by poliomyelitis in the province, a press release said.
• The World Health Organisation has helped scores of children affected by polio to lead a normal life after treatment.
5. ECNEC approves Rs96bn projects for Balochistan
• The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) on March 28, 2019 approved two development projects for Balochistan with a total cost of about Rs96 billion.
• The ECNEC meeting presided over by Finance Miniter Asad Umar also cleared a proposal of the Ministry of Communications for introduction of Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) and allow construction of service areas by the private sector along the Western Corridor of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
• The Planning Division gave a presentation about the dualisation of Western Alignment of CPEC Kuchlak-Zhob section N-50 (305km). The committee was briefed about the importance of the Western Corridor which would significantly benefit the people of Zhob, Kuchlak, Muslim Bagh, Pashin as well as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and also facilitate Pak-Afghan trade.
• The meeting approved Rs11bn land acquisition cost of the project that would be metfrom the savings of Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) and no new allocation would be required in this regard. As such, the total project cost was approved at Rs79bn. This would include construction and dualisation of road, Kuchlaq-Zhob Section of N-50` at a cost of Rs67.638bn.
6. Naya Pakistan housing project set to be launched next month
• Prime Minister Imran Khan on March 28, 2019 announced the launching of five million housing units, mainly for low-income groups, under the Naya Pakistan Housing Project from next month to cope with the shortage of around 10 million houses in the country.
• Under the project, five million housing units would be built.
March 29, 2019: International Current Affairs
7. India`s test to shoot down satellite raises fears of space junk
• Acting US Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan said on March 28, 2019 he expected debris from an Indian anti-satellite weapons test to eventually burn up in the atmosphere instead of creating a lasting debris field that could threaten other satellites.
• Asked about comments by India`s top defence scientist that the debris would burn up in 45 days, Shanahan said he could not confirm any particular timeframe.
• `But in terms of threats to other objects, that`s consistent with what I`ve heard,` that it will burn up in the atmosphere, Shanahan told reporters travelling with him in Florida.
• The comments came a day after India said it used an indigenously developed ballistic missile interceptor to destroy one of its own satellites at a height of 300 km (186 miles), in a test aimed at boosting its defences in space.
8. US under fire at UN over Golan decision
• The United States faced sharp criticism at the UN Security Council over its decision to recognise the Golan Heights as Israeli territory, which big powers denounced as a violation of UN resolutions.
• President Donald Trump signed a proclamation on March 25, 2019 in which the United States recognised Israel`s annexation of the strategic plateau that it seized in 1967 and annexed in 1981.
• Britain, Washington`s closest ally, said the decision was in violation of Resolution 497 that declared Israel`s annexation of the Golan as `null and void.` France warned that any attempt to turn away from international law was `doomed to fail` as the United States prepares to unveil its Middle East peace proposals.
• Russia appealed to governments to reject the US decision and to continue to view the Golan as Israeli occupied territory.
9. First case of kidney transplant from living donor with HIV
• The kidney of a 35-year-old HIV positive woman has been transplanted into another patient with the AIDS virus, US surgeons announced on March 28, 2019, in a major medical breakthrough.
• The surgeons at Johns Hopkins University performed the operation on Monday, calling it the first in the world of its kind. The donor has been idendhedas Nina Martinez, while the recipient has not been named.
• Martinez initially wanted to donate the kidney to a friend, but after that friend passed away, she pursued her wish to be an organ donor, Johns Hopkins said.
• Before this transplant operation, doctors had believed it was too risky to leave an HIV-positive patient with only one kidney.
10. Britain to hold third vote on Brexit today
• Prime Minister Theresa May will put her twice-rejected Brexit divorce deal to a third parliamentary vote on March 28, 2019 in a renewed bid to avoid a chaotic split from the European Union in two weeks.
• May`s throw of the dice comes a day after her dramatic pledge to resign in order to persuade her rivals to finally back her vision for breaking Britain`s 46-year membership of the bloc.
• The prime minister`s back is against the wall as she tries to keeping Britain`s economy from imploding and the pound from plunging when a post-Brexit border splits the two tight trading partners.
• Andrea Leadsom, the government`s representative in parliament, said on Thursday that the new vote gave recalcitrant lawmakers the chance to secure Britain`s delayed departure from the EU on May 22. `I encourage all MPs to support it and ensure that we leave the EU.
