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Day by Day Current Affairs (May 03, 2018)

US delays agrément for Ali Siddiqui

• The US government has not yet released the agrément for Ali Jahangir Siddiqui, a Karachi-based businessman who was designated the new Pakistani envoy to Washington in March.
• An agrément is the approval of a diplomatic representative by the state to which he or she is to be accredited. Pakistan had sent relevant papers to the US State Department almost two months ago and is now waiting for the agrément.
• Diplomatic norms do not allow a host government to tell another government who to send as ambassador, but they also place no obligation on the host government to approve the appointment.
• In early March, the federal government announced in Islamabad that it planned to appoint Mr Siddiqui as Pakistan`s ambassador to the United States.

2. Ban on arms licences lifted

• The capital administration on May 2, 2018 lifted the ban imposed on arms licences and a standard operating procedure (SOP) was also prepared for the issuance of the licences.
• A notification issued by the office of the district magistrate says non-prohibited bore licences will be issued after completion of all formalities and in light of the policy of the interior ministry and the SOPs issued by the district magistrate.
• Non-prohibited bore weapons are also categorised and include non-automatic or semi-automatic shot guns and revolvers or pistols.
• The government had banned the issuance of arms licences in June 2013 to invalidate illegally issued licences. It was also part of its de-weaponising policy.

3. Pakistan becomes hottest place on earth in April

• Pakistan has become the hottest place on earth in April when the temperature crossed 50 degrees Celsius in Nawabshah on the last day of the year`s fourth month breaking its own record of 49.2 Celsius which was recorded in 2017, the Met office confirmed on May 2, 2018.
• It said on April 30, Nawabshah sizzled at 50.2 Celsius and it was the first time in the history of the country and the world when the temperature touched the 50-degree mark in April.
• `Last year recorded Celsius was 49.2 on April 22. `The temperature further increased this year and touched 50.2 Celsius mark on April 30.
• The city has a history of being warm and humid in the summer, but being so hot in April is a little unusual.

4. Pakistan currently has largest percentage of young people in its history: report

• Pakistan currently has the largest percentage of young people ever recorded in its history, according to the new National Human Development Report launched on May 2, 2018 by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Pakistan.
• Titled Unleashing the Potential of a Young Pakistan, the report says 64pc of the total population is below the age of 30 while 29pc is between the ages of 15 and 29 years.
• It is one of the youngest countries in the world and the second youngest in the South Asian region after Afghanistan.
• This youth bulge will critically impact Pakistan as a country if not dealt with appropriately, depending on how the country invests in the youth by providing them with quality education, employment and meaningful engagement opportunities.
• The report says that if engaged and utilised properly, the youth can serve as catalysts for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

5. India has world`s 14 most polluted cities, says WHO

• Only a handful of India`s 100 most polluted cities have drawn up plans to combat air pollution despite being asked to do so three years ago, senior government officials said on May 2, 2018 after a damning report by the World Health Organisation.
• India is home to the world`s 14 most polluted cities, the WHO said, based on the amount of particulate matter under 2.5 micrograms found in every cubic metre of air.
• Kanpur, a north Indian city of three million people, is the world`s most polluted city, yet it only has one system to monitor air quality
• Delhi sixth most polluted city Delhi is the world`s sixth most polluted city, according to the WHO. On May 2, 2018, air quality in the city stood at 143 micrograms, which is `unhealthy for sensitive groups`.

6. Basque separatists ETA announce dissolution

• Basque separatist group ETA has announced it is fully disbanding, marking the definitive end to its deadly independence campaign and to western Europe`s last armed insurgency.
• Created in 1959 at the height of Francisco Franco`s dictatorship, ETA waged more then four decades of attacks, killings and kidnappings in its fight for an independent Basque homeland in northern Spain and southwest France, leaving at least 829 dead.
• `ETA has decided to declare its historical cycle and functions terminated, putting an end to its journey,` the group said in a letter published on Wednesday by Spanish online newspaper El Diario. `ETA has completely dissolved all of its structures and declared an end to its political initiative.

7. UK admits cancer screening failure for 450,000 women

• Britain on May 2, 2018 admitted that a “serious failure” in its breast cancer screening programme over nearly a decade led to 450,000 women missing out on invitations to their final tests — and may have shortened the lives of up to 270 of them.
• Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt apologised to parliament for the failure, blaming it on “a computer algorithm failure”.
• Women in England between the ages of 50 and 70 are automatically invited for breast cancer screening every three years by the state-run National Health Service. But between 2009 and the start of 2018, an estimated 450,000 women did not receive their final invitation, which should have been sent between their 68th and 71st birthdays.

8. Burj Capital switches on 50MW wind plant in Jhimpir

• Burj Capital, a Dubai-based investment firm, on Wednesday announced successful achievement of commercial operations at its 500MW renewable asset platform in Jhimpir, located in Gharo-Keti Bandar wind corridor, southeastern Pakistan.
• “Completing our first project and delivering power to the national grid is a proud moment indeed,” Saad Zaman, founder and group CEO of Burj Capital, said in a statement. “This is only the start; however, we have a lot more in store for Pakistan.
• Zaman said they were at the cusp of an energy revolution that would transform the country into an energy rich nation.
• “I would like to congratulate all our stakeholders, especially the government of Pakistan,” the Burj Capital CEO said adding it must be gratifying to see the wind and solar space bearing fruit.

9. EU unveils bigger post-Brexit budget

• The EU unveiled plans May 2, 2018 for a bigger 1.279-trillion euro budget for the seven years after Brexit, featuring a controversial move to cut funding for countries that fail to respect the rule of law.
• European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker said the proposals were “reasonable and responsible” but the idea of spending more money faces opposition from several countries.
• Poland and Hungary, which have both been severely criticised by Brussels over democratic freedoms, are meanwhile up in arms over the proposal to “suspend, reduce or restrict access” to errant states.

10. Malaysian badminton pair banned 20, 15 years for match-fixing

• Two Malaysian badminton players have been hit with career ending bans of 20 and 15 years respectively after being found guilty of corruption and match-fixing, on May 2, 2018.
• The Badminton World Federation (BWF) said former world junior champion Zulfadli Zulkiffli, 25, was banned for 20 years and fined $25,000, while Tan Chun Seang, 31, was barred for 15 years and fined $15,000.
• They were found guilty of breaching the BWF code of conduct in relation to betting, wagering and irregular match results.

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