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 October 15, 2018: National Current Affairs

1. Pakistani, Afghan forces exchange fire near Chaman

• Pakistani and Afghan forces exchanged fire on October 14, 2018 about 60km north of the border town of Chaman, with the clash lasting several hours.
• Pakistani officials confirmed the incident and said Afghan troops opened fire on Pakistani personnel who were erecting a fence along the border in the Tandah Dara Sarochahan area.
• After the incident, Pakistani border authorities closed the Friendship Gate near Chaman, leaving thousands of people stranded on both sides of the Pak Afghan border.
• Afghan security personnel had been converging onto the border area for the last several days and on October 14, 2018 afternoon they began firing towards the Pakistani troops who were busy erecting the fence. Pakistani troops returned the fire.

2. Four-member body formed for assets recovery

• The federal government has constituted four-member Assets Recovery Committee under the supervision of Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Accountability Shahzad Akbar.
• The committee comprises National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Director General Rawalpindi Bureau Irfan Mangi, Federal Investigation Agency Director Dr Rizwan, Security Exchange Commission of Pakistan Member Muhammad Ashfaq and one member from State Bank of Pakistan.
• It has also been decided that the committee will meet every week at the office of Shahzad Akbar in the PM Secretariat to review the performance every week.
• Akbar announced a new legislation to broaden the mutual legal assistance to obtain evidence from other countries against financial crimes and mega corruption cases involving Pakistanis.

3. Pakistan to share China debt details with US before IMF

• Pakistan is set to discuss the Chinese debt details with the United States before briefing the International Monetary Fund about the Beijing loans as Islamabad awaits an IMF bailout package.
• Washington had not given any positive signals since Pakistan approached the IMF for the bailout package this month.
• Washington is very influential in the IMF so it is necessary to satisfy them (the US) before the IMF visits Pakistan. Pakistan will also share details with the IMF later. As of now, Pakistan is awaiting a positive signal from the US.
• Over the weekend, Finance Minister Asad Umar dismissed the US statements on Pakistan’s debt position before evaluating Islamabad’s request for an IMF bailout.
• After returning from Indonesia, where he attended the annual meetings of the World Bank and IMF, Umar said the US did not hold the power to veto IMF decisions.
• However, the US is the largest contributor to the IMF and has 17.68 percent of voting rights in major decisions. China is third, behind Japan, and controls 6.49 percent of the vote.
• Washington had earlier said it will examine closely Pakistan’s request for an IMF loan, adding that “part of the reason that Pakistan found itself in this situation is Chinese debt”.

4. QAU director represents Pakistan at BRI moot

• Director, School of Politics and IR, Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU), Pro. Dr Nazir Hussain on October 14, 2018 presented an idea of alternate academic discourse to cater for transformational global order.
• In his address on ‘the Role of Academics in the Transformational Global Order’ at the International Conference on the Belt and Road Initiative and Global Governance held at Fudan University, he offered joint research, faculty and student exchanges and mutual visits to the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) countries.
• At the end of the conference, representatives of 13 countries from Europe, Asia and Africa, including Pakistan, established the Union of Schools of Politics and International Relations (USPIR).

October 15, 2018: International Current Affairs

5. Luxembourg votes with liberal PM`s job in the balance

• Luxembourg voters went to the polls on October 14, 2018 in a legislative election that will decide the fate of liberal Prime Minister Xavier Bettel`s five-year-old government.
• The small Grand Duchy has an electorate of just 256,000 choosing 60 deputies, but eight parties are in the race and the next government will likely result from coalition talks.
• Only three leaders have a real hope of forming a government, Bettel of the liberal DP, Claude Wiseler of the centre-right CSV and Etienne Schneider of the socialist LSAP.
• The CSV has long had the largest representation. It has 23 members in the outgoing parliament but would need a coalition partner to get a 31 seat majority.
• In 2013, the socialists and greens chose to partner with the liberals despite the right`s lead, putting Bettel in power and ousting the CSV`s veteran premier Jean-Claude Juncker.

6. S. Arabia vows to hit back over sanctions on Khashoggi issue

• Saudi Arabia on October 14, 2018 warned against threats to punish it over disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, as European and US allies piled on pressure.
• Mr Khashoggi, a US resident and Washington Post columnist critical of Riyadh`s policies, disappeared on Oct 2 after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Turkey believes he was murdered and his body removed. Saudi Arabia has denied that.
• US President Donald Trump has threatened `severe punishment` if it turns out Mr Khashoggi was killed in the consulate, though he said Washington would be `punishing` itself if it halted military sales to Riyadh.
• `The kingdom affirms its total rejection of any threats and attempts to undermine it, whether by threatening to impose economic sanctions, using political pressures, or repeating false accusations.
• `The kingdom also affirms that if it receives any action, it will respond with greater action, and that the kingdom`s economy has an influential and vital role in the global economy,` the official added, without elaborating.

7. Abe renews pledge to change Japan`s charter to boost troops

• Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe renewed his pledge on October 14, 2018 to push for a revision to the country`s war renouncing constitution, in which he wants the military explicitly mentioned.
• Speaking before a field of about 4,000 troops, Abe said that a revision is needed to give his troops sense of pride. `You have gained public trust with your own hands,` Abe, wearing a tuxedo, told the troops in his address.
• Re-elected as head of his ruling party last month and with up to three more years as Japan`s leader, Abe is determined to pursue his long-sought charter amendment. Many Japanese conservatives see Japan`s US-drafted constitution as a humiliation imposed after their World War II defeat.When the Self-Defence Force was established in 1954, public opinion was initially divided over its role, but today the force has gained support for its largely non-combat contribution in international peacekeeping efforts and disaster relief.

8. Merkel`s Bavarian allies suffer unprecedented election losses

• German Chancellor Angela Merkel`s arch-conservative CSU allies suffered historic losses in Bavaria state elections on October 14, 2018, dealing a blow to her fragile three-party coalition government.
• The Christian Social Union (CSU) scored 35.5 per cent, a humiliating 12-point drop from four years ago in the wealthy Alpine state they have ruled almost single-handedly since the 1960s.
• The outcome means the party loses its absolute majority and must scramble for coalition allies either small conservative groups or possibly its longtime ideological foes the Greens, who won a record 19 percent according to broadcaster ZDF.
• Merkel`s other national governing partner, the over 150-year-old Social Democrats (SPD), took only around 10 per cent, ceding the position of main left-of-centre party and Bavaria`s second biggest political force to the Greens.`Debacle for CSU and SPD,` ran the first online headline of Bild daily, while Spiegel Online called it a `bitter defeat` for Bavaria`s traditional ruling party.

9. State TV broadcasts in Syria’s east for first time in seven years

• Syrian state terrestrial TV station resumed broadcasting to the eastern city of Deir el-Zour and surrounding areas for the first time in seven years, pro-state TV reported on October 14, 2018, the latest in government efforts to restore normal life to areas it has recaptured from armed groups.
• Al-Ikhbariya said technicians have installed two transmitters to broadcast state television station and Voice of Youth radio, covering the city of Deir el-Zour and surrounding areas. Government forces, aided by Russian air craft and allied militia, chased IS fighters out of the city and most of the western banks of the River Euphrates last year.
• Omar Abou Leila, a Deir el-Zour native residing in Europe, said the TV broadcast was restored to government-controlled areas west of the Euphrates, but not to SDF-controlled areas east of the river

October 15, 2018: Sports Current Affairs

10. Tirawat holds his nerve to lift CNS Open title in stunning style

• Tirawat Kaewsiribandit proved on October 14, 2018 that the age-old adage `slow and steady wins the race` still holds.
• The Thai ended up with the UMACNS Asian Tour Open Golf Championship title by just doing just that. He stayed consistent and let others go for it.
• What it did, though, was that it produced a fitting climax to the first Asian Tour tournament in the country after 11 years.
• It all came down to the very end.
• The final hole. The final shot. It was a question of who would hold his nerve better. Or who would wilt first.
• Tirawat, who started the final round three strokes off the lead, did the former. His compatriot Namchok Tantipokhakul, the overnight leader with a one-shot lead, did the latter to finish tied with another Thai Jakraphan Premsirigorn, who began the day in second place, as the runner-up.