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September 1, 2018: National Current Affairs
1. Pakistan backs Iran over US nuclear deal row
- As Prime Minister Imran Khan on August 31, 2018 vowed to further strengthen Pakistan-Iran ties, the government expressed unequivocal support for Iran`s position on its troubled nuclear deal with the West that has been abandoned by the United States and urged the other parties to the agreement to remain committed to it.
- Talking to Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, who is the first foreign leader to visit Pakistan after the assumption of office by the PTI-led coalition government, PM Khan recalled the `inseparable bonds` connecting Pakistan and Iran together and said that during his government he would make all efforts `to cement these relations in various areas to the benefit of both countries
2. All international agreements to be reviewed: PM
- Prime Minister Imran Khan on August 31, 2018 said his government would review all international agreements it inherited from the last Pakistan Muslim League (PMLN) government and asked critics to bear with him for three months for performance.
- He stated this during a meeting with a select group of anchorpersons at the Prime Minister House.
- The prime minister was quoted as saying: `Give our government three months before criticizing its performance.` He claimed that in three months, there would be a marked difference in the way the country was currently run.
3. Minister rules out placement of Pakistan on FATF blacklist
- Ruling out placement of Pakistan on the Financial Action Task Force`s (FATF) blacklist, Finance Minister Asad Umar said on August 31,m 2018 that the negotiated action plan with the FATF would be implemented.
- September 2019 was the deadline for compliance, observing that Pakistan would finally be out of the grey-list.
- 27 deficiencies in five broad categories had been identified in Pakistan`s anti-money laundering and terror financing regime, adding that the basic areas identified were currency smuggling, hawala and financing to proscribed organisations.
- FATF or no FATF, it is in our own national interest,` he remarked.
- A national executive committee had been formed to deal with the issue which included representatives from the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and other relevant institutions. He said the first review meeting of the committee would be held on Sept 8.
4. Japan to give Rs2.3bn for weather radar installation
- Pakistan`s weather forecasting capability will get a boost with the installation of a new weather surveillance radar in Multan, using the Japanese grant assistance of Rs2.3 billion for which an agreement was signed here on August 31, 2018.
- With the installation of this fifth weather surveillance radar, the weather coverage will go up to 80 per cent, benefiting 90pc of the population. So far, Japan has supported installation of four weather radars in Islamabad, Karachi, Dera Ismail Khan and Rahim Yar Khan, bringing total weather radars operating in Pakistan to eight.
- Besides this, the Japanese government would provide Rs360 million scholarships for human resource development.
- The agreements for the two projects were signed by Ambassador of Japan to Pakistan Takashi Kurai and Additional Secretary of Economic Affairs Division Ahmad Hanif Orakzai inthe presence of Japanese State Minister for Foreign Affairs Kazuyuki Nakane, Finance Minister Asad Umar, Director General of Pakistan Meteorological Department Dr Ghulam Rasul and Chief Representative of JICA Pakistan Office Yasuhiro Tojo.
5. Shehryar sworn in as minister of state for interior
- Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI)leader Shehryar Afridi on August 31, 2018 took the oath as the minister of state for interior, increasing the total number of cabinet members to 22.
- President Mamnoon Hussain administered the oath to Mr Afridi in a ceremony held at President House.
6. Pakistan closes consulate in Jalalabad
- The embassy of Pakistan in Kabul has closed the Pakistani Consulate General in Jalalabad City in Nangarhar province to protest local officials’ intervention in activities of the diplomatic office.
- “The Embassy wishes to inform that the Consulate General will remain closed until the security arrangements are complete to the satisfaction of the embassy,” the Pakistani embassy said in a press release on August 31, 2018.
- The intervention of the local authorities is termed a “violation of Vienna Convention of Consular Relations 1963”, said the statement.
- “The Embassy of Pakistan in Kabul deeply regrets undue intervention of Governor Hayatullah Hayat in the functioning of the Consulate General of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan in Jalalabad is complete violation of the Vienna Convention of the Consular Relations 1963.”
September 1, 2018: International Current Affairs
7. Turkey to buy advanced Russian air defence system, alarms Nato
- President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on August 31, 2018 said Turkey will buy some of Russia`s highly-sophisticated air defence systems `in the shortest time` a purchase that has alarmed Ankara`s Nato partners.
- `Turkey needs S-400s and its deal has been done,` Erdogan said in the western city of Balikesir. `God willing, we will buy them in the shortest time.
- In April, Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to speed up the first deliveries of the S-400s, which had previously been scheduled for the end of 2019 or the beginning of 2020.
- The S-400 is the latest generation surface-to air defence system developed by Russia and is considered by Nato countries to pose a threat to their aircraft.
8. Genocide survivor, psychiatrist among Magsaysay Award winners
- Six people were honoured on August 31, 2018 as this year`s winners of the Ramon Magsaysay Awards, known as Asia`s version of the Nobel Prize, including a Cambodian genocide survivor who helped document the Khmer Rouge atrocities and an Indian psychiatrist who led the rescue of thousands of mentally ill street paupers.
- The others who received the prize at a ceremony in Manila were a Filipino who led peace talks with communist insurgents, a polio stricken Vietnamese who fought discrimination against the disabled, an East Timorese who built care centres for the poor amid civil strife and an Indian who tutored village students to help them pass exams.
9. Australia unveils starfish-killing robot to protect Barrier Reef
- A robot submarine able to hunt and kill the predatory crown-of-thorns starfish devastating the Great Barrier Reef was unveiled by Australian researchers on August 31, 2018.
Scientists at Queensland University of Technology (QUT) said the robot, named the RangerBot and developed with a grant from Google, would serve as a `robo reef protector` for the vast World Heritage site off Australia`s nohheastern coast.
The RangerBot has an eight-hour battery life and computer vision capabilities allowing it to monitor and map reef areas at scales not previously possible.
`RangerBot is the world`s first underwater robotic system designed specifically for coral reef environments, using only robot-vision for real-time navigation, obstacle avoidance and complex science missions,` said Matthew Dunbabin, the QUT professor who unveiled the submarine.
September 1, 2018: Sports Current Affairs
10. Malaysia thrash Pakistan 2-0 in Asian Games squash
Malaysia thrashed Pakistan 2-0 in the semifinals of the 18th Asian Games men’s team event in Jakarta on August 31, 2018.
In the first match, Tayyab Aslam was up against Nafizwan. Nafizwan, who is at the twilight of his career, never gave Tayyab any chance to settle down and simply outclassed the Pakistani top seed to win the encounter in straight games.
The Malaysian won the first game 11-8, took the second 11-6 and won the third 11-6 to give Malaysia 1-0 lead