September 2018

Day by Day Current Affairs (September 2, 2018) | MCQs for CSS, PMS, NTS

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Written by Shahzad F. Malik

WELCOME TO CSS TIMES DAY BY  DAY CURRENT AFFAIRS, YOUR BEST SOURCE FOR UP-TO-DATE AND DAILY TOP CURRENT AFFAIRS 2018 FOR PREPARATION OF CSS, PMS, BANKING, NTS, RAILWAYS AND ALL COMPETITIVE EXAMS.  “DAY TO DAY CURRENT AFFAIRS” BASICALLY IS TOP 10 NEWS SUMMARY ON CURRENT HAPPENINGS OF NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL IMPORTANCE FOR ALL EXAMINATIONS

 September 2, 2018: National Current Affairs

1. PM-led economic council formed to advise govt

Prime Minister Imran Khan has constituted an 18-member Economic Advisory Council (EAC) with the induction of a few world-renowned economists to ensure the availability of best possible professional advice to the government on economic policies.
Unlike past practices, the new EAC will be headed by the prime minister himself to ensure that the best possible professional advice is available to the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf-led government to inform, optimise and synergise the formulation and implementation of its economic and financial policies.
The first meeting of the council will be convened next week.
In the past, EACs were headed by finance ministers with no definite agenda for regular meetings. It was observed that EAC met even once in four months and its advice was not considered seriously. Consequently, EACs have become mere debating forums.
Contrary to this, it was decided this time that a permanent secretariat will be established for the EAC in the finance division.

2. Pentagon cancels $300m aid to Pakistan

The US military said it has made a final decision to cancel $300 million in aid to Pakistan that had been suspended over Islamabad`s perceived failure to take decisive action against militants.
The so-called Coalition Support Funds (CSF) were part of a broader suspension in aid to Pakistan announced by President Donald Trump at the start of the year, when he had accused Pakistan of rewarding past assistance with `nothing but lies & deceit`. The Trump administration says Islamabad is granting safe haven to insurgents who are waging a war in Afghanistan, a charge Pakistan denies.
US defence secretary Jim Mattis had an opportunity to authorise $300 million in CSF if he saw concrete Pakistaniactions to go after insurgents. Mattis chose not to, a US of ficial told Reuters.
The disclosure came ahead of an expected visit by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and the top US military officer, General Joseph Dunford, to Islamabad.

3. New CDA chairman appointed

Afzal Latif, a Pakistan Administrative Services (PAS) BPS-21 officer, has been appointed chairman of the Capital Development Authority (CDA).
His predecessor, Ishrat Ali, is also a BPS-21 officer from the PAS. He has been appointed director general of immigration and passports, under the Interior Division, with immediate effect.
According to notifications, Mr Latif was the Establishment Divisionadditional secretaryand has been appointed member of the CDA board.
In the second paragraph of one of the notifications, it is stated that Mr Latif has been appointed CDA chairman.

4. Pakistan shuts Jalalabad consulate

Pakistan has announced closure of its consulate in Jalalabad, citing `undue interference` by the governor of Afghanistan`s Nangarhar province in its working and other security concerns.
While notifying the decision to the Afghan foreign ministry, the Pakistan embassy in Kabul stated: `The embassy wishes to inform that the consulate general will remain closed until the security arrangements are complete to the satisfaction of the embassy.
Calling the intervention of Governor Hayatullah Hayat a complete violation of the Vienna Convention of the Consular Relations 1963, the Kabul embassy asked the Afghan authorities to honour the diplomatic privileges enjoyed by the consulate under international treaties. `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, which is a complete violation of the Vienna Convention of the Consular Relations 1963,` the statement read
Article 31 of the Vienna Convention pertaining to inviolability of the consular premises states: `The authorities of the receiving State shall not enter that part of the consular premises which is used exclusively for the purpose of the work of the consular post except with the consent of the head of the consular post or of his designee or of the head of the diplomatic mission of the sending State.

5. Pakistan Navy ship ASALT visits Jeddah

PNS ASLAT visited Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, being the last Port Call of her Overseas Deployment to Mediterranean and European Countries.
In line with Pakistan’s foreign policy, Pakistan Navy has always been instrumental in furthering naval diplomacy in the form of goodwill visits and naval exercises with friendly countries, says a statement issued on September 1, 2018.
In this regard, PNS ASLAT on overseas deployment to Mediterranean and European Countries reflected Pakistan Navy’s reach in western hemisphere, while pursuing Pakistan’s Foreign Policy objectives.

6. US slaps sanctions on two Pakistani firms

The US on September 1, 2018 slapped sanctions on two Pakistani companies by placing them on the export entities list for activities related to nuclear and missile trade.
The two companies – Technology Links Pvt Ltd and Techcare Services FZ – have been placed under the Entity List by the Export Administration Regulations (EAR).
In a federal notification, the US Department of Commerce said that the entities added to the EAR list have been determined by the US government to be acting contrary to the national security or foreign policy interests of the US, reported Indian news agency PTI.
The move comes days ahead of the visit of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to Pakistan.
The EAR determined that Technology Links Pvt Ltd, located in Pakistan, be added to the Entity List based on the company’s involvement in the supply of items subject to the EAR to nuclear and missile-related Entity List parties in Pakistan without the required licence, the federal notification said.

September 2, 2018: International Current Affairs

7. US sends new commander to persuade Taliban to join talks

The new US commander for Afghanistan, Lieutenant General Austin S. Miller, takes charge of his command on Sunday, which requires him not only to high the insurgents but also to persuade them to join peace talks.
As the in-charge of the Nato-led Operation Support, General Miller will also maintain regular contacts with the Pakistani military establishment.
He told his confirmation hearing in June this year that he had `very, very high expectations` of Pakistan working together with Afghanistan and the United States to eliminate terrorist safe havens.
He will also command more than 13,000 American troops based in Afghanistan and will supervise the Nato-led mission to train and advise the Afghan military.
His most difficult task, however, will be to persuade the Taliban to join peace talks, as Laurel E.
• Miller, a former US representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, pointed out.

8. China first nation to achieve UN poverty cut targets

For the first time, in 1976, The Comrade Deng Xiaoping used the term “well off” and well-off family” to explain “modernization with Chinese characteristics” in a meeting with the then Japanese Prime Minister Masayoshi Ohira.
At that time, China sent its officials to Japan, Western Europe and the USA to observe and learn their experiences of economic and social development.
Today, the world is mesmerized by the unprecedented miracles and tremendous transformation achieved by this great nation in the area of social development and economic well being. China is the first country to achieve poverty reduction targets of the UN Millennium Development Goals.
The poverty reduction journey of China has been classified into five phases:
i) (1947-77) Poverty reduction in broad sense
ii) (1978-1990) From “reforms and opening up” to “building a well off society”
iii) (1990-2000) From “well off society with adequate food & clothing” to “the overall well-off society”
iv) (2002-2012) From an “overall well-off society” to “building a well-off society in an all-round way”
v) (2012-2020) “building a moderately well-off society in all aspects” to “completing the process of building a moderately well-off society in all aspects”.
All the specified phases pose complex poverty challenges and entail corresponding reforms to cope with these challenges.

9. Iraq hosts military chiefs from Iran, Russia and Syria

Senior Iraqi military commanders hosted their Russian, Iranian and Syrian counterparts in Baghdad on September 1, 2018 to discuss security cooperation and information-sharing in the Middle East, where the Islamic State group continues to carry out attacks.
The Iraqi defence ministry said it had received delegations led by their respective deputy chiefs of staff, to “strengthen cooperation and coordination in terms of security and intelligence between these countries”.
Russia is fighting rebels and militants in Syria alongside President Bashar al-Assad’s forces, while Iran is a key ally of both Baghdad and Damascus.
The four countries had created joint operations rooms to coordinate the fight against IS, now driven out of all urban centres in Iraq and largely confined to desert holdouts in Syria.
In a rare address last month, the militant group’s leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi urged his followers to continue their fight.

September 2, 2018: Sports Current Affairs

10. Japan win Asian hockey gold and qualify for Olympics

History was made on September 1, 2018 as the Japan men’s hockey team won their first-ever Asian Games gold medal after beating Malaysia.
The Speedy Tigers, who were leading 5-2 at one point, lost on penalties after drawing 6-6 in regular time at the GBK Hockey Field in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Stephen van Huizen’s team raced to a 3-1 lead in the first quarter, with Razie Rahim’s penalty corner goal and Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin’s brace sandwiching Seren Tanaka’s goal.
Malaysia, who beat defending champions India on penalties two days ago, were unable to repeat the feat and lost 3-1 in the penalty shootout to equal their best achievement of winning silver in 2010. As for Japan, coupled with their women’s hockey team’s 2-1 against India on Friday, they became the second nation to win both hockey gold medals at the same Asian Games since South Korea in 1986 and 1994.

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Shahzad F. Malik

Shahzad Faisal Malik is the administrator of CSSTimes.pk and is responsible for managing the content, design, and overall direction of the blog. He has a strong background in Competitive Exams and is passionate and sharing information with others.
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