Day by Day Current Affairs (February 15 2020) MCQs for CSS, PMS

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February 15, 2020: National / International Current Affairs

1. Turkey stands by Pakistan on Kashmir: Erdogan

• Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on February 14, 2020 said that the problem of Kashmir can be solved only on a ‘just and equitable basis’ rather than through conflict and oppression.
• “Turkey will continue to stand on the side of justice, peace and solution through dialogue concerning the Kashmir dispute,” said Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, in his fourth address to a joint session of the parliament here.
• In his around half-hour speech, the Turkish President talked about the Pak-Turkey joint road-map of development and prosperity, Turkey’s support for Kashmir cause and need for unity among Islamic countries to fight common challenges including poverty and Islamophobia.

2. IMF lauds `considerable progress`, but talks remain inconclusive

• The International Monetary Fund said Pakistan has made `considerable progress` on its programme, but a staff-level agreement could not be reached as talks on the second review of the ongoing facility ended on February 14, 2020 and the IMF team departed the country.
• `All end-December performance criteria were met, and structural benchmarks have been completed,` a statement released at the end of the talks said. But the same statement also made it clear that final agreement on the targets for the next few months remained elusive.

3. Pacts signed to boost trade with Turkey

• Pakistan and Turkey on February 14, 2020 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on trade facilitation and customs cooperation matters.
• The MoU was signed by Turkish Minister of Trade Ruhsar Peckan and Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue Abdul Hafeez Sheikh on behalf of their respective governments.
• The areas wherein Customs cooperation would be undertaken with Turkish Ministry of Trade and Customs Agency under the MoU include support for establishment of Electronic Data Exchange for swapping information and documents regarding international movement of goods and vehicles between the parties.

4. Pakistan, Turkey to transform ties into economic partnership

• Pakistan and Turkey on February 14, 2020 agreed to transform their ties into a strategic economic partnership.
• The two sides, which signed 13 memorandums of understandings (MoUs) including a joint declaration after the sixth meeting of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC), importantly approved a Strategic Economic Framework (SEF) and an accompanying elaborate plan of action to implement the new vision for the ties.
• The SEF aims at realising the target of enhancing bilateral trade to $5 billion by 2023 from the current $800 million.
• Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, while speaking at a press conference with Prime Minister Imran Khan after the signing ceremony, described the SEF and the 71-point plan of action, as the `roadmap for deepening economic cooperation

5. US bans visits by Sri Lanka`s army chief over war crimes

• The United States said on February 14, 2020 it would refuse entry to Sri Lanka`s army chief over `credible` evidence of human rights violations in the bloody 2009 finale to the civil war.
• Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva, whose appointment last year drew wide international criticism, will be ineligible to visit the United States, as will his immediate family, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said.
• `The allegations of gross human rights violations against Shavendra Silva, documented by the United Nations and other organizations, are serious and credible,` Pompeo said in a statement.

6. Air strike kills eight civilians in Afghanistan

• An air strike in Afghanistan on February 14, 2020 killed at least eight people all believed to be civilians, residents said following US statements that there had been a breakthrough in peace talks.
• The new developments came as US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defence Secretary Mark Esper met Afghanistan`s President Ashraf Ghani in Munich on February 14, 2020. They spoke on the sidelines of an international security forum in Munich.
• A truce had been widely anticipated, and Trump agreed in principle to the deal, according to US officials.
• The final details were hammered out in recent days by US special envoy for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad and Taliban representatives in Doha, Qatar

7. U.S., China, Russia making world more dangerous: German president

• Germany’s president took an indirect swipe at U.S. President Donald Trump on February 14, 2020 in accusing Washington, China and Russia of stoking global mistrust and insecurity with a “great powers” competition” that could threaten a new nuclear arms race. In opening remarks at the annual Munich Security Conference, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier deplored the three big powers’ approach to global affairs and, without naming
• Trump, took issue with his vow to “make America great again”.
• “‘Great again’ – even at the expense of neighbors and partners,” quipped Steinmeier, a former Social Democrat foreign minister whose comments on foreign policy carry authority

8. Amazon wins injunction in US ‘Jedi’ contract fight

• US-A judge has hit pause on a major US government contract in a win for Amazon, which had challenged the award.
• The tech giant, which had been favoured to win the cloud computing deal, sued last year after the US Defense Department gave the opportunity to arch-rival Microsoft instead. Amazon has accused officials of bowing to pressure from Donald Trump.
• The US president has often attacked Amazon and boss Jeff Bezos, who also owns the Washington Post newspaper.
• Amazon had asked the court to block the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure contract, known as Jedi, which is worth up to $10bn over 10 years. The company is also seeking to question Mr Trump as part of the lawsuit.

9. Antarctica temperature exceeds 20C for first time

• Antarctica has exceeded 20C for the first time, after researchers logged a temperature of 20.75C on an island off the coast of the continent.
• Brazilian scientist Carlos Schaefer told they had “never seen a temperature this high in Antarctica”. But he warned the temperature, logged on 9 February, was just one reading and not part of a long-term data set.
• The continent also hit a record last week, with a temperature reading of 18.3C on the Antarctic Peninsula. World’s biggest iceberg makes a run for it Journey to the ‘doomsday glacier’

10. South Africa postpone T20 tour to Pakistan citing players` workload

• The Cricket South Africa (CSA) has decided not to tour Pakistan in March this year for three proposed T20I matches citing increase in workload on their cricketers.
• The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had invited CSA for three T20I matches which were be played at the Rawalpindi Stadium after the end of the 5th Pakistan Super League (PSL) scheduled for Feb 20 to March 22.

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