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March 06, 2020: National / International Current Affairs

1. Punjab literacy policy launched
• Punjab Minister for Law, Parliamentary Affairs and Social Welfare Raja Basharat has said that the government can ensure free education and health for the people of the provincein10 years if subsidy being given to Metro Bus and amount spent on Orange Line Train projects are withdrawn.
• He was addressing at the launch of `Punjab Literacy and Non-Formal Basic Education (NFBE) policy 2019` to achieve 100 per cent literacy by 2030 at 90 Shahrahi-Quaid-i-Azam on March 5, 2020.
• It merits mentioning that the literacy policy is encouraging research and development and it infuses the information communication technology for reaching out to public at large for the cause of education.
2. Highest male-female gap on cell-phone ownership registered in Pakistan: report
• Pakistan has the highest male female gap in terms of mobile phone set ownership among 15 countries, said a report issued on March 5, 2020 by the GSMA, an organisation representing the interests of mobile operators worldwide.
• According to the report, the gender gap over mobile internet usage in Pakistan is even higher.
• The report highlights that among all the 15 countries only Brazil had the negative malefe male mobile phone ownership and mobile internet use, where 84 per cent adult males owned a mobile phone compared to 85pc female adult population.
• The `Mobile Gender Gap Report 2020` is based on the annual GSMA Intelligence Consumer Survey of 2019 belonging to 15 low and middle income countries (LMICs)
3. Khamenei urges Delhi to stop Muslims` killing
• Pakistan on March 5, 2020 praised Iran`s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei for denouncing violence against Muslims in India, but Prime Minister Imran Khan also regretted the general silence on the issue in the Muslim world.
• Through tweets in English, Urdu, Persian, French and Arabic, Ayatollah Khamenei condemned last week`s violence against Muslims in Delhi in which 46 people, mostly Muslims, lost their lives and a large number of properties owned by Muslims and mosques were damaged.
• `The hearts of Muslims all over the world are grieving over the massacre of Muslims in India. The govt of India should confront extremist Hindus & their parties & stop the massacre of Muslims in order to prevent India`s isolation from the world of Islam,` Ayatollah Khamenei tweeted in English along with the hashtag #IndianMuslimsinDanger.
4. US urges halt to Afghan violence, puts faith in Taliban
• US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on March 5, 2020 demanded an immediate reduction in violence in Afghanistan but said he still had confidence that Taliban insurgents were committed to a landmark agreement to end the war.
• Just days after Pompeo joined the signing of a deal with the Taliban in Qatar, the militants have resumed attacks on Afghan government forces, leading US forces to carry out an air strike on Wednesday.
• But the United States is still hoping that the Taliban will open talks with the Afghan government set under the accord to begin next week and the top US negotiator flew to Kabul in hopes of pushing through an accompanying massive prisoner swap.
5. Ex-UN chief Perez de Cuellar dies at 100
• Former UN chief Javier Perez de Cuellar, who was known for his peace-making efforts including brokering a ceasenre in the Iran-Iraq war, died on Wednesday in his native Peru, aged 100.
• Perez de Cuellar served as UN secretary general from 1981 to 1991, when he was often described as a `pacifist by vocation and nature.
• Lauded by his countrymen as one of the most illustrious Peruvians of his era, Perez de Cuellar led the United Nations through a period marked by the fight against world hunger, the eight-year war between Iran and Iraq, as well as the civil war in US-supported El Salvador which led to UN-mediated peace talks.
• Perez de Cuellar was known for his efforts to reconcile warring parties
6. ICC clears way for war crimes probe
• Prosecutors at the International Criminal Court will investigate whether war crimes were committed in Afghanistan by the Taliban, Afghan military and US forces after an appeals panel said on March 5, 2020 the `truth-seeking` inquiry should go ahead.
• The ICC decision, which came days after the United States agreed to pull its troops from the long-running conflict, opens the way for prosecutors to launch a full investigation, despite US government opposition.
• `The appeals chamber considers it appropriate to authorise the investigation, presiding Judge Piotr Hofmanski said at the court in The Hague. He said prosecutors` preliminary examination in 2017 had found reason-able grounds to believe war crimes were committed in Afghanistan and that the ICC has jurisdiction
7. Egypt reopens oldest pyramid after 14-year restoration
• Egypt on March 5, 2020 reopened Djoser`s Step Pyramid, the first pyramid ever built, after a 14-year restoration costing nearly $6.6 million. The pyramid, a UNESCO world heritage site, was constructed 4,700 years ago during the era of Pharaoh Djoser, one of Ancient Egypt`s Third Dynasty kings.
• After decades of neglect and the risk of collapse, the Egyptian government started an ambitious project to restore it to splendour in 2006.
• `Today we celebrate the completion of the project of warding off the danger and maintaining and restoring the first and oldest remaining pyramid in Egypt,` said tourism and antiquities minister Khaled al-Anani. The structure was designed by Imhotep, described by some as the world`s first architect. `We are in awe as to how he was able to create this structure, which has remained standing for 4,700 years, said Anani.
8. Russia, Turkey agree ceasefire deal for Idlib
• Turkey and Russia agreed a ceasefire deal on March 5, 2020 in Syria`s Idlib region, their two leaders said after lengthy talks in Moscow to contain a conflict which has displaced nearly a million people in three months.
• Russian President Vladimir Putin, standing next to his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan, said he hoped their agreement would lead to a halt of military action in Syria`s last rebel stronghold in the far northwest of the country.
• `I express hope that these agreements will serve as a good basis for a cessation of military activity in the Idlib de-escalation zone [and] stop the suffering of the peaceful population and the growing humanitarian crisis,` Putin said
9. 300m out of school as WHO calls for strong virus response
• Almost 300 million students worldwide faced weeks at home with Italy and India the latest to shut schools over the deadly new coronavirus, as health officials warned many countries were not doing enough to fight the outbreak.
• More than 97,000 people have been infected and over 3,300 have died worldwide from the virus, which by March 5, 2020 had reached more than 80 countries and territories.
• The US state of California declared an emergency following its first coronavirus fatality raising the US death toll to 11 and a cruise ship was kept offshore after passengers and crew members developed symptoms.
• Britain and Switzerland also reported their first deaths from the outbreak on Thursday, while Bosnia and South Africa confirmed their first cases
10. Zalmi overwhelm Gladiators to keep playoff hopes alive
• Peshawar Zalmi kept their playoff aspirations very much alive and kicking in the HBL Pakistan Super League 2020 with a resounding 30-run defeat of reigning champions Quetta Gladiators in a rain-shortened encounter at the Pindi Cricket Stadium on March 5, 2020 night.
• Quetta Gladiators were once again behind the eight ball game when their chase for 171 fizzled out in a display akin to meek surrender, as they slumped to 140-7 after being 75-1 in the eighth over.

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