Daily Top-10 Current Affairs MCQs / News (July 15, 2021) for CSS, PMS

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July 15, 2021: National / International Current Affairs

1. Border sealed as Taliban seize Afghan frontier town

• Pakistan sealed its border with Afghanistan on July 14, 2021 after Taliban militants wrested control from Afghan forces of the border town of Wesh that sits opposite the Pakistani border town of Chaman.
• According to sources in Chaman, the Taliban seized control of Wesh after heavy fighting on Tuesday night even though Afghan government forces used helicopter gunships in an attempt to defend their positions.
• `The Friendship Gate at the Pak-Afghan border has been closed from both sides, which stopped all kinds of traffic and human movement at the border,` the sources said

2. Ex-president Mamnoon Husain passes away

• Former president of Pakistan and senior PML-N leader Mamnoon Husain passed away on July 14, 2021, according to family and party leaders. He was in his 80s.
• He left behind a widow and three sons. Time of his funeral prayer would be decided later, said Chaudhry Tariq, former coordinator of the former president and PML-N Sindh additional secretary general.
• Mamnoon Husain was diagnosed with cancer in February last year and had been under treatment. He was admitted to a private hospital some days ago where he breathed his last.

3. Pakistan, Uzbekistan agree to finalise PTA

• Pakistan and Uzbekistan on July 14, 2021 agreed to finalise bilateral Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) within three months to further boost bilateral trade volume.
• At the 6th meeting of the Uzbek-Pakistani Intergovernmental Commission on Trade-Economic and Scientific-Technical Cooperation (IGC) held in Tashkent, both sides agreed to form joint working groups on agriculture, information technology, education and mineral sectors to boost cooperation, said a news release issued here.
• The meeting was co-chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Investments and Foreign Trade Sardor Umurzakov and Commerce Adviser Abdul Razak Dawood.

4. UAE opens embassy in Israel, hails trade ties

• The United Arab Emirates on July 14, 2021 became the first Gulf state to open an embassy in Israel, as its envoy hailed the trade and investment opportunities that closer ties would bring at a flag-raising ceremony also attended by Israel`s president.
• The UAE and Bahrain normalised relations with Israel last year under the `Abraham Accords` crafted by the administration of then-US president Donald Trump. Sudan and Morocco have since also moved to establish ties with Israel.
• The opening of the UAE embassy, which is situated in the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, followed the inauguration of Israel`s embassy in the UAE last month

5. Bush terms pullout a mistake

• As the Afghan government`s grip over the country appeared to further loosen, former US president George W. Bush who launched the US invasion 20 years ago after the September 11 attacks slammed President Biden`s decision to withdraw all troops.
• `I`m afraid Afghan women and girls are going to suffer unspeakable harm. They are going to be left behind to be slaughtered by these very brutal people and it breaks my heart,` he told German broadcaster Deutsche Welle.

6. China watches as US, Australia begin war games

• Australia, the United States and allies opened large-scale war games on July 14, 2021, as a Chinese surveillance vessel travelled south to monitor the exercises.
• More than 17,000 troops from the two allied nations will participate in Talisman Sabre, which is held every two years in Australia, from July 14 to 31.
• Defence Minister Peter Dutton said a Chinese naval intelligence ship was approaching Australia`s populated east coast, saying it was a `reminder of the ever-present PLA (People`s Liberation Army)` in the region.

7. EU prepares to send petrol cars to the scrap heap

• The European Commission wants to end the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2035, under a massive plan to fight climate change unveiled on July 14, 2021.
• According to one of a dozen draft laws revealed in Brussels, emissions from motor vehicles must fall by 55 percent by 2030 and drop to zero by 2035.
• `As a result, all new cars registered as of 2035 will be zero emission,` the statement announcing the plan said.
• This would in practice mean that all cars and light vans sold from that date will be battery-powered electric cars, which currently represent less than a tenth of new registrations in the EU

8. Singapore unveils huge floating solar power farm in push to cut pollution

• Singapore on July 14, 2021 unveiled one of the world`s biggest floating solar power f arms, covering an area the size of 45 football pitches, as part of the city state`s push to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
• The project is the country`s most ambitious yet, comprising 122,000 panels on Tengeh Reservoir that will produce enough electricity to run its five water treatment plants.
• Singapore is among the biggest per capita carbon dioxide emitters in Asia and its land scarcity makes boosting renewable energy sources a challenge

9. ICC tweaks WTC points system

• The International Cricket Council (ICC) on July 14, 2021 tweaked the points system for the next World Test Championship (WTC).
• Twelve points will be awarded to the winning team of every Test match contested during the 2021-23 cycle with four points awarded for a draw and six for a tied game. The percentage of points won will be use d to determine the WTC standings.
• Cricket`s governing body issued a statement which said the change was made to simplify things. Under the previous system, the same number of points were allocated to each series, but divided across the number of matches played.

10. Bromell cruises to 100m win at Gateshead

• Trayvon Bromell underlined his position as the favourite for the Olympic Games 100 metres when he delivered a dominant gun to tape performance to win in 9.98 seconds at the final Diamond League meeting before Tokyo on Tuesday.
• Bromell, winner of the US trials and the fastest in the world this year with 9.77, will be seeking to reclaim the Olympic crown for the US after13 years in the possession of Usain Bolt.
• And, despite cool conditions in Gateshead on the north-east English coast, he looked in great shape to do so, getting out quickly, consolidating by halfway and cruising over the line by a distance from British duo C.J. Ujah (10.10) and Zharnel Hughes (10.13)

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