Daily Top-10 Current Affairs MCQs / News (July 16, 2021) for CSS, PMS

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July 16, 2021: National / International Current Affairs

1. Pakistan, Uzbekistan pledge to boost ties in all sectors

• Pakistan and Uzbekistan on July 15, 2021 vowed to expand multifaceted bilateral cooperation to all areas of mutual interest and stressed the need for resolution of the Afghanistan conflict through internal political process imperative for peace and progress of the whole region.
• The two countries made these commitments on the first day of Prime Minister Imran Khan`s two-day official visit to Uzbekistan where they jointly hosted Uzbekistan Pakistan Business Forum on `Central and South Asia 2021: Regional Connectivity Challenges and Opportunities`, in the Uzbek capital

2. Two security men martyred in Pasni attack

• Two security personnel, including an officer, were martyred and three others injured in a roadside blast that hit their patrolling vehicle in Pasni, a small coastal town of Gwadar district.
• According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations on July 15, 2021, the incident took place late on Wednesday night.
• `Terrorists targeted Security Forces using an IED in Khuda Bakhsh Bazaar near Pasni. An officer Capt. Affan Masood and Sepoy Babar Zaman embraced Shahadat,` the ISPR statement said

3. Pakistan hosts Afghan peace conference from tomorrow

• Foreign Office on July 15, 2021 said that Pakistan was hosting a three-day conference on Afghanistan to give a fresh impetus to the efforts for peace there.
• `Pakistan is hosting the Afghan Peace Conference on July 17-19 … to provide momentum to the ongoing efforts for peace in Afghanistan, Foreign Office Spokesman Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri said at the weekly media briefing.
• Afghanistan`s political leadership has been invited to the conference.
• 21 prominent Afghan leaders including Abdullah Abdullah, Karim Khalili, Mohammad Younus Qanooni, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, Mohammad Hanif Atmar, Salahuddin Rabbani, Ismail Khan, Ata Mohammad Noor, Sayed Hamed Gailani, Sayed Eshaq Gailani, Batur Dostum and Mirwais Yasini have been invited to the conference in Islamabad

4. Taliban offer three-month ceasefire in return for prisoner release

• The Taliban have offered a three-month ceasefire in exchange for the release of thousands of insurgent prisoners, a top Afghan government negotiator said on July 15, 2021.
• Nader Nadery, the spokesman for the government`s negotiating team in Doha where peace talks with the Taliban have been stalled for months, said it was a `big demand`.
• `The Taliban have offered a plan for a three month ceasefire, but in exchange they have asked for the release of 7,000 of their prisoners and the removal of their leaders from the UN blacklist,` he told reporters in Kabul

5. PN Ship Zulfiquar visits Portsmouth

• Pakistan Navy Ship Zulfiquar, along with an embarked helicopter, recently visited Portsmouth, United Kingdom, as part of the Navy`s overseas deployment.
• According to information reaching here, the ship was warmly welcomed by officials from the Royal Navy, the deputy high commissioner and the defence and national adviser of Pakistan in the United Kingdom.

6. Terms of accord for gas pipeline signed with Russia

• After four days of negotiations, Pakistan and Russia on July 15, 2021 signed Heads of Terms (HoTs) of shareholders` agreement for construction of about 1,100km gas pipeline from Port Qasim in Karachi to Lahore at an estimated cost of $2.5-3 billion by the end of 2023.
• At the signing ceremony, Pakistani side was led by Petroleum Division Secretary Dr Arshad Mahmood while Deputy Director of Department of Foreign Economic Cooperation and Fuel Markets Development of Russian Ministry of Energy Alexander Tolparov led the visiting team.

7. PIA Sukuk-I raises Rs5.7 billion

• The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) raised Rs5.7 billion on July 15, 2021 with the conclusion of the book-building process for PIA Sukuk-I at the cut-off price of one month Karachi interbank offered rate (Kibor) plus 100 basis points.
• It`s the first corporate Islamic bond of 2021, which is government-backed and can be counted towards the statutory liquidity requirement of investing entities.
• Bank Islami head of Investment Banking Mohammad Haris Munawar confirmed the cut-off price for the 10-year Islamic debt instrument. Bank Islami was the adviser and one of the three joint book-runners for the issue. Around 25 eligible investors participated in the bidding process, he added

8. Chaman border opened briefly

• After gaining consent from Afghan Taliban, Pakistan opened the border crossing in Chaman on July 15, 2021 for three hours to allow citizens of both countries, who had been stuck on both sides of the border due to its closure by Pakistan after Taliban captured Wesh and other areas, to return to their countries.
• Government officials in Chaman town confirmed the opening of the border saying the decision was taken on humanitarian grounds as hundreds of people, including women, children and patients, had been stranded on both sides of the border

9. Denmark to support Pakistan in energy sector

• The federal government has adopted an ambitious policy for alternative and renewable energy in order to transform Pakistan`s energy sector and generate 60 per cent of all energy through clean and renewable sources by 2030.
• In order to support Pakistan`s green transition, the government of Denmark has entered into collaboration with Pakistan where the relevant technical authorities will exchange knowledge and the Danish authorities will provide technical assistance under the Danish Energy Transition Initiative (DETI).

10. All-round Marsh steers Australia to first win over WI in T20 series

• An outstanding all-round performance by Mitchell Marsh earned Australia their first victory of their five-match Twenty20 International series against the West Indies as the visitors hung on for a four-run victory in the fourth match at the Darren Sammy National Cricket Stadium in St Lucia on July 15, 2021.
• With half-centuries already in the first two matches of the series, Marsh flayed the Caribbean bowlers for 75 off 44 balls with six sixes and four fours to pace his team to a challenging total of 189-6 after choosing to bat first

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