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December 16, 2020: National / International Current Affairs
1. Taliban team due in Islamabad today (December 16, 2020)
• A delegation from Taliban`s Qatar based political office is reaching here on December 16, 2020 (today) on a three-day trip for consultations on ongoing Afghan peace process.
• The delegation led by Taliban`s deputy chief for political affairs Mullah Abdul Ghani Barader will meet Prime Minister Imran Khan and Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi during its stay in Islamabad
2. Govt decides to hold Senate elections in February
• The federal government has decided to hold Senate elections in February and invoke advisory jurisdiction of the Supreme Court on open voting for the polls.
• The decisions were taken by the cabinet which met here on December 15, 2020 with Prime Minister Imran Khan in the chair.
• During the meeting, Prime Minister Khan said legal reforms regarding the elections were meant only to make the entire process transparent and the doors were open for all political parties for talks in this respect
3. Ordinance allowing castration of rapists approved
• President Dr Arif Alvi on December 15, 2020 accorded approval to the Anti-Rape Ordinance 2020 which will ensure speedy trial of rape cases with women and children as victims and also allow for chemical castration of those convicted of such offences.
• However, contrary to the draft approved by the Cabinet Committee on Legislative Cases (CCLC), the consent of the convict will not be required for carrying out castration, but it will be the discretion of the judge of the trial court.
4. Pakistan, Afghanistan will enhance cooperation to stop polio transmission
• Pakistan and Afghanistan will further enhance cooperation and synchronise schedules of their immunisation campaigns to successfully eradicate poliovirus at the national and regional levels.
• This was decided at a video conference on December 15, 2020 that was attended by polio eradication teams of the two countries.
• The two teams agreed they would continue sharing information and take steps to synchronise dates of their campaigns in 2021 to effectively tackle poliovirus transmission
5. Bomb attack kills deputy governor, three others in Afghanistan
• A bombing and a shooting attack in Kabul killed at least three people, including a deputy provincial governor, while a deputy provincial council chief was killed in western Afghanistan on December 15, 2020, officials said.
• The attacks are the latest in relentless violence in Afghanistan even as the Taliban and Afghan government negotiators hold talks in Qatar, trying to hammer out a peace deal that could put an end to decades of war
6. EU unveils rules to curb tech giants seen as threat to democracy
• The European Union on December 15, 2020 unveiled tough draft rules targeting tech giants like Google, Amazon and Facebook, whose power Brussels sees as a threat to competition and even democracy.
• The landmark proposals which come as Silicon Valley faces increasing global scrutiny could shake up the way Big Tech does business by menacing some of the world`s biggest firms with mammoth fines or bans from the European market.
7. Biden wins electoral college vote; Republicans acknowledge win
• The most powerful Republican in the US Congress, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnel, congratulated Joe Biden on Tuesday on winning the 2020 election, as did Russian President Vladimir Putin.
• Their messages followed the endorsement of Mr Biden`s victory by the 538-member US Electoral College that voted 306-232 to declare him the president-elect
8. Japan`s space agency finds ample soil, gas from asteroid
• Officials from Japan`s space agency said on December 15, 2020 they have found more than the anticipated amount of soil and gases inside a small capsule the country`s Hayabusa2 spacecraft brought back from a distant asteroid this month, a mission they praised as a milestone in planetary research.
• The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said its staff initially spotted some black particles sitting on the bottom of the capsule`s sample catcher when they pulled out the container on Monday. By Tuesday, scientists found more of the soil and gas samples in a compartment that stored those from the first of Hayabusa`s two touchdowns on the asteroid last year.
9. Women`s World Cup to start on March 4
• The rescheduled Women`s 50-over World Cup in New Zealand will start on March 4, 2022 with the final to be held on April 3, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said on December 15, 2020.
• The tournament was originally scheduled for February-March next year but was postponed due to the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
• The same six cities and venues will host the 31 matches during the tournament, with Hagley Oval in Christchurch to host the final under the lights.
10. Babar, Shan named in Wisden`s Test Team of the Year
• Pakistan skipper Babar Azam and left handed-opener Shan Masood were named in the Wisden`s Test Team of the Year 2020, as they picked out the best performers from the last 12 months on December 15, 2020.
• The prolific Babar scored 600 runs at an average of 100 in the six Tests. The Lahore-born cricketer made three centuries and his highest score was 143
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