Daily Top-10 Current Affairs MCQs / News (April 29, 2022) for CSS, PMS

Table of Contents

6. Pakistan among 20 trading partners placed on US `watch list`

• Pakistan is among twenty trading partners which have been placed on the `watch list` of the US government. These countries, however, merit bilateral attention to address underlying intellectual property problems.
• The 2022 `Special 301` report of the US Trade Representative (USTR), which is the annual review of the global state of intellectual property protection and enforcement, reviewed more than 100 trade partners for the 2022 special report and also placed 27 of them on the Priority Watch List` USTR conducted the review pursuant to Section 182 of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended by the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988 and the Uruguay Round Agreements Act.
• The report says, `Pakistan remains on the Watch List for 2022, though Pakistan has maintained a positive dialogue with the US on intellectual property matters and engaged in meaningful capacity building and training programmes to promote IP protection and enforcement in Pakistan

7. Mastermind, facilitator of Johar Town blast arrested in Balochistan

• The Punjab Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) claimed to have arrested the mastermind as well as the facilitator of the Johar Town bomb blast from Balochistan.
• The arrests came during an intelligence-based operation carried out by the CTD with the coordination of the top intelligence agencies.
• Talking to the media at the Central Police Office on Thursday, Punjab CTD DIG Afzaal Ahmed Kausar and Operations DIG Kamran Adil identified the mastermind of Johar Town blast as Samiul Haq and facilitator as Uzair Akbar.
• On June 23, 2021, a blast near the residence of Jamaatud Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed in Johar Town had killed three people and injured 24 others, including a police constable

8. Students of private schools not to get roll number slips online any more

• The Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (FBISE) in a dubious move has reversed its decision of making the roll number slips of private schools` students available online, putting thousands of parents and students in trouble.
• Apparently to appease owners of private schools, the FBISE notified that it would not upload the roll number slips of private schools` students online.
• As per a new notification, the board will hand over the roll number slips to private schools whose owners will have the liberty to provide it to the students. In the past, there were complaints that private school owners after receiving the roll number slips exploited the students and parents by demanding their `pending` fees and fines. However, in 2014 when parents registered complaints with the then FBISE chairman Dr Ikram Ali Malik, the latter said the roll number slip was a property of the student and the board and schools had nothing to do with it.

9. Controversial asylum reforms become law in UK

• Britain on April 28, 2022 hailed what it said was a `world-leading` reform of its asylum system, despite widespread condemnation and claims that it breaks international law. Home Secretary Priti Patel called the passing of the controversial Nationality and Borders Act a `landmark` that created changes fit for the 21st century.
• The act, which cleared parliament late on Wednesday, notably introduces maximum life sentences for people smugglers blamed for facilitating irregular migration.
• But it also imposes tougher jail terms for anyone arriving illegally in the country, which has raised fears it could be used against asylum-seekers

10. UN chief condemns `absurdity` of war in Ukraine visit

• UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on April 28, 2022 visited sites of alleged Russian war crimes in Ukraine, decrying war as `an absurdity in the 21st century` and urging Russia to cooperate with an international investigation into atrocities.
• The UN chief and his team were `shocked` by the proximity of the Russian strikes which slammed into central Kyiv as they were visiting but were all `safe`, a spokesman said.
• `It is a war zone but it is shocking that it happened close to us, Saviano Abreu, spokesman for the UN`s humanitarian office, told AFP, without saying how close they were to the point of impact, with one missile hitting a residential building, wounding three people