Daily Top-10 Current Affairs MCQs / News (August 09, 2020) for CSS, PMS

WELCOME TO CSS TIMES DAY BY DAY CURRENT AFFAIRS, YOUR BEST SOURCE FOR UP-TO-DATE AND DAILY TOP CURRENT AFFAIRS 2020 FOR PREPARATION OF CSS, PMS, BANKING, NTS, RAILWAYS AND ALL COMPETITIVE EXAMS. “DAY TO DAY CURRENT AFFAIRS” BASICALLY IS TOP 10 NEWS SUMMARY ON CURRENT HAPPENINGS OF NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL IMPORTANCE FOR ALL EXAMINATIONS

August 09, 2020: National / International Current Affairs

1. Pakistan to appeal against EU air agency restrictions

• Federal Minister for Aviation Ghulam Sarwar has announced that Pakistan will appeal against the restrictions of European Union Air Safety Agency (EASA).
• `We will solve the safety issues raised by EASA and we had two months to appeal against the restrictions.
• PIA planes will fly in the European countries soon, said the minister while talking to journalists here at the PTI regional public secretariat in Saddar on August 8, 2020

2. US report explores options for Pakistan-India talks

• The Indian government`s insistence on Kashmir being a purely domestic issue is `a fiction maintained only by a large security presence`, says a report released by the US Institute of Peace.
• The report by the Washington-based think tank, which is funded by the US Congress, argues that New Delhi`s claim will `be sorely tested by the disaffection that has intensified` among Kashmiris since Aug 5 last year when India illegally annexed the disputed territory.
• `New Delhi will increasingly find it hard to manage its narrative about constitutional and political changes ushering in peace to Kashmir. Most indicators of violence in Kashmir have been on the rise since the August 2019 decision,` the report adds

3. Moody`s reaffirms Pakistan credit rating

• Moody`s on August 8, 2020 confirmed Pakistan`s B3 credit rating with a stable outlook as part of the review for downgrade, the agency said in a statement.
• Concurrently, the agency has also confirmed the B3 foreign currency senior unsecured ratings for The Third Pakistan International Sukuk Co Ltd, according to press statement received here which added that the associated payment obligations are, in Moody`s view, direct obligations of the government of Pakistan.
• The review for downgrade was triggered by Pakistan`s announcement that it would seek to participate in the G20 Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI), which raised questions that private sector creditors would be asked by the country to extend similar treatment to Pakistani debt

4. Duration of electricity interruption much higher in Pakistan: WB

• The World Bank, in its first comprehensive stock-taking of infrastructure services in Asia, says although electricity access in Pakistan is in line with regional averages of 92.5 per cent, the average interruption duration and frequency values are much higher.
• This is apparent from frequent power outages due to loadshedding.
• Pakistan suffers from outdated facilities and a complex distribution system vulnerable to damage, the report says.

5. KP govt opens tourism sector under SOPs

• The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Government has formally opened tourism sector including archaeological and cultural tourism under standard operating procedures (SOPs) across the province.
• According to a notification of Sports, Tourism, Archaeology and Youth Affairs Department, the decision of opening of tourism and sports sectors has been taken in pursuance of the decision of National Coordination Council (NCC) chaired by Prime Minister on August 6, 2020.
• According to the notification, tourism sector including archaeological and culture tourism has been opened from August 7, 2020 in the province

6. PSO starts to import Euro V Standard Fuel

• Following the directives of Prime Minister Imran Khan and Federal Minister for Energy Omar Ayub Khan, State-owned Oil Marketing Company, PSO, has started to import Euro V Standard Fuel into the country.
• PSO is first OMC to initiate the process of importing Euro-V petrol.
• This move will enable country to import better quality fuel and primarily aims at protecting the environment from Climate change and global warming.
• It has formulated policy guidelines for switching of petrol imports to Euro- V specifications from August, 2020 and all imports of diesel will be conformed to Euro- V standard by January, 2021 in order to revolutionise the fuel mix of the country.

7. GC University announces special seats for transgenders

• The Government College University (GCU) Lahore has allocated special seats to transgenders for admissions to its undergraduate programmes to increase access of this underprivileged community to the higher education.
• GCU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Asghar Zaidi said that universities were a catalyst for change and the GCU need to bring about a change in the society where transgenders were accepted.
• Special seats were also needed in schools and other higher education institutions for this underprivileged community.

8. China-US ties plunge further over Hong Kong sanctions

• Hong Kong-China on August 8, 2020 slammed the United States for imposing “barbarous” sanctions in response to Beijing’s crackdown in Hong Kong, capping a dramatic week of deteriorating relations between the world’s two biggest economies.
• In the toughest US action on Hong Kong since China imposed a sweeping new security law on the territory, Washington on Friday sanctioned a group of Chinese and Hong Kong officials — including the city’s leader Carrie Lam.
• The move came after President Donald Trump’s administration forced Chinese internet giants TikTok and WeChat to end all operations in the US, in a twin diplomatic-commercial offensive set to grow ahead of the US presidential election in November.

9. Taiwan airlines offer sight-seeing flights during pandemic

• Taiwan-Faced with the coronavirus collapse in travellers, Taiwanese airlines have begun offering sight-seeing “flights to nowhere” on their passenger jets — including flight attendant lessons for children.
• At the headquarters of Taiwan’s China Airlines in Taoyuan on August 8, 2020, 50 children took a morning course on how serve passengers aboard a mock cabin.
• Cheng Yu-wei, who works in the fashion apparel business and enjoys travelling abroad, came with his wife and six-year old daughter to “revive that old feeling of travelling”. “Maybe it’s because we have been bored for too long,” Cheng said to AFP.

10. England seal unlikely win over Pakistan in first Test

• A magnificent partnership between Jos Buttler and Chris Woakes propelled England to an unlikely three-wicket win over Pakistan in a top syturvy first Test at Old Traf ford on Saturday.
• Woakes joined Buttler at the crease with England having slumped to 117-5 and seemingly sliding to defeat in their pursuit of a daunting 277 on a bowlerfriendly pitch.
• But between them, wicket-keeper Buttler and all-rounder Woakes launched a superb counterattack to turn the tide of the match towards the hosts with a sixthwicket stand worth 139 runs.
• In a final twist, Buttler was eventuallyout lbw for 75 to leg-spinner Yasir Shah with England requiring another 21 for victory, thereby reviving Pakistan`s fading hopes

Check our daily updated ‘s Complete Day by Day Current Affairs Notes

August 2020:
[catlist name=”August 2020″]

July 2020:
[catlist name=”July 2020″]

June 2020:
[catlist name=”June 2020″]