Daily Top-10 Current Affairs MCQs / News (August 12, 2020) for CSS, PMS

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August 12, 2020: National / International Current Affairs

1. Russia claims developing first coronavirus vaccine

• President Vladimir Putin on August 11, 2020 declared Russia the first country to approve a coronavirus vaccine, but scientists and the World Health Organisation said it still needed a rigorous safety review.
• Putin said the vaccine was safe and that one of his own daughters had been inoculated, though clinical trials were not yet complete and final stage testing involving more than 2,000 people was to start only on August 12, 2020. Western scientists were sceptical, with some warning that moving too quickly on a vaccine could be dangerous, but Russia denounced criticism as an attempt to undermine Moscow`s research.
• Putin has pushed hard for Russia to be the first to announce a vaccine and officials dubbed it `Sputnik V` after the Soviet-era satellite that was the first launched into space.

2. SOPs for educational institutions issued

• The Punjab government on August 11, 2020 issued standard operating procedures (SOPs) for resuming educational activities from Sept 15.
• According to a notification issued by the Punjab Primary and Secondary Healthcare, all indoor games, swings, slides and other sports activities are banned in educational institutions. There will be no seminars, speech competitions, [outdoor] sports and tournaments.
• It further states that all the people will have to wear face masks and morning assemblies are also banned. Vans [meant for pick and drop] will leave 50 per cent of seats vacant in order to maintain social distancing. Only 30pc of students will be allowed to reside in hostels

3. Metro bus to resume service today (August 12, 2020)

• The metro bus will resume its service between Rawalpindi and Islamabad from August 11, 2020 (today) after four and half months.
• However, the administration has devised special standard operating procedure for the passengers and the staff.
• The bus service had been suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic since March 22.
• Following the closure of the bus service, the government bore expenses amounting to Rs2 billion to keep the system intact.

4. Punjab closes down Covid-19 wards in Pindi`s three hospitals

• The Punjab government has closed down Covid-19 wards in three government-run hospitals in the city, leaving the Rawalpindi Institute of Urology (RIU) the dedicated facility for patients of the disease following a reported decrease in cases.
• All the filter clinics and wards for Covid-19 patients at Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH), Holy Family Hospital (HFH) and the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital have been closed and patients will be referred to RIU from no won.
• The three hospitals have restarted routine activities and are treating all kinds of patients in various departments.

5. At last, BRT buses to hit the road tomorrow

• The ruling PTPs Achilles heel, the Bus Rapid Transit, known by its acronym BRT, will finally be launched tomorrow (August 13, 2020).
• `Prime Minister Imran Khan will inaugurate the third generation mass transit system at around 3pm on August 13, 2020,` a seemingly relieved Chief Minister Mahmood Khan announced here on Tuesday.
• Speaking to reporters at the Chief Minister`s House, Mr Mahmood said the initial deadline set by his predecessor, Pervez Khattak, was a mistake

6. Noted poet Rahat Indori dies at 70

• Noted Urdu poet Rahat Indori, who lent his voice to the nation-wide protests against a communal citizenship law, died in a hospital in Indore on August 11, 2020, reports said.
• He was tested positive for Covid-19 on Monday, and suffered two consecutive heart attacks on August 11, 2020.
• `He suffered two heart attacks today and could not be saved. He was admitted to hospital on Sunday, after testing positive for Covid-19. He had 60pc pneumonia,` The Hindustan Times newspaper quoted Dr Vinod Bhandari of Sri Aurobindo Hospital as saying

7. Spain again grapples with Europe`s worst virus infection rate

• Just seven weeks after bringing its first coronavirus wave under control, experts say Spain is once again in a `critical` situation with the worst infection rate in Western Europe.
• The country reported an average of 4,923 new daily cases of the respiratory disease during the last seven days, a higher amount than that of Britain, France, Germany and Italy combined, according to a tally based on official figures.
• Spain counts 95 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people, compared to 24 in France, 17 in Britain, 13 in Germany and just eight in Italy, the first country outside of China to be hit hard by the pandemic. The spike has led a growing list of countries to impose restrictions on travel to Spain, which has nearly 323,000 confirmed cases of the disease, the highest number in Western Europe.

8. NZ locks down Auckland after first local virus cases in 102 days

• New Zealand announced on August 11, 2020 it was shutting down its largest city, Auckland, after four new cases of Covid-19 were discovered in the city, the first evidence of domestic transmission after being coronavirus-free for 102 days.
• New Zealand`s successful fight against Covid-19 was hailed globally and the Pacific island nation of 5 million was seen as one of the safest places, as the pandemic raged globally.
• Director General of Health Ashley Bloomfield said the four confirmed cases were within one family in South Auckland

9. Israel closes Gaza goods crossing over balloon attacks

• Israel closed its goods crossing with the Gaza Strip on August 11, 2020 after militants in the Hamas-run territory fired rockets into the Mediterranean and launched waves of incendiary balloons into the Jewish state.
• The Kerem Shalom crossing will be closed until further notice to all traffic except humanitarian equipment and fuel, COGAT, the defence ministry unit that oversees the crossings, said in a statement prior to the closure. The move comes in response to `continued launching of incendiary balloons` from Gaza, it added.
• Defence Minister Benny Gantz said in a statement, `In the south, Hamas is continuing to enable explosive balloon attacks to be launched into the State of Israel. We are not prepared to accept that and have closed the Kerem Shalom border crossing as a result.` Israeli fire services in the south of the country reported 60 Eres caused by balloons on Tuesday alone, without recording any casualties.

10. Turkey, Greece in Mediterranean standoff; Athens seeks EU meeting

• Greece on August 11, 2020 demanded that Turkey withdraw a research ship at the heart of their growing dispute over maritime rights and warned it would defend its sovereignty, calling for an emergency meeting of EU foreign ministers to resolve the crisis.
• Tensions were stoked on Monday when Ankara dispatched the research ship Oruc Reis accompanied by Turkish naval vessels off the Greek island of Kastellorizo in the eastern Mediterranean.
• In a televised statement, Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias urged Ankara to `immediately` remove the Oruc Reis from Greek waters

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