Daily Top-10 Current Affairs MCQs / News (December 11, 2021) for CSS, PMS

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December 11, 2021: National / International Current Affairs

1. EU panel chides WB over Pakistan energy woes

• A European think tank has blamed the World Bank for a role in Pakistan`s energy sector problems over the decades and for rushing through a long-term power generation plan based on dirty and expensive fuels under its `prior actions` of loan programmes.
• Recourse an Amsterdam-based nonprofit organisation claims it holds financial institutions to account for harms to people and the environment and is funded by foundations and organisations working for environment and development under the European Union.
• In its report `World Bank`s Development Policy Finance (DPF) 2015-21: Stuck in a carbon rut`, the European think tank said its studies in Indonesia and Pakistan showed the WB was `accelerating the use of natural gas and supporting fragile energy sectors that are heavily invested in coal`

2. Cabinet approves new local govt law

• The Punjab government on December 10, 2021 got the Punjab Local Government Act 2021 approved from the provincial cabinet through circulation.
• Chief Minister Usman Buzdar on Friday met Minister of Local Government and Community Development Mian Mahmoodur Rasheed in his office and discussed the structure of the local government.
• The CM said the Punjab Cabinet had approved the PLGA 2021, which would surely empower the people of the province. He said the amended Act was now being sent to Governor Chaudhry Sarwar for his approval

3. ADB okays $685m loans for Pakistan

• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved two policy and project loans worth $685 million for Pakistan`s energy sector reforms and improvement of health and civic facilities.
• Under the first loan, the Manila based lending agency will provide a $300m policy-based lending to support financial, technical and governance reforms to strengthen the country`s energy sector and improve its financial sustainability, the ADB said in a statement issued on Friday.
• The financing is part of the second sub-programme of ADB`s Energy Sector Reforms and Financial Sustainability Programme, which aims to improve the governance of Pakistan`s energy sector and reduce and manage the accumulated cash shortfall across the power supply chain known as circular debt. The first sub-programme under the $300m financing was approved in December 2019.

4. Nadra to register transgender persons across country

• National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) on December 10, 2021 launched a drive to get the transgender persons registered across the country to mark the international day of human rights.
• In a bid to enhance the registration of transgender persons and create awareness, Nadra has launched countrywide campaign `Trans-Rights are Human Rights`.
• In this regard the authority is giving training to field officers/officials on Dec 13 to sensitise them to the right of transgender persons which would ultimately help them register them

5. Imran inaugurates PVC plant of Engro Polymer

• Prime Minister Imran Khan inaugurated on Friday a 100,000tonne PVC III plant of Engro Polymer and Chemicals (EPCL), which will enable import substitution of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and boost exports, a press release said.
• Addressing the ceremony, Prime Minister Khan said the government supports the expansion of local businesses in order to ensure import substitution and achieve higher exports. He urged the business community to focus on import substitution and diversification of the export base to support sustainable economic growth.
• A subsidiary of Engro Corporation, EPCL is the only fully integrated chlorvinyl chemical complex and producer of PVC in Pakistan

6. Dr Baqir made IFSB chairman

• The governor of State Bank of Pakistan, Dr Reza Baqir, has been appointed as chairman of the Council of Islamic Financial Services Board (IFSB), Malaysia, for the year 2022, a press release issued by the central bank on December 10, 2021 said.
• Dr Baqir`s appointment was approved by the IFSB Council in its 39th meeting held on Dec 9 in Abu Dhabi, UAE. He had been serving earlier as the deputy chairman of the IFSB Council for the year 2021

7. France to open Algerian files 15 years before time

• France will open classified police files from the Algerian war 15 years ahead of schedule in order to `look the truth in the eyes`, the government announced on December 10, 2021.
• The files cover criminal investigations during the 1954-1962 war of independence and are likely to confirm the widespread use of torture and extra-judicial killings by French forces.
• `We have things to rebuild with Algeria. They can only be rebuilt on the truth,` said Culture Minister Roselyne Bachelot on BFMTV.

8. US imposes sanctions on China`s AI firm

• The United States on December 10, 2021 imposed extensive human rights-related sanctions on dozens of people and entities tied to China, Myanmar, North Korea and Bangladesh, and added Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) company Sense Time Group to an investment blacklist.
• Canada and the United Kingdom joined the United States in imposing sanctions related to human rights abuse in Myanmar, while Washington also imposed the first new sanctions on North Korea under President Joe Biden`s administration and targeted Myanmar military entities, among others, in action marking Human Rights Day

9. US wins British court appeal paving way for Assange extradition

• The US government won an appeal on December 10, 2021 against a UK court ruling that had blocked extraditing Julian Assange, paving the way for the WikiLeaks founder to be sent from Britain.
• The decision by the High Court in London could now see the extradition referred to interior minister Priti Patel for final approval, but Assange`s legal team immediately said it will ask the UK Supreme Court to intervene.
• The US challenged a January decision by a British magistrates` court that it would be `oppressive` to extradite the 50-year-old Australian to the US justice system due to his mental health and the risk of suicide

10. FO slams diplomatic boycott of Beijing Olympics

• The Foreign Office has criticised the planned diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing by the United States and some other countries and called for keeping politics out of sports.
• `Pakistan opposes any form of politicisation of sports and hopes that all nations would come together in Beijing and afford their athletes the opportunity to compete against the best and showcase their skills,` FO spokesman Asim Iftikhar said at a weekly media briefing here on Friday

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