Daily Top-10 Current Affairs MCQs / News (December 30, 2020) for CSS, PMS

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December 30, 2020: National / International Current Affairs

1. Federal cabinet appoints Javad Ghani as FBR chairman on permanent basis

• Federal cabinet on December 29, 2020 extended the service tenure of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) chairman Javed Ghani.
• In July this year, the federal government had assigned the additional charge of chairman FBR to member Customs Javed Ghani for a period of three months or till the appointment of regular chairman FBR after removing Nausheen Javed from the post. Later, the government had further extended the service tenure of chairman FBR for three months. However, the federal cabinet on Tuesday appointed Javad Ghani as FBR chairman on permanent basis

2. Pak, Uzbekistan to materialise Mazar-e-Sharif –Kabul–Peshawar railway line project

• Pakistan and Uzbekistan on December 29, 2020 agreed to accelerate efforts to materialise multibillion dollars proposed Trans-Afghan railway line project “Mazar-e-Sharif–Kabul–Peshawar.”
• This was agreed during a meeting between Prime Minister Imran Khan and the visiting Uzbekistan’s Minister for Transport Makhkamov Ilkham. Speaking on the occasion, Prime Minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s resolve to forge closer ties with Central Asia with primary focus on promotion of trade, investments, energy, and people-to-people contacts

3. Pakistan, Russia to establish North-South gas pipeline project

• Pakistan and Russian Federation have agreed to establish a special purpose company, namely Pakistan Stream Pipeline (Pvt.) Ltd for the execution of North-South gas pipeline project, it is learnt reliably here.
• The matters pertaining the new company and the start of execution work was discussed on December 23, 2020, during the second meeting of the Joint Russian-Pakistani Technical Committee for the implementation of the North-South gas pipeline project held in via video conference

4. Cabinet authorises MoU between NAB and FBI

• The federal cabinet December 29, 2020 authorised the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) despite opposition from Human Rights Minister Dr Shireen Mazari.
• Shireen Mazari believes that the NAB-FBI agreement will open another political Pandora’s box and a new debate will kick start. She believes that NAB and FBI are two different institutions and their MoU would be illogical. She said NAB is an anti-corruption institution, while the FBI deals with internal security and law and order.

5. Lt-Gen (Retd) Zakir Ali passes away

• Lieutenant General Zakir Ali Zaidi breathed his last on December 29, 2020 after prolonged illness.
• He commanded 12 corps and 2 corps and later was Commandant National Defence College. After retirement from Army in 1991 Lieutenant General Zakir Ali Zaidi headed Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad

6. Two newly appointed IHC judges take oath today

• Two newly appointed judges of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) will December 30, 2020 (today) take oath of their office in a ceremony to be held at IHC building.
• Chief Justice of IHC Justice Athar Minallah will administer oath to Tariq Mahmood Jahangiri and Babar Sattar as additional judges of the court.
• President Arif Alvi approved the appointment of renowned lawyers as additional judges of the IHC, said a notification issued by the law and justice ministry. According to the notification, Tariq Jahangiri and Babar Sattar had been appointed as additional IHC judges for a period of one year. With the appointment of the two, the strength of IHC judges has risen to nine, including the chief justice

7. BISP corruption reference: Controller General Accounts commits suicide

• Controller General Accounts Khurram Humayun Tuesday committed suicide after telling his family friends that he was really upset after the NAB filed a corruption reference against him this year.
• Khurram Humayun was a BS-22 officer and was upset due to the NAB’s ongoing investigation against him and others for months, said Aziz Nishtar, a family friend. “In fact, it is the NAB investigation, which caused his death today,” he further said.

8. Britain, Turkey reach post-Brexit trade pact

• Turkey and Britain signed a free-trade agreement on December 292, 2020 as the UK prepares to leave the European Union`s economic orbit at the start of the new year.
• The deal, which will come into effect on Jan 1, aims to support trade between the two countries which was worth more than $25 billion in 2019. It is one of many post-Brexit trade deals the British government is pursuing with nations around the world and came days after it finalized a trade agreement with the EU.

9. Russia, Turkey to develop military ties despite US sanctions

• Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said December 29, 2020 that Moscow and Ankara’s military cooperation would not be deterred by US sanctions on Turkey for acquiring a Russian missile defence system.
• Washington this month punished Turkey for buying Russia’s S-400 air defence system, imposing rare sanctions against a NATO ally.
• US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at the time told Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu that the American sanctions were intended to prevent Russia from receiving substantial revenues from the sale

10. Ex-NZ Test batsman John F. Reid dies

• John Fulton Reid, who scored six centuries in 19 Tests for New Zealand including 108 in a famous win over Australia, has died at the age of 64.
• His death after a long illness was confirmed on December 29, 2020 by New Zealand Cricket (NZC).
• Reid`s century against Australia at the Gabba in November, 1985 was instrumental in New Zealand`s win by an innings of 41 runs

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