Daily Top-10 Current Affairs MCQs / News (June 17, 2021) for CSS, PMS

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June 17, 2021: National / International Current Affairs

1. State Bank allows fee on interbank fund transfers

• The State Bank of Pakistan on June 16, 2021 allowed banks and other service providers to charge a minimal fee on high-value transactions while the low-income segments of population will continue to use digital transactions free of cost.
• After emergence of Covid in the first quarter of 2020 the State Bank took a number of measures to cope with the extraordinary situation and advised banks and other service providers to offer free of cost Inter Bank Fund Transfer (IBFT) services to all their customers regardless of the size of transaction

2. EU envoy foresees surge in Afghan violence

• European Union`s Special Envoy for Afghanistan Tomas Niklasson on June 16, 2021 warned of surge of violence in Afghanistan and emphasised the urgent need for the warring sides to make progress in their talks at Doha.
• `We could, unfortunately, see an increased level of violence over the next few weeks and months,` Mr Niklassonsaid while talking to Dawn at the end of his visit to Islamabad.
• Violence in Afghanistan has been increasing since May 1, when the withdrawal of troops began. The situation looks particularly grim because of the stalemate in the talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban in Doha. The two sides have made little progress in their negotiations since their dialogue started last September

3. ECC okays import process for 3m tonnes of wheat

• On top of a bumper crop output of 27.2 million tonnes, the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet on June 16, 2021 gave a go-ahead to start the process for import of 3m tonnes of wheat to build strategic reserves. However, the committee stopped short of increasing wheat imports to 4m tonnes.
• The meeting, presided over by Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin, continued to approve technical supplementary grants worth Rs56 billion even after the presentation of the federal budget to the parliament. The meeting also approved a revised policy for regulation of non-governmental and non-profit organisations (NGOs/NPOs) to receive foreign funds and allow supply of a total of 1m tonnes of wheat to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from local crop and imported quantities on a 50:50 basis.

4. Another Pakistani-American joins Biden team

• US President Joe Biden has inducted yet another Pakistani American Lina Khan into his team as a top federal regulator.
• Earlier this week, the US Senate confirmed Zahid Qureshi as a judge for the District of New Jersey by a vote of 81-16. Mr Qureshi is the first Muslim federal judge in US history, NPR.
• Lina Khan is the fifth Pakistani American to join the Biden team since he entered the White House as the 46th US president on Jan 20.
• The other three are Salman Ahmed, Ali Zaidi and Dilawar Syed.

5. Putin, Biden meet in Geneva, agree to ambassadors` return

• Russian President Vladimir Putin said he and US President Joe Biden agreed in a constructive summit on June 16, 2021 to return their nations` ambassadors to their posts and begin negotiations to replace the last remaining treaty between the two countries limiting nuclear weapons.
• Putin said there was no hostility during the talks that wrapped up more quickly than expected.
• The two sides had said they expected to meet for four to five hours but spent less than three hours together, including an opening meeting with just the two presidents and each one`s top foreign aide

6. China to launch high-stakes crewed mission to space today

• China will send three astronauts into orbit on June 17, 2021 (today) in a high-stakes mission, the first of four crewed space flights to complete the country`s space station by the end of next year.
• China will launch Nie Haisheng, Liu Boming and Tang Hongbo into orbit aboard the spacecraft Shenzhou-12 at 9:22am on June 17 from Jiuquan in northwestern Gansu province.
• Nie, 56, a former air force pilot, will be the oldest Chinese astronaut to go to space

7. India accuses Twitter of ignoring new rules

• India`s battle with Twitter escalated on June 16, 2021 with the government accusing the US firm of deliberately ignoring new IT rules, as reports suggested it can now be prosecuted for users` tweets.
• Currently social media companies operating in India are classed as intermediaries, shielding them from criminal liability for anything posted on their platforms.
• But the companies face losing this protection if they fail to comply with new `Intermediary Guidelines` that came into force in India on May 26

8. Centuries-old shipwrecks found off Singapore

• Two centuries-old shipwrecks packed with ceramics and other artefacts have been found off Singapore in a rare discovery that will shed light on the city-state`s maritime heritage, archaeologists said on June 16, 2021.
• The prosperous island nation has long been a key trading hub on global shipping routes connecting the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea.
• The wrecks were found off Pedra Branca, arockyoutcropeast of Singapore, according to the National Heritage Board and think tank the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, which worked together on the project

9. Antibody drug cuts deaths for some severe Covid patients: study

• A cocktail of synthetic antibodies reduces deaths among severe Covid patients who are unable to mount a strong immune response, results from a major clinical trial showed on June 16, 2021.
• The therapy, developed by the US biotech firm Regeneron and given to former US President Donald Trump during his brush with the coronavirus, had previously only been used to treat patients in the early stages of the disease.
• But the Recovery trial based in Britain has found the drug is effective in treating some patients with more acute cases of the virus

10. Quetta Gladiators crash out of playoff race as Multan Sultans march on

• Quetta Gladiators` miserable campaign in the HBL Pakistan Super League ended on June 16, 2021 in an ignominious exit from the playoff race for the second straight season when the former champions crashed to a record 110-run defeat against Multan Sultans at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi.
• Needing a victory to keep themselves alive in the competition, Quetta were blown away for 73 in a matter of just 12.1 overs by the ruthlessness of Multan`s brilliant all-round game in a matter of just 12.1 overs. This was their lowest ever total in the PSL, surpassing the 90 they mustered against Peshawar Zalmi in the 2017 final at Lahore

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