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March 15, 2021: National / International Current Affairs
1. Govt won`t directly receive HIV grant
• The federal government has lost its mandate to fight HIV as the Global Fund (GF) has declared Pakistan sub-recipient of its $72 million aid.
• The aid will be given to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the private sector which will spend it in the country. However, as UN agencies spend a large chunk of funds on management expenses, such as on salaries and security, only a meagre amount will actually be spent on the people of Pakistan, it is feared
2. PIA plans Swat flights to promote tourism
• Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has decided to operate flights to Swat, Skardu and Gilgit with an aim to promote tourism.
• Saidu Sharif Airport in Swat was scaled down due to security reasons in 2004 and would be made operational once the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) upgrades it and makes it operational.
• PIA spokesman Abdullah Hafeez said the national flag carrier had decided to operate two flights to Saidu Sharif from Islamabad on a weekly basis from next month to facilitate tourists
3. PCAA extends travel advisory till 18th
• The Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) on March 13, 2021 notified further extension in its travel advisory for international passengers, chartered and private fiights inbound to Pakistan till March 18.
• The PCAA had earlier extended its travel advisory for inbound passengers till March 14, with the addition of nine more countries to its C-category list. Sharing lists of countries categorised as A, B and C, the organisation issued a standard operating procedure for all in bound passengers.
• The fresh travel advisory issued by the PCAA air transport department director will remain valid till March 18.
4. US has more troops in Afghanistan than officially acknowledged: NYT
• The United States currently has 3,500 troops in Afghanistan, 1,000 more than the declared total of 2,500, The New York Times reported on March 14, 2021.
• The additional number `adds another layer of complexity to the swirling debate at the White House over whether to stick with the deadline` set in the US-Taliban peace deal, the newspaper noted.
• The deal, negotiated by the former Trump administration last February, requires the US to withdraw all its troops from Afghanistan by May 1.
5. Italian region suspends AstraZeneca jabs after death
• Italy`s northern region of Piedmont said on March 14, 2021 it would stop using a batch of AstraZeneca coronavirus shots after a teacher died following his vaccination on March 13, 2021.
• The region, around the northern city of Turin, had initially suspended all AstraZeneca vaccines in order to identify and isolate the batch from which the jab administered to the teacher, from the town of Biella, came.
• The decision, following similar moves elsewhere in Europe, was precautionary and the region is awaiting the results of checks which will verify whether there is a connection between the death and the vaccination, the regional government said in an online statement
6. Netanyahu ruled out flight over S. Arabia for fear of Houthi missiles
• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was deterred from flying to the United Arab Emirates through Saudi Arabian airspace last week because of the threat of missile fire from Iranian proxies in Yemen.
• Netanyahu, whose comments came on March 13, 2021, had called off a visit to the Emirates last week over a spat with neighbouring Jordan, which had temporarily closed its airspace to the Israeli prime minister`s flight.
• But rather than bypass Jordanian airspace and take a more southerly route across Saudi skies, Netanyahu told Israel`s Channel 13 there were also problems a week ago in the skies of Saudi Arabia, referring to recent missile at tacks by Yemen`s Houthi rebels
7. Beyonce, West among early Grammy winners
• Kanye West, Beyonce and Billie Eilish won early Grammys on March 14, 2021 at a reinvented ceremony where the music industry hopes to put a year-long pandemic behind it.
• West won in the contemporary Christian music field for his Gospel album, Jesus is King, while Beyonce won best music video for Brown Skin Girl, which she shared with her nine-year-old daughter Blue Ivy.
8. Kosovo opens embassy in Jerusalem
• Kosovo said on March 14, 2021 it had officially opened its embassy in Jerusalem after becoming the first Muslim-majority territory to recognise the city as Israel`s capital.
• The move was in exchange for Israel recognising Kosovo, a major victory for Pristina`s efforts to gain full global recognition of the independence it declared in 2008 following a war with Serbia in the 1990s.
• The new embassy was opened during a brief ceremony during which Kosovo`s flag was raised in front of the building in Jerusalem, the Kosovo foreign ministry said in a statement.
9. Rashid takes 11 to help Afghanistan draw Zimbabwe Test series
• A career best 11-wicket haul by leg-spinner Rashid Khan helped Afghanistan level their two match series against Zimbabwe with a hard fought victory in the second Test in Abu Dhabi on March 14, 2021.
• The 22-year-old continued his fairytale rise at international level with 7-137 in a marathon 62.5 overs effort to end Zimbabwe`s resistance-packed second innings on 365, soon after lunch on the fifth and final day at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium
10. Japan to limit size of foreign delegations at Games
• Japan is considering limiting the number of people who will be allowed to accompany foreign ministers and leaders for the delayed Tokyo Olympics due to health concerns amid the Covid-19 pandemic, Kyodo news agency reported on March 14, 2021.
• Kyodo said the Japanese government will restrict the accompanying staff to 11 people per head of state, while cabinet-level delegations will be limited to five people, the report said.
• The Tokyo Games, postponed last year due to concerns over the spread of the novel coronavirus, were rescheduled for July 23 to August 8 this year.
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