Daily Top-10 Current Affairs MCQs / News (March 21, 2021) for CSS, PMS

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March 21, 2021: National / International Current Affairs

1. Motorway rape convicts sentenced to death

• An anti-terrorism court on March 20, 2021 awarded death sentence to two convicts Abid Ali Malhi and Shafqat Ali alias Bagga in the motorway gangrapecaseunderSecdon376 (ii) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).
• The guilty verdict announced by Judge Arshad Hussain Bhutta in a hearing held inside the Camp Jail also carried life imprisonment for each convict under Section 365-A of the PPC (kidnapping for extorting property, valuable security).
• Each of the convicts was also handed down 14-year rigorous imprisonment, with a fine of Rs200,000 under Section 392 (robbery), and five year rigorous imprisonment under Section 440 (mischief committed after preparation made for causing death or hurt), with a fine of Rs 50,000.

2. PM, wife contract Covid as positivity rate tops 9pc

• As Pakistan`s national positivity ratio surpassed nine per cent, Prime Minister Imran Khan on March 20, 2021 became the latest head of government in the world to contract Covid-19.
• His wife Bushra Bibi also tested positive for the virus.
• It was decided that the staff of Prime Minister Office and contacts of the premier would be tested under the contact-tracing policy.
• During the last 24 hours, the country saw the highest number of positive cases since July with 3,876 people getting infected.

3. Ruda chief steps down over differences with govt

• The Ravi Urban Development Authority (RUDA) chairman resigned from his office for allegedly not being comfortable with the government over various issues, especially the change in structure of the authority engaged in executing the multibillion-dollar Ravi River front Urban Development project in Lahore.
• `While working anywhere, you see many things that do not happen as per your approach. In such a situation, you appear to be uncomfortable that forces you to better leave rather than staying, tolerating or facing such situations. So, amicably, I tendered my resignation with a three-month notice period under the law, RUDA Chairman Rashid Aziz told.

4. ECO train to resume operations in mid-April

• Top authorities of the Pakistan Railways say the Istanbul Tehran-Islamabad (ITI) freight rail transport service, called ECO (Economic Cooperation Organisation) train, is most likely to resume its operation by the middle of next month.
• Pakistan pledges to join hands with Turkey and Iran to resume operation of the ITI freight train within the shortest time as various preparatory works are underway these days

5. 4G broadband services to be launched in A JK, GB on 23rd

• The government is set to launch 4G broadband services in Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir and an announcement to this effect is expected to be made on March 23.
• The government had decided to open up `digital roads` in GB and AJK and the auction proceeds for new spectrum would be finalised by the middle of May
• `The auction of 4G licences will be held before June 30 and it will not only bring high-speed internet to GB and AJK but also the benefits of higher revenues for their governments,` the sources said.

6. Travel from 12 countries banned amid spike in Covid cases

• In an effort to curb the spike of coronavirus cases in Pakistan, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) on March 20, 2021 notified a fresh list of countries categorised into A, B and C after emergence of South African and Brazilian strain of virus and imposed a complete ban on travel from 12 countries.
• The travel restrictions and a ban on inbound passengers from 12 countries, categorised as C, will remain effective from March 23 to April5.
• The CAA said in a notification: `Conveyed by NCOC, there will be a complete travel ban on inbound travel to Pakistan from category C countries, including withdrawal of exemptions earlier provided to Pakistani passport holders, NICOP holders and POC holders. The temporary measure is being introduced in continuation to the steps being taken to curb the spread of Covid-19 in Pakistan.

7. Turkey condemned for pulling out of treaty protecting women

• Turkey sparked both domestic and international outrage on Saturday after it withdrew from the world`s first binding treaty to prevent and combat violence against women.
• President Recep Tayyip Erdogan`s government announced the decision before dawn on Saturday, the latest victory for conservatives in his nationalist party and their allies who argued the treaty damaged family unity.
• The 2011 Istanbul Convention, signed by 45 countries and the European Union, requires governments to adopt legislation prosecuting domestic violence and similar abuse as well as marital rape and female genital mutilation

8. Milestone as half of all UK adults vaccinated against virus

• Britain has hit a Covid-19 vaccination milestone with more than half of all adults having had at least one injection, health secretary Matt Hancock said on Saturday, making it the world`s first major economy to achieve that level of inoculation.
• Britain`s vaccine roll-out, which has raced ahead of those in the European Union and the United States, means the country is on track to ease lockdown measures and reopen the economy in line with its plan, Hancock said.
• `The vaccination programme is our route out of the pandemic,` Hancock told Sky News on March 20, 2021

9. US, China clash at UN meeting on racism

• The United States accused China on March 19, 2021 of committing genocide and crimes against humanity against Uyghur Muslims and other minorities, and China accused the US of discrimination, hatred and even savage murder of people of African and Asian descent.
• The clash came at the UN General Assembly`s commemoration of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and was sparked by one line in the speech by US Ambassador Linda Thomas Greenfield, who talked about being a descendent of slaves, growing up in the segregated South, and surviving racism including being called an N-word

10. Icelandic volcano subsiding after first eruption in 900 years

• A volcano that spewed glowing red lava near Iceland`s capital Reykjavik after awakening for the first time in 900 years appeared to be subsiding on March 20, 2021, experts said.
• The eruption was small and did not represent a danger to people, officials said.
• Dramatic first images filmed by a coast guard helicopter showed streams of red lava bubbling and flowing out of a fissure in a valley in Geldingadalur, close to Mount Fagradalsfjall on the Reykjanes peninsula in southwestern Iceland.

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