Daily Top-10 Current Affairs MCQs / News (March 22, 2021) for CSS, PMS

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March 22, 2021: National / International Current Affairs

1. Pentagon chief meets Ghani in unannounced visit to Kabul

• United States Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin met Afghan President Ashraf Ghani during an unannounced visit to Kabul on March 21, 2021, just weeks before Washington is due to withdraw the last of its troops under a deal struck with the Taliban last year.
• Austin said on Twitter he had come to `listen and learn`, on his first trip to Afghanistan since his appointment.
• `This visit has been very helpful for me, and it will inform my participation in the review (of Afghan peace process) we are undergoing here (with President Joe Biden),` he added

2. World Water Day today under theme ‘Valuing Water’

• Like other parts of the globe, International World Water Day is being observed across the country today, with this year’s theme “Valuing Water.”
• Each year, World Water Day highlights a specific aspect of freshwater.
• The theme this year is how we value water beyond its price. It determines how it is managed and shared.

3. Nauroz celebrated with zeal across GB

• The Nauroz festival was celebrated across Gilgit-Baltistan with traditional zeal on March 21, 2021.
• Chief Minister Khalid Khurshid Khan, cabinet and opposition parties` members, civil and military officials participated in the festivals in their respective areas of Gilgit, HunzaNagar, Ghizer, Astore, Skardu, Shigar, Kharmang and Ghancha districts.
• The festival marks the beginning of new year in the Persian calendar

4. HBL becomes first Pakistani bank to operate in China

• HBL became the first Pakistani bank to open a branch and serve clients in Beijing, China’s capital city.
• The inauguration ceremony for HBL Beijing was attended by clients, regulators and senior executives of the Bank from across HBL’s international network. Deputy Governor, State Bank of Pakistan, Jameel Ahmad, HBL Chairman Sultan Ali Allana, – HBL President and

5. Travel from 12 countries banned

• Civil Aviation Authority has updated its travel advisory putting a complete travel ban for international travelers from 12 Category C countries in the wake of resurge in coronavirus cases.
• The Authority has withdrawn all earlier exemptions given to Pakistani passport holders, Pakistan Origin Cardholders, and those having National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis.
• Category C countries include Botswana, Brazil, Colombia, Comoros, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Peru, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zambia

6. Russia’s US envoy returns to Moscow after ‘killer’ row

• Russia’s ambassador to the United States landed in Moscow on March 21, 2021 after being recalled for emergency consultations over the worst crisis in relations with the United States in years.
• US President Joe Biden on television earlier this week called the Russian leader a “killer” spurring a terse quip from Vladimir Putin who responded that, “it takes one to know one”.
• The exchange pushed diplomatic relations to a new low even after Moscow’s ties with Washington were already at rock bottom over election meddling allegations and the Kremlin’s decision to jail opposition figure Alexei Navalny.

7. Filipino troops kill rebel commander, rescue last hostage

• Philippine troops killed an Abu Sayyaf rebel commander blamed for years of ransom kidnappings and on March 21, 2021 rescued the last of his four Indonesian captives, the military said.
• Marines wounded Amajan Sahidjuan in a gun battle on Saturday night and he later died from loss of blood on Kalupag Island in the southernmost province of Tawi Tawi. Two other militants managed to flee and dragged along the last of four Indonesian hostages but troops finally rescued him on Sunday, regional military commander Lt. Gen. Corleto Vinluan Jr. said

8. Turkish police detain pro-Kurd politician in assembly

• Turkish police on March 21, 2021 detained a prominent pro-Kurdish party politician who was staging a days long protest in parliament. He was released after questioning several hours later.
• Omer Faruk Gergerlioglu, from the Peoples Democratic Party, or HDP, refused to leave parliament after he was stripped of his status and immunity as lawmaker on Wednesday. The party said around 100 police officers entered parliament to detain him. Video of his detention showed police officers dragging him away

9. Transborder management of water key to progress, UN told

• Pakistan has informed the United Nations that without trans border water management and cooperation, inclusive sustainable development would not be possible.
• Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam reminded a UN General Assembly session on water this week that Islamabad was a signatory to the 1960 Indus Water Treaty (IWT) between Pakistan and India.
• `And as a signatory, we believe in transboundary water cooperation as a pillar for sustainable water management,` he added

10. Large asteroid to (safely) zip past Earth

• The largest asteroid to pass by Earth this year will swing closest on March 21, 2021, giving astronomers a rare chance for a good look at a space rock that formed at the dawn of our solar system.
• While in astronomical terms this marks a close encounter with the asteroid — called 2001 FO32 — NASA says there is no threat of a collision with our planet “now or for centuries to come”.
• The nearest it will get will be two million kilometres (1.25 million miles) away, according to the US space agency. That is roughly 5.25 times the distance of the Earth from the Moon but still close enough for 2001 FO32 to be classified as a “potentially hazardous asteroid.”

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