Day by Day Current Affairs (March 24, 2020) MCQs for CSS, PMS

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March 24, 2020: National / International Current Affairs

1. Troops deployed to fight virus

• Chief of the Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa on March 23, 2020 ordered deployment of troops and military`s medical resources to fight Covid-19 alongside the national health infrastructure after the Ministry of Interior approved the summaries it had received in this regard from the provincial governments over the past two days amid surging number of patients infected with novel coronavirus.
• `Despite heavy troop deployment along the western border and the Line of Control, the army chief has directed deployment of available troops and all medical resources according to the requirement,` said Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations Maj Gen Babar Iftikhar in a televised statement.
• The announcement was made after the federal government sought deployment of the armed forces in all four provinces, Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir under Article 245 (functions of the armed forces) of the Constitution and Section 131(A) (power to use military force for public security and maintenance of law and order) of the Criminal Procedure Code.

2. President grants military awards

• President Dr Arif Alvi granted military awards to the personnel and officers of armed forces on the eve of Pakistan Day that was celebrated on March 23, 2020 with simplicity amid fears of further outbreak of novel coronavirus.
• The Inter-Services Public Relations, the media wing of Pakistan Armed Forces, in a statement said that President has granted military awards to the “officers and men of Pakistan Army, Navy and Air Force.”
• One officer and two men were granted Sitara-i-Basalat, 66 Tamgha-i-Basalat, 39 Imtiazi Asnad, 65 COAS Commendation Cards, 23 Hilal-i-Imtiaz (Military), 112 Sitara-i-Imtiaz (Military) and 137 were awarded Tamgha-i-Imtiaz (Military).

3. Centre, Sindh at odds on lockdown; Punjab extends `shutdown`

• While the federal government continues to disagree with the provincial government over its stance on lockdown to slow Covid19 spread, the tally of confirmed cases across the country jumped to 875 on March 23, 2020 with prominent politician of Sindh Saeed Ghani, some foreigners and a journalist among the latest victims.
• `I got myself tested for Covid-19 and surprisingly it was declared positive despite the fact that I have no symptoms such as flu, cough, fever and I am not feeling pain in my body. However, as test has been declared positive so I have decided to remain in isolation fortwo weeks and will stay at home and perform duties from here,` said Mr Ghani, who is Education Minister in Sindh, in a video statement.
• Considering the sensitivity of the matter, Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah ordered tests of the members of his team who had been in contact with Mr Ghani including himself.
• In Islamabad, as many as six cases were confirmed among the members of Tablighi Jamaat who were residing in a mosque at Bahara Kahu

4. Multi-billion rupee relief package approved

• Prime Minister Imr an Khan on March 23, 2020 approve d a multi-billion rupee relief package for different segments of society who are vulnerable to the adverse impact of the coronavirus outbreak on the country`s economy.
• The package was approved in a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Khan at the Prime Minister Office.
• Under the package the monthly stipend of the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) has been increased from Rs2,000 to Rs3,000

5. Three-week lockdown in AJK

• The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government has announced complete lockdown for three weeks starting at midnight on March 23, 2020 to control the spread of novel coronavirus.
• The announcement was made by Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider in a video message following which official notifications to this effect were also issued.
• `Since the Covid-19 cases in Pakistan are feared to rise exponentially in the absence of adequate measures, mainly social distancing, it has become extremely urgent and essential to prevent gatherings as well as movements of people in any form for a period of 21 days, to contain this pandemic,` read the first notification, issued by the home department

6. US, UAE troops hold major exercise amid virus, Iran tensions

• US Marines and Emirati forces held a major military exercise on March 23, 2020 that saw forces seize a sprawling model Mideast city, a drill conducted amid tensions with Iran and despite the new coronavirus pandemic.
• Troops raced over the dunes of the Al-Hamra Military Base to take the model city, complete with multi-story buildings, an airport control tower, an oil refinery and a central mosque. Controlled explosions rang out as Emirati troops rappelled from hovering helicopters and Marines searched narrow streets on the Persian Gulf for enemy forces.
• The biennial exercise, called Native Fury, shows the close ties between American forces and the UAE, a federation of seven sheikhdoms on the Arabian Peninsula home to Abu Dhabi, the capital, and Dubai, its financial heart

7. Virus kills two major generals in Egypt

• A second senior military officer in Egypt has died of the new coronavirus, state television reported on March 23, 2020, as the officially declared death toll stood at 14 from 327 cases recorded nationwide.
• Major General Shafee Dawood, head of major infrastructure projects at the military engineering authority, became the latest high-ranking figure in Egypt to die from Covid-19 in hospital.
• His death comes after Major General Khaled Shaltout, the army`s chief of water management, died from the virus late on Sunday.
• State television said that Shaltout contracted the disease after having taken pan in `sterilisation` procedures to stave off the virus

8. UAE to suspend all passenger flights: state media

• The United Arab Emirates announced on March 23, 2020 it will temporarily suspend all passenger and transit flights amid the novel coronavirus outbreak.
• The Emirati authorities “have decided to suspend all inbound and outbound passenger flights and the transit of airline passengers in the UAE for two weeks as part of the precautionary measures taken to curb the spread of the COVID-19”, reported the official state news agency, WAM. It said the decision — which is subject to review in two weeks — will take effect in 48 hours, adding: “Cargo and emergency evacuation flights would be exempt.”
• The UAE, whose international airports in Abu Dhabi and Dubai are major hubs, announced on Friday its first two deaths from the COVID-19 disease, having reported more than 150 cases so far.

9. Chile enforces curfew amid region’s growing concern over COVID-19

• Chile on March 23, 2020 became the latest Latin American country to announce restrictions on movement as growing fears over the spread of the coronavirus sparked a prison riot in Colombia that killed 23 inmates.
• A curfew in Chile “will take effect throughout the national territory from 10:00 pm to 05:00 am the next day,” Health Minister Jaime Manalich announced Sunday. The country, which has 632 infections, registered its first death from the pandemic at the weekend. , which implemented a curfew on Tuesday, marked its highest daily increase in deaths and new cases on Sunday, with 14 dead and 789 affected.
• The number of fatalities rose from seven on Saturday at 22:00 GMT to 14 on Sunday at 15:00 GMT, while the infected surged from 532 to 789, according to the country’s National Risk and Emergency Management Service.

10. Zhou wins F1’s Virtual Grand Prix opener

• Guanyu Zhou has won the inaugural Formula 1 Virtual Grand Prix, run as a ‘replacement’ event to the postponed Bahrain Grand Prix.
• With the global coronavirus pandemic halting all major sport, F1 has launched its new Esports Virtual Grand Prix series opening with the Bahrain GP which has been run when the actual race was scheduled to take place before the 2020 season was postponed by the health crisis. The sport hopes to fill the void of action using its video game activities given its new campaign isn’t set to start until at least June.

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