Daily Top-10 Current Affairs MCQs / News (October 13, 2021) for CSS, PMS

WELCOME TO CSS TIMES DAY BY DAY CURRENT AFFAIRS, YOUR BEST SOURCE FOR UP-TO-DATE AND DAILY TOP CURRENT AFFAIRS 2021 FOR PREPARATION OF CSS, PMS, BANKING, NTS, RAILWAYS AND ALL COMPETITIVE EXAMS. “DAY TO DAY CURRENT AFFAIRS” BASICALLY IS TOP 10 NEWS SUMMARY ON CURRENT HAPPENINGS OF NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL IMPORTANCE FOR ALL EXAMINATIONS

October 13, 2021: National / International Current Affairs

1. IMF forecasts Pakistan`s growth rate at 4pc

• The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on October 12, 2021 forecast inadequate growth rate of four per cent for Pakistan coupled with elevated rate of inflation and stubborn unemployment rate during the current fiscal year.
• This growth rate is exactly the same as projected by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) about two weeks ago and significantly higher than 3.4pc forecast by the World Bank a few days ago, which was rejected by the government as unrealistic.
• Fitch Solutions had projected Pakistan`s growth rate at 4.2pc which was significantly lower than the budgeted target of 4.8pc. The State Bank of Pakistan has anticipated GDP growth at the higher side of 4-5pc.In its World Economic Outlook (WEO), the Washington-based lending agency projected the average rate of inflation at 8.5pc, current account deficit at 3.1pc of GDP and unemployment rate at 4.8pc during current fiscal year

2. Top Iranian military commander arrives

• Chief of General Staff of Iran`s Armed Forces Maj Gen Mohammad Bagheri arrived on October 12, 2021 on a three-day visit.
• Lt Gen Saqib Mehmood Malik, chief of logistics staff of Pakistan Army, received him at the airport.
• General Bagheri is leading a high ranking military delegation

3. NAB director general appointed as bureau`s deputy chairman

• President Dr Arif Alvi in consultation with National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman Javed Iqbal has appointed the bureau`s Director General (Operations) Zahir Shah as deputy chairman of the anti-graft watchdog, said a notification issued by the law ministry on October 12, 2021.
• Mr Shah has been serving with NAB for almost two decades and has held key positions in the organisation.
• NAB`s former deputy chairman Hussain Asghar resigned last week

4. 127 PhD scholars awarded research fellowships under IRSIP

• As many as 127 PhD scholars enrolled in different programmes in Pakistani higher educational institutions have won six-month research fellowships abroad under the International Research Support Initiative Programme (IRSIP).
• The programme was launched by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) in 2005. In this connection, HEC organised a pre-departure orientation session and scholarship award ceremony on Tuesday for those selected under the programme.

5. ICJ rules in favour of Somalia in Kenya row

• The UN`s top court awarded Somalia control of most of a potentially oil and gas-rich chunk of the Indian Ocean on October 12, 2021 after a bitter legal battle with neighbouring Kenya over their sea border.
• The International Court of Justice ruled there was `no agreed maritime boundary` and drew a new border close to the one claimed by Somalia, although Kenya kept a part of the 100,000 square-kilometre area, chief judge Joan Donoghue said.
• Kenya, which had claimed the entire area off the East African coast, said last week that it would refuse to recognise the jurisdiction of the `biased` Hague-based court

6. US names envoy for Afghan resettlement

• The Biden administration has appointed Elizabeth Jones, a veteran diplomat, to lead efforts for relocation and resettlement in Afghanistan, the US State Department said on October 12, 2021.
• `As the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts, Ambassador Jones will assume oversight of the entire Afghanistan relocation effort, from our ongoing efforts to facilitate the departure of individuals from Afghanistan to their onward relocation and resettlement in the United States,` the official announcement said.
• Ambassador Jones has been recalled from her retirement to lead the rescue and resettlement effort.

7. Israel agrees to double water supply for Jordan

• Israel formally agreed on Tuesday to double the amount of fresh water it provides to neighbouring Jordan, one of the world`s most water-deficient nations.
• The two countries announced in July that Israel would sell 50 million cubic metres of water a year to Jordan, doubling what it already supplies, according to the terms of a peace deal from the 1990s.
• The new agreement is proof that `we want good neighbourly relations, Karine Elharrar, Israel`s minister of infrastructure, energy and water resources, said in a statement

8. EU pledges $1.2bn aid to Afghans

• The Taliban held their first face-to-face talks with a joint US-EU delegation on October 12, 2021 in Qatar as Brussels pledged one billion euros ($1.2 billion) in aid for Afghanistan.
• The Taliban regime is seeking recognition, as well as assistance to avoid a humanitarian disaster, after they returned to power in August following the withdrawal of US troops.
• European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the EU aid package, meant `to avert a major humanitarian and socio-economic collapse`, at a virtual G20 summit hosted by Italy

9. When global warming stops, seas will still rise

• Even if humanity beats the odds and caps global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels, seas will rise for centuries to come and swamp cities currently home to half-a-billion people, researchers warned on October 12, 2021.
• In a world that heats up another half-degree above that benchmark, an additional 200 million of today`s urban dwellers would regularly find themselves knee-deep in sea water and more vulnerable to devastating storm surges, they reported in Environmental Research Letters

10. Cool-headed Iftikhar inspires KP into National T20 Cup final

• The knockout round is a test of nerves and on Tuesday, Iftikhar Ahmed provided ample glimpses that he can, indeed, deliver under extreme pressure.
• With the National T20 Cup final spot at stake, the first of the semi-finals at the Gaddafi Stadium here saw Khyber Pakhtunkhwa eventually get over the line against Northern by five wickets and as many deliveries to spare by overhauling Northern`s tally of 156-8.
• In the battle between title winners of the first two editions since the format was revamped in 2019, Northern had victory in their sight when Khyber Pakhtunkhwa lost their way in the middle overs after losing the fifth wicket in a space of 50 runs following the opening stand of57.

Check our daily updated ‘s Complete Day by Day Current Affairs Notes

October 2021:
[catlist name=”October 2021″]

September 2021:
[catlist name=”September 2021″]

August 2021:
[catlist name=”August 2021″]

July 2021:
[catlist name=”July 2021″]

June 2021:
[catlist name=”June 2021″]

May 2021:
[catlist name=”May 2021″]

April 2021:
[catlist name=”April 2021″]

March 2021:
[catlist name=”March 2021″]

February 2021:
[catlist name=”February 2021″]

January 2021:
[catlist name=”January 2021″]