Daily Top-10 Current Affairs MCQs / News (October 18, 2020) for CSS, PMS

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October 18, 2020: National / International Current Affairs

1. Army soldier martyred in Turbat attack

• A soldier of Pakistan Army embraced martyrdom and three others suffered injuries in a terrorist attack on a patrolling party of security forces near the Jhaki post in the Turbat area of Balochistan on October 17, 2020.
• The terrorists opened fire on the security forces` patrolling party some 35km southeast of Turbat. During the ensuing exchange of fire, Lance Naik Waseem Ullah was martyred and three other soldiers suffered injuries, said an InterServices Public Relations (ISPR) press release.
• This was the second attack on security personnel in Balochistan in three days

2. Textile, clothing exports up by 2.92pc to $3.47 billion in first quarter

• Pakistan’s textile and clothing exports have increased by 2.92 percent in the first quarter (July to September) of the current fiscal year.
• The country has exported textile and clothing worth $3.47 billion in July to September period of the year 2020-21 as against $3.37 billion in the same period of the last year, according to the latest data of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS). Meanwhile, the textile and clothing exports have shown handsome growth of 11.3 percent and were recorded at $1.19 billion in the month of September. The exports have rebounded after showing decline in last few months. As a result of Covid-19, the demand for country’s exports has collapsed during the last few months

3. TikTok management dismayed over ban in Pakistan

• After banning Chinese video sharing App in Pakistan, TikTok management claimed that it continues to engage with the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to demonstrate its commitment to comply with local laws and further enhance its content moderation capacity.
• In a statement, it said, “the TikTok mission is to inspire creativity and joy, and that’s just what we’ve done in Pakistan. We’ve built a community whose creativity and passion has brought joy to households across Pakistan and opened vital economic opportunities to incredibly talented creators.”

4. China`s experimental Covid-19 vaccine costs $60

• A Chinese city is offering Sinovac Biotech`s experimental Covid-19 vaccine to essential workers and other high-risk groups as part of a national programme for about $60.
• The eastern city of Jiaxing`s center for disease control and prevention (CDC) said in a statement on WeChat that two doses of the vaccine candidate, called CoronaVac, will cost 200 yuan ($29.75) per dose and that vaccinations for key groups including medical professionals have begun

5. Armenia, Azerbaijan agree to declare `humanitarian truce`

• The foreign ministries of Armenia and Azerbaijan have said they will declare a `humanitarian truce` from midnight (2000 GMT, Saturday) after nearly three weeks of fighting over a disputed region.
• It will be a second attempt of the warring sides to declare a ceasefire to quell almost three weeks of clashes over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region that have killed hundreds of people

6. Ardern wins `Covid election` by a landslide

• Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern won a landslide victory in New Zealand`s general election on October 17, 2020, leveraging success battling Covid19 into an unprecedented majority she said gave her a mandate for progressive reform.
• Ardern`s centre-left Labour Party took 64 seats in the 120-member parliament with 49 per cent of the vote, after the youthful and charismatic leader steered the nation through the upheaval wrought by the global pandemic.

7. Climate change melting Alpine glaciers & revealing hidden treasures

• Climate change is creating valuable archaeological sites in the Alpine mountains by melting glaciers and revealing wonders that would have otherwise lay hidden in the ice. Teams recently uncovered a knotted string of plant fibers some 6,000 years old, an ancient wooden figurine, laced shoes with remains of a prehistoric man dating back to 2,800 BC, along with other lost treasures across the areas

8. Engineers print wearable sensors directly on skin

• An international team of researchers developed a novel technique to produce precise, high-performing biometric sensors.
• Wearable sensors are evolving from watches and electrodes to bendable devices that provide far more precise biometric measurements and comfort for users.

9. Study found that ancient Madagascan beasts were killed by human activity

• Giant creatures from Madagascar and the Mascarene Islands were killed by a deadly combination of human activity and a megadrought, a mineral sample study found.
• The creatures, including dodos and giant tortoises, survived through millennia of repeated droughts until humans arrived and finally wiped them out. Both islands suffered a ‘megafauna crash’ between 1500 and 500 years ago that saw significant large animal and bird species go extinct at about the same time.

10. Umar Gul calls time on topsy-turvy playing career

• Pakistan seamer Umar Gul, who earned the nickname `Guldozer` for his rattling of stumps, has called time on his 17-year cricket career.
• With no crowds to bid farewell to the national hero because of coronavirus (Covid-19) restrictions, the 2009 Twenty20 World Cup winner bowed out to a guard of honour from teammates and opponents after his final match a disappointing defeat in the National T20 Cup at the Pindi Cricket Stadium on October 16, 2020 night.

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