Daily Top-10 Current Affairs MCQs / News (February 19, 2021) for CSS, PMS

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February 19, 2021: National / International Current Affairs

1. 2.8m doses of AstraZeneca vaccine to arrive on March 2

• As 2.8 million doses of Oxford AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine will be received on March 2, the government has decided to start vaccination of people over 65 years of age in the first week of next month.
• Registration and inoculation of healthcare workers (HCWs), other than frontline workers, will start from February 22.
• As Covid-19 cases seem to be under control even 18 days after the opening of educational institutions, the health authorities expect that the situation will further improve with the increase in temperature

2. GB govt, NBP join hands to promote tourism

• The Gilgit Baltistan government and National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to promote tourism in the region.
• The MoU will cater to the need for development of accommodation facilities for more than one million tourists, who visit the area annually, through the home stay financing programme, `NBP Maizbaan

3. Sadpara, two other mountaineers missing on K2 declared dead

• Missing climbers Muhammad Ali Sadpara, Iceland’s John Snorri Sigurjóns son and Chile’s Juan Pablo Mohr Prieto were officially declared dead on February 18, 2021 in a press conference attended by the families and friends of the climbers in Skardu.
• Gilgit-Baltistan Tourism Minister Raja Nasir Ali Khan and Ali Sadpara’s son, Sajid Sadpara, were also present at the briefing.
• The three climbers were last seen on Feb 5 near the Bottleneck on K2 as they attempted to reach the summit of the Savage Mountain

4. N. Korean hackers charged in US over $1.3bn theft scheme

• The US Justice Department charged three North Korean military intelligence officials on February 18, 2021 in a campaign of cyberattacks to steal $1.3 billion in crypto and traditional currencies from banks and other targets.
• The first action against Pyongyang by President Joe Biden`s administration took aim at what the department called `a global campaign of criminality` being waged by North Korea

5. Saudi-led coalition in Yemen moves troops to Marib to repel Houthi assault

• The Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen has redeployed troops to the Marib region and increased air strikes to try to repel an advance by the Houthi group, sources in the military and the internationally recognised government said.
• Fighting in the gas-producing region has escalated as the Houthis try to take Marib city, the government`s last stronghold in the north of Yemen

6. UN chief backs new blueprint to end `suicidal` war on nature

• A new scientific blueprint http://bit.ly/ UNEP-UNEA for tackling climate change, pollution and the accelerating loss of plant and animal species published on Thursday shows how to end the world`s `suicidal` war on nature, UN chief Antonio Guterres said.
• The United Nations Environment Programme report builds on the findings of previous global studies to help governments, businesses and other actors adopt a more joined-up approach to tackling interlocking environmental crises

7. UK, Canada sanction Myanmar generals over coup

• Britain and Canada on February 18, 2021 imposed sanctions on generals in Myanmar for human rights violations following the military takeover in the Southeast Asian country.
• The UK foreign ministry said it was imposing sanctions on three junta officials, including the ministers of defence and home affairs, and had begun a review to stop UK businesses working with the regime

8. Facebook news blackout over media law sparks Australia backlash

• Australia on February 18, 2021 slammed Facebook as `heavy-handed` and `wrong` to impose a news blackout over a law that would force it to pay for content, warning the ban showed the immense power of internet giants.
• Facebook and other tech firms have pushed back hard against Australia`s world-first legislation, fearing it could create a global precedent and hit their business model

9. Pakistan to host Asia Kabaddi Cup 2022, World Cup 2024

• Pakistan has bagged the rights to host two major international kabbadi events in the next three three years, Secretary Pakistan Kabbadi Federation (PKF) Rana Mohammad Sarwar proudly announced on February 18, 2021.
• `We`ve been granted the rights to host Asia Kabaddi Cup in Feb 2022 and the Kabaddi World Cup in Oct 2024,` said Sarwar who is also Secretary of World Kabaddi Federation (WKF) during a ceremony held at Allama Iqbal Hostel, Pakistan Sports Complex

10. Ex-Olympic athlete Hashimoto to head Tokyo 2020 organisers

• Japanese athlete-turned politician Seiko Hashimoto has been chosen as president of the Tokyo 2020 Organising committee, replacing a man who resigned after setting off a furore with sexist remarks.
• Hashimoto, who competed in seven Summer and Winter Olympics as a cyclist and a skater, now faces a raft of tough issues at the helm of one of the world`s biggest sporting events with less than half a year before its delayed start.

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