May 2020

Daily Top-10 Current Affairs MCQs/News (May 20, 2020) for CSS, PMS

May 20, 2020
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Daily Top-10 Current Affairs MCQs/News (May 20, 2020) for CSS, PMS
Written by Shahzad F. Malik
WELCOME TO CSS TIMES DAY BY  DAY CURRENT AFFAIRS, YOUR BEST SOURCE FOR UP-TO-DATE AND DAILY TOP CURRENT AFFAIRS 2020 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

May 20, 2020: National / International Current Affairs

1. Seven troops martyred in two attacks in Balochistan

• Seven soldiers, including a junior commissioned officer, were martyred in a bomb blast and an exchange of fire with militants in Balochistan on Monday night.
• Official sources said that six soldiers of the Frontier Corps embraced martyrdom in the Pir Ghaib area between Mach and Dhadhar in Bolan district when an improvised explosive device went off near the vehicle in which they were travelling.
• Sources said that the vehicle blew up in the explosion and the six soldiers lost their lives on the spot.
• `They were returning to their base from the Pir Ghaib area after routine patrolling when they came under IED attack late on Monday night,` the InterServices Public Relations (ISPR) confirmed in a statement on Tuesday. It said that a junior commissioned officer and a civilian driver also embraced martyrdom in the blast.

2. High-rise buildings allowed in Peshawar

• The authorities have allowed construction of high rise buildings in Peshawar in view of growing urbanisation and containing the increasing consumption of agricultural land for construction purpose.
• The Board of Peshawar Development Authority (PDA) approved addition of a new clause to the existing building bylaws of the authority to allow construction of high rise buildings in its territorial jurisdiction, said an official statement here on May 19, 2020.
• With the addition of the new clause to the existing by-laws, construction of buildings with more than 10 stories would also be permitted. It merits a mention here that before the changes to the by-laws of PDA, construction of buildings with more than 10 stories was not allowed.

3. 7 projects worth Rs41bn approved

• The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) on May 19, 2020 cleared seven projects with a total estimated cost of Rs41.34 billion.
• The meeting, presided over by Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Mohammad Jehanzeb Khan, approved six projects with a combined cost of Rs16.111bn and cleared a project worth Rs25.226bn for approval of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC).
• The meeting was also attended by officials of various federal ministries and Planning Commission.

4. ADB okays $300m loan to boost Pakistan`s Covid-19 response

• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $300 million emergency assistance loan to strengthen Pakistan`s public health response to the coronavirus pandemic and help meet basic needs of vulnerable and poor segments of society.
• The project will support purchase of medical supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for hospitals and their frontline health workers, upgrading of medical facilities and training of health workers.
• The project also involves purchase of vehicles to strengthen rescue capacity in remote border areas and improve Covid19 awareness among marginal communities with limited television or internet connectivity.

5. Lockdown in Balochistan extended till June 2

• The Balochistan government has extended the lockdown till June 2 in order to stop cases of coronavirus from increasing further in the province.
• `Lockdown will remain in force from May 19 to June 2 across Balochistan,` said a notification issued by the home and tribal affairs department here on May 19, 2020.
• It said the decision had been taken in view of the rising number of locally transmitted Covid-19 cases in the province. `Disease may cause devastating consequences, illness and deaths,` the notification added.

6. Spain seeks extension of lockdown despite decline in infections

• Spain`s government on May 19, 2020 said it would seek parliament`s approval to extend the state of emergency by another fortnight, until June 7, even as the number of new coronavirus cases keeps falling.
• The current state of emergency is set to expire on May 23 and Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez had initially said he would seek an extension of around a month.
• But the government reduced the request to two weeks to secure the support of the centre-right Ciudadanos party, thereby guaranteeing it would pass during Wednesday`s vote in the 350-seat chamber where Sanchez`s coalition is in a minority.

7. World carbon pollution falls 17pc during pandemic peak

• The world cut its daily carbon dioxide emissions by 17pc at the peak of the pandemic shutdown last month, a new study found.
• But with life and heat-trapping gas levels inching back towards normal, the brief pollution break will likely be a drop in the ocean` when it comes to climate change, scientists said.
• In their study of carbon dioxide emissions during the coronavirus pandemic, an international team of scientists calculated that pollution levels are heading back up and for the year will end up between 4pc and 7pc lower than 2019 levels. That`s still the biggest annual drop in carbon emissions since World War II

8. Al Aqsa mosque to reopen after Eid

• Jerusalem`s Al Aqsa mosque will reopen to worshippers after the Eid holiday, a statement from its governing body said on May 19, 2020, two months after closing due to the coronavirus.
• `The council decided to lift the suspension on worshippers entering the blessed Al Aqsa Mosque after the Eidul Fitr holiday,` a statement from the Waqf organisation said, referring to the three-day holiday expected to begin this weekend.
• Islam`s third holiest site was closed in late March for the first time in more than 50 years as part of measures across the globe to stem the spread of the new coronavirus.

9. Chinese scientists believe new drug can stop pandemic `without vaccine`

• A Chinese laboratory has been developing a drug it believes has the power to bring the coronavirus pandemic to a halt.
• The outbreak first emerged in China late last year before spreading across the world, prompting an international race to find treatments and vaccines.
• A drug being tested by scientists at China`s prestigious Peking University could not only shorten the recovery time for those infected, but even offer short term immunity from the virus, researchers say.

10. Trump announces taking unproven drug hydroxychloroquine

• President Donald Trump late on May 19, 2020 made the surprise announcement that he is taking hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malaria drug that his own government experts say is not suitable for fighting the new coronavirus.
• Trump, noting that he has tested negative for the virus and shows no symptoms, said he`d been taking the drug as a preventative measure for about a week and a half.
• `I take a pill every day,` he said, adding that he combines this with zinc. Asked why, he said: `Because I think it`s good. I`ve heard a lot of good stories.

Daily Top-10 Current Affairs MCQs News (May 20, 2020) for CSS, PMS

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About the author

Shahzad F. Malik

Shahzad Faisal Malik is the administrator of CSSTimes.pk and is responsible for managing the content, design, and overall direction of the blog. He has a strong background in Competitive Exams and is passionate and sharing information with others.
Shahzad Faisal Malik has worked as a Graphic Designer/Content Creator at CSSTimes in the past. In his free time, Shahzad Faisal Malik enjoys watching Cricket, writing blogs for different websites and is always on the lookout for new and interesting content to share with the readers of this website.
As the website administrator, Shahzad Faisal Malik is dedicated to providing high-quality content and fostering a welcoming and engaging community for readers. He looks forward to connecting with readers and hearing their thoughts and feedback on the website.

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