Day by Day Current Affairs (March 02, 2020) MCQs for CSS, PMS

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March 02, 2020: National / International Current Affairs

1. Afghan border at Chaman closed for seven days over virus fears

• Pakistan has decided to close its border with Afghanistan at Chaman from March 1, 2020 (today) morning in view of the reports about new coronavirus cases in the neighbouring country.
• The government of Sindh, where at least two patients have tested positive for the virus, has decide d to keep educational institutions closed across the province till March 13.
• In Chagal district, at least 1,300 Pakistani citizens, including 1,034 pilgrims, returned to the country and eight Iranian nationals left for home after crossing Pak-Iran border in Taftan on Sunday.
• Initially, the Pak-Afghan border at Chaman would remain closed for one week and no one would be allowed to cross the border from either side, a senior security official said

2. PM Imran Khan launches commercial city in capital

• Launching the Islamabad Blue Area multi-billion rupees commercial project on March 1, 2020, Prime Minister Imran Khan said the project will not only provide jobs but will also attract investments from overseas Pakistanis.
• The prime minister, who visited the proposed site of Blue Area opposite F-9 Park, was briefed that the open auction of the land has been scheduled from April 14 to 16. The prime minister was apprised that the receipts from the commercial auction, to be held next month, will be utilized primarily for rehabilitation of the federal capital, provision of services and improvement of environment.
• A portion will also be utilized for construction of low cost housing, particularly for provision of dignified accommodation to residents of approved katchi abadis through the Naya Pakistan Housing and Development Authority.

3. 1st shipment of Pakistani citrus arrives in Dalian, China

• The first shipment of citrus imported from Pakistan has arrived in Dalian, China through sea route and the fresh golden oranges would be available in the market from March 5.
• “The first shipment of Pakistani citrus was dispatched from Pakistan on January 19 and cleared from Dalian Customs on February 22.
• The total shipment was on 40 HQ container, containing 2650 boxes of 10 KG,” Adnan Hafeez, Partner-You Lian Feng Food Trade (Dalian) Co. Ltd.

4. Opposition sidelined as Tajikistan votes in parliamentary polls

• Voting was under way in Tajikistan on March 1, 2020 in parliamentary polls that President Emomali Rakhmon`s ruling party is expected to sweep, with only one genuinely critical party taking part and the former main opposition banned.
• The elections are the first in the country`s post-Soviet history without the Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan, a moderate faith-based party which was once the main opposition but was outlawed in 2015 and the target of a harsh crackdown ever since.
• The country`s Central Election Commission said just over 75 per cent of the electorate had cast votes as of 1000 GMT, comfortably beyond the 50pc threshold required for the commission to validate an election.

5. Afghan govt rejects prisoner swap under US-Taliban accord

• Afghanistan`s weakened government protested on March 1, 2020 against a key component of a deal between the US and the Taliban, setting the scene for fractious talks when Kabul and the insurgents meet to strike a separate agreement.
• President Ashraf Ghani, who faces a political crisis following claims of fraud in his recent re-election, said he would not commit to a clause in the US-Taliban deal that calls for a massive prisoner exchange, something the militants have been demanding for years.
• The swap is one part of the accord, fleshed out over more than a year of talks between the US and the Taliban, which was signed on Saturday in Doha and lays out a 14-month withdrawal timetable for all foreign forces provided the militants fulfil various pledges and open talks with Kabul

6. Malaysia gets new PM, Muhyiddin Yassin, after week of turmoil

• A staunch Muslim nationalist backed by a scandal-mired party was sworn in as Malaysia`s premier on March 1, 2020 after a reformist government`s collapse, but former leader Mahathir Mohamad, 94, slammed the move as illegal.
• The Southeast Asian nation was plunged into turmoil after Mahathir`s `Pact of Hope` alliance, which stormed to a historic victory in 2018, collapsed amid bitter infighting.
• Mahathir, who was the world`s oldest leader, initially quit as premier but then sought to return.
• He lost in a power struggle however to little-known Muhyiddin Yassin, who heads a coalition dominated by the multi-ethnic country`s Muslim majority and has faced criticism for controversial remarks about race.

7. Turkey downs two Syrian aircraft

• Turkey shot down two Syrian warplanes over Idlib on March 1, 2020 and struck a military airport well beyond its frontlines in a sharp escalation of its military operations following the death of dozens of Turkish soldiers last week.
• Ankara has ramped up its attacks, including drone strikes, against the Russian backed Syrian forces since Thursday, when 33 Turkish soldiers were killed in an air strike by Damascus.
• It has already deployed thousands of troops and military vehicles in northwest Syria`s Idlib province in the last month to stem advances by Syrian government forces which have displaced one million people close to Turkey`s southern border.

8. Egypt inaugurates new museum

• Egypt’s Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli inaugurated on February 29, 2020 the Hurghada Museum in the Red Sea province, a major tourist center eastern the capital. Located at the resort town of Hurghada, the museum is the first of its kind to be established in partnership with the private sector in Egypt.
• “It is a very special experience to build a partnership between the government and the private sector,” Madbouli said, adding that a private sector company has fully paid all the expenses of the museum’s foundation and equipment

9. Coronavirus: NASA images show China pollution clear amid slowdown

• Satellite images have shown a dramatic decline in pollution levels over China, which is “at least partly” due to an economic slowdown prompted by the coronavirus, US space agency NASA says.
• NASA maps show falling levels of nitrogen dioxide this year.
• It comes amid record declines in China’s factory activity as manufacturers stop work in a bid to contain coronavirus. China has recorded nearly 80,000 cases of the virus since the outbreak began.
• It has spread to more than 50 countries but the vast majority of infections and deaths are in China, where the virus originated late last year

10. Hales helps Kings to crucial victory

• Karachi Kings had to wait for two years to pull one back on Islamabad United in the HBL Pakistan Super League when a belligerent Alex Hales knock inspired them to a crucial five-wicket victory at the Pindi Cricket Stadium here on March 1, 2020 night.
• Set a challenging target of 184, Karachi Kings who last beat Islamabad United at Sharjah during the 2018 edition overcame the early dismissal of Babar Azam, who was tragically run out without facing a ball, to seal only their fifth win in 13 outings against the two-time former champions.
• Hales, who was adjudged man-of-the-match for his 30-ball innings of 52 that featured three sixes and three fours, was greatly assisted in the chase by Sharjeel Khan.

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