World in Focus (APR-MAY 2021)

National & International With MCQs

April 16: German-Australian author Walter Kaufmann, who played a prominent role in the literary scene of Communist East Germany, died at the age of 97.
April 16: Cyprus hosted a meeting of top diplomats from Israel and the UAE, as well as Greece.
April 16: Iran announced the start of uranium production at 60 percent purity.
April 16: Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai was jailed for 14 months.
April 16: Norway and the United States signed a defence agreement, paving the way for the Pentagon to invest in military infrastructure in the Nordic country that shares a border with Russia.
April 16: A “parliament” working in hiding to oust Myanmar’s junta from power announced a new shadow government, with deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi at its helm.
April 17: Yasar Bashir, a Pakistani-American commander, was appointed Assistant Chief of Houston Police as head of the family violence department – the first Muslim assistant chief of police in the United States.
April 17: Prince Philip was laid to rest in Windsor Castle.
April 18: The leader of Ireland’s Sinn Fein party, once the political wing of the Irish Republican Army (IRA), apologised for the group’s killing of Prince Philip’s uncle Louis Mountbatten.
April 18: Bull’s Max Verstappen won a crash-halted Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
April 18: Barcelona thrashed Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey final to win the trophy for a record-extending 31st time.
April 18: The United States and China, the world’s two biggest carbon polluters, agreed to cooperate to curb climate change with urgency.
April 19: The International Cricket Council (ICC) launched the 100 Percent Cricket Future Leaders Programme – a mentorship programme for all female future leaders in cricket.
April 19: NASA’s experimental helicopter ‘Ingenuity’ achieved the first powered flight by an aircraft on another planet.
April 19: Miguel Diaz-Canel became Cuba’s first-ever civilian leader after the current leader Raul Castro, 89, entered retirement.
April 19: The US re-imposed sanctions on nine state-owned companies in Belarus.
April 20: Chad’s President Idriss Deby Itno died as he led his troops against rebels who launched an offensive against his regime from Libya.
April 20: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) rolled over the $2 billion deposit by the Abu Dhabi Fund to Pakistan.
April 20: The European Union (EU) expanded its sanctions against Myanmar’s military leaders and army-controlled companies.
April 20: Armin Laschet, the leader of Angela Merkel’s party, won nomination as chancellor candidate.
April 21: Australia announced to revoke a state government’s deal to join China’s Belt and Road Initiative because it was inconsistent with the nation’s foreign policy.
April 21: Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, a white, was convicted of murdering George Floyd.
April 21: Renowned Islamic scholar and peace activist from India, Maulana Wahiduddin Khan, passed away at 96.
April 21: The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) agreed to strip Syria of its voting rights.
April 21: General Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, a son of Chad’s slain leader Idriss Deby Itno, was named as president of the country.
April 22: British authorities apologised after an investigation found that at least 161,000 mostly African and Indian military service personnel who died during World War I weren’t properly honoured due to pervasive racism.
April 22: The US House of Representatives narrowly voted, for the second time in less than a year, to make the District of Columbia the 51st state.
April 22: A hate crimes bill to combat violence against Asian Americans in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic passed the US Senate.
April 22: Russia’s defence minister ordered an end to military drills near Ukraine’s border.
April 23: Popular Bollywood music composer Shravan Rathod of Nadeem-Shravan duo died of Covid-19.
April 23: On the final day of the Leader Climate Summit he has hosted to rally world ambition to reduce global warming, US President Joe Biden called on nations to work together on a transition to clean energy.
April 24: Celebrated Italian singer Milva, who achieved fame with her beloved performances in the 1960s and 70s, died aged 81.
April 24: Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law to limit the number of local staff working at foreign diplomatic missions and other agencies.
April 24: US President Joe Biden recognised the 1915 killings of Armenians by Ottoman forces as genocide.
April 24: Indonesia navy declared that its submarine with 53 aboard had sunk.
April 25: Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan resigned.
April 25: Renowned opera singer Christa Ludwig died aged 93.
April 25: Brooke Henderson won the HUGEL Air Premia LA Open for her 10th LPGA Tour title.
April 26: The EU’s executive branch launched legal action against coronavirus vaccine-maker AstraZeneca for failing to respect the terms of its contract with the 27-nation bloc.
April 26: Chad’s new president named Albert Pahimi Padacke as prime minister of a transitional government.
April 26: Former Newcastle United striker Alan Shearer and ex-Arsenal forward Thierry Henry became the first two players inducted into the Premier League’s Hall of Fame.
April 26: Manchester City claimed a record-equalling fourth successive League Cup triumph.
April 26: World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty won her third WTA title of the year, becoming the first player, man or woman, to achieve the feat.
April 27: UNESCO awarded its annual press freedom prize to Philippine journalist Maria Ressa.
April 27: Britain announced its first sanctions under a new global anti-corruption regime, freezing assets and imposing business restrictions on 22 individuals from Russia, South Africa, Sudan and Latin America.
April 28: Former Sri Lanka pace bowler Nuwan Zoysa was banned from all cricket for six years.
April 28: Moscow expelled seven European diplomats after their countries ordered Russian diplomats to leave in solidarity with the Czech Republic.
April 29: American astronaut Michael Collins, who stayed behind in the command module of Apollo 11 on July 20, 1969, while Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin travelled to the lunar surface to become the first humans to walk on the moon, died at age 90.
April 29: The European Parliament adopted a resolution which asks for a review of the Pakistan’s GSP Plus status, citing an increase in laws that it sees as discriminatory towards minorities and fundamental rights.
The resolution was presented by Renew Europe, a liberal, pro-European political group of the European Parliament. It was adopted with a majority of 681 votes against six.
April 29: China launched the first module of its space station, a milestone in Beijing’s ambitious plan to establish a permanent human presence in space.
April 29: US President Joe Biden delivered his first address to Congress wherein he said that he was not seeking conflict with China or Russia as he put a renewed focus on diplomacy.
April 29: Nato started the withdrawal of its mission from Afghanistan.
April 30: Pope Francis gave the Vatican’s civilian courts the power to try cardinals and bishops.
April 30: Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama received the Prime Minister’s Award after becoming the first person from his nation to win the prestigious Masters golf tournament.
May 01: Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan claimed another breakthrough in their bid to end the worst clashes at their shared border.
May 01: Democrat Senators Van Hollen, Maria Cantwell and Republican Senator Todd Young introduced a bipartisan bill ‘Pakistan-Afghanistan Economic Development Act’ to promote and generate economic benefits for Pakistan and Afghanistan by establishing Reconstruction Opportunity Zones along Afghanistan and Pakistan border.
May 01: The US formally began withdrawing its last troops from Afghanistan, bringing its longest war nearer to an end.
May 02: A SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule carrying four astronauts back to Earth splashed down off Florida early in Nasa’s first nighttime ocean landing in more than 50 years.
May 02: Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton won the Portuguese Grand Prix for a 97th career win.
May 02: Ducati’s Jack Miller won his first MotoGP win in five years at the Spanish Grand Prix.
May 02: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu-nationalist party BJP lost election in key states of West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Kerala while it retained the northeastern state of Assam.
May 02: South Korea’s Kim Hyo-joo won the HSBC Women’s World Championship.
May 03: Sri Lankan all-rounder Thisara Perera announced his retirement from international cricket.
May 04: Mark Selby beat fellow Englishman Shaun Murphy to claim a fourth world snooker title.
May 04: The foreign ministers of the Group of Seven wealthy democracies gathered in London and discussed how to form a common front towards an increasingly assertive China.
May 04: President Joe Biden announced to raise the maximum number of refugees allowed into the US this year to 62,500 – up from the 15,000 cap imposed by his predecessor Donald Trump.
May 05: The World Health Organization (WHO) announced to set up a global data hub in Berlin to analyse information on emerging pandemic threats, filling the gaps exposed by Covid-19.
May 05: The United Kingdom granted full diplomatic status to the EU’s ambassador to the country.
May 05: A shadow government of ousted Myanmar lawmakers set up a “people’s defence force” to protect civilians.
May 06: Renowned Urdu critic, dramatist and a proponent of modernist movement in Urdu literature Shamim Hanafi passed away at the age of 82 in New Delhi.
About Shamim Hanfi
Mohammad Shamim Hanfi was born on Nov 17, 1938, in Sultanpur city of Uttar Pradesh. Hanfi was one of the most respected Urdu literary critics, playwrights and poets. A former academic at the Department of Urdu at Jamia Millia Islamia in New Delhi, he had also been the editor of its prestigious magazine, Jamia.
Hanfi had authored a number of respectable books in literary criticism. Some of these that need mention include ‘Jadidiyat ki Falsafiyana Asaas’, ‘Nayi Sheri Riwayat’, ‘Tareekh, Tehzeeb aur Takhleequi Tajurba’, ‘Urdu Culture aur Taqseem ki Riwayat’, ‘Khayal ki Musaafat’ and ‘Qari Say Mukalma’. He had also written four plays, translated four books and brought out four books for children.
Hanfi’s poetry collection name is ‘Aakhiri Pehar ki Dastak.’ A not-so-known fact about Hanafi is that he had a keen interest in painting, pottery and the performing arts.
May 07: Tennis players Rafael Nadal and Naomi Osaka picked up the Laureus Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year awards.
Other Winners
· Bayern Munich, winners of the UEFA Champions League and Bundesliga, won the Laureus World Team of the Year Award.
· Liverpool and Egypt attacker Salah won the Sporting Inspiration Award for his support of various charities, many in his home town of Nagrig.
· Hamilton was named the inaugural winner of the Laureus Athlete Advocate of the Year award for his support for racial justice, wearing a Black Lives Matter helmet and black race suit and taking a knee at each Grand Prix.
· Canadian snowboarder Max Parrot received the Laureus World Comeback of the Year after fighting back from cancer to win X-Games gold medals.
· Patrick Mahomes took the Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year Award after leading the Kansas City Chiefs in 2020 to their first Super Bowl appearance and win in 50 years.
· Tennis giant Billie Jean King was honoured with the Laureus Lifetime Achievement award.
· Chris Nikic, who became the first person with Down’s Syndrome to complete a full Ironman, received the most votes in the global Laureus Sporting Moment award public vote.
May 07: Indian police seized over seven kilogrammes of natural uranium and arrested two men in the western Maharashtra state.
May 07: The US deployed a dozen additional warplanes to bolster protection of American and coalition troops making a final withdrawal from Afghanistan.
May 07: The United Nations urged Israel to call off any forced evictions in Israeli-annexed east al-Quds, warning that its actions could amount to “war crimes”.
May 07: The WHO approved a Covid-19 vaccine from China’s state-owned drug-maker Sinopharm for emergency use.
May 08: London’s historic monument, Tower Bridge, echoed with Azaan given by British-Muslim entrepreneur Kazi Shafiqur Rehman to mark the last Friday of Ramadan 2021.
May 08: The EU and India held a virtual summit where they re-launched long-stalled trade talks and agreed to work together against the coronavirus pandemic.
May 09: Sadiq Khan was re-elected as London Mayor for the second consecutive term.
May 09: Top US fuel pipeline operator Colonial Pipeline faced ransomware cyberattack that forced it to shut down.
May 09: Remnants of China’s biggest rocket landed in the Indian Ocean.
May 09: Aryna Sabalenka defeated top-ranked Ashleigh Barty to win her 10th WTA title, her first on clay.
May 09: Lewis Hamilton claimed his fifth successive Spanish Grand Prix.
May 10: Alexander Zverev won the Madrid Open for a second time.
May 10: Nepal’s Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli lost a confidence vote.
May 10: Anas Sarwar, son of Governor Ch Muhammad Sarwar, won a second term as a member of the Scottish Parliament.
May 10: The Israel’s army and Hamas started air strikes and barrage of rocket fire on Gaza amid spiralling violence sparked by unrest at Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa mosque compound.
May 10: Australia’s Alyssa Healy was deservingly named the ICC Women’s Player of the Month for April 2021.
May 10: The WHO said that the B.1.617 variant first identified in India last year was being classified as a variant of global concern.
May 10: Iran’s foreign ministry for the first time confirmed the Islamic republic is holding talks with regional rival Saudi Arabia.
May 11: The Washington Post named Sally Buzbee, a veteran journalist with the Associated Press, as its executive editor, the first woman to serve in the top editorial position.
May 11: Bulgaria’s president dissolved parliament and called a new general election for July 11.
May 11: Japanese, US and French troops kicked off their first-ever joint military drill in southwestern Japan.
May 12: Italy, for the first time, appointed a woman, career diplomat Elisabetta Belloni, to head the country’s secret services.
May 12: House Republicans voted to oust conservative Liz Cheney, a fierce critic of Donald Trump, from her powerful leadership role.
May 12: The UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process warned that the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory was ‘escalating towards a full-scale war’, amid continuing air strikes and rocket attacks.
May 12: Manchester City were crowned Premier League champions for the third time in four seasons.
May 14: Australian teenager Kaylee McKeown swam the second fastest women’s 100-metre backstroke ever to narrowly miss American rival Regan Smith’s world record.
May 14: The WHO issued a grim warning that the second year of Covid-19 was set to be “far more deadly”.
May 14: US Republicans elected Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, an outspoken defender of Donald Trump, as their new House conference chair.
May 15: China Gezhouba Group Company (CGGC) announced to integrate itself into China and Pakistan’s overall cooperation and contribute more to Pakistan’s economic and social development.
May 15: The Russian government officially deemed the US and the Czech Republic “unfriendly” states, and announced that US diplomatic missions could no longer employ local staff while Czech missions could employ a maximum of 19.
May 15: China’s probe to Mars touched down on the Red Planet to deploy its Zhurong rover.

April 16: President Dr Arif Alvi (President Alvi), under Article 228 of the Constitution, approved the appointment of members of the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) with Dr Qibla Ayaz as chairman of the body.
April 16: To honour late Pakistani mountaineer and high-altitude porter Muhammad Ali Sadpara, Mohammad Abdul Joshi and Sirbaz Khan scaled Annapurna (8,091 meters) peak, the world’s 10th highest, in Nepal, becoming the first Pakistanis to do so.
April 16: Pakistan beat South Africa in the fourth and final Twenty20 International to win the series 3-1.
April 16: Prime Minister Imran Khan (PMIK) appointed Shaukat Tareen the Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue.
Senator Shibli Faraz was made Minister for Science and Technology. Khusro Bakhtiar was made Minister for Industries and Production in place of Hammad Azhar, who additionally headed the Ministry of Finance.
April 19: Pakistani weightlifter Talha Talib won a bronze medal in snatch in the Asian Weightlifting Championship, held in Tashkent.
April 19: PMIK approved the appointment of Jamshed Iqbal Cheema as the Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Food Security.
April 19: Former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) IGP Nasir Durrani passed away due to Covid-19.
April 19: Pakistan dropped to 90th rank among 120 countries on ‘Inclusive Internet Index’, according to a global report for the year 2021 by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).
April 20: Reporters Without Borders (RSF) ranked Pakistan 145 out of 180 countries surveyed, in the 2021 World Press Freedom Index.
April 20: Abdullah Siddiqui, one of Pakistan’s leading music producers and artists, was named and listed on the prestigious Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia 2021 list.
April 21: Pakistan secured the membership of three key UN bodies — the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ); the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW); and the Commission on Population and Development (CPD).
April 21: Pakistan and Iran opened their third border market at Pishin-Mand.
April 21: Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi called on the Iranian president.
April 21: Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar inaugurated the e-abiana billing system and handed over e-abiana bills to the farmers.
April 22: Addressing the US-initiated Leaders Summit in Washington, SAPM on Climate Change, Malik Amin Aslam, assured the world community that Pakistan would shift to 60 pc clean energy and 30pc electric vehicle use by 2030.
April 23: PMIK inaugurated the conversion of the sprawling Punjab House in Murree into Kohsar University.
April 23: The World Bank approved $400 million IDA soft loan to support Pakistan in accelerating investments in education and health in KP.
April 23: The Accountability Court Islamabad ordered auction of seized properties of former prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, in Toshakhana reference.
April 23: After talks in Istanbul, Turkey, Pakistan and Afghanistan called on the Afghan Taliban to reaffirm their commitment to achieving a negotiated settlement for lasting peace in Afghanistan.
April 24: Inflows of foreign exchange through the Roshan Digital Account (RDA) crossed the $1 billion mark.
April 25: Pakistan captain Babar Azam became the fastest batsman to score 2,000 in T20Is, leaving behind Indian captain Virat Kohli. Babar reached the landmark in only his 52nd T20I innings as against Kohli’s 56.
April 25: Pakistan defeated Zimbabwe to win the Twenty20 international series 2-1.
April 26: PMIK laid down the foundation stone of the much-awaited South Punjab Secretariat at a ceremony held at the Multan Circuit House.
April 26: The Supreme Court accepted identical petitions challenging its last year’s order of June 19 in Justice Qazi Faez Isa case.
April 26: Pakistan, along with Australia, India, New Zealand, South Africa and England, qualified for the 2022 Commonwealth Games that will be held in Birmingham, England.
April 26: PMIK addressed the opening segment of the 77th session of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP). He urged the world, particularly Asian countries, to jointly fight challenges, including the deadly Covid-19 pandemic.
April 27: Foreign Ministers of China and five South Asian countries — Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka — held their virtual dialogue on promoting cooperation against Covid-19 pandemic.
April 27: Pakistan and Japan signed a debt suspension agreement amounting to $367 million under G-20 Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI).
April 28: Pakistan qualified for the baseball competitions of the 2022 Asian Games.
April 28: The Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) decided not to proceed further against Justice Qazi Faez Isa.
April 28: The federal government appointed Parliamentary Secretary for Railways Farrukh Habib the State Minister for Information and Broadcasting.
April 29: The government suspended the country’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia and recalled six of the diplomats posted at the embassy in Riyadh on allegation of improper treatment of the Pakistanis living in the kingdom.
April 30: Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) termed Pakistan as the next powerhouse of information and communication technology (ICT) sector.
April 30: Pakistan’s first-ever doctorate in nursing was awarded by the Aga Khan University’s School of Nursing and Midwifery to Khairulnissa Ajani.
April 30: PMIK unveiled a development package worth Rs 370 billion for Gilgit Baltistan with a special focus on boosting tourism by enhancing road and aerial connectivity, power supply and upgradation of education and health facilities.
April 30: PMIK laid the foundation of Hunza’s first IT Park located in Nasirabad, Hunza.
Established jointly by Special Communications Organisation (SCO) and the Aga Khan Foundation Pakistan (AKFP), the IT Park will provide state-of-the-art infrastructure with uninterrupted power supply, high-speed internet facility and a co-working space for small and growing businesses, start-ups, freelancers and chamber of commerce.
April 30: PMIK wrote a letter to Balochistan Governor Amanullah Khan Yasinzai asking him to step down.
April 30: Pakistan and the World Bank signed the $400 million loan agreement for KP’s Spending Effectively for Enhanced Development (SPEED) programme.
May 01: Pakistani-born Dr Kamal Munir was appointed Pro Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge University, UK, one of the top 10 universities in the world.
May 01: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari launched ‘Benazir Mazdoor Card’ for the welfare of labourers in the province.
May 01: China began the construction of a third 054A frigate for Pakistan Navy.
May 01: Keel laying ceremony of the second MILGEM Class Corvette being constructed for Pakistan Navy was held at Istanbul Naval Shipyard.
May 01: CM Buzdar announced an increase in minimum wage of workers in Punjab, fixing it at Rs20,000 per month.
May 02: The custodian of the Two Holy Mosques announced to build King Salman bin Abdul Aziz grand mosque at the New Campus of the International Islamic University, Islamabad.
May 03: The annual report of Human Rights Commission of Pakistan was released. It revealed that the Covid-19 has aggravated existing inequalities in the country, leaving millions of workers at risk of losing their livelihoods.
May 03: Justice Mohammad Shiraz Kiani, senior most judge of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) High Court, passed away.
May 03: The first-ever shipment under the Convention on the International Transport of Goods for traffic-in-transit of goods across the border reached Uzbekistan from Pakistan via Afghanistan.
May 04: COAS Gen Bajwa reached the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on an official visit.
May 04: Former Naval Chief Staff, Admiral (R) Karamat Rahman Niazi, passed away.
About Admiral Niazi
The four-star rank admiral, who was born in Karachi, led and represented the Pakistan Navy as its chief from 1979 to 1983. A submariner by profession, Admiral Nizai joined the Pakistan Navy in 1952, and was accepted to Britannia Royal Naval College in Great Britain. After graduation, he was commissioned in the Pakistan Navy as Midshipman in 1956. As he continued to progress through the ranks, he, in 1964, was promoted to the rank of Commander. On 1 June 1964, when PNS Ghazi, which was leased from USA in 1963, was commissioned into the Pakistan Navy, Niazi was the first Commanding Officer of the country’s first-ever submarine. It is on his credit that he was the commander of the Pakistan’s only submarine, Ghazi, during the second war with India in 1965. When he fought valiantly to clear the Pakistan Navy’s controlled area. After the 1971 Indo-Pakistani war, he quickly rose through the ranks and was promoted to three-star vice-admiral and made Vice Chief of Naval Staff. In 1979, he was promoted to four-star rank and appointed the Chief of Naval Staff. In 1978, he was awarded Nishan-i-Imtiaz (Military), which is awarded to all the services chiefs upon taking over their respective commands.
May 04: Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi was honoured after Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), which owns the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground and is the guardian of the sport’s laws, conferred a lifetime membership on him.
May 05: Mohammad Ashraf Khan, aka Sehrai, Chairman of Tehreek-e-Hurriyat and a lifetime aide of Syed Ali Geelani, passed away.
May 05: Dr Shamshad Akhtar was unanimously elected chairperson of the board of directors of the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX), becoming the first woman chairperson elected to that post.
May 06: Pakistan submitted its compliance report on implementation of the remaining three out of total 27 action plans to the global money laundering watchdog Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to come out of its grey list.
May 06: Zulfiqar Younus was appointed a member of FBR.
May 06: American e-commerce giant Amazon added Pakistan to its approved sellers’ list.
May 06: The Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) announced the final qualifying candidates of CSS Competitive Examination 2020. A total of 221 candidates – 142 male and 79 female – have been recommended by FPSC for appointment to the post in BS-17 under Federal Government in various Groups/Services.
May 06: President Alvi appointed 13 additional judges to the Lahore High Court (LHC).
May 06: Wapda awarded a $354.6 million worth of contract to Power Construction Corporation of China Ltd for civil works of the 1,530MW Tarbela 5th Extension Hydropower Project.
May 06: Prince Mohyuddin Ahmedzai Baloch, chief of the Baloch Rabita Ittifaq Tehreek and former federal minister, passed away. He was 79.
May 07: The government nominated Engr. Ahmed Farooq Bazai as the new chairman of the Higher Education Commission (HEC).
May 07: Dr Sana Ramchand became the first female Hindu to get allocated to Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS).
May 07: COAS Gen Bajwa had a meeting with Prince Mohammed Bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, Crown Prince, First Deputy Prime Minster and Defence Minister of Saudi Arabia.
May 07: PMIK went on a three-day official visit to Saudi Arabia at the invitation of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman.
May 07: The US government along with the government of Pakistan launched the first international shipment from Pakistan that is compliant with the United Nations’ “Transports Internationaux Routiers” (TIR) Convention, an international customs transit system that facilitates trade by expediting border checks between countries.
May 08: PMIK and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman reaffirmed the historical and fraternal ties between the KSA and Pakistan, reviewed all facets of bilateral cooperation and discussed regional and international issues.
May 08: Saudi Arabia committed to provide $500 million (Rs 75.50 billion) to Pakistan from the Saudi Development Fund for development of infrastructure, water resources and hydropower projects in Pakistan.
May 08: President Alvi promulgated Election (Second Amendment) Ordinance, 2021, allowing voting rights to overseas Pakistanis and use of electronic voting machines (EVMs) during the election process.
May 08: The first batch of over 1.2 million doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid19 vaccines reached Pakistan under the Covax scheme
May 08: President Alvi promulgated an ordinance for protection of parents, providing them security against forced eviction from their houses.
May 09: Celebrated TV, radio and film personality, Talat Siddiqui, passed away. She was 82.
She was the mother of actor Arifa Siddiqui and veteran dancer Nahid Siddiqui.
May 09: PNS SAIF participated in Focused Operation “Chinook Archer” along with ships and aircraft of US and Canada.
May 10: COAS Gen Bajwa accompanied by the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) head Lt Gen Faiz Hameed reached Kabul on an unannounced visit.
May 10: Pakistan’s Babar Azam won the ICC Men’s Player of the Month for April 2021.
May 10: Pakistan beat Zimbabwe in the second Test and clinched the series 2-0. It was the fourth successive series win for Pakistan on a southern Africa tour.
May 10: Babar Azam became the first Pakistan captain to win his opening four Tests.
May 10: PMIK directed his legal team to ensure fresh investigation into the Hudaibya Paper Mills case against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif and other members of Sharif family.
May 10: Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed a prisoner transfer agreement to repatriate over 2,000 Pakistani prisoners languishing in Saudi Arabia’s jails.
May 11: Pakistani mountaineer Sheroze Kashif made history when he became the youngest mountaineer to climb the world’s highest peak — Mount Everest.
May 14: Farooq Qaiser, who was a household name for Pakistani children of the 80s and 90s as Uncle Sargam, passed away.
Farooq Qaisar was born on Oct 31, 1945 in Lahore and began his career as an artist after completing graduation from National College of Arts in Lahore. He also obtained a Master’s in Graphic Arts from Romania (1976) and another postgraduate degree in Mass Communication from the University of Southern California, the US, (1999). He was a columnist, director, puppeteer, scriptwriter and a voice-over artist. He also wrote several humorous books and provided educational services in India for two years as part of a Unesco programme. Uncle Sargam, the puppet character he created and gave voice to, became very popular in Pakistan and remained a household name for decades. Uncle Sargam was first introduced in a television show for kids, Kalyan, when it was broadcast on Pakistan Television (PTV) in 1976. Along with another character on the show, Maasi Museebatay, Uncle Sargam achieved legendary status over the years. Kalyan, Sargam and Daak Time were his popular TV shows.
He was awarded the Presidential Pride of Performance award in 1993 for his craft, while earlier this year, he was awarded Sitara-i-Imtiaz.
May 15: The World Bank recognised the Ehsaas Emergency Cash programme among the top four social protection interventions globally in terms of number of people covered.
May 15: Produced by Nighat Akbar Shah and directed by Shoaib Sultan, the 30-minute ‘Darya Ke Iss Paar’, an Urdu short film on the growing incidence of suicides by women in Chitral recently won three awards at the World Film Festival in New York.

MCQs NATIONAL
NATIONAL
1. The members of Council of Islamic Ideology are appointed under Article ______ of the Constitution of Pakistan.
(a) 200 (b) 220
(c) 224 (d) 228

2. The Council of Islamic Ideology consists of a maximum of ______ members, including its chairman.
(a) 8 (b) 10
(c) 12 (d) 20

3. The incumbent chairman of the Council of Islamic Ideology is______.
(a) Dr Raghib Naeemi
(b) Dr Qibla Ayaz
(c) Tahir Mahmood Ahrafi
(d) Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rehman

4. On April 16, Pakistani mountaineers Mohammad Abdul Joshi and Sirbaz Khan scaled Annapurna peak that has a height of ______ metres.
(a) 8,091 (b) 8234
(c) 8454 (d) 8611

5. Located in Nepal, Annapurna peak is the world’s ______ highest peak.
(a) 10th (b) 11th
(c) 12th (d) 13th

6. On April 16, Prime Minister Imran Khan appointed ______ the Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue.
(a) Farrukh Habib (b) Shaukat Tareen
(c) Hammad Azhar (d) Khusro Bakhtiar

7. The current Minister for Science and Technology is ______.
(a) Omar Ayub (b) Aminul Haq
(c) Shibli Faraz (d) Fawad Chaudhary

8. On April 19, Pakistani weightlifter Talha Talib won a ______ medal in snatch in the Asian Weightlifting Championship, held in Tashkent.
(a) Gold (b) Silver
(c) Bronze (d) None of these

9. On April 19, Jamshed Iqbal Cheema was appointed the Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on ______.
(a) Balochistan (b) Revenue
(c) CPEC (d) Food Security

10. On ______, former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa IGP, Nasir Durrani, passed away due to Covid-19.
(a) April 17 (b) April 18
(c) April 19 (d) April 20

11. Pakistan has been ranked ______ out of 120 countries on ‘Inclusive Internet Index’, for 2021 released by Economist Intelligence Unit.
(a) 86th (b) 90th
(c) 94th (d) 99th

12. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has ranked Pakistan ______ out of 180 countries surveyed on its 2021 World Press Freedom Index.
(a) 145 (b) 149
(c) 155 (d) 165

13. Pakistan secured the membership of three key UN bodies — the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice; the Commission on the Status of Women; and the Commission on Population and Development on ______.
(a) April 21 (b) April 22
(c) April 24 (d) April 25

14. On April 21, Pakistan and Iran opened their third border market at ______.
(a) Mirjaveh (b) Pishin-Mand
(c) Chaman (d) Naushki

15. ______ represented Pakistan at the US-initiated Leaders Summit.
(a) Dr Arif Alvi
(b) Amb. Munir Akram
(c) Malik Amin Aslam
(d) Zartaj Gul

16. Malik Amin Aslam is the current SAPM on ______.
(a) Food Security (b) Finance
(c) Textiles (d) Climate Change

17. On April 23, PMIK inaugurated the conversion of the Punjab House in Murree into ______ University.
(a) Murree (b) Potohar
(c) Pakistan (d) Kohsar

18. On April 23, the Accountability Court Islamabad ordered auction of seized properties of former prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, in ______ reference.
(a) Panama (b) Avenfield
© Toshakhana (d) None of these

19. On April 23, after talks in______, Turkey, Pakistan and Afghanistan called on the Afghan Taliban to reaffirm their commitment to achieving a negotiated settlement for lasting peace in Afghanistan.
(a) Kabul (b) Istanbul
(c) Ankara (d) Islamabad

20. On April 25, Pakistan’s ______ became the fastest batsman to score 2,000 in T20Is.
(a) Babar Azam (b) Abid Ali
(c) Shadab Khan (d) Fakhar Zaman

21. On April 26, Pakistan qualified for the 2022 Commonwealth Games that will be held in ______, England.
(a) Birmingham (b) London
(c) Edinburgh (d) Glasgow

22. On ______, PMIK addressed the opening segment of the 77th session of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP).
(a) April 24 (b) April 26
(c) April 28 (d) April 30

23. On April 27, Pakistan and ______ signed a debt suspension agreement amounting to $367 million under G-20 Debt Service Suspension Initiative.
(a) Germany (b) Canada
(c) Japan (d) China

24. On April 28, the federal government appointed Farrukh Habib the State Minister for ______.
(a) Interior (b) Railways
(c) Climate Change
(d) Information and Broadcasting

25. On April 30, Pakistan’s first-ever doctorate in nursing was awarded by the Aga Khan University’s School of Nursing and Midwifery to ______.
(a) Shahzadi Rubab
(b) Saadia Arif Hussain
(c) Fouzia Mushtaq
(d) Khairulnissa Ajani

26. On April 30, PMIK unveiled a development package worth ______ for Gilgit Baltistan.
(a) Rs 270 billion (b) Rs 300 billion
(c) Rs 370 billion (d) Rs 470 billion

27. On April 30, PMIK laid the foundation of an IT Park, which is being established jointly by Special Communications Organisation and the Aga Khan Foundation Pakistan, in Nasirabad, ______.
(a) Gilgit (b) Hunza
© Skardu (d) Shigar

28. On May 01, Pakistani-born Dr Kamal Munir was appointed Pro Vice-Chancellor of ______ University.
(a) Cambridge (b) Oxford
(c) Bradford (d) Birmingham

29. On May 01, ______ began the construction of a third 054A frigate for Pakistan Navy.
(a) China (b) Turkey
(c) Russia (d) Qatar

30. On May 03, the first-ever shipment under the Convention on the International Transport of Goods, for traffic-in-transit of goods across the border, reached ______ from Pakistan.
(a) Kazakhstan (b) Uzbekistan
(c) Tajikistan (d) Afghanistan

31. Former Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral (R) Karamat Rahman Niazi, passed away on ______.
(a) May 02 (b) May 03
(c) May 04 (d) May 05

32. Admiral (R) Karamat Rahman Niazi was the first Commanding Officer of the country’s first-ever submarine named ______.
(a) Daphne (b) Hangor
(c) Abdoze (d) Ghazi

33. Mohammad Ashraf Khan, aka Sehrai, Chairman of Tehreek-e-Hurriyat and a lifetime aide of Syed Ali Geelani, passed away on ______.
(a) April 30 (b) May 01
(c) May 02 (d) May 05

34. On May 05, ______ was unanimously elected chairperson of the board of directors of Pakistan Stock Exchange, becoming the first woman elected to the post.
(a) Musharaf Hai (b) Maheen Rahman
(c) Dr Shamshad Akhtar
(d) Sima Kamil

35. On May 06, President Alvi appointed 13 additional judges to the ______ High Court.
(a) Balochistan (b) Lahore
(c) Peshawar (d) Sindh

36. On May 07, the government nominated _____ as the new chairman of the Higher Education Commission.
(a) Engr. Ahmed Farooq Bazai
(b) Dr Attaur Rehman
(c) Dr Mujahid Kamran
(d) Dr Sarwat Mazari

37. PMIK and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman held candid discussion in the former’s three-day visit to the Saudi Kingdom on ______.
(a) May 05 (b) May 06
(c) May 07 (d) May 08

38. On ______, President Alvi promulgated Election (Second Amendment) Ordinance, 2021, allowing voting rights to overseas Pakistanis and use of electronic voting machines (EVMs) during the election process.
(a) May 05 (b) May 06
(c) May 07 (d) May 08

39. On May 11, Pakistani mountaineer ______ became the youngest mountaineer to climb the world’s highest peak – Mount Everest.
(a) Sarbaz Khan (b) Sheroze Kashif
(c) Sajid Sadpara (d) Sarbuland Ali

40. Farooq Qaiser, who was a household name for Pakistani children of the 80s and 90s as Uncle Sargam, passed away, on ______.
(a) May 12 (b) May 13
(c) May 14 (b) May 15

MCQs INTERNATIONAL
1. On April 16, Iran announced the start of uranium production at ______ purity.
(a) 60% (b) 65%
(c) 70% (d) 75%

2. On April 16, ______ and the United States signed a defence agreement, paving the way for the Pentagon to invest in military infrastructure in the Nordic country.
(a) Denmark (b) Norway
(c) Finland (d) Sweden

3. On April 17, Yasar Bashir, a Pakistani-American commander, was appointed Assistant Chief of ______ Police as head of the family violence department – the first Muslim assistant chief of police in USA.
(a) New York (b) New Jersey
(c) Houston (d) Texas

4. On April 18, the United States and ______ agreed to cooperate to curb climate change with urgency.
(a) Japan (b) India
(c) Germany (d) China

5. On ______, the International Cricket Council launched the 100 Percent Cricket Future Leaders Programme.
(a) April 16 (b) April 17
(c) April 18 (d) April 19

6. On April 19, NASA’s helicopter ______ achieved the first powered flight by an aircraft on another planet.
(a) ‘InSight’ (b) ‘Perseverance’
(c) ‘Ingenuity’ (d) ‘Curiosity’

7. On April 19, Miguel Diaz-Canel became ______ first civilian leader.
(a) Cuba’s (b) Venezuela’s
© Finland’s (d) Chad’s

8. On April 20, ______ President Idriss Deby Itno died as he led his troops against rebels who had launched an offensive against his regime.
(a) Niger’s (b) Chad’s
© Sudan’s (d) Algeria’s

9. On April 20, Armin Laschet won his party’s nomination as the candidate for the next chancellor of ______.
(a) Germany (b) Austria
(c) Switzerland (d) Finland

10. On April 21, ______ announced to revoke a state government’s deal to join China’s Belt and Road Initiative because it was inconsistent with the nation’s foreign policy.
(a) South Korea (b) Australia
(c) Vietnam (d) Japan

11. On April 21, former Minneapolis police officer ______ was convicted of murdering George Floyd.
(a) James Lutgen (b) Nicole Baukus
(c) Derek Chauvin (d) Richard Angelo

12. On ______, renowned Islamic scholar and peace activist from India, Maulana Wahiduddin Khan, passed away at 96.
(a) April 18 (b) April 19
(c) April 20 (d) April 21

13. On April 21, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) announced to strip ______ of its voting rights.
(a) Iran (b) North Korea
(c) Israel (d) Syria

14. On April 21, General Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno was named as president of ______.
(a) Mozambique (b) Algeria
(c) Chad (d) South Sudan

15. On April 22, the US House of Representatives narrowly voted, for the second time in less than a year, to make the ______ the 51st state.
(a) Guam
(b) District of Columbia
(c) Virgin Islands (d) Peru

16. On April 22, Russia’s defence minister ordered an end to military drills near ______ border.
(a) Ukraine’s (b) Norway’s
© Belarus’s (d) Iceland’s

17. The US-initiated Leader Climate Summit was held on ______.
(a) April 22-23 (b) April 24-25
(c) April 27-28 (d) April 29-30

18. On April 24, US President Joe Biden recognised the ______ killings of Armenians by Ottoman forces as genocide.
(a) 1911 (b) 1915
(c) 1917 (d) 1919

19. On April 26, the EU’s executive branch launched legal action against coronavirus vaccine-maker ______ for failing to respect the terms of its contract with the 27-nation bloc.
(a) Pfizer (b) Johnson & Johnson
(c) AstraZeneca (d) Sinopharm

20. On April 26, ______ claimed a record-equalling fourth successive League Cup triumph.
(a) Liverpool (b) Arsenal
(c) Chelsea (d) Manchester City

21. On April 27, Unesco awarded its annual press freedom prize to ______ journalist Maria Ressa.
(a) Belgian (b) Latvian
(c) Swiss (d) Philippine

22. On April 28, former ______ pace bowler Nuwan Zoysa was banned from all cricket for six years.
(a) New Zealand (b) Australia
(c) Sri Lanka (d) South Africa

23. American astronaut Michael Collins died on ______.
(a) April 28 (b) April 29
(c) April 30 (d) May 01

24. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to walk on the moon on ______.
(a) July 20, 1969 (b) July 20, 1970
(c) July 20, 1971 (d) July 20, 1972

25. On _____, the European Parliament adopted a resolution, asking for a review of Pakistan’s GSP Plus status.
(a) April 29 (b) April 30
(c) May 01 (d) May 02

26. On ______, China launched the first module of its space station.
(a) April 28 (b) April 29
(c) April 30 (d) May 01

27. On May 01, Kyrgyzstan and ______ claimed another breakthrough in their bid to end the worst clashes at their shared border.
(a) Armenia (b) Tajikistan
(c) Azerbaijan (d) Uzbekistan

28. On May 02, seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton of ______ won the Portuguese Grand Prix for a 97th career win.
(a) American (b) Australian
(c) Swiss (d) British

29. On May 04, ______ Mark Selby beat his compatriot Shaun Murphy to claim a fourth world snooker title.
(a) Malaysia’s (b) Australia’s
© Belgium’s (d) England’s

30. On May 04, the foreign ministers of the G7 countries gathered in ______.
(a) New York (b) Canberra
(c) London (d) Berlin

31. On May 04, US President Joe Biden announced to raise the maximum number of refugees allowed into the US this year to______.
(a) 50,000 (b) 62,500
© 100,000 (d) 115,000

32. On May 05, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced to set up a global data hub in ______.
(a) Berlin (b) Wuhan
(c) Geneva (d) Paris

33. On May 07, Indian police seized over 7 kgs of natural uranium and arrested two men in the ______ state.
(a) Maharashtra (b) Uttar Pradesh
(c) Haryana (d) Kerala

34. Tower Bridge is a historic monument located in ______.
(a) France (b) London
(c) Washington DC (d) Birmingham

35. On May 09, ______-origin Sadiq Khan was re-elected as London Mayor for the second consecutive term.
(a) Afghanistan (b) Bangladesh
(c) Pakistan (d) India

36. On May 09, remnants of China’s biggest rocket landed in ______ Ocean.
(a) Arctic (b) Pacific
(c) Atlantic (d) Indian

37. On May 10, ______ Alyssa Healy was named the ICC Women’s Player of the Month for April 2021.
(a) England’s (b) Austria’s
(c) South Africa’s (d) Australia’s

38. On May 12, ______, for the first time, appointed a woman, career diplomat Elisabetta Belloni, to head the country’s secret services.
(a) France (b) Switzerland
(c) Italy (d) Austria

39. On May 15, the Russian government officially deemed the US and the ______ as “unfriendly” states.
(a) Poland (b) Czech Republic
(c) Norway (d) Ukraine

40. On May 15, ______ probe to Mars touched down on the Red Planet.
(a) Japan’s‎ (b) Germany’s
© India’s (d) China’s