Pes CUES UI AU CCo BBC CVA BOR OME ay eBeN IC ay ATER 22 MARCH WORLD WATER DAY Valuing Water CSS Essay 2021 “Do Not Waste Water Even If You Were At A Running Stream”. yy j 5 DOWNLOAD | + MAAS eenBuy HSM Books Online Books for Competitive Exams & Military Tests a Just while sitting at home you can choose from a vast variety, and your desired Competitive Exams CSS/PMS/PCS/NTS and Military Tests (Army, ISSB/PAF/NAVY) HSM Books will be efficiently delivered to you on the designated date. Spectacular services and satisfying our customers will always be our most significant priority. We hope you have a worthy shopping experience at . www.hsmpublishers.com Thank you. HSM Publishers was started in 2013 as a publishing division of Ilmi Kitab Khana, founded by Haji Sardar Muhammad in 1945. Today it proudly owns: + Ilmi Kitab Khana Lahore + HSM Publishers Lahore + Ilmi Kitab Khana/HSM Publishers Islamabad F-7 Islamabad (Islamabad showroom where one finds under one roof the widest range of All kinds of Schools/Colleges/Universities educational pos Competitive Exams, ey Exam books and General Knowledge ooks ) 2PAKISTAN AFFAIRS Pakistan will continue to stay on the grey list of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) for another four months, i.e until June for three out of 27 unmet action plan targets on anti- money laundering and combating financing terror (AML/CFT). The FATF asked Pakistan to continue to work on implementing the three remaining items in its action plan to address its strategically important deficiencies. These include (1) demonstrating that TF investigations and prosecutions target persons and entities acting on behalf or at the directive of the designated persons or entities (2) demonstrating that TF prosecutions result in effective, proportionate and dissuasive sanctions; and (3) demonstrating effective implementation of targeted financial sanctions against all 1,267 and 1,373 designated terrorists, and those acting for them or on their behalf. Key Facts This decision by the FATF was taken in the light of country’s failure to fully comply with the 27-point action plan of to combat the terrorism. This decision was taken following a virtual plenary session that was over three days. The FATF has decided to keep the Pakistan into the grey list and will Monthly HSM CSS Times (E Magazine) | Mar 2024 | For Free Download: www.hsmpublishers.comMonthly HSM CSS Times March 2021 remain under the increased monitoring because serious deficiencies were observed with respect to the terror financing. Though, Pakistan has taken several steps but it needs to act upon three important points out of 27 action points. What does FATF said? FATF said that, Pakistan needs to work on implementing following three remaining items out of 27 items: 1. Itneeds to demonstrate the Terror funding investigations and prosecutions targeting the persons & entities acting on behalf of the designated persons or entities. 2. It needs to demonstrate that Terror funding prosecutions results in to Proportionate, effective and dissuasive sanctions. 3. Itrneeds to demonstrate the effective implementation of targeted financial sanctions against all the UN security council resolution 1267 and 1373 designated terrorists. The FATF noted that since June 2018, when Pakistan made a high-level political commitment to work with the FATF and the Monthly HSM CSS Times (E Magazine) | Mar 2021 | PAKISTAN AFFAIRS 4 On Feb 24, 2021, Pakistan has joined the Madrid System to protect Pakistani trademarks in 124 member countries making it easier and effective for brand owners to get protection in export markets. With the accession to the Madrid Protocol, the trademark holders of Pakistan will be able to protect their trademarks in the member countries by filing a single application at World intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) whereby facilitating ease of doing business. Pakistan deposited its instrument of accession to the Madrid Protocol with WIPO's Director General, making it the 108th member of the Madrid System’ Madrid System functions under the Madrid Agreement (1891) and the Madrid Protocol (1989). It is administered by the International Bureau of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) located in Geneva, Switzerland. The system was basically introduced to provide convenience in the system of registration of marks. Every region has a different system for registration of trademarks. What is WIPO? WIPO is one of the oldest specialised agencies of United Nations. WIPO was created in 1967 “to encourage creative activity, to promote the protection of intellectual property throughout the world”. WIPO currently administers 26 international treaties. Itis headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. For Free Download: www.hsmpublishers.comMonthly Asia Pacific Group to strengthen its AML/CFT regime and to address its strategj counterterrorist financing-related deficiencies, the country's continued political commitment had led to significant progress across a comprehensive CFT action plan. This includes demonstration that law enforcement agencies are identifying and investigating the widest range of TF activity, demonstrating enforcement against TFS violations, and working to prevent the raising and moving of funds, including by controlling facilities and services owned or controlled by designated persons and entities. Background The FATF had also kept the Pakistan into grey list in October, 2020 and decided that FATF will continue to make it difficult for Pakistan to get aid from World Bank, Asian Development Bank, International Monetary Fund, and European Union. India being a member of FATF also has repeatedly asked Pakistan to take necessary steps comply with the international standards to stop the financial crimes. United Nations Security Council resolution 1267 This resolution was adopted on October 15, 1999. Under this resolution, Council had designated Osama bin Laden and the associates as terrorists. The council established a sanctions regime in order to cover the individuals and entities who are associated with the Al-Qaida, Osama bin Laden or Taliban, (Edd AD al ch China on Feb 25, 2021 held a high- profile celebration to mark what its President Xi Jinping described as “a complete victory’ in eliminating absolute poverty. Mr. Xi said over the past eight years under his term, 98.99 million poor in, rural areas had been lifted out of poverty while all the 832 designated “impoverished counties” and 128,000 “impoverished villages” had been removed from the government's list. China's elimination of absolute poverty is defined according to the government's poverty line of $2.30 in terms of purchasing power parity (PPP) per person a day, which is higher than the international poverty line of $1.90 PPP. The World Bank defines the poverty line for lower middle income countries at $3.20 PPP and for upper middle income countries, such as China, at $5.50 PPP. What does PPP mean? Purchasing power parity (PPP) is a popular metric used by macroeconomic analysts that compares different countries’ currencies through a "basket of goods" approach Monthly HSM CSS Times (E Magazine) | Mar 2021 | For Free Download: www.hsmpublishers.comAccording to FPSC Revised, syllabi enirvesn ssc Wraita) ee ee baa ees Ua h iri Ce chan e c Ei canal \CcQs Wee ee ona iN ine: www.hsmpublishers.comAfter a nail biting contest, Pakistan Peoples Party Candidate Yousuf Raza Gilani has won the Senate seat from Islamabad, defeating Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's Hafeez Sheikh. Gilani secured 169 votes, while his opponent Sheikh got 164 Senate votes. According to ECP, seven votes were rejected in a one-on- ‘one contest between PDM and PTI on the general seat of the National Assembly. The Senate — the upper house of parliament — is a body of 104 lawmakers. Each serves a term of six years, barring resignation, disqualification, or other extraordinary circumstances. They are not all elected at the same time: rather, half are elected at one time, and the other half three years later. ‘As many as 52 senators — who were elected in 2015 — are set to retire on March 11 after completing their six-year tenure. However, this time there will be no polling for the four seats of the erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) after their merger with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. How are the Senate Elections Held? The Senate elections are not direct elections, 0 you won't be participating in the voting process (unless you're an MPA or MNA). Also unlike the General election, the voting system used in the Senate election is not the ‘first past the post system. (First past the post system: whoever gets the highest number of votes is the winner.) Instead, the ‘single transferable vote’ system of proportional representation is used. What is the Single Transferable Vote? Under the single transferable vote system, voters cast a single ballot which mentions all the candidates they would like to see elected in order of their personal priority or preference (1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and so on). Each of these votes has a value. A quota calculated by the Election Commission of Pakistan determines how many votes each candidate needs to be considered elected. Monthly HSM CSS Times (E Magazine) | Mar 2021 | For Free Download: www.hsmpublishers.comMonthly HSM CSS Times The votes received by each candidate are tallied in each count. When a candidate receives enough votes to cross the quota, the extra value of his or her votes is transferred down to lower priority candidates (in the order mentioned by the voters). The candidates who receive the fewest votes are eliminated and their votes are transferred to other candidates in the order of preference mentioned by their voters. The process of transferring votes from successful and eliminated candidates continues until all vacant seats are filled. The quota needed to be elected as a senator varies depending on which assembly and which seat the candidate is contesting for. For example, for a candidate from Balochistan fighting for the general seat, the required number of votes to win a general seat is 9. A Senate hopeful from Punjab, on the other hand, will need 47 votes from the Punjab Assembly to win a general seat. This difference in the required number of votes is due to the different size of the two assemblies. Senate Election 2021: Results PAKISTAN AFFAIRS 8 Proportional Representation As you can see by now, how many seats a political party holds in an assembly (and hence how many votes it controls) will determine how many senators it can elect. Punjab (47 votes* elect a senator) There are 371 total seats in Punjab Assembly; however, only 368 are currently occupied. Of these, 181 are occupied by members of the PTI, 165 by PML-N members, 10 by PML-Q members, 7 by PPP members, 4 by independent lawmakers, and one by a Monthly HSM CSS Times (E Magazine) | Mar 2021 | For Free Download: www.hsmpublishers.comMonthly HSM CSS Times March 2021 member of the Pakistan Rah-e-Haq Party. Sindh (22 votes* elect a senator) The total seats in Sindh are 168. Currently, 99 of them are members of the PPP, 21 are members of MQM-P, 30 PTI, 14 Grand Democratic Alliance, three TLP and one MMA. KP (19 votes* elect a senator) The total seats in the KP Assembly after the merger of Fata are 145. Ninety-four are members of the PTI, 14 are members of MMA, 12 of the ANP, 7 of the PML-N, 5 of the PPP, 4 of BAP, 3 of JUI-F, one each of the PML-Q and Jamaat-i-Islami, and 4 are independent members. Balochistan (9 votes* elect a senator) The total number of seats in the Balochistan Assembly is 65 but currently 64 seats are ‘occupied. Of these, 24 are BAP members, 10 BNP, 10 MMA, 7 PTI, 4 from the ANP, 3 BNP-A, 2 Hazara Democratic Party, one each from the PML-N, PkMAP and Jamhuri Watan Party, and one independent member. Federal (171 votes* elect a senator) At present, the National Assembly has 342 seats for lawmakers from across the country. It currently comprises 341 members. The ruling PTI holds 157 seats, PML-N 83, PPP 55, 15 MMA, MQM-P 7, BAP 5, PML-Q 4, BNP 4, GDA 3, AML 1, ANP 1, JWP 1, and four are independent members. *Number of votes required to be elected to a General seat. Following candidates are among the winners, as per unofficial and unverified results: Islamabad Yousuf Raza Gilani — PPP (General) : Fozia Arshad — PTI (Women) Sindh : Palwasha Khan — PPP (Women) Saleem Mandviwalla — PPP (General) Sherry Rehman — PPP (General) Farook Naek — PPP (Technocrats) Saifullah Abro — PTI (Technocrats) Khalida Ateeb —MQM-P (Women) Jam Mahtab Dahar — PPP (General) Taj Haider — PPP (General) Faisal Vawda — PTI (General) Faisal Subzwari — MQM-P (General) Monthly HSM CSS Times (E Magazine) | Mar 2021 | PAKISTAN AFFAIRS KP : Sania Nishtar — PT! (Women) Falak Naz — PTI (Women) Dost Muhammad Khan — PTI (Technocrats) : Hamayun Mohmand — PTI (Technocrats) Gurdeep Singh — PTI (Minorities) Shibli Faraz — PTI (General) Mohsin Aziz — PTI (General) Liaquat Khan Tarakai — PTI (General) Faisal Saleem Rehman — PTI (General) Zeeshan Khanzada — PTI (General) Hidayatullah Khan — ANP (General) Attaur Rehman — JUI-F (General) Balochistan Sarfaraz Bugti — BAP (General) Manzoor Ahmed — BAP (General) Prince Ahmed Umer Ahmedzai — BAP (General) Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri — JUI-F (General) Muhammad Qasim — BNP (General) Abdul Qadir — Independent (General) Umer Faroog — ANP (General) Saeed Ahmed Hashmi — BAP (Technocrats) Kamran Murtaza — JUI-F (Technocrats) Naseema Ehsan — Independent (Women) Samina Mumtaz — BAP (Women) Danesh Kumar — BAP (Minorities) For Free Download: www.hsmpublishers.comeae are Ruri Pade aa HOST el ar eco pertain Nahe aaa Ts a Mar dca (cr a mi re Mehmood Parcs Buy online: www.h Ay it emerPAKISTAN AFFAIRS 1" Pakistan, Qatar: 10-Year Liquefied Natural Gas Agreement Pakistan has signed a ten-years agreement with Qatar over the liquefied natural gas (LNG). The new agreement was signed at a significantly lower rate than the other deals that both the countries had signed. Significance of the agreement The new agreement between Pakistan and Qatar will help in saving $300 million annually or nearly $3 billion in the next 10 years for Pakistan, Under the new contract, Pakistan would pay around $316million less compared to prior agreement saving around $3 billion in LNG import during the next 10 years. Monthly HSM CSS Times (E Magazine) | Mar 2021 | The fresh long-term contract has been signed at a rate of 10.2 per cent of Brent for import of 200 million cubic feet a day (mmcfd) LNG as opposed to the previous deal for 500mmecfd in 2015 at a rate 13.37 per cent of Brent. Pakistan will get 3 million tonnes of LNG per year from Qatar Petroleum under the deal from January 2022 starting with average of two ships per month, which would be increased to four vessels in next three years. The new LNG contract has a price renegotiation option after four years rather than 10 years that had been fixed in the earlier signed 15-year contract. Highlights This agreement was signed at around 31 percent lower rate when compared to the previous PML-N agreement of 2015. The agreement has been signed for 10 years which is the lowest publicly disclosed contract on the liquified natural gas in the world. As per the new contract, Pakistan will pay around $316 million less than the prior agreement. It For Free Download: www.hsmpublishers.comMonthly HSM CSS Times March 2021 will amount to saving of around $3 billion in LNG import. This agreement was signed after a year-long negotiation between both the countries. About the Agreement The long-term contract was signed at the rate of 10.2 percent of Brent. With this agreement, Pakistan will import 200 million cubic feet (mmcfd) of LNG in a day. Earlier, Pakistan used to import 500 mmcfd of LNG in 2015 at the rate of 13.37 percent of Brent. Under this deal, Pakistan will get 3 million tonnes of LNG from the Qatar Petroleum per year starting from January 2022. It will start with receiving two ships per month. In the next three years, this will be increased to four ships. This agreement also provides for the provision of price negotiation option. Under the agreement, the price negotiation can be done after four years rather than 10 years. Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) It is natural gas which mainly composed of the methane (CH4) along with the mixture of ethane (C2H6). This natural gas is cooled down to convert it into the liquid form to safely store and transport it. LNG is a clear, colourless and non-toxic liquid which forms when natural gas is cooled to - PAKISTAN AFFAIRS 12 162°C (-260°F). The cooling process shrinks the volume of the gas 600 times, making it easier and safer to store and ship. In its liquid state, LNG will not ignite. When LNG reaches its destination, it is turned back into a gas at regasification plants. It is then piped to homes, businesses and industries where it is burnt for heat or to generate electricity. LNG is now also emerging as a cost-competitive and cleaner transport fuel, especially for shipping and heavy-duty road transport. Global Demand for Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Despite having one of the world’s largest reserves of natural gas, the United States imports a small percentage of its natural gas as liquefied natural gas from France and Trinidad. In fact, as of 2019, the United States was the third-largest exporter of LNG and is expected to become the largest exporter by 2024, surpassing Australia and Qatar. The largest importers of U.S. LNG are South Korea, Mexico, and Japan. Future demand growth will come from Asian countries, as they look toward LNG as a replacement for _AFGHANISTAN | Monthly HSM CSS Times (E Magazine) | Mar 2021 | For Free Download: www.hsmpublishers.comPAKISTAN AFFAIRS Pakistan and China commemorated the 70th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic relations by year-long festivities and special events to mark their historic friendship and partnership. It is a time to recall with pride their collective achievements and chart new horizons for taking their truly unique friendship and partnership forward. The essence of this friendship is the mutual goodwill, complete trust and shared cultural ethos imbued with values of humility, modesty, sharing and caring. In a world prone to arrogance of power and where might is right, these Eastern values as epitomized in Pakistan-China friendship and cooperation are a rarity and an example of model inter-state relations that are time tested and have weathered regional and global turbulence. The new era tensions and uncertainties can only be relieved by renewing our faith and confidence in universal ideals and values. Pakistan and China are young states with deep civilizational roots and a history of mutually enriching interaction spanning several millenniums. Reviving the Silk Road has been a common dream of the two peoples with a view to resurrecting the golden age of multi-faceted mutually beneficial and harmonious cooperation for a glorious future Monthly HSM CSS Times (E Magazine) | Mar 2024 | For Free Download: www.hsmpublishers.comJust Released Just Released @\ 39 YEARS Ro 2020 ‘he Wet» (lpate: i CSS Compulsory Subjects CSS ics MCQs pee Cia ee) LCoLNYANCOLics) Price: Rs. 550/- contact@hsmpublishers.com For Phone Call Or Text Message: © 0300-0459551 Eg Kabir Street, Urdu Bazar, Lahore, Pakistan (042) 37353510 - 37248129 - 37171280-1 contact@ilmikitabkhana.com www.hsmpublishers.com ores WinesThe Pakistan-China “special” relations, based on abiding trust and mutual respect, have enabled the two countries to join hands to give shape to their dreams for spreading peace, progress and prosperity, in ever widening circles, for their peoples, the region and beyond The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) are 21st century models of international cooperation, underpinned by ideals and principles and invested with political commitment and requisite resources, for positive transformation of the regional and global landscape. China's meteoric rise and phenomenal economic growth, in a short time span, has no parallel in human history. The wisdom of the Chinese leadership and hard work of the Chinese people have contributed to the making of an Asian century. Pakistan is proud of the national accomplishments of the friendly Chinese nation. The rising tide lifts all boats. The neighbours of China must benefit first and so should the world. The veritable renaissance of the Chinese civilization will have a beneficial impact on humanity. China together with Pakistan has endeavored to renew the faith of peoples around the world, especially in developing countries, in the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter and its promise for a better future. Monthly HSM CSS Times (E Magazine) | Mar 2021 | PAKISTAN AFFAIRS a China as a responsible stakeholder in the international system has always upheld the imperatives of multilateral cooperation ensuing from interdependence and ensuring equitable and positive dividends from globalization China is the No.1 economy in terms of purchasing power parity. At home, it has succeeded in lifting over 800 million people out of poverty. It is now the driving engine for the global economy - a global manufacturing and services hub and will soon become a major financial pole. Its technological prowess continues to power exponential growth in advanced earth, marine and space sciences. China's rich culture has added new colours to the beautiful mosaic of human accomplishments in multiple domains. China has brought uniquely refreshing perspectives in understanding and drawing lessons from the march of human history. It has demonstrated that if development becomes a Las the dream of the Chinese people. Today, China has attained its goal of becoming a moderately developed country. By 2049, our Chinese friends will attain this goal comprehensively. The key lesson from China's experience is that by avoiding bitter contestation and geopolitical rivalries and opting for peaceful cooperation, based on voluntary, equal footed, mutually beneficial and inclusive partnerships, nations can Rejuvenation of the Chinese nation has been ‘achieve great progress and prosperit For Free Download: www. hsmpublishers.comMonthly HSM CSS Times launched in 2013. It is a visionary initiative that holds the promise of bringing about a historic transformation in the global economic and political landscape. As a concept and in its working, this represents an original and most consequential contribution of China to the future of mankind. The CPEC is a flagship project of the BRI, signed in 2013 and launched in 2015. Approximately $25 billion has already been injected in various projects, Another $40 billion is expected to be invested in the next phase. CPEC has come to epitomize the new priorities in Pakistan-China economic cooperation and encapsulates the essence of leadership level understandings and agreements over the past few decades. Chinese concessional credits have made it possible for Pakistan to benefit from China's economic rise in a substantial manner. CPEC is bound to go transnational and span other adjoining regions thus enabling Pakistan to realize its geo-economic potential as a conduit for trade and commerce and a transportation hub. Economic and trade cooperation has witnessed a quantum jump with the launching of CPEC, which centers on developing infrastructure, energy, agriculture and industrial development in Pakistan. The development of Gwadar deep sea port holds immense potential for serving as another gateway not only to Pakistan but all of the landlocked states of Central Asia and Afghanistan. Energy cooperation has been extremely helpful in overcoming shortages. China has also been assisting Pakistan in developing clean coal energy and hydro-electric potential. Oil and gas exploration has also been an important aspect of cooperation. China is also assisting Pakistan to develop its railroad infrastructure. The Pakistan-China Free Trade Agreement has now entered the next phase, which gives all items of Pakistan export interest a zero-tariff access to the vast Chinese market. The Karakoram Highway has been widened and is being linked by high grade expressways to Monthly HSM CSS Times (E Magazine) | Mar 2024 | PAKISTAN AFFAIRS 16 Pakistani ports. Technological cooperation has been an extremely valuable aspect of China-Pakistan cooperation. There are framework agreements covering all aspects of technology including earth, marine and space sciences. Pakistan and China have developed a long-term plan for cooperation in space. In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, China has stepped up cooperation with Pakistan in the field of health. Bilateral cooperation between Pakistan and China has many dimensions. Defence cooperation is robust. Political consultations on regional and global issues are a regular feature. It reveals a remarkable identity of views between Pakistan and China. Pakistan has supported Chinese position on core issues of Taiwan, Tibet, Xinjiang and Hong Kong. China has repeatedly expressed support for Pakistan's sovereignty and independence. Cooperation and coordination at the UN and international forums have been a hallmark of the strategic partnership. The Pakistan-China friendship will grow from strength to strength and scale new heights. Its new dimensions will be revealed in the realm of thoughts and values, and the full spectrum merger and distilling of the virtues of two ancient civilizations for the benefit of mankind, as a whole. (The writer served as Pakistan's Ambassador to China, India and Denmark and as Foreign Secretary of Pakistan. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn) For Free Download: www.hsmpublishers.com°SS Times On 22 March, 2021, World Water Day will be celebrated in an online event. The World Water Day celebrates water and raises awareness of the global water crisis, and a core focus of the observance is to support the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6: water and sanitation for all by 2030. The Theme of World Water Day 2021 is Valuing Water. About World Water Day: In the year 1992, March 22 was first officially added in the schedule 21 of United Nations Conference on Environment and Development as World Water Day in the Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The celebrations to mark world water day started from the year 1993. The aim of the day is to increase awareness among people about the importance, need and conservation of water. The World Water Development Report is also released by the UN every year around World Water Day. Water, a Human Right: In 2010, the UN recognized “the right to safe and clean drinking water and sanitation as a human right that is essential for the full enjoyment of life and all human rights.” The human right to water entitles everyone, without discrimination, to sufficient, safe, acceptable, physically accessible and affordable water for personal and domestic use; which includes water for drinking, personal sanitation, washing of clothes, food preparation, and personal and household Monthly HSM CSS Times (E Magazine) | Mar 2024 | INTERNATIONAL DAY hygiene. People are left behind without safe water for many different reasons. The following are some of the ‘grounds for discrimination’ that cause certain people to be particularly disadvantaged when it comes to accessing water: Sex and gender. Race, ethnicity, religion, birth, caste, language, and nationality. Disability, age and health status. Property, tenure, residence, economic and social status. Other factors, such as environmental degradation, climate change, population growth, conflict, forced displacement and migration flows can also disproportionately affect marginalized groups through impacts on water, Key Points The World Water Day has been observed since 1993 and intends to raise awareness of the 2.2 billion people living without access to safe water. ‘A core focus of World Water Day is to support the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6: water and sanitation for all by 2030. In addition to it, the International Decade for Action on Water for Sustainable Development (2018-2028) is being observed. These observances serve to reaffirm that water and sanitation measures are key to poverty reduction, economic growth, and environmental sustainability. For Free Download: www.hsmpublishers.comS Times “Don't waste water even if you were at a running stream" Pakistan is currently facing an acute water shortage that is likely to wreck havoc in the country in the coming years. Recently, the Indus River System Authority (IRSA) highlighted a grave water shortage in the Indus Basin irrigation system (IBIS), the world's largest contiguous irrigation system, for the summer cropping season. The timing of the crisis is critical and had delayed the sowing of the country’s main cash crops, including cotton. Experts believe the authorities were aware of the approaching acute water shortage because of shortages during the winter cropping season. According to a recent report by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Pakistan ranks third in the world among countries facing acute water shortage. Reports by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) also warn the authorities that the South Asian country will reach absolute water scarcity by 2025. "No person in Pakistan, whether from the north with its more than 5,000 glaciers, or ER z from the south with its hyper deserts,’ will be immune to this [scarcity],” said Neil Buhne, UN humanitarian coordinator for Pakistan. Researchers predict that Pakistan is on its way to becoming the most water-stressed country in the region by the year 204 Monthly HSM CSS Times (E Magazine) | Mar 2021 | For Free Download: www.hsmpublishers.comMonthly HSM CSS Times March 2021 Water occupies a pivotal role in Islam, and is recognized by Muslims as a blessing that “gives and sustains life, humankind and the eart! for water, ma'a, is referenced exactly 63 times throughout the Holy Qur'an and is a recurring topic in many of the sayings of the Prophet Mohammed (28. Water is not only praised for its life providing and sustaining properties, but it is essential in the daily life of a Muslim. A follower is required to complete ablution prior to the performance of the prayer, five times a day. This ritual cleansing before the prayer ignifies the attainment of cleanliness and purification of the body and soul. According to a Hadith narrated by Hazrat Abu Huraira, no prayer is accepted without ablution (Sahih al Bukhari, Vol. 1, Book 4). “Don't waste water even if you were at a running stream” - Prophet Muhammad (Peace and blessings be upon him) Once the Prophet (s(asked a person, who was performing Wudhu: “Why are you wasting water?” The person enquired: "Is there Israaf (waste) even in Wudhu?” The Prophet () replied: "Yes indeed, (do not waste) even if you are at the bank of a river.” (Ibn Majah) Wudhu is a great Ibaadah (act of worship). The Prophet (#5(is reported to have said that “He who performs the Wudhu' perfectly (ie., according to Sunnah), his sins will depart from his body, even from under his nails.” [Muslim Monthly HSM CSS Times (E Magazine) | Mar 2024 | CSS PAST PAPER 2021 19 However, certain acts spoil this great Ibadah and deprive one of the full benefits and virtues of Wudhu. Among these acts is the wasting of water. To use more than what is necessary is termed israaf, Regarding israaf, Allah declares: "... eat and drink but waste not by extravagance, certainly He (Allah) likes not Al-Musrifun, (those who waste by extravagance).” (7:31) Anas (May Allah be pleased with him) has narrated: “The Prophet used to take a bath with one Sa or up to five Mudds of water and used to perform ablution with one Mudd of water." (Bukhari) Apart from the water storage issue, experts say that water wastage is also a big issue in the country. Consider the facts: per capita surface water availability of 5,260 cubic metres per year in 1951 turned into around 1,000 cubic metres in 2016. This is likely to further drop to about 860 cubic meters by 2025. The PCRWR describe that Pakistan reached the “water stress line” in 1990 and crossed the “water scarcity line” in 2005. The Indus river system receives an annual influx of about 134.8 million acre feet (MAF) of water. The mean annual rainfall ranges from less than 100 millimetres to over 750 millimetres. Surface water comprises glacial melt up to 41 percent, snowmelt up to 22 percent and rainfall 27 percent. In terms of groundwater, Pakistan is currently extracting 50 MAF from underground aquifers — this has already crossed the sustainable limit of safe yield. The 1960 Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) enabled Pakistan to enhance water availability at canal headworks to about 104 MAF through construction of dams. However, this has decreased due to increased siltation. Pakistan's water woes can largely be bifurcated into issues of quality and quantity. The water coming into our systems over the past decades hasn't changed much. But demand has soared due to an exponential rise in population. Existing reservoirs’ storage capacity cannot sustain this population boom while its capacity has also been reduced over the yea For Free Download: www.hsmpublishers.commale Fee Best Compilatio ana ae MODEL PAPERS For General Ability MCQs Test eee Pakistan Studies eres Cet ee ens eC emo 2005-2020 Mathematics eis Bre rey . = has bir Street, Urdu Bazar, Lahore, Pakistan “ contact@ilmikitabkhana.com 37353510 - 37248129 - 37171280-1 www.hsmpublishers.com Follow, like and love us on eee) esa rsS Times 12 Ways to Save Water 1. Turn off the taps =~ Don't let your water consumption run out of control. Save six litres of water a minute by turning off your tap while you brush your teeth. Fix leaky tapstoo - and stop what could be 60 litres of water going straight down the drain every week. 2. Boil what you need Save water, money and energy by only boiling as many cups of water as you need. 3. Shower with less CSS PAST PAPER 2021 2 Every minute you spend in a power shower uses up to 17 litres of water. Set a timer on your phone to keep your showers short, sweet and water-saving. Switching to an efficient shower head will allow you to lather up in less water, which means you'll save water and cut your bills. 4, Save up your dirty clothes Washing a full machine load of clothes uses less water and energy than two half-loads This means lower bills as well 5. Get a low-flush toilet The average household flushes the pot 5,000 times per year. Modern dual-flush systems save huge amounts of water. They use just six litres — or six with a reduced flush — much less than the 13 litres for each old-style single flush. If can't invest in a new loo, get a ving bag for your old-style toilet. Monthly HSM CSS Times (E Magazine) | Mar 2021 | For Free Download: www.hsmpublishers.comfonth HSM CSS Times 6. Eat less meat It's a challenge for the state to save water not only for agriculture but also for human consumption and to meet the rising water demand in other social and economic sectors. This demands improved water governance, management and investment in scientific knowledge, all of which entail commitment and resources. It's time for decisive action. Rearing animals for meat and dairy is incredibly water-intensive. By cutting down on the amount of meat you eat, you can slash your water use drastically. 7. Steam your veggies x 4 Steam your food to cut water usage and retain more of the natural nutrients. If you do boil, try using the leftover water as a tasty stock for soups. Or let it cool and use it to water plants. 8. Reduce food waste It takes a lot of water to produce our cereal, fruit and other food. More than half of the seven million tonnes of food and drink households bin every year could be eaten. CSS PAST PAPER 2021 r Wasting less food could save a person Rs74,000 a year. 9. Time your gardening A great water-saving tip is to water outdoor plants in the early morning or at the end of the day. This stops water immediately evaporating in sunlight and heat. Water onto the soil rather than leaves so that the liquid goes straight to the roots, where it's needed. 10. Catch rainwater =a] Installing water butts saves up to 5,000 litres of water a year And your plants thank Monthly HSM CSS Times (E Magazine) | Mar 2021 | For Free Download: www.hsmpublishers.comMonthly HSM CSS Times you for rainwater rather than treated tap water. You can also cut water use by 33% by watering plants manually instead of using automatic sprinklers. 11. No more washing up Incredibly, if you fill up the dishwasher completely each time you run it, you'll use less water than you would doing the washing up. Yes, even if you're using a washing-up bowl. What better excuse to go and have a nice sit down? 12. Be plumbing prepared Regularly check your kitchen pipes and the dishwasher hase for slow leaks. Find out where your household stop valve is and make sure that you can turn it on and off. Find a contact number for your water supplier, so that if you find a leak you can let them know and stop water from being wasted. These small steps, if undertaken on an individual level by citizens, can help immensely in conserving precious water. CSS PAST PAPER 2021 3 TOCA TON EET Wye el) aria WENT a cant Code” The parliament of Australia has passed the landmark legislation called the “News Media and Digital Platforms Mandatory Bargaining Code" on February 25, 2021. New law will require digital platforms like Facebook and Google to pay local media outlets and publishers to link their content on news feeds or in search results. The move was widely expected and comes days after the government introduced some last-minute amendments to the proposed bill, known officially as the News Media and Digital Platforms Mandatory Bargaining Code. What did Facebook and Google do? Both Facebook and Google have fought against the law since last year. Essentially, Australia will become the first ‘country where a government-appointed arbitrator can decide on the final price that either platform will have to pay Australian news publishers, provided a commercial deal cannot be reached independently. Background The Parliament in Australia had proposed this legislation targeting Google and Facebook. Under this legislation, they are required to make payment negotiations with the media companies in order to use their content. However, Facebook & Google had pointed out that these media industry were already benefiting from the traffic routed to their websites through these digital platforms, Monthly HSM CSS Times (E Magazine) | Mar 2021 | For Free Download: www.hsmpublishers.coma ee Chances to Succeeed in English (Precis & Composition) & Essay =| ot SOQ Sa rs bl 4 es < eA) outed @ hsmpublishers © /hsmpublishers Follow, like Col Mog eaten) fom Suamy, ICC RULING O MIDDLE EAST eo PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES The International Criminal Court said on February 5 that the court has jurisdiction over war crimes committed in the Palestinian territories, a ruling that was welcomed by Palestinians and criticized by Israel. What is the judgment about? According to this ruling, the ICC would have jurisdiction to investigate potential war crimes commited in Palestinian territories. A statement by the UN Human Rights Council attributed to Michael Lynk, the Special Rapporteur for the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territory, said: “This is a significant step forward in the quest for justice and accountability involving the unaccountable 53-year-old occupation of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Gaza.” According to a Reuters report, the ruling was delivered by a pre-trial chamber of three ICC judges, provisions of which could lead to criminal investigations of Israel and Palestinian militant groups including Hamas. The report added that no probe was expected in the near future. This means that despite the ruling, there would be no immediate investigations even for those cases that had been brought to the attention of the international community. How did this happen? This ruling was really a result of the Palestinian Authority gaining formal membership of international criminal court in 2015. Israel is not a member of the ICC. At that time, the Palestinian Authority had not immediately started pressing complaints, in a move that observers had believed was an attempt to avoid direct conflict with the US Congress, which was authorised to freeze US aid to the Palestinian Authority if pursued its own legal cases. This time however, Reuters reported the ICC judges saying that their decision was based Monthly HSM CSS Times (E Magazine) | Mar 2021 | For Free Download: www.hsmpublishers.comMonthly HSM CSS Times on the fact the Palestine Authority had referred the situation to the court, But the judges said the jurisdiction does not “imply any attempt to determine Palestinian statehood, which is uncertain, or national borders.” “The Court's territorial jurisdiction in the Situation in Palestine... extends to the territories occupied by Israel since 1967, namely Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem,” Reuters reported the court saying, What was the response to the ruling? Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denounced the ruling saying that the ICC was investigating Israel for "fake war crimes", calling it “pure anti-Semitism". He added that a court that was established to investigate atrocities like the Holocaust commited by Nazis, was now “targeting” a state for the Jewish people and was unwilling to investigate Iran and Syria who were committing “atrocities almost daily” What happens next? ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda told Reuters that her office was studying the decision and would decide the next steps “guided strictly by its independent and impartial mandate” to prosecute war crimes and atrocities. In Monthly HSM CSS Times (E Magazine) | Mar 2021 | MIDDLE EAST 6 December 2019, Bensouda had said that “war crimes have been or are being committed in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip.” During the Trump presidency, the US had imposed sanctions on Bensouda and two other ICC officials for investigating war crimes committed by the US in the Middle East and had openly opposed and rejected the ICC's jurisdiction. After Biden took office, White House had said it would be reviewing these sanctions. Despite that, it still rejected the ICC's latest ruling concerning the Palestinian Territories. According to this new ruling, it is not only Israelis and the Israel Defence Forces who could be potentially prosecuted for war For Free Download: www.hsmpublishers.comMonthly HSM CSS Times MIDDLE EAST a Hamas, deemed terrorist organizations by the West, that have been accused of targeting Palestinian civilians, including using them as human shields. But on February 12, Reuters reported that British barrister Karim Khan would be replacing Bensouda as the new prosecutor for a nine-year term starting on June 16, following his election by parties to the ICC. Khan is known for heading the United Nations’ special investigative team looking into Islamic State crimes in Iraq and has also worked for major international criminal tribunals in roles in prosecution, defence and as counsel for victims, the report said. Following his appointment, the decision to press ahead with a full investigation into whether war crimes have been commited in the Palestinian Territories might be one of the first few cases that Khan is likely to handle. According to a report by The Jerusalem Post, there was some speculation that the US and Israel were both hoping for Khan's selection because of his nationality as a citizen of the United Kingdom “a country more closely allied with both the US and Israel than either Argentina or Gambia, where the past two prosecutors came from.” The report added that a significant part of Khan's career was spent as a defense lawyer which could make him more likely to be in favour of defendants, in this case Israel. The report added that in the past, Khan has criticized the "ICC prosecutor's office for relying on shaky or weaker evidence” on ‘occasion, which may play in the favour of parties like the US that wish to close investigations into its role in committing war crimes in Afghanistan and Israel's war crimes in Gaza. ICC opens ‘war crimes’ investigation in West Bank and Gaza The International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor has opened a formal investigation into alleged war crimes in the Palestinian territories. The ICC has the authority to prosecute those accused of genocide, crimes against and war crimes on the territory of states party to the Rome Statute, its founding treaty. Israel has never ratified the Rome Statute, but the court ruled that it had jurisdiction because the United Nations secretary general accepted the Palestinians’ accession to the treaty in 2015. \srael occupied the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East war. Palestinians claim the territories for a future independent state. What prompted the prosecutor's decision? Ina statement issued on March 3, 2021, Ms Bensouda explained that her office was obliged to act "where a state party has referred a situation" to it and “it is determined that a reasonable basis exists to commence an investigation”. Ms Bensouda said she had carried out a "painstaking preliminary examination" that lasted close to five years and promised that the investigation would be conducted independently, impartially and objectively, without fear or favour. “We have no agenda other than to meet our statutory duties under the Rome Statute with professional integrity," she said, noting that she had declined to investigate the 2010 killing by Israeli troops of 10 Turkish activists ‘on the Gaza-bound ship Mavi Marmara. Ms Bensouda, who will be succeeded by British prosecutor Karim Khan in June, also stressed that the "central concern must be for the victims of crimes, both Palestinian and Israeli, arising from the long cycle of violence and insecurity that has caused deep suffering and despair on all sides Monthly HSM CSS Times (E Magazine) | Mar 2021 | For Free Download: www.hsmpublishers.comAgriculture&ForestryMCQs For CSS/PCS/PMS/NTS/NAT/GAT (Subject)/Lecturer Agriculture Officer/Forest Officer And All Other Se Exams 1 tf} (es Ra Ava erent Forestry MCQs in Entomology & Plant Pathology with explanation . | TaD DU sas Aggicullre Oficer& Forest Oficer PO ere nc) ore Bie ol vl] vr Sn) eeHSM CSS Times MIDDLE EAST Pew ed SAUDI ARABIA ALLOWS WOMEN IN ARMED FORCES Saudi Arabia has opened up the armed forces for Women. Following the order, the female recruits can now trade their abayas for military uniforms. Saudi female applicants must be between the age of 21 and 40 years old, have a height of 155 cm or taller, and cannot be a government employee. Female submissions must also hold an independent national identity card and have at least a high school education. Applicants married to non-Saudi citizens will not be accepted. The age range for first-time male applicants is between 17 and 40 while their minimum height is 160 cm. There were mixed reactions to the ministry's new unified recruitment standards. FASTFACTS Military ranks from soldier to sergeant will be available in the Saudi Arabian Army, Royal Saudi Air Defense, Royal Saudi Navy, Royal Saudi Strategic Missile Force, and Armed Forces Medical Services. Saudi female applicants must be between the age of 21 and 40 years old, have a height of 155 cm or taller, and cannot be a government employee. Female submissions must also hold an independent national identity card and have at least a high school education. Applicants married to non-Saudi citizens will not be accepted. Monthly HSM CSS Times (E Magazine) | Mar 2024 | For Free Download: www.hsmpublishers.comStatus of Women In the WEF's 2020 Global Gender Gap Report, for instance, Saudi Arabia ranked 146th out of 153 countries included. This actually represents a drop of more than 30 rankings (from 114th) from its 2006 position. Saudi Arabia is historically known for its restrictive policies towards women, adequately represented by the fact that women were not legally allowed to be issued drivers’ license in the country until 2018. In Saudi Arabia today, only 16% of the labour force is made up of women, according to the WEF report Key decisions for women empowerment in Saudi Arabia t In the year 2015, Women were allowed to vote in elections. z They were also allowed to be appointed in the consultative assembly in 2015. 3. In 2017, women were allowed to access the government services like health and education. 4. The government allowed women to drive in 2017. MIDDLE EAST 5. In 2019, women were given right to register the divorce. 6. _ In 2019, marriage age was capped at and above 18 years. i In 2021, it was decided that women can now be appointed as court judge. at is the Opec+? Opec refers to the alliance of crude producers, who have been undertaking corrections in supply in the oil markets since 2017. OPEC plus countries include Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Brunei, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mexico, , South Sudan and Sudan. Monthly HSM CSS Times (E Magazine) | Mar 2021 | For Free Download: www.hsmpublishers.comMonthly S Times HSM C. March 2027 The United States officially has rejoined the Paris climate accord, After a four-year-stretch in which President Donald Trump repeatedly disparaged the international agreement and withdrew the country from it, on February 19, 2020 marked the return of United States to the global effort to prevent the planet from warming past a critical climate change threshold. Now, the Biden administration is vowing to make up for what it says is lost time and to repair the country's standing among nations PARIS CLIMATE DEAL 1 mate Deal after President Donald Trump made the United States the only nation to drop out of the accord. Highlights With the rejoining of US, the world leaders expects that now the country will prove its seriousness as it was mostly absent for four years. The countries are also waiting for the announcement from Washington on the US's goal to cut emissions of heat-trapping gases by 2030. The president of US, Joe Biden, had signed the executive order to reversed the withdrawal ordered by former President, Donald Trump. Background In the year 2019, the Donald Trump administration had announced its withdrawal from the Paris accord. This order came into effect on November 4, 2020. the day after the election, because of provisions in the agreement. Monthly HSM CSS Times (E Magazine) | Mar 2021 | For Free Download: www.hsmpublishers.comMonthly HSM CSS Times h 2021 Paris Climate Agreemen It is an agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). This agreement was signed in 2016 and deals with the climate change mitigation, adaptation, and finance. This agreement was negotiated by the representatives of 196 states. It was signed at the 21st Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC in France. The agreement was later adopted by consensus in December 2015. Currently, 190 members of the UNFCCC are parties under the agreement. Countries like Turkey, Iran, and Iraq are not parties to it. From his first moments in office, President Biden signaled he is serious about curbing U.S. greenhouse gas emissions and prodding other nations to do the same. Hours after being sworn in, he sent a letter to the United Nations kick-starting the 30-day process to rejoin the landmark 2015 accord that had been brokered under his old boss, President Barack Obama Fulfilling that campaign promise amounts to a stark repudiation of Trump, who spent years dismissing the global scientific consensus that human activity is causing the planet to warm. Although the United States technically was out of the Paris accord for only 107 days, Biden's to-do list is lengthy. The administration plans to ratchet up the U.S. commitments to reducing emissions while pressing countries including China and PARIS CLIMATE DEAL 22 India to curtail construction of coal-fired plants and urging Brazil to preserve more of the Amazon rainforest. At the same time, Biden will have to contend with a deeply divided Congress and other competing factions at home as his administration crafts a regulatory and legislative agenda for cutting emissions. The Biden administration is reentering the agreement with pomp — but also a measure of humility. On Friday, former secretary of state John F. Kerry, Biden's special climate envoy, made several appearances in which he apologized for the nation’s absence from the global stage during the Trump years and said the United States will work hard to make its actions match its promises. The White House is planning to host a summit of world leaders on April 22, Earth Day, as a prelude to a critical U.N. climate conference in Scotland in November; nations will be expected to arrive with climate pledges that exceed the ambitions of the Paris accord, Existing commitments to cut emissions are, according to many estimates, woefully inadequate for forestalling dangerous warming that is already evident around the world in the form of larger and more frequent wildfires, harsher droughts, other extreme weather, melting glaciers, species losses and coastal flooding Biden has kicked off the process of setting a new national goal for cutting emissions that is exceeds Obama's target of slashing carbon emissions by about a quarter below 2005 levels by 2025. But analysts say the United States is at risk of missing even that goal after Trump eased federal regulations that would have helped to rein in carbon pollution. After Trump's decision to leave the Paris agreement, many USS. cities, corporations, universities, nonprofit groups and some states undertook their own efforts to reduce their carbon footprints and keep the country on track through a coalition called We Are Still In. Monthly HSM CSS Times (E Magazine) | Mar 2021 | For Free Download: www.hsmpublishers.comMonthly HSM C March 2021 S Times NVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE 3 oS uld. Maelo aly a Redwoods are the world's tallest trees. University College London and the University Now scientists have discovered they of Maryland uses advanced laser scanning, to are even bigger than we thought. create 3D maps and calculate the total mass. Using laser technology they map the —_The results are striking: suggesting the trees 80-meter giants. may be as much as 30% larger than earlier Trees are a key plank in the fight measurements suggested. Part of that could against climate change. be due to the additional trunks the Redwoods They are among the largest trees in the can grow as they age, a process known as world, descendants of forests where reiteration. dinosaurs roamed. Now laser technology reveals the true scale of the giant Redwoods of North America — and it's bigger than we imagined California's Sequoias are among the oldest trees on the planet, living for up to 2,000 years. Measuring their size is much more than a matter of cultural curiosity since their bulk determines how much carbon dioxide they've sequestered over the centuries — a factor that's rising up the agenda in the fight against climate change. Until recently, measuring these trees meant scaling their 80 meter high trunks with a tape measure. Now, a team of scientists from Monthly HSM CSS Times (E Magazine) | Mar 2021 | For Free Download: www.hsmpublishers.comWe are Looking to hire writers for the CSS Subjects of English, Pakistan Affairs and General Science & Ability. We welcome new and experienced alike but preference shall be given to those who are currently teaching the above mentioned subjects to the CSS aspirants.S Times ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE 3 CANDIDE The tallest trees in the world Cred Measuring the trees more accurately is important because carbon capture will probably play a key role in the battle against climate change. Forest growth could absorb billions of tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere each year. “The importance of big trees is widely- recognised in terms of carbon storage, demographics and impact on their surrounding ecosystems," the authors wrote in the journal Nature. "Unfortunately the importance of big trees is in direct proportion to the difficulty of measuring them." Redwoods are so long lived because of their ability to cope with climate change, resist disease and even survive fire damage, the scientists say. Almost a fifth of their volume may be bark, which helps Co Hyper protect them. Carbon Capture Champions Earlier research by scientists at Humboldt University and the University of Washington found that Redwood forests store almost 2,600 tonnes of carbon per hectare, their bark alone containing more carbon than any other neighboring species. While the importance of trees in fighting climate change is widely accepted, not all species enjoy the same protection as California's coastal Redwoods. In 2019 the world lost the equivalent of 30 soccer fields of forest cover every minute, due to agricultural expansion, logging and fires, according to The Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF). Monthly HSM CSS Times (E Magazine) | Mar 2021 | For Free Download: www.hsmpublishers.comTimes ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE 36 Coast Redwood 110 Statue Giant Sequoia of Liberty* 95 93 Trunk towers Average height comparisons Metres Engtish Oak Trafalgar 35 Square Christmas Baobab Tre are Genetically Modified Organism (Transgenic Organism)? In GMO, genetic material (DNA) is altered or artificially introduced using genetic engineering techniques. Genetic modification involves the mutation, insertion, or deletion of genes. Inserted genes usually come from a different organism (e.g. In Bt cotton, Bt genes from bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis are induced). Genetic modification is done to induce a desirable new trait which does not occur naturally in the species. Monthly HSM CSS Times (E Magazine) | Mar 2021 | For Free Download: www.hsmpublishers.comHSM CSS Times ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE 37 = UN Climate Change published the Initial NDC Initial Nationally Determined Synthesis Report, showing nations must Contributions Synthesis Report redouble efforts and submit stronger, more This report was released by the UNFCC. This ambitious national climate action plans in Taport measures the progress of national 2021 if they're to achieve the Paris climate action plans in the backdrop of ‘Agreement goal of limiting global upcoming 26th session of Conference of its 9 go% 9 9) Parties (COP26) in November 2021 in temperature rise by 2°C—ideally 1.5°C—by the end of the century, Highlights While commenting on the report; the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, stated that the year 2021 is a "make or break" year so as to confront the global climate emergency. The Secretary- General further stated that in order to limit the global temperature rise to 1.5 degree Celsius, the global emission should be cut by Monthly HSM CSS Times (E Magazine) | Mar 2021 | For Free Download: www.hsmpublishers.comGlasgow. This report has also urged the other countries to initiate more ambitious plans in order to reach the Paris Agreement goals. This report covered the submissions from countries up to December 31, 2020. As per the submission, 75 countries which are Parties to the Framework Convention communicated anew or updated NDC which represents 30 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. The report was requested by Parties to the Paris Agreement to measure the progress of national climate action plans — known as NDCs — ahead of COP26 this November in Glasgow. Covering submissions up to 31 December 2020, it shows 75 Parties have communicated a new or updated NDC, representing approximately 30 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. The report shows that while the majority of nations represented increased their individual levels of ambition to reduce emissions, their combined impact puts them on a path to achieve a less than 1 per cent reduction by 2030 compared to 2010 levels. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, by contrast, has indicated that emission reduction ranges to meet the 1.5°C © oe HSM CSS Times ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE temperature goal should be around 45 per cent lower. Espinosa clarified that the Synthesis Report is a “snapshot, not a full picture” of the NDCs as COVID-19 posed significant challenges for many nations with respect to completing their submissions in 2020 She indicated that a second report will be released prior to COP26 and called on all countries — specifically major emitters that have not yet done so — to make their submissions as soon as possible, so that their information can be included in the updated report. United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) About the UNFCCC With 197 Parties, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has near universal membership and is the parent treaty of the 2015 Paris Climate Change Agreement. This framework has been negotiated and signed by 154 states. The framework came into force on March 21, 1994 Today's interim report from the UNFCCC is a with much GURU Ue MISC ous Sy LolarA0 ION RUC la oar lh aPC) NUL TAT econ UT (eho Climate Conference in Glasgow. @@ Monthly HSM CSS Times (E Magazine) | Mar 2024 | For Free Download: www.hsmpublishers.comWe are Looking for Writers Required Areas of Expertise are CSS/PMS/PCS. Experienced Teachers and Qualified CSPs Contact us at 042-37171280, 0321-4226801 or kamran.munir@ilmikitabkhana.comIt was signed at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) or the Earth Summit which was held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. It has its Secretariat in Bonn. The main aim of the Paris Agreement is to keep a global average temperature rise this century well below 2 Celsius and to drive efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre- Monthly HSM CSS Times (E Magazine) | Mar 2021 | industrial levels. The UNFCCC is also the parent treaty of the 1997 Kyoto Protocol. The ultimate objective of all agreements under the UNFCCC is to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that will prevent dangerous human interference with the climate system, in a time frame which allows ecosystems to adapt naturally and enables sustainable development. For Free Download: www.hsmpublishers.comS Times COVID-19 Mt Sd NC aT Be hg Cree Cd The new highly contagious Covid-19 variant called B.1.526 is ravaging the city of New York. According to a recent study, published on the Columbia University website, this new Covid- 19 variant - B.1.526 ~ carries a highly dangerous mutation that can weaken vaccine efficacy. Key Points A study published on the Columbia University website states that the new Covid-19 variant is carrying a highly dangerous mutation which have the potential to weaken the efficacy of the vaccine. The study highlighted that the highly contagious variant was initially identified in samples which were collected in November 2020. The cases with these new variants have been ona steady rise since December 2020 in the city. As per the study, the about 12.3 percent of the total cases till mid- Monthly HSM CSS Times (E Magazine) | Mar 2021 | For Free Download: www.hsmpublishers.comScore up to 90% in English Don't Study Hard, Study Smart with Technique SC PECAN TIM eo eee ING and SCORING Well in English in the Upcoming COMPETITIVEEXAMS, We have Something for You. Hay that will be of great help to SCOTT (0K CTS foto ile Kabir Street, Urdu Bazar, Lahore, Pakistan EN ee Ol Lc (042) 37353510 - 37248129 - 37171280-1 RI ane) 6 Follow, like Cle Mo Kol Pens ee eesMonthly HSM CSS Times February of 2021 were due to this new variant of ue corona virus. It highlights that, one in four cases in the New York city are related to this variant. The researchers further found that, one area of the spike protein - £484K, was present in of the three contagious variants of the virus. These three variants include p.1, South African variant and New York variant. They also stated that, this particular part of the spike protein has negative impacts on the immunity of the body and could exacerbate the condition. Ta mee Lineage P.1 or Brazilian Variant It is a variant of SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 disease. This variant has 17 unique amino acid changes. Out of them, 10 is present in its spike protein, including the NS501Y and E484K. This variant was first detected in Japan on January 6, 2021 by the National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NID) in four people. These four people had arrived in Tokyo after visiting the Amazonas in Brazil. The variant caused huge infection in the city of Manaus. COVID-19 43 WET acme Sate ais cel aed ~o- The COVID-19 RT-PCR test is a real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) test for the qualitative detection of nucleic acid from SARS- CoV-2 in upper and lower respiratory specimens . How RT-PCR is used for detecting Covid-19? The causative agent for Covid19 is the SARS-CoV -2 virus. It is an RNA virus, that means it infiltrates a healthy cell to multiply and survive. Thus, the RT-PCR test is for the identification of SARS-CoV-2 RNA. In this, the RNA is converted to DNA through a process called ‘reverse transcription’ for detecting viruses. What is OPEC The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) was founded in Baghdad, Iraq, with the signing of an agreement in September 1960 by five countries namely Islamic Republic of Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela. They were to become the Founder Members of the Organization. OPEC is a permanent, intergovernmental organization. OPEC's objective is to co-ordinate and unify petroleum policies among Member Countries, in order to secure fair and stable prices for petroleum producers; an efficient, economic and regular supply of petroleum to consuming nations; and a fair return on capital to those investing in the industry. itis headquartered in Vienna, Austria OPEC membership is open to any country that is a substantial exporter of oil and which shares the ideals of the organization. Monthly HSM CSS Times (E Magazine) | Mar 2021 | For Free Download: www.hsmpublishers.comMonthly HSM C: March 2027 US moves to Rejoin UN Rights Council, Reversing Trump Anew The US has announced to plans on Monday (Feb 8, 2021) to re-engage with the United Nations human rights council (UNHRC), from which Donald Trump withdrew almost three years ago, as the Biden administration feverses another move away from multilateral organizations and agreements. About UNHRC: UNHRC was reconstituted from its predecessor organisation, the UN Commission on Human Rights to help overcome the “credibility deficit” of the previous organisation. Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. Composition: The UNHRC has 47 members serving at any time with elections held to fill up seats every year, based on allocations to regions across the world to ensure geographical representation Monthly HSM CSS Times (E Magazine) | Mar 2021 | Each elected member serves for a term of three years. Countries are disallowed from occupying a seat for more than two consecutive terms. Functions: The UNHRC passes non-binding resolutions on human rights issues through a periodic review of all 193 UN member states called the Universal Periodic Review (UPR). It oversees expert investigation of violations in specific countries (Special Procedures) Pakistan was re-elected to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in October 14, 2020. Ina secret-ballot voting in the 193- member UN General Assembly on that race, Pakistan secured 169 votes, Uzbekistan received 164, Nepal 150, China 139 and Saudi Arabia lost the race with just 90 votes. For Free Download: www.hsmpublishers.comCSS Optional Subjects MCQs Series OT TOTS LEY [HSM] cd JOURNALISM JOURNALISM & Mass Corhthunication NS COMMUNICATION INGOTS HY Ee ere tO) [cs] OS eMC Me eR OCU) al eee OU (042) 37353510 - 37248129 - 37171280-1 RMS asec) Follow, like and love us on fom Bil©» Golden Globe Awards The 78th Golden Globe Awards ceremony recently took place in a virtual as well as in offline format on February 28, 2021. The award ceremony was filmed from Los Angeles and New York City. The awards were co-hosted by Amy Poehler and Tina Fey for the fourth time. The stars accepted their awards virtually and delivered their acceptance speeches from hotel rooms and living room couches. The Golden Globe Awards 2021 were the first major televised awards show of 2021. The ceremony had been postponed from its usual early January date. Netflix had received the most nominations this years (42), with 22 in film categories including Best Picture (Drama) nominations for its films “Mank" and “The Trial of the Chicago 7” and 20 in Television categories, which were dominated by “The Crown” and *Schitt's Creek.” Nomadland won the Best Motion Picture — Drama award and the Best Director award went to its director Chloé Zhao, making her the second woman ever to win the award. The first was Barbra Streisand, in 1984. Monthly HSM CSS Times (E Magazine) | Mar 2021 | Late American actor Chadwick Boseman won the Golden Globe award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture — Drama for his portrayal of Levee Green in ‘Ma Rainey's Black Bottom’. The late actor's wife, Taylor Simone Ledward, accepted the award on his behalf. About Golden Globe Awards 2021 The Golden Globe Awards for the year 2021 were the first major televised awards amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. The ceremony also got postponed from its usual date in January. For Free Download: www.hsmpublishers.comMonthly Who are the Winners? This year Netflix had received the most nominations with the total count at 42. Out of these, 22 nominations were in film categories including the Best Picture (Drama) nominations. The Netflix film called “Mank” and "The Trial of the Chicago 7” were nominated for the Best Picture (Drama) Nominations. 20 Netflix shows were nominated in the Television categories that was dominated by the show like “The Crown” and “Schitt's Creel Best Motion Picture-Drama Award The award for the best Motion Picture-Drama award went to Nomadiand while the Best Director award went to the director of Nomadland, Chloe Zhao. She became the second woman ever to win this award after Barbra Streisand won in the year 1984. Best Actor in Motion Picture The award for the best action in Motion picture was won by the Late American actor Chadwick Boseman for his portrayal of Levee Green in the motion picture called ‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’. ARDS 4] ES Film Awards Best Motion Picture — Drama Nomadland Best Director — Motion Picture Chloé Zhao for Nomadland Best Performance by an Actor ina Motion Picture — Drama Chadwick Boseman for “Ma Rainey's Black Bottom” Best Performance by an Actress ina Motion Picture — Drama Andra Day for “The United States vs. Billie Holiday” Best Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy Borat Subsequent Moviefilm Best Performance by an Actor ina Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy Sacha Baron Cohen for “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” Best Performance by an Actress ina Motion Rosamund Pike for "| Care A Lot” Best Performance by an Actress ina Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture Jodie Foster for “The Mauritanian” Best Performance by an Actor ina Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture Daniel Kaluuya for “Judas and the Black Messiah” Best Motion Picture — Animated Soul Best Motion Picture — Foreign Language Minari- USA Best Screenplay — Motion Picture “The Trial of the Chicago 7”— Aaron Sorkin Best Original Score — Motion Picture “Soul” - Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, and Jon Batiste Best Original Song — Motion Picture “lo Si," from “The Life Ahead” Monthly HSM CSS Times (E Magazine) | Mar 2021 | For Free Download: www.hsmpublishers.com