Feb Magazine 2022

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February 2022 Xiomara Castro

Honduras' First Female President
Theme of World Day of Social Justice 2022
“Achieving Social Justice through
Current Affairs
Formal Employment”.
MCQs
January 2022
WORLD DAY OF
SOCIAL
JUSTICE
20 February
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CSS Times UN International Day 03
2022 World Day of Social Justice

Pakistan's constitution 1973 clubs together To promote awareness of social inequality
and break down barriers based on gender,
the promotion of social justice and
age, colour, region, religion, tradition, or
eradication of social evils together under
disabilities. The celebration promotes
Article 37 where the fundamental law lays
international efforts to find sustainable
stress on the removal of inequality, illiteracy,
solution growth, reducing poverty, complete
securing just and humane conditions of work,
decent work and economic growth, full social
besides inexpensive and expeditious justice.
welfare, sexual equality, and universal
Successive rulers caricatured the golden availability of social well-being and equality
words of the Constitution by taking no for everyone.
tangible steps to ameliorate the lot of the
common man. The feudal mafia in cohort
with the nouveau riches continued to rule
the hapless masses since partition.
Each year on February 20, the World Day
of Social Justice is commemorated. The
goal of the World Day of Social Justice is to
elevate awareness about social inequality and
to introduce people from all walks of life
together across the world to eradicate
poverty, sexual identity and biological
prejudice, lack of education, and religious
bigotry in order to create a more socially
inclusive community.
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bigotry, religion prejudice, illiteracy, and
prejudices can be eliminated. Only until the
world's civilizations are free of the
aforementioned curses can a varied global
culture arise, in which everyone has equal
History of World Day of Social Justice chances and everyone accepts others.
2022 Theme of World Day of Social Justice 2022
The World Day of Social Justice is a The theme this year of the World Day of
worldwide commemoration that has been in Social Justice is “Achieving Social Justice
place from 2009. It is not an official holiday. through Formal Employment”.
In 1995, more than one hundred worldwide
politicians gathered in Denmark, Sweden, for The 2030 Agenda and the UN Secretary-
a World Summit on Social Development to General's report on Our Common Agenda,
address poverty and high employment, as acknowledge the transition to formality as a
well as to aim for secure and predictable priority. It also calls for road maps to be
communities. They came to an agreement to established to integrate informal workers and
issue a statement known as the Declaration of enterprises into formal economies in order to
Copenhagen and Programme of Action for benefit from women's full participation in the
Global Development. Eventually, on workforce, and to reduce inequalities more
November 26, 2007, the United Nations broadly. Under a new partnership agreement
designated February 20th as the annual between the ILO and UNDP, the two
World Day of Social Justice. organisations have agreed to undertake joint
In the age of globalization and the free programming to generate pathways to
market economy, the 2008 Declaration formality, which will also support the Global
informs the current perspective of the ILO's Accelerator on Jobs and Social Protection for
mission. Nonetheless, the World Summit a Just Transition.
leaders noted that human progress included
social equality, cooperation, peace, and
fairness between and within states.
Although every country considers gender
equality, justice, and parity to be basic
principles, authorities must develop strong
structures to attain "society for all" levels,
ensuring that social justice is supported at the
national, local, regional, and global levels.
Establishing fair chance for job applicants,
enabling for equal distribution of income, and
providing better access to opportunities via
equal opportunity had become the world
leaders' rallying cry.
Purpose of World Day of Social Justice Is there Social Justice in the
2022 Digital Economy?
The day's aim is to speak out against racial
Work from home has become the new
injustice and promote worldwide social
normal, but this is a luxury only for those who
justice. The day's objective is to bring people
have computes, smartphones and internet
from all walks of life closely together so that
access
unemployment, bodily and gender prejudice,
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This year the World Day of Social Justice (20 A whole range of challenges and social
February) is being observed in extremely concerns thus emerged due to this latest
trying times all over the world. The first signs form of work: what about those whose lives
and cases of the pandemic had already and livelihoods are centred on daily physical
gripped parts of the world in December 2019; presence: workers on a building construction
but it was not until after the middle of site or for that matter, a street hawker? What
February 2021, did the seriousness of the about those who cannot afford to buy one of
situation actually set in. Governments these sophisticated gadgets or who do not
everywhere, UN agencies like the World have access to good internet connectivity?
Health Organization (WHO), went into a Whilst the pandemic created the
frenzy. The concerted effort was not only to environments of remote working by digital
stop the deaths, to contain the pandemic platforms, it also caused a digital divide as
Covid-19 but also to find effective there were several factors that detrimentally
preventives and cures to address what is influenced labour opportunities. It is
regarded as the deadliest virus to hit human appropriate then that the theme chosen for
kind in recent times. World Day of Social Justice 2021 was 'A Call
for Social Justice in the Digital Economy',
with a view to address the challenges and
concerns.
The introduction to the theme states, “The
digital economy is transforming the world
of work. Over the past decade, expansion
in broadband connectivity, cloud
computing, and data have led to the
proliferation of digital platforms, which
have penetrated several sectors of the
economy and societies. Since early 2020,
the consequences of the Covid-19
pandemic have led to remote working
arrangements and allowed for the
In a matter of time, nations and cities were continuation of many business activities,
locked down; international and domestic further reinforcing the growth and impact
travel was stopped; factories, offices, of the digital economy. The crisis has also
educational institutions closed. All normal laid bare and exacerbated the growing
routine life which most took for granted – digital divide within, between and across
was either woefully disrupted or came to a developed and developing countries,
grinding halt. Economies, particularly of the particularly in terms of the availability,
poorer nations, were shattered. For almost a affordability and use of information ICTs
year now a 'new normal' began to emerge: it and access to the internet, deepening
is called 'work from home' (WFH); in short, it existing inequalities”.
meant you needed to have a digital device:
be it a computer or a smartphone and of The hi-tech elite will surely point out to the
course, a good, stable internet connectivity. many positives in a digital economy; one can
So, millions of people found some solace in surely go on 'ad nauseam' highlighting some
this; students had online classes, discussions of the benefits accrued because of the digital
and even official meetings took place over platforms to this modern age. Unfortunately,
webinars. an objective and a more dispassionate look
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into reality, will clearly show the negative during the pandemic.
impact the digital economy has on millions of
people: the casual workers, the migrant
workers, the small entrepreneurs and other
subalterns who have suffered immensely this
past year. They have all fallen victims to
newer forms of injustice which though not
very visible, are as brutal and oppressive as
the more traditional and obvious ones.
In his pathbreaking Encyclical of 1891, 'Rerum

Novarum', Pope Leo XIII wrote “When there
is question of defending the rights of
individuals, the poor and badly off have a
claim to especial consideration. The richer
class have many ways of shielding
themselves, and stand less in need of help
from the State; whereas the mass of the
poor has no resources of their own to fall
back upon, and must chiefly depend upon
the assistance of the State”. One hundred
years later, in 1991, later (now Saint) John
The ordinary labourer is the most affected by Paul II in his encyclical 'Centesimus Annus'
the digital economy. One of the most said, “Justice will never be fully attained
pathetic sights on the TV screens and the unless people see in the poor person, who
print media was to see pictures of migrant is asking for help in order to survive, not
workers from several of the big cities walking an annoyance or a burden, but an
back to their homes in the rural areas, in the opportunity for showing kindness and a
height of the pandemic. Many of them, for chance for greater enrichment”.
want of public transportation, had to trudge
back miles because of the lockdown. The
urban informal sector was badly hit
everywhere. These were ordinary men and
women, for whom digital platforms mean
absolutely nothing. Their work is of a physical
nature, most of them are location-based, earn In May 2020, Pope Francis spoke very
a daily wage, live frugally and save a little for strongly about the plight of the migrant
their families who in most cases, live in rural workers saying, “I want to defend all
areas. Millions of workers lost their jobs exploited workers and I invite everyone to
overnight; even on their return, in some turn the crisis (the pandemic) into an
states like UP and Gujarat they had to agree occasion where the dignity of the person
to new policies with longer hours of work, and the dignity of work can be put back at
with lesser wages and without access to a the centre of things.” Fifty years ago, the
trade union. The three labour codes, which 1971 Synod of Bishops on 'Justice in the
are blatantly anti-worker, were shoved down World' ushered in a watershed moment for
by an uncaring Government and their crony the Church. The Synodal document stated
capitalist friends
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that, “In the face of the present-day newspapers and radio, digital fascism
situation of the world, marked as it is by transmits its hate messages through the
the grave sin of injustice, we recognize Internet”; they go on to add, “digital
both our responsibility and our inability to fascism thrives on political half-truths,
overcome it by our own strength. Such a bull shit, accidental misinformation,
situation urges us to listen with a humble deliberate disinformation, apocalyptic end-
and open heart to the word of God, as he of-the-white-race delusions, rumours,
shows us new paths toward action in the innuendo, hate campaigns, falsehoods,
cause of justice in the world." A call so crank palaver, and, of course, the infamous
painfully relevant today. conspiracy theories which in reality have
Another dimension which needs to be never been “theories” but are conspiracy
addressed, where the digital economy is fantasies”.
concerned, is called 'digital fascism'. We are
experiencing a painful explosion of this
fascism in India in the recent past. It is a
fascism which spews hate, is divisive in nature
and keeps large sections of the population in
a state of impoverishment and with the denial
of human rights. In an excellent analytical
article in the popular online portal
'Counterpunch(18February 2021) entitled
'What Is Digital Fascism?', authors Thomas
Klikauer and Norman Simms write,
“compared to the classical type, digital
fascism may well be furnished with the
greatest propaganda machine the world
has ever seen – the Internet. Unlike,
classical fascism which used printed
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Feb 2022
‘Digital fascists' are able to plant fabricated above race-based media remains unsolved.
yet incriminating 'evidence' in the computers But how this comes about remains an
of human rights defenders and dissenters. unsolved mystery. Perhaps, it is just as
This has been meticulously revealed in the Hitler's Reich Minister of Propaganda,
explosive report recently released by Arsenal
Consulting, a Massachusetts -based digital
forensic company. Arsenal has found that
malware was used to insert incriminating
letters and other documents into the
computer of Rona Wilson, a prisoners' rights
activist. Wilson is one of the sixteen
incarcerated in the Bhima -Koregaon
conspiracy case. It goes without saying that
similar 'evidence' is also planted in the
Joseph Goebbels, once said, “It will always

remain one of the best jokes of democracy,
that it gave its deadly enemies the means
by which it was destroyed.“ Today, it seems
that democracy will give its deadly
enemies (digital fascists) the means (e.g.,
Facebook) which these fascists will use to
destroy democracy. Unfortunately, this is
computers of the others. Then we have the no joke”.
other cases of environmental activist Disha
The digital economy has therefore thrown up
Ravi and others who apparently used a 'tool-
a plethora of justice related issues; a similar
kit' in tandem with Greta Thunberg; suddenly
reality emerged in the wake of the industrial
the godified fascist media is all in a frenzy
revolution. What happens to those for whom
with all kinds of allegations of sedition, anti-
digital platforms make no sense? For many
national activities and so on. Fascists are also it is not about possessing a mobile phone but
very selective the so-called celebrities who if that gadget can earn them their daily wage.
vociferously posted protest tweets prior to What about those who are selectively
2014 when the UPA Government was in targeted by digital fascists? The UN hopes
power against the petrol hike at that time- that this year's commemoration of World Day
does not dare protest when the price of fuel
has reached an all time high of Rs 100/- per of Social Justice would support “efforts by
litre and at a time when the global prices the international community to search for
have plummeted rock-bottom solutions to achieve sustainable
development, poverty eradication, the
Klikauer and Simms underline this saying, “So promotion of full employment and decent
far the conflict lies between an open work, universal social protection, gender
society with free speech at its core, on the equality and access to social well-being
one side, and a closed one where right-
and justice for all. Consequently, it aims at
wing extremists to use the same online
fostering dialogue with member States and
platforms to destroy it. These fanatics
relevant UN institutions and other
replace them with anti-democratic and stakeholders on actions needed to
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Feb 2022
overcome the digital divide, provide decent Queries
work opportunities, and protect labour and
When will World Day of Social Justice
human rights in the modern era of digital
2022 be celebrated?
technologies”.
To make this lofty ideal a reality, will certainly World Day of Social Justice will be observed
need not only a political will but the active on Sunday, February 20, 2022.
collaboration and commitment of all people What is the definition of Social Justice?
of goodwill. Given the sad reality that in India
and in some other countries of the world Social Justice is an underlying principle for
fascism is on the rise, the one question which peaceful and prosperous coexistence within a
needs to be put and answered on World Day nation and/or among nations.
of Social Justice: Is there Social Justice in What was the World Day of Social Justice
the Digital Economy? Theme statement 2021?
“A Call for Social Justice in the Digital
Economy”
What was the World Day of Social Justice
Theme statement 2020?
“Closing the Inequalities Gap to Achieve
Social Justice”
“Workers on the Move: the Quest for Social
Justice”
The UN Register Explanation “If you want Peace and Development, Work
for Social Justice”
The objectives register issued by the UN
website claims that 20% of workers of the When will World Day of Social Justice
world still live in a moderate or extremely 2022 be observed?
poor state and that geographical disparities Sunday, February 20, 2022.
are still a major hindrance in the way of poor
workers to have access to a decent job. It also Who is suffering the most because of the
claims that stagnant wages and gender disparities among societies worldwide?
inequality have become a great obstruction African countries, South Asia, and some
for poor workers to get benefits from
Middle Eastern countries like Iran, Syria, Libya,
economic growth. International inequalities
Iraq, and Palestine are suffering the most
become the cause of weakening social
cohesion which eventually prevents people because of the unequal distribution of
from achieving their full potential. resources globally. Unrest and extreme
Consequently, the countries' economies poverty in these regions cause migration
become burdened and lethargic in growth. towards Europe, Australia, and America on a
The UN register reads that inequalities and large scale that gives birth to crimes like
disparities are needed to be reduced globally human trafficking, smuggling, terrorism,
at once. extremism, and racism, etc.
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CSS Times United Nations Agency 13
What is UN WFP?
Context: shortages. Islamabad agreed in November
The World Food Programme (WFP) has 2021 to New Delhi's request to allow the
expanded its emergency food assistance for supply of wheat through its territory, and the
two sides have now sorted out the modalities
Afghanistan through Pakistan. The
of the transportation
Government of Pakistan is supporting United
Nations World Food Programme (WFP)
operations to address critical food shortages
in Afghanistan as the country faces a rapidly
escalating humanitarian crisis. According to
the latest Integrated Food Security Phase
Classification (IPC) assessment, some 22.8
million people in Afghanistan face acute food
insecurity, including 8.7 million at emergency
level (IPC phase 4). Without immediate
humanitarian action, the situation will quickly
become a matter of life or death.
The scope of the humanitarian crisis facing
India will begin sending 50,000 tons of wheat Afghanistan is massive: According to UN
to Afghanistan through Pakistan, in rare Secretary-General António Guterres, “virtually
cooperation between the two rival nations to every man, woman and child in Afghanistan
help millions of Afghans facing severe food could face acute poverty” without massive
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Kabir Street, Urdu Bazar, Lahore, (042) 37248129 Shehr e Kitab, F/7 Markaz Islamabad 051-2656050
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investment from the international community Bilateral tensions have since deteriorated and
and a concerted effort to rebuild the nation's Islamabad, which controls the rest of the
economy. Himalayan territory, is demanding New Delhi
In December 2021, the World Food Program restore Kashmir's status before official
(WFP) found that 98 percent of Afghans contacts can resume.
aren't getting enough to eat, and UN Islamabad says it is opening the land route
Secretary-General António Guterres, only as an exception to deal with the
warned that “we are in a race against time to humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, where U.N.
help the Afghan people.” officials estimate around 24 million people
are in need of urgent relief aid, with several
million of them a step away from famine.
The first Indian convoy of trucks loaded with
wheat is scheduled to depart the Indian
border town of Attari on February 22, 2022 en
route to the Afghan city via the northwestern
Pakistani border crossing of Torkham.
Prior to the fall of Kabul in August 2021, the

Afghan economy relied heavily on foreign
aid; after the Taliban takeover, that influx of
cash ceased. Under Taliban rule,
unemployment is rampant and banks operate
intermittently, with people able to withdraw
no more than $100 in a month. On top of
that, the US froze much of the $9.4 billion in UN WFP (World Food Programme)
Afghan currency reserves in Afghanistan's The United Nations' World Food
central bank in August — a move which has Programme (WFP), which won the Nobel
functionally cut the country off from many Peace Prize 2020 for its efforts to combat
foreign banks and left the Central Bank of hunger and promote peace, was founded in
Afghanistan unable to access its reserves and 1961 at the request of U.S. President Dwight
shore up the country's cash flow. Eisenhower.
India had pledged in October 2021 to supply · The World Food Programme (WFP)
50,000 tons of wheat to Afghanistan; is the food assistance branch of the
however, extended talks with Pakistan over United Nations and the world's
modalities of the transportation, elections in largest humanitarian organization
Indian Punjab and several challenges addressing hunger and promoting
involving the use of a large number of trucks food security.
reportedly delayed the shipment. · The WFP strives to eradicate hunger
Pakistan closed the land route for all bilateral and malnutrition, with the ultimate
trade with India and downgraded an already goal in mind of eliminating the need
fragile bilateral relationship in August 2019 to for food aid itself.
protest New Delhi's decision to end the semi- · It is a member of the United Nations
autonomous status for the Indian-ruled part Development Group and part of its
of the disputed Kashmir region. Executive Committee.
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Feb 2022
· Born in 1961, WFP pursues a vision of
the world in which every man, woman
and child has access at all times to the
food needed for an active and healthy
life. The WFP is governed by an
· It says www.wfp.org that, on any given

day it has 5,600 trucks, 30 ships and nearly
100 planes on the move, delivering food and
other assistance. In 2019 it assisted 97 million
people, the largest number since 2012, in 88
countries.
· During the coronavirus pandemic, the
WFP's logistics service dispatched
medical cargoes to over 120 countries.
It also provided passenger services to
ferry humanitarian and health workers
Executive Board which consists of where commercial flights were
representatives from member states. unavailable.
· The WFP operations are funded by
voluntary donations from world · In 1989, the WFP staged what it says is
governments, corporations and the biggest humanitarian airdrop in
private donors. WFP food aid is also history. Twenty cargo aircraft flew
directed to fight micronutrient three sorties a day to transport 1.5
deficiencies, reduce child mortality, million tonnes of food as part of
improve maternal health, and combat 'Operation Lifeline Sudan', in which
disease, including HIV and AIDS. U.N. agencies and non-governmental
organisations cooperated to alleviate a
· The WFP began as an experiment to famine caused by civil war.
see if the United Nations system
could deliver food aid. Its first disaster
relief operation was to help after an
earthquake hit in Iran in 1962.
· It gained permanent status in 1965
and calls itself the world's largest
humanitarian organisation,
dedicated to “saving lives in
emergencies, building prosperity and
supporting a sustainable future for
people recovering from conflict,
· The WFP is funded by voluntary
disasters and the impact of climate
donations, mainly from governments
change”.
but also from companies and private
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2. Support food security and nutrition
and (re)build livelihoods in fragile settings
and following emergencies.
3. Reduce risk and enable people,
communities and countries to meet
their own food and nutrition needs.
4. Reduce under-nutrition and break the
inter-generational cycle of hunger.
5. Zero Hunger in 2030.
board and has 90,000 staff, of whom some

90% are based in the countries where
the agency provides assistance.
· Its executive director
traditionally comes from the United
States. The current chief is David
Beasley, a Republican politician who
was nominated by President Donald WFP Pakistan
Trump's administration and has been Since 1968, WFP Pakistan has provided food
in the job since April 2017. assistance in emergencies, & supports the
· The WFP is one of three U.N. Government's efforts to address food
food aid organisations based in Rome. insecurity & malnutrition.
Its sister bodies are the Food and WFP Pakistan has worked closely with the
Agriculture Organization (FAO) and Ministry of Food Security and the Ministry of
the International Fund for Agricultural Commerce to procure and secure the earliest
Development (IFAD). dispatch of the wheat flour to Afghanistan.
· It says it is currently dealing Pakistan is supporting WFP operations to
with six food emergencies besides address critical food shortages in Afghanistan
COVID. These are in the Democratic as the country faces a rapidly escalating
Republic of Congo, northeastern humanitarian crisis.
Nigeria, Sahel, South Sudan, Syria and WFP and other humanitarian organizations
Yemen. rely on the efficient clearance and movement
donors. In 2019, it raised $8 billion. It is of shipments to Afghanistan through the
governed by a 36-member executive Karachi port and onwards through the
Chaman and Torkham border crossing.
The objectives of the World Food The Pakistani government is also facilitating
Programme are: UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS)
1. Save lives and protect livelihoods in operations between Islamabad and Kabul.
emergencies. A total of 22.8 million people, more than half
the population of Afghanistan, face acute
hunger as temperatures plummet below zero.
According to WFP that with more than
682,000 people displaced by drought, the
economic crisis and conflict, the World Food
Program was calling for $2.6 billion in 2022 to
provide life-saving support and work toward
long-term resilience.
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CSS Times Political Economy 20
What
is
SWIFT?
Context: As Western governments threaten Russia with
As tensions exacerbate between Washington a package of unprecedented sanctions aimed
and Moscow over Ukraine, political at deterring President Vladimir Putin from
commentators say that the United States ordering an invasion of Ukraine, there's one
could, as a last resort, exclude Russia from measure in particular that appears to strike
the Society for Worldwide Interbank fear at the heart of the Kremlin: cutting the
Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT). country off from the global banking system.
US lawmakers have suggested in recent
One of the biggest miracles of today's weeks that Russia could be removed from
software-eaten world is that technological SWIFT, a high security network that connect
disruption has spared the cross-border thousands of financial institutions around the
money transfer system, with the Brussels- world.
based Society for Worldwide Interbank Senior Russian lawmakers have responded by
Financial Telecommunication, or Swift, at its saying that shipments of oil, gas and metals
core. to Europe would stop if that happened.
What happens if one is excluded from
SWIFT?
· If a country is excluded from the most
participatory financial facilitating
platform, its foreign funding would
take a hit, making it entirely reliant on
domestic investors. This is particularly
troublesome when institutional
investors are constantly seeking new
markets in newer territories.
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CSS Times Political Economy 21
· The SWIFT oversight forum was
established in 2012. The G-10 participants
were joined by the central banks of India,
Australia, Russia, South Korea, Saudi Arabia,
Singapore, South Africa, the Republic of
Turkey, and the People's Republic of China.
What is SWIFT?
It is a messaging network that financial
institutions use to securely transmit
information and instructions through a
standardized system of codes. Under
SWIFT, each financial organization has a Russia's countermeasures
unique code which is used to send and
Russia has taken steps in recent years to
receive payments.
blunt the trauma should it be removed from
· SWIFT does not facilitate funds
SWIFT.
transfer: rather, it sends payment
Moscow established its own payment system,
orders, which must be settled by
SPFS, after it was hit by Western sanctions in
correspondent accounts that the
2014 following its annexation of Crimea early
institutions have with each other.
· The SWIFT is a secure financial that year. SPFS now has around 400 users,
message carrier — in other words, it according to Russia's central bank. Twenty
transports messages from one bank to percent of domestic transfers are currently
its intended bank recipient. done through SPFS, according to Shagina,
· Its core role is to provide a secure but the size of messages are limited and
transmission channel so that Bank A operations are limited to weekday hours.
knows that its message to Bank B goes China's fledgling Cross-Border Interbank
to Bank B and no one else. Bank B, in Payment System, or CIPS, may provide
turn, knows that Bank A, and no one another alternative to SWIFT. Moscow could
other than Bank A, sent, read or also be forced to resort to using
altered the message en route. Banks, cryptocurrencies.
of course, need to have checks in place But these are not appealing alternatives.
before actually sending messages. "SWIFT is an European company, an
Where is it located? association of many participating countries.
The Belgium-headquartered SWIFT connects To make a decision on disconnection, a
more than 11,000 banking and securities united decision of all participating countries
organizations in over 200 countries and is needed. The decisions of the United States
territories. and Great Britain are definitely not enough.
How is it administered?
· It is regulated by G-10 central banks
from Belgium, Canada, France,
Germany, Italy, Japan, The
Netherlands, the United Kingdom, the
United States, Switzerland, and
Sweden, alongside the European
Central Bank. Its lead overseer is the
National Bank of Belgium.
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CSS Times Who is Who in the World 22
Xiomara Castro:
Honduras' First Female President
Leftist Xiomara Castro was sworn in recently undermined by a feud in her Libre (Free)
as the first woman President of Honduras. Party.
Ms Castro, 62, has promised to tackle Ms Castro's husband, Manuel Zelaya, ruled
powerful drug trafficking gangs and liberalise the country from 2006 until 2009, when he
strict abortion laws.But her agenda has been was ousted by a coup. She ran for office twice
in the years following his removal from
power, before her victory in the election last
November. Since then, Ms Castro has enjoyed
a wave of positivity among the public. Her
arrival marks the end to the 12-year reign of
the right-wing National Party, which has been
plagued by scandals and corruption
accusations.
High unemployment, persistent violence,
corruption as well as troubled health care and
educational systems are just some of the
pressing challenges awaiting Castro.
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CSS Times Who is Who in the World 24
In her inauguration speech, Castro promised Her son, Hector Zelaya, will be her private
to tackle the corruption and inequality that secretary and Manuel Zelaya's nephew,
she said ran rampant under the previous Jose Manuel Zelaya, is her choice for
administration, and address poverty – all of defence secretary. Ramon Sabillon, a
which, she added, have been fuelling the former national police chief who recently
massive flight of Hondurans north. returned to Honduras after living in exile
in the US for years, was her pick for
security minister.
· Honduras is a Central American
country.
· Borders: It is bordered to the west
by Guatemala, to the southwest by
El Salvador, to the southeast by
Nicaragua, to the south by the
Pacific Ocean at the Gulf of
Fonseca, and to the north by the
Gulf of Honduras, a large inlet of
the Caribbean Sea.
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CSS Times Climate 26
What are Geomagnetic Storms?
that are cooler than the surrounding

photosphere - the lowest layer of the solar
atmosphere), and can last for a few minutes
or hours.
· A geomagnetic storm is a major
disturbance of Earth's
magnetosphere that occurs when
Context: there is a very efficient exchange of
Recently, Elon Musk's Elon Musk's Starlink has energy from the solar wind into the
lost dozens of satellites that were caught in space environment surrounding
a geomagnetic storm a day after they were Earth.
launched on February 3. Up to 40 of the 49 o The magnetosphere shields our
satellites were impacted, Starlink said, causing home planet from harmful
them to fall from orbit before they could be solar and cosmic particle
commissioned. radiation, as well as erosion of
· The satellites were designed to burn the atmosphere by the solar
up on reentry into the Earth's wind – the constant flow of
atmosphere, and did not create charged particles streaming off
debris in space. the Sun.
· However, the loss of 40 satellites — · These storms result from
most of a launch batch — in a single variations in the solar wind
solar event has been described as that produce major changes in
“unheard of” and “huge”. the currents, plasmas, and fields
What is a Geomagnetic Storm? in Earth's magnetosphere.
· Solar Storms occur during the release o The solar wind conditions that
of magnetic energy associated with are effective for creating
sunspots ('dark' regions on the Sun geomagnetic storms are
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CSS Times Climate 27
sustained (for several to many hours) Can Potentially Create Disturbances in the
periods of high-speed solar wind, Magnetosphere:
and most importantly, a southward · Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs)
directed solar wind magnetic field with ejectiles loaded with matter
(opposite the direction of Earth's travelling at millions of miles an
field) at the dayside of the hour, can potentially create
magnetosphere. disturbances in the
o This condition is effective magnetosphere, the protective
for transferring energy shield surrounding the Earth.
from the solar wind into · Astronauts on spacewalks face
Earth's magnetosphere. health risks from possible
· The largest storms that result from exposure to solar radiation
these conditions are associated outside the Earth's protective
with solar Coronal Mass Ejections atmosphere.
(CMEs) where a billion tons or so How are Solar Storms Predicted?
of plasma from the sun, with its · Solar physicists and other scientists use
embedded magnetic field, arrives at computer models to predict solar
Earth. storms and solar activities in general.
o CMEs are large ejections of o Current models are capable of
plasma and magnetic fields predicting a storm's time of
that originate from the
arrival and its speed.
Sun's corona (outermost
o But the storm's structure or
layer).
orientation still cannot be
predicted.
How does it Affect Earth? · Certain orientations of the magnetic
Can Impact Space Weather: field can produce a more intense
· Not all solar flares reach response from the magnetosphere, and
Earth, but solar flares/storms, trigger more intense magnetic storms.
Solar Energetic Particles
o With the increasing global
(SEPs), high-speed solar
dependence on satellites for almost
winds, and Coronal Mass
every activity, there is a need for better
Ejections (CMEs) that come
close can impact space space weather forecasts and more
weather in near-Earth space effective ways to protect satellites.
and the upper atmosphere. What is Starlink?
Can Hit Operations of Space- · Starlink is a SpaceX project to build a
Dependent Services: broadband network with a cluster of
· Solar storms can hit orbiting spacecraft that could eventually
operations of space- number thousands.
dependent services like · The Starlink satellites carry Hall
Global Positioning Systems thrusters, which use electricity and
(GPS), radio, and satellite krypton gas to generate an impulse, to
communications. Aircraft manoeuvre in orbit, maintain altitude
flights, power grids, and and guide the spacecraft back into the
space exploration atmosphere at the end of their mission.
programmes are vulnerable. · The Starlink network is one of several
ongoing efforts to start beaming data
signals from space.
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CSS Times Viral Haemorrhagic Fever 29
What is Lassa Fever?

An estimated 100,000 to 300,000 infections of
Lassa fever occur every year, with
approximately 5,000 deaths, according to the
Centers for Disease Co
However, the CDC stresses that there is no
standardised recording of Lassa fever and so
it is not possible to know exactly how many
cases there are.
Context:
One of the three persons diagnosed with
Lassa fever in the UK has died on February
11. The cases have been linked to travel to
West African countries.
What is Lassa?
Lassa fever is an acute viral illness that
originates in rats.
It is endemic in parts of west Africa including
In some areas of Sierra Leone and Liberia, it is
Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea and Nigeria.
known that 10 to 16% of people admitted to
Advertisement
hospitals every year have Lassa fever.
The illness was discovered in 1969 and is
How common is the virus in the UK?
named after the town in Nigeria where the
Prior to the three cases found in February
first cases were reported.
2022, there have been eight cases of Lassa
ntrol and Prevention (CDC) in the US.
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CSS Times Viral Haemorrhagic Fever 30
fever imported to the UK since 1980.
The last two cases happened in 2009.
Spread:
· The fever is spread by rats.
· Person-to-person transmission is also
possible.
Symptoms:
· Mild symptoms include slight fever, · The most common complication
fatigue, weakness and headache and associated with the fever is
more serious symptoms include deafness.
bleeding, difficulty breathing, · The death rate associated with this
vomiting, facial swelling, pain in the disease is low, at around one per cent.
chest, back, and abdomen and shock. But the death rate is higher for certain
individuals, such as pregnant women
in their third trimester.
Prevention:
The best way to avoid getting infected is to
avoid contact with rats.
How to deal with such
pandemics/epidemics?
The international community should work
together “towards a new international treaty
for pandemic preparedness and response” to
build a more robust global health
architecture that will protect future
generations.
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CSS Times Pakistan Affairs 31
“Bold visions and big ideas lie at the heart of a policy at the end of the day and not a law.
human progress and prosperity. Policies that There is a difference. Main conversations in
encapsulate these contribute towards Pakistan are geared towards highlighting the
galvanising national sentiments in line with lack of political consensus building on the
the vision and goals a nation sets for itself.” NSP instead of deconstructing the contents
These are the opening lines of the message and the direction of the NSP.
by the Prime Minister of Pakistan as a
preamble to the recently published National
Security Policy (2022-2026), a 48-page
abridged version of which was officially
released for the public on January 14, 2022.
Since its public release, and even before the
national release of this new National Security
Policy (NSP), much public debate has taken
place in Pakistan about the “newness” or the
“comprehensiveness” of the NSP. The process
has also been criticized for not having been What does the NSP promise to common
inclusive in its approach where broader citizens of Pakistan?
political consensus is concerned. However, a This is the first time any NSP in Pakistan has
little nuance needs to be brought to the taken a comprehensive approach to security,
discourse on inclusivity given that the anchoring its drift in human security to
executive branch has the right to make the achieve economic security. Whether it is
policies but is not bound by law to generate about securing a citizen's constitutional
consensus among all stakeholders before privileges, or about protecting a regular
proceeding to the implementation stage. It is Pakistani from all forms of extremism, crime,
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terrorism, and violence–including war–the government were not implemented, even if
new NSP has it covered. This is also the first they existed on paper. Pakistan in its seventh
time in the history of Pakistan that gender decade of independence is still trying to
security has found its place in the NSP discard its historical baggage of colonialism,
document aiming to protect the citizens of especially where institutional influences and
Pakistan from structural violence, including class structures are concerned. It has had a
inequality in workplaces and gender-based slow start in accumulating capital and building
violence. These are not minor successes for a productive capacity to alleviate poverty in its
country which has been focused for the past society. This NSP brings our focus to
seven decades on defining national security improving Pakistan's socioeconomic
indicators. And, in order to achieve that,
primarily in terms of territorial security and
Pakistan must become an export-led economy,
through the lens of traditional security increasing its exports to attract FDI, reduce
battling internal and external threats. This is unemployment, and support equitable income
the comprehensive approach which had been distribution. The China-Pakistan Economic
missing previously from all NSPs and should Corridor (CPEC) is one such mega-project,
be celebrated. which provides Pakistan such an opportunity
to become an export-led economy, thereby in
the long-term contributing to Pakistan's
socioeconomic development. Pakistan,
however, will not be able to achieve
socioeconomic development if it lacks a
people-centric approach, whereby protection
of the human rights and human needs of its
own citizens is not at the heart of building
such corridors.
The good news is that through this NSP, the
state of Pakistan has signed a new social
In order to prioritize human security, the NSP contract with its citizens. Ehsaas, for example,
makes specific references to the rule of law to is one such social protection program which
be upheld for all citizens, ensuring a aims to meet the needs of the citizens of
responsive justice system that is impartial and Pakistan. It aims to protect their human rights
whereby they could become productive
holds all citizens accountable equally. As a
citizens and contribute to Pakistan's
Pakistani, it gives me a sense of confidence development, reaping the benefits of
that finally my government is thinking about interconnectivity and regional integration
me and my prosperity which, once collectively which represents one of Pakistan's foremost
achieved, will translate into a strong nation foreign policy goals.
where the elite will make Pakistan a priority
and invest in Pakistan instead of offshoring However, while the Corridor's connectivity with
their accounts and businesses. China and the other Central Asian countries in
the region aims to provide Pakistan with
Pakistan's socioeconomic indicators are low. improved economic indicators, better
While socioeconomic indicators in a country socioeconomic indicators, and poverty
focus on sustainable wellbeing of the alleviation, it is the human capital
individual, the family, or society as a whole, in development of its own people which is the
Pakistan all these domains have been key to enjoyment of human rights through
neglected in the past several decades. Social development. It is understood that
and economic policies which should have interconnectivity in itself, on autopilot, is not a
been designed to uplift the population's prerequisite of enjoyment of human rights
standard of living through economic unless a conscious and concerted effort is
opportunities and investment by the made to link the two. This NSP clearly aims to
bridge the gap.
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What does the NSP say about strategic technologies, the NSP highlights Pakistan's
stability in South Asia? need to invest in upgrading cyber security for
At the outset, the NSP is clear about present its critical infrastructure, securing its networks
and future threats that Pakistan faces in its to minimize cyber intrusion and surveillance.
neighborhood. This is the first time that five Hybrid warfare also receives a mention in the
domains of war, where Pakistan is prepared NSP, as an area where a whole-of-nation
to fight, are mentioned in the NSP: land, air, approach is required to neutralize threats.
sea, cyber, and space. It is about time that This was demonstrated well by India through
Pakistan addresses the challenges of cross- its embarrassing attempts to undermine
domain coercion, which can be achieved by Pakistan's security and stability, now exposed
adversaries through the use of digital soldiers by the DisinfoLab project as illegitimate and
on information-based cyber attacks to fraudulent.
achieve strategic effects. Overall, the take-home message from this
NSP is that every citizen of Pakistan,
irrespective of their political affiliations, is an
important stakeholder when the battle is for
the soul of Pakistan and its future as a
country with immense potential. It is
heartening that the NSP has created a
discourse in Pakistan where common citizens
are questioning the government about their
rightful place in the national security policy.
The next steps are challenging.
Implementation of the NSP will take a whole-
The NSP also makes a mention of focusing of-government approach, and sectoral
on the indigenization of Pakistan's defense reforms will be critical if the policy objectives
production and modernization of its armed set in the NSP are to be achieved.
forces to deal with the evolving threat
spectrum from India, fueled by militarized
Hindutva ideology which continues to National Security Policy
The Reality Gap
dangerously prioritize violence over peace.
There is a focus in this NSP on recognizing
the Indian Ocean region as a contested
space, as well as its impact on regional
security in general and Pakistan's national PRIME MINISTER Imran Khan was right to
security in particular. The NSP aims to protect assert at the launch of the National Security
Pakistan's Exclusive Economic Zone, ensuring Policy (NSP) that for long it was military
freedom of navigation and strengthening security that determined the country's
Pakistan's sea lines of communication and strategy. Offering a comprehensive approach
surveillance to thwart multi-directional by placing as much emphasis on the security
challenges to its maritime security, including of citizens as state security is a welcome
cyber intrusion. initiative. This has long been urged by many
in the country who pointed out that the
With reference to India's efforts towards
security of a country can neither be assured
nuclear and conventional modernization, the
nor be meaningful for citizens without human
NSP reiterates Pakistan's resolve to ensure
security — a concept originating in the early
that full spectrum deterrence provides it with
1990s, which Dr Mahbubul Haq translated
the strength to uphold strategic balance in
into an implementable and measurable goal
the region at all times. With an eye on India's
in a path-breaking UNDP document in 1994.
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Consider the NSP's emphasis on making the
economy the pivot of national security — a
welcome reaffirmation but not entirely a new
undertaking as economic stability has long
been paramount for policymakers. The
renewed emphasis required indicating how
this goal would be promoted including a
commitment to take tough decisions to
reorder budget priorities and launch serious
reforms. But one looks in vain for this in the
document. After all the structural sources of
Pakistan's chronic financial imbalances are
well known. Governments have for decades
lived beyond their means and relied on
domestic and foreign borrowing to meet
The notion has figured for years in power financing gaps in both the budget and
point presentations at the National Defence balance of payments. Ruling elites have
University here and academic institutions shown no political will to raise domestic
elsewhere. But it was never formally resources while refusing to tax themselves.
embraced or acted upon by Pakistan's Meanwhile, large defence expenditures have
security managers. The key question now is pre-empted spending on human
whether the government has a strategy to development — education and health — in a
implement human security or indeed the trade-off with obvious implications for
NSP's other lofty objectives. Seeking to be 'economic security'.
all-encompassing the document lists While declaring the intent to place the
numerous well-known challenges but without economy at the core of national security, the
identifying credible and executable policies to NSP doesn't focus on the crux of Pakistan's
achieve objectives. Instead, it offers a series of economic weakness much less on how to
platitudes. A policy document must align address it especially by urging a change in
goals with resources and capacity, and ends budget priorities. It devotes few sentences to
with means so that it is in sync with realities. fiscal management and states only this about
That's what makes policy enforceable. the goal: “a manageable fiscal deficit through
The NSP disappoints because it states a consistent increase in government revenues
objectives without indicating a strategy, goals requires continued focus on tax reforms.” But
without specifying means to secure them and it offers no ideas, no 'direction' on what this
involves. If the economy is to be the pivot of
aims without identifying criteria for
national security — and it should — the NSP
deliverables. Long on verbiage it is short on
should have spelt out how this aim would be
ideas. It is silent on allocation of
secured. Goals such as increase exports,
responsibilities to promote the goals it sets.
achieve sustainable growth and secure
Who will align the varied goals? It should also energy supplies are set out but these have
have been able to show how national security long figured as declarations of intent in
challenges overlap and are interconnected almost every official economic document. As
and how an integrated approach is to be implementation is everything, it is necessary
crafted and implemented to set off a virtuous to explain how goals are to be achieved.
cycle. It claims to provide an overall policy Absent that, objectives remain little more
direction but does so in a generalised and than a wish list.
superficial way. It is as if a tick-the-boxes
approach is adopted, which treats issues in a Three other challenges with enormous
cursory manner and leaves priorities unclear. economic and security impact are dealt with
in passing — population growth, extremism
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and the education deficit. The demographic Pakistan's First Woman Supreme Court Judge
challenge is consequential to Pakistan's security Pakistan has sworn in Ayesha Malik as its first
for reasons that need little elaboration. But the female Supreme Court judge, a landmark
NSP doesn't prioritise population control. Even
occasion in a nation where activists say the law is
though it cites annual population growth at 2.4
often wielded against women. Malik, 55, attended
per cent it refers only fleetingly to “population
a ceremony in the capital Islamabad where she
management” in the context of sustainable
now sits on the bench alongside 16 male
development. Extremism is dealt with in a
colleagues at Pakistan's highest court.Malik was
perfunctory manner despite being among
Pakistan's top security challenges. A few prosaic educated at Harvard University and served as a
phrases are offered as a response. Education, high court judge in Lahore for the past two
which lies at the heart of most of Pakistan's decades.She has been credited with rolling back
problems, is mentioned in the section on securing patriarchal legal mores in her Punjab province
the economic future but it too doesn't receive the jurisdiction.Last year, she outlawed a deeply
priority it should. Pakistan still has the world's invasive and medically discredited virginity test
second highest number of out-of-school children, used on women who reported being raped or
22 million. Yet the NSP 'guideline' simply calls for sexually assaulted.Women in Pakistan struggle for
quality education to ensure global justice in rape and sexual assault cases and the
competitiveness. This aim is already compromised test was seen as a way for investigating
by the government's controversial single national authorities to discredit victims by casting
curriculum policy. aspersion on their character.
Malik's elevation to the apex court of Pakistan
The section on foreign policy shows a lack of may clear the way for more women to enter the
ideas and imagination. It would certainly have historically conservative and male-dominated
benefited from a description, albeit brief, of the judiciary of the Muslim-majority republic.
unsettled international environment which forms
the backdrop to the conduct of Pakistan's foreign Quoted in The New York Times, Islamabad-based
policy with wide-ranging implications for both its lawyer Zarmeeneh Rahim said: "If women
geopolitical and geo-economic strategies. The continue to be shackled by patriarchy and
NSP mentions growing militarisation but as regressive interpretations of Islam, we will
consequential for the country are trade and tech continue to not progress in terms of developing
wars between big powers that are dividing the the human capital required to succeed nationally
global economy and bifurcating the supply chain and globally."
and the digital world. The document lists But she added, "To finally see a woman sit on the
Pakistan's principal bilateral relationships saying highest court in the land is a small step forward in
little about how to manage or balance them in an that struggle."
era of shifting geopolitics and multipolarity. It
does not indicate strategic priorities while Justice Malik's appointment has been criticised by
regurgitating the old theme of leveraging some and last year her elevation to the same post
Pakistan's location to advance its interests, which was voted down.
however are not clearly spelt out. Surprisingly the Her appointment to the Supreme Court was hotly
NSP doesn't mention the crucial role of soft contested once again this time around, with the
power in promoting Pakistan's diplomatic goals. nine-member commission passing her
Only two policy guidelines are offered which are appointment by five votes to four.
generalised formulations of what every country
seeks to do anyway, for example, “cultivate In the months running up to this year's vote,
broad-based relationships”. many lawyers and judges also accused Justice
Malik of jumping in front of a queue of more
The NSP correctly places emphasis on national
senior male candidates who were seen to be
cohesion as a key determinant of security. This is
more qualified for the post. Some lawyers even
ironic coming from a government that has never
threatened to go on strike if she was appointed.
acted on this and failed to build national
consensus for the NSP. After all, if all provinces Justice Malik was the fourth most senior judge in
are not brought on board, implementation of any the lower court from which she has now been
policy becomes well-nigh impossible. elevated.
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Is a Rift Between Pakistan

and the Afghan Taliban imminent?
When the Taliban took over the Afghan If no resolution is reached on these issues,
capital, Kabul, in August last year, many in this could cause a rift in relations with
Islamabad cheered. The collapse of the significant consequences for both Pakistan's
Western-backed Afghan government was national security and regional stability.
seen as an opportunity to reset relations
between the two countries, which had grown
strained under Afghan President Ashraf
Ghani. After the formation of the Taliban
government, Islamabad became one of its
main supporters on the international scene,
calling for its recognition and for urgent
financial assistance.
In recent months, however, signs have
emerged of cracks in the otherwise amicable
relations between the two. Disagreements Border tensions
over the demarcation of the Afghanistan- In early September, while the Taliban was
Pakistan border and Afghan Taliban support deliberating the makeup of its government,
for the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) have Pakistan's former intelligence chief Lieutenant
caused tensions. General Faiz Hameed paid a visit to Kabul.
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Feb 2022
group in Afghanistan and the second-biggest
one in Pakistan.
In response, Pakistan military spokesman,
Major General Babar Iftikhar said during a
press conference, “The blood of our martyrs
was spilled in erecting this fence. It is a fence
of peace. It will be completed and will remain
[in place].”
The Durand Line was demarcated between
British-ruled India and Afghanistan in 1893 by
According to Afghan and Pakistani sources, the then-Afghan ruler Amir Abdul Rahman
Hameed was able to influence the decisions and British Indian Foreign Secretary Mortimer
on the final makeup of the interim cabinet to Durand. Since the establishment of Pakistan
favour pro-Pakistani figures from the Haqqani in 1947, Kabul has not only objected to the
Network and prevent Mullah Ghani Baradar border demarcation, but has also challenged
from taking the head of government position. the inclusion of Pashtun tribal areas within
Bardar, a prominent Taliban leader, is Pakistani borders.
perceived to harbour hostility towards In recent years, the problem has persisted,
Islamabad, given his imprisonment by the with both former Afghan presidents, Hamid
Pakistani authorities between 2010 and 2018. Karzai and Ashraf Ghani, reaffirming the
A government headed by him would not have Afghan rejection of the Durand Line. The
been as friendly to Pakistan. By contrast, the Taliban has stuck to the same traditional
Haqqani Network, which took key cabinet stance and is showing no signs of making
portfolios, including the ministries of interior, concessions to Pakistan.
communications, education and refugee and In recent days, engagement between the two
repatriation, are considered close to sides failed to make any progress on the
Islamabad. issue. In late January, Pakistan's National
While Pakistan's ability to sway the Taliban Security Adviser Moeed Yusuf visited Kabul
government formation process reflects the but was only able to negotiate a bilateral
extent of its influence in Kabul, it has also coordination mechanism to facilitate border
caused resentment among certain circles crossing movement and trade; the border
within the leadership of the group. fence issue remained unaddressed.
This was made apparent in late December
and early January when Afghan border
guards forced Pakistani workers to stop
fencing the border between the two
countries. The incident was followed by an
exchange of public statements by Afghan and
Pakistani officials.
“The issue of the Durand Line is still an
unresolved one, while the construction of
fencing itself creates rifts within a nation
spread across both sides of the border. It
amounts to dividing a nation,” Afghan Afghan Taliban support for TTP
Information Minister and Chief Spokesman Another source of tensions between Kabul
Zabihullah Mujahid said in an interview for a and Islamabad has been the TTP. The armed
Pashto-language YouTube channel, referring group fought alongside the Afghan Taliban
to the Pashtun community, the biggest ethnic against the US and its allies for years and the
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two have a strong bond. When the Taliban The Afghan Taliban is worried that pressing
took power on August 15, they set free the TTP too hard could push it towards its
hundreds of TTP men, including some enemy, the Islamic State-Khorasan Province
prominent leaders, incarcerated in Afghan (ISKP), and the TTP itself is apprehensive
jails. Much of the TTP leadership is based in about desertions within its ranks if it does not
Afghanistan and many members, according continue with its hardline approach to the
to Afghan and Pakistanis journalistic sources, Pakistan government, which it wants to
are receiving support. overthrow.
Since it was founded in 2007, the TTP has
been responsible for deadly violence in
Pakistan, attacking both security forces and
civilians. The Pakistani authorities believe that
the TTP, along with al-Qaeda and some
affiliated groups, has so far killed more than
80,000 Pakistanis and inflicted economic
losses of more than $150bn.
In 2014, the Pakistani army launched a major
offensive against the TTP, forcing many of its
members to flee to Afghanistan. After an An imminent rift?
initial lull in violence, the TTP started to So far, there are no indications that the
escalate its attacks again in recent years. In border issue between Afghanistan and
2021, as the Taliban advanced in Afghanistan, Pakistan can be resolved, as the Taliban
TTP fighters intensified their assaults in appears quite eager to maintain the Pashtun
Pakistan. There were at least two attacks also unity rhetoric. If this issue continues to fester,
targeting Chinese workers and the Chinese it could provide fertile ground for further
ambassador to Pakistan, which unsettled border incidents that could spark tensions.
Beijing, a close ally of Islamabad. Similarly, despite efforts by the Pakistani
Before the Taliban takeover of Kabul last year, government to engage in talks with the TTP,
Pakistani officials repeatedly argued that the peace with the armed group seems quite
presence of the US and its allies in unlikely, given internal pressure to maintain
Afghanistan fed the TTP insurgency. But its violent direction. And the more it escalates
recent events have shown that the victory of its attacks on security forces and civilians, the
the Afghan Taliban has only emboldened the greater the public pressure in Pakistan will be
TTP. to take decisive action, including against the
A ceasefire between the armed group and the TTP's main backer – the Afghan Taliban. Any
Pakistani military negotiated with the help of further targeting of Chinese assets and
the Afghan Taliban government in November proven collaboration with Uighur armed
was short-lived. The TTP resumed their groups would also result in Beijing pushing
attacks in December against security forces for a strong response to the TTP.
and civilians, even as secret talks with
representatives of the Pakistani government
have continued.
So far, the mediation of the Afghan Taliban
has not produced any significant results and
its support for the TTP continues. If violence
in Pakistan escalates, that could put more
strain on Kabul-Islamabad relations. And such
an escalation is quite likely.
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While the Pakistani authorities seem eager to as well as democratic institutions before striking a
maintain close relations with Kabul, domestic deal with the Taliban. Given the significant sway
pressures – as well as a push from China – could hardliners have in the leadership ranks of the
result in a decision to recalibrate this strategy and group, it seems unlikely that its government
could lead to Islamabad halting its international would go in this direction.
campaign in support of the Afghan Taliban. The It seems more likely that the Afghan Taliban
Pakistani government could go even further and would radicalise further and revert back to
start backing Afghan anti-Taliban groups that cooperation with other armed groups and
could destabilise Taliban rule. terrorist elements. It would likely extend even
If Kabul loses its main foreign backer, it would more support to the TTP and its attacks on
have one of two options to respond: try to draw Pakistan and may start cooperating with the ISKP
closer to the West and the US or slide back to its and al-Qaeda.
past role as a regional host for insurgencies and Thus, the situation in Afghanistan under the
terrorist networks. The first Taliban in upcoming months would be very
option would be hard to achieve, as the West has complex and uncertain and any hope of stability
made clear that it wants to see solid and sustainable peace in the foreseeable future
guarantees for women's and minority rights and
does not seem to be a possibility.
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CSS Times Middle East 44
The Price
of Retrenchment
What the Ukraine Crisis Reveals About
the Post-American Middle East
Middle Eastern leaders believe the In the Middle East, however, the
United States is no longer a administration has had a rude awakening. Its
reliable partner. allies and partners are sympathetic to Ukraine
and obliged to the United States but
As Russian troop maneuvers on Ukraine's unwilling to take a stand against Moscow.
borders suggest an imminent invasion, U.S. That reflects how much has changed in the
President Joe Biden is doing his best to rally Middle East because of the decision—made
the international community in opposition. by President Barack Obama, adopted by
His administration has done a creditable job President Donald Trump, and now enforced
of lining up European countries; after some by Joe Biden—to place the Middle East lower
foot-dragging, Germany is now clearly down on Washington's list of foreign-policy
committed to a unified approach. On the priorities. The United States has reduced its
other side of the globe, Australia, Japan, and Middle Eastern partners' expectations of their
South Korea are also on board. Russian patron; now Washington will have to adjust
President Vladimir Putin demonstrated at the to the consequences.
opening of the Olympics in Beijing that he ET TU, BENNETT?
has China on his side—at least when it comes To see just how much has changed, look no
to opposing NATO expansion. And Brazil and further than Washington's closest ally in the
India are sitting on the fence. But for most Middle East: Israel. In mid-January, the United
part, Washington's traditional partners have States and Israel held a round of strategic
lined up with Biden. consultations. The focus was understandably
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on Iran's nuclear ambitions, as Washington argue that there must be no daylight
and its European allies are furiously trying to between the United States and Israel when it
salvage the 2015 deal with the Islamic comes to Israel's security needs now contend
Republic that Trump scrapped. Nevertheless, that in the Ukraine crisis, Israel should remain
at a time when the Biden administration is neutral.
making a full court press to oppose Moscow's
pressure tactics against Kyiv, the readout of
the meeting made no mention of Ukraine.
Indeed, since the buildup of Russian troops
began last fall, Israel has maintained a
studious silence, except for an offer by Prime
Minister Naftali Bennett to mediate between
Ukraine and Russia—an idea that was
peremptorily dismissed by Moscow.
More recently, Israeli Foreign Minister Yair
Lapid openly dissented from the Biden
administration's assessment that a Russian
invasion was imminent. Biden and Bennett PIQUE OIL
discussed Ukraine, among other issues, in a
phone call in early February. The readout Kuwait is less a close ally of the United States
released by the White House included a than a dependency. Ever since the United
strong reiteration of the U.S. commitment to States liberated Kuwait from the avaricious
Israel's security, but no mention of Ukraine's clutches of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein in
security. the Gulf War of 1990-91, the Kuwaitis have
supported U.S. priorities in the Middle East
and elsewhere. Of all the region's states,
Kuwait should be particularly sensitive to the
dangers of the international community
acquiescing to a large neighbor invading a
smaller one. Yet when Kuwait's foreign
minister, Sheikh Ahmed Nasser al-
Mohammed al-Sabah, came to Washington in
mid-January for a strategic dialogue with U.S.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the Kuwaiti
diplomat studiously avoided the subject. Like
the readout of the U.S.-Israeli meeting, the
Israel maintains close ties to Ukraine, U.S.-Kuwaiti joint communique made no
especially with its Jewish community of mention of the Ukraine crisis. During a press
around 300,000 people—one of the largest in conference, Blinken reminded the foreign
the world. Ukraine's president, Volodymyr minister that at stake in Ukraine is the
Zelensky, is Jewish. That affinity should have principle “that one nation can't simply change
been reinforced by Israel's commitment to its the borders of another by force.” But the
close alliance with the United States, its Kuwaiti foreign minister avoided
dependence on the maintenance of the acknowledging the point in his reply.
liberal international order with which Israel Washington's other allies and strategic
has identified since its founding, its pride in partners in the Middle East have also been
being the only democracy in the Middle East, notably quiet. Egypt is a long-time strategic
and its preoccupation with securing its U.S. ally and beneficiary of American largesse,
narrow borders from invasion by hostile but it also buys arms from Russia and needs
forces. And yet the same Israeli pundits who
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Moscow's cooperation to maintain stability in have had enough. Last September, he
neighboring Libya. Egypt is not interested in canceled Austin's visit to Saudi Arabia on one
taking a stand against Putin over Ukraine, day's notice and, according to a number of
especially at a moment when the Biden senior administration officials, is holding out
administration just decided to continue a for a phone call from the president before
suspension of $130 million in U.S. aid to responding to the administration's entreaties.
Egypt owing to the Egyptian regime's Biden may yet pick up the phone and absorb
unwillingness to allow its people greater the blowback from progressives in his party
freedoms. (In that sense, the authoritarian and The Washington Post editorial board. But
tactics of Egyptian President Abdel Fateh al- it's by no means certain that MBS would
Sisi are closer to those of Putin than the respond positively even then. Russia looms
democratic values the Biden administration is large in his calculus in a way that was not true
forlornly trying to persuade Egypt to for Saudi Arabia in earlier decades. Russia
embrace.) now exports almost as much oil as Saudi
Saudi Arabia has deep ties to the United Arabia and has recently assumed a leadership
States and in the past was a steadfast ally in role in OPEC+, the organization of oil
the effort to contain Soviet communism in producers that controls prices by setting
the greater Middle East. It has often used its production quotas for all its members. Saudi
capacity to ramp up oil production to drive Arabia used to dominate OPEC, but at the
down the price whenever the United States outset of the pandemic in 2020, when
needed it to do so. In the Ukraine crisis, demand dropped dramatically, MBS engaged
however, the Saudis are not cooperating—at in a price-cutting war with Moscow that
least not yet. A tight oil market—the product drove the price of oil down to almost zero.
of a faster than expected rebound of the Trump stepped in and brokered an
global economy from the ravages of the agreement between Russia and Saudi Arabia
COVID-19 pandemic—and the expectation of that drastically cut OPEC oil production and
supply disruptions generated by the Ukraine made Moscow a partner to Riyadh in the
crisis have driven prices to above $90 per fixing of oil prices. Responding to Biden's
barrel. If Russia invades Ukraine, the price is appeal now would require MBS to break his
expected to spike to $120. That would be bad agreement with Putin, as well as give up the
news for Biden's efforts to stem inflation in windfall profits from the rise in price that he
the U.S. economy ahead of the midterm needs to fuel his ambitious modernization
elections at the end of this year. Yet Saudi projects.
Arabia seems impervious to appeals from its In the past, Saudi Arabia would not have
American ally. hesitated, calculating that responding to its
One reason for this is Saudi Crown Prince American ally at its moment of need was like
Mohammed bin Salman's pique at the way paying an insurance premium to help
the Biden administration has treated him. guarantee that the United States would be
During the 2020 U.S. presidential election there to defend Saudi Arabia when necessary.
campaign, Biden referred to Saudi Arabia as But that pact fell apart in September 2019,
“a pariah,” and following his election, he when Saudi oil facilities at Abqaiq were
shunned MBS as punishment for the prince's attacked by Iranian drones and missiles that
ordering of the murder and dismemberment knocked out 50 percent of its oil production.
of Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi dissident who Instead of rushing to Saudi Arabia's defense,
was a columnist for The Washington Post. Trump equivocated and then noted that it
Although Biden avoided sanctioning MBS, he was an attack on Saudi Arabia and not on the
refused to deal with him, assigning that task United States. If he decided to respond,
to Lloyd Austin, the U.S. secretary of defense. Trump vowed the Saudis would have to pay
After a year of this treatment, MBS seems to for it.
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Trump's disregard for traditional U.S. security explorations. But over time, Arab leaders have
commitments compounded the doubts become comfortable with a hedging strategy
already raised by Obama's decision in 2013 that involves warmer relations with Russia.
not to enforce his own stated redline against TIME TO CUT SOME SLACK
the Assad regime in Syria, when it used For Israelis, the calculation is not that
chemical weapons against its own people. different, notwithstanding their heavy
Biden continued this trend, deemphasizing dependence on the United States. Their
the Middle East as he made combatting existential threat is Iran. On three of Israel's
China his first priority. When he ended the four borders, Iranian proxies are gathering
“forever war” in Afghanistan and brought the strength: Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in
remaining U.S. troops and American citizens Lebanon, and Iranian-controlled militias in
home in a shambolic evacuation, Middle Syria. Israel is fighting what it calls “the war
Eastern leaders reached a common between the wars” to prevent the transfer
conclusion: the United States was no longer a through Syria of Iranian advanced missiles
reliable partner in the security of the region. and guidance systems to Hezbollah in
Lebanon, and to thwart attempts by Iranian-
Because this trend of U.S. retrenchment from
backed militias to open yet another front with
the Middle East had been developing over
Israel, on the Golan Heights.
the last decade, and because the region's
leaders are always sensitive to shifts in the Russia's military presence in Syria makes it
balance of power, they have been looking more of a player in this conflict than is the
around for alternative guarantors of their United States, which maintains a limited force
security for some time. Russia was quick to in eastern Syria, to fight the Islamic State (or
put up its hand, intervening militarily in ISIS), but has left Israel to fend for itself in the
Syria's civil war in 2015 to save the regime of rest of the country. The only way that Israel
Bashar al-Assad. At the time, the United can keep up its frequent aerial attacks on
States was pursuing regime change in Egypt, Iranian targets in Syria is if the Russian air
Libya, and Syria. The contrast was not lost on force acquiesces in Israel's use of Syrian
the region's Arab leaders: Russia had become airspace. For that reason, Israeli Prime
a status quo power in the Middle East; the Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made ten visits
United States was the one that seemed to be to Russia between 2015 and 2020 to kiss
promoting instability. Putin's ring, secure the Russian president's
cooperation, and make sure that Russian and
Israeli air force operations in Syria did not get
in each other's way. Similarly, once Bennett
became prime minister last year, he wasted
no time in reaffirming those arrangements on
a visit to the Kremlin in October 2021.
In January of this year, however, the Russian
Defense Ministry announced that Russian and
Syrian jets had conducted a joint patrol over
the Golan Heights and that these patrols
would continue. This was a symbolic warning
shot across Israel's bow, signaling to
Jerusalem that if Putin wanted to, he could
This did not precipitate a headlong rush into easily put an end to Israeli military operations
Moscow's embrace, however. Memories of in Syria. If Israel were thinking of siding
Soviet destabilizing behavior and the hope publicly with the United States over Ukraine,
that a new president in Washington might Moscow had just signaled that there would
turn things around led to more cautious be a steep strategic price to pay.
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U.S. allies and partners in the Middle East are from the penalty box if Biden needs MBS
not critical to the effort to deter Russia from to reduce the price of oil. U.S. pressure on
invading Ukraine. They may even be willing to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab
help on the margins: Qatar could divert gas Emirates to end their war in Yemen may
supplies from long-term contracts in Asia to have to give way to support for their
the European spot market, Saudi Arabia and efforts to deter Iranian-backed Houthi
the UAE could ease the pressure on oil prices aggression. The United States may have
in the event of an invasion, and Israel can to continue giving Israel a free hand to
continue passing private messages to the deal with Iran's regional subversions even
Kremlin, urging de-escalation. as Biden reenters the nuclear agreement
But the public silence of all those countries in with Iran. And cooperation with Egypt in
this crisis speaks volumes about the new Gaza and Libya may have to take priority
geopolitics of the Middle East. Russia has over U.S. demands that Sisi ease up his
become a player in the region, partially filling repression at home.
the vacuum left by U.S. retrenchment. And to The Ukraine crisis has spotlighted a cruel
some U.S. allies, Moscow appears more paradox for U.S. policy in the Middle East.
reliable than Washington. There is no getting Even though it has downgraded its
around this fundamental tradeoff given the interests there, which should have allowed
reality that a rising China and an aggressive for a greater assertion of American values,
Russia require greater U.S. attention. Rather the return of geopolitics is forcing the
than demand that his Middle Eastern partners Biden administration to adopt a new
and allies take a public stand, Biden is going realism. Whatever good intentions the
to have to cut them some slack. And this United States might have in the region, its
extends beyond pronouncements and interests there are increasingly taking
condemnations over Ukraine. Washington priority over its values.
might have to release the Saudi crown prince
Courtesy: Foreign Affairs
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CSS Times World Conict 52
Conict in Ukraine
Ukraine gained independence in 1991. erupted in early 2014, shelling and skirmishes
Ukraine was a member of the Soviet Union still regularly occur, including an escalation of
until 1991 when it disintegrated, and Russia
has tried to maintain the country in its orbit
since then.
In 2014, a separatist insurgency started in
Ukraine's eastern industrial heartland,
Donetsk Basin, also known as,
Russia further gained a maritime advantage
in the region due to its invasion and
annexation of Crimea.
As a result, both the US and the EU have
pledged to safeguard the integrity of
Ukraine's borders. violence in the spring of 2021.
Recent Developments In October 2021, Russia began moving troops
While the armed conflict in eastern Ukraine and military equipment near the border with
transitioned to a stalemate after it first Ukraine, reigniting concerns over a potential
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invasion. Commercial satellite imagery and Background
social media posts from November and The crisis in Ukraine began with protests in
December 2021 showed armor, missiles, and the capital city of Kyiv in November 2013
other heavy weaponry moving toward against Ukrainian President Viktor
Ukraine with no official explanation. By Yanukovych's decision to reject a deal for
December, more than one hundred thousand greater economic integration with the
troops were in place near the border and U.S. European Union. After a violent crackdown by
intelligence officials warned that Russia may state security forces unintentionally drew an
be planning an invasion of Ukraine in early even greater number of protesters and
2022. escalated the conflict, President Yanukovych
fled the country in February 2014.
In mid-December 2021, the Russian foreign
ministry issued a set of demands which
included a ban on Ukraine entering the North
Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and a
reduction of NATO troops and military
equipment in eastern Europe in order for its
military forces to be withdrawn. The United
States and other NATO allies rejected these
demands and have warned Russia of
retaliation if Ukraine is invaded, including
economic sanctions, and other assistance has
In March 2014, Russian troops took control of
been deployed to Ukraine, including small
Ukraine's Crimean region, before formally
arms and other defensive weaponry.
annexing the peninsula after Crimeans voted
to join the Russian Federation in a disputed
local referendum. Russian President Vladimir
Putin cited the need to protect the rights of
Russian citizens and Russian speakers in
Crimea and southeast Ukraine. The crisis
heightened ethnic divisions, and two months
later pro-Russian separatists in the Donetsk
and Luhansk regions of eastern Ukraine held
a referendum to declare independence from
Ukraine.
Violence in eastern Ukraine between Russian-
In early February, Biden ordered nearly three backed separatist forces and the Ukrainian
thousand U.S. troops to bordering NATO military has by conservative estimates killed
countries Poland and Romania. The Biden more than 10,300 people and injured nearly
administration has said the deployment is 24,000 since April 2014. Although Moscow
intended to be temporary and that U.S. has denied its involvement, Ukraine and
troops will not enter Ukraine. Satellite NATO have reported the buildup of Russian
imagery showed the largest deployment of troops and military equipment near Donetsk
Russian troops to its border with Belarus and Russian cross-border shelling.
since the end of the Cold War. Tensions
remain high as negotiations between Russia In July 2014, the situation in Ukraine
and the United States and other European escalated into an international crisis and put
powers–including France and the United States and the European Union
Germany–continue without any apparent (EU) at odds with Russia when a Malaysian
progress toward a formal agreement. Airlines flight was shot down over Ukrainian
airspace, killing all 298 onboard. Dutch air
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accident investigators concluded in October computer systems in Ukraine were hit by the
2015 that the plane had been downed by a NotPetya cyberattack; the crippling attack,
Russian-built surface-to-air missile. In attributed to Russia, spread to computer
September 2016, investigators said that the systems worldwide and caused billions of
missile system was provided by Russia, dollars in damages.
determining it was moved into eastern Security assistance to Ukraine increased
Ukraine and then back to Russian territory further during the Donald Trump
following the downing of the airplane. administration, alongside continued pressure
Since February 2015, France, Germany, Russia, on Russia over its involvement in eastern
and Ukraine have attempted to broker a Ukraine. In January 2018, the United States
cessation in violence through the Minsk imposed new sanctions on twenty-one
Accords. The agreement includes provisions individuals, including a number of Russian
for a cease-fire, withdrawal of heavy officials, and nine companies linked to the
weaponry, and full Ukrainian government conflict. In March 2018, the State Department
control throughout the conflict zone. approved the sale of anti-tank weapons to
However, efforts to reach a diplomatic Ukraine, the first sale of lethal weaponry since
settlement and satisfactory resolution have the conflict began. In October 2018, Ukraine
been unsuccessful. joined the United States and seven other
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
countries in a series of large-scale air
exercises in western Ukraine. The exercises
came after Russia held its annual military
exercises in September 2018, the largest since
the fall of the Soviet Union.
Concerns
The conflict in Ukraine risks further
deterioration of U.S.-Russia relations and
greater escalation if Russia expands its
presence in Ukraine or into NATO countries.
Russia's actions have raised wider concerns
In April 2016, NATO announced that the about its intentions elsewhere in Eastern
alliance would deploy four battalions to Europe, and a Russian incursion into a NATO
Eastern Europe, rotating troops through country would solicit a response from the
Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland to deter United States as a NATO ally. The conflict has
possible future Russian aggression elsewhere heightened tensions in Russia's relations with
in Europe, particularly in the Baltics. These both the United States and Europe,
battalions were joined by two U.S. Army tank complicating the prospects for cooperation
brigades, deployed to Poland in September elsewhere including on issues of terrorism,
2017 to further bolster the alliance's arms control, and a political solution in Syria.
deterrence presence.
Ukraine has been the target of a number of
cyberattacks since the conflict started in 2014.
In December 2015, more than 225,000 people
lost power across Ukraine in an attack, and in
December 2016 parts of Kyiv experienced
another power blackout following a similar
attack targeting a Ukrainian utility company.
In June 2017, government and business
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Ukraine's Post-Independence been defeated in a presidential election in a
former Soviet republic. Kuchma's presidency
Struggles 1991 – 2022 is marked by slow growth, several economic
December 1, 1991 crises, and charges of rampant corruption.
Ukraine Votes for Independence
Amid the dissolution of the Soviet Union,
Ukraine votes for independence in a
referendum, with 92 percent of Ukrainians
supporting independence, and elects Leonid
Kravchuk as president. Ukraine had the
second-largest population and economy of
the fifteen Soviet republics.
January 14, 1994
Securing Nuclear Warheads
The Russian, Ukrainian, and U.S. presidents
sign a statement that reaffirms Ukraine's December 5, 1994
commitment to transfer all strategic nuclear Budapest Memorandum Signed
warheads to Russia and dismantle strategic The Budapest Memorandum on Security
launchers in its territory. The statement also Assurances is signed by Russia, Ukraine, the
confirms Russian readiness to compensate United Kingdom, and the United States,
Ukraine for the value of the highly enriched following Ukraine's accession to the NPT as a
uranium in the warheads, notes U.S. readiness non–nuclear weapons state. Russia, the
to assist Ukraine in dismantling the launchers, United Kingdom, and the United States
and specifies security assurances Ukraine will commit to respecting Ukraine's sovereignty,
receive once it accedes to the Nuclear territorial integrity, and independence, and
Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) as a promise to not threaten or use force against
non–nuclear weapons state. Ukraine.
February 8, 1994 June 28, 1996
Ukraine Joins NATO's Partnership for New Constitution Ratified
Peace The Ukrainian parliament ratifies a new
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization constitution . It theoretically has separation of
(NATO) welcomes Ukraine into its Partnership powers, but the president holds significant
for Peace, a collaborative arrangement open sway. He or she can dismiss the prime
to all non-NATO European countries and minister and rescind acts of the cabinet, for
post-Soviet states. Ukraine and Hungary instance. Among other things, the
become the fifth and sixth members of the constitution guarantees free speech and
partnership. Russia becomes a member that private-property ownership and recognizes
June and conducts various cooperative Ukrainian as the sole state language.
activities with NATO, including joint military
exercises, until 2014, when NATO formally
suspends ties. As the Cold War ended, Russia
had opposed the eastern expansion of NATO.
However, thirteen former partnership
members eventually join the alliance.
July 10, 1994
Kuchma Becomes President
Former Prime Minister Leonid Kuchma
defeats incumbent President Leonid
Kravchuk. It is the first time an incumbent has
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July 9, 1997
NATO, Ukraine Deepen Partnership
Kuchma meets with NATO leaders in Madrid,
where they sign a document establishing a
distinctive partnership between Ukraine and
the defense alliance. Under this partnership, a
NATO-Ukraine commission will meet at least
twice per year to discuss the relationship.
September 2000 – November 2000
Gongadze Scandal Prompts Protests
On September 16, Heorhiy Gongadze, a November 2004 – December 2004
Ukrainian journalist investigating alleged Orange Revolution Overturns Flawed
corruption in the Kuchma administration, Election
disappears. His beheaded body is found two The 2004 presidential race pits Western-
months later in a forest outside of Kyiv. Audio oriented Yushchenko against Viktor
recordings eventually surface that purport to Yanukovych. Yanukovych is Kuchma's
show Kuchma ordering subordinates to kill preferred choice and the candidate
Gongadze. The scandal spurs public supported by Moscow. The election is a tug-
discontent about corruption among Ukraine's of-war between those who seek closer ties
elites, leading to street protests. Western with the European Union (EU), NATO, and the
countries reconsider their support of West and those who favor closer alignment
Kuchma's government. with Russia. Yushchenko mysteriously suffers
dioxin poisoning in September; he survives
but with his face disfigured. After two flawed
rounds of voting award the election to
Yanukovych, protesters dressed in orange,
Yushchenko's campaign color, take to the
streets in large numbers and force a revote in
December, which Yushchenko wins. The
second so-called color revolution in a post-
Soviet state—a year after Georgia's Rose
Revolution—sets off alarm bells in Moscow.
April 2001
Prime Minister Yushchenko Ousted Amid
Reform Moves
The parliament passes a no-confidence
motion against Prime Minister Viktor
Yushchenko, who steps down. The vote is
carried out by parties allied with Kuchma, August 2008
who had surprised observers when he Russia Invades Georgia
nominated Yushchenko to be prime minister Russian troops invade Georgia following a
in 1999. Yushchenko and his deputy Yulia Georgian military operation against a South
Tymoshenko had been pushing through Ossetian separatist stronghold. The invasion
energy sector reforms that became leads to a five-day war and results in an
unpopular with many of Kuchma's oligarch increased Russian presence in the breakaway
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Georgian republics of Abkhazia and South Maidan square. They turn violent after the
Ossetia, which represent roughly one-fifth of government moves to break up protesters,
Georgian territory. Yushchenko sides with and the ensuing crackdown kills more than
Georgia, further increasing tensions between one hundred people. On February 21,
Kyiv and Moscow. Russia subsequently Yanukovych and opposition leaders reach a
recognizes both republics as independent settlement that includes plans for presidential
states, though neither is recognized as an elections before the end of the year. Soon
independent state by most countries. after, Yanukovych flees to Russia. He leaves
behind a lavishly decorated palace, which
protesters see as evidence of his corruption.
Ukraine's acting president and acting prime
minister make it clear that a top priority will
be to bring Ukraine closer to Europe.
February 7, 2010
Yanukovych Elected President
Yanukovych narrowly defeats Tymoshenko,
prime minister at the time, in a presidential
election that most international observers
view as free and fair. Aided by political
consultants from the United States,
Yanukovych recasts himself as more open to
EU integration. His victory is a sign of voter
disillusionment with Tymoshenko and February 2014 – March 2014
Yushchenko after several years of economic Russia Seizes Crimea, Holds Referendum
trouble. Pro-Russia forces, including so-called little
green men—Russian soldiers in Russian
uniforms, but with identifying insignia
removed—seize control of Crimea, a
Ukrainian peninsula where the majority of
residents are ethnically Russian. Soon after,
authorities hold a disputed referendum in
which Crimean voters choose to secede and
join Russia. Brussels calls the referendum
“illegal and illegitimate,” and Washington
promises it will never be accepted. Russia
annexes Crimea on March 21, though the UN
November 2013 – February 2014 General Assembly votes 100–11 against
Euromaidan Protests Lead to Government recognizing the referendum result and Russia
Collapse is expelled from the Group of Eight. A month
Ukrainians turn out in large numbers to later, Putin admits that Russian soldiers were
protest Yanukovych's announcement on EU involved in the annexation and justifies it as a
ties. Mostly peaceful demonstrations way to protect ethnic Russians allegedly
continue for two months in Kyiv's main threatened by violence from Kyiv.
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April 2014
Russia Backs Bloody Separatist War
Russia provokes an armed separatist
movement to seize government buildings
across eastern Ukraine's Donbas region.
Ukrainian forces resist but are wary of
sparking a much wider war, with Russian
troop buildups reported along the border. By
early 2022, fighting has resulted in more than
fourteen thousand deaths, a quarter of them
civilians, and two million internally displaced February 11 – 12, 2015
Ukrainians. Parts of two regions—Donetsk Second Minsk Agreement Signed
and Luhansk—declare themselves Putin and Poroshenko meet in Minsk to
independent republics. negotiate a cease-fire in eastern Ukraine.
May 25, 2014 They reach an agreement, shepherded by
Poroshenko Elected President French President Francois Hollande and
Petro Poroshenko, a pro-West oligarch, wins German Chancellor Angela Merkel, that
an outright majority in the first round of outlines thirteen steps to end the war,
Ukraine's presidential election, surprising including an immediate cease-fire and the
many. Poroshenko promises to fix the withdrawal of all heavy weaponry in order to
economy by aligning Ukraine with Europe create a “security zone.” Fighting and shelling
and to root out corruption that has trailed along the line of contact still flare up from
Ukraine since its independence. U.S. President time to time. Both sides trade accusations on
Barack Obama's administration signals violations of the deal, though international
interest in helping Poroshenko battle observers place more blame on Russian and
corruption and assigns Vice President Joe Russian proxy forces.
Biden as its chief envoy for Ukraine.
July 17, 2014
Passenger Jet Shot Down With Russian
Missile
A Malaysia Airlines flight from Amsterdam to
Kuala Lumpur is shot down by a surface-to-
air missile over eastern Ukrainian territory
controlled by Russian and Russian proxy
forces, resulting in the death of all 298 people
onboard. A Dutch-led investigation later finds
that Russia bears responsibility, with the
missile having been provided by a Russian April 21, 2019
army brigade, but Russia denies Volodymyr Zelensky Elected
responsibility. Volodymyr Zelensky, a television comedian
September 5, 2014 and political novice, wins a presidential runoff
First Minsk Agreement Signed with more than 70 percent of the vote,
Russian units enter Ukraine to push back defeating Poroshenko. Two months later,
Ukrainian forces that were on the verge of Zelensky's party also wins a majority of
regaining control of Donbas. Shortly after, parliamentary seats, marking the first time
negotiators conclude the first Minsk since independence that Ukraine's president
Agreement, aimed at ending the fighting. has a majority party in the parliament.
However, its terms are not implemented, and Zelensky had campaigned against corruption
fighting continues along the line of contact. and poverty, and pledged to end the war in
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the east; many saw the vote as a rejection of that is set to deliver natural gas under the
Poroshenko and his failure to root out Baltic Sea to Germany and could cut off a
corruption. major source of income for Ukraine, a current
transit country. Leaders in Kyiv protest that
Moscow will use the pipeline, which could
double gas deliveries to the rest of Europe, as
a geopolitical weapon. The Biden
administration opposes the pipeline but
agrees to hold off on sanctions and reaches a
deal with Germany to fund alternative energy
projects for Ukraine. Amid the Russian
military buildup near Ukraine, Germany says a
German-based firm involved in the project
must take administrative steps before any gas
June 2020 can flow, a process that could take until mid-
Making a Deeper Commitment to NATO 2022.
Ukraine is named a NATO Enhanced
Opportunities Partner in June, joining
Australia, Georgia, Finland, Jordan, and
Sweden as countries with deeper cooperation
on NATO-led missions and exercises. The
alliance says the new status “does not
prejudge any decisions on NATO
membership.” In September, Zelensky
approves Ukraine's new National Security December 2021 – January 2022
Strategy, which provides for the development Russia Demands Security Concessions
of a distinctive partnership with NATO with As Russia continues to mobilize tens of
the aim of gaining membership. The previous thousands of troops along the border with
year, Zelensky's predecessor signed a Ukraine, the Putin government demands a set
constitutional amendment committing of security guarantees from the United States
Ukraine to become a member of NATO and and NATO. This includes a draft treaty calling
the EU. for tight restrictions on U.S. and NATO
political and military activities, notably a ban
on NATO expansion. The Biden
administration delivers written responses in
January; few details are made public, but it
rejects Russia's insistence that Ukraine never
be accepted into NATO and proposes new
parameters for security in the region.
September 2021
Nord Stream 2 Pipeline Completed
The Russian energy firm Gazprom finishes
construction of the Nord Stream 2, a pipeline
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Feb 2022
CSS Times CURRENT AFFAIRS MCQs 63
National & International

MCQs
Publishers
CURRENT
January
2022
1 Scientists in China's Wuhan laboratory 2015 in the middle eastern countries.
have warned of which new strain of This comes after the WHO's technical lead
COVID-19? on Covid-19, Maria van Kerkhove claimed
(a) NeoCoV that Omicron will not be the last variant of
the coronavirus and there could be more in
(b) MesCoV the future.
(c) Neomers 2 Xiomara Castro has become the first-
(d) ValCoV ever female President of which nation?
Answer: (a) (a) Cuba
(b) Honduras
(c) Mexico
(d) Colombia
Answer: (b)
Chinese scientists have warned of a deadly

strain of COVID-19, NeoCoV, which has been
discovered in bats in South Africa. The virus
strain has been linked to the MERS-CoV virus Xiomara Castro was on January 27, 2021
that was detected previously in 2012 and sworn in as the first-ever female President of
Monthly
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Feb 2022
Honduras. Castro is also a former first lady, as lock. The 500-meter (1,640-feet) long and
she is the wife of former Honduras President 70-meter wide sluice replaces a smaller,
Manuel Zelaya who was ousted in a coup in nearly 100-year-old one at Ijmuiden, a small
2009. port city connecting the North Sea Canal to
3 When is International Education Day the port of Amsterdam.
observed?
(a) January 21st
(b) January 22nd
(c) January 23rd
(d) January 24
th
5 UNCITRAL, seen in the news, is a UN

Agency associated with which field? (a)
Children Welfare
(b) Climate Change
(c) Insolvency
Answer: (d) (d) Heritage
The International Day of Education is Answer: (c)
observed every year on January 24 to mark
the significance of education and the role it
plays in promoting global peace and
development all over the world. This year, the
day aims to shed light on the changing
patterns of education and the role
technology is playing in taking education to
the corners of the world.
The International Day of Education is
observed every year on January 24 to mark
the significance of education and the role it
plays in promoting global peace and
About UNCITRAL:
development all over the world. This year, the
· It provides a legislative framework
day aims to shed light on the changing that can be adopted by countries with
patterns of education and the role modifications to suit the domestic context of
technology is playing in taking education to the enacting jurisdiction.
the corners of the world. · It has been adopted by 49 countries,
4 Which country inaugurated the Ijmuiden including Singapore, UK, US and South Africa.
Sea Lock, the world's largest sea lock? · UNCITRAL allows foreign
(a) USA professionals and creditors direct access to
(b) The Netherlands domestic courts and enables them to
(c) Australia participate in and commence domestic
(d) USA insolvency proceedings.
Answer: (b) · It allows recognition of foreign
Dutch King Willen-Alexander opened what proceedings and enables courts to determine
authorities say is the world's largest canal relief accordingly.
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Feb 2022
6 Which country has organised the 'Asia pandemic?
Ministerial Conference on Tiger (a) Pandemic Quit
Conservation'? (b) The Pandemic Resignation
(a) Pakistan (c) The Great Resignation
(b) Malaysia (d) The Pandemic Brunt
(c) UK Answer: (c)
(d) Sri Lanka The Great Resignation is a phenomenon that
Answer: (b) describes record numbers of people leaving
7 Which Tennis star was deported from their jobs after the COVID-19 pandemic ends
Australia, after his unvaccinated status? 9 Dimitar Kovacevski is the new Prime
(a) Rafael Nadal Minister of which country?
(b) Novak Djokovic (a) Greece
(c) Roger Federer (b) North Macedonia
(d) Daniil Medvedev (c) Egypt
Answer: (b) (d) Argentina
Answer: (b)
Tennis star Novak Djokovic returned to his

native Serbia after losing an appeal to stay in
Australia, which deported him for being
unvaccinated for COVID-19. ... The 34-year-
old tennis champion landed in Melbourne on Notes:
January 5 hoping to compete in the North Macedonia's Parliament elected a new
Australian Open for his 21st major tennis title. cabinet under a new Social Democratic
8 What is the name of the phenomenon leader, Dimitar Kovacevski.
that describes record numbers of people He succeeds his Social Democratic
leaving their jobs during the Covid predecessor, Zoran Zaev. The new Prime
Minister announced that his immediate tasks
are tackling the ongoing energy crisis and key
talks with Bulgaria. The Republic of North
Macedonia is a country in Southeast Europe.
10 Roberta Metsola is the youngest
President of which multilateral institution?
(a) European Parliament
(b) UNESCO
(c) UNICEF
(d) World Bank
Answer: (a)
Notes:
Centre-right lawmaker Roberta Metsola has
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Feb 2022
12 Ayesha Malik became the first-ever
woman judge of the Supreme Court of
which country?
(a) Iran
(b) Pakistan
(c) Afghanistan
(d) Bangladesh
Answer: (b)
been selected as the third woman to head the

European Parliament.
The 43-year-old from the European Union's
smallest nation Malta is also the youngest
President of the European Parliament. She is
viewed as a political moderate in spite of the
controversy over her anti-abortion stance.
11 The UN General Assembly approves the
resolution sponsored by which country,
condemning Holocaust denial?
(a) USA Notes:
(b) Russia High Court Justice Ayesha Malik has been
(c) Israel appointed as Pakistan's first-ever woman
(d) India judge of the Supreme Court.
Answer: (c) Pakistan President Arif Alvi gave his approval
to the elevation of the Judge, who was
serving as Lahore High Court Justice since
2012. She will now work as a Supreme Court
Judge until her superannuation in June 2031.
13 Which country is associated with the
“Aboriginal flag”, which was seen in the
news recently?
Notes:
The UN General Assembly approved an
Israeli-sponsored resolution condemning any
denial of the Holocaust.
The resolution also urged all nations and
social media companies to take active
measures to combat anti-semitism and
Holocaust denial or distortion. UN has an
outreach program on the Holocaust and the
UNESCO, has a program on Holocaust
education and combating anti-Semitism.
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Feb 2022
(a) USA for Thai Migrant workers.
(b) UK 15 What is the area of space, around which
(c) Australia the James Webb Space Telescope orbits?
(d) China (a) Lagrange point L2
Answer: (c) (b) Curie Point
Notes: (c) Newton Point
The Australian government has bought the (d) CV Raman Point
copyright of the Aboriginal flag, to free the Answer: (a)
symbol of identity from fights over who can
use it.
Indigenous artist Harold Thomas created the
flag in 1971 as a protest image. It is used as
the dominant Aboriginal emblem and an
official national flag. Now, the flag can be
reproduced by anyone without fear of legal
threats.
14 Saudi Arabia has restored ties with
which country after 30 years of dispute
over stolen Gems?
(a) China
(b) Thailand Notes:
(c) North Korea James Webb Space Telescope reached its final
(d) Israel destination, at around 15 lakh km from Earth.
Answer: (b) The telescope will orbit in an area of space
known as a Lagrange point, where the
gravitational pull from the Sun and Earth will
be balanced by the centrifugal force of the
rotating system.
The points were first theorized by Italian
French mathematician Joseph-Louis
Lagrange. Webb will go around it in a halo at
a distance similar to that between the Earth
and Moon
16 Which country launched the
'COMPETES Act of 2022'?
(a) Russia
(b) USA
Notes:
Saudi Arabia and Thailand have ended a 30-
year dispute over a scandal involving stolen
jewels and a series of murders. Saudi Arabian
Airlines has announced to restart direct
flights to Thailand.
The resumption of full diplomatic ties came
during a visit to Riyadh by Thailand Prime
Minister Prayut Chan-ocha. Gems stolen from
Saudi had a rare 50 carat blue diamond,
which was never recovered. The dispute has
cost a huge dip in trade and led to job losses
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Feb 2022
(c) UK 18 Which country is the host of the 2022
(d) Australia Winter Olympics?
Answer: (b) (a) Japan
Notes: (b) China
The United States House of Representatives (c) Russia
unveiled the ambitious America 'Creating (d) USA
Opportunities for Manufacturing, Pre- Answer: (b)
Eminence in Technology, and Economic
Strength' Act of 2022, or the America
COMPETES Act of 2022.
It proposes to open up new arenas for
talented individuals from across the world
with a new start-up visa. The bill also provides
grant to encourage semiconductor
production in the US and to improve supply
chain resilience and manufacturing.
17 When is the 'International Customs
Day' observed every year?
(a) January 25
(b) January 26
(c) January 28 Notes:
(d) January 30 The 2022 Winter Olympics, officially the XXIV
Answer: (b) Olympic Winter Games is scheduled to take
place from 4 to 20 February 2022 in Beijing
and its neighbouring town in China.
A report released by Sport Ecology Group
and Save Our Winters has stated the dangers
of artificial snow to be produced in the
Olympics on athletes' bodies. It also warned
on water wastage that happens for the snow
at these games.
19 'NeoCov', which was seen in the news,
was first identified in which species?
(a) Monkeys
(b) Bats
Notes:
'International Customs Day' is observed every
year on January 26, across the world with the
United Nations as the host. It recognises the
role of customs officials and agencies in
ensuring flow of goods across the world
borders.
The Customs Cooperation Council (CC(C)
announced the observance of ICD in 1953.
CCC was renamed as World Customs
Organization (WCO) in 1994. The theme of
2022 is 'Scaling up Customs Digital
Transformation by Embracing a Data Culture
and Building a Data Ecosystem'.
Monthly
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Feb 2022
(c) Owls 21 Which country has agreed to cooperate
(d) Rodent with the European Union on Energy
Answer: (b) Security?
Notes: (a) USA
NeoCov stands for Neoromicia, the species of (b) Australia
bat that have been infected with the virus. (c) India
This virus is associated with MERS (d) Japan
Coronavirus and not the SARs-CoV-2. Hide Answer
Recently news about the virus discovered in Answer: (a)
South Africa amongst bats is being circulated
widely. However the World Health
Organization has said that whether NeoCov
coronavirus poses a threat to humans
requires further study.
20 'Great Barrier Reef', the world's largest
coral reef system, is located in which
country?
(a) Australia
(b) Russia
(c) Japan
(d) USA Notes:
Answer: (a) U.S. President Joe Biden and his European
Union counterpart Ursula von der Leyen
pledged to cooperate on guaranteeing
Europe's energy security.
They released a joint cooperation statement
amidst standoff triggered by Russia
consolidating troops at Ukraine's border. The
European Union depends on Russia for
around one-third of its gas supplies.
22 Queen Elizabeth II ascended the throne
in which year?
(a) 1951
(b) 1952
(c) 1953
(d) 1954
Answer: (b)
Notes:
'Great Barrier Reef' is the world's largest coral
reef system located in Australia. Australian
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has recently
announced a further one billion Australian
dollars ( USD 703m) to protect the Great
Barrier Reef.
The reef is under threat from global warming
and the government is criticised for
supporting fossil fuels.
Monthly
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Feb 2022
Queen Elizabeth II was born as Elizabeth (c) Quinton de Kock
Alexandra Mary Windsor on April 21, 1926. (d) Daryl Mitchell
She ascended the throne in 1952 after the
death of her father, King George VI. Answer: (d)
23 NASA is planning to retire the New Zealand's Daryl Mitchell has been
International Space Station by which year? named the winner of the ICC Spirit of Cricket
Award 2021 for his gesture during the New
(a) March 2030 Zealand vs England semifinal in the 2021 ICC
(b) January 2031 Men's T20 World Cup in Abu Dhabi.
(c) December 2025 25 When is Lunar New Year 2022?
(d) January 2026 (a) January 31st
Answer: (b) (b) February 1st
(c) February 5th
(d) February 21st
Answer: (b)
NASA is planning to retire the International

Space Station (ISS) in January 2031 and has
laid out a detailed transition plan. The space
agency is planning to open the ISS for
commercial activities in its final decade of
operational life.
The Lunar New Year 2022 will be observed on
24 Who has been named the winner of ICC February 1, 2022. The Lunar New Year is also
Spirit of Cricket Award 2021? known as Chinese New Year and it begins
(a) Kane Williamson with the rising of the second new moon after
the winter solstice on December 21st.
(b) Joe Root
26 Who won the record-breaking 21st
Grand Slam title on January 30, 2022?
(a) Rafael Nadal
(b) Daniil Medvedev
(c) Novak Djokovic
(d) Roger Federer
Answer: (a)
Rafael Nadal won his record-breaking 21st
Grand Slam title after making a stunning
comeback in the men's singles final at
Monthly
HSM
Feb 2022
theAustralian Open 2022. He defeated world

No. 2 Daniil Medvedev, 2-6, 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-4, 23 years that a Pakistani prime minister will
7-5 in the final match that lasted 5 hours and visit Russia. Matters relating to enhancing
24 minutes. cooperation in the spheres of economy,
27 Who has become the first Australian trade, defense and energy, $2 billion Pakistan
woman to win Australian Open in 44 Stream Gas Pipeline (PSGP) project, the
years? Afghan issue, and others will be discussed
(a) Daria Saville during the meetings
(b) Samantha Stosur 29 US Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
has placed Pakistan in which level in term
(c) Maddison Inglis of Covid-risk countries?
(d) Ashleigh Barty (A) Level-1 (B) Level-2
Answer: (d) (C) Level-3 (D) Level-4 Answer: (a)
The US Centers for Disease Control and

World no. 1 Ashleigh Barty became the first Prevention (CDC) placed Pakistan in level-1,
Australian woman to win Australian Open which is its lowest category for getting
since Christine O'Neil in 1978. Barty beat infected by a disease. The agency places India
world no. 27 Danielle Collins 6-3, 7-6(2) in the in level-3, which includes countries where the
women's singles final on January 29, 2022. chances of catching Covid-19 are high.
Another South Asian country, Bangladesh, is
28 Which nation's Prime Minister is likely in level-2 with a moderate risk of infection.
to visit Russia on the first trip in 23 years?
Countries like China, Brazil, Anguilla, Kosovo,
(A) Pakistan (B) North Korea
Mexico and a dozen others are in level-4
(C) Bangladesh (D) China where the chances of infections are very high.
Answer: (a) Pakistan is among the top recipients of Covd-
At the invitation of Russian President Vladimir 19 vaccines from the United States. With the
Putin, Pakistani Prime Minister will embark on 4.7M Pfizer vaccines that arrived last
a two-day maiden visit to Moscow by the end weekend, the United States has shipped
of February 2022. It will be the first time after 47.3M vaccines to Pakistan so far.

Feb Magazine 2022

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Pakistan’s First Monthly E-Magazine for Civil Services Aspirants

February 2022 Xiomara Castro

What is UN WFP? What are Geomagnetic Storms?

Kabir Street, Urdu Bazar, Lahore, Pakistan

2022 World Day of Social Justice

In his pathbreaking Encyclical of 1891, 'Rerum

Joseph Goebbels, once said, “It will always

General & Pakistan Aff

HSM PUBLISHERS / ILMI KITAB KHANA

Prior to the fall of Kabul in August 2021, the

· It says www.wfp.org that, on any given

board and has 90,000 staﬀ, of whom some

What are Geomagnetic Storms?

that are cooler than the surrounding

What is Lassa Fever?

Is a Rift Between Pakistan

National & International

Chinese scientists have warned of a deadly

5 UNCITRAL, seen in the news, is a UN

Tennis star Novak Djokovic returned to his

been selected as the third woman to head the

NASA is planning to retire the International

theAustralian Open 2022. He defeated world

The US Centers for Disease Control and

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