CURRENT EVENTS

(Issues at NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL level during 2020)

JANUARY 2020 DG ISPR Gen Asif Ghafoor categorically declared

that Pakistan would neither become part of any war
Jan 1, 2020
Pakistan imposed heavy fines and sentences for nor allow its soil to be used for war, as foreign
smuggling currency, gold and gems out of Pakistan. minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi phoned the
the move is in line with the demand of the UN’s counterparts of Iran, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Turkey
Financial Action Task Force (FATF) as pre conditions to offer mediation in resolving the prevailing tension
for not slapping sanctions on the country. and war threats.

Jan 2, 2020 Jan 6, 2020

All opposition parties in the national assembly, As the US-Iran tension escalates with verbal threats
except JUI of Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Pushtoon from each side, Iraqi parliament reiterated its last
nationalist parties, agreed upon the draft legislation months stance, calling for all US and allied troops to
extending the term/retiring age of the chief of the leave the country immediately. The US president
Army and other forces to 64 years. The support by Trump responded to the withdrawal demand with a
PML-N and PPP was surprising since the two threat to impose tougher sanctions unless Iraq paid
parties had been strongly opposing the move in the back multi billion dollars spent on building military
past few months, particularly since November last bases and infrastructure in Iraq.
when supreme court rejected the notification of 3-
years extension in service of Army Chief Gen Qamar Jan. 7, 2020
Javed Bajwa as illegal and directed parliament to National Assembly hastily passed amendment in
make necessary legislation in this regard. Army Act extending the tenure of armed forces’
chiefs upto 64 years of age within just 20 minutes as
Jan 3, 2020 opposition displayed a rare harmony with the
US drone attack at Baghdad airport killed a dozen government after PPP withdrew its amendments.
military officials in two vehicles including the most the dissent came from JUI-F and Jamaat Islami
feared chief of Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, legislators and the two independent MNAs from
General Qasim Soleimani and the deputy head of tribal areas, Mohsin Dawar and Ali Wazir.
Iraqi paramilitary force Hashed al Shaabi, Abu Mehdi
al Mohandis, creating fears of a fresh US-Iran war in Jan. 8, 2020
the middle east as thousands of protestors across Iran fired several missiles on a US military base in
Iran made president Rouhani called for avenging US Iraq to avenge the killing of Gen Suleimani claiming
with tough response. several deaths but US said no casualty occurred as
its troops had evacuated the base after Iran had
informed Iraq before the attack. Iranian officials and
Jan. 4, 2020
fresh wave of protests spread in major Indian cities people celebrated the attack as successful but US
against anti-Muslim citizenship law after groups of president Trump said Iran deliberately missed
masked men wielding batons and iron rods attacked targets to reduce escalation of war threats.
Delhi’s Jawah Lal Nehru university where students The Senate also passed amendment in Army Act in a
had been raising strong voices against the quick 22 minutes sitting extending the retirement
controversial law, leaving scores of students age of services chiefs as JI, JUI-F, PkMAP and NP
wounded and also attacked the doctors and nurses opposed the legislation.
who came to treat the wounded students.
Jan 9, 2020
After DG ISPR, Prime Minister Imran Khan also
Jan. 5, 2020
announced that Pakistan would not join others war
since the country had already suffered huge losses FEBRUARY 2020
due to fighting others war in the past. Feb 1, 2020
US Senate rejected a Democratic plea 51 against 49
Jan 11, 2020 votes, that called for presenting new witnesses at
President Tsai Ing-wen won 57% of the vote in President Donald Trump's impeachment trial,
Taiwan. This will be the president’s second term. paving way for his acquittal next week of charges of
abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. White
Jan 12, 2020 House and Republicans are more than sure Trump
mass anti-government protests hit the streets of will be acquitted by the Senate, having 53
Iran. The protests are in response to the downed Republicans to 47 Democrats, and a two-thirds
plane that was later revealed to have been majority 67 senators are needed to remove a
accidentally shot down by Iranian officials. president from office.
Demonstrators are calling for the Supreme Leader to As the Coronavirus threat in China turned into a full
step down. fledged epidemic with hundreds reported dead and
thousands affected, Pakistan announced it will not
Jan 14, 2020 evacuate thousands of its citizens stranded there,
The UN revealed that human rights advocates and including students, businessmen, employees etc. till
community leaders in Colombia are being killed at an full recovery from the threat.
alarming rate. So far, 10 activists have already been
killed in 2020. The UN is urging Colombia politicians Feb 3,2020
to change this trend. Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Foreign
Ministers meeting at Jeddah rejected US President
Jan 18, 2020 Donald Trump´s peace plan for the Middle East,
Protesters in Paris attempted to storm a theater calling on its 57 member states not to help
President Macron was in. Police were called to help implement it. The communique of the pan-Islamic
protect the political figure. The protesters are body of over 1.5 billion Muslims worldwide, “rejects
fighting the new pension reforms in France. this US-Israeli plan as it does not meet the
minimum aspirations and legitimate rights of the
Jan 20, 2020 Palestinian people and contradicts the terms of
China announced it reached 139 cases of pneumonia reference of the peace process”.
caused by a new strain of coronavirus. So far, three
people have died from the virus, which is mostly in Feb 4, 2020
Beijing. Prime Minister Imran Khan who finally visited
Malaysia after skipping the Kuala Lumpur summit
Jan 22, 2020 last month, expressed his deep regret for not
Katerina Sakellaropoulou was elected, becoming the attending the Summit, saying some countries
first female president in Greece. Sakellaropoulou impression that the conference would divide the
was previously a high court judge and human rights Muslim Ummah was wrong.Addressing a joint press
activist. conference with Malaysian PM Dr Mahathir
Mohamad, Imran said he wanted to say how sad he
Jan 24, 2020 was when he couldn't attend the summit.
Nearly 100 days after the protests in Lebanon began, "Unfortunately, our friends, who are very close to
a new government has taken place. The government Pakistan as well, felt that somehow the conference
has been cut to one-third of the original size, and was going to divide the Ummah. It was clearly a
Prime Minister Hassan Diab has replaced Saad misconception because that was not the purpose of
Hariri, who resigned a few weeks after the protests the conference as evident from when the conference
began. took place," he said.
A South African court issued arrest warrant for
Jan 28, 22020 embattled former President Jacob Zuma, charged
It was revealed that over 3,500 schools have closed in with corruption in 90’s arms deal after he failed to
Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali over the last two years. appear for a pre-trial hearing as lawyers of 77-years
Growing violence between terrorists and citizens has old said he was ill and under treatment in Cuba.
left 8 million children without school
Feb 5, 2020 Feb 11, 2020
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced in Indian PM Narendra Modi's BJP suffered a
Parliament that a trust had been finalised to oversee humiliating defeat in Delhi Assembly polls at the
the project of constructing a grand Hindu temple at hands of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's Aam
the site of historic Babri masjid, taking a big stride in Aadmy Party which won 62 seats out of total 70,
dream temple after Indian supreme court allowed showing a barometer of minority sentiments against
construction of Temple following decades litigation. the HIndu fanatic BJP’s anti-Musim policies and
Feb 6, 2020 legislations in the recent past.
Former spokesman of Tehrik Taliban Pakistan,
Ehsanullah Ehsan, escaped from custody of security Feb 12, 2020
agencies at an Army safe house under mysterious Jamaat ud Dawah ameer Hafiz Muhammad Saeed
circumstances and fled to some foreign land along and his aide Zafar Iqbal were sentenced to 11 years
with his wife and two daughters. He had claimed by an anti terrorism court on charges of terror
attacking Malala Yusufzai in 2012, 134 students of financing and running banned outfit. His lawyer
Peshawar Army school in 2014, and several other commenting on judgment alleged that fund raisign
terror acts, and surrendered before security for terrorism purposes could not be established by
agencies in 2017. He disclosed his escape on social the same prosecution before the trial court, and
media via audio recording. Authorities arrested his sentence was awarded to fulfil the requirements of
father, Sher Mohamad, brother, Shafiq, and uncle financial Action Task Force (FATF), besides pleasing
Sher Badshah for interrogation. US and India.
California based Silicon Valley robotics company,
Nuro, announced that it obtained US regulatory Feb 13, 2020
authority clearance to operate a fully autonomous Islamabad High Court banned corporal punishment
self-driving delivery vehicle and would soon begin to children at schools and directed the Interior
testing it in Texas to deliver, consumer products, Ministry to take steps for prevention of school
groceries, and hot food from local stores and punishment under Article 14 of the Constitution. On
restaurants. Nuro said its R2 vehicle, designed to a petition filed by singer Shehzad Roy, indicating the
operate without any human driver, would be beating practice at schools which caused several
partnering with local businesses for deliveries. The deaths, the court also inquired government about
move comes amid initiatives around the world on the legislation passed on the matter. Shehzad Roy
autonomous vehicles for transporting both people told the court that the legislation process was
and goods. Former Google car unit Waymo has delayed due to political reasons.
begun limited rideshare testing without any drivers
in Arizona. And General Motors unit Cruise has Feb 14, 2020
unveiled its autonomous shuttle it is producing Global spending on defence rose by over four
without any steering wheel or pedals. percent in 2019, the largest growth in 10 years, as
US and China, both hiked defense budgets by 6.6
Feb 8, 2020 percent, said annual "Military Balance" report by
Two days after US President Trump was acquitted of International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS).
impeachment charges by his Republican Party’s The report said the US hike followed Beijing's
majority Senate, his administration ousted two key military modernisation programme which includes
witnesses who provided the most damaging developing new hard-to-detect hypersonic missiles.
testimony during his impeachment investigation, The US defense budget from 2018 to 2019 was $53.4
Army Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman and billion, which was almost equal to Britain's entire
Ambassador to EU, Gordon Sondland. defence budget.

Feb 9, 2020 Feb 16, 2020

African Union countries at their summit at Addis UN secretary General Antonio Guterres, after
Ababa, rejected US president Trump’s middle east arriving in Islamabad, praised Pakistan for weeding
peace plan, called Deal of the Century, terming it out terorrism and terror financing, reiterated
unjustified and illegitimate. Protest rallies continued mediation offer to India and Pakistan for resolving
in many African countries against Trump’s deal, as Kashmir issue. But Indian Prime Minister Narendra
tens of thousands people marched and demanded Modi readily rejected the offer. Addressing a rally,
fundamental rights of Palestinians. . Modi vowed to resist world pressure against all the
controversial anti-Muslim decisions of his history that left millions dead, wounded and
government, and ruled out reviewing citizenship act handicapped, as Washington agreed to pull out its
and annexation of Kashmir by scrapping Article 370 forces if the week-long ceasefire by both sides prior
of the constitution. to signing the deal worked out. Taliban and US
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the deal would
Feb 17, 2020 be signed after a week-long truce beginning now.
British government and media outraged over Indian US president Donald Trump’s long time advisor
government’s denying entry to prominent politician Roger Stone was sentenced to 40 months by a
and Labour MP Debbie Abrahamas, Chair of federal judge on charges of lying and impeding
Parliament’s All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) Congressional investigation, tampering with
on Kashmir, and known for supporting Kashmiris witnesses, and obstructing House investigations into
against Modi regime’s anti-Muslim laws and whether Trump campaign conspired with Russia to
policies. Despite having a visa, she was refused cheat in 2016 US elections. Trump told the media
entry at Delhi airport, visa was canceled, treated that it was a miscarriage of justice, accusing jury of
rudely and deported to Dubai. being biased and hoped Stone would be cleared in
the review, adding that “I personally think he was
Feb 18, 2020 treated very unfairly,” and hinted he would at some
Urology surgeon, Dr Fawad Mumtaz, accused of time award Stone presidential pardon. .
performing illegal kidney transplant of the daughter Prime minister of small Aftrican country Lesotho,
of veteran comedian Umar Sharif, Hira Umar, 36, Thomas Thabane, 80, sneaked to neighboring South
which caused her death, fled from his house Africa overnight instead of appearing before the
minutes before FIA and Human Organ Transplant court where he was due to be charged sheeted with
Authority (HOTA) raided there. He charged 3.4 murdering his divorced wife, Lilopelo Thabane, 58,
million rupees for the illegal surgery conducted at two days before taking oath as PM in 2017. PM office
some undisclosed location in Azad Kashmir, but the told the court he had not fled but gone for a medical
woman died of developing complications and check up. His current wife Maesaiah Thabane, 42,
infections. whom he married two months after Lipolelo´s
death, is a co-accused in the murder.
Feb 19, 2020
Britain will close its borders to unskilled, non Feb 22, 2020
English-speaking workers after a fundamental Corona virus threat sounded alarm bells in Pakistan
overhaul of immigration laws that will end the era of as authorities feared its entry into the country from
cheap EU labour in factories, warehouses, hotels neighboring Iran where its outbreak killed nearly a
and restaurants. Unveiling its Australian-style dozen people and dozens more were tested positive.
points system after exiting from the EU, new London Iran and Pakistan considered closing land borders
policy changes aim at taking “full control of borders where no screening facility is available to detect the
for the first time in decades”. The policy met virus which had killed over three thousand people in
immediate widespread criticism as it will damage China and affected over fifty thousand. .
the economy with job losses and closures in
factories and the high street. Feb 23, 2020
An Israeli cycling team raced through Dubai in the
Feb 20, 2020 Middle East’s top cycle race, The UAE Tour, for the
FATF withheld Pakistan in the grey list for another 4 first time in history despite the fact that the two
months, expressing dissatisfaction with the countries have no diplomatic relations. On Palestine
compliance of the state with its 27 point action plan issue, all Arab countries, except Jordan and Egypt,
as Islamabad could comply with only 14 of them. The have no official relations with Israel which has been
Paris based financial watchdog warned Pakistan of quietly working to woo Gulf Arab countries on the
the danger of becoming blacklisted if the remaining basis of shared security interests and a common
13 points were not complied with till June 2020. rival - Iran.

Feb 21, 2020 Feb 24, 2020

US and Talban agreed to sign a historic peace deal Fresh wave of violence swept Indian capital Delhi
on Feb 29 in Doha to end the 18 year war in and other cities in northern areas killing at least a
Afghanistan, the costliest and longest war in US dozen people and wounding over two hundred as US
president Trump began 2-day visit, after BJP immediate bomb blast. Taliban spokesman said they
workers turned maniac over Muslims protesting would not target foreign forces at present.
against anti-Muslim citizenship Act. Scores of Modi New cases of Coronavirus reported from the US,
backers armed with batons and guns were brought Europe and Saudi Arabia, death toll reached well
in Delhi from nearby cities in buses who set fire to above 3000 and total affected people over 100,000,
Muslim properties, shops and mausoleums, as the virus reached over 60 countries.
following BJP ministers incited people to shoot March 3, 2020
those speaking ill of India. After US president Trump talked to Taliban chief
negotiator Mulla Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban
Feb 25, 2020 agreed to extend their offer to meet Afghan officials
Deadly anti-Muslim riots by BJP zealots in Delhi, in dialogue next week but not before they had
unleashed on teh arrival of US presidnet Trump, carried out dozens of attacks against Afghan army
continued for third day as over 40 Muslims were bases following the revoking of conditional truce in
killed and over three hundred wounded by baton- response to president Ghani’s refusal to release
wielding and slogan chanting Hindu extremists Taliban prisoners.
coming from far off places and taking the capital
nearly hostage, torching buildings, vehicles, March 4, 2020
mosques and attacking journalists, forcing the Taliban killed at least 20 Afghan soldiers after
authorites to enforce curfew and order ‘shoot down resuming deadly attacks while US forces also
the rioters’. Social media reported BJP leader like responded with airstrikes and missile attacks on
Kapil Mishra, openly threatened to kill Muslim Taliban to defend Afghan forces, as the peace deal’s
protesters and inciting the Hindus to kill. future became hopeless in the wake of president
In Pakistan, the government directed the provinces Ghani’s refusal to honor the peace deal and release
to protect minority Hindus against possible backlash 5000 Taliban prisoners promised by the US.
and provide protection to them. Saudi Arabia suspended round the year Umrah
pilgrimage for its citizens and residents just one
month ahead of the peak season in the holy month
March, 2020 of Ramadan, in an unprecedented move, raising
uncertainty over annual Hajj pilgrimage only four
March 1, 2020
months away, after the fears of a coronavirus
Just a day after the Taliban and US signed the
outbreak grew further. Indian PM Modi also
Afghan peace deal in Qatar, the new Afghan
president, Ashraf Ghani, threatened to derail the announced to refrain from going to the biggest
festival, Holi, while several other world leaders and
entire peace process by refusing to release 5000
celebrities announced the observation of seclusion
Taliban prisoners agreed to by the US as a swap of
in the wake of the virus outbreak.
1000 Afghan government prisoners which were to be
Senate passed the Zainab Alert Bill, the law to
released later by Taliban.
punish child molestors with sentences from 7-years
The Sindh government extended the closure of
to 14-years, and establishing the authority to
educational institutions in the province, from the
promptly respond the cases, as Jamaat Islami and
earlier date of Feb 28, upto March 13 in view of the
growing threats of Coronavirus outbreak, despite other religious parties voted against it, alleging that
it aimed at protecting the child molestors since it
the fact that only one case had been reported in
had no provision of death sentence.
Karachi.
March 5, 2020
March 2, 2020
As the fourth case of coronavirus was reported from
Afghan Peace Deal looked shattered just after two
days as the Taliban refused to join intra-Afghan Karachi, the total number of cases in Pakistan
reached 6. Saudi authorities evacuated pilgrims
talks scheduled in Oslo on March 10 unless the
from Holy Kaaba, emptying the place around it for
condition of releasing 5000 prisoners was fulfilled,
sterilization in its efforts to prevent the outbreak,
which president Ashraf Ghani had rejected a day
but declaring that the upper floors would remain
before. Taliban decided to revoke the conditional
open for tawaf and worship, as three new cases of
ceasefire, ordering fighters to resume attacks
coronavirus reported in the kingdom, bringing the
against Afghan forces, as Kabul rocked with an
total to five. UAE asked the mosques to reduce
Friday sermon to only ten minutes, while reducing March 10, 2020
the normal prayer timings as well. As the coronavirus hit nearly 100 countries including
Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei urged many in Europe, with nearly 3500 deaths and over
India to control BJP extremists massacring and 100,000 suffering, Italian government extended the
persecuting Muslim population, just days after lock down and self quarantine to the entire country
Indian government expressed resentment on Iranian after the death toll from coronavirus reached 450
foreign minister javed Zarif’s statement on the same and affected over 9000. US also reported 27 deaths
issue, calling it interfence in India’s internal affairs. as over 700 affected, while the death toll in Iran
crossed 500. On the other hand, the spread of the
March 6, 2020 virus was halted in China as the number of new
In fast escalating violence in Afghanistan, a bomb affected persons reduced considerably. Total
blast in Kabul killed 32 and injured 70, as US number of affected in Pakistan reached to 19, with
president Trump warned that Taliban could take 15 in Sindh only.
over Afghanistan again after US and foreign troops
withdrew if the Kabul regime did not learn to defend March 11, 2020
itself without the US. The World Health Organization (WHO) stepped up
March 7, 2020 the level of Coronavirus threat, declaring it a global
Saudi authorities averted an alleged coup plot pandemic after it reached nearly one hundred
against Saudi crown prince Muhammad Bin Salman, countries including many european and asian
arresting among several royal family members and nations, ringing alarm bells for the governments
princes, the three top princes, including King responding to it either slowly or with inaction.
Salman’s only surviving full brother and prominent Afghan Taliban refused to join intra Afghan talks in
critic of the Royal policies, prince Ahmad bin Abdul Oslo unless 5000 prisoners were released in
Aziz Al Saud, besides prince Muhammad Bin Nayef advance as part of the peace accord, and also
who was crown prince till 2017 when King Salman rejected conditional release offered by Kabul,
removed him to nominate his own son Muhammad, pushing the deal’s future on the verge of collapse.
and prince Nawaf bin Nayef.
Only a day after US intelligence reports said Taliban March 12, 2020
were not serious in abiding by the peace deal with NAB arrested Jang/Geo TV chief editor Mir Shakil ur
US, a statement from Taliban spokesman claimed Rehman in a 35-year old property exchange deal
they were the legal ruler of Afghanistan and US made with LDA, in what appears a victimization as
peace deal did not change that fact, adding that overwhelming criticism in the country and abroad
Taliban were bound by Islamic law to re-establish accused PTI government of attacking media
Islamic regime after foreign troops withdrawal. freedom.
As the US, Saudi Arabia and many European
March 8, 2020 countries halted flight operations mainly from those
In a drastic step, Italy locked down one third of its countries affected with coronavirus, a fresh wave of
area, include the north regions around Venice and panic gripped the world after thousands of stranded
financial capital Milan,closing cinemas, theaters, passengers flocked airports, train and bus stations,
markets and offices, putting nearly one fourth and world stock markets dropped to record depths.
population (16 m) in self quarantine zones till April
3, after coronavirus deaths crossed one hundred, March 13, 2020
making it third most hit country after China (3000 As the global death toll of coronavirus crossed 5000
deaths) and Iran (over 200). with nearly 150,000 suffering, Pakistan closed down
borders with Iran and Afghanistan, extended closure
March 9, 2020 of educational institutions till April 13, banned
World stock markets showed sharp declines in last wedding and other gatherings including Tablighi
24 hours on the fears of fast spreading coronavirus Ijtima at Raiwind,cinemas, offices etc for at least 15
that now reached 100 countries, losing billions of days, changed PSL cricket schedule to hold both
dollars, while oil prices recorded their biggest one- semi finals on March 17 and final on 18th.
day crash since the first Gulf War in 1991. Blame game between China and the US over which
country was the origin of coronavirus intensified
after China’s foreign ministry spokesman Zhao
Lijian again claimed the US was its birthplace and in
a tweet reiterated the allegation that the US army After the world financial markets crashed sharply,
brought it to Wuhan. He referred to a video on Pakistan stock exchange also collapsed registering
China’s twitter-like Weibo showing a US Health the historic one day decline of 2375 points, vanishing
official, Dr Robert Redfield, director of the Centers the assets of thousands of investors who joined
for Disease Control and Prevention, claiming that millions of people abroad, becoming poor overnight.
some among the thousands of Flu victims last year
were posthumously tested to have died of March 17, 2020
coronavirus, saying it proved his claim. With cases In a major move, Sindh government ordered a lock
falling in China and rising abroad, Beijing is bent down of all markets, hotels and restaurants besides
upon rejecting the widely held claim that Wuhan was the government offices, except grocery stores, meat
the origin of the outbreak. and vegetable shops.

March 14, 2020 March 18, 2020

After the death toll reached 5800 and affected over Coronavirus began taking a toll on Pakistan as two
150,000, Coronavirus began crippling the whole died in KP and the infected tally reached 295, while
world as many more countries in Europe and middle the panicked world sealed off borders including
east halted flight operations, issuing visas except those of EU, US-Canada and a number of countries
diplomatic, closing down markets, gatherings and in middle east and Asia, with total deaths crossed
transport. With a number of top government officials 8000 and infected over 200,000. Poor nations
across the world testing positive, including Canadian appealed to the rich countries to pump in financial
first lady Sophie Trudeau, Iranian president help to fight the global pandemic, while China
appealed to the UN to lift sanctions which were expelled three US journalists representing top
hindering its fight against coronavirus. journals accusing them of biased and racist, as the
war of words intensified between Beijing and
March 15, 2020 Washington on which country spread coronavirus in
After the corona virus reached nearly 140 countries, the world.
killing over 6000 and affecting 160,000 people, many
countries including India, Kuwait, Iraq etc, shut land March 19, 2020
borders, banned mass prayers, shopping malls, The Army was called in to assist the civil
offices etc. extremely restricting the internal flights administration deal with the coronavirus threat,
and transport systems. In Pakistan, the affectees setting up a command and control center to monitor
tally crossed 50, as 22 new cases took the number to the situation and provide latest updates on the
52, majority of whom visited Iran in recent weeks. situation.

March 16, 2020 March 20, 2020

With death toll crossing 7300 and suffering 180,000, Sindh imposed a 3-day lock down in the province to
corona cases in Pakistan jumped to 183, with only counter coronavirus spread, after reporting its first
150 in Sindh, as more countries of the world halted death from the virus, closing offices, markets and
flights، transport systems, schools, colleges, businesses except vital needs, and banning more
restaurants and businesses, Turkey suspended than five people to gather, as chief minister Murad
mass prayers in mosques until the risk of Ali Shah asked people to go in complete isolation.
coronavirus outbreak passes. Israel shut down Al- Four accused of notorious gang rape and murder of
Aqsa Mosque compound and Dome of the Rock, a girl in moving bus were hanged in Delhi’s Tihar
asking Jewish worshippers not to kiss Western Wall. jail, bringing an end to the case titled Nirbhaya case
However, Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar said that rocked the entire country since 2012.
govt had no plan to ban Friday congregations, yet the
noted clerics appealed to limit the Friday prayers to March 21, 2020
only two Rakats, asking the believers to pray the Pakistan suspended all flight operations for two
remaining Salat at homes.Sindh chief minister weeks except diplomatic and cargo, besides
blamed federal government for not properly allowing the scheduled return flights to the country
quarantining the pilgrims from Iran and let them in as 3 deaths were reported with nearly 600 patients.
without testing, fearing more of them had gone to Punjab and Balochistan also ordered partial
Punjab than Sindh, fearing an outbreak in Punjab lockdown after Sindh clamped it two days ago to
soon.
prevent coronavirus spread. America and many March 25, 2020
european countries all major cities under lockdown In response to a request by President Arif Alvi,
amidst rising death toll, putting over one billion Egypt’s historic seminary Jamia Al Azhar University
people in isolation to ward off the deadly disease. issued an edict, saying congregational prayers,
US and China again accused each other of spreading including Friday and daily prayers, could be
coronavirus, as US secretary of State Mike Pompeo suspended in times of a serious epidemic
also demanded China to share the coronavirus cure threatening spread among the masses. President
data with the world to save lives, besides accusing Alvi, in a tweet, said he had asked for the edict after
Beijing of allowing affected people to leave Wuhan to many countries already suspended congregational
Italy, Spain and other parts of the world. While prayers including UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Algeria,
Chinese Foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Tunisia, Jordan, Kuwait, Palestine, Turkey, Syria,
Chunying accused the US of trying to shift blame to Lebanon and Egypt.
China, adding that Beijing prevented world lives by As India enforced an abrupt lockdown and
struggling hard to contain the virus as WHO also suspended all transport, factories, markets and
praised its efforts. businesses etc, millions of migrant workers and
commuters were left stranded and jobless and
March 22, 2020 panicky scenes were witnessed at the massively
Punjab and Balochistan also reached out to the crowded trains and bus stations. The Modi
Army to help them counter the spread of government was massively criticised after slamming
coronavirus despite that prime minister Imran Khan a complete lockdown without prior planning giving
opposes complete lock down in the country to only four hours’ notice to its 1.3 billion population.
prevent miseries to the poor and middle classes. as
the death toll in the country surged to five with over March 26, 2020
750 patients. Media reports and opposition leaders Saudi government asked Pakistan not to book Hajj
accused PM’s advisor on overseas Pakistanis and pilgrims for this year and wait for a final decision by
son-in-law of first lady Bushra Bibi, Zulfi Bukhari of King Salman later, as the greatest Muslim worship
spreading the coronavirus in the country by using may be canceled in view of the coronavirus threat.
his influence to bring in a number of pilgrims from Following the Jamia Al-Azhar edict to ban mass
Iran without mandatory quarantine after Irani congregational prayers, Sindh government banned
authorities pushed them into Pakistan for want of congregational prayers in mosques including Friday
facilities to keep them. prayers, limiting the number to 5 persons in prayers
including mosque staff.
March 23, 2020
Finally, the federal government imposed a March 27, 2020
countrywide lockdown to prevent the spread of World saw the deadliest day in over 3 months’
coronavirus, two days after Sindh and Islamabad disaster of coronavirus as 2975 deaths were
had already locked down their territories, as the recorded in a single day, pushing the death toll to
tally of deadly virus affectees reached close to 900 over 28,000 and total affectees in 183 countries
and six people had died. reached over 600,000. The influx of the virus which
As China recovered from the Corona pandemic and surfaced in China in December, is now directed
life in Wuhan began returning to normalcy after 90 towards europe and US, as the US surpassed China
days of lockdown, people began returning to jobs with over 87,000 affectees with 1350 deaths,
and markets reopening after no new deaths or followed by Italy which has 83,000 affectees with
infections were reported. 9461 deaths, Spain has 72000 affectees with 5700
deaths and Iran 35,000 affectees with 2400 deaths.In
March 24, 2020 Pakistan the corona cases reached 1373 with 11
As India imposed a complete countrywide lock down deaths.
against the coronavirus threat, over one third of the
world population has now been placed under March 28, 2020
curfew, including several cities of Europe which now The fast rising death toll from coronavirus reached
remains the heart of the epidemic. First Italy and upto 31,000 with over 3000 deaths reported in a
now Spain’s death toll have overtaken that of China, single day after it reached over 190 countries,
while Britain’s Prince Charles became the latest among them the US became the worst hit with
prominent figure to test positive. 105,000 patients and 1751 deaths, while Italy’s death
toll reached over 10,000 with 89,000 patients. On the APRIL 2020
other hand, China partially lifted lock down of
April 1, 2020
Wuhan city, the epicenter of the coronavirus, as
As the coronavirus death toll in Pakistan reached 30,
locked out residents and workers returned to the
with 2250 confirmed cases, the federal government
city after 10 weeks, but the passengers and the
extended the lock down of major cities for two
residents were in complete protective kits, showing
weeks, up to April 15, extending the suspension of
that the danger was not over. Legendary Squash
domestic flight operations till April 11. Globally,
player Azam Khan who won four British open, died
coronavirus pandemic has claimed over 40,000 lives
of coronavirus in England.
in 206 countries, over 33,000 in Europe alone, as the
Afghan Taliban rejected to meet the negotiating
UN described it as humanity's worst crisis since
team formed by Afghan government for starting the
World War II, though half of the planet´s population
much awaited intra Afghan talks, accusing Kabul of
is already under some form of lockdown in a battle
violating the conditions of peace deal requiring
to halt the contagion. Spain reported a record 864
release of 5000 Taliban prisoners and including all
deaths in 24 hours, pushing the total deaths past
Afghan factions in the talks.
9,000, while Italy´s 12,500 people were killed. US
President Donald Trump warned America to brace
March 29, 2020
for a “very, very painful two weeks” as the pandemic
The global death toll of coronavirus reached 33,600
was projected to take 100,000 to 240,000 lives.
as number of infected persons reached 715,000, and
the worst hit were europe and US where the life
came to a stand still after president Trump who Indian government of BJP announced new laws,
announced quarantining new york, reversing his that experts and residents fear will alter the
earlier decision of not shutting the city down which demographic status of the Muslim-majority
accounted for one third of all 2500 deaths in the Himalayan region, by allowing such Hindus to
country. Italy and Spain are staggering as death toll become permanent residents and domicile holders
is climbing high with over 10,000 and 6000 of Muslim majority state of Kashmir who have
respectively. Spain’s 86 years old princess Maria resided for a period of 15 years in Kashmir or
Teresa became the first royal figure to die of studied for a period of seven years and appeared in
coronavirus, while Germany´s Hesse state’s finance Class 10/12 examinations in educational institutions
minister,Thomas Schaefer, committed suicide due located in the region.
to the mounting economic crises of coronavirus.
In Pakistan, death toll reached 17 and affected April 2, 2020
reached 1500, despite the major parts of the country The coronavirus death toll in the world crossed
were under volunteer lockdown, since PM Imran 52,000, with 5,500 deaths in one day, the worst so
Khan refused a forced shutdown saying half the far. The Saudi authorities put holy cities of Makkah
population would die of hunger as a result. and Madinah under 24-hour curfew to prevent the
spread. Europe bore the brunt of deaths, 1355 in
March 30, 2020 France, 760 in Italy, 709 Spain, 705 in US and 569 in
Government said that the rate of coronavirus UK, as the number of patients in the world crosses
infections decreased during the last 24 hours one million.
compared to the past few days, as only 99 new cases
were reported, while total deaths reached 25 with Deciding appeals in US journalist Daniel Pearl
five deaths reported during the last 24 hours, and kidnapping for ransom and murder case, Sindh High
total patients reached 1,776, of which 566 in Sindh, Court revoked the death sentence of British citizen
Punjab 651, Balochistan 144, KP 217, Islamabad 51, Ahmed Omer Sheikh and life imprisonment of 3
Gilgit Baltistan 142 and JK 6.PM’s advisor Dr Zafar Pakistanis Fahad Naseem, Syed Salman Saqib and
Mirza said that the number of recovered patients Sheikh Mohammad Adil, awarded by anti-terrorism
would increase in the coming days, hoping that the court 18 years ago. The court observed “kidnapping
rate of infections would also decrease. for ransom and murder charges could not be
established against the accused,” but convicted
Omer Sheikh of abducting Daniel Pearl “by deceitful
means”, and sentenced him to 7 years and Rs.2
million fine which he had already undergone.
The broken Afghan peace deal found fresh hope could reach 50,000 by April 25, expressing
after the Kabul regime announced the release of 100 satisfaction that after 35 days of suffering from the
Taliban militants in a prisoner swap for 20 of its virus, the number of affectees so far was far less
soldiers, as part of the larger swap of 5000 Taliban than the European countries during this period.
for 1000 Afghan soldiers, agreed in Feb 28 Peace Globally, the number of affectees crossed 1.1 million
Deal at Doha. The Peace Deal was dealt with a with 60,000 deaths, as the US became the top
serious blow when the Taliban refused to join the country with nearly 300,000 patients followed by
intra Afghan dialogue scheduled in Oslo after Kabul Spain 130,000, Italy 125,000, Germany 97,000 and
had earlier refused to release Taliban prisoners. France 89,000. But the death toll in Italy is higher
April 3, 2020 (15,400) than Spain (12,500) followed by France
The financial gurus declared that the coronavirus (7500) while in Germany it is 1470.
could cause the world economy to suffer over 4
trillion dollars losses. Prime Minister Imran khan April 5, 2020
announced huge incentives for the construction Afghan Taliban warned the US and Kabul regimes
industry, lifting all taxes, duties, relieving investors that the Doha peace deal was nearing a breaking
from disclosing source of income and exempting point, accusing them of violating the deal by
capital gains tax on sale, purchase of houses, and 90 frequent drone attacks on civilians and delaying the
per cent tax exemption for investors of Naya promised release of 5,000 Taliban prisoners. A
Pakistan Housing Scheme. Taliban spokesman said they had abided by the deal
by halting attacks on foreing forces and restricting
The coronavirus death toll crossed 58,000 as the attacks on Afghan security forces. They threatened
world registered the worst day with 5400 deaths, to resume attacks if the US, Kabul continued
including 1120 in France, US 857, Italy 766, UK 684 violations and created an atmosphere of mistrust.
and Spain 661.
Global fatalities from the coronavirus pandemic
A veteran Indian politician, ruling BJP’s MP, soared past 69,000, with the US becoming the new
Subramunim Swami revealed the true Muslim-hater center, reporting 9,550 deaths including 1,084 in the
face of Hindu extremists, declaring that Muslims are last 24 hours and the total patients reaching
not equal citizens as they pose threat to the world 333,000. Europe continues to bear the brunt of the
when their number grows from 30 per cent of the epidemic, claiming over 45,000 of the worldwide
population. Giving an interview to a western deaths, as over 1.27 million confirmed coronavirus
journalist Isobel Yeung, Mr Swami said that the cases around the planet, half of which is locked
article 14 of Indian constitution ensuring equal down, shutting schools, businesses, markets taking
rights to all citizens has been misunderstood a huge cost to the global economy. Italy and Spain
regarding Muslims who were not equal citizens. took some sigh of relief, with Rome reporting a drop
in the number of intensive care cases from 4,068 to
April 4, 2020 3,994 in the last 24 hours. Spain, which is under a
PTI government was jolted at the most troubled time near-total lockdown, saw a second successive daily
of its political career after a report into the sugar fall in coronavirus-related deaths with 809 fatalities,
and flour crises in past few months held that the which totaled 11,744. In Pakistan, Coronavirus cases
major beneficiaries of the shortage of those reached 3161 with 47 deaths.
commodities Rs 3 billion subsidy on Sugar export
were the mills owned by top PTI leaders including April 6, 2020
Jahangir Tareen, Federal Minister Khusro Bakhtiar, Pakistan saw 600 new cases of coronavirus in the
his brother and Punjab Minister Hashim Jawan last 24 hours, as the number of patients reached
Bakht, and coalition partner in PML-Q, Chaudhri 3766 and deaths to 52. Both heads were doubled
Moonis Elahi, and Chaudhri Munir. The investigation during the week before, forcing the authorities to
by a 3 member FIA team headed by Wajid Zia was consider extending the lockdown beyond April 14.
appointed by Prime Minister Imran Khan himself.
Prime Minister Imran Khan reshuffled the cabinet in
Deaths from corona virus in Pakistan reached 43, the wake of an inquiry report accusing PTI top
while the number of patients rose to 2815. A leaders and ministers of directly benefiting from the
government report said the number of patients billions of subsidy on sugar and flour export,
changing the portfolio of Makhdoom Khusro journalists and opponents for criticizing extreme
Bakhtiar, one of the main accused, from minister of restrictions. The former Chilean president warned
food security to finance affairs, while other accused certain governments including the US employing
Jahangir Khan Tareen was removed from the chair ‘“needless and unproportionate emergency
of the taskforce on Agriculture. measures” to justify repressive changes to regular
legislation, which will remain in force long after the
April 7, 2020 emergency is over.” She cited reports of journalists
Afghan peace process halted after the Taliban being penalised for reporting a lack of masks,
suspended talks with the Kabul regime on prisoner health-workers reprimanded for saying they lack
exchange and called back its 3-member delegation protection, and ordinary people arrested for social
to Doha just a couple of days in Kabul, as the regime media postings about the pandemic. “Criticism is
refused to release those 15 prisoners who were to not a crime. Bachelet also called on governments to
identify and verify the 5000 Taliban prisoners. US “greatly increase access to accurate information
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo threatened to and statistics” on the pandemic, stressing that
withdraw all troops and halt $1 Billion aid to Kabul if “transparency is paramount and can be life-saving
it failed to reach an agreement with Taliban. in a health crisis”.

April 8, 2020 April 10, 2020

Nearly three weeks after Prime Minister Imran Khan Chief Justice took suo motu notice of the
announced a relief package to poor workers affected "inadequate facilities and relief measures" in the
by coronavirus lockdown, he finally declared that a country to combat coronavirus, asking the attorney
Rs 12000, 4-month stipend will begin to be general to provide details of facilities provided at the
distributed among 12,000,000 families from 17,000 hospitals to contain the virus.
distribution centers from April 9. Global death toll of coronavirus reached 102,099
with total confirmed cases standing at 1,685,610,
The Kabul regime released 100 low-ranking Taliban with the US now emerging as the global hotspot of
prisoners a day after the Taliban had walked out of the virus as over 1,700 people died in one day
talks and withdrew their delegation following pushing total deaths at 18,331, people died followed
Kabul’s refusal to first release 15 important Taliban by 18,849 deaths in Italy, 15,970 in Spain, 13,197 in
to identify and verify the 5000 prisoners in Afghan France, 8,958 in UK and 4,232 in Iran.
jails. Taliban spokesman said it was not yet verified Some 17 million Americans have so far lost their
if the released prisoners were on their list. jobs, prompting the US government to launch a $2.3
trillion rescue package, while the European Union
April 9, 2020 late Thursday struck a 500-billion euro ($550 billion)
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) warned that deal to help hard-hit member states.
the coronavirus pandemic has pushed the world
economy to the worst recession since the Great April 11, 2020
Depression of 1930’s, with emerging markets and United States announced a 10 million-dollar
low-income nations in Africa, Latin America and reward for “any information on the activities,
Asia at particularly high risk after the closure of networks and associates” of Muhammad
businesses, industries and agriculture sparked huge Kawtharani, a Lebanese Hezbollah commander
unemployment and starvation. IMF MD Kristalina accused of playing a key role in coordinating Iran-
Georgieva said emergency financing to world backed Shiite movement in Iraq, taking over General
countries demanded over $100 billion, for a partial Qasim Sulemani who was killed two months ago by
recovery in the global economy in 2021 if the the US. The US State Department said Kawtharani is
pandemic fades in the second half of this year to coordinating Iran-backed military groups organized
allow a gradual lifting of lockdown measures. But, if by Sulemani.
it continued, things may get even worse. The United States surpassed Italy to have the
highest coronavirus deaths, reporting more than
19,600 fatalities since the outbreak began, Italy has
UN Human Rights Commissioner Michelle Bachelet
second highest death toll of 19,468, followed by
warned countries against using the coronavirus
Spain with 16,353, France with 13,832 and Britain
crisis as a “blank cheque” to crush civil liberties,
with 8,975 deaths. The global death toll reached
adopting “unlimited” emergency powers to penalize
108,000 with over 5,700 new deaths, as infections Top ulema and scholars of all schools of thought
reached 1,765,500 with over 400,000 recoveries. announced to reopen mosques for congregational
prayers and taraweeh in coming Ramadan, rejecting
April 12, 2020 the government's restrictions allowing only five
Hundreds of millions of Christians around the world worshipers in prayers three weeks back, but said
spend the Easter holiday at home, as lockdown mosques would observe all government SoPs and
measures intensify to combat the coronavirus, with take precautionary measures. At a press
governments forcing businesses to close and conference, Mufti Taqi Usmani, Mufti Munibur
limiting the movement of half the world's Rehman and others said the government's ban on
population, halting economic activity. mosque prayers were unjustified as crowds violating
Bangladesh executed by hanging an ex-captain SoPs were seen everywhere, especially in markets,
Abdul Majed accused of assassinating PM Hasina ration distributions and political meetings. They
Wajed’s father and country’s founding father Sheikh urged people coming to mosques to observe
Mujibur Rehman along with family in a military coup precautions, including practicing social distancing,
on August 15, 1975, less than a week after couner use sanitisers, wear masks and perform ablution at
terrorism police arrested him driving a rickshaw in homes. They said mosques would remove carpets,
Dhaka on the run for 45 years. Abdul Majed was clean floors, and ensure sanitizers and soaps
sentenced to death in absentia in 1998, along with a available. They said by arresting prayer leaders and
dozen other army officers over the murders, five of lodging FIRs against them, the government violated
the killers were executed in 2009 after the Supreme its agreement with the clerics, demanded immediate
Court upheld the verdict. release and quashing of cases.

April 13, 2020 April 15, 2020

The National Coordination Committee (NCC) has US President Donald Trump announced halting its
decided extending the nationwide lockdown to share of $400 m annual funding to the World Health
another 14 days on the recommendation of Sindh Organization (to its $4.8 billion budget), accusing the
Chief Syed Murad Ali Shah who had demanded world body of severely mismanaging and covering
Prime Minister Imran Khan to do that in view of up the spread of the coronavirus, bungling the
incessant spread of coronavirus, saying the response and failing to accurately assess and timely
economy was revivable but not the dead humans. communicate the disease’s threat in China which
The government also decided to extend closure of would have contained it "with very little deaths".
all borders of the country to further two weeks. Trumps’ move was seen as an attempt to deflect
scrutiny of his own administration's slow response
April 14, 2020 to the outbreak. UN Secretary General Antonio
Prime Minister Imran Khan, on the Guterres said, it was unwise and untimely since
recommendations of National Command and WHO’s role was vital in the fight against the virus.
Operation Centre (NCOC), extended countrywide
lockdown for two weeks, but allowed the opening of April 17, 2020
low risk economic activities under SoPs till 5 pm. COVID-19 cases witnessed a sharp increase as 497
The businesses allowed to open to minimize were reported in 24 hours, and rose to 7,404, while
financial hardships of low income groups, included 11 died during the last 24 hours which took the
construction, fertiliser, agricultural goods, import death toll to 138. Out of total 7,404 cases, Sindh has
industry, all industrial and commercial entities that 2,217, Punjab 3,391, KP 993, Balochistan 351,
are part of the supply chain of food items, Islamabad 154, Gilgit-Baltistan 250 and AJK 48. Out
medicines, pharmacy, agriculture, fuel, media, of total 138 deaths, KP reported 45, Sindh 47,
banks and philanthropic organisations. Shops of dry Balochistan 5, Gilgit-Baltistan 3, Punjab 37 and
cleaners, electricians, plumbers, stationery and hair Islamabad one death.
dressers etc will open under standard operating Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz Al al-
procedures (SoPs). The transport of all goods in the Sheikh warned that Taraweeh prayers during
country shall also continue to take place without Ramadan and Eid Al Fitr should be performed at
interruption.But shopping malls, markets, cinema home if the coronavirus outbreak continues. Saudi
houses, sports stadiums, educational institutions Arabia in mid-March stopped people performing
and public places will remain completely closed regular and Friday prayers inside mosques. The
kingdom has 6,380 cases of COVID-19, and 83 deaths Umrah pilgrimage will remain suspended until
so far. further notice.
COVID-19 cases in Pakistan approached 10,000,
April 18, 2020 as they rose to 9,739 with the death toll reaching
Government conditionally lifted a ban on 209. Total cases in Sindh are 3,053, Punjab 4,328, KP
congregation prayers in mosques, provided strict 1,345, Balochistan 495, Islamabad 185, Gilgit-
SoPs and social distancing observed in the coming Baltistan 283 and Azad Jammu and Kashmir 50.
Ramadan. A meeting of scholars from all schools of Death toll in KP is 80, Sindh 66, Balochistan 6, Gilgit-
thought and government ministers chaired by Baltistan 3, Punjab 51,and three in Islamabad.
president Arif Alvi at the President House agreed on
a 20-point code of conduct for opening mosques and April 23, 2020
allowing Taraweeh prayers in Ramadan. Following attacks on 5G internet towers in European
countries and China spurred by social media calls,
April 19, 2020 Twitter announced removing comments calling to
Coronavirus deaths in Pakistan rose to 169 with destroy 5G internet towers, backing a conspiracy
record 24 new deaths in a day, as the number of theory that linked 5G to the coronavirus spread.
infections reached 8,411. Out of total cases, Punjab Twitter said it broadened policy to remove
has 3,822, Sindh 2,537, KP 1,137, Balochistan 432, unverified claims inciting harmful activity, to the
Islamabad 171, Gilgit-Baltistan 263 and Azad destruction or damage of critical 5G infrastructure,
Kashmir 49. So far 56 people died in Sindh, 41 in or to widespread panic, social unrest, or large-scale
Punjab, 60 in KP, 2 in Islamabad, 5 in Balochistan disorder.
and 3 in GB.
Saudi Arabia's top council of religious clergy April 24, 2020
urged the Muslims worldwide to pray at home About 1.8 b Muslims across the world began a bleak
during Ramadan if their countries required social month of Ramadan fasting under COVID-19
distancing to combat coronavirus. Saudi Grand Mufti pandemic locked down, with cancelled iftar feasts,
Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Aal-e- suspended mosque prayers and festive shopping
Sheikh had appealed Muslims to offer Taraweeh and and charities, dampening Ramazan spirit like never
Eid prayers at home if the coronavirus situation before in history. In majority of Muslim countries,
continued. particularly in Saudia Arabia, grand religious
authorities had banned or drastically curtailed
April 20, 2020 congregational taraweeh night prayers, urging
Crude oil prices crashed below $0 for the first time believers to perform them at home, and warning
in history, amid a coronavirus-induced surplus that Eid congregation could also be cancelled if
supply, recording a stunning minus $37.63 a barrel threat persisted.
as desperate traders paid to get rid of oil after the As coronavirus cases rose to 11,700 with deaths
world was left with practically no storage capacity. rising to 248, government extended the lockdown to
Refiners processing far below than normal, so May 9, mid of Ramadan.
hundreds of millions of barrels were stocked into
storage facilities worldwide. Traders have hired April 25, 2020
vessels just to anchor them and fill them with the Saudi Kingdom abolished flogging as a form of
excess oil. A record 160 million barrels is sitting in punishment, to be replaced by prison sentences or
tankers around the world. fines, or a mixture of both. Country’s top court,
General Commission for the Supreme Court,
April 21, 2020 announced the decision was “an extension of the
Saudi religious authorities cut down Taraweeh human rights reforms introduced under the
prayers at Holy Kaaba and Masjid Nabawi Makkah to direction of King Salman and the direct supervision
10 Rakaat instead of regular 20 in the holy month of of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.” Awwad
Ramadan performed by only the staff without public Alwwad, president of the Kingdom’s Human Rights
attendance, under persisting coronavirus fears. Commission, said “This reform is a momentous step
Head of the Two Holy Mosques, Sheikh Dr. forward in Saudi Arabia’s human rights agenda, and
Abdurrahman bin Abdulaziz Al Sudais, said Aitikaf merely one of the many recent reforms in the
had been cancelled at both the mosques, while Kingdom.”
 As the death toll from coronavirus crossed 200,000, pandemic till May as some stability at the global
infecting over 2.8 million, leaving half of humanity level was appearing.
locked down, an effective cure is still far off despite
the UN pushing the world to speed up vaccine April 28, 2020
development. The World Health Organisation (WHO) After many Arabian countries raised concerns over
warned that recovering from coronavirus may not Muslim persecution in India, including Oman, UAE
protect people against re-infection. WHO also and Kuwait, the US Commission on International
warned western governments starting to ease Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has reentered India
lockdown restrictions after the daily death toll into the list of countries persecuting religious
seems to be falling, a sign hopeful epidemiologists minorities and violating religious freedoms,
had been looking for. WHO said it risked a second recommending Washington to impose targeted
wave of infections. The United States is the hardest- sanctions by freezing those individuals' assets and
hit country with 53,000 deaths and over 900,000 barring their entry into the United States under
infections. Europe is the continent hardest hit with human rights-related financial and visa authorities.
1,249,334 cases and 119,621 deaths, more than The USCIRF annual report put India in the list of 13
three quarters of those deaths in Italy, France, Spain countries of “particular concern” citing Modi
and Britain. Italy tops the death list with 26,334 government's policies and discriminatory laws
followed by Spain 22,902, France 22,245 and Britain agaisnt Muslim population. It said India has the
20,319. In Asia Iran is the worst hit with 5,650 worst and most alarming violations in religious
deaths. freedoms, citing "The Citizenship (Amendment) Act
in India that put millions of Muslims to detention,
April 26, 2020 deportation, and statelessness when the
After flogging, Saudi kingdom also abolished government completes its planned nationwide
death punishment for accused under 18 years. It National Register of Citizens." The USCIRF
also applied to those who were minors (below 18 in Commissioner appreciated Pakistan's efforts saying,
Saudi law) when they committed crimes. Instead, Islamabad has been willing to engage in dialogue
the minor accused will receive a prison sentence of about how religious freedom concerns can be
no longer than 10 years in a juvenile detention addressed."
facility. Human Rights Commission president Awwad China accused the US army again for planting
Alawwad, citing the royal decree said, the change coronavirus in Wuhan under cover of military games
helped the Kingdom in establishing a more modern there weeks before the pandemic began. Western
penal code. media cited Chinese foreing ministry spokesman
As the graph of daily coronavirus deaths slowed Zhao Lijian alleging that COVID-19 was created in US
down or levelled in some hard-hit western countries military lab, and a US Army reservist Maatje Benassi
like US, France, Italy, Spain, Saudi Arabia, was the patient zero, who brought the virus
governments began easing lockdown measures to registering as a cyclist in military world games in
slowly reopen economies after nearly two months to Wuhan and left after becoming wounded in a crash.
avoid a sudden rush back to normal life -- and the
risk of a second wave of infections -- amid warnings April 30, 2020
from the World Health Organisation that recovered Tens of thousands of people rallied in major US
people might not be immune to reinfection. Spain let cities protesting against the extended lockdown in
children out to play and ride bicycles in parks and the wake of coronavirus, calling it unjustified and
streets, while Italy eased restrictions but said unnecessary, demanding immediate reopening of
schools would reopen in September. Business in businesses.
some european countries could be reopened next
week with new SoPs, Saudi Arabia lifted a 24-hour Prime Minister Imran Khan hinted his helplessness
curfew for a few hours in many cities except the holy in the country's decision making by saying that the
city of Makkah. elite decided to impose lockdown after the
The Pakistani government declared the coronavirus pandemic without thinking of the
persistence of coronavirus till June, after which it starvation of the poor. He said Indian PM Modi
would be controlled. Special Assistant to the Prime proved himself cowardly when he locked down
Minister (SAPM) on Health, Dr Zafar Mirza, said entire India at once, forcing millions to starvation.
Europe and America are likely to control the His statement, while addressing a ceremony at
Comstech to receive a consignment of ventilators rose to 20,134. Sindh reported 7,465 cases, Punjab
and related medical equipment, came at a time 7,494, KP 3,129, Balochistan 1,218, Islamabad 393,
when he had already taken several U-turns in favor Gilgit-Baltistan 364 and AJK 71. KP reported 180
of or opposing the lockdown in the country. deaths, Sindh 130, Balochistan 21, Gilgit-Baltistan 3,
Punjab 121, and Islamabad 4.
MAY 2020 As the coronavirus pandemic showed signs of
slowing down, Europe prepared for a further
May 2, 2020
As the US-Taliban peace deal in doldrums with the cautious easing of lockdown restrictions, as hard-hit
continued violence and Kabul’s refusal to release Italy with the second highest number of deaths set
Taliban prisoners, the US military in Afghanistan to follow Spain in allowing people outside after a
warned both Taliban and Kabul regime to "return to two-month lockdown, to stroll in parks and visit
the political path" or face tough response. In a rare relatives.
open letter addressed to Taliban, US Forces- May 4,2020
Afghanistan spokesman Colonel Sonny Leggett The World Health Organisation (WHO) again denied
demanded all sides must sit down now to evolve the claims of US president Trump and Secretary of
future political peace. In a short reply on Twitter, State Mike Pompeo that COVID-19 originated from a
Taliban Zabihullah Mujahid scolded the US for Chinese lab in Wuhan city, saying Washington had
making "provocative statements", saying "We are provided no evidence or data to support its
committed to our end, you honor your own "speculative" claims. WHO emergencies director
obligations." Michael Ryan said in the absence of evidence this
After the anti-lockdown protests spread to major claim remains speculative.
cities, more US states eased coronavirus lockdowns
despite another spike in deaths, as US president The Supreme Court questioned the lack of
Trump approved an experimental drug for transparency and harmony in PTI government’s
emergency use on coronavirus patients. The drug measures for controlling the coronavirus, and
Remdesivir, an antiviral drug initially developed to directed the government to formulate a unified
treat Ebola, was approved after a major trial found policy across the country. A full bench headed by
that it boosted recovery in serious COVID-19 chief justice Gulzar Ahmad hearing a suo motu
patients. It incorporates itself into the virus´s notice says the lack of coordinated policy was the
genome, short-circuiting its replication process. reason the federal government failed to deliver.
An emergency field hospital erected in New York’s
Central Park to treat COVID-19 patients has been May 5, 2020
closed, as the Samaritan´s Purse, a US-based The 2020 Pulitzer Prize in feature photography was
Christian global relief agency running it announced awarded to three Associated Press photographers
coronavirus cases continued to decline in the city. based in Indian held Kashmir, Dar Yasin, Mukhtar
Khan and Channi Anand who opened a window into
May 3, 2020 the iron-curtain valley showing the world everyday
Tanzanian President John Magufuli suspected a life under Indian occupation army, finding ways to
“dirty game” in coronavirus testing, casting doubts sneak their pictures out of the unprecedented
over the figures shown on media, saying he had lockdown, suspension of internet and phone service
secretly tested a variety of animals, fruits and under the longest sweeping curfew in history. They
vehicle oil samples, including a papaya, a quail and a recalled risking their lives, snaking around
goat which proved “positive”. A chemistry graduate roadblocks, sometimes taking cover in strangers’
himself, the president ordered authorities to homes and hiding cameras in vegetable bags,
investigate “sabotage” at the national laboratory capturing images of protests, police and army action
after virus cases multiplied several times within and the daily life of captive people. They hang
days, saying the imported reagents could be around at the airport to persuade travelers to carry
programmed and technicians could have been the photo files out with them to the AP’s office in
bought to mislead, and the people tested positive New Delhi. “It was always cat-and-mouse,” they
may not be sick at all. recalled.

With 20 deaths in 24 hours, the death toll of May 6, 2020

coronavirus in Pakistan reached 462 and total cases Hundreds of celebrities, stars, scientists and Nobel
Laureates demanded radical changes in the world to
reverse the unbridled pursuit of profits and text a day earlier. the State Department
consumerism killing the life and ecosystem, rather spokesperson said Washington was concerned that
than “a return to normal” after the coronavirus China would use this resolution to advance false
lockdowns. In an open letter they signed published narratives about its response to the Covid-19
in the French daily Le Monde, Hollywood stars outbreak in Wuhan.
Madonna, Robert de Niro, Cate Blanchett, Jane
Fonda, Marion Cotillard and Monica Bellucci, May 10, 2020
besides noted scientists and Nobel laureates Easing lockdowns countries complained of re-
including peace prize winner Muhammad Yunus, emergence of COVID-19 as many countries
warned this tragic pandemic was a chance for registered a sharp surge in infections and even
humanity to “mend its ways”. It said “the ongoing China reported the first case in Wuhan after more
ecological catastrophe is a meta-crisis, demanding than a month following the lifting of lockdown.
not mere adjustments but systemic changes, a European and Asian countries registering rise in
profound overhaul of our goals, values, and radical COVID-19 cases fear a re-emergence, while the
transformation of economies to help save the planet. european and US authorities were struggling to
“Unlike a pandemic, a global ecological collapse will control and calm down the anti-lockdown protests.
have immeasurable consequences,” it said. “Blind
obsession with consumerism and productivity have May 11, 2020
led the world to deny the value of life itself, causing As pakistani government allowed partial reopening
pollution, climate change, and the destruction of the of markets after nearly six weeks of lockdown,
planet itself, it said. desperate people thronged the markets in a near
mad rush with no care for SOPs and masks
May 7, 2020 protection, raising concerns for a faster spread of
Despite that death toll of coronavirus touching 600 coronavirus.
and affected nearing 25,000, the government Russia surpassed Italy to become the country with
decided to substantially ease the lockdown from third highest coronavirus cases (221,344), behind the
May 9 after consensus with the provinces. But the US and Spain.
shopping malls, mega stores, restaurants, hotels,
marriage halls, cinema halls, automobile As FBI, the security and investigation agency of US,
manufacturers, inter- intra-city transport, trains will formally accused Chinese hackers of trying to steal
remain shut. Ban on concerts, public rallies, sport the research of developing coronavirus vaccine, both
events will continue, while educational institutions the countries also engaged in a diplomatic war over
will be closed till July 15 as all board exams of restricting the visas and expelling each other’s
classes 9th to 12th were canceled. journalists. Following Washington’s curtailing
Chinese journalist’s visas to a maximum of 90 days,
May 8, 2020 against the usual practice of according to the length
With the addition of record 1,791 new cases in a day, of their deployment, Chinese foreign ministry
Pakistan dropped two points in global ranking in spokesman warned of a similar move in coming
respect to COVID-19, from 24th to 22nd after having days if the decision was not reversed.
26,806 total cases and 622 deaths, as PTI
government set to lift lockdown restrictions May 12, 2020
substantially to help restore businesses and With reopening of schools not in sight in near future
industry. Sindh reported 9,691 cases 176 deaths, despite closure of two months, Sindh government
Punjab 10,033 cases 194 deaths, KP 4,327 cases 221 announced promoting students of class I to VIII to
deaths, Balochistan 1,725 cases 24 deaths, next grades without exams, but allowing schools to
Islamabad 558 cases 4 deaths, Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) take exams of key subjects afterwards. The decision
394 cases 3 deaths and Azad Kashmir (AJK) 78 to promote students of class IX and X will be taken
cases. by a special committee on the next day in
consultation with the representatives of public and
May 9, 2020 private examination boards, and will be approved by
United States prevented voting on a UN Security the government.
Council resolution for a ceasefire in various conflicts
around the world to help troubled nations better The US Supreme Court will take up the most
fight the coronavirus pandemic, after agreeing to its politically charged case of the year — President
Donald Trump’s refusal to turn over his tax returns measures against rebound of the virus. The US
and financial records to Congress and a New York Federal Reserve has also made gloomy forecasts
prosecutor, a case that may define the limits of against the prolonged shutdowns to stem the virus
presidential immunity. The judges confined at home spread, saying it could cause lasting economic
by the novel coronavirus pandemic will question damage to the country.
lawyers for both sides by telephone to be broadcast May 15, 2020
live. As the total coronavirus cases reached 38,741 and
death toll 834, Prime Minister Imran Khan warned
May 13, 2020 that worldwide health experts believed vaccine cure
After two days of frantic shopping without SOPs, could take another year to be found and that the
Sindh government sealed several markets for not nation would have to learn to live with the virus until
observing SOPs, and announced that a fine of at least the year end. He requested the provinces to
maximum one million rupees could be imposed on open public transport for providing relief and
violators. The traders protested against the dist livelihood opportunities to the people.
administration complaining they had been deprived
of buyers with Eid just round the corner. As UK struggles to gradually reopen after lockdown,
London mayor Sadiq Khan announced banishing
Dubai, the hub of UAE business and tourism, has cars from streets in central London, making it car-
reopened public parks, private beaches with free zone to encourage more walking and cycling
physical distancing SOPs, after nearly two months of and help public transport cope with social distancing
coronavirus restrictions. Earlier, on April 24, Dubai restrictions.
had eased a full curfew to eight hours at night, and
allowed dine-in restaurants and shopping malls to May 16, 2020
reopen at limited capacity. Mosques, cinemas, While the public protests are fading away in Europe
public beaches and nightclubs remain closed. as the lockdown restrictions being eased, the
protestors are increasing in Germany against tough
May 14, 2020 lockdown measures or a purported vaccination of
Government announced promoting students of class the world plan by Bill Gates and the likely cut in civil
9 and 11 without exams, while results of students of liberties. The growing wave of demonstrations saw
classes 10 and 12 would be evaluated on the basis of tens of thousands in major cities, displaying anger
marks obtained in classes 9 and 11, provided the against the policies of chancellor Angela Merkel.
students had cleared all the subjects, and these
students would be awarded three per cent extra May 17, 2020
marks. special exams would be held between Afghan President Ashraf Ghani signed a power-
September and November for students of four sharing deal with his arch political rival Dr Abdullah
categories, first those students wishing to improve Abdullah to end a four month political crisis that had
class 11 results in class 12, second those students been allowing Taliban to gain more political ground
who were to appear for composite exams this year, following their peace deal with the US. Abdullah who
third those students who wish to improve their had declared him a parallel president after a
results in a few subjects, and fourth those students swearing in ceremony in March, the day Ghani was
who fail in more than 40 per cent subjects in class sworn in as president, will now lead the National
11. These students must inform their boards by July Reconciliation High Commission and members of
1. his team will be included in the cabinet.

World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned citing May 18, 2020
a study that coronavirus may never go away and Supreme Court ordered reopening of shopping
populations will have to learn to live with it just as malls and markets for the whole week all-over the
they have with HIV. Besides, a US immunologist Dr country, overruling the decision of National
Rick Bright who was dismissed from state service Coordination Committee for maintaining complete
after he had warned Trump admin was not taking lockdown on Saturday and Sunday except for
necessary measures to prevent coronavirus spread essential services. Hearing a suo moto case
several months ago, has again warned of the US regarding combating the coronavirus pandemic, a
having the darkest winter in modern history if the full bench termed it against the fundamental rights,
Trump administration didn't take preventive warning that closure of markets for long would
cause a human disaster as reviving industry would on the verge of openly normalising closer ties with
become difficult and millions of workers could Israel, as as one of the Saudi characters in the
starve. shows justifies establishing trade ties with Israel,
arguing that Palestinians are the real “enemy” for
May 19, 2020 insulting the kingdom “day and night” despite
After India annoyed Nepal last month ignoring its decades of financial support.
protests against an 80-kilometre road Delhi built in
Uttarakhand state leading up to Lipu Lekh pass May 22, 2020
disputed between the two countries, Nepal took a In a major aviation disaster, a PIA airbus crashed
tougher stance and drawn-up a new political map over densely populated area of Model Colony
that includes strategically important territories of adjacent to Karachi airport, killing at least 97 on
Lipu Lekh pass and zones in Kalapani and board and several residents. The plane coming from
Limpiyadhura, comprising over 300 square Lahore crashed on houses few seconds before touch
kilometres, and considered important because it is down in its second attempt to land after the landing
where the Nepalese and Indian borders touch China. gears could not open in the first. Two lucky
Nepal claims the Kalapani region adjoining Lipu passengers survived including the president of Bank
Lekh pass, even though Indian troops have been of Punjab Zafar Masud.
deployed there since India and China fought a
border war in 1962, and both India and Nepal had The sons of noted journalist and tough critic of Saudi
shown Kalapani and Lipu Lekh in their political regime, Jamal Khashoggi who was killed and body
maps. dismembered in Saudi consulate in Istanbul in Oct
2018, announced forgiving the killers of their father,
May 20, 2020 a move that can potentially grant leniency to five
Addressing an online session of the World Economic convicted officials of Saudi intelligence facing death
Forum (WEF), Prime Minister Imran Khan penalty. Khashoggi’s murder tarnished the
demanded the developed countries to provide debt reputation of de facto ruler Crown Prince
relief to poorer nations struggling against the Mohammed bin Salman who was believed to have
coronavirus crisis that had crushed their economies. ordered the killing. .

May 21, 2020 Pakistan Army sent a gift of huge quantity of N-95
PM Imran Khan’s government faced another masks and medical Personal Protective Equipment
political crisis after he allowed making public the (PPE) against the coronavirus to the US Army as a
forensic report on the sugar crisis that also held gesture of solidarity with the US. 100,000 masks and
responsible the sugar mills of his close aide 25,000 PPEs were transported by a C-130 plane
Jahangir Tareen and allied partner from PML-Q from Islamabad to Andrews Air Force Base
Moonis Elahi, Omar Sheharyar, Omni Group and Maryland.
Sharif Group of committing corporate frauds of
billions of rupees. The forensic report uncovers the May 23, 2020
gross misconduct by sugar industry in the form of Only two survived in PIA airbus that crashed the
under-reported sugar sales, sales to unnamed previous day on houses, killing 97 on board, while
buyers, double booking, over-invoicing, under- dozens of residents were wounded besides suffering
invoiced sale of bagasse and molasses causing cost loss of property, as search for more survivors
inflation and many other corporate frauds were ended. Initial inquiry put the blame on the pilot who
detected in the transactions of sugar mills. failed to inform about the fault in landing gears.

Saudi Arabia was hit by social media criticism after May 25, 2020
two Ramazan television drama series on Saudi- WHO warned of a second wave hitting the countries
controlled network stirred controversy as they test where coronavirus infections are declining, and they
public perceptions of quietly normalizing relations could still face an “immediate second peak” if they
with Zionist state of Israel. Riyadh had already been let up preventive measures soon. WHO emergencies
accused in the recent past of quietly pursuing to head Dr Mike Ryan told a briefing that the world was
furtively build relations on the basis of shared still in the middle of the first wave of the coronavirus
animosity towards Iran like some other Arab states, outbreak, and cases are declining in many european
but the TV shows fuelled speculation that Riyadh is countries but still increasing in Central and South
America, South Asia and Africa, with total cases clashed with police, looted stores and set fires while
went past 5.6 million and total deaths reached over police fatally shot a man, fired tear gas and rubber
350,000. bullets to disperse the angry protestors. UN HR
chief Michelle Bachelet voiced alarm demanding US
May 26, 2020 authorities take “serious action” to put an end to
Delhi’s construction of new roads and air strips in police killings of unarmed African Americans, saying
disputed border area with China in Galwan valley in the latest was in a long line of killings of unarmed
Ladakh region, in an attempt to compete with African Americans by US police officers and white
beijing’s spreading Belt and Road initiative, pushed supremacists.
both the countries on the verge of an armed clash
after hundreds of soldiers positioned in tents and Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir
trenches on both sides of border accusing each Mohamad has been sacked from the Malay-centric
other of trespassing the territory where they had party he co-founded and led to victory in 2018
fought a war in 1962. general election. The 94-year-old leader
immediately challenged the move, and along with
May 27, 2020 four key allies in the Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia
Thousands of black Americans protested in (PPBM) released a statement saying they refused
Minneapolis after a video went viral showing four the sacking. Making a countermove they sacked the
white policemen pinning a handcuffed black man party’s working secretary for sending out the
kneeling on his neck for several minutes despite his termination letters. The drama occurred amid
pleading “I cant breath, I cant breath” and ultimately speculation that Mahathir had managed to garner
choking him to death by ignoring his pleas. The enough support from MPs in the 222-seat
victim named George Floyd was suspected of giving legislature to make a dramatic return to the prime
a fake $ 20 note to a shopkeeper, which was later ministership for the third time, after his shock
found out to be not fake, was shown being arrested, removal from power in February.
handcuffed and laying on the road with policeman
sitting on his neck kneeling. Minneapolis mayor May 29, 2020
Jacob Frey sacked the four officers, after protestors Coronavirus epidemic surged rapidly in Pakistan as
spread in city holding signs saying “Justice for death of 96 patients on a single day marked the
George Floyd” and “Black Lives Matter”, and he deadliest day so far in the epidemic as 2,363 cases
ignored the calls for them to be prosecuted for were reported. Four doctors were among the 96 new
murder. deaths, 29 of them were in Punjab, 31 in Sindh, 13 in
KP, 4 in Islamabad and 19 in Balochistan.
May 28, 2020
US Congress authorized sanctions against China for Black Lives Matter protests starting from
massive human rights violations of Uighur Muslims, Minneapolis spread to many other US cities as
accusing Beijing of “state-sponsored cultural thousands of protestors looted shops, set fire to
genocide” by keeping one million of Uighurs and police stations and vehicles, while police in Kentucky
other Turkish Muslims in Xinjiang region shot seven protestors, as riots spread beyond
incarcerated in concentration camps in a huge Minnesota, to Denver, Colorado and Phoenix. The
brainwashing campaign with few modern parallels. Kentucky protests were held over the death of a
The House of Representatives voted with just one black woman Breonna Taylor who was shot after
dissent in favor of the Uighur Human Rights Act, police entered her home in March. President Trump
hours after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo took a added fuel to the fire with his tweet saying "These
major step to press China on another major issue — THUGS are dishonouring the memory of George
the autonomy of Hong Kong. House Speaker Nancy Floyd and I won´t let that happen."
Pelosi warned that if America kept silence against
human rights violations in China for commercial US President Donald Trump signed an executive
interests, then it would lose all moral authority to order removing some of the legal protections given
speak out on HR violations anywhere in the world. to social media platforms, just days after Twitter
termed his two tweets as potentially misleading and
Protests in US city Minneaplis against the police violated the terms about glorifying violence, and
killing of a black man George Floyd grew larger on subjected them to fact check. Trump has regularly
the second day as thousands of demonstrators accused platforms such as Twitter and Facebook of
monopolising the opinions and stifling conservative Christopher Columbus statue beheaded in Boston
voices, and having "unchecked power" to censure Boston's mayor Marty Walsh condemned the
and edit the views of users. He accused Twitter of beheading but added that the statue would be
election interference after it added a warning label removed pending a decision about its future.
to the tweets about claims of widespread fraud in ADB okays $500m loan to Pakistan
mail-in voting - also known as postal votes. Twitter Loan would deliver social protection programmes to
and other social media platforms strongly the poor and vulnerable, ADB says
condemned the executive order.
13 June
May 30, 2020 Nasa names first woman to head human spaceflight
Rapidly spreading coronavirus begun getting out of “Kathy Lueders has been selected to lead NASA’s
control in the country that saw over 90 patients Human Exploration & Operations Mission
dying for the last few days, jumping the death toll to Directorate."
1,443, and total cases to 68,301. Of the total cases, Two ‘Indian spies’ arrested in Gilgit-Baltistan after
Sindh has 27,360, Punjab 24,104, Balochistan 4,193, crossing LoC.
KP 9,540, Gilgit Baltistan 678, Islamabad 2,192 and
16 June
Azad Jammu and Kashmir 234. KP reported 453
Steroid drug hailed as 'major breakthrough' in Covid-
deaths, Punjab 439, Sindh 427, Balochistan 46,
19 as trial shows it saves lives
Gilgit-Baltistan 11, Islamabad 23, and Azad Jammu
"Dexamethasone is inexpensive, on the shelf, and can
and Kashmir 6.
be used immediately to save lives worldwide," says
Peter Horby, an expert.
May 31, 2020
Curfews, hundreds of arrests and continuous 18 June
patrolling by US National Guards failed to quell the Kristen Stewart will play Princess Diana in
rioting, arsoning and clashes with police, as upcoming biopic
thousands of protestors took to streets under Black Titled Spencer, the film will show Lady Diana's
Lives Matters. Violence spread to dozens of US journey of finding herself and who she is meant to
cities, bringing the country to a civil war like be.
situation. Police fired rubber bullets in many cities India, Mexico, Norway, Ireland elected to UN
to control the mobs including New York, Atlanta, Los Security Council
Angeles, Philadelphia, Denver, Cincinnati, Portland, "Rather than felicitated, [India] must be held
Oregon, Chicago, Seattle, Salt Lake City, Cleveland, accountable, asked to abide by the UNSC's
and Dallas, Louisville, Kentucky. resolutions," says FO spokesperson. Zehra Nigah
given Allama Iqbal Award for new poetry book. Gul
Chandni is Ms Nigah’s fourth collection of poems.
JUNE 2020
7 June. 20 June
Pakistan names Mohammad Sadiq as special envoy Lord of the Rings actor Ian Holm dies at 88
for Afghanistan The actor died from a Parkinson’s related illness.

10 June 25 June
WHO urges two-week lockdown, more tests. It’s The WHO reported the first rise in coronavirus cases
says Pakistan among top 10 countries reporting in Europe since reopening. The WHO has also stated
Covid-19 cases; warns govt of high positivity rate that Africa and South America should still expect a
with weak surveillance system. Pakistan among worse peak in the coming future. About 20,000 cases
latest countries to get Paris Club debt relief. The and 700 deaths are being reported each day. On June
latest agreements bring to 12 the number of 25, a court ruled that President Bolsonaro of Brazil is
countries to receive debt relief under the deal. required to wear a mask out in public. The ruling
Palestinian PM submits ‘counter-proposal’ to Trump comes as Brazil opens up despite rising cases.
plan. The plan proposes creation of a “sovereign
Palestinian state, independent and demilitarised”, 27 June
says Palestinian PM Mohammed Shtayyeh. Parts of Delhi, India were placed on alert after locusts
swarmed a suburban area. The swarm is one of the
11 June worst locust invasions the country has seen in
decades. The locusts have destroyed crops across to practice extra sanitary precautions and avoid
various states. hunting and eating animals that could carry the
plague.
29 June
Shots were fired at a Pakistan stock exchange in July 14, 2020
Karachi, killing 5 people. Many of the deceased are The WHO announced that there are over 163 COVID-
policemen and security officials. The four attackers 19 vaccines in development around the world. Only a
have also been killed. The Baluchistan Liberation select few have reached Phase 3, and only 23 are
Army group has claimed responsibility for the attack. using humans in the clinical trial. Despite Brazil’s
raising cases, many countries are looking at the
30 June South American giant to help with the vaccine. Many
China officially passed the controversial national hope to use infected Brazilians, as the country has
security law proposed last month. This law affects surpassed 2 million cases.
Hong Kong through a loophole in its constitution.
China will now be able to enforce these four laws laid July 17, 2020
out by the bill: secession, subversion against the India recorded 34,956 new cases in just 24 hours,
central Chinese government, terrorist activities, and causing the country to surpass 1 million cases
collusion with foreign forces to endanger national overall. India becomes the third nation (after Brazil
and the United States) to hit that milestone. On July
security. This bill allows Chinese officials to operate
18, it was reported that over 2,000 healthcare
in Hong Kong, which has already led to the arrests of workers in Ghana have tested positive for
many protesters. coronavirus. Thus far, six have died, devastating the
country.

July 18, 2020

JULY 2020 A fire broke out in France’s Nantes Cathedral. The
July 2, 2020 fire is currently being investigated as arson. Officials
After sixteen days in the hospital for coronavirus, have stated that the fire is not as devastating as that
Honduras President Juan Orlando Hernadez was of Notre Dame, and the roof is still in good condition
released. Many hospitals in Honduras are collapsing despite the flames.
due to the overwhelming number of COVID cases. On
July 3, the CDC reported that hundreds of thousands July 20, 2020
could die from coronavirus in Latin America. So far, It was reported that Oxford University has made
121,000 people have died in Latin America, but the progress in developing a vaccine. The current clinical
CDC predicts that number could increase by 300,000 trial has yielded positive results, triggering an
by October. On July 3, bars and restaurants in Brazil immune response in patients. The UK has ordered
reopened, causing officials to fear for the worst. On 100 million doses of the vaccine. On July 20, France
July 4, after four months of quarantine, England ruled that all masks are mandatory as the number of
reopened bars and pubs. Many worry this will only cases rises. France’s health minister has said there
worsen the pandemic as weeks before, thousands are 400 or 500 clusters of the virus currently. On July
flocked to beaches without masks. On July 4, about 20, a “wartime” lockdown was declared in the city of
3,000 residents in 9 tower blocks in Melbourne were Urumqi, located in China’s Xinjiang. The city contains
told not to leave their homes for any reason for at a large Muslim population and has recorded 47 new
least five days. At least 23 coronavirus cases were cases after having none for 5 months. The lockdown
confirmed in two of the estate towers. measures are incredibly strict and prevent nearly 3.5
million people from leaving their homes. On July 23,
July 4, 2020 China offered a $1 billion loan to the Caribbean and
200,000 people in Northern Spain were placed on Latin America to help countries secure a coronavirus
lockdown after a spike in COVID cases. vaccine. On July 25, CNN reported that cases in the
Middle East and Northern Africa are on the rise. Iraq
July 6, 2020 and Egypt are seeing some of the highest coronavirus
It was reported by CNN that there is a suspected case cases in the past few weeks. Iran and Saudi Arabia
of the bubonic plague in Mongolia. The bubonic are seeing another spike after the spread slowed
plague caused the Black Death pandemic. The city of briefly.
Bayannur is now on Level 3 warning of plague
prevention until the end of the year. People are urged
July 20, 2020 Bolsonaro tested positive a few weeks earlier and
The UK announced that it will suspend the extradition believes he now has an infection.
treaty with Hong Kong due to the controversial
security law that was passed next month. Foreign July 31, 2020
Secretary Dominic Raab warned Beijing that the UK Vietnam recorded its first two COVID-19 deaths: a 70-
is watching and keeping track of the rights of Hong year-old man and a 61-year-old woman.
Kong citizens.
July 31, 2020
July 22, 2020 Hong Kong announced that it is seeking to arrest 6
A hostage situation in Brazil ended after President activists who have fled to the UK.
Zelensky agreed to endorse a 2005 documentary on
animal abuse. The gunman hijacked a bus of 13
people and threatened to blow it up before making his AUGUST 2020
demands.
August 3, 2020
July 25, 2020 Juan Carlos, the former king of Spain, left the country
Attacks in northern Nigeria left dozens of people after much scrutiny about financial mishandlings.
dead. Government officials believe the attacks were Carlos is best known for steering the country from
carried out by militant groups. These attacks have dictatorship to democracy. Many officials have stated
been ongoing since January, but a rise in violence has that the king has left, but they refuse to reveal his
been noticed. location.

July 27, 2020 August 4, 2020

China officially closed the US Consulate in Chengdu. A giant explosion in Beirut, Lebanon killed 135 people
The decision comes weeks after the US announced it and injured another 5000. Many people are still
is closing the Chinese Consulate in Houston. The missing after the explosion, and over 300,000 people
decision has caused rising tensions. have been displaced from their homes. On August 5,
it was revealed that the blast may have been caused
July 29, 2020 by stored ammonium nitrate. Many have blamed a
A new research report suggested that coronavirus fire at the firecracker warehouse.
capable of infecting humans may have been
undetected in bats for decades. Scientists have stated
August 5, 2020
that the crossover between bats and humans was
France recorded its largest number of cases in the
likely at some point.
CNN reported that Bolivian lawmakers are fighting to last two months. The country had 1,695 cases in the
have the health ministry recognize a toxic cleaning last 24 hours. With 30,000 deaths, France now has the
agent as a COVID-19 cure. Health officials have third-highest deaths in Europe, following the UK and
warned that its use could be deadly. Italy.

July 30, 2020 August 7, 2020

Russia announced that it plans to have a coronavirus India officially passed 2 million coronavirus cases.
vaccine in just two weeks, as the country strives to be The country hit 1 million only three weeks prior. India
the first to develop it. The lab hopes to gain approval is the third country to reach 2 million marks, behind
by August 10. the US (at 4.9 million cases) and Brazil (at 2.9 million
cases).
July 30, 2020 On August 7, Africa reached 1 million coronavirus
Four students were arrested under China’s new cases across the continent; however, the number is
security law. The students were accused of “inciting expected to be higher as only a select few are being
secession” on social media, which became illegal tested.
after the law was passed earlier this month. Other
people were arrested for creating banners and
August 9, 2020
slogans for protests.
Protests in Belarus erupted after the election results
July 31, 2020 came in. Current President Alexander Lukashenko
Brazil’s President Bolsonaro stated he had “mold in beat opposition candidate Sventia Tikhanovskya after
his lungs” after his wife tested positive for COVID-19. receiving 80% of the votes. Tikhanovskya has refused
to accept the election results, stating that it was clear
more people voted for him. Riots erupted as exit polls August 28, 2020
were released, resulting in 3,000 arrests and many Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan announced his
injuries. Several protesters later stormed ministries resignation, citing health concerns. Abe, the longest-
as the violent protests escalated. On August 11, it was serving prime minister, suffers from colitis, an
reported that Tikhanovskya has fled to Lithuania incurable bowel disease. He has expressed his regret
amid a government crackdown on protests. that he must resign during a pandemic. Abe had
managed to control his disease for 8 years before
symptoms returned.
August 11, 2020
New Zealand reinstated coronavirus restrictions August 31, 2020
after the first locally transmitted case in 102 days. India entered a new phase of reopening which will see
Four new cases appeared in Auckland, which will go subways and trains. The reopening comes despite the
back to Level 3 restrictions for the time being. fact that the country’s coronavirus cases are surging.
Just last week, the country recorded 85,687 cases in
August 12, 2020 a 24 hour period
Russia announced that it has developed the world’s
first vaccination for COVID. Various health experts
have questioned the reliability of this vaccine, as it September 2020
has only spent about a week in Phase 3 testing (a
September 1
phase which normally continues over various
The Punjab government has created 15 full-fledged
months). Russia has yet to release scientific data
administrative departments in the newly-
regarding the new vaccination. established south Punjab secretariat but without a
August 18, 2020 proper transition plan in place.
Australia struck a deal with AstraZeneca that would
give a COVID-19 vaccine to all its citizens for free. Lebanon`s under-fire leaders on August 31, 2020
Advanced trials are underway as the company works designated a new prime minister, diplomat
with Oxford University. On Mustapha Adib, to tackle the country`s deep political
August 18, 2020 and economic crisis, hours before French President
President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and his prime Emmanuel Macron was due to visit.
minister were arrested by soldiers during a military
coup. The coup comes after mass anti-government A US-Israeli delegation, led by White House adviser
protests and an uprising of Islamist militarists. Upon Jared Kushner, arrived on August 31, 2020, on the
his arrest, Keita announced his resignation in a historic first commercial flight from Tel Aviv to mark
televised address. He stated that the government the normalisation of ties between the Jewish state
would be dissolved to avoid bloodshed. and the UAE.
Former Indian president Pranab Mukherjee, a
August 24, 2020 veteran powerbroker once described in leaked US
It was reported that Kim Jong Un is allegedly in a diplomatic cables as `the ultimate Congress Party
coma, and photos of him alive and well in May were fixer`, died on Monday at the age of 84.
fake. The rumor goes on to state that his sister, Kim
Yo Jong is geared up to be his successor. On August
26, South Korean Unification Minister Lee In-young September 3
stated that he did not believe there was enough Organization of Islamic Cooperation Chief Dr Yousef
evidence to suggest that Kim Jong Un is in a coma or Al-Othaimeen yesterday pledged unstinted support
that his sister would be the successor. Many officials to the Kashmir cause.
have stated that Kim Jong Un has delegated to top
officials, one of whom is Kim Yo Jong, to ease his A seasoned officer of the Police Service of Pakistan
workload. Muhammad Umar Sheikh has been appointed as
Lahore Capital City Police Officer.
August 26, 2020
Kim Jong Un appeared at a party meeting, warning In another breakthrough for Israel’s rapprochement
North Korea about the dangers of the coronavirus with the Arab Gulf, and a major boon for Israeli air
pandemic and Typhoon Bavi, which is making travel, Saudi Arabia on September 2, 2020
headway towards the country. In his appearance, Kim announced that it will henceforth allow flights from
Jong Un appeared healthy and well, briefly silencing “all countries” to cross over its airspace on flights to
the rumors of his coma. He also has still not reported or from the United Arab Emirates.
any coronavirus cases in the country.
September 5 Rs500,000 fine or both for `maligning` armed forces
The Defence Day will be observed in the country with of the country and their personnel.
national zeal and fervour on September 5, 2020.
The United Arab Emirates and Bahrain signed
Prime Minister Imran Khan on September 5, 2020 agreements on September 15, 2020 for normalising
announced an ambitious Rs1,113 billion package for relations with Israel, becoming the latest Arab
the development of the country`s financial capital states to break a longstanding taboo in a strategic
and set up a coordination and implementation realignment of Middle Eastern countries.
committee led by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad
Ali Shah to bring all `stakeholders and authorities` September 19
together to make key decisions, remove hurdles and A contingent of Pakistan Armed Forces participated
ensure their implementation. in the opening ceremony of the multinational
military exercise, Kavkaz 2020, held at Astrakhan
Sudan on September 5, 2020 declared a three- region, Russia.
month national state of emergency after record- September 22
breaking torrential floods that cost 99 lives. The Palestinians have stepped down from a key Arab
League role in protest at the regional bloc`s failure
September 9
The Pakistan Army has shot down an Indian spying to take a stand against Israeli-Arab deals, an official
drone along the heavily militarised Line of Control said on September 22, 2020.
(LoC) in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. September 24
Kashmiri photojournalist Masrat Zahra on
Prime Minister Imran Khan on September 9, 2020 September 24, 2020 received the Peter Mackler
took a significant decision of appointing experienced prize for courageous and ethical journalism thanks
personnel from the open market in grades 19 and 20 to her coverage of women impacted by decades of
and approving 88 additional posts in the Secretariat unrest in India held Kashmir.
Group.
Dean Jones, the former Australia batsman, has died
The US announced a sharp cut on September 9, 2020 of a heart attack aged 59. Jones was in Mumbai as
to troop numbers in Iraq, as President Donald part of the commentary team at Star Sports for IPL
Trump seeks to honour his pledge to halt the 2020 when he passed away on September, 24
country`s `endless wars` overseas, with just two September.
months to go until the election.
September 10 September 27
Prof Dr Asghar Zaidi, the Vice-Chancellor of Arch foes Armenia and Azerbaijan on September 27,
Government College University (GCU) Lahore, has 2020 accused each other of initiating deadly clashes
been given additional charge of the post of Vice- that claimed at least 23 lives over a decades-long
Chancellor, Baba Guru Nanak University. territorial dispute and threatened to draw in
regional powers Russia and Turkey.
British actress Diana Rigg, who came to fame in the
cult 1960s TV show, The Avengers, and enjoyed a Iran`s Revolutionary Guards on September 27, 2020
distinguished and varied career on stage and screen unveiled a new naval ballistic missile with a
from James Bond to Game of Thrones, died on potential range of over 700 kilometres (430 miles),
September 10, 2020 aged 82. local media reported, following months of tensions
with the arch-enemy United States.
September 12
Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar on
September 12, 2020 formally launched ‘Nai Zindagi’ Former Indian foreign minister Jaswant Singh, who
and ‘Punjab Human Capital Investment Project’ at a brought New Delhi and Islamabad tantalisingly close
cost of Rs53.25 billion. to a peace deal over Kashmir in Agra, died here on
September 27, 2020 at the age of 82.
September 15
The National Assembly on September 15, 2020
passed a Financial Action Task Force related bill,
the Anti-Terrorism Act (amendment) Bill, 2020,
while another bill was laid in the house that
suggested punishment of up to two years, or up to
October 2020 that draw inspiration from myths and classical
motifs.
October 1
October 10
The government on September 30, 2020 designated
Pakistan and International Islamic Trade Finance
Vice Admiral Amjad Khan Niazi as the next Chief of
Corporation (ITFC) on October 12, 2020 has signed
Naval Staff (CNS).
agreement amounting $386 million for the import of
Kuwait`s late ruler Sheikh Sabah al Ahmad Al-
oil and LNG.
Sabah, an acclaimed diplomat and mediator, was
US economists Paul Milgrom and Robert Wilson won
laid to rest on Wednesday, shortly after his half-
the Nobel Economics Prize on October 12, 2020 for
brother was sworn in as the new emir.
work on commercial auctions, including for goods
and services difficult to sell in traditional ways such
as radio frequencies, the Nobel Committee said.
October 5 Russia said on October 12, 2020 it was expelling two
Pakistan ranked top in Asia having the highest Bulgarian diplomats in a tit-for-tat move after two
response to social protection amid COVID-19 crises Russians were ordered out of the EU country on
at a global conference hosted by the International accusations of spying for the military.
Policy Center for Inclusive Growth (IPC-IG) on Germany-Researchers on the world’s biggest
October 5, 2020. mission to the North Pole returned to Germany on
Americans Harvey Alter and Charles Rice together Monday, bringing home devastating proof of a dying
with Briton Michael Houghton won the Nobel Arctic Ocean and warnings of ice-free summers in
Medicine Prize on October 5, 2020 for the discovery just decades.
of the Hepatitis C virus, paving the way for a cure,
the Nobel jury said. October 15
President Dr Arif Alvi on October 15, 2020 conferred
Nishan-i-Imtiaz upon Chief of Naval Staff Admiral
October 6 Muhamm ad Amjad Khan Niazi during a ceremony
Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Gen Qamar Javed held at Aiwan-i-Sadr.
Bajwa inaugurated state-of-the-art Software
Technology Park, an initiative of the Special Kyrgyz President Sooronbai Jeenbekov resigned on
Communication Organisation (SCO), in Gilgit. October 15, 2020, leaving power in the hands of a
nationalist rival whose supporters freed him from
Roger Penrose of Britain, Reinhard Genzel of jail last week.
Germany and Andrea Ghez of the US won the Nobel
Physics Prize on October 6, 2020 for their research October 18
into what the Nobel committee called `one of the Turkish Cypriots in breakaway northern Cyprus on
most exotic phenomena in the universe, the black Sunday elected rightwing nationalist Ersin Tatar,
hole`. backed by Ankara, in a run-off poll, at a time of
heightened tensions in the eastern Mediterranean.
October 8
The first police station of Bajaur tribal district was October 21
opened in Qazafi town, the tehsil headquarters of After a four-year journey, Nasa`s robotic spacecraft
Utmankhel, on October 8, 2020. Osiris-Rex briefly touched down on asteroid
The Roosevelt Hotel, a Pakistani possession in the Bennu`s boulder-strewn surface to collect rock and
heart of Manhattan, announced on October 8, 2020 it dust samples in a precision operation 200 million
would shut its doors on guests permanently on Oct miles (330 million kilometres) from Earth.
31.
The National Resilience Day was observed on Noted naat khwaan Mehboob Ahmed Hamdani
Thursday (October 8) to mark the 15th anniversary of passed away here on Wednesday. He was 72.
the tragic October 2005 earthquake.
Turkish troops on October 8, 2020 reopened parts of
a Cyprus seaside resort that became a ghost town October 24
amid war in 1974, sparking controversy days ahead Polling stations opened October 24, 2020 in Egypt for
of an election in the Turkish north. parliamentary elections in which there was little
American poet Louise Gluck won the 2020 Nobel doubt of a sweeping victory for supporters of
Literature Prize on October 8, 2020, an unexpected hardline President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi.
choice known for themes of childhood and family life
More than 150 monuments and buildings across Information, Establishment and Broadcasting
Europe will be lit up blue on October 24, 2020 to Division has issued the notification in this regard.
mark the 75th anniversary of the United Nations.
November 6
October 26 Bangladesh opened its first Islamic school for
The federal government on October 26, 2020 has transgender Muslims on November 6, 2020 with
reconstituted the Pay and Pension Commission by clerics calling it a first step towards integrating the
appointing former federal secretary Nargis Sethi as discriminated minority into society.
its chairperson.
November 8
There may be far more water on the Moon than Opening ceremony of Pak-Russian Federation Joint
previously thought, according to two studies exercise ’DRUZHBA-V’ was held at Tarbela on
published on October 26, 2020 raising the tantalising November 8, 2020.
prospect that astronauts on future space missions
could find refreshment and maybe even fuel on the Prominent constitutional lawyer and activist Hina
lunar surface. Jilani was elected as the chairperson of the Human
Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) for the next
October 28 three years in an election concluded here on
The Committee to Protect Journalists has released November 8, 2020.
its Global Impunity Index 2020 where it spotlights
countries where journalists have been slain and November 11
their killers set free. Pakistan Navy Ship ZULFIQAR, with embarked
Pakistan is the ninth worst country on the list, just helicopter visited Port Aksaz (Turkey) to participate
rising up one place from 2019, when it was the in Exercise MAVI BALINA 2020, the 5th PN-TN
eighth worst country. Somalia, Syria, Iraq, and South Bilateral Exercise TURGUTREIS-V and Coordinated
Sudan are on the top of the list, in that order, Patrol (CORPAT) with Turkish Navy.
because of war and political instability.
Bahrain`s Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the
Like other parts of the globe, World Stroke Day will world`s longest-serving prime minister who had
be observed across Pakistan today (October 28, held the post since independence in 1971, died on
2020) to raise awareness about prevention and November 11, 2020 at the age of 84, state media
treatment of the condition, and ensure better care announced.
and support for survivors.
November 16
October 29 Justice Qaiser Rashid Khan was sworn in as the
PTI Senator Faisal Javed October 29, 2020 resigned acting chief justice of the Peshawar High Court here
as the head of Pak-French Parliamentary Friendship at the Governor`s House on November 16, 2020.
Group to protest the French president’s support to
the publication of blasphemous sketches of the Holy Foreign direct investment (FDI) into the country
Prophet (SAW). jumped by 67.9 per cent month on-month to $317.3
million in October compared to $189m in
September, latest data released by the State Bank of
Pakistan showed on November 16, 2020.
November 2020
November 4 Maia Sandu, a former World Bank economist who
Pakistan and Bosnia and Herzegovina on November favours closer ties with the European Union, has
4, 2020 signed a bilateral readmission agreement won Moldova`s presidential runoff vote, decisively
paving the way for repatriation of nearly 3,000 illegal defeating the staunchly pro-Russian incumbent,
Pakistani migrants. according to preliminary results released on
November 16, 2020.
Federal government has approved three-year
“Rolling Spectrum Strategy 2020-2023” to ensure Four astronauts were successfully launched on the
fast telecom network. SpaceX Crew Dragon `Resilience` to the
International Space Station on November 16, 2020,
The federal Cabinet has posted Zahida Parveen, a the first of what the US hopes will be many routine
BS-22 officer of Information group as Secretary missions following a successful test flight in late
spring.
November 18 seen in the country’s COVID-19 response and case
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has temporarily rates.
suspended issuance of new visit visas for Pakistan
and 11 other countries, the Foreign Office (FO) said
on November 18, 2020. Information Minister Shibli Faraz and SAPM on
Health Dr Faisal Sultan announce the procurement
Iraq and Saudi Arabia on November 18, 2020 of COVID-19 vaccine in the first quarter of 2021. It
reopened their land border for the first time in 30 was also announced that Economic Coordination
years, with closer trade ties between the two
Committee's (ECC) suggested the federal cabinet to
countries irking allies of Riyadh`s rival, Tehran.
allocate $150 million to the acquirement of the
November 20 vaccine which was approved. According to the
Chief Minister Usman Buzdar on November 20, 2020 spokespeople, the vaccine will be distributed in
inaugurated Ba-himmat Bazurg Programme and
distributed cards among the elderly women. three stages to the public; healthcare workers will
make up the first stage, followed elderly and
Pakistan celebrated World Children`s Day on Friday individuals with terminal illnesses in the second
with 30 iconic monuments and landmarks across stage, and then the general public will make up the
the country turning blue from Khyber Pass to third stage.
Mazar-i-Quaid in Karachi, from Lahore Fort to
Quaid-i-Azam Residency in Ziarat and through
Pakistan Monument in Islamabad. South Korean government announces that the
popular musical group BTS will be allowed to defer
Pakistan`s rank on trading across border index their mandatory military service until they turn 30.
jumped by 28 places in 2020 mainly due to The Military Service Act was enacted so that the K-
considerably improved implementation of several
measures under the Trade Facilitation Agreement pop stars who boost the tourism and economy of
(TFA) contributing to Ease of Doing Business. South Korea be exempted temporarily from serving
in the military as is legally mandatory for able-
November 22
Sahibzada Muhammad Ali Sultan won the final bodied South Korean men (ages 18-28).
round of 5th Thal Desert Jeep Rally on November 22,
2020 Fraser Island in Australia burns from bushfires
which have so far claimed over half the island. The
A 45.5metre (150-foot) deep diving pool with island is said to have a unique ecosystem which is
artificial underwater caves and Mayan ruins, the
world`s deepest such structure, opened near permanently altered due to the fires.
Warsaw this weekend.
Pfizer and BioNTech seek out the European
November 25
The Punjab Higher Education Department (HED) and Medicines Agency for approval of their developed
the School Education Department (SED) on vaccines.
November 25, 2020 announced closure of the public
and private schools, colleges and universities in the December 2, 2020
province due to Covid-19 pandemic.
Former Prime Minister of Pakistan Mir Zafarullah
Argentine soccer legend Diego Maradona, widely Khan Jamali passes away at age 76 in Rawalpindi.
regarded as one of the game`s greatest ever The former Prime Minister served briefly during
players, died of a heart attack on November 25, Gen. Musharraf’s military regime and was the only
2020. elected Prime Minister in Pakistan from
Baluchistan.
December 2020 Martial law restrictions imposed by Armenia are
December 1 announced to be expected to drop, following the
Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau announces Nagorno-Karabakh war between Armenia and
COVID-19 restrictions will be maintained with the US Azerbaijan.
and borders will not open until an improvement in
Spokespeople for the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine December 4, 2020
announce that testing on children from ages 12 to 17 Bangladesh set to relocate 1600 Rohingya refugees
will begin. to Bhasan Char, an island near the Bay of Bengal
that is said to have frequent flooding. According to
HOME1947, a short film from Pakistan is awarded Bangladeshi government, the refugees voluntarily
the Best Film [Short Documentary] Award at the agreed to move to the Island while the refugees
South Asian Film Festival of Montréal 2020. The film maintain that the relocation is being done by force.
depicts the displacement and first-hand experiences The refugees had fled from Myanmar during its
of citizens during the partition of the Sub-Continent military crackdown and previously occupied the
into India and Pakistan. refugee camp in Cox's Bazar of Bangladesh.

In light of the Minusma Peacekeeping Mission, UK A blast near Rawalpindi’s Pir Wadhai bus station
begins deployment of 300 troops that are set to be claims the life of 1 civilian and wounds 7 others. The
deployed over the next 3 years. 56 countries have bomb was made out of explosives and ball bearings
come together in the UN’s efforts to curb the civil and placed outside a grocery store. This is the third
war in Mali. Extremist groups under the title attack in Rawalpindi in 2020 and has been suspected
Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) have to be linked to terrorist activity.
been terrorizing Gao for years; causing 500 civilian
deaths in 2019. Arshad Malik, a former Accountability Judge, passes
away. The former judge is said to have suffered from
Facebook announces that misinformation regarding COVID-19 and had passed away shortly after being
the COVID-19 pandemic on the site will be banned in placed on ventilator.
light of the distribution of the vaccine globally.
Former Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali
December 3, 2020 is laid to rest in his native village Rojhan Jamali.
Aga Khan Agency for Habitat (AKAH) Pakistan Thousands of mourners, including prominent
project is awarded the gold prize at the World political figures and social workers gathered for the
Habitat Awards. The project sought to tackle climate funeral procession.
change in Pakistan by training 50, 000 village
residents on how better to protect their It is announced by Minis-ter for Railways Sheikh
communities from climate change. Through satellite Rashid Ahmed that a railway is to be built between
images and drones, the project aims for better Pakistan and Afghanistan. The railway track, which
disaster risk management by creating ““resilient, is set to be 11km-long will stretch from Chaman city
sustainable communities capable of living in of Pakistan to the Spin Boldak town of Afghanistan.
dignity”. It was also hoped that after laying this track, granted
the Afghan government’s willingness, the track
It is reported that government as well as private would be extended from Spin Boldak to Kandahar of
hospitals in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have run out of Afghanistan.
beds due to rapid rise in COVID-19 cases. The
accommodation of COVID-19 patients has been said December 5, 2020
to be because of the “non-serious” attitude of the Prominent politician Sardar Sherbaz Khan Mazari
opposition such as PDM who are hosting rallies passes away at the age of 90. Mazari was the
amidst the pandemic, according to Culture and founder of National Democratic Party (NDP) in the
Labour Minister Shaukat Ali Yousafzai. 1970s and a former member of the National
Assembly.
Belgian government announces that their troops in alleged to have stolen public money allotted to
Afghanistan will be withdrawn in the next year 2021. providing food for the poor during the pandemic.
These troops were previously sent to aid and train
the country’s army amidst the Afghan war. December 7, 2020
Due to a short oxygen supply, six patients at the
Judges in the Pattoki tehsil courts hand in a 10-day Khyber Teaching Hospital pass away. The hospital’s
leave application and refusal to work due to alleged COVID-19 ward had admitted 90 patients of which
misconduct of the president of the local bar many were in need of oxygen supply through oxygen
association; Mudassar Naeem Bhatti. The accused is masks. According to reports, operators at the
said to have been verbally abusive towards a female oxygen plant were not at their posts, causing the
judge. Other judges have corroborated the pattern of oxygen pressure for the hospital to be zero.
abuse by referring to their working environment as a Furthermore, after investigation it was concluded
series of ““unending abuse, harassment and that the oxygen plant had never filled the hospital’s
disrespect”. tank to its full capacity. The hospital only had one
oxygen tank and the lack of backups caused the
Pfizer announces the submission of their COVID-19 death of six patients. The staff of the hospital,
vaccine to India, pending approval. including the director are suspended for negligence.

December 6, 2020 Prime Minister Imran Khan’s aide Dr. Faisal Sultan
Ongoing anti-polio campaign reaches its 98 per cent reports that Pakistan is currently in negotiations
target in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In spite of the deaths with Russia and China in efforts to procure the
of 25 polio workers and 11 security personnel in vaccine for COVID-19. If negotiations are successful,
attacks against polio workers, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa the vaccine will be available in the first quarter of
has made significant progress in immunizing the 2021.
population.
Several members and leaders of JUI-F and PML-N,
Renowned historian Suhail Zaheer Lari passes away as well as 150 party workers are booked under an
from COVID-19 in his early 80s. Lari was the author FIR for violation of SOPs amidst the second wave of
of numerous books and a co-founder of the Heritage the pandemic. This is after a rally was held in
Foundation of Pakistan along with his wife Yasmin Rawalpindi by the leaders of the Pakistan
Lari. Democratic Movement (PDM).

Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) approves the The International Olympic Committee bans
operation of flights from Virgin Atlantic airlines in Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko from
Pakistan. The British airline will be set to have a future games. Lukashenko has been the leader of
weekly eight-flight operation from London and the Belarus Olympic Committee for over two
Manchester to Lahore and Islamabad. decades. He is currently serving his sixth term as
President and has been alleged to be elected
Italy’s COVID-19 death toll goes over 60, 000. The through vote rigging. The IOC accused Lukashenko
country among the most adversely affected by the of failing to protect its athletes from discrimination.
pandemic, with over 1.7 million cases recorded to
date. The first ever all-woman-five-kilometer race,
organized by Born2Run called the “Women Power
Indonesia’s Social Affairs Minister Juliari Batubara Run” is held in Karachi. Haani Mazari won the five-
is detained by the government’s Corruption kilometer race, with Sidra Khalid Khan as a runner
Eradication Commission. Batubara, who is a part of up.
the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, is
Various resolutions are discussed during 13th closure where only the attestation and media
International Urdu Conference, put together by the department will be partially operational.
Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi. Speakers
encouraged the attendees to raise their voice for the Qais Javed, a journalist for local newspaper
underprivileged in Pakistan that are currently Ehadnama, is shot dead in his home. Suspicions of
bearing the brunt of the pandemic. Moreover, it was religious motivations have been ignited as Javed was
discussed that translation centers will be set up of the Christian faith. Since the year 2000, 70
across the country to translate literature into Urdu. journalists have been killed in Pakistan.

Elections in Venezuela conclude as President The Forbes 30 under 30 list honors four young
Nicolás Maduro's United Socialist Party of Pakistanis. Among those was Sana Khan, a Program
Venezuela wins by a majority vote. United States, Manager at Google’s cloud gaming service Stadia.
European Union as well as 50 other countries reject Khan initiated the 'Stadia's Free Play Days' in
the legitimacy of the election, accusing Maduro’s consideration for gamers that were financially
party of rigging the election and swaying voters limited due to the pandemic. Asad J Malik, the CEO
through intimidation and illegal activity. of Jadu AR was also mentioned for his use of
artificial intelligence and augmented reality for
The vehicle of Islamic cleric Rizieq Shihab is storytelling in film Terminal3. Danish Dhamani, the
attacked, killing six security personnel. The cleric is co-creator of the speech training app Orai was
the leader of Islamic Defender’s Front (FPI) in mentioned. Lastly, Faizan Bhatti, the co-founder of
Indonesia and recently returned to the country after Halo Cars was mentioned; Halo Cars sought to
a three-year self-imposed exile in Saudi Arabia. display targeted ads in Uber and Lyft in order to help
Shihab is known to be on a ‘moral crusade’ against drivers earn more, it was bought by Lyft shortly after
the government of Indonesia, previously causing the its creation.
imprisonment of Christian governor, Basuki Tjahaja UK gives its first dose of COVID-19 vaccine to an
Purnama for alleged blasphemy. elderly grandmother Margaret Keenan as part of its
national COVID-19 vaccination program. The United
300 people hospitalized after the outbreak of an Kingdom is administering doses of the COVID-19
unidentified illness sweeps Andhra Pradesh in vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech to the
Southeastern India. The patients in question tested nation’s seniors and frontline healthcare workers to
negative for COVID-19 and reported symptoms such mark the start of the mass inoculation against the
as seizures, nausea and fainting. virus.
December 8, 2020
Outbreak of the highly pathogenic H5N8 Avian flu is December 9, 2020
reported in France at a duck farm. The virus has Negotiations between UK Prime Minister Boris
been found in wild birds as well as birds sold at Johnson and European Union continue as the
farms. The particular strain of the virus has been deadline for a trade agreement is set between the
detected in humans also, causing the French two amidst Brexit. If a decision is not made by 13th
government to be on high alert and imposing SOPs December 2020, the United Kingdom will have to
on bird farmers. leave the European Single Market and European
Union Customs Union by the start of 2021.
December 8, 2020
Renowned businessman Siraj Kassam Teli passes Judge involved in Arzoo Raja’s underage marriage
away. In mourning for the former president of the and conversion case books her husband under the
Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), charges of sexual assault. Additionally, the religious
the Karachi Chamber has announced a three-day cleric Qazi Abdul Rasool Naqshbandi, Justice of
Peace Muhammad Azharuddin and Junaid Ali
Siddiqui for bearing witness to the underage Arab countries against Iran’s regional control.
marriage, under the Sindh Marriage Restraint Act Sudan, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates have likewise
2013. begun dealings with Israel.

December 10, 2020 December 11, 2020

Renowned linguist, social and political theorist US Federal Trade Commission and various other US
Noam Chomsky appears at the sixth Yohsin Lecture filed lawsuits against Facebook Inc could force the
at Habib University. Chomsky discussed the state of company to sell off Instagram and WhatsApp. The
the world amid the pandemic and the nuances of company is alleged to have bought the smaller
class and imperialism in the contemporary world. companies to curb rival platforms; as stated by New
The UN ambassador when asked for a message for York Attorney General Letitia James “For nearly a
Pakistan concluded his address by saying that decade, Facebook has used its dominance and
Pakistan will have ““no future if it was going to live monopoly power to crush smaller rivals, snuff out
in a world of religious superstition”. competition, all at the expense of everyday users”.
Abbottabad jail relocates 103 prisoners to Mansehra Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook in a post on the
Prison after a COVID-19 outbreak. 20 people, platform to his employees claims he is not worried
including a police constable tested positive for the about the lawsuit’s consequences on individual
virus. The relocated prisoners will be kept in employees.
isolation until they are cleared and tested negative
for the virus. Rao Anwar Ahmed Khan, a former member of the
Karachi police and a “encounter specialist” is the
It is announced by the Special Assistant to Prime subject of UK placed sanctions for alleged human
Minister on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam that rights abuses. Anwar is said to have been
the Marghazar Zoo will be converted a wildlife responsible for 400 target killings across Pakistan.
conservation centre for the animals. The Margalla The UK also placed sanctions on the former
Wildlife Conservation Centre will be a centre for president and dictator of The Gambia Yahya
entertainment, research and education regarding Jammeh.
wildlife species.
Protests begin against the Prime Minister Nikol
Unidentified illness claims the lives of six people in Pashinian of Armenia after the recent ceasefire of
the Thal Tegowal Village in Namal Valley. The the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Armenian citizens
deceased had tested negative for COVID-19 but crowded the streets of Yerevan in protest against
experienced high fever among other symptoms the ceasefire handing over previously Armenia-
before their passing. controlled territories to Azerbaijan. The streets rang
with slogans such as “Nikol must go!" And "Armenia
Afghan journalist and women’s and children’s rights without Nikol" as riot police detained approximately
activist Malalai Maiwand is shot dead on her way to 40 protesters.
Jalalabad in Nangarhar. Maiwand’s driver was also
shot dead. The militant Islamic group from Iraq; At a summit in Brussels, the European Union signs a
Islamic State – Khorasan Province, take deal stating that it will reduce its greenhouse gas
responsibility for the targeted killing. emissions by 55% by the year 2030. It was also
discussed that the European Union might begin
Morocco becomes the fourth Arab country to begin taxing bordering states if they fail to regulate their
normalization process with Israel. A normalization carbon emissions.
agreement was reached between Israel and
Morocco’s King Mohammed VI. US President Donald Government Science school of Kankara is raided by
Trump facilitated this deal in efforts to unite the Boko Haram; around 300 boys are kidnapped from
the school. The group Boko Haram, also known as went on strike in India in protest against a rule that
The Islamic State in West Africa or the Islamic allows Ayurvedic practitioners to perform minor
State's West Africa Province is a terrorist group that surgeries. The government intended to train
seeks to curb westernization in Nigeria. A video was Ayurvedic practitioners to do surgical procedures.
released by Boko Haram showing numerous boys Doctors protested that this normalization of surgery
that had been taken from the school, claiming minimalizes the seriousness of their profession.
responsibility for the attack.
December 13, 2020
December 12, 2020 Tehran court sentences journalists Hoda Amid and
Prime Minister Imran Khan gives an address at the Najmeh Vahedi to prison. Vahedi has been
Climate Ambition Summit 2020. The Prime Minister sentenced to seven years and Amid has been
stated that the government intends to reduce sentenced to eight years in prison and a two-year
Pakistan’s carbon emissions and replace fossil fuel ban on practicing law. The lawyer and sociologist
energy with ‘clean’ renewable energy. By the year have been accused of conspiring with the US
2030, ideally, 60% of Pakistan’s energy will be government against Islam with regards to their
renewable. This address came at the fifth ‘marriage workshops’ which sought to educate
anniversary of the Paris Agreement for climate women about their rights in marriage.
change.
An explosion near Rawalpindi’s Ganj Mandi Police
Blogger/journalist Ruhollah Zam is executed by the Station leaves 25 people wounded, of which 3 are in
Iranian government for inciting Iran’s anti-state critical condition. The explosive that caused the
protests. Zam had created a channel on app blast is under investigation along with who
Telegram along with a news website called orchestrated the blast.
AmadNews which was used to convey protest
timings and information regarding government December 14, 2020
officials that could be used against them. Zam had Pakistan Democratic Movement addresses the
returned to Iran from his exile in Paris recently. media in Lahore. Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the
speaker, states that if the PTI government does not
Farmers continue to protest in India against their step down from office by the end of January 2021
working and living conditions. The farmers formed a PDM will begin a long march.
blockade in New Delhi in protest against the
agriculture sector’s conditions which have plunged Two prominent Italian holders of France’s Legion of
farmers into food shortages, poverty and made them Honor return their medals. Giovanni Melandri the
vulnerable to floods and climate change. Over 10, president of Rome’s Maxxi museum and culture
000 farmers took their own lives in 2019 and over minister announced that she intends to give her
300, 000 farmers have reportedly taken their own prize back after Corrado Augias a journalist for La
lives in past three decades. Repubblica returned his prize to the French
embassy. This gesture came after the President of
President Donald Trump in a video posted to his Egypt Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi was awarded the Legion
Twitter announces USA’s procurement of the of Honor’s Grand-Croix, or Grand-Cross, the highest
COVID-19 vaccine made by Pfizer and BioNTech, level of the award. El-Sissi has been known to
stating that vaccinations will begin in 24 hours. USA commit various human rights violations, such as the
also ordered a 100 million doses of the Moderna torture and killing of Italian student Giulio Regeni
vaccine. while he was in Cairo.

Doctors in India go on strike against passing of new Google services suffer an outage as Gmail, YouTube
federal government rule. Around a million doctors and Pokémon Go appear to be down across the
world. The issue was not officially addressed and A checkpoint in Baghlan province of Afghanistan is
servers came back up shortly after. attacked by gunmen, killing 13 security officers. No
group has taken responsibility for the attack thus
In Kandahar, Aghan militants and Aghan security far, the government suspects it to be work of the
officers engage in an overnight battle. The fighting Taliban.
resulted in the killing of 7 civilians in a car bombing.
51 terrorists were killed by the Afghan security Twitter announces that it will ban misinformation
forces and nine were wounded. regarding the COVID-19 vaccine on the platform
following the beginning of COVID-19 vaccinations in
December 15, 2020 various countries.
Farmers continue to protest in India as leaders go
on a 24-hour hunger strike. The protesters have Late Nobel Prize Laureate Dr. Abdus Salam’s home
been on strike against the government regulation of in London is turned into a heritage site. Dr. Salam
their prices which demands that they give buyers was a renowned physicist and founder of the
wholesale minimum price for their produce. theoretical physics department of Imperial College
Farmers from all around India have gathered; those in London. He was the first Pakistani to be awarded
who tried to join in the strike from Rajasthan were the Nobel Prize for his work on electroweak
not allowed to enter Delhi by government’s security unification theory. A blue plaque, a plaque of honor
personnel. placed outside historically significant sites is placed
outside his house which reads “Abdus Salam 1926-
Shahid Mahmood, a former test cricketer for 1996, Physicist, Nobel Laureate and Champion of
Pakistan passes away at the age of 81. Mahmood Science in developing countries, lived here”.
was a batsman and the first bowler in Pakistan’s
history to capture all 10 wickets in a single inning for Pakistan repays 1 billion dollars back to Saudi
Karachi Whites during a test match between Karachi Arabia, part of a ‘soft loan’ of 3 million dollars it had
Whites and Khairpur in 1969-70. taken. The Pakistani government has consequently
sought out China for a loan in order to repay another
Tokyo District Court in Tachikawa sentences 1 billion dollars to Saudi Arabia.
Takahiro Shiraishi; the “Twitter Killer” to the death Prime Minister Imran Khan in an inaugural speech
penalty. Shiraishi is reported to have lured suicidal at a hospital in Peshawar mourns the loss of
individuals on Twitter to his apartment claiming to innocent children and teachers on the sixth
be able to ‘help them die’; claiming the lives of eight anniversary of the Peshawar Army Public School
young women and one young man. Shiraishi intends (APS) mass shooting. Politicians and government
to wait out his turn on the death row. officials express grief and vow to never forget the
incident and to keep fighting terrorism in Pakistan.
Famed author David John Moore Cornwell, more
prominently known as John Le Carre dies at the age December 17, 2020
of 89. Le Carre has authored many spy and thriller Himalayan Brown Bears ‘Suzie’ and ‘Bubloo’ are set
novels such as the bestseller Tinker Tailor Solider to depart for Jordan’s bear sanctuary after
Spy. Islamabad High Court allowed the relocation.
Ministry of Climate Change and the Islamabad
December 16, 2020 Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) and Four Paws
Bermuda elects Rena Lalgie as its governor. Lalgie spearheaded the process to give the elderly brown
is the first female to serve as the governor of bears a comfortable place for the remainder of their
Bermuda is also the first black woman to be life.
governor in a British territory in the Atlantic.
344 boys who had been kidnapped by Boko Haram in It is announced by the World Health Organization
Kankara are returned. The boys had been abducted that third world countries will receive the COVID-19
and held in Zamfara’s Rugu Forest for a week before vaccine through the COVAX facility in the beginning
being released. of 2021. The Covax facility was founded by the
Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator to grant
Leader of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) and countries across the world equal access to the
MNA Ali Wazir is arrested by the Sindh Police. Wazir COVID-19 vaccine.
was charged for inciting anti-state conspiracies and
passing anti-state remarks. Other members of the December 19, 2020
PTM such as Manzoor Pashteen and several others Ryan Kaji, a 9-year-old boy from Texas is the highest
were also booked on conspiracy charges FIR. paid YouTuber in 2020, according to Forbes. Kaji,
with a following of 27 million on YouTube has raked
Court of Arbitration for Sport passes a ruling in 200 million dollars in earnings. He tests out and
banning Russia from participating in any world reviews toys on his channel.
sports championships for the next two years. This
ruling comes after the initial four-year ban ruling in December 20, 2020
response to Russia tampering with state-ordered A border crossing point Gwadar-Ramdhan is opened
drug tests of its players. Russia can still play in between Iran and Pakistan. This is the second
International championships such as the Tokyo border crossing point after the one at Taftan which
Olympics. has been in use for nearly 70 years. This crossing
point at Iran’s Sistan-Baluchistan and Pakistan’s
Jean-Luc Brunel, an alleged associate of sex Baluchistan area connects the Gwadar port to Iran.
trafficker Jeffrey Epstein is arrested in Senegal.
Brunel is the founder of a modelling agency called Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar tests positive
M21 and had allegedly supplied Epstein with his for COVID-19. Buzdar is reported to have minor
victims. symptoms and has been quarantining since the
diagnosis.
Joe Biden, President elect of the United States of
America appoints Ali Zaidi on his team to tackle Nine civilians are killed and 20 are wounded in a car
climate change. Zaidi is a Pakistan-American and is bombing in Kabul. The bomb is said to have been
appointed the deputy White House Climate targeting Lawmaker Khan Mohammad Wardak who
Coordinator. was also injured in the attack.

December 18, 2020 December 21, 2020

15 civilians are killed and 20 are wounded after an While speaking to reporters after the Urs of Hazrat
explosion in the Ghazni province of Afghanistan. The Shah Rukn-i-Alam processions Foreign Minister
explosion took place during a religious gathering Shah Mahmood Qureshi stated that he reiterated
wherein attendees were reciting the Quran. No Pakistan’s stance on Israel to UAE’s foreign
group has taken responsibility for the explosion. minister. Pakistan stands resolute on not
recognizing or forming relations with Israel until its
Asad Umar, Pakistan’s Minister for Planning, issues with Palestine are resolved.
Development and Special Initiatives tests positive for
COVID-19. The second wave of the pandemic Rahmatullah Nikzad, a prolific journalist and head of
continues to claim lives as death toll goes up along the journalists’ union in Ghazni is assassinated. An
with positivity rates countrywide. unknown assailant shot Nikzad three times in the
chest outside his house in Ghazni city.
Confederate soldier Robert E. Lee’s statue is December 24, 2020
replaced by civil rights activist Barbara Johns’ The trial for the AstraZeneca vaccine for COVID-19
statue in the United States Capitol in Washington. created by the University of Oxford is amended, with
Johns is known for playing a major role in the one additional trial of participants added. This came
desegregation of schools in the USA. House speaker following the discovery that the researchers had
Nancy Pelosi, stated; “The Congress will continue only delivered half a dose to prior participants.
our work to rid the Capitol of homages to hate, as we Researchers announced that following up with a full
fight to end the scourge of racism in our country”. dose after a half dose made the vaccine 90 percent
Saturn and Jupiter align at the closest distance they effective against COVID-19.
have in 400 years, since 1623. This rare occurrence,
when these two planets are closely aligned is known Sindh High Court moves to release Ahmed Omar
as the Great Conjunction. Saeed Sheikh, who was found guilty in the murder of
journalist Daniel Pearl along with three others.
December 22, 2020 Sheikh was previously sentenced to the death
Karima Baloch, an exiled Baloch political activist penalty for his crime. Both Pearl’s family and the
found dead in her Toronto home. Baloch reportedly government have opposed this decision with Pearl’s
went missing the day prior to her death. The police family filing for an appeal.
have ruled her death as ‘non-criminal’ amid
suspicions of foul play. Baloch was nominated in Moldova elects its first woman President; Maia
BBC’s list of 100 most inspirational women and was Sandu. Sandu is an economist for the World Bank.
the founder of Baloch Students Organization - Azad World Bank economist
and the Baloch National Front (BNF) Baluchistan.
December 25, 2020
In Kabul, a bomb attached to a car explodes, killing In a study published by the Centre for Mathematical
four prison doctors inside the vehicle and one Modelling of Infectious Diseases at the London
civilian. The prison doctors worked at the Pul-e- School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, scientists
Charkhi where hundreds of incarcerated members warn of an emerging strain of COVID-19 in the UK
of the Taliban are kept. which is 56% stronger than the original virus.

December 23, 2020 The highest number of single-day deaths in the

Over 100 villagers are massacred and nearly 30 are second wave of the pandemic are recorded
critically wounded in the Bekuj village in the countrywide as 111 people die from the virus.
Benishangul-Gumuz of Ethiopia. The victims were
stabbed and shot by unknown assailants. This attack The “Governor’s Youth Pehchan Program” ceremony
is suspected to be the work of opposing forces in the is held in Quetta. Baluchistan Governor Amanullah
Tigray region. Khan Yasinzai identifies the initiative as a way for
students in underdeveloped areas to receive
A fiery asteroid, measuring ~8 metres (26 ft) falls in education, training and career counselling in order
the Nangqian county of China. Since 2018’s to boost their access to different opportunities.
Kamchatka meteor, this is the largest asteroid to hit
Earth. December 26, 2020
Israel airstrikes the Gaza strip in retaliation to
Russian President Vladimir Putin passes a bill which airstrikes on Israel, wounding two Palestinians
allows former presidents of Russia and their among which was a six-year-old girl. The attack
families immunity for their lifetime, even when they damaged a children’s hospital and caused a power
leave office. Russian presidents under this bill outage in the eastern areas of the strip.
cannot be prosecuted for any crimes they commit.
The Indian government arrests 75 political leaders many other famous designers such as Jean-Paul
of Kashmir. The arrests have reportedly been made Gaultier.
as a preventative measure to curb violent uprisings
or unrest following the win of Kashmir-associated Britain signs a free-trade agreement with Vietnam.
political parties in the local The District Amid Brexit, this deal will replace the EU-Vietnam
Development Council elections. Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) as UK prepares to
leave the European Union.
December 27, 2020
December 30, 2020
Terrorists open fire at the Frontier Corps (FC) post
An airport in the city of Aden in Yemen is hit with an
in Harnai district of Baluchistan. The attack caused
explosion, claiming the lives of 25 people and
the deaths of seven soldiers. This is among
wounding approximately 111 people. The blast is
numerous other incidents of terrorist violence in
reported to have occurred after important members
Baluchistan this year.
of the cabinet landed at the airport. While the
Houthis have been suspected to have orchestrated
December 28, 2020
the attack, they have not claimed responsibility.
100 Outstanding Women Nurse and Midwife Leaders
2020 names 8 Pakistani women. The list is the work Paleontologists in Siberia discover a well-preserved
of Women in Global Health (WGH) along with World carcass of a wooly rhino from the Ice Age. The
Health Organization (WHO), United Nations carcass is the most well-preserved discovery of an
Population Fund, Nursing Now, International Ice Age specie ever and is said to be 50, 000 years
Council of Nurses and International Confederation old.
of Midwives, in order to honor female healthcare December 31, 2020
workers during the global pandemic. It is announced in a press conference by Senate
Chairman Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani that an
Loujain al-Hathloul, a women’s rights activist in embassy will be opened in Djibouti in East Africa.
Saudi Arabia is sentenced to five years and 8 months This is an effort to improve and diversify Pakistan’s
in prison. Hathloul has previously been held in diplomatic relations in light of the Engage Africa
custody since being arrested in May of 2018 for Policy. The chairman met with the African Union
posing harm to national security and seeking to alter Parliament acting Chairman and President Djibouti
Saudi Arabia’s political system. Hathloul had risen National Parliament Mohamed Ali Houmedat
to public limelight after her campaigns for women’s Parliament House to discuss this new development.
right to drive in 2018.
Three cases of the new strain of COVID-19 which is
56% stronger than the original virus have been
December 29, 2020
reported in Pakistan. This is cause for alarm amidst
European Union and the United Kingdom arrive at a
the second wave of the pandemic in Pakistan which
trade deal which is approved by ambassadors of
has claimed thousands of lives already.
member countries. The EU-UK Trade and Co-
operation Agreement will become a law effective 1st
Lewis Hamilton, world-famous Formula One racer is
January 2021.
knighted by Queen Elizabeth II. Sir Lewis Hamilton
has previously been named GQ’s Game Changer Of
Famed French fashion designer and couturier Pierre
The Year, BBC sports personality of the year, and
Cardin dies at the age of 98. The couturier's career
was named in Time Magazine 100 most influential
spanned six decades wherein he became mentor to
people, as well as Laureus World Sportsman Of The
Year
 CURRENT EVENTS
(Issues at NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL level during 2021)

JANUARY 2021 January 2, 2021

The third phase of the Sehat Card Plus commences
January 1, 2021 as the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa extends
Israel vaccinates approximately 10% of its the reach of the program to more districts in KPK;
population with the COVID-19 vaccine, becoming the Charsadda, Swabi, Peshawar Nowshera, Haripur
first country in the world to do so. and Mardan. The Sehat Card Plus seeks to provide
free healthcare to citizens through government
January 1, 2021 funded public healthcare facilities.
Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) of Lahore; Umar
Sheikh is removed from his post. Sheikh was January 2, 2021
transferred to Farooqabad as the Deputy Inspector Eleven coal miners are abducted and brutally
General of Police/Deputy Commandant of Punjab murdered in the town of Mach in Quetta,
Constabulary. Ghulam Mehmood Dogar, who has Baluchistan. The miners belonged to the Hazara
served as a police officer for nearly 30 years has community, a minority group within the Shia sect.
been appointed the CCPO of Lahore. The terrorist group Islamic State claimed
responsibility for the attack.
January 1, 2021 January 2, 2021
Healthcare workers around the country, most After a 20 year pause on death penalties, President
notably employees at Pakistan Institute of Medical Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan signs off on
Sciences (Pims) stage a sit-in protest after marching abolishment of capital punishment in the country.
to D-Chowk in Islamabad. This came as a response Prisoners previously sentenced to the death penalty
to the promulgation of The Medical Teaching will serve lifetime sentences in prison.
Institution (MTI) Ordinance which decreed that PIMS
be run by a Board of Governors that are to be January 3, 2021
appointed by the National Health services (NHS). A committee is set up by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief
Minister Mahmood Khan to overlook damage repair
January 1, 2021 to a Hindu shrine in Teri of Karak district. The shrine
Two patients in Sindh test positive for the new strain had previously been vandalized and had sustained
of the COVID-19 virus being referred to as the ‘UK- damage which will be repaired by the KPK
variant’. The new strain of the virus is said to be government.
more dangerous as it is 70% more transmittable.
January 3, 2021
January 1, 2021 Iraqi civilians protest at Baghdad’s Tahrir Square
Ambassador Nong Rong of China and federal against the occupation of American army troops in
Minister for Economic Affairs Makhdum Khusro Iraq. These protests come at the first death
Bakhtyar of Pakistan sign an agreement for the anniversary of General Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi
rehabilitation of a highway in Sindh. The highway commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis who were
stretches from Hala to Moro and has been granted assassinated in a US drone strike previously in 2021.
100 million USD by China for its revival. Previously, Slogans and flags of Hashd al-Shaabi or Popular
some parts of this highway had been repaired in Mobilisation Forces (PMF) were raised in honor of
2011 and 2016 through another Pak-China al-Muhandis.
agreement.
January 4, 2021
January 2, 2021 United States Congress passes a bill extending the
Besmullah Adel Aimaq, Editor-in-Chief of Voice of Malala Yousafzai Scholarship program to Pakistani
Ghor radio in Afghanistan is shot dead in his car in women. 50% of the merit-based scholarships will
Firoz Koh city. No party has taken responsibility for now be awarded to Pakistani women. The bill awaits
the attack. This assassination comes weeks after the approval of President Trump to make it into a
another prominent journalist was killed in law.
December 2020.
January 4, 2021 Joe Biden’s win and has encouraged his supporters
Mourners from the Hazara community hold a sit-in to hold nationwide rallies and protests. Numerous
protest with the bodies of the deceased coal miners US officials tweeted about the incident, referring to
following their brutal abduction and murders. 2500 it as a ‘violent insurrection’ and a ‘coup d'état’.
protesters called for an end to systematic acts of
terrorism towards the Hazara community. January 6, 2021
The Consulate General of the Islamic Republic of
January 4, 2021 Afghanistan writes a letter to the Foreign Ministry of
Education ministers of Pakistan announce the re- Pakistan in reference to the abduction and slaughter
opening of educational insititutions from 18th of coal miners in Mach, Baluchistan. According to
January 2021. Schools, colleges and universities will the Consulate General, seven of the slaughtered
reopen in phases wherein the first phase beginning miners were Afghan nationals and their bodies
on 18th should be returned to Afghanistan accordingly.
January grades 9th to 12th will open. Grades 1st
through 8th will follow on January 6, 2021
January 25th and Higher Educational classes will The Recording Academy issued a statement
resume on February 1st. announcing that the 63rd Annual GRAMMY Awards,
which were previously set to air on
January 5, 2021 January 31st have been postponed to March 14th. This
Saudi Arabia and Qatar restore trade and travel ties is in light of the increasing COVID-19 cases and
after a Saudi Arabia led coalition three years ago. restrictions in the United States of America.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met with
Qatar's ruler Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani to January 6, 2021
discuss the restoration of Gulf Cooperation Council. Abraham Accords is signed by Sudan. This accord,
Previously, due to strained ties, Bahrain, Egypt and between United Arab Emirates, United States of
United Arab Emirates had cut ties with Qatar in America and Israel, seeks to normalize international
allegiance to Saudi Arabia will reopen its land, sea relations with Israel.
and airspace borders to Qatar
January 7, 2021
January 5, 2021 Elon Musk becomes the richest man in the world,
Army Chief Gen Qamar Bajwa and US Special overtaking previous spot holder Jeff Bezos. Musk is
Representative for Afghan Reconciliation Amb the founder and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX among
Zalmay Khalilzad in a meeting reaffirm their other multibillion dollar companies, his net worth is
intentions to restore peace in Afghanistan through estimated to be $153.2 billion.
mutual cooperation. These discussions ensued after
a substantial increase in Taliban-led violence in January 7, 2021
Afghanistan. Social media platforms Twitter, Facebook and
Snapchat block President Trump’s accounts due to
January 5, 2021 accusations of Trump inciting rallies and violence
Iran issues a ‘red notice’ for President Trump’s around the country in addition to spreading
arrest at Interpol for his role in the assassination of misinformation about the US Presidential election.
their General Qassem Soleimani. 47 officials in This ban will last until the end of Trump’s
addition to President Trump were identified for the presidential term.
‘red notice’ arrest as announced by spokesperson
Gholamhossein Esmaili. January 7, 2021
All Azad Kashmir Schoolteachers Organization
January 6, 2021 protesters gather in Upper Chattar Chowk in
Protesters storm the US Capitol building in Muzaffarabad. 2000 schoolteachers gathered in
Washington D.C in a pro-Trump protest following protest, urging the government to uphold a promise
the US Presidential election results in November of made to them in 2013 by the PPP government
last year. Thousands of armed and unarmed pro- headed by Chaudhry Abdul Majeed, this agreement
trump protesters crowded into the Capitol building stated that the post of schoolteacher would be
and breached the security. Several protesters and raised to BS-14 from BS-7. In addition to this, the
policemen were injured and one female protestor post junior teacher would be upgraded to BS-16
succumbed to gunshot wound sustained during the from BS-14 and the post of senior teacher to BS-17
violent protest. President Trump has contested the from BS-16. This agreement was never fulfilled by
results of the US Presidential elections following succeeding governments. Several protestors were
injured and arrested after police curbed the rally January 9, 2021
through the use of tear gas and batons. Social media platform suspended the account of
President of United States of America Donald
January 7, 2021 Trump, permanently. The platform cited the
Boeing agrees to pay $2.5 billion to settle charges of President’s pattern of inciting violence and
criminal fraudulence and hiding crucial information spreading misinformation on Twitter as the reason.
about their planes’ automated flight control systems
which resulted in two plane crashes in 2018 and January 9, 2021
2019 killing 346 passengers in total. $500 million of Google and Apple announce the suspension of
this settlement will go to the families of the blogging app Parler from Play Store and App Store
deceased. respectively, due to concerns of incitement of
violence on the platform following the US Capitol
January 8, 2021 protests earlier this year. The app has a large user-
Pakistan successfully tests Multi-Launch Rocket base in pro-Trump accounts and has been accused
System (MLRS) called Fatah-1. This guided rocket of hosting anti-democratic rhetoric on the platform.
system would equip the army to strike enemy
territory with precision, as reported by the Inter- January 9, 2021
Services Public Relations (ISPR). A hospital fire in Maharashtra’s Bhandara District
General Hospital in India kills ten newborn babies.
January 8, 2021 The fire, caused by an electrical short-circuit broke
Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao and out in the maternity ward of the hospital, took of the
Secretary of Transportation Betsy DeVos turn in lives of infants some of which were only a few days
their resignations following the storming of pro- old. Authorities are investigating the incident.
Trump protestors into the US Capitol earlier this
year. Many other US officials and politicians have January 10, 2021
turned in resignations and expressed urgency to A nationwide power outage plunges the Pakistan in
impeach President Trump after the incident. darkness for hours on Sunday. Several of the
country’s areas regained power in a few hours while
January 8, 2021 others regained power nearly 24 hours after the
Deceased coal miners are buried in Hazara Town power breakdown.
cemetery in Quetta. The funeral processions led by
Allama Raja Nasir Abbas were attended by January 10, 2021
thousands of mourners and several government Confirmed COVID-19 cases worldwide reaches 90
officials. The mourners, who had previously refused million. Additionally, more transmittable and
to bury the bodies until Prime Minister Imran Khan stronger strains of the virus have been identified
visited the area, gave in after negotiations with the around the world. The USA currently has the highest
government to do so. number of active COVID-19 cases since the
beginning of the pandemic in late 2019.
January 8, 2021
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Iran January 11, 2021
banned the country’s government from procuring “Raast”, Pakistan’s first instant digital payment
the COVID-19 vaccine through imports from USA and system is launched. Prime Minister Imran Khan
UK. Khamenei expressed suspicion over the import expressed optimism for the boost of Pakistan’s
of vaccine from USA and Europe, citing ‘HIV-tainted economy after this launch. Raast would take the
vaccines from France’ as indicative of their attempts country’s population away from cash economy and
to contaminate their country. boost tax payments through digital transactions and
transfers.
January 9, 2021
Zaki ur Rehman Lakhvi a senior member of the January 11, 2021
militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) is sentenced Amazon suspends cloud computing servers afforded
to five years in prison by a court in Pakistan. Lakhvi to Parler to host their site. The site is currently down
had been accused by United Nations and India on his due to scarcity of servers to host the platform.
ties with the Mumbai attacks in 2013 which killed
160 people and several other cases of terrorist January 11, 2021
financing across the world in countries such as A grenade detonated in a market in Turbat,
Bosnia, Iraq, Chechnya and Afghanistan. Baluchistan severely wounds 5 civilians. The party
responsible for the attack has not come forward,
authorities are investigating the incident. disease’ causing 12 civilian deaths.
January 13, 2021
January 11, 2021 President Donald Trump of the United States of
Uzbekistan extends travel and air restrictions from America is impeached by the House through votes
several countries until February 1st 2021. The by both Republicans and Democrats on charges of
country had placed these restrictions on countries ‘inciting insurrection’ following the riots in the US
observed to have cases of new variants of the Capitol in early
COVID-19 virus. These countries include; Australia, January of this year. The trial for the impeachment
Italy, South Africa, Austria, the Netherlands, is set to begin next week, just before Joe Biden is
Denmark and Britain. initiated into office. A successful impeachment after
the trials will prevent Trump from running for
January 11, 2021 President for a second term.
Zia Wadan a prolific former journalist and prominent
spokesperson in Afghanistan is assassinated along January 14, 2021
with two other colleagues in a car bombing in Kabul. Joe Biden, the US President-elect reveals a 1.9
The President of Afghanistan suspects Taliban to be trillion USD relief package for Americans. This
responsible for the attack. would increase their COVID-19 stimulus check from
$600 to $2000.
January 12, 2021
Egypt reopens airspace to Qatar, allowing for direct January 14, 2021
travel to and from the country in light of the Gulf Toyota is set to pay $180 million to the United States
Cooperation Council’s decision to restore ties with of America on charges of misconduct. The company
Qatar. This restoration comes after three years of allegedly failed to report defects in emission, as is
freeze against Qatar by Saudi Arabia, UAE and mandatory for automobile companies in the US.
Bahrain in addition to Egypt since 2017.
January 15, 2021
January 12, 2021 Sulawesi Island in Indonesia is struck with an
Ugandan government blocks social media platforms earthquake of 6.2 magnitude, claiming the lives of
across the country including Facebook and Twitter. approximately 35 people reportedly. The earthquake
This is thought by the public to be a retaliatory damaged infrastructure, burying civilians under
action against Facebook previously blocking pro- rubble and cutting electricity throughout the city.
government propaganda on the platform. The earthquake was followed by 26 aftershocks
according to reports.
January 13, 2021
Israeli airstrikes against Syria in the Deir el-Zour, January 15, 2021
Mayadeen and Boukamal regions claim the lives of Taliban forces attack two checkpoints in Kunduz,
57 individuals which included army personnel, Afghanistan, killing nine security officers in the
Syrian and Iranian soldiers. An intelligence officer cross-fire. This is one of the many incidents of
from the United States claimed that the attacks Taliban-led attacks in Afghanistan.
were in response to information gathered against
Syrian forces storing Iranian weapons in a January 15, 2021
warehouse. This is being referred to as the deadliest Russia announces its intended withdrawal from the
Israeli airstrike on Syria to date. ‘Treaty of Open Skies’ after the USA announced its
withdrawal last year. The Treaty of Open Skies has
January 13, 2021 been signed by 34 countries allowing signatory
YouTube suspends President Trump’s channel from nations to fly unarmed surveillance aircrafts over
uploading or live streaming for a week due to one another’s territories.
Trump’s inciting of violence following the riot in the
US Capitol earlier this year. January 15, 2021
It is announced by Palestinian president Mahmud
January 13, 2021 Abbas that the legislative elections are set to take
Rick Snyder, the former Governor of Michigan is place on May 22nd 2021 while presidential election
charged with willful negligence in relation to the will begin on July 31st 2021. These are the first
Flint water crisis of 2014. The use of the water from elections in Palestine since 2006.
Flint River for the city’s pipelines in 2014 caused
citizens to have to consume contaminated water for January 16, 2021
years and caused the mass outbreak of ‘legionnaires The mother of former President of Pakistan General
Pervaiz Musharraf; Begum Zarin Musharraf, passes January 19, 2021
away at the age of 100. She had been undergoing Trump administration amid Trump’s exit from office
treatment in UAE after a long battle with an illness. denounces China’s violence against the Uyghur
Muslims and ethnic minority groups. In a tweet
January 16, 2021 made by Secretary Pompeo, it is stated that China’s
PSA and Fiat Chrysler finalize the 50-50 merger of actions against the Uyghurs in the Xinjiang Province
their companies. The resultant company is called are ‘genocidal’.
“Stellantis” which is now the world’s fourth biggest
automotive company. The constituent brands under January 20, 2021
each company such as Alfa Romeo, Citroen, Fiat, Joe Biden is sworn in as the 46th President of the
Maserati, Peugeot, Chrysler, and Jeep will continue United States of America. Kamla Harris is sworn in
to operate under Stellantis. as the Vice President of the United States of
America.
January 17, 2021
Two female judges belonging to the Supreme Court January 20, 2021
are shot dead by gunmen in Kabul, Afghanistan. This India begins supplying neighboring low-income
is one of the many attacks against politicians, countries with COVID-19 vaccines. India currently
journalists, judges, police and civilians in has two vaccines being locally manufactured; Oxford
Afghanistan in recent years. University’s AstraZeneca vaccine “Covishield” and a
vaccine developed by Bharat Biotech. India plans to
January 17, 2021 ship to countries such as Bangladesh, barring
It is announced that President Trump signed the however, neighboring countries Pakistan and China.
Malala Yousafzai Scholarship Act bill, making it into
a law that the merit-based Malala Yousafzai January 20, 2021
scholarships be awarded in 50% to Pakistani China places sanctions on outgoing U.S officials of
women. These scholarships will allow women from the Trump administration reportedly in cooperation
Pakistan from various disciplines to pursue higher with Joe Biden’s government. The 28 officials named
education from 2020 to 2022. include prolific attorney and former secretary of
state Mike Pompeo. These sanctions have been
January 18, 2021 imposed due to the Trump administrations’
The government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has disrespect of the Chinese people and their
announced the creation of Swat University of government that have harmed US-China relations.
Engineering and Technology through a government Individuals named as well as their immediate family
grant of 8 billion PKR. The university will be set up in members are banned from visiting Hong Kong,
three years' time and will be self-sustainable. This Makao and mainland China as well as conducting
university will have research and entrepreneurship business with Chinese companies and associates.
programs to sustain itself and create university
graduates from Swat that are able to fare in the January 20, 2021
current job market. Retired Lt Gen Bilal Akbar is appointed as the
January 18, 2021 ambassador to Saudia Arabia by the government of
The methane emission in 2020 was 70 trillion metric Pakistan. Retired army officials are often appointed
tons, 10% lower than emissions in 2019, according ambassadors as a show of goodwill in forming
to reports from The International Energy Agency. bilateral relations with countries. Currently
Due to the pandemic, global activity slowed down ambassadors for Jordan, Libya, Syria, Brunei,
significantly, decreasing industrial activity as well. Maldives, Nigeria and Ukraine are also retired
generals.
January 19, 2021
Joe Biden takes office and gives speech at the January 21, 2021
inaugural ceremony as he bids goodbye to his family A market in Baghdad is bombed, killing 32 civilians
home in Delaware. Joe Biden is set to be the 46th and injuring approximately 110 others. Islamic
President of the United States. It was also Stated claimed responsibility for the suicide
announced that he plans to lay out an eight-year bombing. Since the defeat of Islamic State in Iraq,
citizenship program to grant citizenship to illegal attacks have been rare in the past three years. The
immigrants in the USA. This plan will be unveiled market that was hit with this attack was previously
after Biden’s oath-taking into office. also hit in 2018 when 28 civilians were killed in a
suicide bombing.
January 21, 2021 January 22, 2021
Indonesian government announces ceasing of In Argentina, scientists uncover the 98 million years
efforts to search for victims of the Sriwijaya Air old fossils of reportedly the largest dinosaur to have
Flight 182 flight which crashed earlier in ever been discovered. The pieces of fossils
January. The plane crashed into the Java Sea and discovered are significantly larger than the largest
killed all 62 passengers aboard. recorded type of dinosaurs; Patagotitan mayorum, a
January 21, 2021 type of sauropod.
As ruled by the European court of human rights,
Russia committed human rights violations against January 22, 2021
Georgians during its war with Georgia in 2008. The Pakistan Electronic Media Authority Regulatory
During the five-day war between Russia and Authority (Pemra) fines the TV news channel Bol
Georgia, Russia allegedly tortured civilians and war News for Rs. 1 million and bans the channel for 30
prisoners and expelled 20, 000 civilians from their days. This is due to Bol News airing disagreeable
homes in disputed territory of South Ossetia. This remarks against Lahore High Court and its judges
ruling is being hailed as a ‘historic victory’ for during their show Tajzia with Sami Ibrahim.
Georgia against Russia’s human rights abuses of its
citizens. January 23, 2021
Longtime talk show host Larry King passes away at
January 21, 2021 the age of 87 reportedly from COVID-19. King had a
Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi announces career spanning several decades hosting Larry King
China’s supplying of Pakistan with 500,000 doses of Live on CNN. Prominent figures and celebrities all
the Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine as early as over the world mourned the loss and posted
January 31st, 2021. The Sinopharm vaccine, condolences across various social media platforms.
developed by Beijing Institute of Biological Products
is reportedly 79.3% effective. January 23, 2021
Islamic State (ISIS) kills 11 army personnel
January 22, 2021 sponsored by Iraq for Iran; Hashed al-Shaabi. The
World Trade Organization decides in favor of South extremist group attacked the officers in Baghdad
Korea in its lawsuit against the USA. Seoul, South during the night. This is the second incident of ISIS
Korea had filed a lawsuit against USA due to USA violence in Iraq since the suicide bombing in a
levying high tariffs on some South Korean products. market earlier this month.
Eight tariffs levied by the USA were found to have
been violating WTO rules. January 24, 2021
Israel opens an embassy in United Arab Emirates,
January 22, 2021 honoring diplomatic ties agreed upon late last year.
Israel launches airstrikes against Syria in Hama city UAE approves the creation of an embassy in Tel Aviv,
where Iran army personnel are posted, killing a Israel. This is the beginning of UAE’s normalization
family of four in the crossfire and wounding four agreement with Israel.
other civilians, including children. These airstrikes
are conducted routinely by Israel to prevent Iran January 24, 2021
from strengthening its hold on their northern Estonian center-right Reform Party and the left-
border. The individuals killed in the airstrike, leaning Center Party elects Kaja Kallas as the
according to reports, were killed due to fly-away country’s first female Prime Minister. This is
debris from Syrian missiles countering the attack. following the removal of Juri Ratas due to a
corruption scandal earlier this year.
January 22, 2021
Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons January 24, 2021
(TPNW) is entered into force by United Nations Security forces carry out an operation in North
Secretary-General António Guterres and The Waziristan, killing 5 terrorists. Two terrorist leaders
International Red Cross and Red Crescent were among those killed, Syed Raheem alias Abid
Movement. This treaty prohibits the use, (AKK group) and Saifullah Noor of (Gohar group),
development, threat of use and stockpiling of who belonged to Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
nuclear weapons in 51 countries. The treaty
denounces the use of nuclear weapons as unethical January 25, 2021
and inhumane. United States of America and Russia, Debenhams, British multinational retailer,
the world’s biggest nuclear superpowers are yet to announces closure of all its physical outlets, causing
endorse this treaty. 12,000 people to lose their jobs. The online fashion
store Boohoo bought the intellectual property for January 27, 2021
Debenhams and the store will operate online under Higher Education Commission (HEC) allows
Boohoo. This is due to COVID-19 lockdown universities to have online examination following
restrictions and Debenhams’ failure to properly student protests. HEC also mandated universities to
transition into e-commerce, causing the retailer to conduct make-up classes regarding student
lose substantial business and money. complaints that the syllabi had not been covered
January 25, 2021 appropriately prior to exams. Exams will be held as
Progressive Students Collective (PSC) protests either ‘open book’ exams or with supervision as to
outside University of Management Technology ensure academic integrity of the system.
(UMT), Lahore against on-campus exams. Police
officers proceeded to baton-charge student January 28, 2021
protesters, critically injuring a few, though the United Nations rules that United Kingdom has no
police have denied such claims. Following the claim over the Chagos Archipelago islands and must
baton-charge and arrest of PSC president Zubair hand control back over to island nation Mauritius.
Siddiqui, more protesters gathered outside UMT Though Prime Minister of Mauritius Pravind
against the ‘thuggery’ of the police. Jugnauth announced the ruling to be ‘absolute’,
spokesperson for the UK denied these claims and
January 26, 2021 stated that the UK maintains sovereignty over the
Minister Shafqat Mahmood announces ongoing disputed islands.
discussions with vice chancellors of universities
regarding the possibility of online examinations, January 28, 2021
following student protests earlier this week. Recent Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) places
According to Minister Shafqat Mahmood, the point of Pakistan at 124 on the ranking of 180 countries.
discussion and utmost importance is the feasibility Previously, Pakistan ranked at 120, previously.
of online exams for every student of universities in Moreover, Pakistan’s corruption score was 31, lower
question, as technical issues can pose a problem. than last index’s score of 32. The corruption score
ranges from 0-100 with 0 being ‘highly corrupt’ and
January 26, 2021 100 being ‘very clean’.
Farmers unions such as Samyukta Kisan Morcha
continue to protest on India’s Republic Day due to January 28, 2021
the government’s agriculture reforms. While the Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi expressed
government enacted these reforms to supposedly support for United Nations’ peacekeeping efforts
‘liberalize’ the farmers, farmer unions have and pledges $25,000 for the UN Peace-Building
maintained that they put them at a monetary Fund (PBF) on behalf of Pakistan. PBF’s strategy for
disadvantage. Farmers and protestors stormed the 2020-24 attempts to include youth and women in
Republic Day parade at Red Fort including other peacekeeping efforts across the world.
areas around the country, resulting in arrests and
injuries on both sides. January 29, 2021
Mangal Bagh, chief of militant organization Lashkar-
January 26, 2021 i-Islam (LI) is killed in an explosion at the Nangarhar
Italian Prime Minister Guiseppe Conte hands in province of Afghanistan. Bagh is said to have been
resignation. This is due to Conte losing majority vote cruel to his victims, especially during public
after the country’s financial crisis amid the COVID- executions. His funeral was held as a small
19 pandemic. Political parties of Italy are divided gathering of a few of his close associates.
over the spending of EU funds for the country.
January 29, 2021
January 27, 2021 Johnson & Johnson announce the effectiveness of
National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) their COVID-19 vaccine to be 66% in preventing
head Asad Umar announces the launch of COVID-19 moderate symptoms and 88% in preventing severe
vaccine drive to be scheduled for next week. symptoms of the virus. The pharmaceutical
Frontline healthcare workers will be the first to company had previously conducted a global trial for
receive the vaccinations through hundreds of their single-use vaccine.
vaccination centers nationwide. This is favorable
news considering the country’s steady daily reported January 30, 2021
cases and positivity rate amid the second wave of Veteran film star Cynthia Alexander Fernandes,
the COVID-19 pandemic. more popularly known as Begum Neelo, passes
away at the age of 80. Prominent celebrities as well
as Prime Minister Imran Khan sent out their February 2, 2021
condolences to Shaan Shahid for the passing of his Jeff Bezos announces that he will step down as CEO
mother. of Amazon sometime later in the year. He is to be
replaced with Andy Jassy who is currently the CEO
January 30, 2021 of Amazon Web Series.
Government of Iran executes Baluch militant leader
of Jaish ul-Adl, Javid Dehghan. The leader was February 2, 2021
hanged for his shooting and killing of two members State Counsellor of Myanmar Aung San Suu Kyi,
of the Iranian national guard in 2017. International among other lawmakers and leaders is put under
bodies such as United Nations have vehemently house arrest following the military coup d'état of the
criticized Iran for its high number of executions in Myanmar government.
the past few years.
February 2, 2021
January 31, 2021 Democrats pass a vote to facilitate a budget
Israel pledges to supply Palestine with 5,000 COVID- resolution that allows President Joe Biden to
19 vaccine doses for Palestine’s frontline healthcare successfully allocate the $1.9 trillion stimulus
workers. Currently, it is up for debate which country package without the Republicans’ votes. Ordinarily
is responsible for supplying the 2.7 million and 1.8 to pass a resolution such as this it would be required
million Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza with that a 60-vote supermajority be met. The current
COVID-19 vaccines. vote allows for it to be passed with only 50 Democrat
votes.
January 31, 2021
United Kingdom launches a passport scheme for February 3, 2021
citizens of Hong Kong to have British National COVAX, a WHO organization set up to provide COVID-
(Overseas) passports for travel into the UK. 19 vaccinations to low-income countries, published
Applicants that secure the visa will be able to apply its first distribution list. The distribution list consists
for settlement in five years and citizenship a year of doses of the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine and
after that. The government of China has however doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Pakistan is
announced that it does not recognize the British set to receive 17.2 million doses of the vaccines.
National (Overseas) passport (BNO) as a legitimate
travel document. February 3, 2021
All federating units of Pakistan begin their
vaccination drives after China’s supplying of 500,000
FEBRUARY 2021 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine in late January. The
February 1, 2021 first dose of the vaccine was given to a doctor from
The government of Pakistan announces the Islamabad as Pakistani government emphasizes its
allocation of 40.3 million PKR for the establishment plans to prioritize frontline workers and high-risk
of a Braile printing press. This printing press, set to individuals in the vaccination process.
be in Peshawar will aid approximately 3600
individuals with vision impairment disabilities who February 3, 2021
previously had to purchase Braile books from Sindh Saudi Arabia places temporary suspension of travel
or Punjab. A software application will be created and into the country on 20 countries including Egypt,
instructors will be trained accordingly. Lebanon, Turkey and Pakistan. This suspension is
however exclusive of medical practitioners,
February 1, 2021 diplomats, and Saudi nationals and their families.
The military of Myanmar carries out a coup, This suspension is a result of the COVID-19 cases in
imprisoning elected leaders including Aung San Suu Saudi Arabia increasing threefold in the past few
Kyi, the State Counsellor of Myanmar and Win Myint months.
Myanmar the President of Myanmar. A curfew is
placed upon the residents as a state of emergency is February 4, 2021
declared to be imposed for one year. This coup Thousands of mine workers in Baluchistan quit and
comes in response to alleged ‘election fraud’ in the move out of the region, causing hundreds of mines
country. President of the US Joe Biden as well as to be closed, following the armed attack on 10
spokespeople for the UN have vocally condemned Hazara miners earlier in the year. The low pay of the
the coup d'état, threatening imposition of sanctions local miners and workers has also contributed to
on the military of Myanmar. the Baloch people’s reluctance to work in the mines.
February 4, 2021 February 6, 2021
Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp are blocked by New York State Attorney announces resolution to
internet service providers in Myanmar following the mark February 5th as “Kashmir-American Day”. The
military coup earlier in February. Foreign Office (FO) spokesman Zahid Hafiz Chaudri
in a press conference spoke on this development
February 4, 2021 stating “"The resolution appreciates the courage
Protests by farmers continue in India as the and perseverance of the Kashmiri people. It also
government neglects to continue talks with the underscores that 'the State of New York endeavors
farmers on the new agricultural reforms. As a sign to champion human rights including the freedom of
of protest, the farmers have blocked three highways religion, movement, and expression for all Kashmiri
to the capital since January with no resolution in people',".
sight.
February 7, 2021
February 5, 2021 Thousands gather for protests in Yangon city of
Two blasts occur in separate locations in Pakistan Myanmar against the military junta’s coup d'état
on the country’s Kashmir Solidarity Day. An earlier in February. The protesters waved red
explosion on Inscomb Road in Quetta is said to have balloons in their demonstrations; the colour red
killed two individuals as well as having injured four. representing Suu Kyi’s National League for
Similarly, an explosion Baluchistan’s Sibi district is Democracy Party (NLD) which was the ruling
reported to have wounded 24 individuals. The political party of Myanmar until the coup.
explosions are said to have been targeting Kashmir
Solidarity rallies around the country. No February 7, 2021
organization has claimed responsibility for the Democratic Republic of Congo announces the
explosions. reemergence of the Ebola virus after a woman in its
eastern region died from Ebola-like symptoms.
February 5, 2021 World Health Organization (WHO) announced that it
Lokman Slim a Lebanese social critic, author and is typical for cases to be reported occasionally after
vocal anti-Hezbollah activist is assassinated in an epidemic such as the Ebola virus epidemic.
Beirut. Slim was found in his car with multiple
gunshot wounds fired from close range. His February 7, 2021
assassination has sparked outrage from fellow Shia Search efforts continue to locate three climbers;
activists and supporters. Pakistan’s Muhammad Ali Sadpara, Iceland’s John
Snorri and Chile’s JP Mohr who went missing while
February 5, 2021 climbing K2 earlier in the week. Experts and army
A German-Malagasy team of scientists announce helicopters have been searching for the missing
the discovery of “Brookesia nana” a rare species of climbers despite the unfavorable weather
chameleon. This lizard is reportedly 13.5 conditions, but to no avail. The climbers had
millimeters long and is now the smallest reptile to previously been congratulated by the government
be discovered on Earth. when it was assumed that they had successfully
climbed the mountain, shortly before they lost
February 6, 2021 contact.
A convoy belonging to U Khin Maung Lwin, a former
executive committee member for the Myanmar February 8, 2021
Konkang Self-Administered Zone is attacked, killing Houthi fighters in Yemen continue their offensive
three police officers and nine civilians as well as effort to capture government stronghold Marib.
injuring five police officers and eight civilians. The Approximately 20 government officers have been
convoy, travelling from Lashio to Laukkai was killed while 28 have been wounded in the clashes
ambushed by members of the Myanmar National that lasted 24 hours. The Marib region is oil-rich and
Democratic Alliance Army (MNDA), an insurgent is the largest supplier of gas in the country and is
group that had previously signed a ceasefire therefore appealing to anyone contesting for power
agreement with the Burmese government. in Yemen.

February 6, 2021 February 8, 2021

Amid global protests and denouncement of the coup, Following the protests against the military coup in
Myanmar’s military junta shuts down internet across Myanmar, the military junta imposes a curfew and
the country, showing signs of the beginning of a ban on public gathering of more than 5 people in the
communication blackout. city of Mandalay. The martial law in the city is the
military junta’s efforts to curb public protests in February 11, 2021
favor of the democratic leaders imprisoned in the President of the United States Joe Biden terminates
coup. the two-year emergency declaration between the
U.S-Mexico border, effectively stopping the
February 9, 2021 allocation of funds towards the building of the wall
Palau, the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of between USA and Mexico. However, the troops
Micronesia, Kiribati, and Nauru quit the Pacific deployed at the U.S-Mexico border remain in place.
Islands Forum. The forum decided on Polynesia
electing a new secretary general even though it was February 12, 2021
previously agreed that it was Micronesia’s turn to do China's National Radio and Television
so. The Micronesian countries that withdrew from Administration announces that BBC has not been
the forum cited a pattern of neglect towards its ‘truthful and fair’ and violated regulations, harming
interest from the other Polynesian and Melanesian China’s interests. Following this, China banned BBC
member countries of the forum. World News on its Television networks and Hong
Kong proceeded to ban BBC World Service radio. A
February 9, 2021 spokesperson for Chinese embassy in London
Talks between Palestinian President Mahmoud commented on the situation, stating “BBC's
Abbas’s nationalist Fatah faction and rival party relentless fabrication of 'lies of the century' in
Hamas ensue in Cairo as part of Egypt’s reporting China runs counter to the professional
longstanding efforts to broker peace between the ethics of journalism, and reeks of double standards
rivalling parties. These talks are an attempt to reach and ideological bias,".
an agreement between the two parties before the
beginning of the Palestinian elections later this year. February 12, 2021
Torkham Border, between Pakistan and Afghanistan
February 9, 2021 officially opens for pedestrians four days a week.
The military junta of Myanmar place martial law in The opening of the border is an attempt to facilitate
thirty cities across the country, imposing a 8pm-4am bilateral trade and travel of Afghani or Pakistani
curfew and a ban on gatherings consisting of more citizens between the countries.
than 5 people at a time. Protests continue across the February 13, 2021
country as riot police are dispatched to fire rubber Foreign Office spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudri
bullets at demonstrators and curb protests. announced that Pakistan has made considerable
progress in reaching goals set by the Financial
February 10, 2021 Action Task Force’s (FATF) Action Plan. The FTAF
President of the United States of America action plan consisted on 27 goals, 21 of which have
announces the imposition of sanctions on leaders of been met. An upcoming plenary meeting of the FTAF
the military who orchestrated the coup d'état in on the 25th February 2021 will assess Pakistan’s
Myanmar. In addition to this, Biden announced the progress in countering terrorist financing and
freezing of U.S assets that directly benefit the money laundering. Pakistan currently resides on the
Burmese government as a sign of protest towards FTAF ‘grey list’ for inadequate measures taken to
the martial law in place currently in Myanmar. curb terrorist financing and money laundering in the
country.
February 10, 2021
Loujain al-Hathloul, a prolific women’s rights February 13, 2021
activist is released from prison after serving for An earthquake of 6.4 magnitude strikes regions all
three years. Hathloul had previously protested the across Pakistan including Islamabad, parts of
ban on female drivers in Saudi Arabia and had been Punjab, Baluchistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as
sentenced in 2018 for six years. well as Gilgit Baltistan and Azad Jammu and
Kashmir. No casualties or major property damage
February 11, 2021 was reported despite the strong tremors.
India and China decide on withdrawing troops from a
disputed region in the Himalayan border following February 14, 2021
deadly clashes last year which resulted in casualties Bangladesh is set to move approximately 4000
on both sides. After a series of meetings between Rohingya Muslims to remote Bhasan Char Island in
military officials, the two countries decided to cease the Bay of Bengal despite global concerns for their
fighting on the southern and northern regions of safety. The island is reportedly prone to flooding and
China’s Pangong Lake. harsh weather conditions. Upon arrival, the
Rohingya refugees are not allowed to leave the
island. February 16, 2021
Government of Pakistan opens registrations for
February 14, 2021 citizens over or of the age of 65 to receive the
Chughtai Lab in Pakistan announces the acquisition COVID-19 vaccination. Individuals that fall under this
of the Sputnik COVID-19 vaccine for commercial use category can register both through mobile phones
by next week. The lab will sell the vaccine privately and online. Vaccination of the country’s elderly
with no price regulations from the government. begins in the next phase of the countrywide vaccine
drives.
February 14, 2021
The Republic of Guinea announces reemergence of February 17, 2021
the Ebola virus epidemic. Seven Ebola cases have 27 students are abducted and one is killed in an
been reported in the southeast region of Guinea and attack on the Kagara school in Kagara, Nigeria.
more tests are being conducted while Ebola positive Moreover, several members of the staff and twelve
patients remain in isolation. of their family members were also taken during the
nighttime raid. This is a case among several other
February 15, 2021 kidnappings and gang attacks in Nigeria in the past
The number of active COVID-19 cases in Pakistan year.
drops 50% since the beginning of 2021, amidst the
second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Pakistan is February 17, 2021
set to receive 17 million doses of the COVID-19 Citizens of Myanmar stage rallies around the
vaccine from COVAX soon. country in protest of the military coup which
occurred earlier in February. The military junta of
February 15, 2021 Myanmar continues to respond by tightening the
Israeli Air Force (IAF) conducts airstrikes in Syria, curfews and blocking communication in the country.
near Damascus, taking the lives of six foreign The citizens chanted slogans demanding freedom
nationals. Headquarters of the 4th Division near for Aung San Suu Kyi and other government officials
Damascus-Beirut road were targeted where imprisoned under the military regime.
missiles and other weaponry are kept. The airstrikes
were meant to target Iran-developed weapons February 17, 2021
before they could be transferred to Israel’s rival Foreign diplomats visit Indian occupied Kashmir,
party Hezbollah. business owners in the region close down shops in
protest. The diplomats drove around the region
February 15, 2021 accompanied by tight security provided by the
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the Finance Minister of Nigeria government and met with village leaders and
is appointed as the Director General of the World journalists in the area. The actions of the citizens of
Trade Organization (WTO). Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is Indian occupied Kashmir are a result of the Indian
the first African and first woman to be appointed as government stripping Kashmir of its semi-
the Director General of WTO. autonomous status in 2019 as well as imposing a
communication blackout in the region.
February 16, 2021
World Health Organization (WHO) issues a warning February 17, 2021
to six countries in Africa to be prepared to tackle TESS Hunt for Young and Maturing Exoplanets
another Ebola virus outbreak. This warning comes (THYME) project announces the discovery of a sub-
after Republic of Congo and Guinea reported several Neptune exoplanet, which has been named HD
cases of Ebola virus. 110082 b. The exoplanet discovered is three times
larger than the Earth. Exoplanets are planets which
February 16, 2021 exist outside the Solar System and have been
Thousands of Algerian citizens gather in the streets extensively researched in the recent decades by
of the city Kherrata to protest the Algerian NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS).
government. This rally commemorated the two-year So far, three extrasolar planetary systems have
anniversary of the movement known as Hirak which been found during the research.
protested against the political system of Algeria and
the former President Abdelaziz Bouteflika at the February 18, 2021
time. The current President Abdelmadjid Tebboune NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg
belongs to the same political party as the former announces the increase of security personnel Iraq
president therefore inciting protests from the as a response to recent Islamic State of Iraq and the
citizens. Levant (ISIL) terrorist activity in the area. The
previous number 500 security officers will be February 20, 2021
increased to 4000 in increments and training centers A young grocery store worker, Mya Thwate Thwate
will be established in the country. Khaing is killed as a result of military firing on a
rally in Myanmar, against the military junta’s coup.
February 18, 2021 Khaing has quickly become a symbol of civilian
Biden administration rescinds UN sanctions placed resistance against the military government’s
on Iran. These sanctions were previously placed on forceful takeover. People all around the world
Iran by former president Donald Trump. Acting U.S. expressed condolences and disapproval for the
Ambassador Richard Mills wrote to the United military junta on social media.
Nations withdrawing statements sent by the Trump
administration imposing UN sanctions on Iran. February 20, 2021
Biden administration expressed intent to rejoin the Russia sees its first reported case of H5N8 bird flu
Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), signed virus. The deadly H5N8 virus which began infecting
in 2008, which is also known as the Iran Nuclear poultry late last year has begun spreading through
Deal, from which Trump had withdrawn the United humans.
States during his presidency.
February 21, 2021
February 18, 2021 Iran agrees to the International Atomic Energy
NASA lands the rover “Perseverance” safely on Agency monitoring its nuclear program for three
Mars. The new and improved Mars’ rover is set to months. The agreement however disallows
explore the possibility of life on the planet by reviewing site footage and doing snap inspections of
exploring the Jezero Crater. Scientists' objective for the program.
the rover is for it to explore the dried-up water
channels and deltas on the planet as well as collect February 21, 2021
samples of rock and dirt for further research. Facebook suspends the page of the military junta of
Myanmar following the killing of two protesters in a
February 18, 2021 rally the day prior. The social media platform stated
Muhammad Ali Sadpara, as well as two other that the page was in violation of its policy against
missing mountaineers are pronounced dead after a “incitement of violence”.
third mission in search for them is unsuccessful. It
is speculated to be highly unlikely that Sadpara and February 22, 2021
his crew have managed to survive in the cold for A week-long sit-in of Baloch protesters against
several days. Sadpara leaves his legacy to his 21- enforced disappearances in the region comes to an
year-old son Sajid Sadpara who is also a end. The Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan
mountaineer. agreed to meet with the protest leaders in the next
month, though the leaders reportedly are not
February 19, 2021 optimistic. Enforced disappearances have been
Buckingham Palace announces that Prince Harry common in Baluchistan for a decade with families
the Duke of Sussex and Megan Markle, the Duchess still searching for members missing since as far
of Sussex will be stripped of their royal titles and back as 2009.
military appointments following their exit as working
royals of the UK a year prior. February 22, 2021
Four women were gunned down in North Waziristan
February 19, 2021 by unidentified gunmen. The deceased women were
At the 47th G7 Summit, Group of Seven (G7); Canada, social workers providing aid in the area. No party
Germany, France, Britain, USA, Japan and Italy has claimed responsibility for the attack.
release a joint statement pledging $7.5 billion for
the COVID-19 vaccination of poor countries. February 22, 2021
President of France Emmanuel Macron urged the Canada’s The House of Commons in a motion
US and Europe to donate 5% of their COVID-19 declared that China is committing genocide against
vaccines to poorer countries such as Africa. its Uyghur Muslim citizens. The parliament also
proposed the moving of the 22’ Winter Olympics
February 19, 2021 from China’s capital Beijing if the country continues
The United States of America reenters the Paris its persecution of its Muslim minorities. Prime
Agreement following Trump administrations Minister Trudeau however did not vote on the motion
withdrawal from it a few months prior. and has expressed hesitancy in declaring China’s
actions as genocidal.
February 22, 2021 defense and security.
Luca Attanasio, renowned Italian ambassador, along
with two others is assassinated as gunmen open fire February 25, 2021
on World Food Program (WFP) vehicles in the USA conducts airstrikes on Syria, intended for “Iran-
Democratic Republic of Congo’s Goma city. backed” Kata’ib Hezbollah (KH) and Kata’ib Sayyid
al-Shuhada (KSS)’s military equipment. The
February 23, 2021 airstrikes killed 17 people belonging to KH and KSS.
Spain completes its mission to remove all statues of
the fascist dictator Francisco Franco from the February 26, 2021
country with the last remaining statue being taken House of Representatives of Netherlands moves to
down in Melilla. Over 350,000 people were killed in declare China’s treatment of the Uyghur Muslim
minorities as genocidal. The Netherlands is the first
the Spanish Civil War of 1936-39, as a result of country belonging to the European Union to
which Franco and his party came to power. recognize the human rights violations in China.
February 23, 2021 February 26, 2021
Guinea begins vaccination drive for the inoculation of Approximately 317 school girls are abducted from a
people from Ebola virus in the Nzérékoré Prefecture school in Zamfara, Nigeria by armed attackers. Over
region. Previously, the Ebola Virus outbreak in 2016 the past few years Nigeria has seen consistent acts
took approximately 11,000 lives in Africa. of gang violence, especially against children.
February 26, 2021
February 24, 2021 COVAX supplies Ivory Coast with 500,000 doses of
National Assembly of Pakistan passes a bill the COVID-19 vaccine, making it the second country
outlawing corporal punishment in Islamabad. to receive the vaccine from COVAX. The country
Veteran musician and humanitarian Shehzad Roy received doses of the Oxford Astra-Zeneca Vaccine
who urged the assembly to oversee the bill, took to through the Serum Institute of India.
social media to endorse it as a step in the right
direction of preserving the dignity and safety of February 26, 2021
Documents are released by the Biden administration
children. with regards to the assassination of Jamal
Khashoggi, a Saudi Arabian dissident journalist for
February 24, 2021 the Washington Post. The report released revealed
COVID-19 related restrictions on indoor wedding that the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of
halls and indoor dining are lifted in Pakistan. Saudi Arabia approved of the assassination and a
Curfews and time constraints on shopping malls will team of operatives that report directly to the Crown
also be lifted effective 15th March 2021. Prince carried out the murder. The Biden
administration placed sanctions on Saudi officials
involved in the assassination as well as freezing
February 24, 2021 their assets.
A Diplodocus-like fossil of a dinosaur is discovered
in Uzbekistan by scientists. This type of fossil is the February 27, 2021
first to be discovered in Asia proving a theory that 27 students and 15 others that were abducted from
these creatures could travel across large regions. a school in Kagara, Nigeria are returned back to
The dinosaur discovered is named Dzharatitanis their families. The students and other members of
kingi as it was found in the Dzharatitanis region. the staff were taken from a boarding school ten days
prior on February 17th 2021.
February 25, 2021 February 27, 2021
Two villages in Nigeria; Kaduna and Katsina are Military junta of Myanmar cracks down on
attacked by gunmen who kill 36 civilians and burn countrywide protests, injuring and arresopting
down several houses. Security forces of Nigeria hundreds of protesters. Moreover, the UN
respond by conducting an air operation on the Ambassador for Myanmar Kyaw Moe Tun is removed
gunmen, killing several of the attackers. from his post after he spoke against the military
leaders and demanded their removal in a UN
February 25, 2021 General Assembly meeting.
Prime Minister Imran Khan pays a visit to Sri Lanka, February 28, 2021
meeting with Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa. A Roman ceremonial chariot, which is almost
The countries discussed the strengthening of ties in completely intact, is discovered under the buried city
combating drug trafficking, terrorist funding and of Pompeii. The chariot was unearthed near a stable
organized crime. Pakistan pledged $50m in new where the remains of three horses were uncovered
credit line to Sri Lanka for strengthening bilateral previously in 2018.
February 28, 2021 eruptions at the mountain since 2010, before which
Myanmar’s military forces continue to crack down the mountain was dormant for approximately 400
on protesters, critically wounding 30 individuals and years.
killing approximately 18 others. The communication
blackout in the country is still being retained. March 3, 2021
Police shoot live and rubber bullets on anti-coup
protesters in Myanmar, killing 38 protesters. Video
MARCH, 2021 footage of the police assaulting the civilians
surfaced on the internet. This marks the bloodiest
March 1, 2021
Nicolas Sarkozy, the former president of France is day yet since the coup in Myanmar took place in the
sentenced to three years imprisonment due to beginning of February this year.
charges of attempted bribery. The former French
president allegedly bribed a judge with a potential March 3, 2021
job in exchange for confidential information about a An airbase in Al Anbar Governorate for the US-led
case. Sarkozy’s lawyer intends to appeal the coalition is hit with ten rockets, killing a contractor
sentence, in the meantime of which Sarkozy will not who died from a heart attack while seeking shelter
be imprisoned. during the hit. The Al-Asad airbase hosts US forces
helping Iraq fight against the terrorist group Islamic
March 1, 2021 State. No group claimed responsibility for the
Ejaz Durrani, renowned Pakistani actor passes away rockets.
at the age of 85. Durrani was also a successful
producer, producing hits such as 1970’s Heer March 3, 2021
Ranjha. Durrani leaves behind three children that he Gunmen open fire at a ceremony in Zamfara where
had with the late Noor Jehan. formerly abducted school children were being
reunited with their families. Three people are shot
March 1, 2021 during the attack. The government proceeded to
A UN human rights officer reports that at least 18 impose a curfew on the area due to increased gang-
protestors have been killed by the police during related violence and shootings recently.
Myanmar’s anti-coup protests on February 28th
2021. The police set out to squash protests all March 4, 2021
around Yangon city, firing rubber bullets and stun Freedom House, a non-profit organization based in
guns at protesters. The military continues its the US, publishes a reported titled “Democracy
crackdown on communication and anti-coup Under Siege” deeming India a partly-free state
rhetoric throughout the country. under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.
The report illustrated India’s decline in safeguarding
March 1, 2021 the rights of Muslim minorities as well as the rise of
The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) rules against nationalist rhetoric and violence in the country. The
removing Pakistan from its ‘grey-list’ after Pakistan global freedom reported lowered the freedom score
fails to meet 27 of its set targets towards curbing of 72 other countries, concluding that less than 20%
money laundering and terrorist financing. The global of the world population is currently resides in free
watchdog will be reported to once again after countries.
Pakistan achieves its targets and the country’s
removal from the grey-list will be reconsidered. March 4, 2021
The 6th annual Pakistan Super League (PSL) is
March 2, 2021 postponed after six cricket players set to participate
279 Nigerian schoolgirls abducted earlier this year test positive for Covid-19.
by armed men are returned to their families. The
girls were kidnapped from a school in Zamfara, March 4, 2021
Nigeria. This is one of the several cases of child United Nations Human Rights Chief Michelle
kidnappings in Nigeria in the past year. Bachelet in a statement expresses concern over the
suspected human rights violations and sex crimes in
March 2, 2021 Ethiopia’s Tigray region. The conflict in Ethiopia
Three female reporters for Enikas Tv are shot dead requires investigation into the war crimes
and one is wounded in Jalalabad, Afghanistan. committed by Tigray People’s Liberation Front and
Islamic State has claimed responsibility for killing other allied groups as well as the Ethiopian National
the young women. This assassination is among Defense Forces, Eritrean armed forces, and Amhara
many other target killings of reporters, especially Regional Forces.
women, in Afghanistan in the last decade.
March 5, 2021
March 2, 2021 A female doctor in Jalalabad city of Afghanistan is
Mount Sinabung in Indonesia erupts, with the hot killed after a bomb magnetic explosive device
ash reaching almost 17 feet in the air. No fatalities attached to her vehicle explodes, wounding several
have been reported. There have been several other individuals. Meanwhile, seven civilians
belonging to the minority Shia Hazara community of
Afghanistan are killed in a shooting. No group has statement urging the police to ‘finish off’
claimed responsibility for the attack. communists in the country. The murdered
individuals died in police raids wherein they resisted
March 5, 2021 arrest and were killed. Six others were also arrested
The White House releases a statement nominating while some others escaped.
Pakistani-American Dilawar Syed as the deputy
administrator of the Small Business Administration March 7, 2021
(SBA). Syed is currently the CEO and President of Switzerland moves to ban facial coverings such as
Lumiata, an artificial intelligence company. Syed ‘burqas’ and ‘niqabs’ in the country outside of
previously also served in President Obama’s religious gatherings and establishments. The ban
government as a chair for the White House Initiative was spearheaded by the Egerkingen Committee, a
on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) right-wing organization in Switzerland. The Islamic
Economic Growth Committee. Central Council of Switzerland released a statement
alleging ‘islamophobia’ and bias as a basis for the
March 5, 2021 ban.
The United States Senate rejects an amendment
meant to raise the minimum wage of the country to March 8, 2021
$15 in a 58–42 vote. The amendment was put Cyprus, Greece and Israel sign an agreement called
forward by Bernie Sanders, Senator of Vermont. the Euro-Asia Interconnector to begin building the
“deepest and longest underwater power cable” in
March 5, 2021 the world which will connect the countries through
Myanmar’s Ministry of Defense and Ministry of the Mediterranean. The power cable is intended to
Home Affairs is placed under sanctions by the supply emergency power up to 1,000-2,000
United States President Joe Biden following the megawatts (MW). The cable is set to be completed
military junta’s coup against the government in by 2024.
February.
March 8, 2021
March 5, 2021 Security officers open fire on anti-coup protesters,
Pope Francis pays a visit to Iraq, marking the first shooting two civilians in the head fatally and injuring
ever papal visit to the country. The Pope made three other civilians. The military junta of Myanmar
several addresses to the country, especially the continue their crackdown on anti-coup protests
Christian population of Iraq, denouncing extremist- around the country following the overthrowing of the
led violence in the state against minority groups. democratic government in February.
March 5, 2021 March 8, 2021
Prime Minister Imran Khan wins vote of confidence Rallies are held all around the globe on
in the National Assembly, following Finance Minister International Women’s Day. Women in Athens, India,
Abdul Hafeez Sheikh’s loss of a Senate seat to Myanmar, and Pakistan among many other
Yousuf Raza Gilani in the senate elections earlier countries march for equal social and political rights.
this month. The opposition party; Pakistan
Democratic Movement was accused by Khan of March 9, 2021
buying votes to win the Senate seat. The US government under the Biden administration
allows Venezuelan immigrants protected status of
March 6, 2021 18 months. Immigrants from Venezuela are free to
Chinese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs work and obtain citizenship during the 18-month
reports an outbreak of the African swine fever in period of the protected status.
Sichuan and Hubei. Sichuan and Hubei are two of
China’s primary producers of pork. The African March 10, 2021
swine fever previously wiped out a significant China’s National Space Administration and Russia’s
quantity of pigs in China in 2019. Roscosmos co-sign a memorandum stating
intention to build a lunar space station. The joint
March 7, 2021 space station, which will be made on the moon or in
A string of explosions occurs in a military base in the orbit of the moon will facilitate research and
Bata city of Equatorial Guinea. The explosions experimentation through a string of centers,
reportedly killed 20 people and wounded available for use by other partner countries as well.
approximately 600 people. The explosions occurred
due to negligent storage of dynamite and other March 10, 2021
explosives at the Nkoa Ntoma military base; the The American Rescue Plan Act 2021 is passed by the
dynamite was ignited when farmers began stubble United States House of Representatives in a 220–211
burning in the area. vote. The 1.9 trillion USD plan supplies unemployed
individuals with monthly payments, other civilians
March 7, 2021 with stimulus and small businesses relief funds in
Nine activists are killed by police forces in the light of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Philippines after President Rodrigo Duterte makes a
March 10, 2021 are reportedly wounded in a car bombing in
Hamed Bakayoko, the Prime Minister of the Ivory Afghanistan. Some of the deceased were civilians
Coast dies at the age of 56 from cancer. Government while others were security officers. No group has
officials such as the President of the Ivory Coast claimed responsibility for the attack.
Alassane Ouattara expressed condolences over
social media. March 13, 2021
A thirteen-year-old child becomes the youngest
March 10, 2021 person to be killed in the anti-coup protests in
Citizens over the age of 60 begin receiving first Myanmar after police officers open fire at protesters
doses of the Covid-19 vaccine in Pakistan. The in Yangon city. Eleven other protesters were also
senior citizens were set to receive the Oxford- killed.
AstraZeneca vaccine but due to delayed shipment,
the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) March 14, 2021
approved the Sinopharm vaccine to be given to the 54 civilians and one police officer are killed during
senior citizens. This marks the beginning of phase 2 various anti-coup protests around Myanmar. This
of the Covid-19 vaccination program in Pakistan, marks the highest death toll in the police crackdown
phase 1 of which focused on inoculating frontline of protests since the military coup in February of
healthcare workers. this year.
March 11, 2021 March 14, 2021
Militant rebels attempt another student abduction in The Netherlands discontinues vaccinating civilians
Zamfara, Nigeria. The failed kidnapping results in a with the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine following
mass shooting, taking the lives of thirteen civilians reports from Denmark on suspected side effects.
one of which was a student. This is one of many AstraZeneca responds by releasing a statement
other related incidents of student kidnapping and denying alleged side effects, claiming there is no
school raiding in Nigeria in the recent years. evidence to show serious side effects such as deep
vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism after the
March 11, 2021 vaccine.
The President of the United States Joe Biden signs
off on the American Rescue Plan Act 2021’s 1.9 March 15, 2021
trillion USD relief plan. The relief package with the Thornton's, renowned British chocolate company
President’s signature is made into a law. announces the closure of all of its physical stores,
leaving 600 people unemployed. The company
March 12, 2021 claims that it has suffered severe financial loss
Federal College of Forestry Mechanization in during the Covid-19 pandemic. Thornton’s will
Kaduna State of Nigeria is raided, thirty students are continue to function through supermarkets and in
abducted by gunmen. This is the fourth school- the form of online stores.
related raid and kidnapping in Nigeria since
December of 2020. March 15, 2021
Violent crackdown on anti-coup protesters
March 12, 2021 continues in Myanmar as 20 civilians are shot and
A vote in China’s parliament moves to allow China to killed during protests across the country.
veto candidates in the Hong Kong elections, as well
as other changes in Hong Kong’s electoral system. March 16, 2021
The Chinese government in various statements Eight people are killed in mass shootings across
expressed a concern to ensure Hong Kong is run by Atlanta, six of the people murdered in the tragedy
true patriots that are loyal to the Communist Party. were Asian American women. The shooter, a man by
The move is criticized globally as anti-democratic. the name of Robert Aaron Long opened fire on three
Spa facilities across Atlanta before being
March 13, 2021 apprehended by the police after a police chase. The
The United Kingdom declares China to be in violation mass shooting is being widely considered as an act
of the Sino-British Joint Declaration of 1984. The of Anti-Asian violence in America which has grown
Hong Kong Joint Declaration was signed between more frequent in the Covid-19 pandemic.
UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Chinese
Premier Zhao Ziyang in 1984 outlining the transfer March 16, 2021
of the sovereignty of Hong Kong. The document Maashiq Presidential Palace is stormed by
illustrated in eight sections that Hong Kong Special protesters in Yemen. The protesters gathered to
Administrative Region (HKSAR) would remain a contest the dire economic crisis in Yemen given the
capitalist country until 2047. China’s recent move to decline of the national currency and unfavorable
change Hong Kong’s electoral system is therefore in living conditions for the population. The
non-compliance of the treaty. demonstrators were removed from the Palace
peacefully shortly after the storming.
March 13, 2021
Eight people are killed and approximately 50 others
March 16, 2021 approximately 40,000 earthquakes detected and
An explosion in Harnai, Baluchistan kills seven reported by the Meterological Office in the past
workers. The explosion occurred as a result of built- month.
up methane gas in the mine. This incident is similar
to another explosion that occurred earlier in March March 19, 2021
which claimed the lives of six mine workers and In a 394-14 vote the United States of America’s
wounded two others. An investigation into the House of Representatives agrees on a resolution to
incident has been ordered and the mine is closed denounce the military coup in Myanmar, call for
down. lifting of the martial law and release of detained
civilian protesters and government officials. Since
March 16, 2021 the military coup
Martial law is imposed on the Hlaingthaya Township March 20, 2021
area in Myanmar causing thousands of civilians to Prime Minister Imran Khan of Pakistan tests
flee due to fears of military violence. Hundreds of positive for Covid-19. This comes shortly after he
civilians in Myanmar have been killed since the received the first dose of the Sinopharm Covid-19
military takeover in February of this year. vaccine. According to research the contraction of the
virus and vaccination are unrelated as the vaccine
March 16, 2021 takes about 20 days and two doses to be fully
For the first time in 60 years, new ancient scrolls effective.
are found in south Jerusalem. The Dead Sea scrolls
which were excavated from the Cave of Horrors March 20, 2021
contain biblical inscriptions dating back to 2nd Both men prosecuted on charges of sexual assault
century AD during a Jewish revolution, the “Bar in Lahore’s “motorway incident” are sentenced to
Kochba Revolt” against the Romans. the death penalty by Lahore Anti-Terrorism Court
(ATC). The men Abid Malhi and Shafqat Ali are
March 17, 2021 accused of sexually assaulting a woman back in
President of Tanzania, John Magufuli dies at the age September 2020 while her car broke down on the
of 62 from a heart attack. The heart attack was motorway.
reportedly due to the late president suffering from
Covid-19. The Vice President of Tanzania, Samia March 20, 2021
Suluhu is said to become the next President after Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar
Magufuli’s passing. announces the procurement of 1 million doses of the
Covid-19 vaccine from China. The doses will arrive in
March 17, 2021 two shipments towards the end of March. This is
In an ABC News interview, President of the United part of Pakistan’s nationwide vaccination drive
States Joe Biden states that the Russian President amidst the third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Vladimir Putin shall “pay a price” for attempting to
rig the 2020 US Presidential Elections. Biden March 21, 2021
proceeded to refer to Putin as a “soulless killer”. Six individuals are killed and several others are
injured in the bombing of a hospital in Aleppo. The
March 18, 2021 Syrian government conducted airstrikes on the
In a 202-114 vote, the Spanish Congress of Deputies hospital, making this one of many attacks on
rules in favor to legalize physician assisted suicide healthcare facilities in Syria in the recent years.
and euthanasia for patients suffering from chronic Although a ceasefire brokered by Russia and Turkey
incurable illnesses that hinder their quality of life. is in place in the area the airstrikes have not
Spain is now the fourth European country to legalize stopped.
euthanasia. March 21, 2021
Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) of Pakistan issues
March 18, 2021 more travel bans on several countries into
Several countries, including Lebanon and categories of severity; A, B and C. 12 countries
Kazakhstan halt their procurement of the including the United Kingdom fall under Category C
AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine due to increasing fear of the ban, prohibiting travel from and to the country
of blood clots in patients who received the effective from 23rd March 2021.
vaccination recently.
March 22, 2021
March 18, 2021 A fire in Balukhali camp, a Rohingya refugee camp
Prime Minister Imran Khan of Pakistan receives the in Bangladesh kills 40 people and wounds 550
first dose of the Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine. This is others. The fire which blazed throughout the camp
amidst the nationwide vaccination drive currently for reportedly six hours, displaced 45, 000 refugees
innoculating frontline healthcare workers and from their homes.
elderly individuals over the age of 60.
March 19, 2021 March 22, 2021
A volcano in Iceland in Fagradalsfjall of the A stampede in Tanzania kills 45 civilians. The
Reykjanes Penninsula. This eruption is after stampede occurred at a memorial procession for
late President John Magufuli who passed away from Faisal Kapadia took to their Instagram accounts to
a Covid-19 related heart attack earlier in March. deliver the news. The end of the musical duo has
come as a shock to their widespread fanbase across
March 23, 2021 the world.
Three civilians are killed and 13 are wounded in a
bombing in Chaman, Baluchistan. The Pakistani March 25, 2021
terrorist organization which goes by the name Both United Kingdom and United States place
Tehreek-I-Taliban has claimed responsibility for the sanctions on Myanma Economic Holdings and
bombing. Attacks on police and civilians of Myanmar Economic Corporation following the
Baluchistan have increased in the last year. military coup in Myanmar. The military junta has
committed various acts that are being globally
March 23, 2021 considered as war crimes, against civilians and
Special Rapporteur for the United Nations Human government officials.
Rights Council, Agnès Callamard in an interview March 26, 2021
with the Guardian stated that a top official from Police open fire at demonstrators protesting India’s
Saudi Arabia threatened her life during her Prime Minister Modi’s visit, killing four people. The
investigation into the assassination of journalist citizens of Bangladesh chanted slogans denouncing
Jamal Khashoggi. During a meeting at Geneva about the visit and telling Modi to go back given the
the assassination, a senior government official of country’s long history of strained relationship with
Saudi Arabia allegedly threatened to have Callamard India.
“taken care of” if she continued her investigation.
March 26, 2021
March 23, 2021 The US Navy announces plans to deploy a dredging
The Suez Canal is blocked by a ship, blocking the and assessment team to the Suez Canal to help
trade route completely. The ship called “Ever Given” move the megaship Ever Given. The Suez Canal has
that is wedged in the canal is reportedly 400m-long been blocked for four days, halting trade traffic on
(1,312ft) ship, roughly the size of four football both sides and holding up hundreds of cargo ships
pitches. The Suez Canal connects the Red Sea to the containing artillery and fuel.
Mediterranean and sees 12% of global trade traffic.
The ship was reportedly on its way from China to March 26, 2021
Rotterdam in Netherlands and lost the ability to Kanwal Nasser, famed tv host known as Pakistan’s
steer due to a storm. first Tv anchor/host passes away at the age of 70.
Nasser had a long and successful career which won
March 24, 2021 her the Lifetime Achieving Award. She is survived by
Approximately a 100 cargo ships are awaiting the four children.
move of the Ever Given which is still stuck in the
Suez Canal. The Suez Canal Authority (SCA) reported March 26, 2021
that the ship is operated by Evergreen Marine of Famed writer and dramatist Haseena Moin passes
Taiwan. Traffic continues to increase on both sides away at the age of 79. Moin is known for successful
of the blocked trade route. dramas such as Aahat and Dhoop Kinarey among
others. Her death ensued an outpouring of
March 24, 2021 condolences on social media.
Pope Francis issues 10% cutting back on the
salaries of cardinals and other Vatican officials due March 27, 2021
to a foreseeable economic crisis in the Vatican Approximately 114 protesters are shot and killed by
amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. The Vatican has military forces in Myanmar on the country’s Armed
suffered a substantial economic deficit (€50m) due Forces Day. This is one of numerous other incidents
to the closing down of exhibits and museums due to of military violence against civilian protesters since
the Covid-19 pandemic. the military junta’s coup in Myanmar earlier in 2021.
March 25, 2021 March 27, 2021
In a press conference, President of USA Joe Biden A 25-year cooperation agreement is signed by Iran
states that it is difficult to withdraw the U.S troops and China. The signing of the agreement was
from Afghanistan by the previously announced May televised live in Tehran on Chinese Foreign Minister
1st deadline. It is reportedly difficult due to the Wang Yi’s visit to Iran. The agreement is meant to
number of troops (10, 000) and their equipment increase China’s investment into Iran’s
being hard to remove altogether in the matter of six infrastructure and energy.
weeks. Biden went on to state that he thinks it's
unlikely the troops will remain in Afghanistan next March 27, 2021
year. Thousands of Turkish women gather on the streets
to protest President Tayyip Erdogan’s decision to
March 25, 2021 withdraw from the Istanbul Convention. The treaty,
The infamous Pakistani musical duo Strings breaks signed in 2011, is an international treaty against
up after 33 years. Band members Bilal Maqsood and domestic violence. The decision came as a shock to
the global audience as Turkey was one of the first
countries to sign the treaty initially. Protesters
APRIL 2021
April 1, 2021
gathered in Istanbul’s seafront square chanting Minimum wage in New Zealand is raised to $20 per
slogans demanding Erdogan to reconsider the hour. The country’s new tax reform also dictates
country’s position. that the wealthiest citizens (citizens earning over
$180,000 annually) of New Zealand pay taxes of 39%.
March 28, 2021
The Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North April 1, 2021
(SPLM-N) and the Sudanese Government sign a Sanctions are placed on Myanmar Economic
peace agreement. The agreement is meant to Corporation (MEC) by the United Kingdom for
uphold the government’s intent to separate religion funding the military junta in its coup against the
from state matters and allow the civilians religious government. Countries all over the world have
freedom. This comes after the imposition of Sharia expressed concern and disapproval at the military
Law in the country since 1983. junta’s killing of civilian protesters in the past two
March 28, 2021 months.
Thousands of protesters march to Islamabad after
the bodies of four young boys are found in Bannu, April 1, 2021
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The boys, aged 16-20 were John Hennessey-Niland, the American ambassador
discovered in a shallow grave and are thought to of Palau pays a visit to Taiwan. This is the first visit
have been tortured and shot by security personnel. from an American representative to Taiwan since
The protesters marched to pressure the government 1976 when the U.S severed formal ties with Taiwan.
to take action against the act of violence.
April 1, 2021
March 29, 2021 Hong Kong convicts barrister Martin Lee, social
The United States ceases its diplomatic relations activist Leung Kwok-hung, entrepreneur Jimmy Lai
with Myanmar until the democratic government is and politician Margaret Ng of unlawful assembly.
restored. The military coup in Myanmar has sparked Five other activists were also convicted, for
outrage globally since its beginning in February, organizing a pro-democracy rally back in 2019. The
causing many countries to condemn the military rally on 18th August 2019 was one of the biggest
junta’s leaders and government. rallies in the country; 1.7 million people reportedly
attended. The convicted organizers face up to five
March 29, 2021 years in prison.
The Ever Given is moved, refloated northbound,
allowing approximately 365 ships and containers to April 1, 2021
pass through the Suez Canal. This is after five days Khwaja Saeed Hai, veteran Pakistani tennis player,
of trade blockage as the ship was diagonally wedged passes away at the age of 91. Hai was the first
in the Suez Canal. Pakistani player to reach the main draws of a Grand
Slam Wimbledon Champion-ship (both in 1955 and
March 29, 2021 1956). Condolences poured in over social media for
President Arif Alvi and Defence Minister Pervez the tennis legend’s demise.
Khattak test positive for Covid-19 amidst the third
wave of the pandemic in Pakistan. April 2, 2021
An express train in Taiwan, with 500 passengers
March 30, 2021 aboard, derails, killing 49 people. 66 others were
Three female polio vaccine workers are shot and wounded in the accident, reportedly. The crash
killed in Jalalabad, Nangarhar. The killings of polio occurred on Taiwan’s annual Tomb Sweeping
workers in Afghanistan, especially women have Holiday; the passengers were reportedly headed to
increased significantly in the past decades. visit their family graves.
March 30, 2021 April 2, 2021
A hundred deaths are reported in Pakistan due to The U.S lifts sanctions from some members of the
the Covid-19 pandemic. This is the highest number International Criminal Court. Former U.S President
of per day deaths this year. Covid-19 cases in the Donald Trump previously placed these sanctions,
country have risen substantially amidst the third allegedly because the prosecutors were
wave of the pandemic. investigating war crimes committed in Palestine and
Afghanistan.
March 31, 2021
Pakistan moves down two spots in the Global April 3, 2021
Gender Gap Index. 'Global Gender Gap Report 2021' All ships (85) previously stopped by the Ever Given in
published by the World Economic Forum ranked the Suez Canal manage to successfully pass
Pakistan as 156th as opposed to the previous 153rd through. The Suez Canal Authority continues to
ranking. This puts Pakistan among four worst investigate the cause of the Ever Given getting stuck
countries for gender equality in the world. in the canal.
April 3, 2021 April 5, 2021
Jordanian royal family member Hassan Bin Zaid Turkish authorities arrest 10 former members of the
along with 19 others is arrested in a plot to army in an attempted coup. Over 100 former
overthrow King Abdullah II. admirals signed a letter warning the government not
to go ahead with plans to build the Istanbul Canal; a
April 3, 2021 canal that would connect the Black Sea to the
22 mummified pharaohs are moved from Egyptian Aegean and Mediterranean Seas through a
Museum in Cairo to the National Museum of waterway. The admirals protested the Istanbul
Egyptian Civilization. The mummified remains were Canal as it threatens the 1936 Montreux Convention.
moved, each in on their individual float in a The Montreux Convention restricts free passage of
ceremony being referred to as “The Golden Parade”. naval ships that don’t belong to the Black Sea
The mummified pharaohs included the most countries through the Bosporus and Dardanelles
powerful female pharaoh in Egyptian history Queen straits.
Hatshepsut as well as legendary warrior pharaoh
Ramses II. April 6, 2021
Limpet mines strike the Islamic Revolutionary Guard
April 4, 2021 Corps Navy reconnaissance vessel “Saviz” around
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani announces plans to the Eritrea coast in the Red Sea. The ship “Saviz”
present a peace agreement between the Afghan was previously sanctioned by former U.S President
government and the Taliban during the Turkey Donald Trump for providing Iran data for Houthi
Summit 2021. This plan intends to counter USA’s anti-shipping attacks. An unnamed source from the
plan to install an interim government in Afghanistan U.S reported that Israel struck the ship in the
to tackle the situation. morning with the magnetic mines. This was
allegedly done as retribution for previous Iranian
April 4, 2021 attacks on Israeli ships.
Gunmen attack and kill counter-terrorism judge
Aftab Afridi along with three of his family members. April 6, 2021
The attackers shot at the vehicle as the family was Sudanese government annuls 1958 law which
on their way to Islamabad. The attack occurred in forbids Sudan from establishing formal ties with
the Swabi district of KPK. No one has taken Israel. This comes a few months after Sudan and
responsibility for the attack; the attacks fled the Israel normalized their ties formally.
scene shortly after the shooting.
April 6, 2021
April 4, 2021 National Assembly of Pakistan approves a bill
Camp 7 of the Guantanamo Bay detention camp outlining a two-year imprisonment and fine imposed
closes. Camp 7 was reportedly home to many high- on criticism of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The bill
profile criminals including individuals suspected to was met with outrage on social media.
be involved in 911. The U.S decided to close down
Camp 7 and move the prisoners due to structural April 7, 2021
issues in the camp. Military forces open fire at anti-coup protesters,
killing 15 civilians and injuring 12 more. This is one
April 5, 2021 of the many recent civilian killings at the hands of
Hajj and Umrah Ministry of Saudi Arabia announces the military junta in Myanmar.
plans to allow individuals to perform Umrah in
Ramadan. Only immunized individuals; people who April 7, 2021
have received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, G20 bankers and finance ministers extend a debt
people who have received one dose 14 days before, moratorium interest payments for developing
and people who have had COVID-19 and recovered countries, amid the global COVID-19 pandemic. This
will be allowed to perform Umrah. action comes as a relief to poor countries that are
recovering from economic crises following the
April 5, 2021 pandemic.
Renowned South Korean company LG announces
ceasing of smartphone production. The company April 8, 2021
reported poor sales of their smartphones amid Egyptian archeologists excavate “lost golden city”
tough competition with other smartphone brands outside Luxor. The 3,000-year-old city is the largest
worldwide. ancient city ever found in Egypt. According to lead
Egyptologist Dr. Zahi Hawass the city existed during
April 5, 2021 the reigns of pharaohs Amenhotep III, Tutankhamun
Russian President Vladmir Putin signs a law and Ay. This discovery is being hailed as the second
outlining that elected Presidents serve four most important archeological feat since
consecutive presidential terms, each of six years. Tutankhamun’s tomb was discovered almost a
This would allow Putin to remain in power until the hundred years ago.
year 2036.
April 8, 2021 to discuss Russia’s escalation of violence at the
Rai News, the newspaper Domani, the Guardian border.
conduct a joint investigation against Italian
prosecutors, revealing that thousands of April 13, 2021
conversations were wiretapped and recorded to be Syed Yahya Shah, a founding member of Gilgit-
used in a case against human rights groups such as Baltistan’s Pakistan’s People Party passed away. A
Save the Children and Médecins Sans Frontières. well-respected politician and advocate for
The human rights groups allegedly aided in rescue biodiversity, Shah is mourned by his colleagues,
boats carrying illegal immigrants from Libya. children and widow.
April 9, 2021 April 13, 2021
The Duke of Edinburgh Prince Phillip dies at the age Turkey announces plans to host a summit from 24th
of 99. The Duke was the longest serving king consort April until 4th May to hold talks to end the war in
in England, married to Queen Elizabeth II. Afghanistan. This comes after the Afghan President
Ashraf Ghani announced plans to enter into a peace
April 9, 2021 agreement between the government and the Taliban
Russia deploys several heavily armed troops to the in Afghanistan.
Ukraine border, sparking international confusion.
The Ukraine war has been an ongoing conflict April 13, 2021
between Russian-funded separatists and the The chief of Tehreek-i-Labaik Pakistan (TLP)
government of Ukraine since 2015. Recent Maulana Saad Rizvi is arrested, prompting agitation
conversations among the countries have slowly across the country from the party. TLP activists
moved towards the possibility of war. stormed the streets of Taxila, Islamabad and
Rawalpindi, halting traffic for hours.
April 10, 2021
Kyaw Moe Tun, Myanmar Ambassador to the United April 13, 2021
Nations calls for the imposition of a no-fly-zone over The ship Ever Given is seized by Egyptian authorities
Myanmar as well as an arms embargo on the pending a payment of $900 million for the days-long
military junta. Tun urged countries to step in and inconvenience caused the ship becoming lodged in
protect Myanmar’s civilians from airstrikes and the the Suez Canal.
violence of the military junta.
April 14, 2021
April 10, 2021 Renowned Pakistani director S. Suleman passes
An earthquake on the Java Island of Indonesia kills away at the age of 80. Suleman was the recipient of
seven people. 10 Nigar Awards, a Sitara-e-Imtiaz as well as a
Pride of Performance award during his long career.
April 11, 2021
Russian forces fire on the front lines, killing a April 14, 2021
Ukrainian soldier and wounding another. A total of Joe Biden, the President of the United States
27 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed from conflicts announces that the U.S troops deployed in
at the border this year. Afghanistan will leave the country by September 11.
This is an update to the previously established
April 11, 2021 deadline of May 1st 2021.
A blackout at an underground nuclear facility in Iran
is dubbed as an act of “nuclear terrorism” by the April 14, 2021
Iranian government. Electrical lines were Intelligence agencies report that secret talks were
compromised during the blackout and the Iranian being held between Pakistan and India in January of
government stated that it reserves the right to this year. United Arab Emirates acted as a mediator
respond to whoever was behind the sabotage. of the talks to help the countries mend their
strained relations.
April 12, 2021
Ibn Abdur Rehman, renowned Pakistani human April 15, 2021
rights advocate and journalist dies at the age of 90. A car bombing in Sadr city of Iraq kills four civilians
Tributes and condolences poured in over social and injured 17 others. The car which exploded was
media for the esteemed human rights advocate. parked in a busy market area that has
predominantly Shia residents. Attacks against the
April 12, 2021 Shia community in Iraq have been common in the
Two more Ukrainian soldiers are killed at the front past decade. No group has claimed responsibility for
lines during a conflict with Russian separatist the attack.
forces. Armed fighting at the border between Russia
and Ukraine has risen in the recent months. April 15, 2021
Ukrainian government invokes Article 15 of the A 13-year-old boy named Adam Toledo is shot and
Charter on a Special Partnership to meet with NATO killed by an officer of the Chicago Police
Department, according to body-cam footage. Toledo
was of Mexican descent; police violence and police during the armed clashes. Tajikistan launches a
killings are lived realities for people of color in criminal investigation against Kyrgyzstan for
America. unleashing the armed conflict.
May 3, 2021
Iran debunks previous reports of an agreement with
MAY 2021 the USA and UK to release their prisoners, including
May 1, 2021 Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe.
The United States Troops’ withdrawal from May 3, 2021
Afghanistan begins. Additionally, North Atlantic Joe Biden, President of the US, passes a ruling
Treaty Organization (NATO) also began calling their increasing the cap on USA’s acceptance of refugees;
troops back from Afghanistan. from 15,000 a year to 65,000 a year.
May 1, 2021 May 4, 2021
Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan agree to a ceasefire after India reports over 20 million Covid-19 cases,
both country’s forces engaged in armed clashes at becoming the second country with that many cases
the border. Two days of mourning are announced in after the United States. The third wave of Covid-19
Kyrgyzstan for the loss of those who died in the hit India considerably hard, the population continues
border clashes. to struggles to cope with the nationwide oxygen
shortage.
May 1, 2021
A fire at Patel Welfare Hospital in Bharuch, India May 5, 2021
takes the lives of 16 Covid-19 patients as well as two Four soldiers are killed and six are injured in a
nurses. The incident is being investigated. militant attack in Baluchistan, Pakistan. Terrorist
attacks have increased significantly in Baluchistan
May 1, 2021 in the past decade.
India reports 401,993 Covid-19 cases in the past 24
hours, setting a record for the highest number of May 5, 2021
cases reported by a country, in a span of 24 hours. LiveLeak, the video-sharing platform is shut down.
India continues to struggle for supplies to fight the The platform has been around for 15 years and has
Covid-19 pandemic. been widely criticized for sharing controversial
videos of militant murders and executions over the
May 2, 2021 years. The platform was criticised worldwide after it
Myanmar’s military forces open fire on protestors shared the execution of Saddam Hussein.
around the country, killing 7 civilians. The
countrywide protests were organized as ‘Myanmar’s May 6, 2021
spring revolution’ movement against the military According to a Ministry of Emergency Situations
junta’s takeover of the government. report, 86 facilities and 136 houses were destroyed
in the border clashes between Kyrgyzstan and
May 2, 2021 Tajikistan. Tajikistan reports a death toll of 19 and
30,000 Kyrgyz civilians vacate the Batken Region reports 87 people were wounded in the armed
near the Tajikistan border. Both countries agree to a conflict.
ceasefire and withdrawal of their troops from their
borders. May 6, 2021
Russia approves the use of “Sputnik Light” a one-
May 2, 2021 shot Sputnik vaccine against Covid-19. The vaccine
7 billion USD in frozen Iranian funds are released as is said to have an efficacy of 71%.
well as Iranian prisoners that have links with the
Western world. This includes Nazanin Zaghari- May 6, 2021
Ratcliffe who has been in an Iranian prison since China suspends China–Australia Strategic Economic
2016 for allegedly plotting against the state. Rumors Dialogue. This is a development in the countries’
suggested that the UK is set to pay 400 million worsening economic ties. Previously, China placed
pounds for her release. sanctions on Australia’s wine and coal imports and
did not renew hay import permits for Australia.
May 2, 2021 Alternatively, Australia did not partake in China’s
18 people were reportedly killed in jihadist attacks in Belt and Road initiative. The Belt and Road initiative,
Baghdad, Iraq. Most of the deceased were Iraqi also known as the One Belt One Road initiative is
soldiers. China’s initiative to invest in over 70 countries
globally.
May 3, 2021
Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan completely withdraw May 7, 2021
troops from the border. The death toll on Lahore High Court grants Shahbaz Sharif leave to
Kyrgyzstan’s side goes up to 36; the casualties pursue medical treatment abroad. This required
include that of a four-year-old boy who perished
Shahbaz Sharif to be removed from the travel civilians and wounding 103 others, nine of which
blacklist he had previously been on. were children.
May 7, 2021 May 10, 2021
Armenia finishes returning war prisoners to Researchers in Ukraine report the increase of
Azerbaijan. This is after Armenia and Azerbaijan’s radiation at the site of the Chernobyl disaster; the
armed Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in 2020 which Chernobyl power plant. Containers of fuel in the
ended on November 9. The November 9 Agreement most radioactive room have disintegrated into dust
marked a ceasefire between the two countries. particles.
May 7, 2021 May 11, 2021
Scientists reveal that four distinct species of Giraffes Israel conducts airstrikes on Gaza strip, killing eight
exist. This debunks the previous understanding that Palestinians and wounding several others. People
all giraffes came from a single species. DNA study across the world gather for demonstrations and
also revealed 7 subspecies of Giraffes. protests in solidarity with the Palestinians.
May 7, 2021 May 11, 2021
Israeli forces storm Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, A school shooting in Kazan, Russia, leaves seven
wounding 205 Palestinian worshippers with rubber children and two teachers dead. The shooter was
bullets and tear gas. Israeli forces have worsened later arrested.
their crackdown on Palestinians recently, forcibly
evicting residents of Sheikh Jarrah. May 11, 2021
Data rights groups around the world criticize
May 8, 2021 Facebook and Instagram for deleting pro-Palestine
An explosion outside a school in the Hazara district posts from their platforms. Users worldwide joined
of Kabul takes the lives of 58 civilians and wounds in and accused the algorithm for being
150 others. Most of the deceased were schoolgirls. discriminatory.
This is the highest death toll in a terrorist attack in
Afghanistan this year. The notorious terrorist group May 12, 2021
Taliban has not taken responsibility for the attack. Israeli continues its airstrikes on Palestine; killing
48 Palestinians and wounding 390 others. The death
May 8, 2021 toll of children killed in Israeli airstrikes this year
Palestinian protestors clash with Israeli forces in rises to 17. Protests in Palestine continue as well as
East Jerusalem. The clashes left 90 Palestinians protests around the globe in solidarity with the
wounded. There have been violent clashes daily as Palestinians. Israeli forces vow to continue attacking
Israeli forces prepare for Jewish settlers to occupy the Gaza strip until ‘there’s a total quiet’.
Sheikh Jarrah.
May 12, 2021
May 8, 2021 Two new Covid-19 vaccination centers open in
Prime Minister Imran Khan lands in Jeddah, Saudi Lahore; these centers can ideally vaccinate up to
Arabia. Pakistan and Saudi Arabia continue talks to 3000 people daily. Pakistan continues to vaccinate
strengthen ties between the two countries. its population as the country grapples with the third
wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.
May 9, 2021
Elon Musk announces that SpaceX will now accept May 13, 2021
cryptocurrency DOGE-1 as payment for the Explosions around Afghanistan kill eleven civilians
company’s upcoming mission to the moon. and injure several others. This marks the end of
Taliban’s ceasefire in observance of Eid-ul-Fitr.
May 9, 2021
Israeli Supreme Court delays ruling on the forced May 13, 2021
eviction of the residents of Sheikh Jarrah. Israeli Israel conducts airstrikes on Gaza, killing 113
forces continue to clash with Palestinians to forcibly Palestinians and wounding 600 more. The death toll
evict them from their homes to make way for of children killed by Israeli forces rises to 31.
settlers in the coming weeks.
May 14, 2021
Israel continues its attacks on Gaza; the death toll
May 10, 2021 rising to 132 Palestinians with almost a 1000
Taliban announces a ceasefire in Afghanistan in Palestinians wounded in airstrikes. Palestinians
observance of Eid-ul-Fitr. The ceasefire will last continue to grapple with the collapse of their
three days. buildings and homes. Additionally, Israeli settlers
are still attacking and harassing residents in
May 10, 2021 Hebron, killing eleven Palestinian protestors.
Clashes continue in Palestine as Israel forces
respond to Hamas rockets with airstrikes; killing 24
May 14, 2021 May 18, 2021
12 civilians are killed during Friday ‘Jummah’ Protesters gather at Damascus Gate to protest
prayers, in an explosion at Kabul Mosque. The Israel’s apartheid in Palestine. Israeli police squash
country’s most notorious terrorist group Taliban the protest by firing protesters with skunk water,
denied responsibility for the attack. rubber bullets, and stun grenades. In Beit El
settlement of West Bank, Israeli forces open fire on
May 15, 2021 protesters, killing one. Similar conflict takes place
Israeli airstrikes claim the lives of eleven in Bethlehem, Nablus, Butrus and Hebron.
Palestinians, bringing the death toll of children
killed to 41. A refugee camp is bombed later in the May 18, 2021
day, killing several more Palestinians. Israeli bombs Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem, Israel and
have destroyed the headquarters of news channels West Bank go on strike to protest Israel’s forcible
in the West Bank, including Al-Jazeera news and the evictions in Sheikh Jarrah and bombing of Gaza. The
Associated Press. Benjamin Netanyahu announces strike is being referred to as the “day of rage”.
that there is no end to the attacks on Palestine in
sight, the airstrikes and attacks will continue as long May 19, 2021
as they are ‘needed’. United States of America vetoes United Nations
Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire in
May 15, 2021 Gaza. There was significant backlash from the
China’s Mars rover developed by China National global community over USA’s defense of the
Space Administration; “Zhurong” lands on Mars. genocidal aggressor Israel. USA’ s current
China is now the third country in the world to government has time and time again made their
achieve a soft landing on Mars. stance clear on the subject.
May 16, 2021 May 20, 2021
Israel conducts airstrikes on Gaza, killing 42 Two bombings in Helmand and Ghor provinces of
Palestinians. The airstrikes struck a busy downtown Afghanistan take the lives of 13 people. In west
storefront, killing 10 children reportedly. Afghanistan, terrorists hijack a bus and kill three
Hazara passengers.
May 16, 2021
After deliberations in Pakistan and Qatar, Taliban May 20, 2021
agrees to attend the summit in Istanbul. Taliban had Hamas and Israel agree on a ceasefire. The death
previously refused to attend the summit where there toll on Palestine’s side during Israel’s strikes is 232
would’ve been peace talks about Taliban’s conduct while the death toll for Israel is 11.
in Afghanistan.
May 20, 2021
May 16, 2021 Founder of ByteDance, Zhang Yiming announces
Andrea Meza from Mexico is named Miss Universe that he will step down as CEO of the company.
2020. The 2021 Miss Universe pageant was held in Yiming’s company also owns the popular video
Hollywood Florida. sharing app TikTok. Rubo Liang, the chief of human
resources will take over as CEO.
May 17, 2021
Israeli airstrikes kill more Palestinians, making the May 20, 2021
death toll 212 people. Amidst the instability in Gaza, Microsoft is set to discontinue supporting Internet
USA approves a weapons sale worth $735 million to Explorer effective June 15th 2022. This means on
Israel. latest versions of Windows 10; Internet Explorer will
not be a default browser application.
May 17, 2021
Naomi Mata'afa becomes the first female prime May 21, 2021
minister of Samoa. This political development ended In spite of the ceasefire, Israeli forces open fire
the long-term reign of Tuilaepa Aiono Sailele rubber bullets and stun grenades at Palestinian
Malielegaoi who was prime minister for almost 23 worshippers at Al-Aqsa Mosque. Reporters and
years, since 1998. journalists present were also wounded in the
process. Moreover, bodies found under the debris of
May 17, 2021 buildings destroyed by Israeli airstrikes bring the
Fagradalsfjall Volcano in Iceland erupts, after being Palestinian death count to 242.
dormant for 6000 years. Fortunately, there were no
injuries or casualties. May 21, 2021
An art collector in New York; Stuart Pivar claims he
May 18, 2021 discovered a long lost Van Gogh painting at an
Israel’s airstrike on Gaza destroys its Covid-19 auction. The painting “Auvers, 1890” will be sent to
laboratory, ceasing Covid-19 testing for Palestinians the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam to be
in the area. The airstrikes killed several authenticated. If the painting is authentic, it will
Palestinians, raising the death toll to 217.
officially be Van Gogh’s only square painting and A 14-minute total lunar eclipse nicknamed “Super
also his largest painting at 36” by 36”. Flower Blood Moon” occurs.
May 21, 2021 May 27, 2021
Pakistan reports over 20,000 deaths due to Covid-19. French President Emmanuel Macron admits to
The country is still grappling to control the outbreak France playing a role in Rwandan genocide of 1994,
and vaccinate its population amid the third wave of during an official visit to Rwanda’s Kigali city. The
the pandemic. country’s relations with Rwanda have completely
dissipated in the recent decades, after the genocide.
May 22, 2021 May 28, 2021
21 participants die and 8 are injure during the long The government of Germany admits to its genocide
race “Gansu Ultramarathon” in Gansu China. The of Herero and Namaqua people during its colonial
race was interrupted by winds and extremely cold rule of Namibia. Heiko Maas announces 1.1 billion
weather, killing the racers with hypothermia. euros to be donated to the descendants of Herero
May 22, 2021 and Namaqua descendants over the next 30 years.
Bangladesh lifts its travel ban on Israel. Previously
the Bangladeshi passport stated that the document May 28, 2021
cannot be used to travel to and from Israel. This Punjab government announces “University of the
section was removed from renewed passports. Year” award for public universities in Punjab,
Pakistan. The criteria for winners were developed by
May 22, 2021 the Higher Education Department and Punjab
More than 180,000 protesters gather at London’s Higher Education Commission
Hyde Park to show support for Palestine. This is
biggest pro-Palestine gathering in the history of May 29, 2021
Britain. Similar protests of varying magnitude Prime Minister of United Kingdom Boris Johnson
continue to take place around the world as Israel gets married to Carrie Symonds in a private
continues its violent crackdown on Palestinians. ceremony of 30 people. Symonds is a political
activist.
May 22, 2021
Mount Nyiragong volcano in the Democratic May 29, 2021
Republic of Congo erupts. Saudi Arabia lifts travel ban on 11 countries,
May 23, 2021 previously placed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
India faces a rapidly worsening “black fungus” Pakistanis are still currently banned from travelling
epidemic. The illness is reportedly caused in to Saudi Arabia.
patients recovering from Covid-19, currently 8800
cases have been reported. The country is also facing May 30, 2021
a shortage of the medicine used to treat the Chelsea wins the Champions League, against
symptoms of black fungus. Manchester City. The winning goal was scored by
Kai Havertz.
May 23, 2021
President of Iraq Barham Salih states that May 31, 2021
approximately $150 billion worth of oil has been World Health Organization establishes Greek
stolen from Iraq since 2003. alphabet naming system to identify Covid-19
variants. This was done to dispel stigma and
May 24, 2021 stereotypes against countries a particular variant
32 casualties of the Mount Nyiragongo eruption are originated from. The variants will be named under
reportedly confirmed. The active stratovolcano Alpha, Kappa and Delta according to their
erupted two days ago, causing thousands of chronology.
residents to seek refuge in surrounding areas.
May 25, 2021
Pakistan’s University of Health Sciences reports that JUNE 2021
it has started working on developing a “single-shot”
nasal Covid-19 vaccination. This vaccine will not 1st June, 2021
require a syringe and clinical trials are set to begin US spying on European allies using Danish
two months after permits are obtained. underwater cables
Danish broadcaster, Danmark’s Radio, (and other
May 26, 2021 media outlets in Europe) in a report said that US’s
President of Iran Hassan Rouhani announces NSA had spied on top politicians in Germany,
indefinite ban on cryptocurrency mining in the France, Norway, and Sweden by eavesdropping on
country. Illegal cryptocurrency mining is said to have Danish underwater internet cables from 2012 to
caused power outages throughout the country. 2014. Through it, they were able to access text
May 26, 2021 messages, telephone calls and internet traffic
including searches, chats and messaging services —
including those of Germany’s Chancellor Angela highlights opposition to disinformation campaigns
Merkel. and election interference.
India breaks daily death world record due to covid-
2nd June, 2021 19 India records 6,148 deaths in a single day.
Tajikistan agrees to buy weapons from Pakistan Breaking the previous record of 5,444 by the United
Pakistan and Tajikistan have signed a MoU for the States, recorded on February 12.
sale of weapons. A meeting was held between the
Pakistani PM, Imran Khan, and the Tajikistan 11th June, 2021
President Emomali Rah-mon, at the PM Office in Iran regains vote in UN
Islamabad, Pakistan. Several other MoUs related to Iran has regained its vote in the UNGA, after losing it
culture and education were also signed. in January due to non-payment of dues amounting to
Arab party first to join coalition in Israel more than $65 million. The US enabled Tehran to
An Arab Israeli party, United Arab List, has for the use funds frozen in South Korea to pay around $16
first time joined an Israeli coalition in hopes of million, the minimum amount needed to regain the
forming a government and removing Benjamin vote. According to Iran, about $20 billion of its oil
Netanyahu. Mansour Abbas, the party’s head, signed revenue is frozen in countries like South Korea, Iraq
an eleventh hour deal with centrist Yair Lapid and and China since 2018 due to the sanctions imposed
right-wing nationalist Naftali Bennett, all of whom by former President Trump.
shall be part of the proposed coalition government.
12th June, 2021
3rd June, 2021 Azerbaijan releases 15 Armenia citizens
US to send 13m covid-19 vaccines to South and Through the mediation efforts of Georgian Prime
Southeast Asia Minister, Irakli Garibashvili, and the United States
President Joe Biden has announced that the US Acting Assistant Secretary for European and
shall send seven million covid-19 vaccines to South Eurasian Affairs, Philip Reeker, Azerbaijan has
and Southeast Asian countries to help local released 15 Armenian citizens. In exchange,
governments overcome the pandemic. Pakistan and Azerbaijan received maps of 97,000 anti-tank and
Bangladesh will received vaccines according to this anti-personnel mines in the Aghdam region.
scheme, while India will receive vaccines from G7 propose B3W as alternative to BRI
another tranche of six million kept aside for The leaders at the G7 have proposed the “Build Back
countries experiencing a surge in cases. Better World” (B3W) initiative. This plan to offer an
infrastructure plan to developing nations aims to
4th June, 2021 rival China’s Belt and Road initiative.
Uranium seized in India
Police in India’s Jharkand state have arrested 7 13th June, 2021
people who were in possession of 6.4 kilograms of Netanyahu government comes to an end
Uranium. This is the second such incident in under a Benjamin Netanyahu’s 12 year era as PM of Israel
month in which large quantities of this radioactive came to an end on the 13th of June, 2021, when the
material have been seized from unauthorized Israeli parliament approved a new government. The
persons in India. Earlier, 2 men with 7 kilograms of ultranationalist party candidate Naftali Bennett is
Uranium were arrested in the first week of May. set to become PM in a coalition government. Yair
Lapid will be the alternate PM, set to replace
7th June, 2021 Bennett in a rotation government agreed to in the
Maldives FM elected as next UNGA President coalition.
Abdulla Shahid, the current Foreign Minister of
Maldives, has been elected as the President of the 14th June, 2021
76th UN General Assembly. Canada truck-attacker charged with terrorism
Canada’s truck attacker that ran over a Muslim
9th June, 2021 family has been charged with terrorism by the
Auckland tops Global Livability Ranking, Karachi Attorney General of Canada. The man already faces
ranks 134th out of 140 four first-degree murder charges and one
The New Zealand city of Auckland has topped the attempted murder charge.
Global Livability Ranking by the Economic
Intelligence Unit (EIU). Karachi ranks 134th out of 15th June, 2021
140 cities. UK-Australia sign free trade agreement
The UK and Australia have signed a free trade
10th June, 2021 agreement. It is the first such agreement signed by
Biden & Harris sign 21st century Atlantic Charter the UK after exiting the EU.
President Joe Biden and PM Boris Johnson met face
to face for the first time and signed a 21st century
version of the Atlantic Charter. The document
includes a commitment to cooperate on issues such
as technology, climate change, and science. In
addition, it reaffirms support for NATO, and