Current Affairs 2024

Current Affairs 2024

JANUARY 2024

January 1, 2024 

• Russia launched a total of 90 Shahed-type drones over Ukraine in the early hours of the new year. Due to the attacks, a 15-year-old boy was killed, and seven others were injured after a residential building was hit by falling debris from one of the 87 downed drones.

January 2, 2024 

• The main opposition party leader in South Korea, Lee Jae-Myung was stabbed in the neck during a visit to the southern city of Busan. Lee was attacked while touring the construction site of the Gadeokdo New Airport. The attacker was wrestled to the ground by several people.

Unidentified gunmen kill six barbers in Mir Ali, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

January 3, 2024

Saleh Al-Arouri, A Senior Official In Hamas, Killed In Lebanon

• Saleh al-Arouri, one of the most senior officials of Hamas has been killed in an Israeli drone strike in Beirut. The strike threatens a dangerous escalation of Israel’s war against Hamas and its related conflict with the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.

January 3, 2024 

• Not less than 95 people were killed by two bomb explosions near the tomb of Iranian general, Qasem Soleimani. The explosion comes as the people gathered there for the fourth anniversary of his assassination by the United States. Several others were also wounded when the blast hit a procession close to a mosque in the city of Kerman.

January 4, 2024 

New law signed by Belarusian President grants him lifelong immunity from prosecution

• The president of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, has signed into law, an order that gives him lifelong immunity from criminal prosecution. The law also prevents opposition leaders who are living in exile from running in future presidential elections.
• With the new law, the president and members of his family will be provided with lifelong state protection, medical care, and life and health insurance. The president, after his resignation, will also become a permanent lifelong member of the upper house of parliament.

January 6, 2024

• 11 people were killed when a Russia S-300 missile strike struck Ukraine’s Donetsk region. Five out of the Eleven people were children.

January 7, 2024

Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina Re-elected for fifth term

• The Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina has been re-elected for a fifth term. The spokesperson of the Election Commission told AFP that Hasina’s ruling Awami League has won the election. The election result will be announced later in a ceremony on Monday, however, the election commission said that Hasina’s party has won close to three-quarters of the seats, which amounts to at least 220 out of 300. Hasina has urged the citizens to show faith in the democratic process.

January 8, 2024

Prime Minister of France, Elisabeth Borne resigns ahead of reshuffle

• The Prime Minister of France, Elisabeth Borne has resigned, after less than two years in office. Her resignation comes as the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, is widely expected to reshuffle his top team ahead of the election in the European Parliament later this year.

January 10, 2024

• The Supreme Court of Pakistan upholds the 2019 death sentence upon former leader Pervez Musharraf, who died in February 2023.

January 12, 2024 

• The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Rishi Sunak, during a visit to Kyiv made a £2.5bn commitment to the defense of Ukraine. He also pledged that the United Kingdom would not stop its support at a time when military aid from the United States has stalled.
• Rishi Sunak met with the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, and addressed the parliament. After talks were held between the two leaders, a new UK-Ukrainian security treaty was signed. The treaty guarantees that the United Kingdom will provide “swift and sustained” help in case Russia attacks Ukraine again.

January 13, 2024 

• William Lai Elected as the President of Taiwan. His victory cements a path that is increasingly divergent from China. The result of the election did not sit well with China, which issued a statement shortly after, saying that “Taiwan is part of China”.

January 14, 2024

King Frederik becomes King of Denmark after his Mother’s Abdication

• The King of Denmark, Frederik X has taken the throne after the abdication of his mother, Queen Margrethe II. Queen Margrethe’s abdication after more than five decades on the throne was a shock for everybody. Her decision paved the way for her son, former Crown Prince Frederik, to succeed her.

January 15, 2024

One of Taiwan’s Ally, Nauru Cuts Diplomatic Tie with the Island

• Days after Taiwan elected a new president, one of the country’s last diplomatic allies has cut ties with the island in favor of Beijing. Taiwan suggests that the decision of Nauru was because of the weekend’s election result. China which sees Taiwan as a breakaway province welcomes the decision of Nauru to become its ally.

January 16, 2024

2024 Iranian missile strikes in Pakistan:

• Iran launches a missile attack within Balochistan, targeting what it describes are terrorist sites. Pakistan calls the action an “unprovoked violation” of its airspace resulting in the death of two children and injuries to three others.

January 17, 2024 

King of England to be treated in the Hospital for Enlarged Prostrate

Buckingham Palace has confirmed that King Charles will attend hospital for treatment of an enlarged prostate. According to the report from the palace, the condition of the king is benign, and he will attend the hospital next week for a corrective procedure. All the King’s public engagements will be postponed for a short period of recuperation.

Pakistan recalls its ambassador to Iran in response to the attack on Balochistan the previous day.

January 18, 2024 

• The Pakistan Air Force launches “precision airstrikes” on Baloch separatist targets inside Iran in retaliation for its attacks on Balochistan. Camps belonging to the Baluch Liberation Front and Balochistan Liberation Army are reportedly hit. Explosions are reported in the city of Saravan. Four women and three children are killed in the strikes, all of whom are foreign nationals.[7]

January 20, 2024 

Tshisekedi takes oath of office for his second five-year term as President of DRC

The President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Felix Tshisekedi has been sworn in for a second five-year term, following a landslide victory at the country’s presidential election in December.

January 23, 2024

Sweden’s NATO Membership Bid Has Been Approved By Turkish Parliament

• The Turkish parliament has approved Sweden’s membership in NATO, which brings the Nordic country closer to joining the Western military alliance. Three months after the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan submitted the bill, 287 of 346 MPs voted in favor, 35 against, and the rest abstained.
• Sweden applied to join NATO in May 2022, prompted by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor Orbán, has hinted at progress, inviting Kristersson for negotiations.

January 27, 2024

Several Countries Block Aid to UN Agency Following Allegations:

• The United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, Italy, Canada, Finland, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Germany have halted financing for UNRWA, the UN organization for Palestinian refugees, in response to suspicions of staff participation in the Hamas assaults on October 7.
• In Iran, three gunmen kill nine Pakistani labourers in Saravan

January 28, 2024

Pakistanis Killed Along Iranian Border

• Unknown assailants murdered nine Pakistani laborers in Saravan, Iran, shortly after military attacks occurred between the two countries. Responsibility was not claimed by any organization. The Ambassador of Pakistan to Iran conveyed astonishment and called for Iran to cooperate in the probe. Both countries are reducing tensions and fostering “close fraternal relations” during diplomatic negotiations.

Albania and Italy Strikes Migration Deal:

January 29, 2024,

• The Albanian constitutional court accepted an arrangement that allows Italy to transport asylum claimants to Albania for processing. The Italian government plans to create two processing facilities in northern Albania that would house up to 36,000 migrants each year. The deal calls for keeping 3,000 marine migrants while their asylum petitions are processed. Italy will either relocate or deport the people, with Albania providing security and police.

• The Balochistan Liberation Army launches a coordinated attack dubbed “Operation Dara-e-Bolan” on Pakistani security forces, attacking checkpoints and military bases in Machh, and attacking other areas, including Kolpur

January 30, 2024,

• Former prime minister Imran Khan is sentenced to 10 years in prison for leaking state secrets

January 31, 2024

• Imran Khan, Pakistan’s former Prime Minister, was sentenced to 14 years in jail for corruption, including the unauthorized selling of public goods. Khan has been in prison since August and is barred from seeking public office for ten years. 

• This comes only a week before the general election, and one day after he was sentenced to ten years in prison for disclosing state secrets. He’ll serve his sentences consecutively. 

January 27, 2024

• Alabama volunteered to help other US states use nitrogen gas executions, after its pioneering use of the procedure to kill Kenneth Smith in 1988. Attorney General Steve Marshall said that 43 more death row convicts had chosen asphyxiation over lethal injections since 2018, calling it “humane.” Oklahoma and Mississippi have also used nitrogen asphyxiation in their execution techniques. Almost half of the US states have abolished the death penalty, but other others continue to use lethal injections.

FEBRUARY 2024

February 1, 2024

• Zuckerberg and Yaccarino, who are high-ranking corporate leaders, are scheduled to provide testimony at a hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee. The focus of the discussion will be on the mental well-being and online safety of children. The leaders of TikTok, Discord, and Snap are anticipated to be there as well. Politicians contend that internet firms are failing to adequately safeguard youngsters from sexual exploitation. Lawmakers have proposed legislation such as the Kids Online Safety Act.

February 5, 2024

• Ten policemen are killed and six more injured during an attack by Tehreek-e-Jihad Pakistan militants on a police station in Dera Ismail Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

February 10, 2024 

The President of Hungary, Katalin Novak resigned

• The President of Hungary, Katalin Novak, resigned live on television following public outrage over her decision to pardon a man convicted of covering up child sexual abuse. Last week, it was revealed that Novak had granted clemency to a man who forced children to retract abuse claims against a director of a state-run children’s home.
• Protests demanding her resignation had been growing in Hungary which led to her unexpected decision to step down. Judit Varga, the former justice minister who approved the pardon, had also resigned from her new role, leading the European elections campaign for Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s Fidesz party.

February 7, 2024 

• 2024 Balochistan bombings: Twin bombings outside electoral offices kill at least 29 people and injure dozens more in Balochistan ahead of the general election. The Islamic State claims responsibility for the attacks.

February 8, 2024 

• Five police officers were killed and two others were wounded when assailants detonate a bomb and then opened fire at a police van in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

• 2024 Pakistani general election: Voters elect members of the 16th National Assembly.^[15]
• 2024 Balochistan provincial election
• 2024 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial election
• 2024 Punjab provincial election
• 2024 Sindh provincial election

• Mobile phone services are temporarily suspended and thousands of troops are deployed to protect polling stations. Five policemen and two children are killed during two separate bombings, targeting a patrol and a polling station respectively.

February 10, 2024

Qatar Defeat Jordan to win their second consecutive Asian Cup

• Qatar clinched their second consecutive Asian Cup title with a 3-1 victory over Jordan at Lusail Stadium. Akram Afif stole the show, converting all three penalties for Qatar, securing his team’s triumph in front of a crowd of 86,492, which included Qatar’s ruler Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, and FIFA president Gianni Infantino.

• Pakistani general election: Despite a lead by candidates affiliated with Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, the Pakistan Muslim League (N) (PML-N)’s Nawaz Sharif claims victory amidst allegations of military-led rigging.

February 11, 2024 

Ivory Coast Edges over Nigeria to Win Their Third African Cup of Nations

• In a stunning turn of events, Ivory Coast emerged victorious in the Africa Cup of Nations, securing their third title despite facing numerous setbacks. 

February 12, 2024 

Over 100 People Killed In Rafah As A Result Of Israeli Airstrike

• Israeli airstrike and shelling have killed dozens of people, including children, in Rafah. Over 100 people were killed because of the strike, where Israeli warplanes targeted different areas of the city and helicopters fired machine guns along the border areas.

February 14, 2024 

Ghana’s President, Akufo-Addo Replaces Finance Minister

• The President of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo, has replaced Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta in a cabinet reshuffle amid criticism of his handling of the country’s severe economic crisis. Ofori-Atta, a former banker, has been overseeing debt restructuring efforts after Ghana defaulted on most of its external debt in 2022, which led to soaring inflation and currency depreciation.
• Mohammed Amin Adam, the current minister of state at the finance ministry, and deputy energy minister, will replace him. 
• The PML-N, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and other allied parties announce that it would form a coalition government

February 15, 2024

• India’s Supreme Court has declared the electoral bond scheme, which allows people to make anonymous donations to political parties unconstitutional. The bond scheme was introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government in 2018 to enhance political funding transparency.
• The scheme allowed anonymous donations to political parties, but critics argued it increased opacity rather than transparency. The court ruled that electoral bonds violated citizens’ right to access government-held information, directing the State Bank of India (SBI) to cease issuing such bonds and disclose identity details of buyers.

February 15, 2024

• The Senate of Pakistan rejects a bill to introduce the public hanging of rapists

MARCH 2024

March 3, 2024 

• Twenty-nine people are killed and 59 more injured during heavy rains that cause landslides across the country in the past 48 hours.

March 6, 2024 

• Shehbaz Sharif is elected as Pakistan’s prime minister for a second term.
• The Supreme Court of Pakistan unanimously rules that former leader Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was denied a fair trial before his execution by hanging in April 1979.
• Asif Ali Zardari is elected as President of Pakistan for the second time.
• Two people are killed and another person is injured in a motorcycle bombing in Peshawar

• • Asif Ali Zardari is elected as President of Pakistan for the second time.^[21]
  • Two people are killed and another person is injured in a motorcycle bombing in Peshawar.^[22]

March 12, 2024 

Nine people are killed and two others are injured after a three-story residential building collapses in Multan.

March 15, 2024 

• A Russian missile strike in Odesa, Ukraine, killed over 20 people and injured many in the deadliest attack since the invasion began. Emergency responders faced a “double tap” strike, a tactic often used by Russia. Among the victims was Denys Kolesnikov, a firefighter. 

March 16, 2024

Military agreement between Niger and the United States comes to an end

• Niger’s military government has terminated a longstanding agreement with the United States. The agreement permits American military and civilian personnel to operate in Niger. This move comes shortly after high-level talks between Nigerien officials and United States diplomats and military representatives.

• Seven soldiers and six militants are killed in a combined suicide bombing and gun attack on a military post in North Waziristan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The attack is claimed by Jaish-e-Fursan-e-Muhammad

March 17, 2024

Columbia announces suspension of ceasefire with EMC in three areas

• Colombia has decided to suspend its ceasefire with the Estado Mayor Central (EMC) armed group in three provinces due to incidents of violence that violated the ceasefire terms. The EMC, formed by ex-members of the FARC rebels who rejected the 2016 peace deal, entered talks with President Gustavo Petro’s government last year to end Colombia’s long-standing conflict.

• Despite ongoing negotiations, violence persists among rebel and armed groups vying for control of illicit activities like drug trafficking and illegal mining. The ceasefire, in effect since October and extended to July 15, was ended in Nariño, Cauca, and Valle del Cauca provinces where EMC breaches occurred.

March 18, 2024 

• President Vladimir Putin has solidified his control over Russia by winning the just concluded election with an overwhelming 87.3% of the vote, amid a record turnout of 77.5%. This victory extends his rule until at least 2030, marking him as Russia’s longest-serving leader since Joseph Stalin

• In response to the attacks in North Waziristan on 16 March, Pakistan retaliates by air striking alleged TTP hideouts inside Afghanistan.^[25] The Taliban government claims that the air strikes by Pakistan kill eight civilians.^[26] Following this, cross-border attacks via shelling and mortar began between the two countries

March 20, 2024 

• Eight militants are killed and two members of the security forces are injured in an attack on Gwadar Port, Balochistan, that is claimed by the Balochistan Liberation Army.
• Twelve people are killed and eight more are rescued during an explosion at a coal mine in Harnai District, Balochistan

March 21, 2024 

• Two soldiers are killed and 15 others are injured in a bomb attack on a security forces convoy in Dera Ismail Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

22 March 2023

Terror attack on Gwadar port complex thwarted

• Two security personnel embraced martyrdom and eight militants were killed as security forces foiled a militant attack on the Gwadar Port Authority Complex by a separatist armed group.

23 March 2024

• The Supreme Court ruled that outspoken former judge of the Islamabad High Court (IHC), Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui, will be deemed to have retired, and was entitled to receive all the benefits and privileges due to a retired high court justice.

• The ruling, given by a five-judge SC bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa, came after it set aside the Oct 2018 Supreme Judicial Council’s (SJC) opinion, on the basis of which the government had issued a notification for Justice Siddiqui’s removal for his July 2018 address to the District Bar Association Rawalpindi. 

March 24 2024

• Unidentified robbers looted Rs5.7 million from a money exchange outlet after breaking its locks in broad daylight on 24 March 2024.
• Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have reiterated their resolve to work together and further enhance bilateral cooperation for the mutual benefit of the two brotherly countries.

• Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Chief of Army Staff Gen Asim Munir and Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki also attended the meeting.

March 25 2024

• Simon Harris is set to become Ireland’s next prime minister after the governing Fine Gael party appointed him as its leader on 24^th March, following an uncontested election.

March 25 2024

Martin wins Portuguese MotoGP as Bagnaia crashes out.

• Jorge Martin hit the front in the first lap and never relinquished his lead to win the Portuguese MotoGP, in the second race of the season. Enea Bastianini was second and teenage rookie Pedro Acosta third.

March 25 2024

• The UN Security Council finally passed a resolution on Monday, demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza during Ramazan, an unconditional release of prisoners, and urgent expansion of aid into the besieged Palestinian enclave.
• Reacting promptly after the vote, UN Secretary General António Guterres emphasised that the long-awaited resolution must be implemented as the council’s failure to do so “would be unforgivable”.

Attack on navy base in Turbat ‘foiled’

Makran Commissioner Saeed Ahmed Umrani Said that, heavy exchange of fire and explosions were reported from the vicinity of Turbat airport.

• He said “The armed men attacked from three sides of the airport boundary, but security forces responded immediately and foiled their attempt to infiltrate the premises”