Today's Current Affairs 22nd February 2023

INTERNATIONAL

7.2 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Tajikistan Near China Border

An earthquake of magnitude 7.2 on the Richter scale struck Tajikistan at around 8:37 a.m. (0037 GMT), at a depth of 10 km (6 miles), reported Chinese state television CCTV on Thursday. The epicentre was located about 82 kilometres from the nearest border with China and was strongly felt in Kashgar and Artux in the western part of the Xinjiang region,

NATIONAL

AAP's Shelly Oberoi Elected Delhi Mayor, Becomes First Woman To Hold Post After A Decade.

After a long tussle between the Aam Aadmi Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party, AAP's Shelly Oberoi has been elected as the new mayor of Delhi on Wednesday. The mayoral election was held following the intervention by the Supreme Court. The election took place after three failed attempts by the municipal body to hold the election to the top post.

Actress And TV Host Subi Suresh Dies At 41.

Popular Malayalam actress, television host and stage-show performer, Subi Suresh died at a private hospital in Kochi on Wednesday, family sources said. She was 41 and was reportedly under treatment for liver related ailments for some time. Known for her slapstick roles, and spontaneous on-stage dialogue delivery, Suresh had a huge fan-following among audiences in small and big screens.

18th World Security Congress Begins in Jaipur.

A 3-day long 18th UIC World Security Congress jointly organised by the International Union of Railways (UIC), Paris and the Railway Protection Force (RPF) began on 21 February. Theme of this year’s Congress is “Railway Security Strategy: Responses and Vision for Future”. The World Security Congress is a globally recognized security platform that brings together representatives from member Railway Organizations, delegates of UIC, policy makers, senior law-enforcement officials from State Polices and Railway Protection Force to discuss the current security challenges and deliberate on innovative solutions in the Railway Sector.

Kalinga Literary Festival 2023 To Kick Off From Feb 24.

Over 500 speakers across a vast array of nationalities from the fields of literature, cinema, media and politics will asemble to deliberate on the theme of "India and the World" at the annual Kalinga Literary Festival (KLF), which will take place from February 24-26 in Odisha's Bhubaneswar.

Earthquake Of 4.4 Magnitude Shakes Delhi-NCR And Parts Of UP

An earthquake of magnitude 4.4 jolted parts of Delhi, NCR and Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday. Mild tremors were felt in many areas of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana and Delhi-NCR. The intensity was measured at 4.4 on the Richter scale and the epicentre has been located in Haridwar.

Ministry Of Education Asks All States, UTs To Make 6 Years Minimum Age For Class 1 Admission.

The minimum age for admission in Class 1 will soon be set to six years. The Ministry of Education has directed all states and Union Territories to fix the minimum age for admission in Class 1 as six years, officials said on Wednesday.

 SPORTS

Sania Mirza Indian star retires from tennis.

The 36-year-old Sania, who turned Pro in 2003, walks out of competitive tennis with six Grand Slam titles, including three women’s doubles with Swiss legend Martina Hingis. She won two of her three mixed doubles with compatriot Mahesh Bhupathi (2009 Australian Open and 2012 French Open). She won the US Open trophy with Bruno Soares.

Indian boxing team appoints new foreign coach.

Dmitry Dmitruk was roped in by the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) as India's foreign coach on a two-year contract. Renowned coach Dmitruk was known for his work with the Irish national team and its youth teams in the past. He served as the high-performance coach in Ireland for the last 12 years.

UEFA Champions League: Real Madrid Come Back From Behind To Beat Liverpool, Napoli Ease Past Frankfurt

Real Madrid came back from behind to beat Liverpool in a sensational comeback. The La Liga giants were 0-2 down at one stage but Vinicius Junior and Karim Benzema scored two goal each to aid Madrid to a convincing win in the end. The fixture at Anfield started on a positive note for the hosts as Darwin Núñez put the Reds in the lead in just the 4th minute of the match. It all seemed to be going Liverpool's way as Mohammed Salah doubled the lead in the 14th minute to put the Liverpool fans into ecstasy. But not for the first time in Champions League history, did Madrid find a way to stage a comeback.

MOUs

Uber signs MoU with Tata Motors to bring 25,000 EVs in India.

Marking a key milestone in sustainable mobility in India, Uber has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Tata Motors to bring 25,000 electric vehicles onto the platform. This agreement is both in alignment with India's vision to reach net zero by 2070 and Uber's commitment to 100% zero-emission vehicle rides by 2040. This deal between a ride-hailing app and India’s top carmaker is the largest EV commitment ever of this kind. In a statement, Uber said that Tata Motors will begin deliveries of "XPRES-T EVs to Uber fleet partners in a phased manner starting this month."

Bharat Electronics signs MoU with ADA, DRDO to jointly support Indian Air Force.

Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL), the government-owned aerospace and defense electronics company, in an exchange filing on February 21, announced it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) under DRDO, to develop and provide a supportive infrastructure for the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA).

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

Poet V Madhusoodanan Nair to receive Jnanappana award.

V Madhusoodanan Nair, noted writer, and teacher, has been selected for this year’s Jnanappana Puraskaram, instituted by Guruvayur Devaswom in memory of ‘Poonthanam Namboothiri’, the ardent devotee of Guruvayoorappan, who wrote Jnanappana.

 IMPORTANT DAYS

World Thinking Day.

Scouts and Girl Guides across 150 countries celebrate World Thinking Day. It’s a day of international friendship and a time to stand up for causes that could improve the lives of girls around the globe.

Observed by 10 million Girl Guides and Girl Scouts worldwide, World Thinking Day has a different theme each year. In 2023, the theme is “Our World, Our Peaceful Future: The environment, peace, and security.” To earn your World Thinking Day Award, you will explore environmental problems and learn how you can work with nature to create a more peaceful and secure future for girls everywhere. Check out the activity guides below to get involved and learn about how you can make a difference in the world.

National California Day.

We celebrate National California Day on February 22. It is a day to commemorate the Golden State of the United States of America. California is one of the western states in the U.S. It is also the most populous state and the third-largest state by area. California has a rich history that witnessed native American life, European exploration, Spanish colonization, the Mexican era, the Gold Rush, and U.S. statehood. California is one of the most popular destinations, famous for monuments like the Golden Gate Bridge, places like Disneyland and Hollywood, and last but not least, for events like Coachella.

Scouts Founder’s Day.

Scouts Founder’s Day on February 22 honors Lord Baden-Powell and his wife, Olave, the first Chief Girl Guide. Scouts Founder’s Day is known as Founders Day throughout the world. It’s a time for Scouts and Guides to reaffirm their oaths together and contemplate how Scouting’s century-old values are still relevant in today’s fast-paced world.