Today's Current Affairs 8th February 2023

INTERNATIONAL

Ukrainian President Zelensky Visits UK, To Meet King Charles III, Address Parliament.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will meet Britain’s King Charles III and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on his second overseas trip since Russian troops invaded his country nearly a year back Downing Street also announced that Zelensky will meet UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and the military chiefs, and address the parliament.

Indo-American Congressman Ami Bera Elected Key House Foreign Affair Subcommittee Ranking Member.

Indian American Congressman Ami Bera has been elected as Ranking Member of a key House Foreign Affairs Sub Committee that handles the Indo-Pacific region. Last November, Bera, 57, was re-elected as a member of the US House of Representatives from the Sixth Congressional District of California. He is the senior-most Indian American lawmaker in the House that now has five such lawmakers in the 118th Congress.

 NATIONAL

PM Modi Wears Blue Sadri Jacket In Parliament. Here's What Is Special About It.

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday attended the Budget Session of the Parliament wearing a jacket made of material recycled from plastic bottles. He was seen wearing a light blue "sadri" jacket as he sat in the Rajya Sabha in the morning. The Prime Minister chose the outfit to promote phasing out of single-use plastic under the ‘Unbottled’ initiative of Indian Oil.

 SPORTS

LeBron James Breaks Kareem Abdul-Jabbar NBA Scoring Record.

Los Angeles Lakers LeBron James has overtaken the long-standing NBA scoring record, held by former Lakers icon Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday morning (Tuesday night in the US). 38-year-old James, in his 20th season, with his 38,388th point became the NBA all-time score leader, breaking Abdul-Jabbar's 38,387 points previous long-standing record.

Women's T20 World Cup: Richa Ghosh Shines As India Beat Bangladesh In Warm-Up Fixture.

Richa Ghosh smashed an attacking unbeaten 91 as India defeated Bangladesh by 52 runs in a warm-up match ahead of the Women's T20 World Cup

Opting to bat, India made an imposing 183 for 5 riding on Ghosh's exploits with the bat and then restricted Bangladesh to 131 for 8.

 BANKING AND ECONOMY

RBI repo rate hike

RBI hikes repo rate: RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das released the Monetary Policy statement on Wednesday, February 8, 2023. The Monetary Policy 2023 includes an increase in the repo rate by 25 basis points  The RBI has increased the repo rate by a cumulative 250 basis points to 6.50 per cent since May this year.

New Leave Encashment Rule: Non-Govt Employees To Gain Rs 20,000 Per Year.

Revenue secretary Sanjay Malhotra said those outside the government stand to gain at least Rs 20,000 annually due to the change in tax rules for leave encashment. The Union Budget announced several measures to offer relief to salaried individuals and the common man. Finance Minister (FM) Nirmala Sitharaman proposed to raise tax exemption on leave encashment on the retirement of non-government salaried employees to Rs 25 lakh from Rs 3 lakh. "In line with the increase in government salaries, I am proposing to increase this limit to Rs 25 lakh," the FM said.

 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Microsoft Launches ChatGPT-Powered Bing Search, Edge Browser.

Microsoft on Tuesday launched a new version of its Bing search engine and Edge browser. The new AI-powered Bing search engine and Edge browser aim to deliver better search, more complete answers, a new chat experience, and the ability to generate content, the company said in its blog.  “Today, we’re launching Bing and Edge powered by AI copilot and chat, to help people get more from search and the web,” said Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella.  

India Emerges As Second Biggest Market For LinkedIn As Users Cross 100 Million Mark.

Microsoft-owned professional network LinkedIn on Wednesday announced that it has crossed 100 million members in India. The country has witnessed a 56 per cent growth in its member base over the last three years and has cemented its position as the second-largest market for LinkedIn globally. 

The largest share of LinkedIn members in India come from software & IT, followed by manufacturing, corporate services (consulting, accounting and HR), finance and education industries.

Coming soon: QR Code based coin vending machine at railway stations, malls, markets across 12 cities in India

The Reserve Bank of India on Wednesday said it will launch a pilot project on QR code-based coin vending machine. Giving details, RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das said that the RBI will start the project to launch QR code based coin vending machines and added that the machines will be launched to promote distribution of coins, and enhance the accessibility to coins.

ISRO to make 2nd attempt to launch new mini-vehicle SSLV tomorrow.

Isro will make a second attempt to launch its newly-developed mini-PSLV or Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV), which can carry a maximum payload of 500kg to space, from Sriharikota on Friday morning.In its maiden flight on August 7 last year, the SSLV had failed to place the satellites in their desired .

 BOOKS AND AUTHORS

Westland Books To Publish Late Actress Sridevi's Official Biography.

Westland Books on Wednesday announced publishing of the official biography of superstar Sridevi. Titled "Sridevi: The Life of a Legend", the book draws a complete portrait of the actor, who ruled the commercial cinema space in the '80s and '90s. It is written by debutant author Dhiraj Kumar and will be released this year, informed the publishing house

 IMPORTANT DAYS

Birth anniversary of Dr.zakir Hussain,

Dr. Zakir Husain, (8 February 1897 – 3 May 1969) was an Indian educationist and politician who served as President of India from 13 May 1967 until his death on 3 May 1969.