Daily Current Affairs and GK | 25 and 26 October 2022

Topic: International News

1. Russia claimed that Ukraine is preparing to use dirty bomb.

• Russia alleged that Ukraine’s government has given orders to two organizations to create dirty bombs.
• Russia’s U.N Ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, sent a letter to the United Nations related to the use of dirty bomb.
• Russia claimed that Ukraine could use dirty bombs in the Russia-occupied town of Kherson.
• Ukrainian officials and diplomats from the United States, France, and Britain rejected the claim.
• Dirty bombs:
  • These are made up of conventional explosives and radioactive materials.
  • Dirty bombs are less powerful than nuclear bombs, and their radiation spreads to a distance of a few blocks or miles from the explosion.
  • Dirty bombs have never been used. They can create radiation poisoning on the affected population.

Topic: Sports

2. India is among the top 12 teams finalized for Men's 2022 World Team Chess Championship.

• India, China, the United States, and the Netherlands are among the teams in top 12 teams finalized for Men's 2022 World Team Chess Championship.
• The Men's 2022 World Team Chess Championship will begin on November 20 in Jerusalem, Israel.
• The other participating countries are Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Spain, France, Ukraine, Poland, and Israel.
• The 12 teams will be divided into two pools of about the same strength. The final match will be played on November 25.
• Four teams from each pool will reach the quarterfinals. The tournament will be organized by the International Chess Federation (FIDE).

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: State News/ Gujarat

3. Gujarati New Year Bestu Varsh celebrated with gaiety on 26 October.

• In Gujarat, the new year, known as Bestu Varsh, is celebrated as part of the five-day Diwali celebrations.
• Gujarati community all over the world celebrated the New Year with traditional faith and enthusiasm.
• Gujarati New Year - Vikram Samvat 2079 started from 26 October.
• It falls on Shukla Paksha Pratipada in the Hindu month of Kartik.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Sports

4. Aman Sehrawat has created history by winning a gold medal at the Under-23 World Wrestling Championship in Spain.

• 16-year-old Aman is the first Indian wrestler to win a gold medal in this competition.
• He defeated Turkey's Ahmet Duman 12-4 in the final.
• Olympic medalists Bajrang Punia and Ravi Kumar Dahiya had also reached the finals of this competition earlier and won the silver medal.
• Earlier this year, Aman won the gold medal in the Under-23 Asian Championship and a silver medal in the Under-20 Asian Championship.
• India's Sajan Bhanwala has become the first Greco-Roman wrestler to win a bronze medal in this competition.
• India has received six medals, including one gold, one silver, and four bronze in the Under-23 World Wrestling Championship 2022.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

5. V Muraleedharan attended the meeting of the ‘Dakar International Forum on Peace and Security in Africa’.

• Visiting Senegal Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan attended the opening session of this meeting.
• On 24 October, Senegalese President Mackie Saal inaugurated the meeting in Dakar.
• The Presidents of Angola and Cabo Verde, several ministers and high-level dignitaries were present at the event.
• Mr Muraleedhan said that this is an important forum for policy discussions on various aspects of Africa's sovereignty and security.
• He said that India firmly supports Africa's development priorities in the Guidance of Ten Principles laid out by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Parliament of Uganda in 2018.
• India is participating in the meeting of this forum at the ministerial level for the first time.
• The Dakar International Forum is a major event for policy makers in Africa.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Awards and Prizes

6. FIPRESCI declared 'Pather Panchali' the best Indian movie.

• The feature film "Pather Panchali" by legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray has been announced as the best Indian film of all time by the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI).
• The announcement has been made according to a poll conducted by the India chapter of FIPRESCI.
• The voting was conducted in secret, and involved 30 members, according to a press release issued by FIPRESCI-India.
• "Pather Panchali," Ray's debut film as a director, was based on the 1929 Bengali novel of the same name by Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay.
• The film was influenced by the Italian Neorealism movement.
• Subir Banerjee, Kanu Banerjee, Karuna Banerjee, Uma Dasgupta, Pinaki Sengupta, and Chunibala Devi worked in this movie.
• International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI):
  • It is a group of professional film critics and film journalists from all over the world who work together to "promote and develop film culture and protect professional interests."
  • It was founded in June 1930 in Brussels, Belgium.
  • Currently, it has members in more than 50 countries worldwide.
  • It is headquartered in Munich.
  • Its President is Alin Tasciyan.

Topic: Important Days

7. 7th Ayurveda Day was celebrated worldwide on 23 October 2022.

• Dhanawantari Jayanti is celebrated as Ayurveda Day since 2016 to promote our most ancient and well-documented system of medicine.
• This year, the theme for Ayurveda Day is 'Har Din Har Ghar Ayurveda'.
• Keeping in view the theme, activities were conducted under 3-Js i.e. Jan Sandesh, Jan Bhagidari and Jan Aandolan.
• 6 week long events were conducted with the aim of Jan Sandesh, Jan Bhagidari and Jan Aandolan from 12th September 2022 to 23rd October 2022.
• As part of 7th Ayurveda Day celebration, main event was held at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi.
• Tribal Affairs Minister Shri Arjun Munda was present on the occasion as the Chief Guest.
• A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Ministry of Ayush and Ministry of Tribal Affairs to collaborate in Ayush sector.
• Ministry of Ayush’s ‘I support Ayurveda’ campaign got support from more than 1.7 crore people.
• On the occasion, a book on ‘The Ayurvedic Pharmacopeia of India’, ‘The Ayurvedic formulary of India’ was released.
• To create awareness about the health benefits of medicinal plants, a species-specific national campaign on Ashwagandha - A health promoter was launched by the Ministry of Ayush.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Important Days

8. Disarmament Week: 24-30 October

• Disarmament Week starts on 24 October, the anniversary of the founding of the United Nations.
• The week-long annual event was first called in the ‘Final Document’ of the UN General Assembly’s 1978 special session on disarmament.
• In 1995, governments and NGOs were invited by the General Assembly to continue taking an active part in Disarmament Week in order to promote a better understanding among the public of disarmament issues.
• In 2018, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres launched Securing our Common Future: An Agenda for Disarmament.
• The United Nations Disarmament Commission (UNDC) was set up in 1952 under the UN Security Council for the regulation and reduction of armed forces.
• UNDC is headquartered in New York, United States. Its head is Han Tae-song.

Topic: Defence

9. India successfully test-fired Agni Prime ballistic missile off the coast of Odisha.

• Agni Prime is an advanced version of the Agni missiles. It has a range between 1000 and 2000 km.
• During the trial, the missile travelled the maximum range and achieved all objectives. The accuracy and reliability of the system have been also achieved.
• The performance of the system has been validated through various instruments like radar, telemetry and electro-optical tracking systems.
• The first test was done in June last year and the second test was done in December.
• Agni Prime:
  • It is a nuclear-capable new-generation missile. It is a two-stage canisterised missile.
  • It can be launched by rail or road and can be transported as per the operational requirements.
  • Its weight is 50% less than the Agni 3 missile and is equipped with the new guidance and propulsion systems.

Topic: Reports and Indices/Ranking

10. India suffered income loss of 5.4% of GDP due to heatwave in 2021: Climate Transparency Report 2022

• India’s loss due to the heatwave is the highest among the G20 countries.
• As per the report, 142 million people in India may get exposed to heatwaves at 1.5 Degrees Celsius.
• Heatwaves in India affected workers, labour migrants, low-income households and homeless people. It also reduced the yields of wheat crops.
• The 'Climate Transparency Report 2022' has been developed by experts from 16 partner organizations.
• The USA ranked first with a 25% contribution to the global emission, it is followed by the European Union with 22%.
• G20 countries are responsible for around three-quarters of global emissions.
• The report highlighted the link between the climate emergency and the energy crisis. The report will work as a reference tool for decision-makers.
• As per the report, the G-20 countries are still not taking the necessary action. India is only responsible for 3 percent of global emissions.

Topic: International News

11. Australia withdraws recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

• The present Australian government has reversed a previous government's recognition of West Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
• The cabinet of the government agreed to re-recognize Tel Aviv as the capital.
• Foreign Minister Penny Wong said that the situation in Jerusalem should be resolved through peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.
• In December 2018, Prime Minister Scott Morrison formally recognised West Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
• The change came after then-US President Donald Trump's decision to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
• Israel occupied East Jerusalem after the 1967 Six-Day War and declared the entire city as its "eternal and indivisible capital".
• The Palestinians claim the eastern part as the capital of the future state.

Topic: International Appointments

12. Rishi Sunak becomes the first British Asian Prime Minister.

• The former Finance Minister of UK, Rishi Sunak was appointed Prime Minister by King Charles III on 25 October 2022.
• He has been elected as leader of the Conservative Party.
• He is 42 years old and has become the youngest Prime Minister of Britain in more than a century.
• Liz Truss who recently became the Prime Minister stepped down on 20 October 2022.
• Rishi Sunak was born in Southampton, Hampshire.
• Prime Minister of UK is the head of the government.

Topic: Summits/Conferences/Meetings

13. Global Youth Climate Summit inaugurated in Bangladesh.

• On 20^th October, youth from 70 countries participated in the Summit in Khulna, Bangladesh.
• The three-day summit from October 20-22 brought together 650 youth in a hybrid format, with 150 youth took part in person and 500 online.
• The summit's aim was for young people to explore how they can take the lead in the fight against climate change. 
• Global Youth Leadership Centre (GYLC) organised the programme.
• GYLC has been launched as a global organization to mobilize youth to tackle the climate crisis.
• To empower youth to take climate action, the 10 delegates at the summit received a USD 1,000 grant to implement their climate mitigation or adaptation project.

Topic: Geography

14. Partial Solar Eclipse observed in India and other parts of the world on 25 October 2022.

• The eclipse was seen in the areas covering Europe, north-eastern parts of Africa, Middle East, North Atlantic Ocean, western Asia and north Indian Ocean.
• The next solar eclipse will be seen in India on 2 August 2027. It will be a total solar eclipse.
• Solar Eclipse occurs when the Moon comes between Sun and Earth casting a shadow on Earth.
• Observing solar eclipse with the naked eye can cause permanent damage to a person’s retina as high-density radiations are released from the photosphere of the Sun.