UK and EU Clinch 'Historic' Brexit Deal over Northern Ireland Trade
Britain and the European Union proclaimed a new chapter in relations as they agreed a crucial overhaul of trade rules in Northern Ireland that aims to ease tensions stoked by Brexit.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen adopted the deal at a meeting in Windsor.
The deal follows more than a year of tense talks over the "Northern Ireland Protocol", which has unsettled the province 25 years on from a historic peace deal that ended three decades of armed conflict.
Tagore Memorial Grove Unveiled in US
The Tagore Memorial Grove and walking museum, one of the first in the United States to spread the message of Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore's borderless world, was inaugurated in Houston, Texas.
Several public officials attended the unveiling, including the Consul General of India in Houston, Aseem Mahajan, Fort bend County Judge K. P. George, and Fort bend Commissioner Andy Myers.
The memorial is a collaboration between the Tagore Society of Houston (TSH) and the City of Houston Parks Department.
Biden Unveils Conventional Arms Transfer Policy
U.S. President Joe Biden's administration unveiled a long-awaited overhaul of arms export policy with increased emphasis on human rights, three State Department officials familiar with the new Conventional Arms Transfer (CAT) policy told.
The CAT policy covers review of security assistance, government-to-government weapons transfers and licensed commercial sales of U.S.-origin military equipment and services overseen by the State Department as well as the Defense Department and Department of Commerce, including firearms commonly available in the United States.
Under the new policy, a weapons transfer will not be approved if the State Department assesses the arms "more likely than not" will be used to commit or facilitate genocide, crimes against humanity, breaches of the Geneva conventions, or serious violations of international law.
UNDP, NITI Aayog Host Virtual Event for Mission LiFE
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the NITI Aayog hosted a hackathon with young people from across the world to contribute ideas and innovations to promote sustainable living and climate positive behaviour as part of the Government of India's Mission LiFE.
The Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE) campaign aims to bring individual action to the forefront of climate action and these nudges are as small as encouraging individuals to consume less plastic, waste-less food, and prefer public transport, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) said.
Mission LiFE was launched by the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in Gujarat in 2022.
Gautam Adani is now placed at the 38th spot in the Forbes rich list, far from the third position just before the Hindenburg report was published, which impacted his group's stock prices. Currently, Adani's net worth is estimated at $33.4 billion, according to Forbes' real-time tracker, which is an erosion of over $85 billion from $119 billion before the report was published.
Elon Musk Reclaims World's Richest Man Title
According to Bloomberg Billionaires Index, with a net worth of $ 187 billion, Billionaire Elon Musk reclaimed his title as the world's richest person. Musk surpassed France's Bernard Arnault to regain his spot as the world's richest person.
Elon Musk achieved this feat due to an increase in Tesla's share prices.
However, Tesla chief's net worth fell by over $200 billion between November and December 2022, which was regarded as one of the largest losses of wealth in recent history.
The Bloomberg Billionaires Index is a daily ranking of the world's richest people. The wealth figures are updated at the close of every trading day in New York.
Argentina's World Cup-winning captain Lionel Messi was crowned the best player in men's football by the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) at The Best FIFA Football Awards. Messi, who propelled Argentina to its third FIFA World Cup title in Qatar last year (2022), was nominated for the illustrious prize alongside his Paris Saint Germain (PSG) teammate Kylian Mbappe and Real Madrid captain Karim Benzema.
Messi was named the winner of the Best FIFA Men's Player award for his outstanding performances in men's football from the period of 8 August 2021 to 18 December 2022.
Messi has now won the FIFA World Player of the Year title in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019 and 2023.
Spain's Alexia Putellas won the best women's player award for a second straight year.
Here is the full list of winners at FIFA awards: Lionel Messi (PSG/Argentina) - The Best FIFA Men's Player 2022, Alexia Putellas (Barcelona/Spain) - The Best FIFA Women's Player 2022, Lionel Scaloni (Argentina) - The Best FIFA Men's Coach 2022, Sarina Wiegman (England) - The Best FIFA Women's Coach 2022, Emiliano Martínez (Aston Villa/Argentina) - The Best FIFA Men's Goalkeeper 2022, Mary Earps (England/Manchester United) - The Best FIFA Women's Goalkeeper 2022, Marcin Oleksy (POL/Warta Poznan) - FIFA Puskas Award for the most spectacular goal in 2022, Argentinian fans - FIFA Fan Award 2022 and Luka Lochoshvili - FIFA Fair Play Award 2022.
Boxers Slip at Final Hurdle as Anamika, Anupama, Govind Win Silver
Indian boxers Anamika (50kg), Anupama (81kg) and Govind Kumar Sahani (48kg) signed off with silver medals at the Strandja Memorial Tournament in Sofia, Bulgaria.
Anamika, the reigning national champion, lost by a 1-4 split verdict against China's Hu Meiyi in the lightweight final.
Sahani too lost by a similar margin against Shodiyorjon Melikuziev of Uzbekistan. Anupama, on the other hand, was beaten by a technically superior Emma Sue Greentree of Australia by a 5-0 unanimous verdict.
The Indian boxers return home with a haul of eight medals — three silver and five bronze.
Union Government Approves Renaming of Aurangabad & Osmanabad in Maharashtra
The Modi government's nod to the Maharashtra government's proposal to formally rename Aurangabad and Osmanabad is likely to help the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena score points ahead of civic polls in some of the state's major cities including Aurangabad, scheduled later this year.
The state government had proposed that Aurangabad and Osmanabad — named after Islamic rulers Aurangzeb and Mir Osman Ali Khan — be renamed as Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Dharashiv, respectively.
The move came days after the Election Commission (EC) officially recognised the Shinde-faction as 'Shiv Sena' and allotted it the party's traditional 'bow and arrow' symbol.
Shailesh Pathak Appointed FICCI Secretary General
Former bureaucrat Shailesh Pathak was appointed as the new Secretary General of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI). He will take charge from March 1.
In a career spanning 37 years, Pathak has spent time in government as an IAS Officer as well as helmed large companies in the private sector. His extensive international exposure includes an Eisenhower Fellowship in 2000 as an emerging Indian Leader, an EU Visitor Program hosted by the European Commission 2003, and a Chevening scholarship at the University of Oxford in 2011.
FICCI also announced that Arun Chawla, Director General, will superannuate on June 30, 2023.
Established in 1927, on the advice of Mahatma Gandhi by G.D. Birla and Purshottamdas Thakurdas, it is the largest, one of the oldest and the apex business organisation in India. It is a non-government, not-for-profit organisation.
Karnataka, Gujarat Make most Progress in Clean Energy Transition
According to a new joint report from the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) and Ember, Karnataka and Gujarat are the Indian states making the most progress in overall preparedness and commitment in the transition to clean electricity.
The report analysed 16 Indian states, which together account for 90 per cent of the country's annual power requirement, across four dimensions.
The dimensions track a state's preparedness to shift away from fossil fuel-based power, its ability to incentivise greener market participation, its power system's reliability and policies pushing for power sector decarbonisation.
Pepsi signed up Ranveer Singh as its new brand ambassador as it switched to a new tagline — "Rise Up, Baby!"
The change in tagline came at a time of the year when demand for cold beverages typically witnesses its highest demand.
The cola brand changed its tagline after a gap of four years, as it seeks to capture a news base of young consumers entering the segment. The brand Pepsi globally also entered into its 125th year.
In 1992, it had "Yahi Hai Right Choice Baby", which was followed by "Yeh Dil Maange More" in 1998.
Prior to "Rise Up, Baby", its tagline was "Har Ghoont Mein Swag".
National Science Day is celebrated every year on February 28 to mark and recognise the contributions of scientists towards the development of the country. On this day, in 1928, Indian physicist Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman, popularly known as CV Raman, made an important discovery in the field of spectroscopy, which was later named after him, the Raman Effect. For his work, CV Raman was awarded the prestigious Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930.
In 1986, the Government of India, under then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, designated February 28 as National Science Day to commemorate the announcement of the discovery of the "Raman Effect". The 2023 edition was celebrated under the theme of "Global Science for Global Wellbeing", in light of India's G20 presidency.
Rare Disease Day
Rare Disease Day is an observance held on the last day of February to raise awareness for rare diseases and improve access to treatment and medical representation for individuals with rare diseases and their families. The European Organisation for Rare Diseases established the day in 2008 to raise awareness for unknown or overlooked illnesses. In 2009, Rare Disease Day went global as the National Organization for Rare Disorders mobilized 200 rare disease patient advocacy organizations in the United States while organizations in China, Australia, Taiwan, and Latin America also lead efforts in their respective countries to coordinate activities and promote the day.
The first Rare Disease Day was coordinated by the European Organisation for Rare Diseases (EURORDIS) and held on February 29, 2008, in numerous European nations and in Canada through the Canadian Organization for Rare Disorders. The date was chosen because February 29 is a rare day, and 2008 was the 25th anniversary of the passing of the Orphan Drug Act in the United States.
Gujarat Passes Bill to Extend Period for Filing Applications to Regularise Illegal Constructions
The Gujarat Assembly passed a bill to amend an Act to regularise unauthorised constructions in urban areas by collecting "impact fee" from owners, which also empowered the government to extend the period for filing applications to regularise unauthorised constructions.
Although the Aam Aadmi Party, which has five MLAs in the 182-member House, supported the "Gujarat Regularisation of Unauthorised Development (Amendment) Bill, 2023", it was passed by a majority vote of BJP legislators as the opposition Congress refused to extend support.
The Indian Institute of Mass Communication Alumni Association (IIMCAA) conducted its 11th annual alumni meet Connections 2023, at its New Delhi headquarters. At the event, the winners of the 7th IFFCO IIMCAA Awards were announced. The Director General of the IIMC, Prof. Sanjay Dwivedi, presented awards to the winners.
The IFFCO IMCA Award winners: Odisha's litterateur Dr. Gayatri Bala Panda received the Alumni of the Year award. Pankaj Chandra Goswami, Amit Katoch, Sushil Singh, and ATE P. Lee received the Public Service Award. Utkarsh Singh of Bihar won the Journalist of the Year Award and received Rs. 1.50 lakh in cash. Rohit Vishwakarma of Delhi won a reward of Rs. 1 lakh for his work in agricultural journalism.
Andrew Amsan of Delhi won the "Reporter of the Year" award in publishing, and Nibir Deka of Assam won in broadcasting. Both received a prize of INR 50,000.
Jyoti Jangra of Delhi was awarded Producer of the Year, A.R. Hemant of Karnataka was awarded PR Person of the Year, and Mohit Pasricha of Delhi was awarded Ad Person of the Year.
The "Lifetime Achievement Award" was given to Prof. Gita Bamezai, Anita Kaul Basu, Prakash Patra, Samudra Gupta Kashyap, and Anurag Vajpeyi.
IIT Mandi Invites Uttar Pradesh Govt. Schools and Teachers for PRAYAS 2.0
For PRAYAS 2.0, the Indian Institute of Technology, Mandi's Centre for Continuing Education (CCE) extended an invitation to Uttar Pradesh government school students and teachers. The summer camp will be organised from June 5 to July 4, 2023.
By engaging young students in mentor-based programmes, the Institute aims to inspire them to become science and technology leaders and innovators.
In addition to studying Robotics and Artificial Intelligence (AI), the students will be implementing these concepts and applying them in real-life situations and coming up with innovative ideas that could change the world.
In 2022, the Institute in collaboration with Himachal Pradesh Kaushal Vikas Nigam, Shimla, successfully hosted its first School Camp on Robotics and Artificial Intelligence (PRAYAS 1.0) from July 1, 2022 to July 22, 2022 and hosted 100 participants.
Bhutan Aims to End Malaria by 2025
As per reports, Bhutan, which had earlier failed to meet targets for the elimination of malaria in 2018 and 2020, now aims to eliminate the disease by 2025.
Bhutan's Health Minister said that cross-border issues in the south especially during the COVID-19 pandemic have hampered the country's progress to eliminate malaria.
According to the Health Minister, malaria elimination is achieved when the country does not report any indigenous or community cases. It means that the country could report imported malaria cases even if the country achieves elimination status.
The Karnataka Government will build the country's first Marina or a boat basin offering dockage, at Byndoor in Udupi district to promote coastal tourism in Karnataka.
The government will also seek permission from the Centre for the relaxation of coastal regulation zone (CRZ) to take up beach tourism in coastal areas and pilgrim tourism.
World's Longest River Cruise 'MV Ganga Vilas' Culminates its Journey in Assam's Dibrugarh
Flagged off from Varanasi on January 13 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the world's longest river cruise 'MV Ganga Vilas' culminated its journey on February 28 in Assam's Dibrugarh.
A welcome ceremony was organised by the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), under the aegis of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Government of India in Dibrugarh. The event was be graced by Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) Sarbananda Sonowal along with other Union Ministers, State Ministers, diplomats and officials of IWAI and MoPSW.
The cruise covered a distance of 3,200 km in over 50 days before reaching Dibrugarh on February 28 via Patna Sahib, Bodh Gaya, Vikramshila, Dhaka, the Sundarbans and the Kaziranga National Park.
Supreme Court Refuses Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia Plea
The Supreme Court dismissed a petition filed by Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, challenging his arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) over his alleged involvement in irregularities related to the now-scrapped Delhi Excise Policy.
The Bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) D.Y. Chandrachud and Justice P.S. Narasimha told Sisodia that he had alternative remedies available before the High Court, which he should have pursued, instead of directly invoking the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court under Article 32 of the Constitution.
The CJI told Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who appeared for Sisodia, that the petitioner was challenging an FIR, challenging remand and seeking bail, all under Article 32 of the Constitution.
The CJI observed that if it decided to take up this petition, the Apex Court would be asked to interfere in every such case. He added that the top court of the country could not intervene in this.
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