Current Affairs for SSC CGL Exams - 31 January 2022

SSC CGL Current Affairs

Current Affairs for SSC CGL Exams - 31 January 2022

::NATIONAL::

‘Time to set new goals’: India and Israel mark 30 yrs of bilateral ties

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and Israel is an occasion to frame new goals for mutual cooperation, while his Israeli counterpart Naftali Bennett said ties between the two sides will only grow stronger.
Modi, who took ties with Israel to a new level with the first prime ministerial visit to that country in 2017, said in a video message that relations between the two sides went back centuries and India’s Jewish community had lived in a harmonious environment without facing discrimination.
In a similar video message, Bennett said the two countries shared a “gehri dosti” or deep friendship and had forged a “wonderful partnership” over the past three decades. “The ties between Israel and India are strong, and together they will only grow stronger. The opportunities are endless,” he said.
“Today, when significant changes are occurring around the world, the importance of India-Israel relations has increased,” Modi said, speaking in Hindi.
“And what better occasion to set new goals for mutual cooperation – when India celebrates its 75th anniversary of independence this year, when Israel celebrates its 75th anniversary of independence next year, and when the two countries celebrate the 30th anniversary of their diplomatic ties.”
India recognised Israel on September 17, 1950, but full-fledged diplomatic relations were established on January 29, 1992. Since then, Israel has emerged as a strategic partner and key supplier of military hardware. Modi said the establishment of diplomatic ties with Israel had begun a new chapter. “The history of both our countries is very old. Our people have had close ties for centuries.”

::INTERNATIONAL::

US woman led all-female Islamic State unit, charged with planning attacks

A woman who once lived in Kansas has been arrested after federal prosecutors charged her with joining the Islamic State group and leading an all-female battalion of AK-47 wielding militants.
The US Attorney in Alexandria, Virginia, announced Saturday that Allison Fluke-Ekren, 42, has been charged with providing material support to a terrorist organization.
The criminal complaint was filed under seal back in 2019 but made public Saturday after Fluke-Ekren was brought back to the US Friday to face charges. Her alleged participation in the Islamic State had not been publicly known before Saturday's announcement.
Prosecutors say Fluke-Ekren wanted to recruit operatives to attack a college campus in the US and discussed a terrorist attack on a shopping mall. She told one witness that “she considered any attack that did not kill a large number of individuals to be a waste of resources,” according to an FBI affidavit.
That affidavit from FBI Special Agent David Robins also alleges that Fluke-Ekren became leader of an Islamic State unit called “Khatiba Nusaybah” in the Syrian city of Raqqa in late 2016. The all-female unit was trained in the use of AK-47 rifles, grenades and suicide belts.

::ECONOMY::

Swiggy becomes Decacorn with a valuation of $10.7 billion

Food-delivery giant Swiggy has raised $700 million in Invesco-led new funding, which, according to sources, has made the outfit a decacorn, almost doubling its valuation to $10.7 billion.
Swiggy’s latest valuation is almost double that of Zomato before the latter went for its initial public offering. Zomato was valued at $5.4 billion before its IPO.
The round saw participation from a host of investors such as Baron Capital Group, Sumeru Venture, IIFL AMC Late Stage Tech Fund, Kotak, Axis Growth Avenues AIF- I, Sixteenth Street Capital, Ghisallo, Smile Group, and Segantii Capital.
Swiggy’s existing investors Alpha Wave Global (formerly Falcon Edge Capital), the Qatar Investment Authority, and ARK Impact, along with its long-term investor Prosus, also participated in the round.
Bengaluru-based Swiggy has overtaken budget hospitality company Oyo, whose valuation dropped to $8 billion in 2020 from $10 billion in 2019, and then increased to $9 billion in 2021.
Swiggy has overtaken sports technology company Dream Sports, the parent firm of fantasy sports platform Dream11.
This investment in Swiggy comes at a time when the adoption of food and online grocery is accelerating and consumer demand for Swiggy’s many services continues to grow.

::SCIENCE AND TECH::

BrahMos signs $374.96 million contract with Philippines for export of Coast Based Anti-Ship Missile System

India got its first ever export order for BrahMos missiles on Friday when the Philippines' Defence Ministry signed $374-million contract with BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited to supply an undisclosed number of missiles, military officials said. .
The BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited (BAPL), an India-Russian joint venture, produces the supersonic cruise missile BrahMos that can be launched from submarines, ships, aircraft, or from land platforms.
The $374 million contract is to supply shore-based anti-ship BrahMos missiles to the Philippines' Navy, officials noted.
In a statement, the defence ministry said, "The BAPL signed a contract with the Department of National Defence of the Republic of Philippines on January 28, 2022, for supply of shore-based anti-ship missile system to Philippines.
"The BAPL is a joint venture company of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). The contract is an important step forward for Government of India's policy of promoting responsible defence exports," it added.
India has already deployed a sizable number of the Brahmos missiles and other key assets in several strategic locations along the Line of Actual Control with China in Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh.
Shambhu Kumaran, Indian Ambassador to the Philippines, on Friday said he was truly privileged to witness history in the making.
"Signing of the Brahmos acquisition contract by Philippines Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana today marks a decisive step forward for Prime Minister's Mission Sagar and India's Indo-Pacific engagement," he tweeted.
"It is also a moment of deep pride as India establishes itself as a source of high-technology equipment and a trusted partner towards capability development of friendly nations," he added.
Reacting to BrahMos's export order, DRDO chairman G Satheesh Reddy said, "Surface to air missile Akash, Astra, anti-tank missiles, radars, torpedoes gain the interest of various countries. More systems are being developed which have export potential.”

::SPORTS::

Manchester United looks into assault allegations against Mason Greenwood

The statement from the Premier League club was issued in response to allegations being posted within images and audio that are no longer visible on a woman’s Instagram account.
“We are aware of images and allegations circulating on social media,” United said after being asked about Greenwood. “We will not make any further comment until the facts have been established. Manchester United does not condone violence of any kind.”
Police in Manchester confirmed officers were seeking information on the allegations when asked about Greenwood.
“Greater Manchester Police is aware of images and videos circulating on social media,” the force said in a statement. “Enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances.”
There was no public response from Greenwood several hours after the allegations were first posted.