23rd February 2014 - Current Affairs Updates

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International Affairs

• Steve Jobs, Snoopy, John Lennon and gay rights icon Harvey Milk will likely soon share a distinct American honour: their own US postage stamps.
• Border Security Force, which guards India's frontiers with Pakistan and Bangladesh, is set to accomplish one of its most ambitious and difficult plans by the end of this financial year equipping all its border posts with basic amenities for its troops.
• Defence Minister A K Antony said there was no question of any compromise with regard to the case relating to the two Italian marines who had allegedly shot dead two Indian fishermen off Kerala coast in February 2012.

Economy & Business

• Increasing its exposure for the third straight month, India owned American government securities worth $68.5 billion at the end of December 2013.
• Oil prices rebounded in Asian trade today as the world’s biggest economies vowed to spur global growth by more than USD 2 trillion over five years.
• The economy is unlikely to see any major pick in 2014 and may end up with about just 4.5-5 per cent growth due to the ongoing fiscal and monetary policy tightening.
• Elecom arm of Reliance Industries, RJIL, is likely to launch its 4G services by September this year starting from Delhi and Mumbai.
• India's Current Account Deficit (CAD) is expected to be around two per cent of GDP during the current fiscal on the back of slackening imports and increased shipments.
• Steel consumption in the country might clock a growth of 2-3 per cent in 2013-14 said by industry experts.
• The Income Tax department plans to rebut Vodafone's notice under BIPA saying that the pact between India and Netherlands does not cover taxation issues.
• Finance chiefs from the 20 largest economies have agreed to implement policies that will boost the world economy by more than $2 trillion over the coming five years.

National Affairs

• Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will lay the foundation stone for the first-ever Research and Referral hospital on the pattern of the Army and an AIIMS like college for country's paramilitary forces next week.
• G-20 addresses India's concern over impact of monetary easing by US Federal Reserve on developing countries.

Science & Technology

• A 14-inch long giant Pacific oyster found off the coast of Denmark has been confirmed as the world's largest by the Guinness Book of World Records. 
• Scientists have devised a new mathematical formula that can reduce the annual electricity consumption of a building by up to 50 per cent.
• China 's first lunar rover Jade Rabbit goes into third planned dormancy; mechanical issues that might cripple the vehicle still unresolved.
• Microsoft will update its Windows system this spring to address some of the gripes people have had when they use devices without touch capabilities.

Sports

• India's top singles star Somdev Devvarman lifted his third ATP Challenge Tennis title beating top seed Aleksandr Nedovyesov 6-3, 6-1 in the final in New Delhi.
• Venus Williams lifts Dubai Womens Tennis Championship Title.

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