Current Affairs for BANK, IBPS Exams - 13 February 2022

::National::

‘Abkibaar, Trump sarkar’ call by Modi was a blunder, says KCR

Alleging that Modi’s diplomatic blunder had made India a laughing stock among other nations, he wondered whether it was the foreign policy of the BJP government.
Continuing his tirade on Prime Minister NarendraModi, Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Sunday alleged that Modi had committed a “strategic mistake” by campaigning for then US President Donald Trump during the “Howdy, Modi” programme hosted in Houston in October 2019.
“During the programme, Modi gave a call to the Indians in Houston, saying: Abkibaar Trump sarkaar. Why should Modi interfere in the elections of some other country? Was it an election in Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation?” the chief minister asked, addressing a press conference at PragatiBhavan, making a scathing attack on the Prime Minister for the third successive day.
Alleging that Modi’s diplomatic blunder had made India a laughing stock among other nations, he wondered whether it was the foreign policy of the BJP government. “See, what happened. Trump had lost the election and India doesn’t have the face to enter the White House now,” KCR, as the chief minister is called, said.
Alleging that corruption has gone up during the Modi government, the chief minister said, “As many as 33 financial fugitives accused in bank fraud cases registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation had fled abroad and most of them were friends of Modi from Gujarat.”
Stating that the country would be ruined if the BJP was not driven away from power, KCR said he would strive for uniting the like-minded political forces in the country to pull down the BJP government. “Our slogan will be: BJP must go from the country.”
The chief minister said there was a need to bring awareness among the people first and then, see that they would revolt against the Modi government. “In the process, we have to see how the realignment of political forces would take shape. But one thing is certain. The TelanganaRashtraSamithi is going to play a major role in this process,” KCR claimed.

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::International::

US says Russia may create pretext to attack Ukraine

Russia has more than 100,000 troops massed near Ukraine, which is not part of the Atlantic military alliance, and Washington - while keeping open the diplomatic channels that have so far failed to ease the crisis - has repeatedly said an invasion is imminent.
Russia could invade Ukraine at any time and might create a surprise pretext for an attack, the United States said on Sunday, as it reaffirmed a pledge to defend "every inch" of NATO territory.
Russia has more than 100,000 troops massed near Ukraine, which is not part of the Atlantic military alliance, and Washington - while keeping open the diplomatic channels that have so far failed to ease the crisis - has repeatedly said an invasion is imminent.
Moscow denies any such plans and has accused the West of "hysteria".
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, on the eve of a trip that takes him to Kyiv on Monday and Moscow for talks with President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, called for Russia to de-escalate and warned of sanctions if Moscow did invade.
A German official said Berlin did not expect "concrete results" but diplomacy was important.
In Washington, President Joe Biden's National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said an invasion could begin "any day now".

::Economy::

LIC files IPO papers with Sebi, govt to offload 5% stake

The government will sell 5 per cent of its stake in Life Insurance Corporation (LIC), through an initial public offering (IPO), of which 100 per cent is offer for sale. LIC filed its draft red herring prospectus (DRHP) with the market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) on Sunday, thus setting the wheels in motion for the country’s largest-ever IPO.
The market regulator, according to sources, is expected to give its nod for the LIC IPO in three weeks. The Union government has often reiterated that the public issue of LIC will happen within the current financial year (FY22).
According to them, this maiden share sale should fetch the government between Rs 60,000 crore and Rs 75,000 crore, which could peg the insurer's market value between Rs 12 trillion and Rs 15 trillion. The final valuation will be decided closer to the IPO.
In the DRHP filed with the market’s regulator Sebi, LIC has said that the government will offload 316.25 million shares of its over 6,325 million shares. The government owns 100 percent of LIC.

::Science and tech::

Dubai to launch world's first hydrogen-powered flying boat 'The Jet'

A “flying boat” may sound like an oxymoron, but a certain Swiss start-up is ready to prove otherwise.
The Jet ZeroEmission is launching what it claims will be the world’s first hydrogen-powered flying boat next year in Dubai. The startup has partnered with Zenith Marine and DWYN to build the new zero-emissions vessel, which has been fittingly christened the Jet.
With a futuristic, spaceship-like silhouette, the yacht will measure roughly 33 feet from tip to tail and is designed to carry up to 12 passengers and a captain. As its moniker suggests, it can soar like a jet, too.
That’s all thanks to the Jet’s hydrofoils, which will essentially lift it up 3 feet out of the water to ensure less resistance than a normal planing boat. Foiling also makes for a smoother ride with less wake since you’re flying above any choppy seas.
The Jet’s propulsion is just as forward-thinking. It will be equipped with two hydrogen fuel cells that will power the electric motors for quiet, emissions-free cruising at zippy speeds. According to the Swiss outfit, the Jet will reach around 18 knots during take-off and sit somewhere between 35–40 knots while cruising. It will mainly be dedicated to serving hotels and high-end clients, according to the brand.
It’s worth pointing out that pairing hydrofoils with hydrogen is not exactly a new concept. There has been a spate of designs that combine this bleeding-edge tech. In fact, Emirates Team New Zealand is building a hydrogen-powered foiling chase boat to support the AC75 racing yachts in the 37th America’s Cup.

::Sport::

Arif Khan makes a mark on tough track on Olympics debut

India's Arif Khan marked his Winter Olympics debut with a creditable 45th place in Giant Slalom at the National Alpine Ski Centre in Yanqing district of Beijing on Sunday. The 31-year-old, India’s only competitor at the Games, braved brutal overhead conditions and a tricky slope to clock 2 minutes, 47.24 seconds across his two runs.
The original start list had 89 participants of which Brazil's Michel Macedo and Armenia's HarutyunHarutyunyan did not race. The first run, marred by heavy snowing, saw 33 fail to finish (DNF) while another eight, including a disqualification, could not finish the second run. In all, 43 of the 89 competitors fell prey to the treacherous Ice River course that had a starting elevation of 1,925 metres and a vertical drop of 424 metres.
“It was a tough course, no doubt. We always knew that the track would be very challenging, so we decided to focus on finishing the race first. He could have definitely gone faster, but that would have increased the probability to crash and bow out early,” said six-time Olympian Shiva Keshavan, who was with the Indian camp in the Chinese capital.