1) English Language and Spanish Language Day: 23rd April 2022
•The United Nations launched Language Days in 2010 to promote equal usage of the organisation’s six official languages and to celebrate multilingualism and cultural diversity.
23rd April 2022: English Language Day
•Every year on April 23, the United Nations celebrates English Day.
•The UN Department of Public Information created the event in 2010 to “celebrate multilingualism and cultural diversity, as well as promote equal use of all six official languages within the Organisation.
23rd April Celebrated as English Language Day:
•The date of April 23 was chosen for English Language Day because it is “traditionally honoured as both the birthday and date of death of William Shakespeare.”
23rd April 2022: Spanish Language Day
•The date was chosen since it is the anniversary of Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra’s death in Spain, as well as William Shakespeare’s birth and death in England. Not only because of their historic status in the canon, but also because of how they represent the power of language in culture, politics, and business, these two literary titans are excellent icons. Their works continue to have an impact even after they have passed away.
2) World Book and Copyright Day [UNESCO]: 23rd April 2022
•Every year on April 23, World Book and Copyright Day is observed to promote the love of reading. April 23 is significant in world literature because it commemorates the death on this date of prominent writers such as Miguel de Cervantes and William Shakespeare.
3) PM Modi inaugurated development projects worth Rs 22,000 crores in Dahod, Gujarat
•Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone and inaugurated the various projects worth 22,000 crore rupees at a function organized at Dahod in Gujarat. Dahod District Southern Area Regional Water Supply Scheme, constructed at Narmada River Basin (Rs 840 crore); Dahod Smart City (Rs 335 crore).
•These projects include Integrated Command & Control Centre (ICCC) Building, Stormwater drainage system, Sewerage works, Solid Waste Management System and Rain Water Harvesting System.
•Under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, benefits worth Rs. 120 crore were provided to 10,000 tribal of Panchmahal and Dahod districts. Prime Minister also inaugurated 66 KV Ghodia substation, Panchayat Houses, and Anganwadis, among others. Manufacturing project of 9,000 HP Electric Locomotives at the Railway Production Unit in Dahod. 10,000 tribals of Panchmahal and Dahod districts (provided Rs 120 crore under PMAY).
4) India to give additional $500 million Fuel Aid to Sri Lanka
•India will provide an additional $500 million in financial aid to help the Srilanka island nation buy fuel, and that Bangladesh was willing to postpone $450 million in swap repayments to help Colombo. This is the second $500 million in gasoline credit that India has given to a Sri Lankan government grappling with the country’s greatest financial crisis in living memory.
5) Patrick Achi re-appointed as Prime Minister of Ivory Coast
•Patrick Achi has been re-appointed as Prime Minister of Ivory Coast by President Alassane Ouattara. He was appointed prime minister in March 2021. He was the third prime minister in the West African state (Ivory Coast) in the last three years after Amadou Gon Coulibaly (who died in 2020) and Hamed Bakayoko (who died in 2021).
•President has accepted Achi resignation ahead of a government reshuffle. Ivory Coast, also officially known as the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, is a country on the southwest coast of Africa.
6) Russia test-fired the “RS-28 SARMAT,” world’s “most powerful” nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile
•Russian President Vladimir Putin said that his military had successfully test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of carrying a big nuclear payload, but the Pentagon said the missile did not pose a substantial danger to the US. Russia’s most powerful ICBM is the RS-28 Sarmat, dubbed “Satan 2” by NATO.
7) Indian-American Defense Expert Vivek Lall Selected for the 6th Entrepreneur Leadership Award 2022
•The Indo-American Chamber of Commerce has picked Indian-American chief executive of General Atomics Global Corporation Vivek Lall for the prestigious Entrepreneur Leadership Awards in appreciation of his contribution to the defence sector. The Indo-American Chamber of Commerce (IACC) was founded in 1968 and is the premier bi-lateral chamber for India-US commercial cooperation.
8) Cyber defense exercises called Locked Shields were conducted by NATO in Estonia
•A cyber organisation recognised by the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation will undertake the world’s largest and most complicated “live-fire” cyber defence drills. The biennial Locked Shields event, according to the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence in Estonia, is designed to improve the skills of cybersecurity experts protecting national IT systems and vital infrastructure against real-time attacks.
9) Babita Singh selected as new Global Peace Ambassador 2022
•Babita Singh, a serial entrepreneur, was named a Global Peace Ambassador for her work in promoting peace through education, sports, art, culture, and diplomacy at the India International Conclave 2022, which was held in collaboration with the Asia Africa Consortium (AAC) in New Delhi.
10) NIXI-CSC and Tripura signed MOU to set up International Data Centre
•The Tripura state government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the NIXI-CSC Data Services Centre to develop an international grade Data Centre in the state. To establish the projected Data Centre, the National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) and CSE e-governance services Ltd have formed a joint venture called NIXI-CSC Data Services Centre.
