Current Affairs – February 14, 2021 [Today’s News Headlines]

Here are Today’s News Headlines by GK Today for February 14, 2021

INDIA

Union Culture Ministry organising Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav in West Bengal

The Union Culture Ministry is organising 11^th edition of its Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav (RSM) in West Bengal. The events will be held in Cooch Behar on February 14-16; in Darjeeling on February 22- 24 and in Murshidabad on February 27-28.

The right to protest cannot be anytime and everywhere: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court on February 13, 2021 ruled that “the right to protest cannot be anytime and everywhere”. Twelve activists had filed a review petition on October 2020 ruling of the top court terming the anti-citizenship law protests held at Shaheen Bagh in New Delhi to be illegal. The court refused to accept their review petition.

Lockdown: SC allows 100% fee collection by Rajasthan schools

The Supreme Court had stayed a Rajasthan High Court order to schools affiliated to Central and State secondary education boards to collect only 60% of the tuition fee for the lockdown period. The court allowed schools to collect the entire arrears in six monthly instalments from March to August 2021. It added that the management shall not debar any student from attending either online or physical classes on account of non-payment of fees.

Indian astronomers detect huge optical flare in black hole ‘BL Lacertae’

Indian astronomers have reported one of the strongest flares from a feeding super massive black hole or blazar called BL Lacertae, analysis of which can help trace the mass of the black hole and the source of this emission.

4 women scientists win SERB Women Excellence Award

Four young women fellows of National Science Academies have been awarded for excelling in science and engineering on the International Day of Women and Girls in Science 2021 celebrated on February 13. The SERB Women Excellence Award that has been conferred on them provides a grant of Rs. 15 lakhs for a period of three years to the awardees to pursue their research ideas. The for women scientists selected for the awards are Dr. Shobhna Kapoor, Dr. Antara Banerjee, Dr. Sonu Gandhi and Dr. Ritu Gupta. Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) is a statutory body of the Department of Science and Technology (DST).

Economy & Corporate

WB releases ‘Traffic Crash Injuries and Disabilities: The Burden on India Society’

Road Transport, Highways and MSMEs Minister Nitin Gadkari on February 13, 2021 released the World Bank report on ‘Traffic Crash Injuries and Disabilities: The Burden on India Society’, prepared in association with Save Life Foundation. He said in this alarming scenario the ministry will formulate policies to protect the interest of the poor and embark on several reformative steps.

World

World Radio Day celebrated on Feb 13

World Radio Day was celebrated on February 13, 2021 with its theme as “New World, New Radio”. The day was proclaimed by the member states of UNESCO in 2011 and subsequently adopted by the UN General Assembly as an International Day.

Mario Draghi sworn in as new Prime Minister of Italy

The former European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi (73) has been sworn in as Italy’s prime minister at the head of a unity government called on to confront the coronavirus crisis and economic slump. Draghi, also former governor of the Bank of Italy, managed to convince almost all of the country’s main parties to support his government.

U.S. blacklisting of Yemen’s Houthis to be lifted on Feb 16

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced on Friday that he will revoke – effective Feb. 16 – designations of Yemen’s Houthi movement as a foreign terrorist organization and a specially designated global terrorist group. The decision, reversing the former Trump administration’s blacklisting of the Houthis, is part of a policy shift by U.S. President Joe Biden aimed at easing the world’s worst humanitarian crisis and intensifying diplomacy to end Yemen’s gruelling civil war.

International Criminal Court elects Britain’s Karim Khan as new prosecutor

Parties to the International Criminal Court on February 12, 2021 elected Britain’s Karim Khan as the new prosecutor for a nine-year term starting on June 16. The 123-member Hague-based court handles war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and crimes of aggression. Khan is best known for heading the United Nations’ special investigative team looking into Islamic State crimes in Iraq.

China bans BBC World News from broadcasting in the country

China banned BBC World News on February 12, 2021 from broadcasting in the country. The announcement comes one week after British media regulator Ofcom withdrew broadcasting license for state-owned China Global Television Network (CGTN) in the United Kingdom.

China refuses to give raw data on early COVID-19 cases to WHO team

China has refused to give raw data on early COVID-19 cases to a World Health Organization-led team probing the origins of the pandemic. The WHO team had requested raw patient data on 174 cases of COVID-19 that China had identified from the early phase of the outbreak in Wuhan in December 2019.

Month: Current Affairs - February, 2021