Current Affairs Quiz - February, 2023

Notes:
After floating over the US for days, a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon has been shot down by the US Defence officials.
The balloon is said to have a payload the size of several buses. China’s foreign ministry denied that the balloon was used for surveillance, and it said that it was a civilian airship used for meteorological and other scientific research

Notes:
The Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), inaugurated the G20 Cyber Security Exercise and Drill.
The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) conducted the Cyber Security Exercise and drill in hybrid mode under India’s G20 presidency. Over 400 domestic and international participants attended the drill.

Notes:
Scientists from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhopal, have sequenced the draft genome of four native Indian cow breeds.
For the first time, the genetic makeup of four native Indian cow breeds — Kasaragod Dwarf, Kasaragod Kapila, Vechur, and Ongole has been unravelled.

Notes:
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi named as the world’s most popular leader with an approval rating of 78 per cent.
The Global Leader Approval survey, carried out by the USbased Morning Consult, featured 22 global leaders. PM Modi stood on top of the list with 78% approval rating. The second most popular leader as per the survey is Andres Manual Lopez Obrador ( Mexico ), while Alain Berset (Switzerland ) stood third. US President Joe Biden came seventh while UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was placed 12th.

Notes:
Ministry of Textiles is implementing ‘Enhancing Circularity and Sustainability’ project in collaboration with United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP).
The main objective of the project is to minimize the negative environmental impacts of Indian Textile by promoting sustainable practices and mainstreaming knowledge on circular production based practices in the Textiles and Apparel sectors. Government also approved 20 strategic research projects in the areas of Specialty fibres and geo textiles.

Notes:
Medium-density Amorphous (MDA) Ice is a new form of ice that was recently discovered by scientists. This ice has same density and structure as water.
The ice was created by scientists in a container with stainless steel balls at a -200°C. The MDA ice does not have any ordered structure. It will provide the opportunity to improve the understanding of the properties of water.

Notes:
A new species of frog known as the Ukaguru spiny-throated reed frog has been discovered in African country Tanzania.
The frog has an uncommon characteristic of being completely silent, unlike other frogs that croak, sing, or ribbit. This frog belongs to the ‘spiny-throated’ group. They are only found in small populations, making them vulnerable to extinction.

Notes:
A new report ‘Teleconnections Among Tipping Elements in the Earth System’ Report, has found a direct link between deforestation of the Amazon rainforest and the temperature changes in Tibet.
Tibet is situated more than 15,000 km from the rainforest. It revealed the strong link between climate tipping elements. A tipping point is a threshold beyond which major, irreversible changes occur in a specific region.

Notes:
The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 4 February as the International Day of Human Fraternity in 2020.
It celebrates the values of compassion, religious understanding, and mutual respect. On the occasion, the UN chief called for renewed commitment to form an ‘alliance of peace’ amid a surge in hate speech, sectarianism and strife.

Notes:
Saudi Arabia was confirmed as the host of football’s 2027 Asian Cup Tournament at the Asian Football Confederation Congress in Bahrain.
Saudi was the only bid presented at the Congress after India’s withdrawal in December 2022. Qatar will host the next edition of the Asian Cup, from June 26 to July 16, 2023. Qatar will become the first country to host three Asian Cups, after 1988 and 2011.