Daily Top-10 Current Affairs MCQs / News (Jan 22 2023)

Table of Contents

6. Iranian currency falls to record low amid isolation and sanctions

• Iran`s troubled currency fell to a record low against the US dollar on January 21, 2023 amid the country`s increasing isolation and possible European Union sanctions against Tehran`s Revolutionary Guards or some of its members.
• Ties between the EU and Tehran have deteriorated in recent months as efforts to revive nuclear talks have stalled. Iran has detained several European nationals and the bloc has become increasingly critical of the violent treatment of protesters and the use of executions.
• The EU is discussing a fourth round of sanctions against Iran and diplomatic sources have said members of the Revolutionary Guards will be added to the bloc`s sanctions list next week

7. `Pretty decisive` Hipkins set to become New Zealand`s PM

• After being chosen as his party`s only candidate to replace Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand`s incoming prime minister Chris Hipkins vowed on Saturday to `get things done` and win a looming October general elections.
• The 44-year-old red-headed politician emerged as the sole nominee to lead the ruling Labour Party in a meeting of fellow members of parliament, and now faces what is seen as the mere formality of a confirmation by his colleagues on Sunday.
• As leader of the party, he will take over as the country`s 41st prime minister following Ardern`s shock resignation on Thursday. Ardern said she would step down by February 7 but could do so earlier given that her successor was chosen in barely 48 hours

8. Berlin faces backlash over refusal to give Kyiv tanks

• Germany faced a strong backlash from allies on January 21, 2023 over its refusal to supply Ukraine with its vaunted Leopard tanks to bolster its fighting capacity in the nearly year-long war with Russia.
• Some 50 nations on Friday agreed to provide Kyiv with billions of dollars` worth of military hardware including armoured vehicles and munitions needed to push back Russian forces.
• On the sidelines of an event at the US Ramstein Air Base, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius told reporters that despite heightened expectations, `we still cannot say when a decision will be taken, and what the decision will be, when it comes to the Leopard tank

9. Air India fined over mid-air urination scandal

• Air India has been fined $37,000 for its handling of an incident in which a drunk senior US bank executive was accused of urinating on a female passenger, Indian media reported.
• The man allegedly relieved himself on the 72-yearold woman seated in business class on a November 26 flight from New York to New Delhi, an incident dubbed `peegate` by the media.
• The Indian Directorate General of Civil Aviation also fined Air India`s director of in-flight services 300,000 rupees in addition to the carrier`s penalty of three million rupees ($37,000), reports on Friday and Saturday said

10. Israeli kills Palestinian after alleged stabbing attempt

• An Israeli civilian shot dead a Palestinian on January 21, 2022 at a settler farm in the occupied West Bank after an attempted stabbing, the army said, the latest incident as violence surges in the territory.
• While confirming a civilian had shot dead a Palestinian, the Israeli military said a `terrorist was neutralised` during the `attempted stabbing attack` at Sde Efraim farm, northwest of Ramallah.
• The Palestinian health ministry said 42-year-old Tariq Maali was killed `after the occupation (Israeli forces) opened fire on him` near the Palestinian village of Kafr Nama