Daily Top-10 Current Affairs MCQs/News (Jan 31 2023) for CSS

Table of Contents

6. Ukraine calls Olympic Committee `promoter of war`

• Ukrainian presidential aide Mykhaylo Podolyak on January 30, 2023 called the International Olympic Committee a `promoter of war` after the sports body said it was considering ways for Russian athletes to compete at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
• The IOC said last week it was examining a `pathway` for Russians to take part in the summer Games next year, probably as neutral athletes rather than under their national flag. Russia and its ally Belarus have been sidelined from most Olympic sports since Russian forces invaded Ukraine last February.
• `(The) IOC is a promoter of war, murder and destruction. The IOC watches with pleasure Russia destroying Ukraine and then offers Russia a platform to promote genocide and encourages their further killings, Podolyak said on Twitter

7. France, Australia to make shells for Ukraine

• France and Australia unveiled plans on January 30, 2023 to jointly manufacture ammunition for Ukraine as the two countries seek to shore up defence cooperation and move past a row over Canberra`s decision to ditch plans to buy French submarines two years ago.
• The relationship hit historic lows in the autumn of 2021, with Paris accusing its allies of stabbing it in the back when Australia opted for nuclear-powered submarines built with US and British technology instead and cancelled a French contract.
• French Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu said France and Australia had agreed to cooperate to make `several thousands` of 155-millimetre shells to help Ukraine. He hoped delivery of the shells to Ukraine could start in March

8. N-arms control regime may end in 2026, Russia warns US

• Russia told the United States on January 30, 2023 that the last remaining pillar of bilateral nuclear arms control could expire in 2026 without a replacement due to what it said were US efforts to inflict `strategic defeat` on Moscow in Ukraine.
• Both Russia and the United States still have vast arsenals of nuclear weapons which are currently partially limited by the 2011 New START Treaty, which in 2021 was extended until 2026.
• What comes after Feb 4, 2026, however, is unclear, though Washington has indicated it wants to reach a follow-on agreement with Russia

9. Iran, Russia link banking systems

• Iran and Russia have connected their interbank communication and transfer systems to help boost trade and financial transactions, a senior Iranian official said on January 30, 2023, as both Tehran and Moscow are chafing under Western sanctions.
• Since the 2018 re-imposition of US sanctions on Iran after Washington ditched Tehran`s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, the Islamic Republic has been disconnected from the Belgium-based SWIFT financial messaging service, which is a key international banking access point.
• Similar limitations have been slapped on some Russian banks since Moscow`s invasion of Ukraine last year

10. Smith wins fourth Allan Border medal

• Australia run machine Steve Smith clinched his fourth Allan Border Medal on January 30, 2023, becoming only the third player, after Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke, to achieve the feat.
• Smith polled 171 votes, while nearest rival Travis Head managed 144, to claim Australian cricket`s greatest individual honour which he had previously won in 2015,2018 and2021.
• Former captain Smith racked up 1,524 runs, which included four hundreds, during the voting period and was crucial to Australia`s rise to number one in the Test rankings.
• Such was his domination in the two other formats that it did not matter in the end that Smith did not poll a single vote in T20Is