current affairs 24 february 2022

UK closes "golden visa" route for investors over security concerns.

• The United Kingdom has closed the UK’s Tier 1 investor visa, also known as the golden visa to all new applicants from all nationalities with immediate effect over security concerns.
• The announcement was made by UK Home Secretary Priti Patel.
• The UK Investment Visa is a Tier 1 visa offered to wealthy individuals willing to invest a minimum of £2 million in the UK.
• In another event, Bahrain has launched the creation of long-term visas for foreigners in an effort to boost the economy.
• It will be known as the golden residence Visa.

Israel successfully test-fires new naval air defense system "C-Dome".

• Israel successfully tested a new naval air defense system C-Dome, to be used on the Israeli Navy’s Sa’ar 6-class corvettes.
• C-Dome is the naval version of the Iron Dome, an all-weather air defense system of Israel to intercept and destroy short-range rockets and missiles, from the Gaza Strip.
• The successful test further strengthens the missile defense systems of the Israeli Navy to safeguard the maritime assets of the State of Israel.

Himachal Pradesh gets 1st Biodiversity Park at Mandi.

• Himachal Pradesh has got the 1st Biodiversity Park to contribute to the conservation of the endangered Himalayan herb.
• This park is ready to be built in the Bhulah Valley of Mandi.
• At a cost of Rs 1 crore, the Biodiversity Park has been set up by the Forest Department of Himachal Pradesh under the National Mission for Himalayan Studies (NMHS).
• The aim of the park is to expand new opportunities for researchers to explore various medicinal herbs found in the Himalayas that are on the verge of extinction, as well as to add tourism activities.

India’s R Praggnanandhaa becomes youngest player to beat World No 1 Magnus Carlsen.

• India’s teen chess Grandmaster Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa created history as he defeated world number one chess champion, Magnus Carlsen, of Norway in an online chess tournament on February 20, 2022.
• The 16-year-old Pragg achieved the feat in the eighth round of the Airthings Masters, an online rapid chess tournament, in 39 moves with black pieces.
• Pragg is also the 3rd Indian Grandmaster to win against Magnus Carlsen apart from Viswanathan Anand and Pentala Harikrishna.

Author Jimmy Soni pens "The Founders", a History of PayPal.

• Award-winning US author and biographer Jimmy Soni released his new book titled The Founders: The Story of PayPal and the Entrepreneurs Who Shaped Silicon Valley, on February 22, 2022.
• The book explores the origin of PayPal and its founding team, including Elon Musk, Amy Rowe Klement, Peter Thiel, Julie Anderson, Max Levchin, Reid Hoffman, and many others whose stories have never been shared.
• PayPal is a US-based multinational financial technology company, which operates an online payments system globally.