Current Affairs in Short: 20 January 2022

Gaspard Ulliel, Moon Knight actor, dies at 37 after ski accident

•  Actor Gaspard Ulliel who was cast as the character of Anton Mogart in Moon Knight died at the age of 37 in an incident that happened following a ski incident. Moon Knight is an upcoming Marvel mini-series.

•  Ulliel was hospitalized after suffering a head injury and was not able to recover. He was transported by helicopter to the hospital after a collision on the slopes in the Savoie region.

•  The Cesar-winning actor collided with another skier and suffered serious brain trauma. Local authorities have also opened an investigation into the accident.

•  Gaspard Ulliel was best known for portraying the young Hannibal Lector in the Hannibal Rising. He was also the face of the Chanel fragrance Bleu de Chanel. Ulliel was nominated for a Ceasar Award for Most Promising Actor in 2002 and 2003.

Snowfall and Ice descend on Sahara Desert

•  Snowfall and Ice have left mesmerizing dunes of the Sahara Desert after temperatures went below zero.

•  The images show ice and snow near the town of Ain Sefra in northwest Algeria. The area has seen snow only a handful of times in the past 40 years.

•  Even though the temperature varies in the largest desert of the world, snow and ice are still rare phenomena. The only other recorded incidences of snow and ice in Ain Sefra were 1979, 2017, 2018, and 2021.

•  Founded in 1881 as a French Garrison town, Ain Sefra sees an average high temperature of around 37 degrees in summers and has seen record lows of -10.2 celsius in winter.

PM Modi and Mauritius counterpart jointly inaugurate India-assisted housing project

•  Prime Minister Modi and Prime Minister of Mauritius Pravind Kumar Jagnauth jointly inaugurated India-assisted Housing Project in Mauritius.

•  They also launched the Civil Service College and 8MW Solar PV Farm projects in Mauritius that are being undertaken under the development support of India.

•  PM Modi, during his address, stated that both India and Mauritius have been united by the history, language, culture, ancestry, and share the waters of the Indian Ocean.

•  Prime Minister Modi also recalled that during his Mauritius visit in 2015, he had outlined India’s maritime cooperation vision of SAGAR.

Interactive virtual museum inaugurated

•  Ajay Bhatt, the Minister of State for Defence inaugurated an interactive Virtual Museum hosted by the Gallantry Awards Portal. The minister stated that the museum will honor the contributions of India’s Bravehearts.

•  The virtual museum will also encourage more and more people to visit the Gallantry Awards portal and inspire the youth to come forward and also join the Indian Armed Forces.

•  The virtual museum will bring together the stories of commitment and the sacrifice of Gallantry Awards winners in an innovative and friendly format.

•  The virtual museum has been jointly developed by the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers, Defence Ministry, Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology.

Bangladesh Government to make Unique Business ID mandatory

•  Bangladesh will make the Unique Business ID mandatory for all the e-commerce activities in the country.

•  All the digital operators in Bangladesh will be required to register with the government using the UBID. The business entities which operate through social media platforms will also come under the purview.

•  According to the State Minister for IT, the use of the mechanism will help in regulating the e-commerce sector which will restore public confidence in the digital business.