23rd July 2020 Current affairs

1. Greta Thunberg, a 17-year-old environment activist from Sweden, was named the winner of the first Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity. She is a founder of a school strike for climate and is known as one of the most influential environmental activists.

2. July 23rd marks the birth anniversaries of two great freedom fighters of India —Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Chandra Shekhar Azad. Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak had said the famous line “Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it.”

3. PM Narendra Modi on July 23, 2020 laid the foundation stone for Manipur Water Supply Project through video conferencing. The project aims to ensure freshwater household tap connections) in at least 1,185 habitations with 1, 42,749 households.

4. China launched its first ambitious Mars Rover Mission- ‘Tianwen-1’ on July 23, 2020 aboard Long March 5 rocket from Hainan Island’s Wenchang Satellite Launch Center. Tianwen-1 includes a Mars orbiter, a Lander and a rover. 

5. The Indian Air Force has decided to procure HAMMER missiles from France to further boost its combat capabilities. The order is currently being processed by the government under the emergency financial powers given to the armed forces amid the India-China border standoff. 

6. Flipkart announced on July 23, 2020 that it has acquired parent company, Walmart Inc’s local Best Price wholesale cash-and-carry business. This will strengthen the e-commerce firm’s wholesale offerings, to compete better with Amazon. Walmart has been running the Best Price wholesale cash-and-carry stores in India since 2009. 

7. Amazon.com Inc’s Indian unit announced on July 23, 2020 that it will begin offering auto insurance, making India the e-commerce giant’s first market for the service.

8. Chandigarh’s Environment Department has decided to ambulances for treatment of sick trees in the Union Territory. The emergency service will include treatment of trees affected by termites & other insects.