Current affairs on 23 October 2020

Andorra Joins International Monetary Fund as 190th Member
Europe's Andorra formally joined the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on 16 th October, becoming the crisis lender's 190th member state as the tourism and trade-dependent principality struggles with the coronavirus pandemic.

Neena Malhotra appointed as Ambassador to Republic of San Marino
Indian diplomat Dr Neena Malhotra, 1992-batch Indian Foreign Service officer, appointed as next Ambassador to the Republic of San Marino. She will have a residence in Rome. Presently, she is serving as the Ambassador of India to the Republic of Italy.

India gets Chairmanship of ILO Governing body after 35 years
India has assumed the Chairmanship of the Governing Body of International Labour Organization (ILO), after a gap of 35 years. The Labour and Employment Secretary, Apurva Chandra, has been elected as the Chairperson of the Governing Body of the ILO for the period October 2020- June 2021. Chandra is a 1988 batch Indian Administrative Service officer of Maharashtra Cadre. He would preside over the upcoming the Governing Body's meeting, to be held in November 2020.

Saad al-Hariri reappointed as Lebanon Prime Minister
Former Lebanese Prime Minister, Saad al-Hariri has been re-appointed to the post, after winning a slim majority of votes in parliament election. Hariri received 65 parliamentary votes out of 118, giving him the mandate to form his new government. In October 2019, Hariri announced his resignation amid 2019-20 mass-protests.

hlights
United Nations Headquarters in New York, USA.Mr Antonio Guterres is the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

Indian Bank, IIT-Madras in pact for start-up funding
Indian Bank has introduced an initiative for funding start-ups, 'IND Spring Board', in collaboration with the IIT-Madras Incubation Cell (IITMIC). The Chennai-headquartered bank seeks to bridge the gap in funding for start-ups through this collaboration with IITMIC.

Vega ropes in Rohit Sharma as brand ambassador
Ace Indian cricketer and Captain of Mumbai Indians, Rohit Sharma has been signed up by India's leading beauty accessories brand, Vega, for its men's personal grooming electronics range under the 'Vega Men' brand. Rohit Sharma will feature as the brand ambassador for 'Vega Men' range in the upcoming digital campaign.

Dr Jajini Varghese honoured with Outstanding Young Person 2020
UK-based Indian-origin plastic surgeon, Dr Jajini Varghese has been named an 'Outstanding Young Person of the World 2020' by a non-profit NGO for her "incredible" scientific contributions to diagnosing and treating breast cancer.

Playback singer and actor K J Mohammed passes away
Playback singer, music director and actor K J Mohammed Babu, popularly known as 'Zero' Babu passed away. He was a recipient of the Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award. He has sung in nearly 90 films and various plays. His first movie was the 1964 film 'Kudumbini'.