Floods and landslides kill more than 100 in Brazil
The death toll from landslides and floods in the city of Petropolis in Brazil rose to 117 on February 17, 2022. The city recorded 6 cm of rain, resulting in increased instability in the soil and hampering efforts to clear the debris and find survivors. According to meteorologists, there is a possibility of rain up to 4 cm in this area during the night. Due to the strong storm, the roads turned into rivers and the houses were washed away. Brazil has been experiencing heavy rains since December 2021. This rain has caused deadly floods and landslides. In January 2022,
First National Maritime Security Coordinator (NMSC) appointed
After the 26/11 terrorist attack, India has been making continuous efforts to enhance maritime security. In this regard, with a view to strengthen the maritime security of the country, Vice Admiral (Retd) G. Ashok Kumar has been appointed as the country’s first National Maritime Security Coordinator. This step has been taken with the primary objective of safeguarding the interests of the country to ensure harmony between the various defense stakeholders of the country. Last year the Security Cabinet Committee had given its approval for the creation of the said post. The appointment of Kumar, who retired in the month of
Central Government has approved the New India Literacy Program for 2022-2027
The Union Government approved a new scheme New India Literacy Program for the period from financial year 2022 to 2027 to cover all aspects of adult education in order to align with the National Education Policy 2020 and budget announcement 2021-22. The National Policy on Education 2020 has recommended adult education and lifelong learning. The Union Budget 2021-22, was announced to enable increased access to resources. The objective of the scheme is not only to provide basic literacy and numeracy but also to incorporate other components which are essential for the citizen of 21st century. It covers important life skills
Canada declares national emergency
On February 14, 2022, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau declared a national emergency to end truckers’ protests against COVID health regulations. After police arrested 11 people with weapons who were blocking the border with the United States, a state of emergency was declared. This is only the second time in Canadian history that such powers have been used in peacetime. The call to power was made because hundreds of trucks still blocked the streets of Ottawa. The Prime Minister further said, the army will not be deployed at this stage. However, the authorities would be given more powers to arrest
Frank-Walter Steinmeier re-elected President of Germany
On February 13, 2022, a special parliamentary assembly re-elected German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier for a second term of five years. Steinmeier’s run for the presidency was supported by most mainstream political parties, prior to the elections. He was elected by a large majority of members of the lower house of parliament and a special assembly of representatives from the 16 states of Germany. He became president in 2017. Prior to this, he had served two terms as Foreign Minister to Chancellor Angela Merkel and Chief of Staff to Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder. The President of Germany has little executive power. However,
Quad ministerial meeting Held
The foreign ministers of Australia, India and Japan recently noted that the Quad is cooperating in intelligence sharing on threats in the Indo-Pacific. The ministers, for the first time since the formation of this group, sought justice for the 26/11 terrorist attacks in Mumbai (2008) as well as the 2016 Pathankot airbase attack. They held their 4th Quad Ministerial Meeting in Melbourne on February 11, 2022, to promote the delivery of over a billion COVID vaccines to be manufactured in India, steps to ensure maritime security in the region and a special meeting on climate change. It was resolved to
Tamil Nadu Govt Passes Anti-NEET Bill in Assembly
The Tamil Nadu Anti-NEET Bill was passed by the state assembly in September 2021. The bill seeks to do away with the requirement of NEET for medical courses in the state. The Central Government had made the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test mandatory for all the students of the country. This bill was passed in opposition to this requirement. The Governor of Tamil Nadu recently returned the bill to the Speaker of the Assembly, saying that this bill is against the interest of the students. According to the governor, this bill will affect the interests of the students of rural
India tests Rafale for INS Vikrant
The maritime version of the Rafale fighter jet was recently test-fired aboard INS Vikrant. The test from the aircraft carrier was successful. The test was conducted to check the take-off of the Rafale jet from the aircraft carrier. This test was successful. The INS Vikrant aircraft carrier uses catapult launches. And this aircraft performed well at launch. A catapult is a device that enables an aircraft to take off from a small space. This is a kind of assisted take off. The catapult accelerates the aircraft from 0 to 165 knots in just 2 to 3 seconds. In this system
North Korea launched Hwasong-12 intermediate-range ballistic missile
North Korea launched its Hwasong-12 intermediate-range ballistic missile on January 30, 2022. The month of January was one of the busiest months of missile tests for North Korea. With the launch of Hwasong-12, North Korea highlights efforts to ensure its reliable systems for the delivery of nuclear weapons. North Korea’s testing program began with the launch of new “hypersonic missiles”, and later included long-range cruise missiles, short-range ballistic missiles, which were launched from railcars and air bases. North Korea has not tested its nuclear weapons or its longest-range intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) since 2017. However, the launch of Hwaseong-12 indicated
Artificial snow at the Beijing Winter Olympics
China is the first country to host both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games. China is making artificial snow for the 2022 Winter Olympics. China will make artificial snow at the snowboarding, ski jumping sites of the Olympic Games. Cross country, biathlon, nordic, freestyle and snowboarding games will be held in Zhangjiakou. It is 100 miles from the host city and is a ski destination. The temperature here goes below zero degrees Celsius. Although the snowfall has subsided. Earlier there used to be heavy snowfall here. Now it has come down to millimeters. The Olympics cannot depend on a slight