NATIONAL NEWS
IAF to participate in Cobra Warrior 2022
The Indian Air Force will participate in the multi-nation air exercise called ‘Ex Cobra Warrior 22’ at Royal Air Force Base in Waddington, United Kingdom. India will be sending five indigenous LCA Tejas fighter aircraft to participate in the exercise and a C-17 aircraft will provide transport support.
UP Elections 2022 phase 4 polls underway, Check Key Constituencies
The fourth phase of UP Elections 2022 is currently underway in 59 assembly constituencies across nine districts. The key constituencies that have gone to polls under this phase include Lakhimpur Kheri, Lucknow Cantonment, Rae Bareli, Hardoi and Sarojini Nagar. A total of 624 candidates are in the fray this time.
Sanjeev Sanyal appointed as a Economic Advisory Council to PM
Sanjeev Sanyal, a noted economist and historian has been inducted as a full-time member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister. He will serve at the position for a term of two years. The EAC-PM is an independent body constituted by the Government of India. The body mainly advises the Prime Minister on economic and various other related issues.
Malayalam actor KPAC Lalitha passes away
Deeply loved and popular Malayalam actor KPAC Lalitha passed away sadly on February 22, 2022. She had been battling a liver-related ailment for a long time. The veteran actor starred in over 550 films in Malayalam and Tamil in a career spanning five decades.
Health Minister released Harvard Report on India’s vaccination program
Health Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya released a Harvard study report on India’s COVID vaccination program. The Union Minister on the occasion stated that these reports will help fellow citizens as well as the world to understand India’s vaccination journey and the fight against the pandemic. He also added that the reflection of Prime Minister Modi’s strong leadership and visionary vision is clearly visible in the report.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Hong Kong orders compulsory testing of 7.5 million citizens
The Government of Hong Kong has ordered the compulsory testing of all of its 7.5 million citizens as the city battles a surge in COVID infections. Chief Executive Carrie Lam stated that the residents of Hong Kong will have to undergo three rounds of tests which will start in mid-March. She added that the coming one to three months are crucial in fighting the pandemic and the worsening situation has exceeded the government’s ability to tackle it. In between the compulsory tests, residents will be required to conduct daily rapid antigen tests. Experts have also warned that a huge population can be in isolation.
Kenya citizens stage protest against food inflation
Kenya citizens have staged an online protest about the high cost of living in the country which is facing a high spike in the cost of basic commodities. Kenyans, using the hashtag #lowerfoodprices, have criticized the government for failing to control the prices of everyday items. Food inflation in Kenya in January stood at 9% which meant that Kenyans struggled to put food on the table. Many citizens also shared their shopping lists, explaining how the prices of basic food items had sparked sharply in recent months.
US President announces fresh sanctions against Russia
US President Joe Biden announced new sanctions against Russia on February 22, 2022 and called Russia’s move in eastern Ukraine the ‘beginning of a Russian invasion’. The US will be implementing full blocking sanctions on the two large Russian financial institutions-VEB and their military bank. Besides this, the US has also cut off the Russian government from western funding.
Russia expresses hope that the India-Russia partnership will continue
Roman Babushkin, Deputy Chief of Mission of the Russian Embassy in India expressed hope that the India-Russia partnership will continue at the same level as it is currently. He added that both the countries have a lot of big projects in the pipeline and showed confidence that all the plans will be successfully implemented. While briefing media on the sanctions against Russia and their impact on relations with India, he mentioned the outcomes of the recent Russian-Indian bilateral summit. Babushkin also added that both India and Russia have signed a program of 10 years of cooperation in defense area on the sidelines of the summit.
