Junior Digest

Jan31,2022:North Korea has confirmed it fired a Hwasong-12 “mid-range ballistic missile” on Sunday, the first time it has tested a weapon of that size since 2017.

Japan and South Korea both detected the launch of the suspected intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) on Sunday morning, the seventh weapons test this month.
The two countries condemned the test as a threat to regional security with South Korean officials warning the launch could lead to the resumed testing of long-range weapons and nuclear bombs.
North Korea has previously said the Hwasong-12 can carry a “large-size heavy nuclear warhead”.

KCNA reported the missile launch was conducted in such a way as to ensure the safety of neighbouring countries, and that the test warhead was fitted with a camera that took photos while it was in space.

Photos released by state media showed space-based images of North Korea and the surrounding areas through a round camera lens. North Korea first took such images in 2017, analysts said.

Jan 27,2022:Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold the first India-Central Asia summit today, in a videoconference with five Presidents from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Government officials said the major areas of focus for the conference would be trade and connectivity, building development partnerships and enhancing cultural and people-to-people contacts, but it is clear that a number of global and regional developments will also form a large part of the discussions, set to begin around 4.30 p.m IST.

During the conference, the countries are expected to propose ways to increase trade between India and the region, which is only about $2 billion at present, most of which comes from energy imports from Kazakhstan. India extended a $1 billion Line of Credit (LOC) for development projects in the areas of energy, healthcare, connectivity, IT, and agriculture in 2020 and proposes to increase the number of educational opportunities for students from Central Asian countries. In addition, India hopes to build on its trilateral working group on Chabahar with Iran and Uzbekistan to strengthen connectivity to the region.

Meanwhile, other developments like the COVID-19 are expected to be discussed, and in particular rebuilding economies affected by pandemic. This has also been a major subject for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) where India and the Central Asian countries are members along with Russia, China, Iran and Pakistan. The five leaders including Kazakhstan’s Kassym-Jomart Tokayev,Kyrgyzstan’s Sadyr Japarov,Tajikistan’s Emomali Rahmon, Turkmenistan’s Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov andUzbekistan’s Shavkat Mirziyoyevwere due to be chief guests at the Republic Day parade in Delhi on Wednesday, but their visits were cancelled due to the current wave of coronavirus cases in India.
Afghanistan situation
The situation in Afghanistan, which was discussed at length at the SCO, and in November by National Security Advisors at an India-Central Asia meet hosted by NSA Ajit Doval, as well as at the meeting of India-Central Asia Foreign Ministers in December will also come up.

LONDON ,Jan 27,2022: After an uncomfortable but relatively brief return to coronavirus restrictions triggered by the Omicron variant, England is going back to “Plan A” – learning to live with a disease that is probably here to stay.
The bet is that booster jabs, antiviral pills and Omicron’s lower severity will enable the government to manage outbreaks of a virus that cannot be shut out. Other countries equally keen to unshackle business and personal freedom will be watching.

Work-from-home guidance ended last week, and measures such as mask mandates and COVID passes, also introduced in England last month, lapsed on Thursday, returning the rules to where they were last July.

The UK Health Security Agency is preparing to switch focus to supporting vulnerable individuals rather than imposing national rules, according to a draft policy seen by Reuters.

“As we evolve to move to living with COVID, UKHSA’s COVID-19 response will move from a whole nation approach to a targeted response, focused on protecting the vulnerable,” read the paper, titled “UKHSA COVID-19 Vision – DRAFT”.

“We will ensure that our future response is more streamlined, flexible, and convenient for citizens and delivers value for money.”

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who has presided over a death toll of 150,000 that ranks seventh in the world, was forced in December to introduce the “Plan B” restrictions, angering some of his own lawmakers. He now has a strong political imperative to scrap them.

As police investigate gatherings at his offices during COVID lockdowns, in apparent violation of laws he had himself imposed, he faces the biggest crisis of his career, while many of his members of parliament are determined that he must return life to near-normal.

Jan 30,2022:Indian Army’s Northern Command today launched National Integration Song “Pyaara #JammuKashmir” promoting the natural beauty, cultural heritage & diversity of J&K.
The singers include Sonu Nigam, Javed Ali & Harshdeep Kaur.

Jan 29,2022:NASA’s first-ever laser communications relay system, Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD), has successfully transmitted its first laser beams – First Light – through its optical telescopes, a critical milestone for the mission that aims to demonstrate the unique capabilities of laser/optical communications.
The LCRD mission was launched on December 7, 2021, on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V 551 rocket from Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

“First Light is a critical milestone where the mission transmits its first beams of laser light through LCRD’s optical telescopes. Soon, the mission will begin its first experiments, demonstrating the benefits of optical communications,” NASA’s optical communications mission team tweeted.

LCRD features two optical terminals – one that receives data from a user spacecraft, while the other transmits data to ground stations on Earth. It leverages the power of laser communications, which uses infrared light rather than radio waves, to encode and transmit information to and from Earth, allowing 10 to 100 times more data to be transmitted back to Earth than the latter.

The missions’ ground stations on Earth are located on Table Mountain, California, and Haleakalā, Hawaii. Once LCRD receives information and encodes it, the payload sends the data to ground stations that are each equipped with telescopes to receive the light and modems to translate the encoded light back into digital data.

Additionally, laser systems provide decreased size, weight, and power requirements, making them ideal for space missions.

NASA’s LCRD mission will spend two years conducting tests and experiments and after the experimental phase, it will support in-space missions.

Jan 31,2022:Portugal’s ruling Socialist Party (PS) has secured an absolute majority in Parliament as a result of the snap elections held on Sunday, data from the country’s Interior Ministry released after 99 per cent of the ballots had been counted shows.

PS, led by Prime Minister Antonio Costa, got 42 per cent of the votes and won 117 out of the 230 mandates (the count continues), thus Costa will retain the post. The Social Democratic Party is second with around 28 per cent.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has already congratulated Costa on the victory of the Socialist Party in the Sunday elections in Portugal, which were called by President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa after the parliament failed to approve the state budget submitted by Costa’s socialist government this past fall.

MOSCOW Jan 28,2022:Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday the United States and NATO had not addressed Moscow’s main security demands in their standoff over Ukraine but that it was ready to keep talking.

Putin offered his first reaction to the U.S. and NATO responses to Russia’s demands in a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron after weeks of personal public silence on the crisis, in which Russia has massed troops near Ukraine.

The Kremlin quoted Putin as telling Macron he would study the responses provided by Washington and NATO this week before deciding on further action.

DUBAI, Jan 26,2022: Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi said on Tuesday a revival of Tehran’s 2015 nuclear deal is possible if the United States removes sanctions that have crippled the Islamic Republic’s economy.
“If the other party removes the unjust sanctions, there will be possibility to revive the pact,” Raisi told Iran’s state TV.

Since April, Tehran and Washington have held indirect talks in Vienna to secure the pact, which Washington exited in 2018 and re-imposed harsh sanctions on Iran, prompting Tehran to violate nuclear limits of the agreement.

Western diplomats have indicated they were hoping to have a breakthrough over the next few weeks, but sharp differences remain. Iran has rejected any deadline imposed by Western powers.

Iran said on Monday that it was ready to consider direct talks with the United States if it feels it can get a good deal with guarantees that Washington will not exit the deal again.

“We have not had talks with the Americans. But as we have announced earlier and announce again, if the (other) sides are willing to lift the unjust sanctions against the Iranian nation, there is room for any agreement,” Raisi said.

As Iran refuses to directly meet US officials in Vienna, other parties to the pact – Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia – must shuttle between the two sides.

Jan 27,2022:The United States and NATO have delivered separate written responses to Russia’s security demands, as efforts to reach a diplomatic solution to the crisis over Ukraine continue.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday that the US ambassador to Russia, John Sullivan, delivered Washington’s reply to Moscow, which is seeking security guarantees that NATO will halt its eastward expansion into former Soviet republics.
Blinken said that the letter offers Russia a “serious diplomatic path” to end the impasse.

“The document we’ve delivered includes concerns of the United States and our allies and partners about Russia’s actions that undermine security, a principled and pragmatic evaluation of the concerns that Russia has raised, and our own proposals for areas where we may be able to find common ground,” Blinken told reporters.
The Russian military has been amassing troops near the country’s border with Ukraine, sparking a diplomatic crisis and heightening US and European fears that Russia may be preparing for an imminent invasion of its neighbor.
Russia has denied that it is planning to invade Ukraine, but it has vehemently opposed the country’s efforts to join NATO.

On Wednesday, Blinken stressed that Washington and its allies would not agree to curb the NATO admissions process for new members, saying the military alliance’s door “remains open”.

The top US diplomat did not share the specific details included in the document, but he said it outlined American positions and concerns about Russia’s behaviour, while highlighting areas where Washington and Moscow can cooperate to “advance collective security”.
“Right now, the document is with them, and the ball is in their court,” Blinken told reporters.
NATO responses
Shortly after Blinken’s statement, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance delivered its own written response to Russia “in parallel with the United States”.

“We call on Russia once again to immediately de-escalate the situation. NATO firmly believes that tensions and disagreements must be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy,” Stoltenberg told reporters.

He called for re-establishing formal ties between Russia and NATO, and opening channels of communication to avoid escalation. The US and NATO have held a series of talks with Russian officials over the past few weeks, but the negotiations so far have failed to end the crisis.
Stoltenberg warned on Wednesday that tensions in eastern Europe are on the rise.

“We see more troops not only in and around Ukraine, but also now in Belarus where Russia is in the process of deploying thousands of troops, hundreds of aircraft, S-400 air defence systems and a lot of other very advanced capabilities,” he said.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said Russia will “study” the NATO proposal. “We will read it. Study it. The partners studied our project for almost a month and a half,” he told Interfax news agency.
US says Russia likely to use force
The US and its European allies have threatened to impose harsh economic sanctions on Russia should it invade Ukraine. Earlier this week, US President Joe Biden also said sanctions against his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin were a possibility.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov slammed that threat as “politically destructive”, saying on Wednesday that top Russian leaders are prohibited from holding assets abroad, so they would not be affected by sanctions.

The United Kingdom also floated the prospect of sanctioning Putin earlier in the day.

Jan 28,2022:The Government has appointed Dr V. Anantha Nageswaran as the Chief Economic Advisor and today, he has assumed charge.

He was a former part-time member of the PM’s Economic Advisory Council (EAC).
Prior to this appointment, Dr. Nageswaran has worked as a writer, author, teacher and consultant. He has taught at several business schools and institutes of management in India and in Singapore and has published extensively.

Nageswaran was the Dean of the IFMR Graduate School of Business and a distinguished Visiting Professor of Economics at Krea University. He has also been a part-time member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India from 2019 to 2021.

He holds a Post-Graduate Diploma in Management from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad and a doctoral degree from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst.

Jan30,2022:The United Kingdom is considering a major NATO deployment in a plan to strengthen Europe’s borders amid rising “Russian hostility” towards Ukraine, after Moscow sent tens of thousands of troops to the country’s border.

The UK has said any Russian incursion into Ukraine would be met with swift sanctions and would be devastating for both sides.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is due to visit the region next week, and is also expected to speak to Russian President Vladimir Putin by phone.

“This package would send a clear message to the Kremlin – we will not tolerate their destabilising activity, and we will always stand with our NATO allies in the face of Russian hostility,” Johnson said in a statement late on Saturday.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is due to visit the region next week, and is also expected to speak to Russian President Vladimir Putin by phone.

“This package would send a clear message to the Kremlin – we will not tolerate their destabilising activity, and we will always stand with our NATO allies in the face of Russian hostility,” Johnson said in a statement late on Saturday.

The offer could double the number of UK troops in eastern Europe and see “defensive weapons” sent to Estonia, Johnson’s office said. There are about 1,150 UK troops in the region at the moment.

“I have ordered our Armed Forces to prepare to deploy across Europe next week, ensuring we are able to support our NATO allies,” Johnson said.

But Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said on Sunday it is highly unlikely British soldiers would be sent to fight alongside Ukrainian troops in case of a Russian invasion.

Asked by the BBC if there was any scenario in which British troops would be deployed to Ukraine, Truss said: “That is very unlikely. This is about making sure that the Ukrainian forces have all the support we can give them.”
NATO’s chief also said on Sunday the alliance would not send soldiers to non-NATO member Ukraine in the event of a Russian attack.

Jan30,2022: West Bengal governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Sunday took a dig at Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee saying that democracy survives on rule of law and not the rule of an ‘individual’.

“Democracy survives on rule of law, not the rule of an individual. I hope she (West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee) looks into it. She is mandated by the constitution to sit for a dialogue with Governor”, stated West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar.

Dhankhar’s remarks came after paying his tributes to Mahatma Gandhi on his 74th death anniversary.

According to the Governor, in Bengal, democracy needs to be saved from violence. He also claimed that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee never performed her constitutional duty to furnish information about the state to him.

“I have appealed to CM Mamata Banerjee that democracy survives on dialogue. We have to ensure to save democracy from violence…The constitutional duty of CM is to give information to the Governor, but it has not been performed ever since I became Governor”, the Governor added.

The Governor had on Thursday sought information from the West Bengal CM on July 26 Pegasus notification, Pandemic Purchase Enquiry, Bengal Global Business Summit, Bengal Aerotropolis Project, Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), MAA Canteen and State Finance Commission.

Jan 28,2022:The European Union and the United Kingdom are preparing sanctions against new Russian gas projects that will be imposed in case of a Russian invasion of Ukraine, media reported.

According to Financial Times, the new set of sanctions is being developed with the US support, and will be aimed at curtailing financing and technology transfer for future gas projects.

If introduced, these sanctions will affect European giants – such as BP, Total and Shell – which are investing in the Russian energy sector.

In the past few months, the West and Ukraine have accused Russia of concentrating troops near the Ukrainian border in alleged preparation for an invasion. Russia has repeatedly said that it has no intention of invading Ukraine, while stressing that it has the right to move forces within its own territory.

New Delhi,Jan30,2022:Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday addressed the 85th edition of Mann Ki Baat where he noted that the present government is striving to make India a corruption-free country.

“Corruption hollows the country like a termite. Why wait for 2047 to get rid of it? All of us countrymen, today’s youth have to do this work together, as soon as possible and for this, it is very important that we give priority to our duties. Duty is paramount, corruption cannot even think of entering there,” he said.

Modi said in the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, the country is re-establishing its national symbols through several efforts.

“We saw that the ‘Amar Jawan Jyoti’ near India Gate and the Jyoti lit at the ‘National War Memorial’ in the vicinity, were merged. There were tears in the eyes of many countrymen and martyr families on this emotional occasion,” he said.

At the ‘National War Memorial’, the names of all the brave hearts of the country who have been martyred since Independence have been inscribed.

“Some former soldiers of the army have written to me saying that – “The ‘Amar Jawan Jyoti’ lit at the memorial is a symbol of the immortality of the martyrs”. Truly, like ‘Amar Jawan Jyoti’ our martyrs, their inspiration and their contribution are also immortal,” he said.

“I would urge all of you to certainly visit the ‘National War Memorial’ whenever you get an opportunity. Do take along your family and children too. Here you will feel a different energy and inspiration,” PM said.

UNITED NATIONS.Jan 27,2022:Afghanistan is “hanging by a thread,” United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the Security Council on Wednesday, calling for countries to authorize all transactions needed to carry out humanitarian activities in the Taliban-ruled state.
He also pushed for a suspension of any rules or conditions constricting “lifesaving” aid operations as millions in the country suffer extreme hunger, education and social services are on the brink of collapse, and a lack of liquidity limits the capacity of the United Nations and aid groups to reach people in need.

“We need to give financial institutions and commercial partners legal assurance that they can work with humanitarian operators without fear of breaching sanctions,” said Guterres, noting that the 15-member council last month adopted a humanitarian exemption to U.N. sanctions tied to Afghanistan.

Some $9.5 billion in Afghan central bank reserves remain blocked abroad and international development support has dried up since the Taliban seized power in August. Donors seek to use the money as leverage over the Taliban on issues including human rights.
In December, donors to a frozen World Bank-administered Afghan Reconstruction Trust Fund agreed to transfer $280 million to the World Food Program and U.N. children’s agency UNICEF to support nutrition and health in Afghanistan. Guterres said the remaining $1.2 billion in the fund needed “to be freed up urgently to help Afghanistan’s people survive the winter.”

The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, told the council that Washington had moved to ensure that U.S. sanctions do not impede humanitarian activity and it is examining various options to ease the liquidity crunch.”

New Delhi, Jan 26,2022: The government on Tuesday announced 128 Padma awards, including four Padma Vibhushan, 17 Padma Bhushan and 107 Padma Shri awards, on the eve of the country’s Republic Day.
Out of the 128 Padma awardees, 13 are posthumous, 34 are women, while 10 persons are from the category of foreigners, NRIs, PIOs and OCIs.

The four Padma Vibhushan recipients are — CDS General Bipin Rawat (Civil Service, Posthumous), Prabha Atre (Art), Kalyan Singh (Public Affairs, Posthumous) and Radhyashyam Khemka (Literature & Education, Posthumous).
A total of 17 Padma Bhushan awards have been awarded. The names include Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad for Public Affairs, actor Victor Banerjee for Art, Gurmeet Bawa (Posthumous) for Art, former West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee for Public Affairs, Natarajan Chandrasekaran for Trade and Industry, Krishna Ella and Suchitra (Duo) for Trade and Industry, Madhur Jaffery for Culinary Skills, Devendra Jhajharia for Sports, vocalist Rashid Khan for Art, former CAG Rajiv Mehrishi for Civil Service, Satya Nadella and Sundar Pichai for Trade and Industry, Cyrus Poonawala for Trade and Industry, Sanjay Rajaram (Posthumous) for Science and Technology, and Pratibha Ray, Swami Sachidananda and Vashistha Tripathi for Literature and Education.
Apart from these, a total of 107 Padma Shri awards have also been announced for eminent persons in the fields of Art, Trade and Industry, Literature and Education, Sports, Civil Services and others.
The Padma awards, the highest civilian awards of the country, are conferred in three categories, namely, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri.
The Padma Vibhushan is awarded for exceptional and distinguished service, while the Padma Bhushan is for distinguished service of high order, and Padma Shri for distinguished service in any field.
The awards are announced on the eve of Republic Day every year.
The awards are conferred by the President of India at a ceremonial function held at Rashtrapati Bhawan usually around March-April every year.

Jan 30,202:Rafael Nadal edged past Daniil Medvedev in a classic Australian open final on Sunday. Nadal roared back from two sets down to claim a record 21st grand slam men’s title. Nadal pulled off one of his finest performances to win a titanic five-set duel with Medvedev. Nadal said this has been one of the most emotional matches of his tennis career. Only two months back, Nadal had feared that his glorious career might be over due to injury. Nadal had missed Wimbledon due to fatigue and the US open because of a chronic condition in his left foot.
Rafael Nadal triumphed over Medvedev in a five-set classic on Sunday night, with the two warriors barely able to walk after five-and-a-half hours of incredible tennis.

LONDON ,Jan 26,2022: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Wednesday he had no intention of resigning over a series of lockdown-breaking gatherings at his Downing Street office and residence, pledging to get on with the job.
Answering questions in parliament, Johnson was accused by opposition Labour leader Keir Starmer of changing his story over the gatherings and misleading parliament, an offence which the prime minister agreed should trigger a resignation.

Asked if he would step down, Johnson replied: “No.”

“I don’t deny it, and for all sorts of reasons, many people may want me out of the way, but the reason why he (Starmer) wants me out of the way is because he knows this government can be trusted to deliver,” he said to cheers from his Conservative lawmakers.

Jan 28,2022: Xiomara Castro has been sworn in as Honduras’ first female president, taking office amid growing uncertainty about whether she will be able to govern in the face of an unfolding legislative crisis and other challenges.

Castro, the 62-year-old leader of the left-wing Libre Party, won the November 28 election by a healthy margin, but recent political manoeuvring in the run-up to her inauguration on Thursday has distracted from what observers hoped would be a new beginning in the troubled nation.
She was sworn in on Thursday afternoon during a ceremony at a national stadium in the capital, Tegucigalpa, amid thousands of Hondurans waving flags, dancing and shouting. She smiled broadly as the blue and white presidential sash was draped across her chest.
In her inauguration speech, Castro promised to tackle the corruption and inequality that she said ran rampant under the previous administration, and address poverty – all of which, she added, have been fuelling the massive flight of Hondurans north.

New Delhi,Jan 28,2022:The Supreme Court on Friday quashed the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly’s resolution of July 5, 2021, which suspended 12 BJP MLAs for a period of one year for alleged disorderly behavior in the House.

“We’ve no hesitation in allowing these petitions. The resolutions are malicious in the eyes of law, unconstitutional, illegal, and declared to be ineffective in law. As a result of the stated declaration, petitioners are declared to be entitled to be benefits of Members of Legislative Assembly”, the bench pronounced the operative portion of the order.

The legislators were suspended for a year for allegedly misbehaving with the presiding officer. in the Assembly. A batch of petitions was filed challenging the Maharashtra Assembly’s resolution.

The MLAs will now be entitled to all consequential benefits after the conclusion of the session in July, last year.

The bench had pointed out that as per the relevant rules, the Assembly has no power to suspend a member beyond 60 days. In this regard, the bench referred to Article 190(4) of the Constitution which says that a seat will be deemed to have become vacant if a member remains absent in the House without its permission for a period of 60 days, Live Law reported.