NASA to retire ISS in January 2031

NASA is planning to retire the International Space Station (ISS) in January 2031 and has laid out a detailed transition plan. The space agency is planning to open the ISS for commercial activities in its final decade of operational life. NASA plans to "deorbit" the ISS and crash it into the Pacific Ocean in January 2031. Before its retirement, NASA is looking forward to a decade of results from research and technology development aboard the space station.

NASA's Artemis 1 mission to Moon delayed till March

NASA's 'Artemis 1' mission, which aims to return humans to the Moon, has been delayed until March. The mission was scheduled for launch earlier in February. NASA informed that the 'Space Launch System' rocket and Orion spacecraft will not be rolled out for testing "no earlier than March 2022". NASA has added additional time to complete closeout activities inside the Vehicle Assembly building before rolling the integrated rocket and spacecraft out for the first time.

Australian Government announces billion-dollar package to protect Great Barrier Reef

A billion-dollar plan has been unveiled by the Australian Government to protect the Climate ravaged Great Barrier Reef. The plan aims to prevent the vast networks of corals from being removed from UNESCO’s World Heritage List. The plan has been announced months after narrowly avoiding the reef being placed on UNESCO’s in danger list. As per the recent study, bleaching had affected 98% of reefs since 1998, leaving just a fraction of untouched. People in Australia are also in favour of action to limit climate change after experiencing strings of global warming-worsened disasters.

Xiomara Castro first woman President of Honduras

Xiomara Castro became the first female president of Honduras on January 27, 2022. She is a former first lady of Honduras, as she is the wife of former President Manuel Zelaya who was deposed in a coup in 2009. Castro’s inauguration has brought an end to the 8-year rule of Juan Orlando Hernandez, a one-time US ally, who is currently facing charges of corruption in US courts.

NeoCoV Coronavirus: Wuhan scientists warn of deadlier COVID strain

Scientists in China's Wuhan laboratory have warned of a new strain of COVID-19, NeoCov that reportedly has a high transmission and mortality rate. The new strain of coronavirus is related to the Middle East respiratory syndrome MERS-coronavirus.

As per researchers, NeoCoV carries with it the potentially combined high mortality rate of MERS-CoV, where one in three infected people die on an average and high transmission rate of the current SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.

The study has been released in preprint and has not yet been peer-reviewed. It was published on the bioRxiv website.

NeoCoV: Symptoms, Severity, MERS-CoV relation

The studies show that the current COVID-19 vaccinations are inadequate to protect humans from any eventuality of the infections caused by these viruses. The paper adds that extensive mutations in the RBD regions of the SARS-CoV-2 variants may hold a latent potential to infect humans through further adaptation.

Bangladesh passes bill for Election Commission formation

The Bangladesh Parliament has passed a bill for the appointment of Election Commissioners and Chief Election Commissioner for the formation of the next Election Commission. The bill which was passed by the voice vote gives a legal shield to the appointments of the Chief Election Commissioner and the Election Commissioners to form the EC. The tenure of the current Election Commission will end on February 14, 2022. The bill passed by the Parliament envisages a six-member search committee appointed by the President to recommend the names of the Election Commissioners and CEC. The opposition Bangladesh National Party, however, has criticized the bill for being passed in a hurry.

SpaceX Rocket Junk to crash into Moon in March: Experts

A chunk of a SpaceX rocket, which had blasted off seven years ago and was abandoned in space after completing its mission, is expected to crash into the Moon in March 2022. The rocket was launched in 2015 to put into orbit NASA's Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR). The second stage of the rocket has been floating in space in a chaotic orbit, according to astronomers.

England ends face mask rules and COVID restrictions

England lifted the face mark rules and most of the COVID-19 restrictions on January 26, 2022. The move came after the British Government announced that its vaccine booster roll-out plan has successfully reduced serious illness and COVID-19 hospitalizations. Health officials in Britain have also been saying that they are planning a longer-term post-pandemic strategy that treats COVID-19 more like the flu. Earlier, the World Health Organisation had warned against the dangers of treating Coronavirus like the flu and dropping pandemic restrictions.

WHO Chief warns against the talk of endgame in COVID pandemic

The Chief of the World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned that it is dangerous to assume that the Omicron variant of the COVID-19 will be the last one to emerge and that the world is in the endgame of the pandemic. He further added that the situation remains ideal for more COVID-19 variants to emerge. The Director-General of the UN Health Agency said that if the tools such as vaccines and testing are used in a comprehensive manner, it will be possible for the world to exit the acute phase of a pandemic. He also laid out an array of achievements and concerns in global health over issues such as reducing tobacco use, risks of climate change on human health, and fighting resistance to anti-microbial treatments. However, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that ending the acute phase of a pandemic must remain their collective priority.

Russia planning to install pro-Russian leader in Ukraine: UK

The UK foreign office informed on January 22, 2022 that it has information that the Russian government is planning to install a pro-Russian leader in Ukraine while it considers whether to invade and occupy the country. Former Ukrainian MP Yevhen Murayev is reportedly being considered as a potential candidate for the role.

International Day of Education 2022

The International Day of Education is observed every year on January 24 to mark the significance of education and the role it plays in promoting global peace and development all over the world. International Education Day 2022 is also significant as the day sheds light on the changing patterns of education and the role technology is playing in taking education to the corners of the world.

International Day of Education 2022 makes sure about the rights of every individual to receive education since childhood. The day also brings attention to those regions that lack the accessibility of education due to civil war or unstable government or any other ongoing socio-political scenarios. International Education Day promotes the right to education for every individual.

COVID pandemic may get over in Europe after Omicron ends

The director of the World Health Organisation Europe Hans Kluge has said that the Omicron variant has moved the pandemic into a new phase and it could bring it to an end in Europe. Kluge further said that the Omicron variant can infect 60% of Europeans in March. He further added that once the current surge of Omicron sweeping across Europe subsides, there will be for quite some weeks and months a global immunity then it is predicted that COVID may back towards the end of the year. While also cautioning against over confidence, he stated that if a recent fall in case numbers in areas such as the US’s northeast continues, one could see a turnaround throughout the entire country. WHO regional office for Africa also stated that the cases had gone down in the region and deaths have been declining for the first time.

WEF announces annual meeting to be held in person in May 2022

The World Economic Forum has announced its annual meeting to be held in person for the first time during the pandemic. The meeting will be from May 22 to May 26, 2022, at Davos in Switzerland. The annual gathering of the forum has not been held since January 2020 due to the pandemic.

Russia-Ukraine conflict: Is Russia planning to invade Ukraine?

Joe Biden warned on January 19, 2021 that Russia will be held accountable if it invades Ukraine. Biden in a clear warning said that it is going to be a disaster for Russia if it invades Ukraine. He warned Russian President Vladimir Putin of significant economic consequences if such an invasion happens, saying that our partner and allies are ready to impose severe costs and significant harm to Russia and its economy.

Biden stated that Putin has never seen sanctions like the ones he has promised to impose if Russia further advances into Ukraine. He though stated that the level of punishment will depend on the level of invasion, suggesting that a "minor incursion" would elicit a lesser response than a full-scale invasion of the country.

Indonesia to build new capital in Nusantara, away from sinking Jakarta

The Indonesian Parliament approved a bill on January 18, 2022 to relocate the country’s capital from Jakarta to Nusantara. The new capital city of Nusantara will be built on Borneo Island, in the forested province of East Kalimantan.

The decision has been taken amid growing concerns over the long-term sustainability of Jakarta amid climate change, as the capital city is rapidly sinking and is very prone to flooding.

Kamala Harris will be my running mate in 2024: Biden

US President Joe Biden said while commemorating his first year in office on January 19, 2022 that Vice President Kamala Harris will be his running mate in 2024 as well. Kamala Harris is the first woman, first Indian-American, the first person of colour to be elected as the Vice President of the United States.

Bangladesh Government to make Unique Business ID mandatory

Bangladesh will make the Unique Business ID mandatory for all the e-commerce activities in the country. All the digital operators in Bangladesh will be required to register with the government using the UBID. The business entities which operate through social media platforms will also come under the purview. According to the State Minister for IT, the use of the mechanism will help in regulating the e-commerce sector which will restore public confidence in the digital business.

A giant asteroid bigger than Burj Khalifa passes Earth

The giant asteroid, bigger than Burj Khalifa, flew by Earth at a distance of roughly 1.98 million kilometres. The asteroid was classified as ‘potentially hazardous’ and ‘Near-Earth Object’ due to its proximity to the planet. The asteroid called 7482 (1994 PC1) was larger than any building on the Earth. Astronomers have been studying the asteroid for over decades and no threat has been deemed so far. At its closest distance, the asteroid will still be five lunar distances, five times the distance between the Moon and the Earth.

Roberta Metsola becomes new President of European Parliament

Roberta Metsola, Centre-right Maltese lawmaker, was chosen on January 18, 2022, to head the European Union Parliament. Metsola has become the only third woman to hold the position. She is also viewed as a political moderate despite the controversy over her anti-abortion stance.

Roberta Metsola, elected on the same day she turned 43, is the politician from the European Union’s smallest nation. She has also become the youngest president ever to run the chamber. Metsola takes over as the President of the European Parliament at a time of mourning for the legislature on the sudden demise of its speaker David Sassoli.

China to restrain from selling Beijing Olympics tickets to public

China announced on January 17, 2021 that it will not be selling tickets for the Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics to the general public.The move comes after the first Omicron variant was reported in the capital city. Several other Chinese cities are on a strict lockdown after community infections of the highly transmissible Omicron variant were discovered. The tickets for the sporting event are expected to be distributed to a limited number of people through state-run companies.

European Parliament to choose its President for 2nd half

The European Parliament is set to choose its President for 2nd half of the legislative term. The meeting to choose the president will be presided over by the Vice-President in accordance with the order of precedence. The newly-elected President, who will be appointed on January 18, 2022, may also then deliver an opening address and Appointments to Parliamentary Committee the next day. At the start of the 5-year term, all the elected offices in the Parliament are renewed and halfway through.

China builds an artificial moon on Earth that can make gravity disappear

China has built an artificial low-gravity research facility where the gravity can be controlled with the use of powerful magnets by scientists to such low levels that it can successfully simulate the moon’s gravity.

As per Li Ruilin of the China University of Mining and Technology, the low-gravity research facility, which will be officially launched in the coming months, can make the gravity disappear in an effect that can ‘last as long as you want’. Ruilin also added that the chamber is the first of its kind in the world and it will be filled with dust and rocks to simulate the lunar surface.

US President Biden, Japanese PM to hold talks on January 21st

US President Joe Biden is scheduled to virtually meet Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on January 21, 2022. The two leaders are expected to discuss issues related to QUAD, a grouping that also includes India and Australia. The two leaders will seek to further deepen their ties and strengthen the US-Japan alliance.

Critics Choice Awards postponed

The Critics Choice Awards ceremony has been postponed and will now be conducted at a later date. The ceremony is likely to be conducted on a date when BAFTA Awards will be conducted. The 27th edition of the Critics Choice Awards will be hosted by Taye Diggs and Nicole Byer in an in-person event in Century City in California.

Indian-origin Rishi Sunak front-runner for Britain’s PM post?

Indian-origin Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak has a major chance of becoming Britain’s next Prime Minister after the odds tipped in his favour. This comes as pressure mounts on embattled British Prime Minister Boris Johnson even from within his own Conservative Party to exit 10 Downing Street.

As per a major bookmaker in the UK, Betfair, odds are against the current British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and he is expected to step down soon. The 57-year-old is facing flak for an alleged drinks party during Britain’s first COVID-19 lockdown until May 2020.

Boris Johnson issued a heartfelt apology at the House of Commons for the breach of lockdown guidelines and Rishi Sunak was interestingly not present during the convening of house then.