NATIONAL NEWS
ISRO launches an earth observation satellite
The Indian Space Research Organisation will launch radar imaging satellite EOS-04 on February 14, 2022. The satellite has been designed to provide high-quality images under all weather conditions. It will be launched aboard Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C52) at 05:59 hours on February 14th from the First Launch Pad of Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.
Gujarat Titans new name of Ahmedabad IPL team.
Gujarat Titans is the new name of the Ahmedabad IPL franchise. The team will be led by Hardik Pandya. The Ahmedabad IPL Team was bought by CVC Capital Partners for Rs 5635 Crores. The other new IPL team this time is Lucknow, which will be called Lucknow Super Giants.
India’s National Single Window System
Jammu & Kashmir has become the first Union Territory to be integrated with the National Single Window System (NSWS). The NSWS is a digital platform that has been built as an advisory guide to help investors identify and apply for approvals as per their business requirements. Till now, 14 states have been integrated with the portal.
Oscars 2022: Indian documentary nominated in Best Documentary Feature category
The complete list of nominations for the 94th Academy Awards has been released. Indian documentary ‘Writing with Fire’ has been nominated in the Best Documentary Feature category, becoming India’s first independent production to make it to the final nomination in this category. The Power of the God leads the nomination with 12 nominations including Best Film, Best Director and Best Actor for Benedict Cumberbatch.The documentary is made by Delhi-based filmmakers Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh. It chronicles the rise of Khabar Lahariya, India’s first and only newspaper run by Dalit women. This is India’s 1st independent production to make it to the final nomination in this category.
Next Covid variant likely to be more infectious
WHO warned recently that the next COVID-19 variant will be more transmissible and perhaps even more deadly than its predecessors. The international organisation, while warning against complacency, said that Omicron will not be the last variant of COVID-19.
Earth is expected to be hit by Solar eruptions today
The Earth is set to be hit by a fresh solar eruption on February 9-10, 2022. This could trigger a geomagnetic storm, as per researchers. According to the Center of Excellence in Space Sciences (CESS), Earth will be impacted by the moderate geomagnetic storm in the range 451-615 kilometres per second from February 9 to February 10. The Indian time of the geomagnetic storm is 11.18 am on February 9 to 3.23 pm on February 10. The impact is unlikely to be very hazardous, CESS said on Twitter.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Sonata Software tie-up with Microsoft for its launch of ‘Microsoft Cloud’
A global IT Services, and Technology Solutions Company, Sonata Software has announced its partnership with Microsoft for its launch of ‘Microsoft Cloud for Retail’. The company has been a partner with Microsoft for over three decades. The ‘Microsoft Cloud for Retail’ collaboration is expected to further strengthen the relationship. Sonata Software delivers solutions for retailers worldwide, leveraging world-class IPs, in-house migration and modernisation tools. The partnership with Microsoft Cloud for Retail will further enhance our capabilities, with its emphasis on leveraging data, elevating the shopping experience, building real-time, sustainable supply chains, and empowering store associates. The Sonata Connected Retail solution is available through Microsoft AppSource. Sonata Software is a Microsoft Gold Partner and is a member of the Microsoft Inner Circle for Business Applications.
US approves $100 million support deal with Taiwan to boost missile defense systems against China.
The Biden administration has approved a $100 million support contract with Taiwan aimed at boosting the island’s missile defense systems as it faces increasing pressure from China. The State Department announced the engineering and maintenance agreement on Monday as China plays host to the 2022 Winter Olympics, an event filled with nationalist fervor that some fear could escalate after the Games into an attempt to take Taiwan by force. Beijing regards Taiwan as a renegade province, has not ruled out the use of force to unify the island with the mainland and has in recent months escalated fighter jet flights over Taiwanese airspace. The support agreement is meant to help Taiwan maintain its existing air-defense missiles and advanced U.S.-made Patriot missiles that Taiwan is acquiring. Taiwan’s defense ministry tweeted its thanks to the U.S. for the agreement’s approval.
