International Current Affairs

Maya Angelou has become the first Black woman ever to appear on a US quarter, after a coin featuring the late poet and activist’s image went into circulation on 13 January 2022. The quarter features an image of Angelou with her arms uplifted, a bird in flight, and a rising sun behind her, with a portrait of George Washington on the “heads” side. The US Mint said the image of Angelou was “inspired by her poetry and symbolic of the way she lived”. The poet and writer, who died in 2014, was the author of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, in which she wrote about the racial discrimination she experienced growing up.

When the world was celebrating the New Year during the weekend, Israel documented its first florona case in an unvaccinated pregnant woman who went into labour at Rabin Medical Center in Petah Tikva on January 2. Israeli health officials say other patients may have also contracted the double infection. Florona is a simultaneous double infection caused by the coronavirus and the influenza virus. Florona is not a new coronavirus variant. While people don’t need to panic, the double infection can be dangerous for unvaccinated people with poor immunity as compared to a vaccinated individual who has taken both his/her Covid and flu shots. The combination of flu with the Delta virus or Omicron virus could be dangerous.

The Khurnak Fort is a ruined fort on the northern shore of the Pangong Lake that spans eastern Ladakh in India and Rutog County in Tibet. The area of the Khurnak Fort is disputed by India and China and has been under Chinese administration since 1958. Near to the Fort, China is building a new bridge. The bridge is being constructed on Pangong Tso, near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh. After the military standoff in May 2020, India and China have built several new roads, bridges, and landing strips.

China has recently conducted a nuclear fusion experiment, aimed towards the creation of an artificial sun. This experiment is being conducted by the Hefei Institute of Physical Science and is called Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST). It is known that China has already spent around 6 billion yuan in this large-scale experiment under which extremely high temperatures are used to boil hydrogen isotopes fusing them together and releasing energy.

South Korea has recently become the 10th country outside of Europe to join the Europol. It is the European Union (EU) law enforcement cooperation agency that fights terrorism and other international crimes. The National Police Agency (NPA) of South Korea joined Europol by signing an agreement, which was approved unanimously by the 27 EU nations.

The United Nations cultural agency (UNESCO) has added the art of traditional Palestinian embroidery to its Intangible Cultural Heritage List. Palestinian Authority (PA) Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh thanked UNESCO for its decision. Palestinian embroidery – or “tatreez” – is an artistic tradition passed down through generations that involves hand-stitching patterns and motifs with brightly colored thread onto clothing. The thobe, a traditional, loose-fitting dress worn by Palestinian women, is the most commonly embroidered item of clothing.

Human Rights Day is observed by the international community every year on 10 December. It commemorates the day in 1948 the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

China has planted its flag on the Moon, more than 50 years after the US first planted the Stars and Stripes there. The pictures from China’s National Space Administration show the five-starred Red Flag holding still on the windless lunar surface.

World Soil Day is celebrated every year on December 5, to highlight people’s attention to the importance of soil and its sustainable management. This year’s campaign is based on the theme of “Halt soil salinization, boost soil productivity”. It aims to raise awareness about the importance of maintaining healthy ecosystems and human well-being. The international observance was recommended by the International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS) in 2002.

Astronaut Wang Yaping became the first Chinese woman to walk in space, authorities said on November 8, 2021, as her team completed a six-hour stint outside the Tiangong space station as part of its ongoing construction. Tiangong-meaning `heavenly palace` is the latest achievement in China`s drive to become a major space power, after landing a rover on Mars and sending probes to the Moon. Its core module entered orbit earlier this year, with the station expected to be operational by 2022.