Why in news?

• An international team of researchers has now reported a new tropical tree from the Ebo Forest in Cameroon and named it after American actor and conservationist Leonardo DiCaprio.
• The tree was assessed as ‘critically endangered’, as its habitat remains unprotected and faces threats from logging, conversion to plantations, and mining.
• The tree, named Uvariopsis dicaprio, is four metres tall, with 15 cm long leaves, and bears bunches of large, glossy, bright yellow-green flowers on its trunk. The tree is endemic to the Ebo forest and is so far only known from the lower submontane forest which has an elevation of 850 metres. The area of occupation of U. dicaprio is estimated as 4 sq. km.
• With the recognition of U. dicaprio, 20 species of Uvariopsis are now accepted and the highest species diversity is found in Cameroon.

Why in news?

• Sea Dragon is a US-led multi-national exercise designed to practice and discuss Anti-submarine warfare tactics to operate together in response to traditional and non-traditional maritime security challenges in the Indo-Pacific region.

About Sea Dragon exercise

• India and its partners in the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue or Quad along with Canada and South Korea are participating in the multinational exercise Sea Dragon at Guam in the Western Pacific.
• The exercise, primarily focused on anti-submarine warfare (ASW) training, will involve more than 270 hours of in-flight training and activities ranging from tracking simulated targets to tracking a US Navy submarine. Each event will be graded and the country scoring the highest points will receive the Dragon Belt award.
• The wargame, being held at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam, includes contingents from the Indian Navy, the US Navy, Royal Australian Air Force, Royal Canadian Air Force, Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force and the South Korean Navy.
• Two P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft of the US Navy are participating in the drill. During classroom training sessions, pilots and flight officers from all the countries will build plans and discuss tactics incorporating the capabilities and equipment of their nations.

Why in news?

• The Centre announced that the committee to look into the lapses that led to the “exposure of the VVIP to grave security risk” will be led by Sudhir Kumar Saxena, secretary (security), Cabinet Secretariat.

About the Committee

• The ministry of home affairs recently constituted a three-member committee to probe into the serious lapses in the security arrangement during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Punjab’s Ferozepur. The ministry announced that the committee will be led by Sudhir Kumar Saxena, secretary (security), Cabinet Secretariat.
• The two other members are Balbir Singh, Joint Director, intelligence bureau, and S. Suresh, IG, special protection group (SPG).
• The committee is advised to submit the report at the earliest.
• Prime Minister Modi’s scheduled visit to National Martyrs Memorial at Hussainiwala and a programme in Ferozepur got cancelled after his convoy was stuck on a flyover for 15-20 minutes. The home ministry stated that the convoy was stuck on a flyover around 30 kilometres away from the memorial of freedom fighters as the road was blocked by some protestors.

Why in news?

• Bright sun after a couple of days of inclement weather brightened the festive mood on the concluding day of the five-day long national Winter Carnival at Manali today.
• The ‘maha nati’ on the Mall road by hundreds of women of Mahila Mandals of the left bank of the Beas attired in local dresses was the centre of attraction for the tourists and locals.

Why in news?

• Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev accepted the government’s resignation recently after a fuel price increase in the oil-producing Central Asian country triggered protests in which nearly 100 police were injured.

About the incident

• Police used tear gas and stun grenades to drive hundreds of protesters out of the main square in Almaty, the former Soviet republic’s biggest city.
• Clashes resumed after the Cabinet resigned.
• Atameken, Kazakhstan’s business lobby group, said its members were reporting cases of attacks on banks, stores and restaurants.
• Kazakhstan is a tightly controlled country which cultivates an image of political stability, helping it attract hundreds of billions of dollars of foreign investment in its oil and metals industries over three decades of independence.

Why in news?

• Every year on January 04, World Braille Day is observed to raise the importance of Braille, which serves as a communication medium for blind and partially sighted people.

About the Braille Day

• This day is marked as the birth anniversary of Louis Braille, who was the inventor of Braille, born on January 04, 1809, in France.
• The day was first initiated by the United Nations General Assembly, which acts as Braille Literacy month in the year 2019. The event is celebrated throughout the month of January to bring up the importance of Braille and Braille Literacy.

Why in news?

• Puducherry has been handpicked to host the 25th National Youth Festival, organised as part of the Azadi ki Amrit Mahotsav marking the 75th year of Independence, said Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports and Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur.

About 25th National Youth Festival

• Festival’s tagline is Saksham Yuva, Shashvath Yuva (capable youth, powerful youth).
• Around 1000 youths from across the country will participate in the festival who will go back with memorable moments they can cherish.
• The NYF focuses on the life and ideals of Sri Aurobindo, Subramania Bharathi and Swami Vivekananda.

Why in news?

• Over 10.74 Lakh Migratory Birds Including Mongolian Gull Flock visited Odisha’s Chilika Lake.

About Chilika Lake

• Chilika Lake, Asia’s largest brackish water lagoon, witnessed over 10.74 lakh birds, including uncommon Mongolian gull, visiting the waterbody in Odisha this winter, according to a census report released recently.
• Spread over Puri, Ganjam and Khorda districts, Chilika Lake covers an area of around 1,100 sq km.
• However, compared to around 11.40 lakh birds of 190 species last year, 10,74,173 winged guests of 183 species to the lake were counted during the exercise.

Why in news?

• TS Tirumurti, India’s permanent representative to the United Nations was named the new Chair of the UN Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC)

About TS Tirumurti

• Prior to taking up his current position as Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations, in May 2020, Tirumurti served as Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, handling the Economic Relations portfolio (which included, inter alia, the Gulf and the Arab World, Africa, and India’s Development Partnership), according to UNSC statement.

Why in news?

• The Union Cabinet, has recently approved the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Nepal for construction of bridge over Mahakali River at Dharchula (India)- Dharchula (Nepal).

About the MoU

• With the signing of MoU, diplomatic relation between the two countries will further improve.

Background:

• As close neighbours, India and Nepal share unique ties of friendship and cooperation characterized by an open border and deep-rooted people-to-people contacts of kinship and culture. Both India and Nepal have been working together on different regional forums i.e. SAARC, BIMSTEC as well as global fora.