Prez Kovind inaugurates annual Udyanotsav at Rashtrapati Bhavan

1.World Cancer Day: 04 February

World Cancer Day is observed every year on 04 February.It is observed to create awareness about cancer and to encourage its prevention, detection, and treatment.

Cancer is the second leading cause of death globally.

World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that cancer cases will rise by 81 percent in low and middle-income countries by 2040 because of a lack of investment in prevention and care.

2.Somalia declares national emergency following locust infestation sweeping Horn of Africa

Somalia has declared a national emergency following locust infestation sweeping the Horn of Africa, as insects devastate food supplies in one of the poorest and most vulnerable regions in the world.The Agriculture Ministry said food sources for people and their livestock are at risk.

Experts say the locust swarms are the result of extreme weather swings.

Somalia’s declaration – the first country in the region to do so – is aimed at boosting national efforts in tackling the hungry insects.

3.New natural gas field containing 80 trillion cubic feet of gas discovered in UAE

The United Arab Emirates announced the discovery of a new natural gas field containing 80 trillion standard cubic feet of gas in the cross-border area of the Emirates of Abu Dhabi and Dubai.The discovery of the Jebel Ali gas field will contribute to achieving gas self-sufficiency for the nation and support the next phase of its major development projects in line with the nation’s strategic development plan for the coming 50 years.

This new gas field, spanning an area of 5,000 square kilometres in the cross-border area of the two emirates, represents one of the largest natural gas discoveries in the UAE.

The discovery strengthens the UAE’s position among countries with the world’s largest natural gas reserves.

This discovery will help UAE in transiting the gulf nation from a net importer of gas to a potential net exporter of gas in coming times.

4.PM Modi presided over inaugural Ceremony of DefExpo 2020 at Lucknow

Prime Minister Narendra Modi presided over the inaugural Ceremony of the DefExpo 2020 at Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.The aim of this Defence Expo is to bring the leading technologies in the defence sector under one roof and provide a myriad of opportunities for the government, private manufacturers, and startups.

The 5-day event will cover the entire spectrum of the country’s aerospace, defence and security interests.

After the invocation ceremony, the Prime Minister will visit the India and UP Pavilions.

The Uttar Pradesh Pavilion will be displaying industrial prowess and the huge potential of the State for the investors in the identified Defence Corridor in the state.

5.Prez Kovind inaugurates annual Udyanotsav at Rashtrapati Bhavan

President Ram Nath Kovind opened the annual Udyanotsav of Rashtrapati Bhavan.The Mughal Gardens at Rashtrapati Bhavan will be opened for the general public from 05 February.

The main attraction of this year’s Udyanotsav, beside Tulips and Exotic flowers, are bulbous flowers.

Around 10 thousand Tulips are specially cultivated in Mughal Gardens and they are in vivid colours of red, white, orange and yellow.

Flower Carpets in magnificent designs will also be on display in the Central Lawns revealing the skill and craft of the gardeners of Rashtrapati Bhavan.

6.Ninth edition of India-Bangladesh joint military exercise begins in Meghalaya

The ninth edition of Indo-Bangladesh Joint Military Exercise SAMPRITI-IX commenced at Umroi, Meghalaya.The main focus of this edition of the fourteen days joint exercise is on Counter-Terrorism Operations in mountainous and jungle terrain.

The Defence Ministry has said that a delegation consisting of 31 officers and 138 other ranks of Bangladesh Army and a company group of Indian Army will participate in the joint military exercise.

7.Navy conducts coastal security exercise ‘Matla Abhiyaan’

The Indian Navy carried out a five-day coastal security exercise, ‘Matla Abhiyaan’, with personnel of two naval boats.The exercise, named after Matla River, aimed to interact with coastal communities to spread awareness on coastal security and understand the navigational complexities in the Sunderban delta waters.

During the exercise, the two boats undertook patrol in the Sunderban delta, and along the Indo-Bangladesh protocol route.

The personnel of the naval boats interacted with the crew of fishing boats, tankers and launches operating in the Matla and Hooghly rivers and the narrow creeks of Sunderbans.

8.Union govt sets target of 30km of highways a day in current fiscal

The Union Government has set the target for construction of highways about 30 kilometres per day in the current fiscal.In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said, the average construction of Highways is 25.23 kilometres per day till December in 2019-20 whereas it was 24.37 kilometres per day during the corresponding period in 2018-19.

A total of two thousand one hundred 55 kilometres length of roads have been built in the first three months of the current financial year as compared to two thousand three hundred 51 kilometres in the corresponding period last year.

9.India’s Ambassador to UAE assumes responsibility of India’s Co-Chair of Expo-2020 Dubai Committee

Navdeep Singh Suri, who was until very recently India’s Ambassador to the UAE, has assumed the responsibility of India’s Co-Chair of the Expo-2020 Dubai Committee.

Mr Suri was also a recipient of the UAE’s Order of Zayed II honour.FICCI is the industry partner of the Indian Government for its participation in Expo-2020 Dubai.

India is one of the few countries which have been awarded to create a permanent structure at the Expo-2020 and proposes to showcase the country’s strengths in innovation and start-ups in the hi-tech sector.

Expo-2020 is a World Expo to be hosted by Dubai.

It is scheduled to open on 20th October this year.

Theme of this year is “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future”.

10.Indian boxers bag six gold at Golden Girl Championship in Sweden

In Boxing, India’s junior youth dominated the ring at the Golden Girl Championship in Boras, Sweden, claiming 14 medals, including six golds, the overall championship trophy and the ‘Best Boxer’ award.While the junior women’s team clinched five golds, three silvers and one bronze medal, the youth team secured a single gold and four bronze medals.

Haryana’s Prachi Dhankar (50 kilogram), playing in the junior category, won the ‘Best Boxer’ award.

Besides Prachi, Ethoibi Chanu Wangjam (54 kilogram), Lashu Yadav (66 kilogram) and Mahi Raghav (80 kilogram) also won gold medals.