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Who are Agniveers?

Agniveers are recruits for the armed forces under the short-term induction programme. Read on to find out more about them.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently interacted with Agniveers through a video conference. But do you know who Agniveers are and why they are recruited? Come, let’s find out.

Agniveers and Agnipath

“Agniveer” is a new military rank. Agniveers are recruits for the armed forces under the short-term induction programme called the Agnipath scheme. The scheme was unveiled by the Government on June 14, 2022, to recruit Indian youths for the three services – the Indian Army, Navy, or Air Force.

Under the scheme, those in the age group 17-and-a-half years to 21 years are recruited below the rank of commissioned officers for a period of four years with a provision to retain 25% of them for 15 more years. However, the upper age limit was extended to 23 years as a one-time measure for 2022-23. The scheme was earlier called “Tour of Duty”.

Purpose of the scheme

The main purpose of the Agnipath scheme is to strengthen the country’s security forces, with a youthful, high-tech, and combat-ready military. Those recruited under the scheme are provided training and a pay package, and on completion of the term, will be given a one-time retirement package called ‘Seva Nidhi, which will be exempted from income tax. However, the scheme does not include a pension or other benefits.

How do they train?

The training period, which lasts 31 weeks, is divided into two phases. The first 10 weeks are devoted to basic military training and the next 21 weeks to advanced military training. The training will focus on physical fitness, firing and handling various weapons, information technology, and the English language. Nearly 60 lakh applications were received of which 40,000 were selected. The target for this financial year is to recruit 46,000 candidates.

PM’s address to Agniveers

Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently interacted with the first batch of Agniveers through video conferencing. He asserted that Agnipath was a transformative policy and a game changer in strengthening the armed forces and making them future-ready.

Hailing the potential of Agniveers, he said the experience they would acquire through this opportunity, would be a source of pride for life. He said the scheme would further empower women.

The introduction of the short-term military employment scheme has faced criticism from some sections for lack of consultation and public debate.

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Ryugu samples reveal earlier formation of carbonates

Scientists find that minerals from the asteroid were produced more than 4.5 billion years ago, even closer to the beginnings of the solar system

The age of our solar system is estimated to be around 4.57 billion years. While previous studies of ancient meteorites have revealed minerals created 4.5 billion years ago, a new study has pushed that even closer to the beginnings of the solar system.

Using mineral samples from the Ryugu asteroid collected by Japan’s Hayabusa2 spacecraft, researchers from the University of California – Los Angeles are trying to better understand the chemical composition of the early solar system, closer to its infancy. Their results were published in January in Nature Astronomy.

Within 1.8 million years

 With the help of isotopic analysis, scientists discovered that carbonate minerals in the samples were crystallised through reactions with water. According to their estimates, these carbonates were formed within the first 1.8 million years after the solar system came into existence. They thus preserve a record of the temperature and composition of the asteroid as it was at that time.

Apart from being rocky and carbon-rich, Ryugu is the first C-type (carbonaceous) asteroid from which samples have been collected and studied. Unlike meteorites, which might have been chemically contaminated during their contact with Earth, these samples plucked off the asteroid are untouched.

Formed rather rapidly

Based on their research, the scientists were able to tell that Ryugu’s carbonates were formed several million years earlier than previously believed.

Additionally, it also indicates that Ryugu, or the parent asteroid from which it broke off, was a relatively small object- less than 20 km in diameter. This came as a surprise as most existing models predicted the formation of bodies at least 50 km in diameter.

In essence, the study helped the researchers suggest that the Ryugu asteroid and similar objects formed in the outer solar system. They must have formed relatively rapidly and probably as small bodies.

Understanding the mineral structure of asteroids provides insights into various questions on astrobiology. Current and future research on the Ryugu samples and other materials will thus continue to help our understanding about the formation of the solar system’s planets, including our own Earth.

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When was the third human landing on the moon?

On February 5, 1971, Apollo 14 made a successful landing on the lunar surface, thereby becoming the third human landing on the moon after Apollo 11 and Apollo 12.

When we talk about the Apollo programme, it is often hard to look beyond the Apollo 11 mission, which achieved the distinction of landing the first humans on the moon. Even though the Apollo programme is best remembered for this, it should also be noted that it provided for innumerable demonstrations of ingenuity and problem solving and increased NASA’s expertise by leaps and bounds.

Following the success of Apollo 11 in July 1969, Apollo 12 landed humans on the moon in November 1969. Apollo 13, however, had to be aborted following an oxygen tank explosion in the service module.

This meant that the Fra Mauro Formation, originally planned to be the lunar landing site for Apollo 13, served as the landing site for Apollo 14, once NASA had completed an accident investigation and upgraded the spacecraft.

Shepard, Mitchell, and Roosa

Launched on January 31, 1971, Apollo 14 had a three-member crew that included commander Alan Shepard, lunar module pilot Edgar Mitchell, and command module pilot Stuart Rossa. Even though there was a potential short circuit in an abort switch on the lunar module and the landing radar came on very late during the landing sequence, Shepard and Mitchell successfully landed on the lunar surface on February 5. In fact, it was the most precise landing until then, as they landed less than 100 feet from the targeted point.

Shepard and Mitchell spent over 33 hours on the moon, including two extra vehicular activities (EVAS) that spanned nine hours and 23 minutes. Even though the first of the two EVAS began an hour later than scheduled due to communications systems problems, it turned out to be a success.

Modular Equipment Transporter

The first EVA was mainly to deploy a number of experiments and some of these sent back data to Earth until September 1977. While a seismometer detected thousands of moonquakes and helped find out the moon’s internal structure, other instruments looked at the composition of solar wind and the moon’s atmosphere.

Apart from the safety upgrades that were done for Apollo 14, there was also the addition of the Modular Equipment Transporter (MET). While Apollo 11 astronauts carried their tools by hand and Apollo 12 astronauts used a hand tool carrier, Shepard and Mitchell could employ the MET like a wheelbarrow, stowing away their scientific equipment, tools, camera, and sample collections.

During the duo’s second EVA dedicated to explore the Cone Crater, the MET came in handy as they were able to pick up a football-sized rock, designated 14321, but better known by its nickname “Big Bertha”. Using the MET, the astronauts were able to transport this sample back to the lunar module. As recently as 2019, studies suggested that a two-cm sliver of the Big Bertha might have originally come from the Earth’s crust, and not the moon.

42 kg of samples

Even though the crew never saw the interior of the crater, post-mission comparisons showed that Shepard and Mitchell were within 50-75 m from the crater rim. The round trip lasted four hours and 35 minutes in which the duo traversed nearly 3 km, including samples from the first EVA, the duo had collected 42 kg of lunar samples.

While Shepard and Mitchell were busy on the lunar surface, Roosa, who was in the command module, clicked many pictures in high resolution. These photographs of the moon’s Descartes region played a pivotal role in certifying the area’s safety as a landing site and even helped plan rover traverses for the Apollo 16 mission.

Liftoff from the lunar surface took place exactly on schedule, while rendezvous and docking with the command module was just two minutes off schedule. After spending 2.8 days in lunar orbit, during which time the command module had circled the moon 34 times, the Apollo 14 crew members headed back to Earth. They splashed down safely in the Pacific Ocean on February 9, exactly nine days and two minutes after launch.

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What important event happened in literature in 2023?

Let us revisit important literary, cultural and archaeological moments of 2022, including the 100th anniversary of Ulysses, India’s first International Booker, UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation, and the highest-grossing movies of the year.

1. 100 years of Ulysses

Irish novelist James Joyce’s Ulysses is often referred to as one of the 20th Century’s most daring works of literature. Set on a single day June 16, 1904, in Dublin, Ireland, it records the movement of two main characters, a young poet named Stephan Dedalus and Leopold Bloom. This experimental novel is lauded as one of the earliest literary works to showcase the writing technique called stream of consciousness, where the readers get a chance to see the inner and intimate thoughts of characters unfold on the page. February 2, 2022, marked the 100th anniversary of the publication of this masterpiece.

2. Shirley Hughes is no more

February 2022 saw English children’s author and illustrator Shirley Hughes breathe her last at the age of 94. Hughes was a beloved figure in her native England, honoured by Queen Elizabeth II and showered with awards. Over a career that spanned around 70 years, she illustrated and wrote more than 70 books, winning Book Trust’s inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015. Her best-known works include the picture book Dogger and the Alfie series. In 2017, she was named Commander of the Order of the British Empire for her literary contribution. Her stories captured the drama of children’s lives in a changing world.

3. Trending picture books

Fun, inspiring, educational and beautiful illustrated picture books were a major trend for 2022. The year saw a boom in the publication and distribution of contemporary picture books that catered to a global readership and depict everyday life experiences and concerns of children. Books like Alice Melvin’s Mouse’s Wood and The Zebra’s Great Escape by Katherine Rundell were some of the bestsellers of this category. The success of books like The Boy Who Dreamed Dragons by Caryl Lewis and Jarvis’s The Boy With Flowers in His Hair reflected the boom in books exploring emotions for the reader aged under ten.

4. India’s first International Booker

May 2022 saw Geetanjali Shree become the first Indian to win the prestigious International Booker Prize for her novel Tomb of Sand, which was originally published in Hindi in 2018 as Ret Samadhi. This novel follows an 80-year-old woman who is travelling to Pakistan to confront her unresolved trauma of the 1947 Partition of India. “This is not just about me, the individual. I represent a language and culture and this recognition brings into larger purview the entire world of Hindi literature in particular and Indian literature as a whole”, said the Delhi-based author.

5. Shelley’s 200th anniversary

English poet P.B. Shelley was an influential contributor to the Romantic movement in literature. This movement was a reaction against rationalism that dominated the philosophy of the 18th Century and promoted a return to the untamed spirit of nature and embraced its hold on one’s imagination. July 8, 2022, marked the 200th death anniversary of the poet. Many international events like the Shelley Conference in London and exhibitions inspired by the key moments in the poet’s life were held last year to demonstrate his lasting appeal and influence. Shelley’s major poems include Prometheus Unbound and Ozymandias.

6. Attack on Rushdie

The news of the attack on Indian-born British-American novelist, Salman Rushdie sent a shock wave through the literary community. The author of the critically acclaimed Midnight’s Children was brutally attacked and stabbed by Hadi Matar, a 24-year-old from New Jersey at Chautauqua Institution in New York on August 12, 2022. While giving an update on Rushdie’s health, his agent said the author had suffered severe wounds and lost sight in one eye and the use of a hand. Incidentally, one of the most anticipated books of 2023 is his Victory City, written before the attack.

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Why are people going hungry in the many countries of Africa and Asia?

Driven by extreme weather events and conflict, the number of people facing acute food insecurity soared from 135 million in 2019 to 345 million in 2022. More than 150 million people experienced it in 17 regions of Africa and Asia alone.

  • Extreme weather and conflict drove acute hunger through the Sahel. Central African Republic, South Sudan, and eastwards to the Horn of Africa, Syria, Yemen, and Afghanistan.
  • In countries such as Nigeria, South Sudan, and Yemen, the World Food Programme (WFP) cut individual rations to reach more people. This was tantamount to taking from the hungry to feed the starving, said the WFP.
  • Droughts, heatwaves, and floods destroyed crops and agricultural land, decimated livelihoods, and wreaked havoc in vulnerable communities, the WFP stated.
  • Russia’s suspension of an U.N.-brokered grain deal exacerbated the threat of surging food prices. The impact was particularly severe in the Horn of Africa, where civil war, climatic extremes, and the economic disruptions of the Covid-19 pandemic worsened already acute food shortages. In Ethiopia, a two-year civil war left an estimated 4.3 million people facing acute malnutrition, while in war-torn Yemen, this rose to 7.1 million.
  • In six of these hotspots- Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, and Yemen – humanitarian actions were needed to prevent starvation and death, the Food and Agriculture Organisation said in the hunger hotspots report, co-authored by the WFP.

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What important events happened in environment in 2022?

ENVIRONMENT & WILDLIFE: Unsurprisingly, the past year was dominated by extreme weather events- from floods and drought to heatwaves and hurricanes (see graphic below)

The repercussions of these global occurrences were felt in many ways, including in the record melting of glaciers and the drying up of rivers in many countries. In December, parts of the U.S. and Canada experienced the unprecedented impact of “bomb cyclone” that brought heavy snow, caused power outage, and claimed dozens of lives. Throughout the year, several volcanoes erupted, most notably Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai in the South Pacific. Etna and Stromboli in Italy. Mauna Loa in Hawaii, and a few in Iceland, leaving houses destroyed and a few deaths. The Amazon rainforests continued to be in the news with about 1.000 major fires reported during the “fire season” while a recent study indicated that “large parts of Amazon may never recover”. But not all news last year were bad. There were many positive news too. Even a few bizarre ones! Let’s take a look at a few of them.

1. China gets its first vertical forest city

China’s first vertical forest city became a reality in January 2022 through a private project. Turning a tower block into a green space, it houses nearly 500 people and more than 5,000 shrubs and trees. It is viewed as an example of sustainable residential building and a project of city reforestation that allows residents the experience of greenery. The green cover in the project is from native and non-invasive species. The trees are dominated by the Ginkgo biloba species, from an order dating back at least 290 million years. There are over 4,500 shrubs, apart from perennial grass, flowers, and climbing plants. The vertical forest is expected to absorb nearly 20 tonnes of carbon dioxide while emitting about 10 tonnes of oxygen annually.

2. Healthy environment a human right: UN

In what is seen as a historic move, in July 2022 the United Nations General Assembly declared “that everyone on the planet has a right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment. As our natural world faces an “alarming decline” through climate change and degradation, this could just be the right step to counter the grave issue. Though the resolution is not legally binding on member states, it is hoped that the move will prompt “countries to enshrine the right to a healthy environment in national constitutions and regional treaties” and encourage states to implement them. This could also arm environmental campaigners with more power “to challenge ecologically destructive policies and projects”.

3. There’s a Jane Goodall Barbie!

As part of its “Inspiring Women” series, which pays tribute to courageous and risk-taking women, in July 2022 Mattel announced the release of a doll made of recycled plastic and dedicated to conservationist Jane Goodall. It coincided with the 62nd anniversary of conservationist’s first visit to Tanzania’s Gombe National Park, where she conducted ground-breaking research on wild chimpanzees. The Barbie wears a khaki shirt and shorts, a pair of binoculars. and holds a notebook. It also comes with a miniature replica of David Greybeard, the first male chimp Goodall named and discovered making tools out of sticks.

4. India bans single-use plastic

A step lauded by green warriors, in July 2022, the union government banned the manufacture, sale, and use of identified single-use plastic items such as plates, cups, straws, trays, and polystyrene, “which have low utility and high littering potential”. What promised to be a success story has turned out to be a struggle as critics pointed out that the country could neither find an alternative to single-use plastics nor set up an effective waste management system. However, Modhera in Gujarat becoming the country’s first solar-powered village in October was news to cheer about. Earlier in June, Delhi airport became the first one in the country to function solely on hydro and solar energy.

5. Denmark to pay for ‘loss and damage from climate change

By pledging more than $13 million to support developing nations that have experienced losses caused by climate disruptions, in September 2022 Denmark became the first UN member to offer “loss and damage” compensation to the most climate-vulnerable areas. Stating that it is “grossly unfair that the world’s poorest should suffer the most from the consequences of climate change to which they have contributed the least” and that it was time for action, the country will channel the funds to regions such as Africa through various organisations and partnerships.

6. NZ’s tax on animal farts and burps!

In a controversial proposal aimed to deal with climate change, in October 2022 the New Zealand government unveiled plans to tax greenhouse gas emissions from farm animals. The plan wanted farmers to pay for gas emissions from their animals, such as methane gas in the farts and burps of cows, and nitrous oxide in the urine of livestock. Outraged farmers were quick to condemn the idea. Though changes were outlined later, it appears that the tax still leaves a lot to be desired. It may come into effect a few years from now, and it remains to be seen if this idea would affect President Jacinda Ardern’s chances when the country goes to polls within a year.

7. Children and Youth Pavilion at COP27 – a first

In a first, the United Nations Conferences of Parties, held in November 2022 in Egypt, allocated a pavilion for youth and children to make young voices heard in climate decision-making. Run by young people themselves, the pavilion hosted youth-led climate forum, a session on “climate change threats to health, nutrition, education and the future of children”, and working groups, becoming a platform for networking opportunities and policy briefings. Meanwhile, December witnessed UN Biodiversity Conference (COP 15), the biggest biodiversity conference in a decade, held in Canada. Amidst criticism for “lacking urgency” and rushed process, the event focussed on the protection of land, ocean, and the rights of indigenous people, reducing biodiversity loss, etc.

8. UK universities ban ‘climate wreckers’ from campus recruitments

In December 2022, career services at three universities – the University of Bedfordshire, University of the Arts London, and Wrexham Glyndwr University – promised to end all relationships with oil, gas, and mining recruiters. According to reports, this ban is a result of “a passionate student-led campaign”, and comes three months after a similar move by Birkbeck, University of London. The sponsor of the campaign charity described it as “a victory for climate campaigners against big polluters”. The step is seen as important because fossil fuel companies can attract new graduates with high starting salaries. Apparently, now many job seekers “are shunning these lucrative offers in favour of more environmentally friendly careers”.

9. Seaweed as plastic alternative

As plastic and packaging waste litter streets globally, the solution could come in the form of seaweed. Notpla, a London-based startup is set to come up with a totally natural, completely biodegradable plastic alternative using seaweed and plants- to create a range of packaging from bubbles to hold liquid to linings for food containers”. The startup won the Earthshot Prize in December 2022 in the ‘Build a Waste-Free World’ category, and along with it, one million pounds, which will go towards research, development, and business expansion. Earlier, researchers from Flinders University in Australia partnered with a German biomaterials developer to create a seaweed-based biopolymer, which can be used as a wrapper.

10. Cheers for cheetahs and bustards

The government released an action plan in January 2022 to reintroduce cheetahs in India. Amidst criticism and applause, eight cheetahs from Namibia reached Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh in September. The animals are now acclimatising to their new home. Meanwhile, due to natural factors and conservation efforts, four great Indian bustards in Rajasthan’s Desert National Park laid two eggs each, though the bird normally lays only one at a time. There’s more hope for this endangered bird as the Supreme Court floated the idea of Project GIB on the lines of Project Tiger.

11. No rhino poaching in Assam

For the first time in more than two decades, not a single one-horned rhinoceros was poached in Assam in an entire year since January 2022. This is believed to be the result of the anti-rhino poaching mission – a special task force formed in 2021. with 22 senior police and forest department officials. Apart from strict vigil by armed commandos and forest personnel, the use of “sophisticated technology” too is said to have helped the State achieve this target. The years 2020 and 2021 saw two rhinos each poached. The threatened species is killed for its horns because they fetch large sums due to their supposed medicinal value.

12. World’s largest plant, and rare flowers

The world’s largest plant a seagrass 180 km long and the size of 28.000 soccer fields – was discovered off the coast of Australia, a report in June 2022 said. Apparently, over 4,500 years ago, a single seed sprouted in the region now called Shark Bay. This seed spawned a mammoth seagrass covering more than 200 sq. km. In August 2022, Chile’s Atacama Desert was in the news for its rare floral bloom that occurs once every few years. The government acted swiftly, and announced that the area would become a national park to accord it high protection.

13. Happy birthday, tortoises!

In August 2022, Kemp’s Ridley – the world’s smallest and most endangered sea turtle – hatched in Louisiana, the U.S. for the first time in over 75 years, thrilling conservationists. In September, Janus, the world’s oldest two-headed tortoise celebrated his 25th birthday. Jonathan, a Seychelles giant tortoise and the world’s oldest living land animal, celebrated his 190th birthday in December, and in the process, entered the Guinness World Records. His official record title is oldest chelonian-a category which encompasses all turtles, terrapins, and tortoises. Meanwhile, during the 19th meeting of the Cop 19 at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in November, India reiterated its commitment on conserving tortoises and turtles in the country.

14. Corals of Great Barrier Reef show signs of recovery

Two-thirds of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, showed the largest amount of coral cover in 36 years, a report in August 2022 said. Researchers believe this is indicative of how it “is still a resilient system” given that it has the capability to recover from disturbances. The recovery occurred in the central and northern stretches of the reef while the southern region faced a loss of coral cover due to crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks. It means that though the recovery is good news, the reef continues to remain vulnerable to increasingly frequent mass bleaching events. In November, a United Nations-backed mission to GBR concluded that the reef system should be placed on a list of world heritage sites in danger.

15. Spectacular wildlife recoveries

Research revealed that about 50 species, including bears. wolves, bison, whales, turtles, otters, and wolverines were making a spectacular comeback across Europe, a September 2022 report said. Most of the species were previously struggling, and the recoveries are a pointer to the fact that humans play a decisive role in creating conducive conditions, facilitating habitat restoration, and species reintroduction. Not just that! The black-naped pheasant pigeon last spotted 140 years ago was found in Papua New Guinea: a baby bison was born in the U.K. for the first time in millennia as part of a groundbreaking rewilding project. and the Galapagos Island land iguana last spotted on Santiago Island more than 187 years ago too made a comeback, delighting conservationists.

16. Beavers now a protected species in England

Eurasian beavers were recognised as a European protected species in England in October 2022, making it illegal to capture, kill, injure, or disturb them. The move ensures that measures earlier in place to ‘control’ beavers are curbed. For instance, landowners will not be able to damage a burrow or dam without a licence from Natural England. Eurasian beavers were once widespread but hunted to extinction 400 years ago in Britain. They are being reintroduced at multiple sites across the region. These creatures are crucial for maintaining a healthy and balanced ecosystem. Their dams help the environment, keep water clean, and prevent flooding and drought.

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What important events happened in space in 2022?

Space and Science: From the spectacular images dispatched by the James Webb Space Telescope and NASA’S ambitious missions to explore the moon to the breakthrough in malaria vaccine and the invention of the half-a-millimetre-wide remote controlled, walking robot, the year 2022 witnessed plenty of wow moments in Space and Science.

1. HD 1

In April 2022, we discovered the most distant galaxy to date. Christened HD 1, this galaxy is some 13.5 billion light-years away. To explain why the galaxy was unusually bright in ultraviolet light, the astronomers propose that either HD1 might be forming stars at a very high rate or may be home to a supermassive black hole. HD 1 could also be home to the Population III stars, the very first stars of the Universe. The discovery of HD 1 also breaks the record of the GN-Z11 galaxy that was discovered in 2017, lying some 13.4 billion light-years away.

The distant early galaxy HD1, object in red, is shown at the centre of this undated zoom-in handout image.

2. China’s space milestones

In 2022, China took a firm foothold in space with significant additions to its own space station called “Tiangong”. The space station will assist future Chinese missions and also help carry out scientific research and enable the stay of astronauts for longer periods in space. In July 2022, it launched its laboratory module called “Wentian”. The final piece “Mengtian”, also a laboratory module, was launched and docked, thereby completing the basic construction of its space station. It may be recalled that China began construction of its space station with the “Tianhe” module, the main living quarters for astronauts in 2021. Seen here is the Long March 5B rocket, carrying China’s Mengtian science module, the final module of Tiangong space station, lifting off.

3. James Webb Space Telescope

The James Webb Space Telescope, the largest and most powerful space telescope (launched in December 2021), has been dispatching stellar images of the universe since July 2022, propelling astronomical research in new directions. It has captured the farthest and oldest galaxies seen to date; offered a detailed image of the famous Pillars of Creation; presented the clearest view of Neptune’s rings, and captured the geographical phenomenon on Jupiter’s surface. It also gave us the first evidence of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of an exoplanet – all this from its orbit around the second Lagrange point, a million miles away from Earth. Seen here is the detailed image of the Pillars of Creation shared by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope.

4. DART mission

In a first-of-its-kind mission, NASA launched its Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) spacecraft successfully in September 2022. The mission aimed at deflecting asteroids was a step towards preparing the world for a potential future asteroid strike like the one which killed the dinosaurs millions of years ago. The first test DART mission targeted the asteroid moonlet Dimorphos, a small body about 160 metres in diameter. NASA confirmed the mission altered the asteroid’s motion in space. The one-way trip proved how a spacecraft could intentionally collide with an asteroid in order to deflect it – a planetary defence against near-Earth objects. The last image to contain a complete view of asteroid Didymos (top left) and its moonlet, Dimorphos, about 2.5 minutes before the impact of NASA’S DART spacecraft.

5. Women in space

The year 2022 was a milestone year for women astronauts. Nicole Mann became the first native American woman to go to space. She was the commander of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-5 mission that blasted off in the Dragon Endurance spacecraft built by SpaceX in October 2022. Jessica Watkins became the first Black woman on a long-duration ISS mission. Nora Al Matrooshi became the first woman astronaut from the UAE. She trained at the Johnson Space Centre in Houston. She is the Arab world’s first woman astronaut and has joined the second batch of the UAE Astronaut Program, training with NASA for future space missions.

6. Artemis

Half a century after astronauts walked on the moon, NASA is a few steps away from putting humankind back on the Moon. The Artemis 1 mission, launched on November 16, was an uncrewed mission designed to test the viability of the Space Launch System, NASA’s next-generation rocket ship, and the Orion Space Capsule scheduled to enter lunar orbit and return to Earth after about 25 days. Artemis 1 demonstrated the capabilities of both SLS and Orion. Its success has cleared the path for Artemis II and III in 2024 and 2025, when astronauts will embark on lunar-flyby-return-to-earth test missions. Seen here is the Orion Capsule, launched on the Artemis rocket, getting drawn into the well deck of the USS Portland during recovery operations.

7. ISRO’s major milestones

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the country’s space agency, hit many milestones in 2022. The agency launched India’s first privately developed rocket “Vikram-suborbital (VKS)” in November 2022. It also test-fired the Astronaut Safety System for India’s ambitious Gaganyaan mission- the country’s manned mission to space. The year 2022’s last PSLV mission blasted off with one ocean research satellite and eight nanosatellites by Indian start-ups and Bhutan. The 200th consecutive launch of the multipurpose sounding rocket RH200 was also held. The agency successfully launched 36 Gen-1 satellites via the LVM3 launch vehicle as part of its commercial mission for the U.K.-based communications company OneWeb. Seen here is ISRO’s first privately developed Indian rocket Vikram-S being launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.

8. Human Cell Atlas

In May 2022, about 2.300 researchers from 83 countries came up with a compilation called the Human Cell Atlas. The task involved mapping the positions of over a million cells across 33 different organs in the healthy human body. The aim of this international collaborative consortium is to help understand biology and diseases better. Cutting-edge single cell and spatial genomics and computational techniques were used. The compilation is seen as a major step towards analysing how illnesses can be diagnosed and treated. It is expected to eventually transform our understanding of the 37.2 trillion cells in the human body.

9. Monkeypox

In May 2022, another global health concern arose, when the viral disease Monkeypox was detected in the U.K Monkeypox is a viral zoonotic disease that has symptoms similar to those in smallpox patients. Come July and 90 percent of the cases were centered mainly around Europe. The World Health Organisation declared the monkeypox outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. Over the months, with testing, surveillance, and vaccination, cases declined. JYNNEOS, a two-dose vaccine that was developed to protect against both mpox and smallpox was used during the outbreak. Monkeypox was renamed Mpox by the WHO. Seen here is a magnifying glass focusing on a vesicle rash created by monkeypox disease.

10. World’s smallest remote-controlled, walking robot

In May 2022, a team of engineers at the Northwestern University in the U.S. demonstrated the world’s smallest walking robots. They measured just half-a-millimeter wide. The crab-shaped remote-controlled invention is a milestone in the field of robotics because they are capable of performing practical tasks in tight spaces. The micro robot, scientists say, could repair small machines and even offer help in performing surgical tasks such as clearing clogged arteries or eliminating cancerous tumours. They are still in developmental stage and were primarily created for academic purpose. Nevertheless, the technology used to create them has potential for scaling.

11. Earth’s shortest day on record

On June 29 2022, we had the shortest day ever to be recorded since the 1960s. The Earth completed its rotation in 1.59 milliseconds less than its routine 24  hours. Scientists recorded this using atomic clocks. In recent years, Earth has been spinning faster and taking less time to complete its rotation. A study in 2016 found that in the previous 2,740 years, Earth’s rotation slowed by about six hours. This truncation of day length is attributed to climate effects. The speed depends on factors such as gravity, changes in winds, ancient ice sheets, dynamics of the planet’s core, and so on.

12.  Paper coating that behaves like plastic

Plastic is problematic. So, a team of researchers from the University of Japan developed a coating for the paper that makes it behave like plastic in July 2022. The coating, “Choetsu”, is claimed to be a cheap and safe mixture of chemicals. It makes the paper rigid, waterproof, bacteria-repelling, and durable. The initial target is to test its efficacy in food packaging. With the technology, paper is given some of the properties of plastic and is touted to degrade safely. The process involves dipping the paper structure into the coating mixture and drying it. The coating is low-cost and biodegradable.

13. Malaria vaccine breakthrough

In a major boost to the global fight against Malaria, one of the leading causes of child mortality, a new vaccine against the disease has been found to be highly effective. The scientists at the University of Oxford’s Jenner Institute who created the vaccine R21/ Matrix M published their trial results in September 2022. It is also the first malaria vaccine to meet and exceed the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) vaccine target of 75% efficacy against the deadly disease. The vaccine has been found to be 77% effective in early-stage trials. Malaria kills more than 4,00,000 people each year. Seen here is a feeding female Anopheles funestus mosquito, a known vector for malaria.

14. Zombie virus

A 48,500-year-old zombie virus that was trapped under a frozen lake in Russia emerged in November 2022. The zombie virus, which was revived by scientists, emerged as a result of global warming. According to the French scientists who published the study, the thawing of the permafrost a permanently frozen layer on or under – Earth’s surface-led to the release of the virus which was trapped and frozen for up to a million years. Scientists maintained that the zombie viruses are a health threat and that further studies need to be undertaken on the risk posed by ancient viral particles.

15. Nobel Prize for Science and Medicine 2022

Alain Aspect, John Clauser, and Anton Zeilinger were awarded the 2022 Nobel Prize for Physics in December 2022. Their work established the quantum property of entanglement. The trio worked independently and were awarded for their experiments with entangled photons, establishing the violation of Bell’s inequalities and pioneering quantum information science”. Meanwhile, geneticist Svante Paabo was awarded the 2022 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. The award was “for his research in the field of genomes of extinct hominins and human evolution”. Instituted by Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the Nobel Prize is presented to honour those from around the world for their remarkable achievements.

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What important events happened in 2022 in India?

In India, the major headlines of the year included Assembly elections in some States, the election of Droupadi Murmu as President, the commissioning of INS Vikrant, the hijab row and a bunch of significant Supreme Court verdicts.

1. The Amar Jawan Jyoti shifted, Rajpath renamed

 The Amar Jawan Jyoti, which had been burning for 50 years at India Gate, was merged with the eternal flame at the National War Memorial on January 21, 2022, as part of the ongoing Central Vista Redevelopment Project in New Delhi. Amar Jawan Jyoti was a tribute to the soldiers who sacrificed their lives during the 1971 India-Pakistan war.

On September 8, 2022, Rajpath was renamed ‘Kartavya Path’ and inaugurated with the unveiling of Subhash Chandra Bose’s statue. The 3-km-long ceremonial road, where the annual Republic Day celebrations take place, runs from the Raisina Hill complex to India Gate.

2. Karnataka hijab row

In February 2022, the Karnataka government banned the wearing of hijab in educational institutions. It was challenged in the High Court by some Muslim girls. On March 15, the High Court upheld the ban, stating the hijab was not an essential religious practice protected under Article 25 of the Constitution (deals with practice and propagation of religion). In October, the Supreme Court delivered a split verdict. One judge affirmed that the state government was authorised to enforce uniform in schools, while the other said the hijab was a matter of personal choice that could not be stifled by the State.

3. Assembly polls

Assembly elections were held in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa, Manipur, and Punjab between February and March 2022. The BJP returned to power in UP, Uttarakhand, Goa, and Manipur. The AAP registered a decisive win in Punjab. After a string of electoral defeats, the Congress won in Himachal Pradesh, edging out the ruling BJP. The BJP returned to power in Gujarat for the seventh time with a historic mandate in December 2022. The new entrant AAP won five seats, making a mark in Gujarat. Meanwhile, on December 7, the AAP wrested control of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi from the BJP, after 15 years.

4. Agnipath Scheme

The Agnipath Scheme was unveiled by the government on June 14, 2022, for recruiting Indian youth, in the 17-and-a-half to 21 year age group, below the rank of commissioned officers for the armed forces. As per the scheme, all recruits will be hired for a four-year period and will be called Agniveers. They will be provided training, a pay package, and, on completion of the term, a one-time retirement package. However, this scheme did not include a pension or other benefits. The main purpose of the scheme is to strengthen the country’s security forces, with a youthful, high-tech, and combat-ready military.

5. New President & New CJI

The BJP-led NDA candidate Droupadi Murmu was sworn in as the 15th President of the country on July 25, 2022. Murmu is the first President hailing from a tribal community and also the youngest to occupy the post. Former West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar was sworn in as Vice-President on August 11.

On November 9, 2022, D. Y. Chandrachud took oath as the 50th Chief Justice of India. He succeeded U. U. Lalit who served for just 74 days! Justice Chandrachud, who has been part of benches that have delivered landmark verdicts, will serve as the Chief Justice until November 10, 2024.

6. INS Vikrant commissioned

Prime Minister Narendra Modi commissioned India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, in Kochi on September 2. 2022. Constructed by the Cochin Shipyard Limited, the 262-m-long and 62-m-wide aircraft carrier can accommodate 30 aircraft on board. It cost 20,000 crore and took over a decade to complete. The Navy has a large operational fleet, including frigates, guided missile destroyers, conventional submarines, and a nuclear attack submarine. INS Vikrant, launched in August 2013, was commissioned in 2022 after extensive trials, marking a defining moment in the history of the Indian Navy. It also stands testimony to India’s quest to be self-reliant in defence equipment.

7. Bharat Jodo Yatra

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi commenced his 3570-km-long ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ (Uniting India Rally) from Kanyakumari on September 7, 2022. Ahead of its launch, he paid homage at his father Rajiv Gandhi’s memorial in Tamil Nadu. The Yatra, a mass outreach programme, has covered several States including TN, Kerala, Karnataka, AP, Telangana, Maharashtra, MP and Rajasthan. The 150-day yatra, according to the party, was started by Rahul Gandhi to unite the country against the alleged “divisive politics of the BJP-led government at New Delhi, to provide an alternative to the politics of fear, bigotry and prejudice.” and to safeguard the Constitution. It will culminate in Srinagar on January 30, 2023.

8. G20 presidency

India formally assumed the G20 presidency on December 1, 2022. A forum of the world’s major developed and developing economies, the G20 regularly meets to coordinate global policy on economic growth, international trade, climate, and other issues. Together, the countries account for over 80% of the global GDP, 75% of international trade and two-thirds of the world population. India was handed over the presidency of the influential bloc by Indonesia in November. As India began its G-20 presidency, PM Narendra Modi said the country would work to further promote oneness, inspired by the theme of “One Earth, One Family, One Future”.

9. Ongoing pandemic

2022 saw the continued impact of COVID-19. The economy and people’s lives limped back to normality. The bulk of the adult population was fully vaccinated as of December 2022. Restrictions were lifted, and schools, offices and international borders were reopened. However, towards year-end, COVID alert was back, following the China surge. The government made it mandatory for passengers arriving from China and a few other countries to have negative RT-PCR reports. COVID-19 guidelines were tightened. States assessed preparedness for possible rise in cases. Bharat Biotech’s iNCOVACC, the world’s first intranasal COVID-19 vaccine, received approval from the drug regulator in November.

10.  Border confrontation

India-China relations have continued to deteriorate. Rival troops have been clashing along the Line of Actual Control, the disputed border. With no clear-cut demarcation on the ground position, confrontations continue. When China was found to be expanding civilian settlements close to the LAC, the Indian Army identified villages in border areas for boosting infrastructure. Despite military-level talks, tensions prevail. On December 9, 2022, Chinese troops carried out an incursion near the strategically-significant Tawang in Arunachal, attempting to change the status quo. In the ensuing clash, soldiers on both sides sustained “minor injuries.” Following this, China conducted war games near the LAC.

11. India set to become third-largest economy?

India became the fifth-largest economy in September 2022, beating the UK. It could surpass Germany and Japan to become the third-largest economy by 2029, according to the IMF. The top two economies will continue to be the US and China. According to the IMF World Economic Outlook, many developed countries were hit hard by inflation triggered by the pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine war and the energy crisis. It attributed India’s progress to its economic expansion at a good pace and the rupee’s depreciation against the dollar was lower than other major currencies. Besides, it said India’s Forex reserves are at over $561 billion.

12. The Shiv Sena crisis

2022 saw Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray stepping down as Maharashtra CM on June 29, following a rebellion within the party. The crisis began when cabinet minister Eknath Shinde along with 40 MLAS demanded that Shiv Sena quit the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (Shiv Sena-NCP-INC) alliance and join hands with BJP. Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari asked Thackeray to prove his government’s majority which led to Thackeray, left with only 16 MLAS, resigning. The Sena rebels joined hands with BJP to form government. A day after Thackeray’s resignation, BJP declared Shinde to be CM and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis to be Deputy CM.

13. SC’s significant rulings

The apex court made key rulings upholding the rights of women in 2022.

Dowry: On January 11, the SC said the word “dowry” ought to include any “material” demand made by in-laws on a woman.

Child’s surname: On July 28, the SC ruled that a mother, being the only natural guardian of the child after the death of the biological father, has the right to decide the surname of the child.

Abortion & marital rape: On September 29, the SC ruled that under the provisions of India’s Medical Termination of Pregnancies Act, 1971, all women, whether married or not, are entitled to safe and legal abortion, up to 24 weeks gestation. While passing the judgment, the SC said marital rape is also rape

14. PFI banned

The Central Government on September 28, 2022, banned the Popular Front of India, an Islamist outfit, for five years for its alleged links with terror groups such as the SIMI, JMB and the ISIS. The ban came amid a crackdown on PFI whose offices in several states were raided by authorities, and many of its leaders were arrested. It was alleged that the outfit motivated Muslim youths to join terrorist groups. According to the government, it banned the PFI and its associates for allegedly undertaking “unlawful activities”. The PFI denied the allegations. Meanwhile, agencies were suspecting PFI’s role in the Coimbatore and Mangalore blasts.

15. 75 years of independence

India marked its 75th anniversary of Independence in 2022, an important milestone in its journey since gaining freedom from British rule in August 1947, through an initiative called “Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. Pan-India events are being organised as part of this Government’s initiative to pay tribute to our freedom fighters, highlight the country’s rich culture, and celebrate its achievements in varied fields in the last 75 years. On August 15, 2022, PM Modi unfurled the national flag at the Red Fort, followed by an address to the country when he pledged to transform India into a developed nation in the next 25 years.

16. Morbi bridge tragedy

At least 135 people, including 55 children, were killed when the Morbi bridge collapsed due to overcrowding on October 30, 2022. The over 130-year-old suspension bridge over the Machchu river in Gujarat’s Morbi district, had been reopened to the public just days earlier after repairs by Oreva Group, the firm contracted to maintain the bridge. Questions were raised as to why a company known for making wall clocks was allowed to maintain a bridge, why the tender for the repair work of a public bridge was not floated, and whether the bridge’s safety was tested before its reopening. Nine persons were arrested.

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What important event happened in 2022 in all over world?

1. Russia-Ukraine war

Russia launched a large-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. However, Russian President Vladimir Putin called the invasion a "special military operation" rather than a full-scale war. While sending troops into Ukraine from the north, south, and east, he told the Russian people his goal was to "demilitarise and de-Nazify Ukraine". On February 28, the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court opened an investigation into war crimes and crimes against humanity. According to the U.N., a third of the population has fled Ukraine since the invasion started. Meanwhile, over 17,000 confirmed civilian casualties in Ukraine were reported till December.

2. Death of Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Elizabeth II passed away on September 8, 2022 in Balmoral Castle, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. She was the queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from February 6, 1952, to September 8, 2022. In 2015, she surpassed Victoria to become the longest-reigning monarch in British history. Her eldest son Prince Charles, who was the Prince of Wales, became the proclaimed King in September following the Queen's death. He is now known as King Charles III. He has become head of the Commonwealth, an association of 56 independent countries including Australia, Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, and Canada.

3. Rishi Sunak becomes UK's PM

The year 2022 saw an early end to the Prime Ministership of Boris Johnson, resignation of a newly-elected PM in 45 days, and the UK getting an Indian-origin PM for the first time. In the face of scandals such as partygate and rising inflation, Johnson was forced to resign in July. During the prime ministerial election, Mary Elizabeth Truss defeated rival Rishi Sunak with 81,326 to 60,399 votes among party members. However, she quit after 45 tumultuous days in office, and former Chancellor Rishi Sunak became the third leader to enter London's 10 Downing Street in a year- in October 2022.

4. Sweden, Finland rush to join NATO

Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Sweden and Finland petitioned to join NATO in May 2022. Finland shares a long border with Russia, and Sweden is just across the Baltic Sea from Russia. While Sweden's application has been approved by 28 of the alliance's 30 members. Turkey and Hungary are yet to ratify Nordic nations membership in the alliance. However, Hungary has signalled it could approve Finland's and Sweden's bids in early 2023. Turkey said the countries need to take more concrete steps to cut ties with Kurdish militant groups such as Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) before approving the nations' entry into NATO.

5. China in lockdown

Since the beginning of the pandemic, China has been one of the toughest anti-Covid regimes in the world. The government had followed the zero-Covid policy wherein the local authorities were ordered to impose strict lockdowns even if a handful of cases were reported. People had been protesting against the strict lockdown rules for months. However, public anger increased when the lockdown rules hampered the rescue efforts during a fire incident in Urumqi. After nearly three years of snap lockdowns, border closures and financial hardship, the government in December 2022 began easing some of its lockdown measures such as allowing home quarantine.

6. Iran protests

Iran witnessed the biggest protest in years following the death of Mahsa Amini in September 2022. The country's morality police had arrested Amini for not wearing her hijab properly and sporting skinny jeans. Iranians irrespective of age, ethnicity and gender are protesting against the strict law. Meanwhile, the security forces cracked down on protesters ruthlessly. A number of journalists, lawyers, celebrities, sports stars and civil society figures have been put behind bars for supporting the protesters. By December, about 458 people, including 63 children, were killed. While two people were executed, two teenagers are facing death penalty.

7. Biden's mid-term poll win

The year 2022 was a test for U.S. President Joe Biden. The mid-term elections are held every two years for the Senate and the House of Representatives. The House of Representatives has 435 members, and the Senate (upper house) has 100. The 2022 election saw a fierce contest between the Democrats and the Republicans. President Biden's Democratic Party now holds the upper chamber of Congress by 51-49. Democrats retained control of the Senate by winning the state of Pennsylvania in November 2022. Meanwhile, the Republicans gained a stronghold over the House of Representatives by winning 221 seats.

8. Pakistan: Sharif succeeds Khan

Pakistan saw the end of the rule of Prime Minister Imran Khan, who was ousted in March 2022. Khan, the first Pakistani PM to lose a no-confidence vote, had attempted to block a no-confidence motion against him by dissolving parliament and calling for snap polls. However, Pakistan's top court ordered the motion to be held following which parliament elected Shehbaz Sharif as the new PM in April. Meanwhile, Khan blamed "foreign conspiracy" for his removal. In the by-elections held in October in three provinces, Khan won six National Assembly seats. Sharif, who succeeded him, is from the Pakistan Muslim League.

9. North Korea missiles

There was a significant rise in the number of missile tests conducted by North Korea, including one with a range long enough to hit the U.S. The country tested a variety of ballistic, cruise and hypersonic missiles. Hypersonic missiles have the capacity to fly at several times the speed of sound and at low altitudes to escape radar detection. North Korea fired a ballistic missile over Japan for the first time in five years in October 2022. In November, one of its intercontinental ballistic missiles landed in Japan's exclusive economic zone.

10. Kazakhstan protest

Several cities in Kazakhstan witnessed unrest as thousands of protesters in January 2022 took to the streets against a sharp hike in the price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and rising inflation, which was closing in on 9% year-on-year the highest in more than five years. As many as 225 people were killed and many more were injured as per the official records. The Kazakh authorities imposed a nationwide state of emergency and sent military units to fight the "terrorists". President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev had ordered the security forces and the army to open fire with lethal force against the protesters.

11. Chinese missile attack in Taiwan

On August 4, 2022, China fired ballistic missiles near Taiwan as part of huge military drills to show its opposition to a visit by senior US politician Nancy Pelosi to the island. According to Taiwanese officials, China launched 11 ballistic missiles into waters around Taiwan's northeast and southwest coasts. Beijing saw Pelosi's visit as a challenge to its claims of Sovereignty over Taiwan. She was the most senior US politician to visit the island in 25 years. In September, the U.S. State Department approved $1.1 billion sale of military equipment to Taiwan, including 60 anti-ship missiles and 100 air-to-air missiles.

12. Brazil: Bolsonaro out, Lula in

Jair Bolsonaro became the first sitting President in Brazil to lose a re-election. He lost to leftist rival Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva by a thin margin, garnering 49.1% of the vote to da Silva's 50.9% in October 2022. However, former army captain Bolsonaro did not concede the election. He argued that votes from some machines should be "invalidated" in a complaint that election authorities met with scepticism. Meanwhile, his supporters continued demonstrations and torched cars and buses and tried to storm the federal police headquarters in the country's capital. They camped outside army bases for weeks, urging the military to overturn the victory of Lula.

13. Sri Lanka in crisis

Sri Lanka faced its worst economic crisis in March 2022 since its independence in 1948. The country had also defaulted on international loans. Protesters in large numbers took to the streets in the face of severe economic hardships marked by power blackouts, and shortages of fuel, cooking oil and food. They demanded the resignation of the Rajapaksa-led government. To launch a crackdown on the anti-government protests, the government imposed a state of emergency. Following months of protests and the resignation of then Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa on May 9, his brother and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country on July 13.

14. Israel election: Netanyahu – again!

After five elections in three years, Israel's longest-serving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu re-entered office after winning a majority in Israel's Knesset, or parliament. After the 2021 general election, Naftali Bennett joined a coalition with Yair Lapid, leader of the centrist party Yesh Atid. The coalition allowed Bennett to become Israel's Prime Minister in a two-year rotation with Lapid. However, Lapid's term, which began on July 1, 2022, was a short one as the November 2022 election brought Netanyahu once again to office. Netanyahu is the prime minister of the country's most right-wing government in history.-

15. Gorbachev, Abe no more

The year 2022 witnessed the death of the last leader of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev and former Japanese PM Shinzo Abe. Gorbachev was the President of the Soviet Union from 1990-91. His efforts to democratise Soviet Union's political system and decentralise the economy led to the downfall of communism and the breakup of the U.S.S.R. in 1991. However, his role in bringing an end to the Soviet Union's post-war domination of eastern Europe earned him the Nobel Peace Prize in 1990. Meanwhile, Shinzo Abe, Japan's longest-serving Prime Minister, was assassinated while campaigning in Nara for a parliamentary election on July 8, 2022.

16. Philippines: Marcos Jr makes it

In the Philippines, Marcos Jr became the country's President, capping off his family's decades-long quest to regain power after it was driven out in the 1986 uprising. His father, Ferdinand Marcos Sr, had ruled the country for two decades under the martial law. In May 2022, Marcos Jr won 31.63 million votes, or 58.8% of the ballots cast, the highest among the six presidents elected since the People Power revolution of 1986. Sara Duterte, daughter of Rodrigo Duterte, garnered 61.5% of the ballots in the vice-president or vice-president elected in the past 36 years.

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