12 February 2016 Current Affairs
BJP leader Visheshwar Ojha shot dead in Bihar
BJP’s Bihar vice-president and Bhojpur leader Visheshwar Ojha, 53, was shot dead on 12 February 2016 at Sonbarsha village in Ara. This is the second BJP leader to have been killed in the last 12 hours. This morning another local BJP leader Kedar Singh was shot dead in Chapra.
Indian-origin woman to be new Australian high commissioner to India
On 12 February 2016, Australia appointed veteran woman career diplomat Harinder Sidhu as its next high commissioner to India, the second Indian-origin official to serve as the country’s envoy to India in less than five years. Sidhu, whose family hails from Punjab, will be the second Indian-origin Australian high commissioner in India, after the former diplomat Peter Varghese, who served in India from 2009-2012. She will replace the outgoing High Commissioner Patrick Suckling. Sidhu, a senior career officer with the department of foreign affairs and trade, has been also serving as First Assistant Secretary of the Multilateral Policy Division. She has previously served overseas in Russia and Syria. She holds a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Economics degrees from the University of Sydney.
Peacock, India’s National Bird, Could Be Termed Vermin In Goa
The national bird of India Peacock will be termed a vermin in Goa. They cause brutal damage to crops like monkey and wild boars and therefore declared Vermin. The Agriculture Minister of Goa, Ramesh Tawadkar declared Peacock as Vermin. Peacock is a protected species under the Schedule 1 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. The step is taken by the government after compiling the record of the complaints received from farmers of crop destruction by these animals.
Canada, US, Mexico to cooperate on climate change
Canada, the US and Mexico signed a deal in Winnipeg, Canada, on 12 February 2016 to tap into energy cooperation among the three countries. Under the memorandum, the three countries will collaborate and share information in key areas such as low-carbon electricity, clean energy technologies, energy efficiency, carbon capture, use and storage, climate change adaptation, and reducing emissions from the oil and gas sector, including from methane.They will also work together to increase policy alignment and ensure that the North American energy sector is developed responsibly, effectively and efficiently. During the meeting, the three ministers discussed the importance of trilateral cooperation and the continental approach to energy.