Top 5 Current Affairs of the Day: 5 April 2022

India has blocked 22 YouTube channels for spreading fake news related to India’s national security and foreign relations to mislead viewers and jeopardize India’s foreign relations with other countries. The YouTube channels include 18 Indian YouTube Channels and 4 Pakistan-based YouTube channels. India has also blocked 3 Twitter accounts, 1 Facebook account and one news website.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has been accused of war crimes in the town of Bucha, just outside the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, where hundreds of residents were found dead in a month-long Russian occupation. Bodies of civilians were found lying on the streets of the town, some with their hands tied, some with gunshot wounds and some hastily buried in mass graves after Russians withdrew from the town. The Ukrainian authorities describe it as a ‘scene from a horror movie’ and accused the Russian forces of carrying out a massacre. 

Bharat Biotech has informed that it is temporarily slowing down Covaxin production for facility optimisation, as it will focus on pending facility maintenance, process and facility optimisation activities. The company said that it will rectify issues raised by WHO regarding its COVID-19 vaccine, Covaxin. The company though clarified in a statement that there is no impact on efficacy and safety of Covaxin.

Lieutenant General Manoj Pande is all set to become India’s next Chief of the Indian Army Staff.  This comes as the incumbent Army Chief General MM Naravane is due to retire by the end of April 2022. MM Naravane is seen to be the frontrunner for the post of Chief of Defence Staff, which has been vacant since the untimely demise of Gen. Bipin Rawat in a helicopter crash in December 2021.

Vinay Mohan Kwatra, who was India’s Ambassador to Nepal, has been named as the new Foreign Secretary of India. He will be succeeding Harsh Vardhan Shringla who will retire from his position at the end of April 2022.  Vinay Kwatra has considerable expertise in dealing with the United States and China and has superseded at least 8 Indian Foreign Service Officers.