Notes:
A team of Scientists used the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile to observe a newborn star (protostar) in the WB89-789 region.
It is located in the extreme outer Galaxy. Scientists have detected carbon-, oxygen-, nitrogen-, sulfur-, and silicon-bearing molecules were detected. The protostar and the associated cocoon of chemically-rich gas were detected at the edge of our Galaxy, for the first time.

Notes:
Lanka IOC, Ceylon Petroleum Corporation and the Government of Sri Lanka signed lease agreements on jointly developing the Trincomalee oil tank farm.
Indian Oil Corporation’s subsidiary Lanka IOC is set to run the 14 oil storage tanks while CPC would run 24 tanks. Trinco Petroleum Terminal Pvt. Ltd would develop the remaining 61 tanks, in a joint venture where 51% stakes will be held by CPC and 49% by Lanka IOC.

Notes:
A man was beaten by some villagers for allegedly cutting off trees illegally and selling them. The man was burned alive in front of police, for violating the ‘Khuntkatti’ law.
The ‘Khuntkatti’ system is a tribal lineage-based system of joint holding of land. According to the system, the Munda tribals would clear the trees and prepare the land for farming, which would then belong to the entire clan instead of a single person.

Notes:
Japan recently signed a historic Defence Agreement with Australia, to ensure a secure and stable Indo-Pacific region.
This agreement has been signed amidst the expansion of China’s military and economic influence in the region. Called the Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA)’, this is Japan’s second such agreement. Japan’s only other military pact is with the United States.

Notes:
The theme for this year’s National Science Day is announced as ‘Integrated Approach in S&T for Sustainable Future’.
Union Science and technology Ministry has announced this recently. The theme has been chosen for raising public awareness of the scientific issues. National Science Day is celebrated in India on 28 February to mark the discovery of the Raman effect by Indian physicist Sir C. V. Raman.