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• The US flew a rapid response team of Marines into Baghdad to reinforce its embassy after a mob of pro-Iranian demonstrators stormed the compound, setting fires and chanting “Death to America!”


• Angered by US airstrikes that killed two dozen fighters, hundreds of protesters spilled through checkpoints in the high-security Green Zone, demanding the ouster of US troops from Iraq and voicing loyalty to a powerful Iranian general, Qasem Soleimani of the Revolutionary Guard Corps.


• US President Donald Trump blamed Tehran and warned that it would face punishment if Americans are killed.

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• Former Guinea-Bissau Prime Minister Umaro Cissoko Embalo has been elected president after winning a run-off vote against another ex-prime minister.


• The 47-year-old beat rival Domingos Simoes Pereira by about 54% to 46%, the electoral commission announced.


• Mr. Pereira vowed to contest the result, alleging "electoral fraud".


• Mr. Embalo has said he wants to resolve political tensions in the West African country, which has seen nine coups or attempted coups since 1974.

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• At least 169 neighbourhoods were submerted in Bogor and Depok districts


• Severe flooding in Indonesia’s capital as residents celebrated the new year has killed at least 16 people, displaced tens of thousands and forced an airport to close, the country’s disaster management agency

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• November on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust over allegations he granted state favours worth hundreds of millions of dollars.


• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would seek parliamentary immunity from prosecution in the three graft cases he faces, a move that could delay criminal proceedings against him for months.

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• Prime Minister Narendra Modi's interaction with students and teachers on beating exam stress will be held on January 20, the HRD Ministry said.
  
• Earlier, the ''Pariksha Pe Charcha'' program was scheduled to be held on January 16 but it has been postponed to January 20 because of Pongal, Makar Sankranti, Lohri, Onam and other festivals across the country.

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• In a New Year gift for over nine lakh state government employees and pensioners, the Gujarat government hiked the dearness allowance (DA) by five percent.


• With this, the dearness allowance would be 17 percent, on par with central government employees, said Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel in Gandhinagar.


• The hike will come into effect retrospectively from July 1, 2019, Mr. Patel said.

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• Bangladesh has reversed its decision of shutting down mobile networks along the country's over 4,000 km-long borders with India, two days after asking telecom operators to block the services citing "security" reasons, according to media reports.


• The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) directed the shutdown of around 2,000 base transceiver stations, affecting around 1 crore users in 32 districts that share a border with India and Myanmar.

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• Goans who have obtained Portuguese passports through a unique law enacted by the Portuguese government for its formal colonials in Indian territories, will not be impacted by the Citizenship law, state Commissioner for NRI affairs, Narendra Sawaikar said.


• The Citizenship Amendment Act should not have any impact on those people. They have registered as Overseas Citizens of India. They should not have any problems," Mr. Sawaikar said at the state Secretariat.

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• Joint Entrance Exam for National Council for Hotel Management would be held on April 25. The exam would be conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA).


• Through this exam, also known as NCHM JEE, NTA would select candidates for admission to B.Sc. Course in Hospitality and Hotel Administration (B.Sc.HHA).

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• Students should have a minimum 75 per cent attendance to be able to appear for the 10th and 12th examinations to be conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).


• The CBSE in its latest notice has directed all schools to calculate attendance of students who have to appear for class 10 and class 12 board exams this year as on January 1, 2020.


• Students whose attendance will be calculated less than 75 percent will not be allowed to appear for the exams, as per the rule mandated by the CBSE.

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• Major banks in the country today provide a range of maturity options for retail fixed deposits.


• State Bank of India (SBI), HDFC Bank, Punjab National Bank (PNB), ICICI Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank and Axis Bank - India's largest banks by market value - provide interest rates to the tune of 3.50-7.35 per cent on retail fixed deposits - or fixed deposits up to Rs 2 crore, according to their websites.

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• With an eye to aid the differently-abled, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) launched a mobile app to identify currency notes.


• The visually challenged can identify the denomination of a note by using the application, which can also work offline once it is installed, the central bank said.

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• Australia and New Zealand cricketers will pay tribute to firefighters and bushfire victims during the third Test in Sydney, officials said, as they prepare for possible delays if air quality plummets due to smoke.


• At least 18 people have lost their lives in one of Australia's most devastating bushfire seasons which has seen blazes raging across the country, including on the outskirts of Sydney.


• The match, starting Friday, will go ahead but play will be suspended at the umpire's discretion, should smoke significantly affect air quality or visibility.

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• Pep Guardiola saluted Manchester City's fighting spirit as Gabriel Jesus extended his remarkable record against Everton with a second-half brace in Wednesday's 2-1 win.


• Jesus was handed the start as City manager Guardiola rested Sergio Aguero, but the decision to select the Brazilian ahead of the club's record goalscorer could easily have been inspired by his mastery of Everton.


• Repaying his manager's faith, Jesus feasted on the Everton defence once again.

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• Retail major Walmart India has elevated its Chief Business Officer Sameer Aggarwal to the post of Deputy CEO. Aggarwal's appointment comes into effect.


• He will report to Walmart India CEO Krish Iyer, the company said in a statement. Hover over the keyword to read more about the topic without leaving this page