Introduction
The article Current Affairs One-Liners January 2020 includes One-Liners with an explanation, analysis, and issues of current events, including political or industrial controversy or public policy issues in the month of January.
Jan 2020
1. International News
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed US President Donald Trump’s Middle East peace plan as a new opportunity after flying to Moscow to discuss it with President Vladimir Putin.
- Britain Brexiting, a lot of things are changing in the EU. But the absence already keenly felt in Brussels’ halls of power is the British wit made famous around the world by Monty Python and Mr. Bean.
- Britain will finally exit the European Union. The UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson will make an announcement as part of his speech outside Ten Downing on the day.
- China from the new coronavirus reached 213, with overall cases worldwide rising rapidly in an outbreak that the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global health emergency.
- The novel coronavirus originated from the provincial capital, Wuhan before spreading to at least 18 countries until late, and convincing the WHO to declare it an international health emergency.
- China informed the WHO about the coronavirus cases in late December. The death toll in China’s novel coronavirus outbreak climbed to 213 with the number of confirmed cases totaling to 9,692.
- The clarification was issued in response to the media reports alleging that Khan’s gross salary was being increased to 800,000 Pakistani rupees ($5,179), reports Dawn news.
- China’s U.N. ambassador, Zhang Jun said it was important to avoid “overreactions which may result in spillover negative effects.”
- UN health agency, an international emergency as an “extraordinary event” that constitutes a risk to other countries and requires a coordinated international response.
- Huawei’s presence in Britain’s 5G network would severely disrupt intelligence sharing within the so-called “Five Eyes” partnership of English-speaking nations that includes the U.S., Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
- Pakistan has decided not to evacuate its nationals from China in accordance with the recommendations of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Dr. Zafar Mirza said
- The two-day nationwide bank strike called by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), demanding early wage revision settlement.
- The Madras High Court directed the Tamil Nadu police chief to form a special cell in all police stations to track those making derogatory comments against Constitutional authorities on social media and take necessary action.
- Budget 2020-21 may have a provision that foreign investors in India have long sought, according to two government officials familiar with the matter:
- The organizers of an anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) rally in Goa have been booked for allowing children at the rally held late last week in the state.
- Pakistan’s Minister of Science and Technology, Fawad Hussain, the chief minister also said no matter how hard Pakistan tries, it cannot attack the unity of this country.
- The affordability of vegetarian ‘thalis’ improved by 29% between 2006-07 and 2019-2020 while that of non-vegetarian improved by 18, the survey tabled in Parliament by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said.
- One policeman was injured when the terrorists opened fire after their truck was stopped for a security check at Ban toll plaza on Jammu-Srinagar highway.
- Kapil Wadhawan had approached the high court challenging the order of the special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court remanding him in ED custody twice since his arrest on January 27.
- Minutes into the speech, when President Kovind spoke about the citizenship act, opposition MPs led an uproar with several members of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, countering it by thumping their desk and shouting slogans.
- Captain Mateti underscored that the airline management acted on the basis of social media posts and not consulted the pilot-in-command before taking action against the passenger.
- India’s gross domestic product (GDP) grew at 4.5% in the second quarter of the current financial year, the lowest since March 2013.
- All India Sainik Schools entrance exam (AISSE) 2020 results for class 6 and 9 have been released on its official website.
- Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) has released the admit card for apprentice engagement. Candidates who have successfully registered for the posts can download their admit cards online at iocl.in.
- Western Railway has invited online applications for scouts and guides recruitment. Candidates can apply online at rrc-wr.gov.in. The last date to apply is February 6.
- The varsity was closed early for winter vacations from December 16 last year, a day after students clashed with police during a protest against the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) on campus.
- Uttar Pradesh Basic Education Board will release the final answer key of UPTET 2019 exam today, on January 31.
- Madras University Result for undergraduate, postgraduate and professional semester exam 2019 has been declared. Candidates can check online at unom.ac.in.
- Andhra Pradesh Gram Sachivalayam Recruitment 2020: Today is the last day to apply for recruitment against 16000 vacancies.
- In the transition to BS-VI fuels, BS-V norms have been skipped in order to have a more stringent standard at the earliest to curb pollution levels.
- Despite an allocation of 1.84 trillion rupees for the current fiscal year to March, a resource crunch could again force the government to cut the payout to Food Corp.
- After swinging over 550 points during the day, the 30-share BSE index settled at 40,913.82. the broader NSE Nifty closed 93.70 points down at 12,035.80.
- The country’s largest lender State Bank of India (SBI) will declare its December quarter results on January 31.
- According to traders, benchmark indices turned highly volatile ahead of the expiry of January futures and options (F&O) contracts.
- Saina Nehwal is not just any other athlete looking to qualify for the Olympics, but the original icon who began the badminton upswing in the country, making India an international force to reckon with.
- Lionel Messi scored twice as Barcelona hammered Leganes 5-0 to advance to the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey and deliver a much-needed boost for new coach Quique Setien.
- Saina Nehwal is not just any other athlete looking to qualify for the Olympics, but the original icon who began the badminton upswing in the country, making India an international force to reckon with.
- Manchester United confirmed they had completed the signing of Portugal midfielder Bruno Fernandes from Sporting Lisbon.
- Real Madrid were supposedly in a mess last summer and Atletico Madrid about to challenge for the title but each has defied expectations ahead of their meeting at the Santiago Bernabeu.
- Indian women’s team captain Rani Rampal became the first-ever hockey player to win the prestigious ‘World Games Athlete of the Year’ award.
- The IBM Board of Directors elected Arvind Krishna as company CEO and member of the Board of Directors effective April 6.
- IT services major Wipro said its CEO and managing director Abidali Z Neemuchwala has decided to step down from the company.
1. International News
- Greta Thunberg said she has registered both her own name and her “Fridays For Future” global protest movement as trademarks in order to prevent them from being hijacked for fraudulent purposes.
- Members of the European Parliament have overwhelmingly backed the terms of the UK’s departure from the EU.
- President Donald Trump lashed out at John Bolton, a potentially damaging witness at his Senate impeachment trial, amid White House efforts to block publication of an explosive book by the former national security advisor.
- US President Donald Trump signed the new North American trade pact with Canada and Mexico into law, pronouncing a “glorious future” for US industry.
- Trump’s plan angered Palestinians by proposing Israel retain control over Jerusalem as its “undivided capital” and giving the green light to annex Jewish settlements in the West Bank.
- Jack Ma’s donation comes on top of an offer by his Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. to establish a 1 billion yuan fund and share its artificial intelligence expertise with researchers.
- The industries most affected by the Coronavirus outbreak are the service industries, especially transportation, tourism, catering, and entertainment.
- After half a century of sometimes awkward membership and three years of tense withdrawal talks, the UK will leave the EU at midnight Brussels time (2300 GMT).
- McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski called the situation “fluid” and “concerning,” and said the chain decided to close all of its restaurants in Hubei, which amount to “several hundred.”
- The National Security Council said after a preliminary review of the manuscript a vetting process applied to any White House employees writing books that it contained “significant amounts of classified information.”
- Everything indicates knowledge of the breach was closely held, a strategy that information security experts consider misguided because it only multiplies the risks of further data hemorrhaging.
- Taking the electoral fight to Arvind Kejriwal’s home turf, former BJP chief Amit Shah said the Delhi Chief Minister is the “biggest liar” he has seen in his entire life.
- The Supreme Court ruled that anticipatory bail granted to an accused on apprehension or threat of arrest should not invariably be limited to a fixed period, as it is not in larger societal interest to limit the liberty of citizens, and it could continue till the end of trial.
- The Supreme Court, rescheduled to February 11, the hearing on the Centre’s plea seeking Rs 7,844 crore as additional funds from the firms succeeding US-based Union Carbide Corporation
- The Union Cabinet approved amendments to the bills on National Commission for Homoeopathy and the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine, accepting recommendations of a parliamentary panel.
- The Rajya Sabha member’s remark comes against the backdrop of protests in parts of the country against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act passed during Parliament’s Winter Session.
- The incident took place at Gandhi Ghat in Barrackpore where Dhankhar, power minister Sobhondeb Chattopadhyay and senior bureaucrats took part in a government program to pay homage to Gandhi on his death anniversary.
- The Election Commission has allowed the Home Ministry to extend the tenure of Patnaik till February end. The permission was granted after the Union Home Ministry wrote to the EC in this effect.
- The controversy over BJP lawmaker Parvesh Verma calling chief minister Arvind Kejriwal a ‘terrorist’ had erupted yesterday when a video clip of the BJP leader’s speech at a public event emerged.
- Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the budget for the financial year 2020-21 on February 1.
- Various parties would soon get together to evolve a joint strategy to corner the government on key issues concerning the common people, according to sources
- Narkatiyaganj Sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) Suryakant Choubey said action to this effected was necessitated considering the law and order situation.
- The GATE 2020 exams are going to be held on February 1, 2, 8 and 9.
- The Central Board of Secondary Education will conduct Class 12 Business Studies exam on March 24, 2020 from 10.30 am to 1.30 pm.
- These teachers were expelled in 2016 after an inquiry stated they had submitted fake documents to get the jobs. However, no arrest has been made so far.
- Amid continuing protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act in its campus, the administration of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay, has now asked students not to participate in any ‘anti-national’ activities.
- Gujarat Public Service Commission (GPSC) has released the admit card for Police Inspector’s main examination on its official website.
- Indian economy is in a great position with a growing consumption story and a lot of untapped potential in terms of its big young population and a large talent pool.
- The University Grants Commission (UGC) has been undertaking effortsto make higher education relevant to the societal and national needs, its chairman D P Singh said.
- After swinging over 550 points during the day, the 30-share BSE index settled at 40,913.82. the broader NSE Nifty closed 93.70 points down at 12,035.80.
- Crude stocks rose by more than seven times market expectations, gaining 3.5 million barrels in the week to Jan. 24, the US Energy Information Administration (EIA)
- The crisis comes just as the city was trying to recover from the impact of the China-US trade war and months of sometimes violent protests that drained confidence in the local economy.
- Liverpool moved an incredible 19 points clear at the top of the Premier League as Mohamed Salah and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain secured a 2-0 win at West Ham.
- Liverpool let a 2-0 lead slip as League One Shrewsbury earned a FA Cup fourth round replay at Anfield thanks to a 2-2 draw, whilst Manchester United and Manchester City cruised into the fifth round
- Novak Djokovic shattered the hopes of ailing rival Roger Federer Thursday to sweep into a record eighth Australian Open final and move closer to his 17th Grand Slam crown.
- Neeraj Chopra than booking an Olympic berth and the star javelin thrower says his comeback after a lengthy injury lay-off has given him hope that the hard times are well and truly over.
- The Indian challenge at the Australian Open ended after Rohan Bopanna and his Ukrainian partner Nadiia Kichenok were knocked out in straight sets in the quarterfinal of the mixed doubles event
- Nobel laureate Abhijit Vinayak Banerjee was on Tuesday conferred the honorary Doctor of Letters (D.Litt.) by his alma mater Calcutta University at its annual convocation in Kolkata.
- Sanjna Kapoor (52), an Indian theatre personality and former British film actress of Indian and British descent, was awarded the French honor prestigious French honour of ‘Chevalier dans lOrdre des Arts et des Lettres (Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters)
- Tamim bin Hamad AI Thani, Emir of Qatar appointed Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani as new Prime Minister (PM) of Qatar, Doha.
- The United Nations has appointed Indian official Gita Sabharwal as the Resident Coordinator in Thailand.
1. International News
- US President Donald Trump has presented his long-awaited Middle East peace plan, promising to keep Jerusalem as Israel’s undivided capital.
- A powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake has struck in the Caribbean, prompting brief tsunami warnings and office evacuations as far away as Florida.
- US President Donald Trump declared that Israel was taking a “big step towards peace” as he unveiled a plan aimed at solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that a U.S. peace plan envisages the proposed Palestinian capital be located in Abu Dis, a neighborhood on the outskirts of Jerusalem.
- The White House is holding daily meetings on the outbreak and monitoring China-U.S. flights as a likely source of infections, sources briefed on the matter told Reuters, though it had decided against suspending air traffic.
- The Prime Minister said he felt so better after the injection that he even made a speech on TV which he couldn’t remember later.
- PTM workers including its leaders and lawmakers Mohsin Dawar and Ali Wazir were taken into custody outside the Islamabad Press Club, where they were demonstrating against Pashteen’s detention.
- Israel takes a big step towards peace,” Trump said, standing alongside visiting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he revealed details of the plan already emphatically rejected by the Palestinians.
- Chinese President Xi Jinping called coronavirus a “demon” during talks with the head of the World Health Organisation in Beijing and pledged a “timely” release of updates about the crisis.
- The right-wing leader, who faces a new election in March, said he would bring a proposal for applying Israeli jurisdiction to the Jordan Valley.
- Members of Congress - including some of Trump’s fellow Republicans - have been pushing Trump’s administration for more information about the killing by a drone strike in Iraq this month of Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani.
- Defying Britain’s closest ally in favor of China on the eve of Brexit, Johnson ruled that “high-risk vendors” such as Huawei would be allowed into the non-sensitive parts of the 5G network.
- A three-judge bench led by Justice R Banumathi ruled that Mukesh Singh’s argument that the government did not produce all relevant records before the President did not hold water.
- CT Ravi tweeted his support for the Union Minister, two days after the latter had egged on the crowd at a poll rally in Delhi, to raise an incendiary slogan “shoot the traitors” after he lashed out at anti-CAA protesters.
- From the budget that will be announced on February 1, startups by and large want and expect lowered personal taxes so that the disposable income is increased, meaning consumers will have more money in hand to spend, which in turn will lead to higher demand.
- Though Kerala CM and the Speaker repeatedly tried to appease the agitating opposition members, they didn’t budge and continued to raise slogans against Governor Arif Mohammed Khan and his stand in support of CAA.
- PFI’s growth is phenomenal, admit intelligence agencies, saying it successfully exploited a growing vacuum in the community donning the role of a savior.
- The Constitution of a Most Surprising Democracy, places the Indian Constitution under a microscope—drawing on insights from philosophy, political science, history, and legal scholarship.
- Berhampur are engaged in rescue operations. Rescue work was hindered as the accident occurred in a forest area and the spot is surrounded by water.
- Hubei, the epicenter of the contagion, would put the nationwide total of confirmed infections at more than 5,300, based on figures previously released by the central government.
- Virtually all commentators agree that India is secular — which seems unarguable given the word’s inclusion in the Preamble.
- Crucial to addressing the problem of caste, the Constituent Assembly (CA) noted, was recognizing that it posed a problem that was distinct to that presented by religion.
- The court also said that if a passenger encounters difficulty or impediments in reporting at the boarding gate, he/she is expected to seek assistance from the ground staff of the concerned airlines.
- Taranjit Singh Sandhu will have to take on, after assuming his new position include coordinating US President Donald Trump’s expected visit to India in February.
- The Staff Selection Commission (SSC) released the application status for Combined Graduate Level (CGL) Examination 2019 for North Western Region Chandigarh.
- Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL) has declared the results of the recruitment examination for Junior Engineer (Trainee) – Electrical January 28, 2020.
- AIMA will be conducting the computer-based examination for MAT 2020 on February 2, 2020, at various centres.
- HSBTE had conducted the 1st, 3rd, and 5th Semester Polytechnic exam on December 2019.
- The rupee appreciated by 10 paise to 71.21 against the US dollar in early trade tracking gains in the domestic equity markets.
- Finance Minister Sitharaman is scheduled to present the Budget for the financial year 2020-21 on February 1.
- Sales value of the unreported transactions was computed at Rs 99,000 crore, while value of the under-reported transactions exceed Rs 4 lakh crore
- An immediate concern of the unions is that there will be job losses as soon as a new buyer comes on board. However, VRS could be rolled out for several staff members.
- IRDAI has warned insurers of penalties to dissuade the companies from offering unviable discounts to corporate clients
- After recovering from an elbow injury, ace India javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra has qualified for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics with a throw of 87.86m at the Athletics Central North East meeting in South Africa.
- Simona Halep sent out a warning at the Australian Open, powering into the semi-finals in 53 minutes with a 6-1, 6-1 destruction of Estonia’s Anett Kontaveit.
- Australian Open Live Updates: Simona Halep cruised into the Australian Open semifinals after defeating Anett Kontaveit in straight sets.
- Manchester United are confident of completing the transfer of Portuguese international midfielder Bruno Fernandes after a breakthrough in negotiations with Sporting Lisbon, according to widespread reports in the British media.
- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh distributed the awards for best tableaux which was conducted on January 26, 2020 in Republic Day event.
- Bajaj Housing Finance Limited (BHFL), a 100% subsidiary of Bajaj Finance Limited, had won the ‘BFSI Digital Innovation Award 2020’ for Cloud Solutions.
- Indian-Americans, the US business and think tank communities have welcomed the appointment of career service diplomat Taranjit Singh Sandhu as India’s new ambassador to the United States.
- Senior Sports Administrator Anil Khanna was unanimously appointed as Life President of Asian Tennis Federation (ATF)
1. International News
- The Duke of York has provided “zero co-operation” to an inquiry into late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, the prosecutor in charge of the investigation has said.
- China’s Huawei Technologies to build its next-generation wireless networks. The decision has implications for the country’s diplomatic relations with the United States, which is pushing allies to shun the Chinese company over cyber-security concerns.
- The US Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to proceed with a rule that aims to deny permanent residency and citizenship to immigrants who claim welfare benefits.
- Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdel Mahdi to uphold his country’s “sovereignty” in the face of “attacks” from Iran on US facilities in Iraq.
- While 100 deaths have been reported in Hubei, more than 450 patients of the previously unknown virus are said to be critical in the province.
- The total includes the first death in Beijing, the Chinese capital, on Monday and 24 new deaths in Hubei province, where illnesses from the newly identified coronavirus first surfaced in December, the government announced.
- The spokesman said IS leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Quraishi encourages the group’s fighters to launch “a new phase” and vowed major operations against Israel.
- The decision taken by the Supreme Administrative Court last week rejected appeals against a 2016 lower court verdict banning the niqab on grounds that it impeded interaction between students and teachers.
- The authorities have not taken any action against the abductors. According to reports, the police helped the men in forcibly taking away the bride.
- Arif Noori, spokesman for the provincial governor, said the plane went down around 1:10 p.m. local time in Deh Yak district, which is held by the Taliban. Two provincial council members also confirmed the crash.
- A state TV reporter traveling on the plane told the broadcaster that the aircraft’s “back wheel had broken off, as we saw it was left on the runway” and said the plane had been moving with no wheels before it ground to a halt.
- The US has confirmed five cases of the virus in patients who had recently entered the country from Wuhan.
- The exhibition will explore Tantra’s early medieval transformation of Hinduism and Buddhism, along with its links to the Indian fight for independence and the rise of the 1960s counterculture in western countries, organizers said.
- Called the Global Talent route, the visa will replace the existing Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent) route.
- Shiv Sena questioned the Centre’s inability to run Air India. The former ally of the BJP also asked why privatization was the only option.
- India offers growth and productivity opportunities for the global aerospace industry and there is extraordinary potential for the defence trade and partnerships to grow between India and the US, a top Boeing official has said.
- The Supreme Court sought the West Bengal government’s response on a plea of a BJP leader seeing direction to make him a party in the petition related to the alleged murder of BJP activist Dulal Kumar in 2018 in the state.
- The first phase of polling for panchayat bodies in Chhattisgarh will be held on Tuesday amid tight security.
- France considers the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) an internal matter of India, French diplomatic sources said today after nearly 600 lawmakers in the 751-member European Union parliament moved six resolutions against the controversial law.
- Kolkata Metro Rail Corp. expects to complete its East-West project, which runs partly under the city’s iconic Hooghly river, by March 2022 after a delay of several years doubled costs.
- The Supreme Court said the cheetah will be introduced on an experimental basis in the best suitable habitat to see whether it can adapt to Indian conditions.
- The 13 convicts will be split into two groups. One would be sent to Madhya Pradesh’s Indore and the second, to Jabalpur 500 km away.
- The Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation’s East-West project is expected to carry about 900,000 people daily, roughly 20% of the city’s population, and will take less than a minute to cross a 520-meter underwater tunnel.
- The amended citizenship act aims to grant Indian citizenship to minorities such as Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Christians, and Parsis from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, who have faced or fear religious persecution.
- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also took to Twitter to remember the exceptional leader. Lala Lajpat Rai, who was popularly known as Punjab Kesari, played a pivotal role in India’s Independence movement.
- Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman is being helped by five key officials in preparing the Union Budget for 2020-21.
- Washington wished New Delhi for a decade “full of achievements” as India recently completed 70 years as a Republic.
- Rabri Devi and Lalu Prasad were seen talking at the corridor on the hospital’s first floor. She left for Jharkhand secretariat around 2.45 pm.
- The CBSE Class 12 exams will be held from February 15 to March 30. CBSE class 12 Sociology exam is divided into two parts – Theory (80 marks) and Practical (20 marks).
- The Common Law Admission Test (CLAT), for admission to undergraduate and postgraduate law programmes, will be held on May 10 and registrations have already begun.
- AIMA will be conducting the computer-based examination for Management Aptitude Test 2020 on February 2, 2020, at various centres.
- The institute secured the spot for its Masters of Business Administration for Executives (MBAEx) programme, the IIM-C said in a statement
- State Bank of India (SBI) has released the marks of the candidates for the SBI Apprentice recruitment examination, 2019, on its official website.
- The directorate of elementary education, Assam has invited online applications for the recruitment of teachers in Lower Primary schools (LP) and Upper primary schools (UP) on its official website.
- National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development projected an overall credit potential for Odisha under priority sector at Rs 90,395 crore for 2020-21.
- Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC) share price added nearly 2 percent in the early trade on January 28 after the company posted better-than-expected numbers for December quarter.
- A last-gasp header from substitute Balwant Singh saw ATK pip NorthEast United 1-0 and go atop the Indian Super League table at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan here.
- Mikel Arteta hailed Arsenal’s “hungry” youngsters after Bukayo Saka and Eddie Nketiah fired their side into the FA Cup fifth round with a 2-1 win against Bournemouth.
- South Africa were docked six World Test Championship points and fined 60 percent of their match fee for a slow over rate during their 191-run fourth Test defeat by England.
- Australian Open Day 9 Live score: Roger Federer is involved in another five setter but the Swiss ace finally prevailed in 5 sets.
- Janata Dal (Secular) (JDS) leader and former Minister of Karnataka Kodman Amarnath Shetty passed away in Mangaluru, Karnataka.
1. International News
- Italy’s far-right firebrand Matteo Salvini is facing a setback after his League Party looks set to be beaten by the center-left Democratic Party (PD) in a closely watched election in the country’s north.
- The European Parliament is expected to take up six resolutions on India’s Citizenship (Amendment) Act this week, with the two largest groups of its members strongly criticizing the law for its negative consequences for internal stability and potential for creating a “statelessness crisis”.
- China banned wildlife trade nationwide in markets, supermarkets, restaurants, and e-commerce platforms due to the coronavirus outbreak, the country’s market watchdog, agricultural ministry, and forestry bureau said in a joint statement.
- Britain announced a new fast-track visa scheme for top scientists, researchers, and mathematicians as it prepares a new immigration system for life outside the European Union.
- Chinese premier Li was in Wuhan to “investigate and guide” ongoing efforts to control the virus in the city of 11 million people, which has been placed under an unprecedented quarantine, China’s State Council said on its official social media account.
- The government is attempting to spread out the 3 billion trips – by road, air, railways, and boats expected in connection with the LNY holidays to prevent human-to-human transmission of the highly contagious virus.
- The SARS-like Coronavirus has spread to all Chinese provinces except Tibet with confirmed cases of viral affliction reaching nearly 2000.
- “Kobe was a legend on the court and just getting started in what would have been just as meaningful a second act,” Obama tweeted after it was confirmed Bryant was among five people killed in a helicopter crash outside Los Angeles.
- Reports said the luxury liner had around 5260 people including the ship staff onboard. The ship has more than 2000 rooms, has several decks and is said to be themed in Venice.
- During recent debates in British Parliament, Blackman and Gardiner have steadfastly held New Delhi’s corner, when hardly any Indian-origin MP speaks on the sensitive issues such as Jammu and Kashmir.
- Five of the resolutions are critical of CAA and the Indian government’s handling of protests against the law, with only one resolution by the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) Group.
- India’s 71st Republic day celebrations in the US were marred by protests and marches, albeit peaceful ones, against recent changes in the citizenship law by a large number of Indian Americans in various cities of the country.
- The Shiv Sena-led Maharashtra government launched its much-awaited ”Shiv Bhojan” scheme, which is aimed at providing a meal to the poor for just Rs 10, on the occasion of the 71st Republic Day.
- Armies of India and China held a ceremonial Border Personnel Meeting (BPM) in Ladakh sector on Sunday to mark the country’s 71st Republic Day, a defense spokesperson said.
- Ahead of a vote on a resolution in the European Union parliament against the new citizenship law, India called on the MEPs to engage with the government on CAA.
- It is expected to be passed unanimously as the opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) announced a boycott of the assembly session.
- Shri Guru Ravi Dass Sabha of New York, said they were offended by SJF activist Gurpatwant Singh Pannu’s move and had reached out to his organization also to underscore their “strong feelings” associated with the Constitution and Dr. BR Ambedkar, the architect of the Constitution.
- Rajju Bhaiya Sainik Vidya Mandir will help students prepare for entrance examinations and physical tests of the National Defence Academy, Naval Academy and other examinations of the Indian Army.
- K Amarnath Shetty was elected as an MLA from Moodbidri constituency in 1983, He had served as Tourism and later as Labour Minister in the Karnataka government.
- The Bhim Army leader was heading to the venue of a rally organized by the students of Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) against CAA and National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Hyderabad
- Home Ministry on Sunday tweeted saying, “Total of 29,707 passengers from 137 flights screened.
- Jharia’s air has high levels of nitrogen oxide and sulfur oxide, which can further aggravate breathing ailments, emitted by diesel trucks that move around the city daily carrying coal.
- Union Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ felicitated 87 meritorious students from across the country here on Republic Day.
- National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development has released the NABARD Admit Card 2020 for Office Attendant posts on its official website.
- National Testing Agency (NTA) will commence the application process for JEE Main II or April 2020 JEE Main next week.
- IIT Kanpur on the eve of the Republic Day, as part of the ongoing diamond jubilee celebrations. IIT-K turned 60 in November last.
- The call letter has been issued for the candidates who have passed the UPSC Civil Services (Main) Examination 2019.
- West Bengal Civil services preliminary examination will be conducted on February 9, 2020, at various centres spread across the state. Read on to know more.
- Rajju Bhaiya Sainik Vidya Mandir will help students prepare for entrance examinations and physical tests of the National Defence Academy, Naval Academy and other examinations of the Indian Army.
- ICICI Bank share price rose nearly 2 percent in the early trade on January 27 after the company posted a robust set of numbers in the quarter ended December 2019.
- Nobel laureate and economist Abhijit Banerjee here said the banking sector in the country is “stressed” and the government is in no position to bail it out.
- The government may consider cut in import duty on raw material used in the fertiliser industry in the forthcoming budget with a view to boost domestic manufacturing in the country, sources said.
- Holders Manchester City cruised into the FA Cup fifth round with a 4-0 thrashing of 10-man Fulham at the Etihad.
- Liverpool let a 2-0 lead slip as League One Shrewsbury earned a FA Cup fourth round replay at Anfield thanks to a 2-2 draw, whilst Manchester United and Manchester City cruised into the fifth round.
- Eminent personalities, including former union ministers Arun Jaitley, Sushma Swaraj and George Fernandes, Olympian boxer Mary Kom and former Mauritius prime minister Anerood Jugnauth have been honoured with the Padma Vibhushan
- Sneha Pamneja, a well known Graphic designer based in New Delhi, was awarded Oxford Bookstore Book Cover Prize 2020
- The 62nd edition of the Grammys are being held in Los Angeles on Sunday, January 26 (Monday for India).
- US basketball legend Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna are among nine people killed in a helicopter crash in the city of Calabasas, California.
1. International News
- The spread of a deadly new virus is accelerating, Chinese President Xi Jinping warned, after holding a special government meeting on the Lunar New Year public holiday.
- US President Donald Trump’s legal team plans to mount a “robust” defense of the president in their opening argument starting at the senate trial in which they will try to counter the case for his removal from office made by Democrats over the past three days.
- The United States “strongly urges” Pakistan to fulfill its counterterrorism obligations as laid out for it by a global watchdog because the consequences of its failure would be “devastating” for its ongoing IMF-aded economic reforms, a top American diplomat said.
- The warning came as the number of cases continued to surge and Shanghai, a megacity of more than 24 million people reported its first death from the virus.
- Tensions between Iran and the United States have reached the highest levels in decades after the US killed top Iranian General Qassem Soleimani in a drone strike in Baghdad on January 3.
- Millions in the central Chinese province of Hubei continued to be under a government-imposed lockdown to contain the outbreak which is spiraling out of control and claiming lives.
- They will start by previewing their overall rebuttal, with the fuller defense, which will be led by Pat Cipollone, the White House counsel, and Jay Sekulow, the president’s personal lawyer.
- Sri Lanka’s Foreign Ministry said that instructions have been given to the students to protect themselves from the fast-spreading infection.
- India and Pakistan have spiked since India abrogated Article 370 of the Constitution to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir in August last year. I
- The virus-hit Chinese city of Wuhan, already on lockdown, will ban most vehicles including private cars from the downtown area in a further bid to limit the spread of a new disease that has infected more than 1,000 people and killed 41.
- Addressing the ‘Breakfast at Davos’, an event jointly organized by Pathfinder Group and Martin Dow Group, Khan said his trip cost 10 times less than those of the previous leaders, Dawn news said in a report.
- Muslim couple were removed from Delta Flight 229 at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris after a passenger told a flight attendant their behavior made her “very uncomfortable and nervous”.
- Rajasthan became the third state on Saturday — after Left-ruled Kerala on December 31, 2019 and Congress-ruled Punjab on January 17 to pass a resolution calling for the Citizenship (Amendment) Act to be scrapped
- India today celebrates its 71st Republic Day with a 90-minute parade where Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro is the chief guest.
- 2020’s first edition of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s monthly radio address to the nation ‘Mann Ki
- Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao said the state assembly might pass a resolution against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) like some other states did recently.
- Wearing a khaki uniform and holding a ceremonial sword, Captain Tania Sher Gill, 26, led an all-men contingent during the ceremonial Republic Day parade in Delhi’s Rajpath.
- Speaking at a session at the Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF), the 58-year-old India-born American economist said there was no co-relation between the authoritarianism and the economic success.
- The awardees for the distinguished service medal include Inspector General (IG) Sonali Mishra and Deputy IGs M S Sharma, R S Rathore, Pradeep Katyal and V S Yadav.
- The 620-km long human chain was formed from Kasaragod in north Kerala to Kaliyakkavilai in the southernmost part of the state by the ruling CPI(M) led front on Republic Day.
- The airlines also put up a big hoarding at the historic Lal Chowk in the heart of Srinagar to congratulate the people on Republic Day.
- Over 250 Indian students stuck in Wuhan city in Hubei province. Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak, and several other cities in the province are now under lockdown.
- Tripura Public Service Commission has released the results of the Civil Services Mains Grade 2 (TCS) and Tripura Police Service (TPS) Grade 2, Group A examination on its official website.
- The online registration process for the SBI clerk recruitment ends today, January 26, 2020. The application process began on January 3, 2020. Interested and eligible candidates can apply for the posts online at sbi.co.in.
- The Banaras Hindu University’s Dairy Development and Food Technology Department has prepared a new herbal ice cream which not only tastes good but also increases one’s immunity levels.
- Kids from the state of Gujarat, Rajasthan and West Bengal were seen performing amid roaring reception from the enthusiastic crowds at the event. Read on to know more.
- They include 50 students from undergraduate, postgraduate and PhD programmes, 30 from Class 10 and 25 from Class 12.
- Indian Auto LPG Coalition has sought Goods and Services Tax (GST) reduction on Auto LPG as well as on conversion kits for gaseous fuels to promote the adoption of clean automotive fuels.
- Speaking here at the WEF 2020, she also said the world appears a better place in January 2020 compared to what it was when IMF announced its World Economic Outlook in October 2019.
- The 30-share BSE index settled 0.55 per cent higher at 41,613.19. Likewise, the broader NSE Nifty closed 0.56 per cent up at 12,248.25.
- A dedicated team of experts bring you live score, live cricket score, live match update on Sports.NDTV.com. After 1.2 overs, New Zealand are 13/0.
- Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova set up a potential clash with top seed Ashleigh Barty in the Australian Open quarter-finals after fighting back to defeat Maria Sakkari in three sets.
- Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras has congratulated two of its faculty and one alumnus for being conferred with the Padma awards.
1. International News
- Over the years, Star Trek has been responsible for inspiring real-world innovations from tablet computers to needleless injection devices and real-time translators.
- Australia confirmed its first case of the new coronavirus in the state of Victoria, while the national government urged people not to travel to Hubei province in China, the epicenter of the outbreak.
- UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson hailed “a new chapter” in Britain’s history as he signed its divorce treaty with the EU, clearing another hurdle before the country exits the bloc.
- Queen Elizabeth II formally approved the landmark law facilitating Britain’s departure from the European Union at the end of this month.
- President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said all steps were being taken to aid people affected by the quake, which caused widespread fear.
- Reports in state media said hospitals across Wuhan, which is the epicenter of the raging novel Coronavirus outbreak, are facing a shortage of medical resources and are being forced to prioritize patients.
- “China has been working very hard to contain the Coronavirus,” Trump tweeted, hours after the United States confirmed its second case of the SARS-like virus that has reached half a dozen countries.
- Soros also said he would commit $1 billion to start a global university to fight authoritarian governments and the climate crisis, calling them twin challenges that threaten the survival of civilization.
- The Indian High Commission in London said it will provide the victims’ families “every assistance” in relation to the repatriation of their bodies to India.
- The Houston Fire Department said one person had been taken to hospital as firefighters, emergency services and police rushed to the scene.
- Public transport has been stopped in 13 cities in central Hubei province, with train stations shut, events canceled and theatres, libraries, and karaoke bars closed in some locations.
- Donald Trump described himself as pro-abortion rights, but he has increasingly aligned himself with the anti-abortion movement as he works to firm up his electoral base.
- Russian misinformation campaign that ran undetected on the social network in the months prior to the 2016 election.
- The protest under the banner of “Alliance Against CAA and NRC has drawn some big names in Urdu poetry including Bollywood lyricist Rahat Indori, Sampat Saral and Lata Haya.
- The four men who were originally sentenced to executed on January 22 but a Delhi judge later changed it to February 1.
- Trains on Delhi Metro’s several lines, including Line 2 from HUDA City Centre to Samaypur Badli and Line 6 from Kashmere Gate to Raja Nahar Singh, will start from 6 am instead.
- The higher education department announced in a notification that the governing bodies or managing committees of all non-government aided degree colleges have been dissolved except autonomous colleges and colleges established by minority communities.
- According to the charge sheet, the five accused men procured weapons and ammunition with the aim of committing terrorist acts.
- Sheetal Nanda, commissioner secretary with the panchayat raj department, said while speaking to HT that the process to hold the polls for vacant panchayat posts have already been finalized.
- Officials said sharpshooters and snipers will be deployed on top of high-rise buildings to keep a watch on the 8-km-long parade route from Rajpath to the Red Fort on January 26.
- The shutdown has been called from 6 am to 6 pm on January 26 claiming that the “so-called republican Constitution of India fails to actually entitle the people of this region to republican liberty.”
- A government spokesperson said Kamal Nath met various leading industrialists, including the chairperson of MKS Company Marwan Shakarchi and president and chief executive officer of Novo Nordisk, Lars Fruergaard Jorgensen
- Round Table conferences, the Assembly created several committees on specific subjects (fundamental rights, minorities, and allocation of powers).
- The content of the Preamble not only embodies events that predate the adoption of the Constitution but also incorporates citizens’ experiences over the past 70 years.
- Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel had announced organizing programs in state’s educational institutes every Monday to spread awareness about the constitution.
- The charge sheet states both the accused were in possession of fake Aadhaar cards provided by their handlers in Bangladesh.
- The top 5 positions have been bagged by girls. Manya Shrivastava is the topper. Ruchi Rakesh Agrawal and Shruti Nagar bagged 2nd and 3rd ranks, respectively. Mariya Tinwala has bagged the fourth position while Sanchi Sanjeev Agarwal has got the fifth rank.
- Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) has declared the result of the CS Foundation program exam today at its official website. Here’s the direct link to download the mark sheet.
- Indian Navy has released the admit card for the online exam to recruit Senior Secondary Recruit (SSR), Artificer Apprentice (AA) and Matric Recruits (MR).
- The political science department of the Lucknow University has proposed to introduce a topic on Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in one of its paper on contemporary issues in Indian politics.
- The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Class 12 History exam will be held on March 3. Students, generally, find History difficult because of the vast syllabus.
- Himachal Pradesh Police Constable Result has been declared on the official website of HP Police. Candidates who had appeared for the written exam that was conducted on December 22 can check their results online at hppolice.gov.in.
- Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has activated the online application link for the CTET July 2020 exam. CTET stands for Central Teachers’ Eligibility Test. The CTET July exam will be held on July 5, 2020.
- ICICI Bank on January 25 is expected to register solid triple-digit growth in profit in Q3FY20 on account of Essar Steel recovery and lower tax rate.
- If the direct tax collections fall short of the 2018-19 figures — and it could, given the sharp fall in the government’s own growth estimates for 2019-2020
- The 30-share BSE index settled 0.55 per cent higher at 41,613.19. Likewise, the broader NSE Nifty closed 0.56 per cent up at 12,248.25.
- World number two Karolina Pliskova bombed out to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova Saturday as the shocks kept rolling in the Australian Open third round.
- Badminton national coach Pullela Gopichand is not concerned about P.V. Sindhu’s poor run of form since she won the 2019 BWF World Championships.
- Six-time champion Roger Federer survived an epic five-set marathon to seal his 100th Australian Open win, fending off a huge challenge from John Millman.
- Indian men’s and women’s table tennis teams lived dangerously and lost in the pre-quarterfinals of the world team Olympic qualifiers in Gondomar, Portugal
- The govt of India announced the 2nd edition of the 2020 Subash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar on January 23, 2020 marking the 123rd birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.
- Central Vigilance Commission(CVC) has appointed former Indian Overseas Bank(IOB) Executive Director as A.D.M Chavali as its new panel member of the advisory board for banking & financial frauds and will serve the board till August 20, 2021.
1. International News
- Pakistan conducted a successful training launch of nuclear-capable surface-to-surface ballistic missile ‘Ghaznavi’, which can strike targets up to 290 kilometers.
- The International Court of Justice said that it has jurisdiction to hear a case against Myanmar seeking emergency measures to prevent it committing genocide against its Rohingya minority.
- The rapidly spreading novel Coronavirus has killed 25 people and sickened at least 830 people across China, the latest official statement said as millions in the country in five cities have been put under lockdown in an attempt to control the outbreak.
- Students living in New Jersey who are children of foreign workers on H1B visas will now qualify for the more affordable in-state tuition for higher education at the states public institutions.
- Amazon had sought ‘preliminary injunction’ from the court to temporarily block Microsoft from starting work on the billion Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure (JEDI) project.
- Democrats are hoping to break Republican unity and vote with them to remove the president -- an uphill battle given the Republicans’ 53-47 majority in the Senate and Trump’s ability to keep his party in line.
- Democrats have expressed concerns that Republicans, who hold 53 of the Senate’s 100 seats, are not keeping an open mind about the evidence they have gathered.
- United Nation’s highest tribunal, Judge Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf, ordered Myanmar “to take all measures within its powers” to prevent the killings and attacks on its Rohingya minority, adding the group remains “extremely vulnerable.”
- German Chancellor Angela Merkel also said in a keynote address that governments were obliged to act on the younger generation’s concerns over climate change.
- Imran Khan said it was a painful process which Pakistan has to go through to reap the benefits of deep institutional and governance reforms being implemented by his government and asked everyone to ‘be patient’ for results.
- The altercation flared when Israeli police and domestic security agents pushed past the French detail and were first to enter the Church of Saint Anne, which is French territory under international treaties.
- Presiding Judge Yusuf Abdulqawi, in the first minutes of reading the court’s decision, said the court does have sufficient jurisdiction to decide on the request for emergency measures in the case, which was brought by Gambia.
- China, which has claimed 25 lives and has infected 830 people so far, the Indian Embassy in Beijing said it is closely monitory the ‘evolving situation’ and also launched two hotline numbers.
- Two Darjeeling-based Gorkha outfits, that supported the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2019 Lok Sabha elections, has backed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in the fight against Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC)
- As a tribute to India’s first Chief Election Commissioner Sukumar Sen, the Election Commission of India organized the first memorial lecture in Delhi.
- Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro will arrive in India on a four-day visit beginning with an aim to “re-energize” the bilateral strategic partnership by boosting trade and investment
- Chidambaram had said the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government had weakened democratic institutions and eroded democracy.
- Praveen Somani runs a steel manufacturing unit in Siltara Industrial Estate area in Raipur district. He was picked up by the gang members when he drove out of his factory.
- Police said a case has been registered under Section 174 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) with Telibadha police station and the reasons behind the deaths are being investigated.
- Exclusion of an estimated 1 lakh names belonging to the Gorkha community from the NRC in Assam had triggered panic in Darjeeling last year.
- Meanwhile, the WHO has said it considers it is still too early to declare coronavirus as a public health emergency of international concern given its restrictive and binary nature.
- Dhanprasad Ahirwar, a resident of Dhanshree colony in Sagar, was doused with kerosene and burnt by the accused after he didn’t withdraw his complaints against them with the police, said officials.
- State Congress president and deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot announced that after Kerala and Punjab, “Rajasthan government will too bring a resolution against CAA in the assembly.”
- Mustafa Ghulam and Dubai-based Hamid Ashraf operated through over 250 agents spread across India. The gang used advanced software to buy e-rail tickets which were sold at premium prices.
- CTET 2020 registration will begin today for the July exam. Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) conducts the Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET) to ascertain eligibility of teachers for primary classes, i.e. Classes 1 to 8.
- Andhra Pradesh Staff Selection Board (APSSB) has invited online applications for the posts of foresters, H/Constable(RT/T), H/Constable (driver) Constable(GD), Constable (IRBn), Constable(driver), Fireman, Forest guard and Mineral guard.
- DSSSB Teacher Recruitment 2020: Online application process for 3358 post graduate teachers (PGT) and trained graduate teacher (TGT) and others begins today. Here’s the direct link to apply.
- RBI Assistant Recruitment 2020: Today is the last date to apply for RBI Assistant recruitment 2020. If you have not applied yet,you should do it before end of the day. Candidates who have a bachelor’s degree in any discipline can apply for the posts.
- CBSE will be conducting the Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET) on July 5, 2020, at various examination centres spread across the country.
- State Bank of India (SBI) Chairman Rajnish Kumar expressed certainty in “some solutions emerging” for troubled private-lender Yes Bank, Bloomberg reported.
- Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) Chairman Ajay Tyagi on January 23 said the regulator will adopt artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), big data analytics and natural language processing tools to monitor and analyse spot market manipulation, PTI reported.
- AAfter market hours, L&T reported a 15 per cent rise in its consolidated net profit at Rs 2,560.32 crore for quarter to December 2019.
- The strategic disinvestments that are now expected to be completed in the next fiscal include Air India, Bharat Petroleum Corp. Ltd (BPCL), Container Corporation of India Ltd (Concor) and Shipping Corporation of India Ltd (SCI).
- India, after beating Australia in the One-day International (ODI) series at home, will take on New Zealand in a five-match Twenty20 International (T20I) series, starting.
- Serena Williams was sensationally knocked out of the Australian Open third round by China’s Qiang Wang, torpedoing her bid for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam crown.
- Caroline Wozniacki’s glittering tennis career ended in tears at the Australian Open on Friday when she was dumped out by lower-ranked Ons Jabeur of Tunisia.
- Runaway leaders Liverpool extended their Premier League advantage to 16 points with a hard-fought 2-1 victory at Wolverhampton Wanderers thanks to goals from Jordan Henderson and Roberto Firmino.
- Two girls from Chhattisgarh are among the 22 children selected for the National Bravery Awards to be presented by President Ram Nath Kovind in New Delhi on Republic Day.
- SoftBank group has appointed Manoj Kohli as its India’s head. He has served as the Chairman of SB(SoftBank) energy, the Japanese telecom and investment renewable energy business.
- Lebanon President Micheal Naim Aoun announced formation of new Government due to anti-government protests for the last several months.
1. International News
- Burundi’s parliament has voted to pay $530,000 (£400,000) to President Pierre Nkurunziza and provide him with a luxury villa when he leaves office.
- Bushfires near the Australian capital Canberra forced the city’s airport to close, as passenger flights were halted to make way for aircraft working to extinguish the blazes, authorities said.
- US President Donald Trump said he plans to attend the March for Life rally this week and become the first president ever to address in-person America’s biggest gathering of anti-abortion activists.
- President Donald Trump and his Iraqi counterpart Barham Saleh agreed on the need for a continued US military role in the country, the White House said.
- The H1B program allows employers in the US to temporarily employ foreign workers in ‘specialty occupations’ that ‘normally require bachelor’s degrees (or higher) in a specialty field’.
- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres talked about the ‘four horsemen’ that refer to four figures in the Book of Revelation who symbolize the evils to come at the end of the world.
- The Australian Capital Territory Emergency Services Agency said the airport had been closed ‘due to current conditions’. A small number of flights were eventually allowed to depart, but no flights had landed at the airport.
- Khashoggi, a Saudi dissident who was living in self-imposed exile in the US, was murdered in Istanbul in October 2018 by agents of the Saudi government.
- The World Health Organisation (WHO) has extended its emergency talks on whether the novel coronavirus outbreak in China constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) to January 23 .
- Combatting anti-Semitism is a key theme of Thursday’s event, which will remember more than one million Jews killed at Auschwitz during World War II.
- Although the Supreme Court legalized abortion, opposition to it remains strong in parts of American society, particularly in the so-called Bible Belt states of the South and mid-section of the country.
- Tulsi Gabbard, the first Hindu-American elected to Congress, has had long-standing differences with Clinton going back to the 2016 Democratic primaries when she backed Senator Bernie Sanders for the party’s nomination.
- The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Haryana will now be under the charge of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar after state Home Minister Anil Vij was divested of the charge of the crucial department.
- US President Donald Trump complained that his country has not been “treated fairly” by the World Trade Organisation (WTO), stating that the United States is not considered a “developing nation” while China and India are, by the global trade body.
- Barring a few incidents, polling for 120 municipalities and nine corporations in Telangana went off peacefully with 70.26 percent voter turnout, officials said.
- Blue Pottery from Jaipur, a mural of the 2nd century BC Ajanta Caves, and a fresco on the wall of the Martyr’s Memorial Auditorium in the sleepy town of Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh have in common with the Preamble of the Indian Constitution
- Rising tensions between a home minister and the state CID chief had triggered a tug-of-war between Vij and the chief minister over the control of the department.
- Pawan Kalyan’s Jana Sena Party entered into an alliance with the BJP in Andhra Pradesh last week. The party has been critical of the YSRC government’s claims that the proposal for shifting the capital has been taken in consultation with the Centre.
- While the petitioners demanded the issue should be referred to a larger bench, Attorney General KK Venugopal opposed it.
- Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot had said at an event last year that the practice is regressive and it must be eradicated as times have changed.
- The members of the insurgent groups ULFA (I), NDFB, RNLF, KLO, CPI (Maoist), NSLA, ADF, and NLFB -- surrendered in presence of Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal at a program.
- Bal Thackeray died on November 12, 2012, after a cardiac arrest. His annual address at Mumbai’s Shivaji Park was immensely popular among his followers.
- Pakistan’s Permanent Representative Munir Akram had recently spoken about the Kashmir issue, saying it will be handled by the UN.
- Prime Minister Modi said the nation will always remain grateful to Subhas Chandra Bose and called Bal Thackeray a ‘courageous’ leader.
- The Union Public service commission has released the personality test schedule for civil services main examination 2019 January 22, 2020. Candidates who have been shortlisted for the interview round can check the schedule online at upsc.gov.in.
- Central Board of secondary education has released the examination dates for the Central Teacher’s eligibility test. According to the press release, CBSE will be conducting the CTET on July 5, 2020, at various examination centers spread across the country.
- State Bank of India has invited online application for specialist officers and armors under clerical cadre. There are a total of 106 posts. Check full notifications here.
- Board exams 2020: As the exam time is drawing closer, the cloud of stress looms large and heavy in the household. It is understandable your child is experiencing feelings of stress and anxiety.
- Indian Bank has invited online applications for specialist officer posts. There are a total of 138 vacancies. The online application process began on January 22 and the last date to apply is February 10, 2020.
- The recruitment drive is being conducted to fill 8000 vacancies of clerks. Out of which, 7870 vacancies are for a general recruitment drive, and 130 for a special recruitment drive. Read on to know more.
- The director, Subhasis Chaudhuri asked students to express their own political views outside of the campus, and never make a statement using the name of the institute.
- Rising inflation is expected to keep the Reserve Bank of India from cutting rates again until late this year, while an expansionary federal budget due next month attempts to put a floor under rapidly-slowing growth, a Reuters poll found.
- The rupee depreciated by 3 paise to 71.22 against the US dollar in early trade amid rising demand for the US dollar vis-a-vis other currencies overseas, even as crude oil prices eased.
- After market hours, L&T reported a 15 per cent rise in its consolidated net profit at Rs 2,560.32 crore for quarter to December 2019.
- The Indian wrestling team has clinched 7 medals (4 gold, 2 silver and a bronze) in the 1st edition of UWW (United World Wrestling) Rome Ranking Series 2020 held from January 15 – 18,2020 in the Italian Capital, Rome.
- Sania Mirza will be in action early on Day 4 while Novak Djokovic faces Japanese opponent Yoshihito Nishioka. Roger Federer brushed aside his opponent in straight while 12th seed Fabio Fognini faced a tough test at the Australian Open
- The Olympic qualifying event for boxing, scheduled from Feb 3-14 in Wuhan, has been cancelled following the coronavirus outbreak in China.
- Manchester United were labelled an “embarrassment” as pressure mounted on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer following Burnley’s shock 2-0 victory, while Tottenham boosted their top four prospects with a 2-1 win over Norwich
- Carolyn Malsawmtluangi, aged just 11, this little girl from Mizoram has become an epitome of courage and quick presence of mind by saving a minor from being abducted.
- Athens, Greece (CNN)High court judge and human rights advocate Katerina Sakellaropoulou has been elected Greece’s first female president by parliament.
- Terry Jones, a founding member of the anarchic Monty Python troupe who was hailed by a colleague as “the complete Renaissance comedian,” has died after a battle with dementia.
1. International News
- China warned that a SARS-like virus that has killed nine people, infected hundreds and spread to other countries could mutate, as authorities scrambled to contain the disease during the Lunar New Year travel season.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin approved a new government which he described as a break with the past, bringing in some fresh faces but retaining many senior ministers.
- US President Donald Trump opened with fireworks as Democrats angrily accused Senate Republicans of seeking a “cover-up” without witnesses or new evidence.
- A crater in Western Australia was formed by a meteor strike more than 2.2 billion years ago and is the world’s oldest known impact site, new research published.
- The UN report is set to worsen relations between the world’s richest man and the kingdom which had soured following the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018, who was also a columnist for the Bezos’ owned Washington Post.
- Iran acknowledged that its armed forces fired two Russian anti-aircraft missiles at a Ukrainian jetliner, the Boeing 737-800 that crashed after taking off from Tehran’s main airport earlier this month, killing all 176 people on board.
- The first cases appeared last month in Wuhan, a city in central China’s Hubei province. China has identified 440 cases and nine deaths till now.
- Human-to-human transmission of the coronavirus, which triggers severe pneumonia, was confirmed by Chinese officials as experts continue to grapple with its source.
- A digital forensic analysis suggested the theft of data from the Amazon.com Inc. chief’s phone in 2018 started with an infected video file sent via WhatsApp from the personal account of Mohammed bin Salman, the Guardian newspaper reported.
- The newly identified coronavirus originated in the central Chinese city of Wuhan and has spread to Beijing and Shanghai.
- Trump made the remarks at a media briefing before talks with Khan, who the US President described as his “very good friend.”
- Chuck Schumer, the Senate Democratic leader, called the resolution a “national disgrace”, which, he said to reporters, seemed like it was “written in the White House and not written in the senate”.
- Greta Thunberg began protesting outside the Swedish parliament during school hours with a sign painted with the words, ‘Skolstrejk for Klimatet’ (School Strike for Climate).
- India may be witnessing the most glaring setback among emerging economies, but its double pain of slowing growth and surging inflation is spreading far and wide.
- In a path-breaking ruling, the Supreme Court said Parliament should “rethink” whether the Speaker of a House should continue to have powers to disqualify lawmakers as such a functionary “belongs to a particular political party”.
- Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has assets worth Rs 3.4 crore, an increase of Rs 1.3 crore from 2015, according to his election affidavit. Mr. Kejriwal’s total assets were worth Rs 2.1 crore in 2015.
- India has consistently pushed back every time Donald Trump has raised the Kashmir issue and yet Donald Trump has gone on to offer to mediate on the issue, causing consternation in foreign policy circles in New Delhi and Washington.
- Ties between India and Pakistan came under severe strain after New Delhi revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s special status and bifurcated it into two Union Territories on August 5, evoking strong reactions from Islamabad.
- US President Donald Trump has used variations of the offer before using words like “mediate”, “mediation”, ”arbitration” or just, “intervene”. It has been seven times so far, at least, in some form or the other.
- The scores of the petition challenging and supporting the revamped citizenship law are being heard by the Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice of India SA Bobde, Justice S Abdul Nazeer and Justice Sanjiv Khanna.
- Many petitioners have moved Supreme Court against Centre’s decision to remove special status granted to Jammu and Kashmir and its bifurcation in two union territories.
- Kishor has led the opposition to the amended citizenship law and NRC within his own party, Janata Dal (United).
- Many petitioners have moved Supreme Court against Centre’s decision to remove special status granted to Jammu and Kashmir and its bifurcation in two union territories.
- Maharashtra’s Chandrapur has been charged with abetment to suicide, unnatural sexual offenses under sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, the official.
- JKBOSE 12th results 2019 (Kashmir division): Students who have appeared in the examination can check their results by visiting the official website at jkbose.ac.in.
- The allotment of the colleges is being done in regard to the candidate’s preferences during the counselling session. Read on to know more.
- Nadu Teachers Recruitment Board (TNTRB) for direct recruitment of 1060 vacancies of Lecturers in Government Polytechnic Colleges and Special Institutions (Engineering/Non Engineering) in Tamil Nadu Educational Service for the year 2017-2018.
- Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has released the admit card for private candidates of class 10th and 12th board exams 2020. CBSE has already released the admit cards for regular candidates.
- Chhattisgarh Public Service Commission (CGPSC) has declared the final results for the CGPSC exam on its official website
- The Institute of Cost Accountants of India (ICMAI) has declared the January 2020 term examinations results on its official website.
- Money managers remain optimistic but not ecstatic about the global economy, according to Bank of America Merrill Lynch’s monthly fund manager survey released.
- Axis Bank is expected to report 50-60 percent YoY growth in profit on January 22 on account of lower provisions and the sequentially it is likely to turn profitable (against loss of Rs 112 crore in Q2FY20).
- World number one Ashleigh Barty made light of windy conditions to reach the Australian Open third round in front of an adoring home crowd.
- Priya Prakash, the founder and CEO of India based HealthSetGo, has won the Global Citizen Prize: Cisco Youth Leadership Award for 2019 for her school health programme that aims at providing 360 degree healthcare support to children.
- Former principal secretary to the Prime Minister, Nripendra Misra, has been appointed chairperson of the executive council of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML).
- The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the proposal of the Department of the Financial Services for the appointment of Setty, currently serving as the deputy managing director of the SBI, in the key post.
- Punit Sood has been appointed as country head of RBS (Royal Bank of Scotland), India succeeding Pankaj Phatarphod.
1. International News
- China confirmed that humans can be infected by other humans with the new, fast-spreading virus that has triggered alarm bells across the world
- British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government was defeated in parliament for the first time since a December election, with the upper chamber voting in favor of a move to protect the rights of EU citizens in Britain after Brexit.
- Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and US President Donald Trump will meet this week on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, the Foreign Office announced.
- Hundreds of protesters calling on global leaders to take swifter action on climate change will face up to 5,000 military personnel and police from across Switzerland as they march to the ski resort of Davos for a planned demonstration.
- Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will no longer be working members of Britain’s monarchy, will no longer use their ‘Royal Highness’ titles and will now be free to seek a private income.
- The commission, headed by a Philippine diplomat, said in a report given to President Win Myint that there is no evidence supporting charges that genocide was planned or carried out against the Rohingya.
- Trump, who has repeatedly expressed skepticism about climate change, is set to give the first keynote address of Davos 2020, on the same day as his impeachment trial opens at the Senate in Washington.
- Pakistan PM Imran Khan will attend the WEF in Davos, Switzerland, from January 21 to 23 at the invitation of Professor Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the WEF.
- Boris Johnson government does not have a majority. While the upper chamber is not expected to block the passage of the bill, it is seeking to make changes.
- The team is led by economic affairs minister Hamad Azhar and contains officials from National Counter Terrorism Authority, the foreign ministry, State Bank of Pakistan, Customs, interior ministry and Financial Monitoring Unit (FMU).
- Projects being implemented in the Maldives through a $1.4-billion aid package from India might take more time because both countries are committed to transparency, Shahid said during an interview.
- Here are today’s top news, analysis and opinion curated for you at 9 AM. Know all about the latest news and other news updates from Hindustan Times.
- BR Ambedkar was born in 1891 in the Central Provinces at a time when people from oppressed castes faced formidable barriers in education and jobs.
- The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and one of its oldest allies, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), will not be fighting the Delhi assembly elections together, the latter said, citing differences over the amendment to India’s citizenship law.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Nepalese counterpart KP Sharma Oli inaugurated the check-post at the Jogbani-Biratnagar border between the two countries after the first was built at the Raxaul-Birgunj border in 2018.
- Priyanka Gandhi has activated the party on the ground by reorganizing district and city units, naming their new heads after years.
- Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga’s comments came hours after the opposition party in the national capital released the second list of names of 10 candidates for the Delhi assembly election 2020 late.
- BJP’s national general secretary Ram Madhav, who was seen as the architect of an unlikely alliance between the BJP and the Peoples Democratic Party that formed the government in the state in 2015, said his party was committed to the return of Pandits.
- The Port city Visakhapatnam will soon become the Capital of the state if the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy government overcomes the opposition in the Legislative Council and also possible legal hurdles.
- From boiled vegetables to Kesari bath, the canteen now serves a total of 48 food items for lunch and evening snacks. But items such as poha, mutton cutlet or bonds are not available regularly.
- Modi, who wrote and released a book on dealing with the stress and strains of exams, Exam Warrior in 2018, started hosting the Pariksha Pe Charcha events the same year.
- The Indian Railways organizes summer internship, starting from 2015, to familiarize students pursuing graduation, post graduation in engineering and MBA with the working of railways.
- West Central Railway has announced jobs for candidates who have passed class 10 and have ITI trade certificate.
- A teenage Afghan student, Matiulla Ari, was stabbed by a group of four persons in the campus area. Police has arrested one person, Satish Nilakanthe, in connection with the assault.
- The entrance examination for the Pre B.A.-B.Ed/B.Sc-B.Ed – 2020 will be conducted on May 10, 2020, at various centres spread across the state.
- Candidates seeking to apply for the state entrance test are advised to visit the official website to check details regarding the eligibility criteria, exam pattern and other details.
- Reserve Bank of India (RBI) released minutes of its central board meeting held in Chandigarh on October 11. This comes as the first step towards increasing transparency in its workings.
- International Monetary Fund (IMF) Chief Economist Gita Gopinath, said India is the biggest contributor to the downward revision in growth projections for emerging market and developing economies.
- India’s top ranked tennis player Prajnesh Gunneswaran missed out on a chance to play against world no.2 Novak Djokovic as he crashed out in the men’s singles opening round of the Australian Open.
- Maria Sharapova’s faltering career hit a fresh low when the five-time Grand Slam champion was turfed out in the first round of the Australian Open in straight sets.
- Tennis star Roger Federer is known for his skills with the racquet. The 20-time Grand Slam Champion has won six Australian Open titles in his career, and is contesting once again in Melbourne for his 7th title.
- Manchester United goalkeeper Sergio Romero escaped unhurt after crashing his Lamborghini on his way to training, according to reports.
- India’s doubles badminton player Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, when asked about the reasons for the popularity of singles contingent in the country.
- Deepika Padukone was awarded for her leadership in raising mental health awareness at the World Economic Forum 2020 in Davos.
- Sanjiv Chadha - Managing Director (MD) & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Bank of Baroda, Venkat Prabhakar as MD & CEO of Canara Bank, Atanu Kumar Das as MD & CEO of Bank of India.
- The ISRO said it has successfully completed the three orbit-raising manoeuvres of communication satellite GSAT-30, which was launched on January 17 onboard Ariane 5 rocket from French Guiana.
1. International News
- China, one of the world’s biggest users of plastic, has unveiled a major plan to reduce single-use plastics across the country.
- British Prime Minister Boris Johnson used his first official meeting with Vladimir Putin to warn the Russian leader not repeat the 2018 chemical attack that almost killed former spy Sergei Skripal.
- Malaysia has sent back 150 containers of plastic waste to 13 mainly rich countries since the third quarter last year, with the environment minister warning that those who want to make the country a rubbish bin of the world can “dream on.”
- US State Department said it has designated Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Brigadier General Hassan Shahvarpour, Khuzestan Province’s Vali Asr Commander, for his involvement in “gross violations of human rights against protestors during the November protests in Mahshahr, Iran”.
- Shipments of unwanted rubbish have been re-routed to Southeast Asia since China banned the import of plastic waste in 2018, but Malaysia and other developing countries are fighting back.
- The total wealth of the top 20 billionaires has doubled from $672 billion to $1,397 billion since 2012, according to Bloomberg Wealth.
- Buckingham Palace announced that the couple -Prince Harry and his wife Meghan -would no longer use their “Royal Highness” titles and would pay their own way in life.
- The new coronavirus strain has caused alarm because of its connection to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, which killed nearly 650 people across mainland China and Hong Kong in 2002-2003.
- Democratic presidential hopeful Tulsi Gabbard has proved her mettle and muscle by winning a townhall push-up contest against a supporter.
- The sprawling, nearly 600-year-old former imperial palace in the center of the Chinese capital, says it welcomed 19 million visitors last year, all of whom had to enter on foot.
- A statement from the US States Department informed that General Hassan Shahvarpour was designated yesterday for his involvement in gross violation of human rights.
- Trump acknowledged that the US strike “shook up the world” but said Soleimani “deserved to be hit hard” because he was responsible for killing “thousands of Americans” a figure which contrasted with one he gave on January 8.
- The move to cripple the country’s main income source was a protest against Turkey’s decision to send troops to shore up Haftar’s rival, the head of Tripoli’s UN-recognised government Fayez al-Sarraj.
- Soft-spoken, unassuming, yet resolute, 59-year-old BJP leader from Himachal Pradesh, Jagat Prakash Nadda, is a man known generally to maintain a low profile.
- The entire Amaravati has been under siege by the police, as the Amaravati Joint Action Committee, backed by the TDP and other opposition parties, gave a call for “Chalo Assembly” rally to protest against the capital shift plan.
- India’s richest 1 per cent hold more than four-times the wealth held by 953 million people who make up for the bottom 70 per cent of the country’s population, while the total wealth of all Indian billionaires is more than the full-year budget, a new study said.
- The government is considering a proposal of the commerce ministry to reduce the permitted quantity of tax-free foreign liquor and cigarettes purchased from a duty-free shop in line with the practice followed by countries such as the United States, China, South Korea and Singapore,
- Uttar Pradesh’s Mughalsarai railway station in 2018, Centre in a notification issued changed the name of the railway division as well from Mughalsarai to Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Railway Division.
- Northern railway, the Goa-Hazrat Nizamuddin Vasco Garib Rath was delayed by five hours and 30 minutes followed by the Dibrugarh-Delhi Brahmputra Mail and Varanasi-New Delhi Kashi Vishwanth Express by fours hours and 30 minutes.
- India halted Malaysian palm oil imports earlier this month after Mahathir Mohamad’s comments on Kashmir.
- The reappointment of several state unit presidents who were appointed during Shah’s tenure is being perceived as an indication that his writ will continue to run.
- Nitin Gadkari was speaking at the inaugural function of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations of Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology (VNIT) in Nagpur in Maharashtra.
- Vidarbha Cricket Association’s ground in the Civil Lines area, CJI Bobde, an avid sports lover, smashed 18 runs for his ‘All Judges XI’ team. It was the highest individual score of the match.
- Sitharaman made it clear that the government was working towards creating an environment where the government and the industry could work together to attain the $5 trillion economy target.
- The demand for a body to form the Constitution was an old one but the absence of universal adult suffrage meant that the representation of marginalized groups, especially women, was low.
- The diversity referred to the unmistakable extant social and economic conditions; the unity and democracy were challenges and aspirations.
- A group of 16 underprivileged students from Bhadarwah in Jammu and Kashmir embarked on a 10-day ‘Bharat Darshan’ tour to Kolkata sponsored by the CRPF, officials said.
- Central Board of Secondary Education, New Delhi has released the hall ticket for class 12th board examination on its official website. School authorities can visit the official website to check to download the admit card for class 12th students.
- Delhi Education Minister Manish Sisodia said most of the time of his tenure as the Education Minister of Delhi was used to improve the basic infrastructure and the education quality in these schools.
- The recruitment drive is being conducted to fill 4421 vacancies of Patwari. Out of which, 3815 vacancies are for the Non-TSP region and 606 for the TSP region.
- Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu opined that the efforts to preserve Indian languages should begin at the primary school level and called for providing basic schooling in a child’s mother tongue.
- Speaking at the convocation ceremony at Malaviya National Institute of Technology (MNIT) here, he said India has been known and recognized for its knowledge, wisdom, culture, and values.
- Students are advised to bring their hall tickets on the said date of examination, or else they won’t be allowed to appear in the board examination.
- Indian shares backed down from record highs hit in early trade, as earnings from top valued companies failed to impress investors, and refiner Indian Oil Corp Ltd slumped to a 15-month low.
- The Bank of Japan’s negative interest rate policy has had little positive impact on the economy and prices, over half of economists surveyed by Reuters said.
- Roger Federer swatted aside Steve Johnson to race into the Australian Open second round as he kickstarted his bid for a 21st Grand Slam title in immaculate style.
- Serena Williams blitzed the first set in 19 minutes as she launched her quest for a 24th Grand Slam title with a quickfire demolition of Anastasia Potapova at the Australian Open.
- Indian hockey team is known to crack. But that’s not a characteristic you associate with chief coach Graham Reid and nor does he want it to be his team’s. In fact quite the opposite happened at the Kalinga Stadium.
- Parasite shocked the Screen Actors Guild Awards by landing the night’s top prize, a historic win which thrusts the South Korean black comedy into Oscars contention.
- Virat Kohli has set the record for scoring most international runs by an Indian captain, achieving the feat during his 89-run knock against Australia in the third ODI.
- Elon Musk’s SpaceX simulated a successful emergency landing in a dramatic test of a crucial abort system on an unmanned astronaut capsule, a big step its mission to fly NASA astronauts for the first time as soon as this spring.
1. International News
- President Donald Trump’s legal team presented its line of defense for his upcoming impeachment trial, a process they dismissed as unconstitutional and “dangerous”.
- China and Myanmar inked 33 deals aimed at speeding up key infrastructure projects to provide Beijing a stepping stone to the Indian Ocean after a meeting between President Xi Jinping and State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi,
- Forces loyal to Libyan military strongman Khalifa Haftar blocked oil exports from the war-ravaged country’s main ports, raising the stakes on the eve of an international summit aimed at bringing peace to the North African nation.
- Pakistan’s Foreign Office summoned a senior diplomat from the Indian High Commission in Islamabad to reject the alleged mischievous portrayal by India of isolated, fabricated, incidents involving Pakistani citizens as minorities rights issues, says an official handout.
- The surge in numbers announced by the Wuhan health commission on Sunday comes a day after a new analysis said more than 1700 could actually be infected with the “novel coronavirus”.
- Queen Elizabeth II’s fun-loving younger sister, Princess Margaret, also sparked a firestorm with her choice for marriage.
- Trump acknowledged that the US strike “shook up the world” but said Soleimani “deserved to be hit hard” because he was responsible for killing “thousands of Americans” a figure which contrasted with one he gave on January 8.
- The error came to light on the second day of a visit by the president to the Southeast Asian country, where Xi and state counselor Aung San Suu Kyi signed dozens of agreements covering massive Beijing-backed infrastructure plans.
- There was no tsunami warning accompanying the quake which struck inland 158 kilometers (98 miles) from the provincial capital Jayapura at a shallow depth of almost 34 kilometers, USGS said.
- Donald Trump has named Ken Starr and Alan Dershowitz, two of the country’s top legal celebrities, to his team of lawyers to defend him in the US senate trial.
- About 30 protesters tried to enter the building housing the renowned Bouffes du Nord theatre after some people in the audience tweeted the presence of France’s first couple, presidential staff said.
- The woman was escorted to a public toilet at Hong Kong airport and told to urinate on a strip in November before being granted permission to board her Hong Kong Express flight to the US territory of Saipan.
- Johnson & Johnson said that although the court “appropriately reduced the excessive punitive damages award, we will continue to move ahead with an appeal of this verdict.”
- Congress MLA Munnalal Goyal staged a dharna against his own party’s government near the main gate of the Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly.
- The Congress this evening announced the first list of 54 candidates for Delhi Assembly elections scheduled for next month
- The Kerala government said it has not violated any rules as stated by Governor Arif Muhammed Khan, and no deliberate attempts have been made to challenge the authority of his office.
- BSP national spokesperson expressed disappointment over the comments passed by Union Minister Pratap Sarangi during a press conference yesterday.
- Sanjay Raut said the border dispute between Maharashtra and Karnataka was not about a piece of land, but a fight to preserve Marathi culture and language.
- Kerala became the first state to challenge the after it moved the Supreme Court to declare the law “violative of the principles of equality, freedom, and secularism enshrined in the Constitution”.
- The controversy began after chief minister Uddhav Thackeray announced a development fund of Rs 100 crore for Pathri area in Marathwada known to be the birthplace of Saibaba.
- This move by the government — expected to help about 65 lakh families in the state — brings an end to the existing practice of mandatory smart cards and other cards issued for health benefits.
- which seeks to give citizenship to non-Muslim minorities when entered India before December 31, 2014, from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh, should have been passed 70 years ago.
- Police in Jagatsinghpur district said M Kandaswami, who was posted as a head-constable in Indian Oil Corporation’s oil refinery in Paradip as head constable used to show his private parts to the girl.
- Kirori Mal college is conducting the recruitment drive to fill 65 vacancies of Assistant professors in various departments. Read on to know more.
- The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) administration has refuted some media reports claiming that there is discrimination against students and teachers belonging to Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) category in the varsity.
- Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has released the board exam admit cards for class 10 and class 12 students.
- An official spokesman of the varsity, however, said while Visva Bharati University Faculty Association claimed to have the support of around 300 teachers, they could not back it up and a room cannot be allotted to an organization having two-three members.
- The recruitment drive is being conducted to fill 94 vacancies of Assistant professors in various departments. Read on to know more.
- NPCIL is conducting the recruitment drive to fill 102 vacancies of scientific assistant and Technicians Grade ‘B’ at its Gorakhpur Haryana Anu Vidyut Pariyojna unit.
- Divyanshu Agarwal who got 100 percentile says that he gave more than seven to eight hours in self-studies and also took the help of the teachers of his institute located in Hisar, whenever he needs them.
- China’s GDP figure matches an AFP analyst forecast and is within Beijing’s official target of 6.0-6.5 percent. But last year’s growth was down from 6.6 percent in 2018.
- News Broadcasters Federation have met Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and requested that TV news channels be treated at par with the print media industry under GST regulations.
- Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said on January 18 that the goal of making India a USD 5 trillion economy by 2024 was “difficult but not impossible”.
- Bezos said he started Amazon in 1994 with the idea to build the world’s biggest book store and to be able to afford a forklift but never thought it would become so huge.
- India’s star wrestlers Bajrang Punia and Ravi Kumar Dahiya kicked off the Olympic year in style, winning a gold medal each in their respective weight categories at the Rome Ranking Series in Rome.
- Defending champions India, with five new IPL recruits in their ranks, will be the overwhelming favourites when they start their campaign against Sri Lanka in the ICC U-19 World Cup.
- Delhi Police chanced upon telephone conversations between Sanjay Chawla, a bookmaker and businessman, and South Africa cricket captain Hansie Cronje while probing a low-profile extortion case.
- Conor McGregor’s fighting ability in his return then all those concerns have been allayed by his performance in the UFC 246 main-event.
- Indian singer Suman Kalyanpur was chosen for the 2017 National Lata Mangeshkar Award of the state govt. of Madhya Pradesh(MP) while Indian Music composer Kuldeep Singh has been chosen for the same Mangeshkar award for the year 2018.
- Indian Senior Advocate Harish Salve has been appointed the Queen’s counsel for the courts of England and Wales.
- Ukrainian Prime Minister Oleksiy Honcharuk offered his resignation after an audio recording stating that he had criticized Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the President of Ukraine.
1. International News
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has rejected a resignation offer by Prime Minister Oleksiy Honcharuk over a leaked audiotape scandal.
- Brazil’s culture minister has been sacked after using parts of a speech by Nazi Germany’s propaganda chief Joseph Goebbels in a video, sparking outrage.
- President Donald Trump warned Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, to be “very careful with his words.”
- Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei hit out at Germany, France, and the UK for being the “errand boys of the US” who were not trustworthy and also mocked US officials as “clowns”.
- A rare 1937 Edward VIII sovereign coin has been bought by a private collector for 1 million pounds ($1.31 million), making it the most expensive British coin ever.
- Johnson & Johnson said that although the court “appropriately reduced the excessive punitive damages award, we will continue to move ahead with an appeal of this verdict.”
- Brooklyn federal court, Yaroslav Suris sued Pornhub, Redtube and YouPorn and their Canadian parent company MindGeek, arguing they violated an anti-discrimination law called the Americans with Disabilities Act.
- The Chinese economy grew at 6.1% in 2019, its lowest GDP growth in 29 years. Yet, China’s importance in the global economy cannot be overemphasized.
- Earlier this week, a discussion on Kashmir was taken up at the UNSC after China sought a “closed-door consultation” under “AOB” or “Any Other Business” at the UNSC after listed issues were discussed.
- The alleged recordings, which emerged this week, came from an informal December meeting between ministers and senior officials from the National Bank.
- Ayotollah Ali Khamenei said America had “cowardly” killed the most effective commander in the fight against the Islamic State group when it killed Gen. Qassem Soleimani in a U.S. airstrike in Baghdad.
- Iran’s initial denial of claims, based on US intelligence, that the Boeing 737 was hit by a missile sparked days of protests and international calls for a full and transparent investigation.
- Short interest in the stock, a measure of how many investors are betting on a price decline, is at 1%, near a 52-week high for the company and higher than competitors such as Microsoft and Facebook, according to Refinitv data.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi told the group of union ministers visiting Jammu and Kashmir to spread the message of development among the people not only in the urban areas but also in the villages of the Valley, sources said.
- YSR Congress party president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, a special court for Central Bureau of Investigation cases rejected his petition seeking postponement of money laundering cases filed against him by the Enforcement Directorate.
- Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Girish Chandra Murmu said protection of land and jobs for the locals would be ensured keeping in view the interest of the Union Territory.
- 10 Union ministers are scheduled to arrive in Jammu. On January 21, Union Minister, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi will lead another delegation of ministers to Kashmir.
- The development has come after the neighboring state of Uttar Pradesh gave a list of about 32,000 refugees to the Centre for granting them Indian citizenship.
- The burly men stood guard outside the room where a meeting chaired by the Congress’ Odisha unit chief Niranjan Patnaik and state in-charge Jitendra Singh was underway.
- Davinder Singh was intercepted when he was traveling on the national highway to Jammu along with two Hizbul Mujahideen commanders.
- Driven by fear that such information on their cards may be used against them and they may be deprived of their citizenship in the coming days, Muslims in Neemuch are refusing to show their documents.
- Guha, on the second day of the ongoing Kerala Literature Festival (KLF), spelled out other differences between the former Congress president and Prime Minister Modi.
- Ajay Chrungoo said this genocide was expressed through the Kill-one-and-scare-10 campaign initially followed by the destruction of Hindu habitat.
- Thailand detected its second case of the coronavirus. The latest patient was from China’s central city of Wuhan, which has reported 41 cases of pneumonia potentially linked to the new type of virus.
- Thailand detected its second case of the coronavirus. The latest patient was from China’s central city of Wuhan, which has reported 41 cases of pneumonia potentially linked to the new type of virus.
- The people cited in the first instance said the visit will be a stand-alone one, extend across three days, and will involve Trump visiting one Indian city apart from New Delhi.
- Jharkhand Academic Council (JAC) will release the admit card for class 12th board examination today.
- The Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS) has released the admit cards of selection test to admit students in Class IX against the vacant seats. The NVS admission test for class IX will be conducted on February 8, 2020.
- Central Selection Board of Constable (CSBC) Bihar has released the admit card for mobile squad constable examination. Candidates can download it at csbc.bih.nic.in
- The JEE advanced exam will be conducted on May 17, 2020. The exam will be conducted in two shifts.Paper 1 exam will be held from 9 am to 12 pm while paper 2 exam will be held from 2:30 pm to 5:30 pm.
- National Testing Agency (NTA) will begin the registration process for JEE Main April session exam 2020 on February 7, 2020.The last date to register for the exam will be March 7, 2020.
- Jharkhand Academic Council (JAC) will release the admit card for class 12th board examination today. The admit card can be downloaded online at jac.jharkhand.gov.in.
- The tax department on January 17 raised GST collection target to Rs 1.15 lakh crore over the next two months and Rs 1.25 lakh crore for March month by checking fraudulent input tax credit claims.
- NBFC sector continuing, economists at SBI on January 17 pitched for the Reserve Bank to play its role as the lender of last resort, something the central bank has avoided since the start of troubles in 2018.
- China’s GDP figure matches an AFP analyst forecast and is within Beijing’s official target of 6.0-6.5 per cent. But last year’s growth was down from 6.6 per cent in 2018.
- KL Rahul impressed one and all in the ongoing second One-Day International (ODI) against Australia with his all-round show in Rajkot.
- Mumbai City gave their top-four probability a massive boost with a 2-0 win over Bengaluru FC in an Indian Super League clash at the Mumbai Football Arena here.
- Eminent Sindhi writer Vasdev Mohi will be conferred with 29th Saraswati Samman. He has been selected for this prestigious literary award for his short stories collection- Chequebook.
- Senior IPS officer Manoj Shashidhar was appointed as the Joint Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), a Personnel Ministry order said.
- Indian Army’s Southern Command Chief, Lt Gen SK Saini will be the force’s new vice chief, taking charge a day before Republic Day, a top army official said.
1. International News
- Angolan billionaire Isabel dos Santos, who is embroiled in a huge financial scandal, has suggested that she may seek to become the country’s president.
- The 100 lawmakers of the US Senate were sworn in as jurors for the impending impeachment trial of President Donald Trump.
- The US Senate voted overwhelmingly to approve a new North American trade pact, handing President Donald Trump a second back-to-back trade win just as his impeachment trial was beginning in Washington.
- U.S Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will travel to Germany this weekend to attend the Libya conference and push for sustaining a fragile ceasefire and getting all foreign powers to withdraw from the conflict in the North African country, the State Department and U.S officials said.
- Iran’s initial denial of claims, based on US intelligence, that the Boeing 737 was hit by a missile sparked days of protests and international calls for a full and transparent investigation.
- Short interest in the stock, a measure of how many investors are betting on a price decline, is at 1%, near a 52-week high for the company and higher than competitors such as Microsoft and Facebook, according to Refinitv data.
- Two days after his inauguration, President Alejandro Giammattei said he had ordered Guatemala’s foreign secretary to recall the last person remaining in the country’s embassy in Venezuela’s capital and close the building.
- The offer is seen as an opportunity to open a window to an eventual peace deal that would allow the United States to bring home its estimated 13,000 troops and end the 18-year war in Afghanistan, America’s longest conflict.
- The five were charged with conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and the Export Control Reform Act.
- The United States and China, signed Phase 1 of a trade deal on Wednesday, putting on pause a two-year-long trade war that has shaken up the global economy.
- The book, ‘A Very Stable Genius’ by Philip Rucker and Carol Leonnig, highlights episodes of volatile behavior by the US President Donald Trump along with his ignorance of basic geography and history.
- Hours after signing Phase 1 of US-China trade deal, US Vice President Mike Pence in an interview said that the two global economic powers have already begun talks on the second phase of the deal.
- Congress is set to announce today its list of candidates for the upcoming Delhi polls. The candidates were finalized after a meeting of the Congress Election Committee late, the party’s Delhi unit president Subash Chopra said.
- The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in Jammu and Kashmir arrested Hilal Rather, son of National Conference leader and former finance minister Abdul Rahim Rather, in a bank fraud case involving Rs 177 core.
- More than 30,000 displaced Bru tribals from Mizoram, who have been living as refugees in Tripura since 1997, will permanently settle in Tripura, according to an agreement that was signed.
- Gehlot and Pilot have made comments against each other without taking each other’s names on several occasions.
- Wajahat Habibullah said the insurgency erupted and Pakistan, which has never been a friend of ours, incited and encouraged the separatist movement.
- China tagged Kashmir onto a UNSC meeting called to discuss “Peacekeeping in Mali” and tried to force an informal discussion in the “miscellaneous matter or any other matter” category.
- Supreme Court bench headed by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul sought an answer from the government on whether appointments on which there is unanimity between the government and the SC collegium can be finalized in six weeks.
- In 1990, thousands of people were shouting these slogans on the streets of Kashmir, from its mosques all over, while baying for the blood of the minority Hindus.
- Bresson clicked the Mahatma an hour before he was assassinated on January 30, 1948, and also took photographs of the funeral, capturing the grief of ordinary citizens.
- As things stand today, Amritsar district is losing ~30 crores it earned each month through the Attari-Wagah border trade.
- FASTags yet, and the data mainly highlights teething troubles in the digital payment method across national highways.
- The Act imposes restrictions on the agricultural economy by limiting quantities traders can buy from farmers and hold as stock.
- Institute of Chartered Accountants of India declared the result of CA final exam (old and new course)
- CBSE Class 10 board exams 2020 will be held from February 15 to March 20. The Science exam will be conducted on March 4.
- The classes for the next semester cannot happen unless the backlog of the previous semester is cleared, said the statement, adding that the JNUSU will coordinate with the JNUTA (JNU Teacher’s Association) to undertake parallel classes on various topics immediately.
- BSTET 2019 admit card will be released today, on January 17. The exam will be conducted on January 28, 2020. Here’s how to download the admit card.
- The Indian Coast Guard recruitment department has published the list of candidates who have been selected for the final medical examination at INS Chilka Navik (GD).
- SEBI absolved former NSE CEO, Ravi Narain and 8 others in the co-location case wherein brokers were alleged to have received preferential access to the trading systems of the bourse.
- China’s GDP figure matches an AFP analyst forecast and is within Beijing’s official target of 6.0-6.5 per cent. But last year’s growth was down from 6.6 per cent in 2018.
- The company will consider various factors, including youth unemployment rates and low household income, in deciding where to build them, and will give priority to economically distressed areas.
- A few precocious talents, hardworking teenagers and a chunky lot which might fall by the wayside in times to come will form an eclectic 16-team mix in the melting pot called ICC Under-19 World Cup starting.
- Defender Rupinder Pal Singh conceded that the next six months would be crucial for India as they will clash with the best in the business to know where they stand before the Olympics.
- Mohun Bagan, the oldest football club in Asia, and ATK, established in 2014, will form a new football club, it was announced.
- PV Sindhu suffered a 21-16, 16-21, 19-21 loss to Japan’s Sayaka Takahashi to crash out of the Indonesia Masters super 500 badminton tournament in the women’s singles second round.
- India’s “high power” communication satellite GSAT-30, aimed at providing high-quality television, telecommunications and broadcasting services, was successfully launched onboard Ariane 5 rocket from French Guiana in the early hours of Friday, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said.
1. International News
- Pakistan’s efforts to raise Jammu and Kashmir at the UN Security Council through China crumbled once again as most members of the top world body said it was not the place to discuss the issue, sources told NDTV.
- Articles of impeachment charging President Donald Trump with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress were delivered to the Senate, setting in motion a historic trial that threatens the US leader with removal from office.
- After nearly two years of conflict between the world’s two dominant economic powers, the United States and China signed a trade truce, letting businesses around the globe breathe a sigh of relief.
- Russia’s government resigned after President Vladimir Putin proposed a shake-up of the constitution, in a shock announcement that fuelled speculation about Putin’s future plans.
- Hours after signing Phase 1 of US-China trade deal, US Vice President Mike Pence in an interview said that the two global economic powers have already begun talks on the second phase of the deal.
- The United States and China, signed Phase 1 of a trade deal, putting on pause a two-year-long trade war that has shaken up the global economy.
- Like most corporate lawyers, Gadde generally operates in the background herself, though her influence has helped shape Twitter for most of the past decade.
- But the most difficult issues remain to be dealt with in “phase two” negotiations, including massive subsidies for state industry and forced technology transfer.
- The Federal Bureau of Investigation is seeking to unlock two iPhones involved in the case regarding the shooting of three Americans by a Saudi Air Force officer at the U.S. Naval Station in Pensacola, Florida.
- The year 2020 should be the year of implementation of the bilateral decisions taken by India and Russia last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said as he met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
- The Chinese Navy’s presence is rapidly increasing in the Indian Ocean region and the Indian Navy is keeping a watch over the developments through “mission-based” deployments, Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh said.
- The Centre told the Supreme Court they have accepted the recommendations of a special investigation team (SIT), headed by retired Delhi High Court.
- Land rights for the displaced Brus will be part of the agreement. In the last round of discussions, the Brus had refused the Center’s offer as land rights were not on the table.
- If proposed strike materializes, it will coincide with the beginning of the Budget session and presentation of Budget 2020-21.
- Seeking to sustain their campaign against the government over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the process of National Population Register (NPR) initiated by it, the Congress and 19 other opposition parties had urged the people to hold readings of the Preamble of the Constitution on the Republic Day.
- Tariq Iqbal and Zahoor Ahmed Khan, both residents of Lacchipura were on the road from Lachhipura to Bijhama village early Tuesday when they were hit by a snow slide and were soon extricated by the Indian Army.
- The MP flew kite with slogans emblazoned to support Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), scrapping of Article 370, Ram Temple on it high
- China, Pakistan’s ‘all-weather ally’, stood alone in the Pakistani corner to get the Security Council to focus on the Kashmir issue.
- Ravinder Raina was reelected in the presence of party election observers Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan and BJP National Secretary Tarun Chugh.
- More than 40% of India’s workforce is still employed in agriculture, according to data from the 2017-18 Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) conducted by the National Statistical Office (NSO).
- A combination of heavy snowfall and bitterly cold temperatures since Sunday left at least 76 people dead in the region.
- Punjab school education board has released the Punjab State Teacher Eligibility Test (PSTET) 2018 admit card today, January 15, 2020. Candidates who have registered for the examination can download their admit card online at pstet.net.
- National Board of Examination has declared the NEET MDS entrance examination result today, January 15, 2020.
- UPSC Recruitment 2020: Today is the last date to apply for intelligence officer posts. Engineering graduates or computer science graduates can apply. Check details here.
- “All examinations of the University have been postponed. New dates will be announced soon,” the varsity PRO Omar Saleem Peerzada said in a statement.
- The recent deaths of over 100 children in Kota, Rajasthan, were due to the lack of basic facilities, and the increasing need for India to raise its spending on social sectors to harness the benefits of the demographic bulge.
- Yes Bank needs to raise capital quickly to support its credit growth and stay compliant as per regulatory norms.
- Odisha FC strengthened their playoff hopes with a 2-1 win over Hyderabad FC in Indian Super League (ISL) at the GMC Balayogi Stadium in Hyderabad
- Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer admitted his decision to risk Marcus Rashford as a second half substitute “backfired” despite seeing his side progress to the fourth round of the FA Cup with a 1-0 win over Wolves.
- Virat Kohli says he is surprised at winning the ICC’s Spirit of Cricket Award after “years of being under the scanner for the wrong things”, referring to his past flare-ups.
- The four astronauts shortlisted for the Gaganyaan project, India’s first manned space mission, will receive training in Russia for 11 months, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said.
1. International News
- French film director Christophe Ruggia has been held in connection with allegations of sexual harassment made by award-winning actress Adèle Haenel.
- European powers have triggered a formal dispute mechanism over Iran’s breaches of key parts of the 2015 nuclear deal – a move that could spell its end.
- U.S. President Donald Trump threw his support, welcome or not, behind Democratic presidential contender Bernie Sanders in his back-and-forth with rival Elizabeth Warren, saying he did not believe Sanders would suggest a woman could not win the 2020 election.
- China’s leadership had made no secret of its desire to see President Tsai Ing-wen turfed out because she and her party refuse to acknowledge their view that the island is part of a “one China”.
- Indian trade negotiators will be watching the signing closely and will study the agreement carefully as they wrap up their own trade talks with American negotiators.
- Tensions between Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, two progressive US senators who are running for the Democratic nomination, have risen after a report that Sanders told Warren in 2018 that he did not believe a woman could beat Trump.
- Nicolas Maduro used his annual speech to the ruling Constituent Assembly to try to revive the controversial Petro that has been banned by the United States and labeled a “scam” by some risk rating bodies.
- The fake Fuehrer appeared at a classic motorcycle gathering in Augustusburg, near Chemnitz, and was seen in videos of the event posted online.
- The decision came in a currency report, rolling back a move made last August by US treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin amid heightened trade tensions between the US and China.
- India’s diplomatic corps set out to address questions and concerns from their international counterparts on controversial decisions such as the bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir into union territories and revoking its special status guaranteed under Article 370 or the passage of the Citizenship (Amendment Bill)
- On Army Day today, Indian Army’s Captain Tania Shergil became the first woman parade adjutant in Army Day Parade this year to lead an all-men contingent.
- Despite the opposition against National Population Register (NPR) – a biometric database of ordinary residents of India – preparations are on in full swing to update it. Enumerators are being trained to collect data and a “pre-test” or pilot project has already started.
- The Delhi government’s recommendation to the Home Ministry comes less than 24 hours after Mukesh Singh appealed to Rashtrapati Bhavan to spare him from the gallows
- This was the first meeting between the two scions after their parties joined hands to form a government in Maharashtra.
- The encounter took place in Gondana belt of the district on specific information, PRO, Defence, Jammu, Lt Col Devender Anand said.
- The special team’s report, which has not been made public, is reported to have criticised the state machinery for its handling of the riots and the criminal cases that had been filed by victims.
- The government had initially said that updation of NPR would be followed by a NRC wherein individuals are supposed to prove their citizenship either by birth or by naturalisation.
- Institute of Chartered Accountants of India is expected to declare the result of CA final exam (old and new course) on January 16 or 17, 2020.
- The Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) is expected to release the admit cards for Punjab State Teacher Eligibility Test (PSTET) 2018 on Wednesday, January 15, 2020. PSTET 2018 exam is scheduled to be held on January 19, 2020.
- The benchmark Sensex closed at an all-time high of 41,952 as the US and China were scheduled to sign a partial trade deal later this week.
- At the end of his talk, the Infosys co-founder promptly left the stage, only to be called again as Bezos personally came on stage to hand over a token of appreciation to Murthy.
- Diagnosed with a concussion, wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant will not travel with the Indian team to Rajkot for the second ODI against Australia.
- The last time a player outside of the Big Three of Federer, Nadal and Djokovic laid his hands on a Grand Slam title was Stan Wawrinka, at the 2016 US Open. It’s been 12 Grand Slams of renewed dominance of the familiar trio.
- Michael Debabrata Patra has been appointed as Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). After the resignation of Viral V Acharya the post was lying vacant from July 2019.
- Senior IPS officer Alok Singh took charge as the first commissioner of police of the newly-formed Gautam Buddh Nagar Commissionerate.
1. International News
- Victims of an Iran-downed jetliner would still be alive if not for a recent escalation of tensions partly triggered by the United States, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said.
- US Senator Cory Booker, the last African-American candidate with a realistic shot at the Democratic presidential nomination, dropped out of the race Monday, blaming a lack of funds and saying he saw no path to victory.
- The United States removed the currency manipulator label it imposed on China last summer, in a sign of easing tensions between the two economic powers after nearly two years of conflict.
- The United States will send 21 Saudi military trainees back to the Gulf kingdom after an investigation into the fatal shooting of three American sailors last month, the Justice Department announced.
- In August, a sharp escalation of the China-US trade war sank the yuan under the key 7-per-dollar level for the first time since the 2008-09 global financial crisis.
- Aboriginal leaders in South Australia state said extremely large herds of the non-native camels had been driven towards rural communities by drought and extreme heat, causing a threat to the communities.
- Iran for days denied Western claims based on US intelligence that the airliner had been downed by a missile before acknowledging that version was correct.
- The arrests are the first to have been announced since the Ukraine International Airlines plane was brought down by a missile shortly after take-off from Tehran before dawn on January 8.
- The victim was identified as the 23-year-old third-year Drexel College of Medicine student Vivek Subramani. He was found by his friends face down in a pool of blood and unresponsive.
- Cool weather over recent days has already given some respite for exhausted firefighters. Heavy rain is forecasted for some of the hotspots in the states of New South Wales and Victoria.
- Footage showed people at a bus stop running from the collapsing road, as the bus -- jutting into the air -- sank halfway into the ground.
- However, Trudeau has been careful to avoid blaming U.S. President Donald Trump for the deaths of the passengers after Trump ordered the killing of Gen. Qassem Soleimani in a U.S. airstrike in Baghdad.
- The complainant said that her worried mother requested the captain to not be rude, to which he replied that his job was to fly and not be polite to passengers.
- Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif will arrive in New Delhi today on a three-day visit to India amid spiraling tension between the Middle East country and the United States.
- Singh was arrested on a charge of terror links after the state police intercepted his car on the national highway and arrested him along with two terrorists traveling with him.
- The sources say the police, which received a lot of criticism after the Jamia incident, have been asked to use dialogue to end the impasse at Shaheen Bagh.
- On the morning of Magh Bihu, the temporary ‘bhela ghors’ and ‘mejis’ are set on fire with offerings of ‘laru’ and ‘pitha’ (traditional sweets), thanking the gods for a good harvest.
- Development of the technology was supported by India’s apex medical research body, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
- Following the arrest of DSP Davindar Singh, Adhir Ranjan Choudhury demanded a ‘fresh look’ in the Pulwama attack in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed in February last year.
- The Congress-led Opposition parties have asked non-BJP states to adopt a resolution against conducting the National Population Register.
- The government, by applying international standards, estimates that about six to eight per cent of country’s population is affected by a rare disease.
- The Delhi High Court said that authorities must take a decision keeping in mind the larger public interest and the issue of maintaining law and order situation.
- A candidate who had taped earphones to his vest to cheat during Bihar Police Examination was caught by the authorities and was later handed over to the police.
- India’s retail inflation print for December came at 7.35 percent, according to data released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) on January 13. December CPI core inflation came in at 3.7 percent.
- Eminent economist Amit Bhaduri has given up emeritus professorship at Jawaharlal Nehru University, alleging mishandling of the current situation by the university administration.
- La Liga leaders Barcelona have chalked up a victory over rivals Real Madrid after establishing a record gap between first and second place in the latest Deloitte Football Money League.
- The man who racially abused England bowler Jofra Archer during a Test against New Zealand was banned from international and domestic matches in New Zealand for two years.
- A five-year-old boy Aashman Taneja has made a Guinness world record in Taekwondo for the most full contact knee strikes in one-hour non-stop.
- Malta’s governing party has elected a new leader Robert Abela as 14th prime minister of Malta. He replaces Joseph Muscat, who resigned over the murder of a journalist.
- Haitham bin Tariq Al Said (66) was appointed as the new ruler of the Oman after the death of Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said who ruled the country from 1970.
- Portuguese motorcycle rider Paulo Goncalves passed away after a crash in the seventh stage of the 42th edition of Dakar Rally 2020 which was held for the first time in Saudi Arabia.
1. International News
- China recently made a new addition to its already impressive inventory of high-speed trains with a driverless smart bullet train.
- Iran signaled it favors a de-escalation after 10 days of heightened tensions with the United States during which both sides fired missiles and Tehran accidentally shot down a passenger aircraft.
- Two World War II-era bombs were made safe in the western German city of Dortmund after around 14,000 people were evacuated, the city said.
- Iran’s only female Olympic medallist has said on social media she had left her homeland because she had had enough of being used by its authorities as a propaganda tool.
- The post, which has since been deleted, was subject to a ‘prompt and thorough investigation’ by Babson College, also Asheen Phansey’s alma mater.
- A flurry of hundreds of small quakes began hitting Puerto Rico on Dec. 28, and a magnitude 5.8 jolt hit on Jan. 6. This drew comparisons to Hurricane Maria of 2017, which devastated the island.
- Yusaku Maezawa, who recently announced his break-up with a Japanese actress, is accepting applications from “single women aged 20 or over” who want to enjoy life to the fullest.
- Speaking at the Chinese New Year celebrations here, Weidong said the two countries will work together to enhance mutual understanding and friendship.
- Security forces stepped up their patrols as protesters, many of them students, came out in force in Tehran’s landmark Azadi Square and at Shahid Beheshti University, as well as in several regional cities.
- The brick-and-mortar exit comes after a decade of struggle in India, whose government has repeatedly stymied global consumer brands in order to protect local store-owners.
- US Defence Secretary Mark Esper, however, said Trump was still willing to “sit down and discuss without precondition a new way forward” with Iran, although Tehran has steadfastly refused to hold talks with Washington unless it lifts sanctions first.
- A majority of US airmen stationed at the Al-Balad airbase north of Baghdad had already left, the military sources said, following tensions between the US and Iran over the last two weeks.
- Trump’s salvo came as Iran’s Islamic regime faced a challenge from angry street protests, having come to the brink of war with the US with a series of tit-for-tat confrontations.
- Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) vice-chancellor Tariq Mansoor has sought extra security from the state authorities for himself and his family before the university reopens after month-long winter vacations, citing threats from “lumpen elements and outsiders”.
- The enumerator for the National Population Register, or NPR 2020, is likely to ask residents about their mother tongue while updating the database from April 2020
- Narendra Modi’ written by Jai Bhagwan Goyal, a former Sena worker, was released in the BJP’s headquarters in New Delhi on Sunday, stirring a political controversy as the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party also questioned the comparison.
- Karti Chidambaram is facing criminal cases being probed by ED and CBI. One of the cases relates to the Foreign Investment Promotion Board clearance to INX Media for receiving foreign funds of Rs 305 cr when his father P Chidambaram was the Union finance minister.
- Ghosh had also criticized chief minister Mamata Banerjee for not opening fire and ordering lathicharge on those destroying railway property and public transport during the anti-CAA protests.
- Nitish Kumar and his party had supported the Citizenship Amendment Act in Parliament’s Winter session in December last year.
- The plea said they had sent representations to Delhi Police for preserving the footage and other relevant evidence but no response was obtained.
- The Shiv Sena, in an editorial in its mouthpiece Saamana, said the government should give a tight slap those who are talking about the country’s division by including Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) in India.
- The petition has been filed by three professors of JNU who say in the absence of direction from the court, the data may not be properly preserved.
- All Opposition parties had been active in opposing the CAA and NRC. But this is the first time that they are meeting in a bid to formulate a joint strategy.
- The senior leader also criticized chief minister Mamata Banerjee “for not opening fire and ordering lathi charge” on those destroying railway property and public transport during the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests in the state in December.
- The Chadar Trek or the Zanskar Gorge is a winter trail in the Zanskar. Traditionally the only means of travel in the area during the harsh winter months, the trail has become popular with adventure tourists.
- The Maharashtra State Common Entrance Test (CET) Cell has begun the online application process for MAH MBA CET 2020.
- IIT-Jodhpur has announced it will offer MBA course at its new ‘School of Management & Entrepreneurship’ in the academic session beginning in July 2020.
- The Jawaharlal Nehru University extended the date for the winter semester registration till January 15.
- Python dominated the top 10 list with courses like ‘Programming for Everybody’, ‘Python Data Structures’, ‘Python for Data Science and AI’ and more. Read on to know more.
- JPSC admit card: Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) has released the admit card for Combined Engineering Services recruitment preliminary examination 2020.
- After rallying 293.69 points to a record peak of 41,893.41, the 30-share BSE index was trading 248.57 points or 0.60 per cent higher at 41,848.29.
- The proposed legislation, which aims for expeditious resolution of stressed financial institutions, including banks and insurance firms, is expected to be introduced in the Budget session of Parliament after cabinet approves it, according to an official.
- In one of the conversations, a Boeing executive is recorded as stating, “The DCGA in India is apparently even stupider, if that’s a word. I am drinking obviously.”
- Passenger car sales fell to 1.81 million in 2019 from 2.24 million in 2018. Sales of sport-utility vehicles (SUVs), however, rose 5% helped by the launch of new models, data released by SIAM showed.
- Indian importers will now naturally look at substitute markets, such as Indonesia, Nepal, Ukraine and Argentina, an official said.
- Defending champion Novak Djokovic insisted there are no clear favourites for the next week’s Australian Open despite his ominous start to the season.
- India will host Australia in the first ODI at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai on Tuesday.
- Steve Smith and David Warner are expected to face a tough challenge against the formidable Indian bowling line-up led by the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami.
- Badminton world number one Kento Momota was injured and his driver was killed in a crash near Kuala Lumpur .
- Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting believes Team India will be keen to "redeem themselves" but Aaron Finch's men will be able to beat the hosts.
- Jasprit Bumrah received the highest prize of Indian cricket – the prestigious Polly Umrigar Award for the best international cricketer (2018-19) at the BCCI Annual Awards in Mumbai.
1. International News
- Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison has expressed regret over his handling of the bushfire crisis ravaging the country.
- Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen has secured a second term after sweeping to victory in an election dominated by the island’s relationship with China.
- US President Donald Trump warned Iran against cracking down on protests that broke out after it admitted shooting down an airliner by mistake, killing all 176 people aboard.
- The EU’s air safety agency on Saturday advised airlines to avoid flying over Iran, after Tehran admitted mistakenly shooting down a passenger jet, killing 176 people.
- “To the brave, long-suffering people of Iran: I’ve stood with you since the beginning of my Presidency, and my Administration will continue to stand with you,” Trump tweeted.
- “The arrest of our ambassador in Tehran without grounds or explanation is a flagrant violation of international law,” Raab said in a statement after the detention of Rob Macaire.
- Boeing board Chairman David Calhoun will take over as CEO. He is a former General Electric and Nielsen executive with a reputation as a turnaround specialist.
- The boat sank off Cesme, a popular tourist resort in western Turkey opposite the Greek island of Chios, Anadolu said, adding that eight others were rescued.
- The death of a patient coincided with the beginning of China’s annual travel rush on Friday for the CNY holidays comprising some 3 billion trips in 2020.
- North Korean Foreign Ministry adviser Kim Kye Gwan repeated the North’s deep frustrations over stalled nuclear negotiations with the Trump administration.
- The JJP, which is in alliance with the BJP in Haryana, on Saturday announced that it will contest the Delhi assembly elections but put the ball in the saffron party’s court on the question of alliance.
- Union Home Minister Amit Shah today inaugurated the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) and also dedicated the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal to the nation today. This state-of-the-art Centre is located in New Delhi.
- In partnership with NITI Aayog, the International Energy Agency (IEA) today released the first in-depth review of India’s energy policies.
- Union Home Minister Amit Shah unveiled over five lakh postcards written by the residents of Ahmedabad to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, thanking him for the Citizenship Amendment Act.
- Kishor, who has criticized his own party over its support to the citizenship act, had targeted the Congress in December last year questioned the absence of Congress brass in the protests against CAA and the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC).
- Officials said they are confident of successfully bringing down the two 17-storeyed residential buildings—Jain Coral Cove with 122 flats and Golden Kayaloram with 40 flats—after Saturday’s glitch-free controlled implosions.
- Amid widespread protests in the country against the citizenship amendment act (CAA), Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the political parties of misleading the people.
- People shopping at the Market Building were left shocked when about 25 masked men armed with iron rods and sticks went on a rampage vandalizing handcarts and kiosks of vendors.
- IT ministry official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the culpability of intermediaries could be one of the rethinks in the draft rules after the ministry held wide consultations.
- IT ministry official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the culpability of intermediaries could be one of the rethinks in the draft rules after the ministry held wide consultations.
- Uttarkashi, all the students aged 18-21, studying in an Industrial Training Institute center, were heading home when they got stuck amid heavy snowfall.
- The 28-year-old deceased man hailed from Bihar and worked as a mechanic at Dalmia Refractories of Rajgangpur.
- The court was hearing a plea by the producers of the film, challenging a trial court order of January 9 which had directed them to give credits to Bhat. When contacted, the producers’ lawyer refused to comment.
- Indian Maritime University has declared the IMU Common Entrance Test 2020 result on its official website. Candidates who have appeared in the IMU CET examination can check their results online at imu.edu.in.
- Haryana Board of school education has declared the Haryana teacher’s eligibility test 2019 on its official website. Candidates who have appeared in the HTET 2019 level 1, 2 and 3 examinations can check their results online at bseh.org.in.
- Students who fought the Emergency had to face arrests, jail terms, expulsions, and disciplinary actions. The SFI had brought out quite a few leaflets in the name of “The Resistance”. Read on to know more.
- In a letter to the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Aligarh, Mansoor has sought security for him and his family in view of the threats issued by anti-social elements. Read on to know more.
- In a historic first, the Army last year began the process of inducting women in the military police, nearly two years after Army Chief General Bipin Rawat said women will be recruited as Jawans.
- India’s industrial output grew 1.8 percent in November 2019 against a contraction of 3.8 percent in October 2019, as per data on the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) released by the government on January 10.
- US job growth slowed more than expected in December, but the pace of hiring likely remains sufficient to keep the longest economic expansion in history on track despite a deepening downturn in a manufacturing sector stung by trade disputes.
- India is heavily dependant on oil imports from West Asia. Its top three suppliers in 2018-19 are from the area: Iraq, with about 46.6 million tonnes (MT) in 2018-19, is the number one supplier, followed by Saudi Arabia (40.3 MT) and the UAE (17.5 MT). Kuwait supplied 10.8 MT.
- Odisha FC toppled Mumbai City FC 2-0 to make it three wins out of three at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar.
- Serena Williams delivered a masterclass in her semi-final at the WTA Auckland Classic, needing only 43 minutes to down rising star Amanda Anisimova and set up a showdown against Jessica Pegula.
- Merck Young Scientist Awards 2019 in chemical science, instituted by Merck was announced in Bengaluru in Karnataka.
- Dr.Bipul Bihari Saha of Hyderabad, India has been elected as a bureau member of the IUPAC(International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry) for the period 2020-23.
1. International News
- Iran says its military “unintentionally” shot down a Ukrainian passenger jet, killing all 176 people on board, Iran’s state TV reports.
- A Ukrainian aircraft which crashed earlier this week in Iran had flown close to a sensitive military site belonging to the elite Revolutionary Guards and was shot down unintentionally due to human error, the Iranian military said in a statement read on state TV.
- A Russian navy ship “aggressively approached” a U.S. Navy destroyer in the North Arabian Sea, the U.S. Navy’s Bahrain-based Fifth Fleet said in a statement.
- Governor Greg Abbott of Texas became the first governor in the country to refuse to accept refugees after President Donald Trump signed an executive order empowering local jurisdictions to consent to the federal program.
- Tehran admitted that it accidentally downed the Ukraine International Airlines (UIA) plane, killing all 176 people on board, shortly after launching missiles at bases hosting US forces in Iraq.
- North Korean Foreign Ministry adviser Kim Kye Gwan repeated the North’s deep frustrations over stalled nuclear negotiations with the Trump administration.
- The jetliner, a Boeing 737 operated by Ukrainian International Airlines, went down on the outskirts of Tehran during takeoff just hours after Iran launched a barrage of missiles at US forces.
- The assistance is now being prolonged for six months and deliveries will be made from only from two points along Syria’s border with Turkey.
- Dozens of female protesters banged percussion instruments and performed a new Chilean song that rails against sexual violence and has recently gone viral around the world.
- After a blustery night that saw a series of massive infernos in New South Wales and Victoria states merge into a mega-blaze four times the size of Greater London, temperatures dropped and rain fell on fire-scarred regions.
- The 2015 Paris agreement saw nations commit to limiting global warming to two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels as a way of curbing the worst impacts of global warming.
- The Counter-Terrorism Department has registered 23 FIRs against Saeed and his accomplices on the charges of terror financing in different cities of Punjab province and arrested him on July 17.
- “I can reveal that I believe it would have been four embassies,” Trump said in an excerpt of an interview due to air later on Fox News.
- Bangladesh Deputy Foreign Minister Shahriar Alam has cancelled his visit to India, sources said today
- The Kohli-led squad had shown reluctance to play with a pink ball in the previous series but having finally made their Day-Night debut at home in November, it would be difficult to say no to a game under lights in Australia.
- Protests had started in different parts of Kolkata hours before the Prime Minister’s arrival, especially along the route his convoy is going to take.
- The curative pleas were filed in the Supreme Court on Thursday by Vinay Sharma (26) and Mukesh Kumar (32), two of the four death-row convicts.
- A tribal man from a hamlet in Wada taluka of neighboring Palghar district had lodged a complaint against the duo at Napoli police station in Thane district on Friday evening, after which the offense was registered.
- Kumar’s comments a day after Delhi Police said 9 students, including JNU students’ union president Aishe Ghosh and several students from Left-wing groups, were behind the January 5 violence.
- The carrier which is currently deployed in the Arabian Sea has the naval version of the MiG 29 on board. The carrier has a capacity for 30 aircraft.
- The demand for dual citizenship for Sri Lankan Tamil refugees living in several camps across Tamil Nadu and outside has gained momentum in the wake of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.
- The Maradu apartment complexes, spread on at least 800,000 square feet, was brought down four months after the Supreme Court ordered the demolition of four residential buildings after several rounds of litigation.
- Under the government scheme of public disclosure of UPSC marks, which came into force in 2017, more than 6,000 candidates have agreed to share their scores in public.
- Yes Bank has rejected $1.2 billion of outside investment and will launch a $1.4 billion share sale, it said after a board member’s resignation cast more doubt on the troubled lender’s future and sent its stock down 5 per cent.
- The Reserve Bank of India on Friday unveiled the five year (2019-24) National Strategy for Financial Inclusion to include all, particularly poor and underprivileged class, under formal access to finance – a key goal of the government.
- Argentine tennis player Juan Martin Del Potro will miss the Australian Open later this month because of persistent problems with his injured knee, tournament organisers said.
- With his “best ever year” behind, B Sai Praneeth is focused on just one target— qualifying for the Olympics.
- Chhapaak from entertainment tax, the Madhya Pradesh government kept the political pot boiling by announcing to honour actor Deepika Padukone during the International Indian Film Academy Awards (IIFA Awards)
- Agri-cooperative leader and Rajya Sabha MP (Member of Parliament) Chandra Pal Singh Yadav, Uttar Pradesh constituency has been re-elected unanimously as Chairman of Krishak Bharati Cooperative Limited (KRIBHCO).
1. International News
- US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she could “soon” send articles of impeachment to the Senate for President Donald Trump’s upcoming trial.
- US lawmakers concerned about rushing to war with Iran adopted a measure aimed at reining in President Donald Trump’s ability to take military action against the Islamic republic.
- President Donald Trump likes to boast that he has a talent for coining nicknames. He unveiled what he called a “beautiful” acronym for NATO deployments in the Middle East NATOME.
- Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said multiple intelligence sources indicate that Iran shot down a Ukrainian airliner after it took off from Tehran, killing all 176 onboard, including 63 Canadians.
- The couple in an initial statement said they hoped to become financially independent and set up a new charity while continuing some royal duties. Exactly how they will combine private work and royal duties remains unclear.
- The risk of allegations of potentially conflicting interests, cashing in, failure or financial ruin seem tricky pitfalls to avoid for the couple willingly who ousted from the monarchy. A look into some of the other royal members who followed the same path.
- Citing information from allies as well as Canada’s own intelligence, Trudeau said the plane appeared to have been hit by an Iranian surface-to-air (SAM) missile.
- Canada citing threats to her life in Pakistan. It is believed she has close links with a number of political figures.
- A person briefed on the matter confirmed the NTSB had agreed to take part but said it was unclear what if anything its representative would be able to do under U.S. sanctions.
- The US had postponed planned tariff hikes following the announcement of the deal’s “Phase One” in October. However, earlier punitive duties imposed by China and the US on billions of dollars of each other’s goods stayed in place, affecting global trade.
- Iran denied the reports that a missile had caused the crash, in which all 176 people aboard died when the plane went down soon after takeoff near Tehran.
- The source of the rocket that hit Iraqi base housing US troops is unknown, police sources said. It caused no casualties. Dujail is 50 km (30 miles) north of Baghdad. Balad base is about 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of Baghdad.
- The Brexit bill was approved after three days of debate that brought none of the frayed tempers, late-night sessions and knife-edge votes that marked previous rounds of Brexit wrangling over the past year.
- Beijing usually refers to the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region’s (XUAR) border with PoK as a border with Pakistan-administered Kashmir; it is the only so-called border it has with Pakistan.
- Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 disappeared from radar screens at 8,000 feet, and witnesses said they saw it on fire in the air, according to Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization.
- European Council president Charles Michel spoke with President Hassan Rouhani ahead of a meeting of EU foreign affairs ministers on Friday to assess the rising tensions between the US and Iran.
- U.S. and European government sources said they believed Iran had deliberately sought to avoid U.S. military casualties in its missile strikes to prevent an escalation.
- Visakhapatnam to host naval exercise ‘MILAN’ in March 2020
- Gujarat and Eight North-Eastern states to celebrate Madhavpur Mela of Gujarat on 2nd April 2020
- Home ministry issues revised guidelines for mutual legal assistance treaties
- EC of India and Mauritius renewed MoU on cooperation in electoral management
- CCI report: ‘Market Study on E-commerce in India: Key Findings and Observations’ released.
- Indian Railways installs IP based Video Surveillance System in railway stations to enhance the security
- NCRB 2018: 50lac crimes registered & is 1.3% more than 2017; UP tops in the economic offense
- EIU survey 2015-20: 3 of world’s 10 fastest-growing cities in Kerala; Malappuram tops the list
- Henley Passport Index 2020: India ranks 84th with most powerful passport list; Japan tops
- SBI announces new ‘RBBG’ scheme; SBI & Sunteck Realty Limited signed MoU on RBBG scheme
- Andhra Pradesh govt and Kfw inks a loan agreement for Rs.711 crore under ZBNF
- Dhankhar’s invitation in a tweet has come amid the numerous spats with Mamata Banerjee since he appointed as the constitutional head of the state in July last year.
- There have been many incidents of a verbal clash between Jagdeep Dhankhar and Mamata Banerjee over several issues, including law and order situation in the state to the running of universities.
- Trials in fast-track courts – set up in several states to allow quick trials in cases of serious crimes such as rape – take longer than those in regular courts, according to data in the Crime in India report released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) this week.
- The Trump administration’s point person for South and Central Asia, Alice G Wells, will visit India next week for a series of bilateral meetings and the Raisina Dialogue in Delhi, officials here said.
- Delhi topped the crime chart over 18 other metropolitan cities, with over two lakh such incidents reported in the national capital in 2018, according to data released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).
- The Rajasthan Eligibility Exam for Teachers, popularly referred to as REET, will be held on August 2.
- Madras High Court seeking a direction to the state government to reserve a minimum 5 per cent of seats in all government medical colleges to students who have studied in Tamil medium and passed the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET).
- The Jamia Millia Islamia University, which had declared winter vacation till January 5 and cancelled exams, welcomed students with ‘Best of Luck’ banners.
- SNAP Result 2019 will be declared today. SNAP test 2019 was conducted on December 15, 2019. Candidates who had appeared for the SNAP test 2019 will be able to check their results online at snaptest.org.
- Madras High Court seeking a direction to the state government to reserve a minimum 5 per cent of seats in all government medical colleges to students who have studied in Tamil medium and passed the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET).
- The move could well allow these intellectually disabled kids to soon get enrolled in government-run primary and upper primary schools of the state, say officials.
- Hit hard by the exodus of about 15,000 employees in the last nine months, leading private lender Axis Bank has gone on a hiring drive by adding 28,000 employees on a gross basis to support its expansion drive into the Tier-II and III towns.
- Shriram Transport raises USD 500 mn: The company has successfully priced a USD 500 million Fixed Rate Senior Secured 144A / Reg S Bond for a 3.5 year tenor at 5.100%.
- Delta Corp share price added nearly 5 percent in the morning trade on January 10 after a subsidiary of the company got a licence for a casino in Nepal.
- Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) in consultation with the mutual fund industry is planning to revise fund categorisation into largecap, midcap and smallcap stocks, sources told Moneycontrol.
- Serena Williams wore down a tenacious Laura Siegemund to make the WTA Auckland Classic semi-finals, as the 23-time Grand Slam winner chases her first title in two years.
- Atletico Madrid sprung a surprise in the Spanish Super Cup by staging a thrilling comeback to beat Barcelona 3-2 and set up a final against Real Madrid.
- ‘The Beast Incarnate’ might be a top superstar for WWE and a favourite of chairman Vince McMahon but he is one of the most polarising wrestlers in the WWE landscape.
- The Airports Authority of India (AAI) announced that four airports in the country have managed a transition from level 1 to level 2 with a reduction in the carbon emissions by grading their systems as per the Airports Council International (ACI).
- Indian born-author Jasbinder Bilan’s (UK resident) debut novel ‘Asha and the Spirit Bird’ focussing on readers of age range 9 years and above,beat the competition and named as the winner of 2019 UK(United Kingdom) children’s book award named Costa Children’s Award.
- State-owned Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO) has appointed M Nagaraj as company’s Chairman and Managing Director(CMD) for a period of 3 months.
1. International News
- US President Donald Trump has said Iran “appears to be standing down” after it fired missiles at airbases housing US forces in Iraq.
- The UK and the EU will remain the “best of friends” but they will “not be as close as before” after Brexit, the new European Commission president has said.
- Iran’s missile strikes on Iraqi bases where the US and other foreign troops are based, saying he feared “dangerous developments” in the region.
- A Ukrainian airliner crashed soon after taking off from Tehran’s Imam Khomeini airport, killing all 176 people aboard, Iran’s state television and Ukraine’s leaders said.
- Most of the other 32 nations polled felt low to very low confidence in the American president’s ability to do the right thing.
- The attack came nearly 24 hours after Tehran launched ballistic missiles at Iraqi bases housing American and other coalition forces in retaliation for the US killing top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani.
- Trump also announced new economic sanctions against Iran and vowed, once again, to prevent it from acquiring nuclear weapons.
- Iran’s missile attack on US bases in Iraq was retaliation after the U.S. killed its top general in a drone strike last week, in a move that was seen as destabilizing the Middle East.
- Actor Leonardo DiCaprio recently helped locate and save the life of the man who fell overboard from a cruise ship.
- Trump was addressing the nation after Iran launched ballistic missiles at Iraqi bases housing US troops. Iran’s attack was the most audacious on America since the seizure of the US Embassy in Tehran in 1979.
- The remarks came hours after Iran fired a wave of missiles at Iraqi bases housing US troops in retaliation for the assassination of Qasem Soleimani.
- Iran launched the missiles early in response to the killing of senior Revolution Guards commander Qasem Soleimani in a US drone strike in Iraq last week.
- The Arabian Sea region is strategically important for India as major ports including Kandla, Okha, Mumbai, Nhava Sheva (Navi Mumbai), Mormugão, New Mangalore, and Kochi are located there.
- When Master Chief Petty Officer (musician) Vincent Johnson marches down Rajpath during the Republic Day parade on January 26, he will have the rare distinction of taking part in the spectacular parade for the 16th time.
- Rajasthan chief secretary shortlisted two aviation firms for buying new multi-engine turbofan (jet) engine airplane worth Rs 200 crore for state dignitaries, said a senior official, privy to the development on the condition of anonymity.
- Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren announced that the state administration has recommended dropping the sedition charges slapped against 3,000 people for taking part in a protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in Wasseypur area.
- The Navy’s Republic Day tableau will showcase the country’s first indigenous aircraft carrier Vikrant with MiG-29K aircraft, Kalvari submarines and depict the force’s humanitarian assistance during the Maharashtra floods last year.
- Swapan Dasgupta, Visva Bharati vice-chancellor Bidyut Chakrabarty, some faculty members, staff and local BJP leaders accompanying the BJP MP had to stay inside a room for four hours after the seminar ended with students staging an agitation outside.
- Speaking on the protests against the violence in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), vice-chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar said that one needs to hear both sides and then make a judgment.
- As per the party’s constitution, any 20 members of the electoral college of a state can jointly propose any person who has been an active member for four terms and has 15 years of membership, for the post of national president.
- India section, the World Bank said tighter credit conditions in the non-banking sector are contributing to a substantial weakening of the domestic demand in the country.
- A controversy erupted when the official website of the state assembly cited the chief minister as holding the charge of the CID.
- The case came to light after the victim’s father approached the police saying she did not return from the school.
- Attorney general KK Venugopal, representing CBI, told the court that all 35 girls have been traced and that the bones recovered from the premises of the shelter home belong to two adults and not children.
- The trooper, Amol Kharat, has been admitted to a local hospital even as no First Information Report has been lodged in the case.
- KK Venugopal, representing CBI, told the court that all 35 girls have been traced and that the bones recovered from the premises of the shelter home belong to two adults and not children.
- The Najeeb case was eventually transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) after the crime branch investigation failed to make any headway.
- Some local people alleged that they saw a civic police volunteer vandalizing the cars. Congress legislator from Sujapur, Isha Khan Chowdhury, called the media and showed the video shortly after the arson.
- Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) students and teachers have filed a petition in the Allahabad High Court, seeking probe into the role of the district administration, paramilitary forces and varsity administration in the December 15 violence that had left 70 people injured.
- Ministry of Skill Development And Entrepreneurship has released the e-NTC and Semester wise Mark-sheets of trainees on its official website.
- IIM-B students highlighted that institutions of learning are sacred spaces meant to foster diverse perspectives to encourage independent thinking in a peaceful way. Read on to know more...
- The Centre has decided to lower the quota from existing 50 percent to 33 percent for local officers from state services to IAS, IPS and Indian Forest Service in Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.
- The protesters began their protest march from the Institute of Management Development and Research (IMDR) and ended at the main gate of Fergusson College. Read on to know more...
- Higher Education Secretary Amit Khare and G C Hosur had a meeting with JNU VC at the Ministry today about the efforts being made to restore normalcy on campus.
- The chief minister emphasized the need of education for the deprived tribal population of Mayurbhanj district and hoped the newly set up institute will usher in a transformation in tribal population in order to bring them into the national mainstream.
- State Bank of India (SBI) on January 7 announced the Residential Builder Finance with Buyer Guarantee (RBBG) scheme, which will issue a guarantee of completion for select residential projects to its home loan customers, PTI reported.
- SoftBank Group Corp is in talks to sell a majority stake in its renewables joint venture in India as it aims to raise cash amid global investment setbacks, India’s Economic Times daily reported.
- The apex court stayed the October 17, 2019 judgment of the Bombay high court which granted relief to Adani by quashing the letters rogatory (LRs) sent to various countries, including Singapore seeking details of the group’s coal imports from Indonesia.
- The government could approve transfer of Air India’s debt—currently more than Rs 60,000 crore—to a special purpose vehicle (SPV).
- Following no fresh escalation in the US-Iran tussle, the Sensex recovered and NSE Nifty reclaimed 12,000 level as crude oil prices also eased. The rupee appreciated 10 paise against the US dollar.
- Teen prodigy Coco Gauff was knocked out of the WTA Auckland Classic when she was outsmarted by German Laura Siegemund in the second round.
- Toni Kroos scored a wonder goal straight from a corner as Real Madrid beat Valencia 3-1 to reach the final of the controversial Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia.
- Forbes’s prestigious list of ‘20 people to watch in the 2020s’, two Biharis namely Prashant Kishor (Poll strategist and JD(U) national vice-president ) & Kanhaiya Kumar (former JNU Students’ Union president) have been included in the list.
- Zoran Milanovic, Croatia’s center-left former prime minister, has won the country’s presidential election, defeating center-right incumbent Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic in a second-round vote.
- Pedro Sanchez Perez-Castejon (47), a Spanish politician & Socialist leader took the oath as Spanish prime minister (PM) before Spanish King Felipe VI.
1. International News
- At least two airbases housing US troops in Iraq have been hit by more than a dozen ballistic missiles, according to the US Department of Defence.
- US President Donald Trump’s advisor and eldest daughter Ivanka Trump has suggested a major overhaul in immigration policy that would be more open to welcome high-skilled workers to join the American workforce.
- Private jets, bullet trains and boxes with holes for breathing: Carlos Ghosn’s escape from Japan, where he was awaiting trial, is worthy of a Hollywood plot.
- A senior Facebook executive said the world’s biggest social network unintentionally helped put Donald Trump in the White House but warned against dramatic rule changes.
- The plane was carrying 167 passengers and nine crew members when it went down in the vicinity of Parand, a city in Tehran province. The crash was likely caused by technical difficulties.
- Iran fired more than a dozen ballistic missiles at an al-Asad airbase in Al Anbar and another base in Erbil in retaliation for the killing of top Iranian General Qasem Soleimani in an American drone strike.
- State TV, citing a senior Revolutionary Guards source, also said Iran had 100 other targets in the region in its sights if Washington took any retaliatory measures.
- Defence Secretary Mark Esper defended the intelligence signaling an “imminent threat” from Soleimani that he and other senior U.S. officials have cited to justify the strike, saying it was persuasive.
- The plane had taken off from Imam Khomeini International Airport in the Iranian capital. The crash is suspected to have been caused by mechanical issues, the TV reported, without elaborating.
- The US bases in Iraq, Pentagon said, had been “on high alert due to indications that the Iranian regime planned to attack our forces and interests in the region”.
- The FAA outlined flight restrictions prohibiting US carriers from flying in the airspace over Iraq, Iran and the waters of the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.
- The donor, Imaad Zuberi, recently pleaded guilty in a separate case in Los Angeles to campaign finance violations, tax evasion and failing to register as a foreign agent.
- State TV said the operation’s name was “Martyr Soleimani.” It said the Guard’s aerospace division that controls Iran’s missile program launched the attack.
- Trump said that his decision saved American lives and that members of Congress will get a briefing on the reasons for the U.S. attack.
- Hangman Pawan Jallad, who officials say is being considered to carry out the execution of the four Nirbhaya gangrape case convicts, says he is ready for the job which will send out a strong message in the society.
- Maharashtra legislature will be held to ratify the Constitution (126th) Amendment Bill, which proposes to extend quota to SC/STs in Lok Sabha and state assemblies by another 10 years.
- IIT Gandhinagar will conduct the fourth edition of semester elective Introduction to Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS), offered by the Humanities and Social Sciences discipline from January to April 2020.
- Banking services across Telangana were severely hit by the nationwide strike called by various trade unions. However, operations at SBI were unaffected as employees decided to stay away from Bharat Bandh.
- Most markets, shops, and business establishments were closed in the state and most private and passenger vehicles remained off the roads.
- Supreme Court challenging the act, and high courts have also taken up various matters connected with their respective jurisdiction.
- The 10 central trade unions including CITU, INTUC, among others have given the call for strike with a 12-point charter of demand.
- Going by earlier experiences, Kerala is expected to bear the maximum brunt of the nationwide strike among the southern states.
- The trade unions had met the MoL earlier this month and were not happy with the outcome of the meeting. Bank employee unions have decided to participate in the strike which could lead to services being affected at several branches.
- Nearly 25 crore people are said to be taking part in this all-India strike to protest against the government’s “anti-people” policies.
- Several Central trade unions called for the shutdown on a 14-point charter of demands, including social security, minimum wages, and employment, among others.
- IBPS clerk main exam will be held on January 19 for those candidates who have qualified the preliminary exam.
- Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) released the prelim exam result for Specialist Officer recruitment.
- SSC CHSL 2019 registration: The last date to apply for Staff Selection Commission (SSC) Combined Higher Secondary Level Examination 2019 is January 10, 2019.
- Central Selection Board of Constable, Bihar has released the roll number wise centre list for the constable recruitment exam under advertisement number 02/2019.
- ICAR NET 2019: The exam scheduled for January 8 is likely to be postponed to January 11 in case of any unforeseen situation. However, there is no confirmation of date revision yet.
- Rupay and BHIM-UPI payments, the RBI may have to shell out about Rs 1,800 crore to banks towards free transaction during 2020, a report has said.
- RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das said the market’s response to the central bank’s ‘Operation Twist’, wherein it is buying and selling government bonds simultaneously, is on expected lines.
- After hitting a high of 41,135.47, the 30-share BSE index was trading 450 points or 1.11 per cent higher at 41,126.63 in the opening session.
- Five-time Grand Slam winner Maria Sharapova was handed an Australian Open wildcard as she attempts to resurrect her career after an injury-plagued 2019.
- Evin Lewis fell agonisingly short of a century as his undefeated 99 helped the West Indies to cruise to a five-wicket win over Ireland in the first one-day international at Kensington Oval.
- Manchester City of Manchester United’s powers of recovery after his side outclassed their city rivals 3-1 at Old Trafford to put one foot in the League Cup final.
- The Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting (MoIB) Shri Prakash Javadekar conferred the 1st edition of the Antarrashtriya Yoga Diwas Samman (AYDMS) to 30 media organisations in New Delhi.
- Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has concurrently accredited Arun Kumar Sahu as the next ambassador of India to the mountainous Caribbean island of Dominica, with residence in Port of Spain.
1. International News
- US Defence Secretary Mark Esper has denied US troops are pulling out of Iraq, after a letter from a US general there suggested a withdrawal.
- US National Security Adviser John Bolton announced he is ready to testify if subpoenaed in the Senate trial to convict or acquit President Donald Trump, who was impeached by the House of Representatives in December
- The US military told the Iraqi government American troops were preparing to pull out of the country but a top US general in Washington said the message was sent by “mistake”.
- NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg warned as tensions mount in the Middle East after US forces killed a top Iranian general.
- Hossein Salami made the pledge before a crowd of thousands gathered in a central square in Kerman, the hometown of the slain Gen. Qassem Soleimani.
- Once one of Hollywood’s most powerful men, Weinstein, 67, has pleaded not guilty to charges of assaulting two women in New York. He faces life in prison if convicted on the most serious charge, predatory sexual assault.
- The President has also defended his earlier threat to attack Iranian cultural assets as a reprisal for strikes from Iran carried out in retaliation against the killing of General Qassem Soleimani, a top Iranian military commander, in a US drone strike outside the Baghdad international airport.
- The tweet came a day after Tehran announced it was further winding down observance of parts of an international deal struck to ensure that the country does not secretly develop a nuclear weapon under cover of its civilian nuclear industry.
- Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s voice cracked under the weight of the moment during a funeral procession unlike any in Iran’s recent history. Police said attendees numbered into the millions.
- Iran has promised to avenge the killing of Soleimani, the architect of Iran’s drive to extend its influence across the region and a national hero among many Iranians, even many of those who did not consider themselves devoted supporters of the Islamic Republic’s clerical rulers.
- U.S. Ambassador John Bass’ departure comes as U.S. tensions with neighboring Iran have soared following a U.S. airstrike in Baghdad that killed Iran’s top general.
- Ambassadors from the 29 allies will gather at their Brussels headquarters at 3.00 pm (1400 GMT) with Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg expected to brief journalists afterward.
- The Centre today approved the release of Rs 5,908.56 crore to seven states, including Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, and Assam, like assistance for the damage caused due to various calamities last year.
- The first edition of Khelo India University Games is scheduled to be held at the KIIT University in Bhubaneswar from February 22 to March 1, 2020.
- US “have grown from strength to strength”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said in a phone call with US President Donald Trump, the government said in a statement this morning.
- The Assam government claimed that over three lakh “ghost children” were enrolled in state government schools under the previous Congress-led regime, suggesting a massive corruption scandal.
- Sadaf Jafar, Pawan Rao Ambedkar, former Indian Police Service (IPS) officer SR Darapuri and nine others arrested after the protests last month were granted bail by a local court in Lucknow.
- The petitioner has claimed that the Jammu regional branch of RBI, on the instructions of its then Regional Director, exchanged the defaced currency notes.
- Several Twitter users pointed out that the number belonged to someone from within the Congress, as searches for the number online led people to a site for crowdfunding of Congress candidates ahead of the Lok Sabha elections last year.
- More than 30 people were injured in the attack which took place during a meeting called by JNU teachers’ association.
- JNU through are conflicting and varied, they are unanimous on one count — the tension was simmering on campus for several weeks, and particularly over the weekend. A look at how it unfolded.
- Israeli chemist Ada E Yonath pointed out that governments need to understand and like science.
- Violence broke out at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) here as a mob of masked men, armed with sticks, attacked students and teachers and damaged property on the campus, prompting the administration to call in police.
- The complaint against Ghosh was filed by the JNU administration. The case against her for destroying university property was registered.
- The Occupy Gateway protest at the iconic Gateway of India had kicked off hours after students and teachers were attacked in JNU by a masked mob, which went on a rampaging spree for more than two hours.
- The court had earlier refused to issue the warrant stating that it can’t do so before the convicts have exhausted all the legal remedies.
- Maharashtra State Common Entrance Test (CET) Cell has begun the online application process for MHT CET 2020.
- Internet facility was provided to students for filling National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) 2020 forms in Awantipora town of Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district.
- SSC CHSL 2019 registration: The last date to apply for Staff Selection Commission (SSC) Combined Higher Secondary Level Examination 2019 is January 10, 2019.
- Central Selection Board of Constable, Bihar has released the roll number wise centre list for the constable recruitment exam under advertisement number 02/2019.
- The exam scheduled for January 8 is likely to be postponed to January 11 in case of any unforeseen situation. However, there is no confirmation of date revision yet.
- The researchers are concerned about the role of smartphone addiction in medical students as 22 per cent of participants met the basic score qualifying for smartphone addiction.
- As per the advertisement released on the official website, the application process will begin from January 6 to 20, 2020. Read on to know more.
- Union Budget presentation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 6 met top executives from corporate India to discuss issues facing the economy and measures needed to boost growth and create jobs.
- League One Shrewsbury could host European champions Liverpool in the FA Cup fourth round later this month as holders Manchester City take on Fulham.
- Rafael Nadal said a bright future awaits “amazing” young Norwegian Casper Ruud, who has proved a giant-killer at the ATP Cup despite being slammed as “boring” by Nick Kyrgios.
- US linguists chose ‘they’ as their Word of the Decade. Ben Zimmer, head of the American Dialect Society who chairs the group’s New Words Committee.
- P R Seshadri, MD (Managing Director) and CEO (Chief Executive Officer) of Karur Vysya Bank has resigned from the position citing personal reasons, which was accepted by the Bank’s Board of Directors.
1. International News
- Iran has declared that it will no longer abide by any of the restrictions imposed by the 2015 nuclear deal.
- One US military service member and two contractors were killed in an Islamist attack on a military base in Kenya.
- President Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkish military units had started moving to Libya to support Fayez al-Serraj’s internationally-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA), based in Tripoli.
- A celebrated Japanese sushi businessman, nicknamed “Tuna King”, paid USD 1.8 million for a giant tuna at New Year’s auction at Tokyo’s main fish market.
- The resolution is likely to win approval in the Democratic-led House, but prospects for passage are less certain in the Senate, which is controlled by Trump’s fellow Republicans.
- Iran’s supreme leader prayed over the remains of a top Iranian general killed in a U.S. airstrike in Baghdad, an attack that’s drastically raised tensions between Tehran and Washington.
- The American president also defended his earlier threat to attack Iranian cultural assets as a reprisal for strikes from Iran carried out in retaliation against the killing of General Qassem Soleimani, a top Iranian military commander, in a US drone strike outside the Baghdad international airport.
- Under the “War Powers Act” of 1973, the US President is required to notify Congress within 48 hours of deploying US military assets into combat, said media reports.
- Both Pakistan and Afghanistan share a border with Iran, which has vowed to avenge the killing of its top general. US President Donald Trump has warned Iran that he will hit harder than ever before if Tehran retaliates
- US Africa Command (AFRICOM) confirmed an attack on the Manda Bay Airfield in Lamu county, close to the Somali border.
- China’s foreign minister Wang Yi, the military adventurist act by the US goes against basic norms governing international relations and will aggravate tensions and turbulence in the region.
- Around 200 fires continued to burn in Australia, many out of control, although only a handful prompted emergency warnings as temperatures dipped.
- India reached out to the US and Iran to discuss its concerns over the situation in West Asia following the killing of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani in an American airstrike, with external affairs minister S Jaishankar saying developments had taken a “very serious turn”.
- The Human Resource Development (HRD) ministry sought an immediate report from JNU Registrar Pramod Kumar about the law and order situation in the varsity’s campus after masked men armed with sticks attacked students and teachers and vandalized property there.
- The top court was hearing a petition filed by a non-profit that complained there were 60 children in detention centres because their citizenship was yet to be established.
- Delhi’s Jawaharlal University when several masked men, armed with sticks and stones, barged into the university campus and targeted students and teachers, spreading chaos and terror.
- The JNU vice-chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar’s statement came after a masked mob, armed with sticks and rods, barged into the JNU campus and attacked students and teachers leaving 23 injured.
- JNU violence: The home ministry had said in a tweet that Amit Shah has ordered an inquiry to be carried out by an officer of the joint commissioner of police level and asked for a report to be submitted as soon as possible.
- The JNU administration, however, blamed the students protesting the hostel fee hike and leading a semester registration boycott for the violence.
- JEE Main January 2020 begins today. The examination will conclude on January 9, 2020. The test is being held in two-shifts every day and in computer-based mode.
- NEET UG 2020 registration will conclude today. Students will be allowed to complete the payment process till tomorrow, January 7, 2020. After today, there will be no extension in the NEET application process.
- The Periyar University UG and PG result 2019 are likely to be declared on January 6, 2020, after 3 pm. The exams were conducted in November 2019. Read on to know more.
- The appeal from the JNU VC M Jagadesh Kumar came a day after masked men indulged in violence in the JNU campus.
- Ramakrishnan was kept in an incubator for months and underwent multiple surgeries. He was diagnosed as autistic before turning two years. Read on to know more
- States might be facing a consolidated revenue gap of up to Rs 1.23 lakh crore on account of withdrawal of compensation after the five-year GST transition period ends on June 30, 2022, says a report by economic think tank NIPFP.
- The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) is likely to lower interest rate by 15-25 basis points, lowering salaried workers’ returns on their investments, Mint reports.
- Ross Taylor has become New Zealand’s leading Test run-scorer, surpassing Stephen Fleming to be touted as the most prolific batsman for the Black Caps in red-ball cricket.
- India all-rounder Irfan Pathan announced he will be retiring from professional cricket with immediate effect.
- Once Upon a Time in Hollywood — starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, and Margot Robbie in the lead — was the big winner at the 2020 Golden Globes in Beverly Hills, California.
- Japan’s Kane Tanaka has extended her record as the world’s oldest person by celebrating her 117th birthday at a nursing home in Fukuoka in southern Japan.
1. International News
- President Trump has warned the US is “targeting” 52 Iranian sites and will strike “very fast and very hard” if Tehran attacks Americans or US assets.
- NATO says it has suspended a training mission for soldiers in the Iraqi army in the wake of the killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani.
- The Australian government said on Saturday that up to 3,000 army reservists would be deployed to help communities hit by spreading wildfires and a third navy ship had been readied to support evacuations from coastal towns.
- Tripoli has been the scene of fighting since April between the self-styled Libyan National Army led by Gen. Khalifa Hifter.
- Al Shabaab, an al Qaeda-linked Islamist insurgent group fighting to overthrow the weak, U.N.-backed Somali government.
- During the tour, one of the handlers told Ayala that the camel she was riding was pregnant and was about a month away from giving birth, according to the lawsuit.
- The U.S. strike that killed Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani in Iraq has caused a dramatic rise in tensions between Iran and the United States and its allies.
- In a tweet defending Friday’s drone strike assassination of a top Iranian general in Iraq, Trump said 52 represents the number of Americans held hostage at the US embassy in Tehran for more than a year starting in late 1979.
- It is the first time there has been a compulsory call out of reserve brigades in Australia, underlining the scale of the emergency.
- At least 28 people were killed and dozens injured in an airstrike on a military school in the Libyan capital Tripoli, a ministry spokesman said.
- US President Donald Trump who ordered the precision drone strike has said the military mastermind was planning an “imminent” attack on US diplomats and the roughly 5,200 American troops deployed in Baghdad.
- In an address early, Trump said he ordered the killing to “stop a war” and not to start one, even as thousands of additional US troops were deployed to the region.
- The National Secular Society (NSS) has written to speaker Lindsay Hoyle asking for a review of the practice of reciting Christian prayers in the UK parliament. It also highlighted a 2019 motion backed by MPs from across the political spectrum that called for an end to parliamentary prayers.
- Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray expanded his Cabinet on December 30 with the induction of 36 ministers more than a month after the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress formed government in the state.
- The portfolio allocation indicates that the balance of power in the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi, made up of the three parties, tilts in favor of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
- The statement comes after a picture of an invitation card claiming Aaditya Thackeray’s presence went viral on social media.
- The prime minister heard top bureaucrats on sectors such as governance, technology, and resources, sources in the government said.
- Former Air Force chief BS Dhanoa said the whole system goes behind if politicization of defence acquisition systems happen.
- The prime minister heard top bureaucrats on sectors such as governance, technology, and resources, sources in the government said.
- Naresh Koch, a daily wager from Tinkonia Para village, who belonged to the Koch community, was apprehended and taken to the Goalpara detention centre in March 2018. He was declared a foreigner in June 2017 by a foreigners tribunal.
- The farmers, from 29 villages, blocked roads and staged dharnas. They put up barricades and prevented police personnel from entering the villages.
- Another airline official, who wished to remain anonymous, said a woman passenger allegedly manhandled a cabin crew member, grabbing her arm and threatening to open the main exit gate.
- The new species, which belongs to the Gesneriaceae family flowering plants that consist of about 152 genera and over 3,500 species -- has been named Lysionotus chatungii after Chatung.
- The 162 samples were taken from areas that cater to about 28 million children. In the report, accessed by HT, 79 of these were found to be below the standards prescribed by the Centre under the Supplementary Nutrition Programme (SNP).
- The CAA was passed in December to fast-track citizenship for non-Muslims, who have arrived in India before December 31, 2014, from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan.
- The site is on land owned by Tatikonda Koteshwara Rao, 45, a resident of Uddandarayunipalem village, who gave it up in a land-pooling exercise so that then chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu could create the dream capital he wanted to build for Andhra.
- International Association of Young Psychologists (IAYP) will be holding its first annual conference on ‘Emerging trends in Behavioral Sciences’ at OP Jindal Global University, Sonipat on January 15.
- ‘Entrepreneurship’ was just a word for students of Delhi government schools till a few months back but now it has become an interesting class session which the students look forward to.
- ESE is considered as one of the toughest examinations in India as there are only a handful of posts and competition is quite high.
- Kavita Iyer is the Managing Trustee of Singhal Iyer Family Foundation (SIFF), a Bengaluru-based philanthropic organization that works in education and the arts.
- Explaining the events, the university said the technical staff gained access to the communication and information services (CIS) premises after the servers were made dysfunctional by students on Friday.
- The 19-year-old women’s rugby palyer Sweety Kumari was named as the “international young player of the year” by popular women’s rugby website Scrumqueens.
- Harith Noah came home in the riverside Kerala town of Shoranur from his Sholai boarding school in Kodaikanal to find a new motorcycle wait as his Christmas present.
- Novak Djokovic said Australian Open organisers should consider delaying the first Grand Slam of the year if haze from bushfires raging around the country threatens players’ health.
- A Dubai-based Indian girl, Sucheta Satish (14), who sings in 120 languages,has won the ‘100 Global Child Prodigy Award 2020′ in the category of singing.The award ceremony was held in Ashok Hotel, Delhi.
- North Macedonia Prime Minister (PM) Zoran Zaev submitted his resignation. His resignation paves a way to form a new caretaker government under the country’s former interior minister Oliver Spasovski until April 12, 2020 election.
1. International News
- President Donald Trump said top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani was “terminated” when he was on the verge of attacking US diplomats but he insisted that Washington is not seeking to topple Iran’s government.
- The Imran Khan government tabled the Pakistan Army (Amendment) Bill, 2020 in parliament after the two main opposition parties assured they would support it.
- Sri Lanka’s new president endorsed amending the constitution to reduce the power of minority political parties, saying the country wasn’t suited to a system that creates unstable governments “constantly under the influence of extremism”.
- Swathes of Jakarta and nearby towns were inundated after heavy rain fell on Dec. 31 and into the early hours of New Year’s Day.
- The prime minister was heckled by angry residents when he visited the bushfire-ravaged town of Cobargo, where two people died last week.
- It’s been a busy 12 months for Thunberg, who crisscrossed the globe by car, train and boat - but not plane - to demand action on climate change.
- Soleimani was killed in a US drone-strike outside the Baghdad airport, along with the leader of an Iran-backed Iraqi militia.
- While referring to the Iranian military mastermind, killed in a US air attack earlier in Baghdad, as “sick,” Trump attempted to lower tensions by insisting that he does not want war with Iran.
- The dispatching of extra troops reflects concern about potential Iranian retaliatory action for the killing of Gen. Qassem Soleimani, commander of Iran’s Quds Force.
- Iran-backed Popular Mobilization Forces confirmed the strike, saying it targeted one of its medical convoys near the stadium in Taji, north of Baghdad. The group denied any of its top leaders were killed.
- While the Pentagon said the attack was carried out on the “direction of President” Donald Trump, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said, “severe revenge awaits the criminals” behind the attack.
- The killing of the Iranian general who headed the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force had elicited only a few tweets and retweets from the president thus far.
- In his first substantial comments on the operation, carried out earlier Friday at Baghdad’s international airport, Trump tweeted that Soleimani “should have been taken out many years ago!”
- Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel set up a committee under agriculture minister Ravindra Choubey to ensure the payment of Rs 2500 per quintal to farmers against procurement of paddy on minimum support price.
- India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Syed Akbaruddin, called out Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan for tweeting an old video clip from Bangladesh which he tried to pass off as a case of “Indian police’s pogrom against Muslims in UP”.
- About 300 protesters were arrested when they blocked a train in Tamil Nadu’s Tirupur as fresh protests were held across the country against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the proposed nationwide National Register of Citizens (NRC).
- In Hyderabad, some protesters say it is impossible to secure police permission to hold demonstrations, forcing them to adopt new tactics to show dissent.
- The government insists that the CAA poses no threat to Indian citizens and that it has no provision to take away citizenship.
- The minimum support price for paddy will be given to farmers as per rate fixed by the Centre—Rs 1815 per quintal for common grade paddy and Rs 1835 per quintal for Grade A paddy.
- A BCCI official said placards that have ‘4’ and ‘6’ printed are usually arranged by the series sponsors and so far the board has heard nothing about them not being allowed.
- Gujarat Assembly Speaker Rajendra Trivedi said that history shows that Brahmins have always promoted the welfare of other people.
- Infuriated villagers of the region have now given a call for an indefinite bandh across the 29 villages to intensify their agitation.
- The DMK said it has posted a “massive victory,” despite the ruling party’s alleged misuse of power and results showed the people’s ‘hate’ for the AIADMK.
- News agency Press Trust of India reported the arrested protesters to belong to Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam (TMMK), who tried to stage a ‘rail roko’ agitation and raised slogans against the CAA and NRC.
- Following introduction of CBCS, there would total six semesters, two in each year, in the degree course.
- The Bihar state has proposed to add 950 UG and 490 PG degree seats against the existing 850 UG and 64 PG seats in them, said principal secretary health, Sanjay Kumar.
- State commissioner for persons with disabilities TD Dhariyal said the directions were given after consulting with experts and interacting with parents of children with disabilities.
- Delhi Education Minister Manish Sisodia urged parents to visit the schools as the city government organised a mega parent-teacher meeting (PTM) in its schools.
- Preparations are afoot to introduce the Choice Based Credit System (CBCS) at graduation level in TM Bhagalpur University (TMBU) from the coming session.
- United States’ borrowing costs opened 2020 telegraphing confidence in the state of the economy and signalling broad agreement that the monetary policy is right where it should be.
- Revenue Secretary Ajay Bhushan Pandey on January 3 held a meeting with senior tax officials and asked them to put forward special efforts to check evasion and meet the target set for the current fiscal.
- Asian Paints was the top loser in the Sensex pack, whereas ONGC was the top gainer. The rupee depreciated 17 paise to 71.56 against the US dollar in morning session.
- The two-memberNCLAT bench had ruled that Cyrus Mistry’s 2016 ouster was illegal and his successor N Chandrasekaran would have to return the business group’s leadership to him.
- Marnus Labuschagne hit a double century as Australia amassed a huge 454 in the first innings against a weary New Zealand in the third Sydney Test.
- Multiple Grand Slam winners Serena Williams and Svetlana Kuznetsova are set to resume their 16-year rivalry after being drawn to face each other in the first round of next week’s Auckland WTA Classic.
- Prince William 37 has announced a multi-million-pound prize for “visionaries” working to solve “Earth’s greatest environmental problems,” from climate change to air pollution.
- Famous Portuguese professional football player Cristiano Ronaldo was awarded by Globe Soccer Award as the best men’s player of the year in the international football function held in Dubai.
- Delhi AIIMS’ Professor Suresh Chandra sharma appointed as the 1st ever Chairman of NMC (National Medical commission).
- Hillary Rodham Clinton appointed as the first female Chancellor of United Kingdom’s Queen’s University.
1. International News
- Turkey’s parliament has passed a bill that will allow the government to deploy troops to Libya to intervene in the civil war.
- The new version of the fighter aircraft jointly developed by China and Pakistan with upgraded fighting capabilities made its maiden flight in December and the first batch is set to be inducted by Islamabad in 2020.
- Turkish police detained seven people, including four pilots, in an investigation into how ousted Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn transited through Istanbul en route to Lebanon after fleeing Japan, a police spokeswoman told Reuters.
- The US government announced it would soon ban most flavored e-cigarettes as it tries to curb a rising tide of youth vaping, but stopped short of the full ban promised in September by President Donald Trump.
- A local mayor said one person was killed and several injured in the afternoon attack, but police couldn’t immediately confirm the death or the number of injured people.
- Soleimani was killed in a US airstrike on a convoy of cars near the Baghdad airport Thursday, along with Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, an Iraqi militia commander.
- In his first substantial comments on the operation, carried out earlier Friday at Baghdad’s international airport, Trump tweeted that Soleimani “should have been taken out many years ago!”
- Pompeo tweeted that he had spoken with British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas and Chinese Politburo member Yang Jiechi about the killing.
- Qaani was described by Khamenei as one of the “most decorated commanders” of the Guards during the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war.
- Following killing of Major General Qasem Soleimani, Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah movement called for the missile strike by Israel’s closest ally, to be avenged.
- The United States confirmed it was responsible for an airstrike early Friday that killed Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad, ratcheting up the proxy war between the two powers.
- The embassy issued the statement hours after the Quds Force leader and Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis were killed in an air strike.
- The PM, who won a surprise election victory last May, ended 2019 on a sour note with fires raging across five states while he took off on a family holiday to Hawaii.
- Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that a “harsh retaliation is waiting” for the US after the airstrike, calling Soleimani the “international face of resistance.” Khamenei declared three days of public mourning for the general’s death.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had said last year that he wants to see India among top 50 countries on World Bank’s ease of doing business ranking, today said that his government was making similar efforts to help scientists in the country by effectively using “information technology to reduce red tape” and ensure “ease of doing of science”.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a two-day visit to Karnataka, addressed the 107th session of Indian Science Congress in Bengaluru today.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged scientists at the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to rethink and reshape the organization to play a significant role in helping nations suffering from terrorism.
- This was yet another electoral test for both the AIADMK and DMK after the passing of their respective stalwarts in Jayalalithaa and Karunanidhi.
- Some reports said the protestors pelted stones at the gurdwara but this was denied by people in Lahore familiar with developments.
- A government estimate puts the number of Rohingyas living in Jammu and Kashmir at 5,700 while a 2017 estimate by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) suggests a figure of 7,000.
- If the Andhra Pradesh chief minister follows the court direction, it will be the first time he will make a personal appearance in court after becoming the chief minister.
- Amit Shah, who is also the BJP president, said the party had to launch this program because of the misinformation spread by the opposition parties on the amended law.
- The CAG had raised a red flag on the deal while terming the decision to purchase 111 planes through a debt arrangement, “a recipe for disaster”. The CAG noted that the decision was taken when the airlines were “in a crisis”.
- The former NSA also raised an issue with the slogan during Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump’s joint event in the US- “Abki Baar Trump Sarkar”.
- The Uttar Pradesh Police has said it has ample evidence of the 25 arrested PFI activists’ active involvement in the recent anti-CAA violence in the state. UP has demanded a ban on the Kerala-based organization.
- Qasem Suleimani, regarded as the second most powerful figure in Iran after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in an overnight attack by the US.
- Chief ministers of 12 states have opposed the CAA, the most vehement being Mamata Banerjee of West Bengal.
- All the six persons were rushed to the Jawahar Lal Nehru (JLN) Hospital & Research Centre Bhilai and their condition is said to be out of danger.
- The largest open university, Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), has launched three new online certificate programmes which would be offered from January 2020 session.
- The school lecturer exam in Rajasthan has begun. The exam, which is being conducted by the Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC), will be held till January 13.
- SSC CHSL 2020 Exam: The Staff Selection Commission (SSC) has released a notification urging interested students to apply for the Combined Higher Secondary Level Examination 2019 as soon as possible.
- Rajasthan Police Constable recruitment: Online application process for 5000 vacancies will close tomorrow, January 4. Here’s how to create SSO ID to apply online. Here’s how to apply.
- Distributing the tablets, Delhi Education Minister Manish Sisodia said technology should be in the hands of every student in the 21st century.
- The Indian economy benefited from “favourable external environment” in 2019, following which portfolio inflows into equity and debt touched a multi-year high, and if this momentum is sustained it will bode well for the country’s external balance, a report said.
- Marnus Labuschagne hit his fourth century in just 14 Tests to guide Australia into a commanding position against virus-hit New Zealand on the opening day of the third Test in Sydney.
- Ind vs SL: India are scheduled to play three T20Is against Sri Lanka and they will look to continue their good run against their Asian rivals in the shortest format.
- Ind vs SL: The ‘Men in Blue’ hold an impressive record against Sri Lanka and they will look for the same in the upcoming three-match series.
- India vs Sri Lanka: Both Jasprit Bumrah and Yuzvendra Chahal are on cusp of surpassing R Ashwin to become India’s leading wicket-taker in T20Is.
- India vs Sri Lanka: Ahead of the series opener in the Barsapara stadium in Guwahati here are 5 reasons why this three-match series is important for the future of Indian cricket
- A 16-year-old Indian-origin mountain climber from Canada miraculously survived a 500-feet fall from the 11,240 feet Mount Hood, the highest summit in coastal US state Oregon, according to media reports.
- Shares of technology giant Apple reached a new record high, rising 2.3% to close at a record $300.35 apiece.
1. International News
- 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!”
- Former Guinea-Bissau Prime Minister Umaro Cissoko Embalo has been elected president after winning a run-off vote against another ex-prime minister.
- 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
- November on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust over allegations he granted state favours worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
- Nineteen-month-old Harvey Keaton stood quietly, sucking on a pacifier, as the fire service commissioner pinned a posthumous commendation for bravery and service to his neatly pressed, oversize Rural Fire Services (RFS) shirt.
- There is no emigration data showing Ghosn’s departure from Japan but he entered Lebanon on a French passport, public broadcaster NHK said.
- Ghosn said in a statement that he left for Lebanon because he thought the Japanese judicial system was unjust, and he wanted to avoid “political persecution.”
- Three lanterns bearing hand-written New Year’s wishes were discovered in the smouldering debris.
- Chief of general staff General Shen Yi-ming was killed after the UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter crashed in mountains near Taipei, according to defence ministry spokesman Shih Shun-wen.
- The pilgrim, who has not been identified, unexpectedly seized his hand and pulled him towards her, causing him evident alarm.
- Catastrophic blazes ripped through swathes of the continent’s south-east on New Year’s Eve, killing at least eight people.
- In 2017, aviation had its safest year on record worldwide with only two fatal accidents involving regional turboprops that resulted in 13 deaths and no fatal crashes of passenger jets.
- In November last year, Israel’s Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit indicted Netanyahu for bribery, fraud and breach of trust.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s interaction with students and teachers on beating exam stress will be held on January 20, the HRD Ministry said.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 beneficiaries whose Aadhaar verification\/seeding is pending will be asked to mandatorily bring a copy of their Aadhaar card when they come to receive their pension on January 15.
- The appeal said that the NCLAT order was completely inconsistent with the annals of corporate law and would set a dangerous legal precedent.
- “Exercise caution during flight operations. There is a risk to US civil aviation operating in the territory and airspace of Pakistan due to extremist\/militant activity,” said the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in a notice to airmen (NOTAM).
- The Special Representatives of the two countries on the border issue – National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and State Councillor Wang Yi – met in New Delhi last month and agreed to intensify efforts to find a mutually acceptable solution and to work.
- The spike in the arrests along the India-Bangladesh border coincides with a renewed campaign and public debate in India around the Citizenship Amendment Act.
- Kannan was heard asking Muslims to ‘finish-off’ PM Modi and Amit Shah in a video of his speech delivered at an anti-CAA protest in Tamil Nadu. The BJP had lodged a police complaint and sought Kannan’s arrest.
- Ashok Ghosh went to meet his father and brother. Ajit Ghosh was not present and there was a foul odour in the house.
- BSP chief Mayawati had earlier in the day also asked Priyanka Gandhi similar questions and said if Gandhi does not go and meet the children’s mothers, then her meeting with the families of anti-CAA protestors in UP will be seen as “pure theatrics”.
- PM Modi was talking at the launch of five Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) laboratories for focused research in advanced technologies by young scientists in Bengaluru.
- UPTET 2019 admit card released. Candidates who have successfully registered for UPTET 2019 can login using their registration number and password to download their admit card.
- UPSC Recruitment 2020: UPSC has invited online applications for deputy intelligence officer vacancies. Engineering graduates or computer science graduates can apply. Check details here.
- Chairman of state Syllabus Committee, Abhik Majumder told PTI that English workbooks ‘Wings’ and ‘Fragrance’ were distributed to the students of classes five and six respectively.
- National Testing Agency (NTA) has extended the last date for registration for NEET UG 2020. The deadline to online register for NEET undergraduate 2020 was December 31 which has been extended to January 6, 2020.
- 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).
- 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.
- With an eye to aid the differently-abled, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) launched a mobile app to identify currency notes.
- 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.
- 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.
- Retail major Walmart India has elevated its Chief Business Officer Sameer Aggarwal to the post of Deputy CEO. Aggarwal’s appointment comes into effect.
1. International News
- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has said he is ending the suspension of nuclear and long-range missile tests put in place during talks with the US.
- US-China trade agreement will be signed in the middle of next month, US President Donald Trump said, announcing that he will also then travel to China for continued talks.
- The U.S. ambassador to Iraq and other staff were evacuated from their embassy in Baghdad for their safety, Iraqi officials said, as thousands of protesters and militia fighters outside the gate denounced U.S. airstrikes in Iraq.
- Several thousand protesters attacked the US embassy in the Iraqi capital in anger at US airstrikes that killed more than two dozen pro-Iran fighters at the weekend.
- PM Boris Johnson said, “As we say goodbye to 2019 we can also turn the page on the division, rancor, and uncertainty which has dominated public life.”
- The US had already flown a rapid response team of Marines into Baghdad to reinforce its embassy after the attack 31 December, which further heightened tension between Tehran and Washington.
- The US president said the treaty would be signed here in the presence of “high-level representatives” from China, BBC reported.
- The groundbreaking case had been brought by Rebecca Steinfeld and Charles Keidan, who were among the first to form a civil partnership under the new rules.
- Fanned by soaring temperatures, columns of fire and smoke-blackened entire towns in Australia, forcing thousands of residents and holidaymakers to seek shelter on beaches.
- Amid the threats of nuclear weapons and the ‘Christmas Gift’ to the US, Trump holds Kim under the lense and calls him a man of his word on denuclearization.
- The reason cited by BJP’s ally PMK mentions that the state does not share any land borders with any country, thereby ruling out the need to implement NRC in Tamil Nadu.
- According to declassified papers released by Britain’s National Archives, Prime Minister Narasimha Rao did not doubt Benazir Bhutto’s good intentions but thought “she was immature and was not mistress in her own house”
- Assembly Elections in Delhi are due in the coming months as the five-year tenure of the AAP government comes to an end in February this year.
- The lists of nuclear installations in India and Pakistan were exchanged simultaneously through diplomatic channels in New Delhi and Islamabad.
- Maharashtra minister and state Congress chief Balasaheb Thorat said party MLA Sangram Thopte, who was miffed at not getting a ministerial berth, has been pacified and assured that he will get his due.
- The third phase of India’s mission to the moon, Chandrayaan 3, will aim for a launch by 2021, the chairman of the country’s space agency said in a press conference today.
- The government primary and upper primary schools in Uttar Pradesh will start the practice of holding parent-teacher meetings (PTM) in the New Year.
- Chartered Accountants (CA) exams will be held from May 2 till May 18, 2020. The exam dates have been announced by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI).
- NEET 2020 application process has been extended. The National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts the exam, has decided to keep the registration facility open till 11.50 pm on January 6.
- The Delhi government had earlier said it will pay the board exam fees of all government school students, following a hike in the fees by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).
- Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said the government has analysed the results of Delhi government schools and found that students are able to score above 95 per cent in all subjects other than mathematics and science.
- The common man has his eyes set on Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s second Budget next month for relief in income tax, but an economic slowdown and a sharp reduction in corporate tax rates hint that she has very little flexibility to dole out a big largesse.
- Investment in India’s real estate sector is likely to rise by 5 percent to USD 6.5 billion (around Rs 46,000 crore) this year, driven mainly by huge demand for commercial office assets from IT firms, according to global property consultant Colliers.
- Frank Lampard is determined to do all he can to protect Callum Hudson-Odoi after the England forward was criticised on social media.
- Sanjay Gupta, the editor-in-chief of ‘Jagran’ will be honored with “Lokmanya Tilak National Journalism Award” for his great contribution in the field of Journalism.
- Rohan Shah, a practicing counsel at the Supreme Court(SC) and various High Courts(HC), has appointed as India’s Representative and Governor on the board of Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) for a period of 3 years.
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