National Political News:
1. AAP had organized a bash to celebrate the success of their programme of odd even registration numbered cars running on odd and even number days in Delhi at a Delhi stadium. The occasion was marred by the throwing of ink at CM ArvindKejriwal by an AAP women supporter who was protesting against a some actions of the AAP Government.
2. Government and NIA move against Al Qaida and ISI operatives in India. 4 suspected ultras held in Haridwar who were targeting the ArdhKumbh Mela. 14 men have been picked up for being linked with these organizations in a nationwide search. A Mumbai Techie is supposed to be the kingpin.
3. Punjab SP Salvinder Singh under a cloud in the Pathankot terror attack is subjected to a lie detector test. NIA team raids his residence as well as that of his other 2 companions.
4. A Phd student Rohit Vemula suicide in Hyderabad is creating ripples all over India. His suicide is being attributed to being discriminated, being a member of the scheduled caste. He had not received his fellowship for the last seven months and had been suspended from the college hostel. It is rumored that the Vice Chancellor did not enjoy good relations with a set of students. The Hyderabad University revokes suspension of 4 other scholars who were also claiming to be discriminated.
5. PM Modi addressed rallies in Assam’s Kokrajhar and Guwahati cities putting the blame on Congress for shoddy development and unresolved problems of Assam. Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has been the Congress Party MP in RajyaSabha from Assam for a period of over 10 years. The Bodoland people’s front is purported to be the new BJP ally in Assam.
6. Displaced Kashmiri Pandit’s saga is over 26 years old. Over 3.5 lakh of them were forced in to exile by militant insurgency. The forced exodus started on January 19, 1990 under terrorist pressure.
7. French President Francois Hollande starts his India visit from Chandigarh designed by a French architect Le Corbusier.
International Political News:
1. America lifts sanctions on Iran. Tehran reciprocates by releasing American prisoners who leave Tehran for the US. Four decades of soured relationship which started with the 1979 Iranian revolution has come to an end. Iran has also met the nuclear deal terms as its Heavy water reactors have been moth balled by cutting the number of centrifuges from 19000 to 6000 and shipping 98% of its nuclear fuel to Russia. Stock pile of low enriched uranium reduced from 10000 to 300 kilos. IAEA also given unprecedented access to its nuclear reactors. Iranian assets of over $100 billion stand released by the US and the Europeanunion. The current GDP growth of Iran is almost nil and is likely to go up to 5% after the lifting of sanctions.
2. A top hotel in Capital Ouagadougou of the African Nation Burkina Fasohit by a terrorist organization Islamic Maghreb owing allegiance to Al Qaida. 23 killed and 126 freed by security forces which include 2 Indians. The attack is claimed to be in revenge against France and the West.
3. The city of Charsadda 50 km away from Peshawar in Pakistan is the venue of latest terror strike by Tehreek-e-Taliban at Bacha Khan University named after iconic Frontier leader also known as Frontier Gandhi. 21 people have been killed in the attack along with 4 terrorists. A poetic symposium was being held on the death anniversary of Frontier Gandhi who died on January 20, 1988. There were 3000 students and 600 guests at the campus who had a providential escape.
In an another terrorist Taliban suicide bomber attack in Peshawar close to a police check post in , 11 policemen were killed as a vehicle filled with explosives was rammed into the check post.
4. Pakistan former dictator President General Pervez Musharraf acquitted by antiterrorism court in Quetta, Pakistan of the 2006 murder of Baloch Nationalist leader Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti who wanted political autonomy for the resource rich Balochistan province.
Business News:
1. FIIs pull out $687 million from Indian markets in 1st 11 days of2016 as per data published by SEBI. FPI (Foreign Portfolio Investors) take out $700 million in the past one year. The funds are heading to US as the US Dollar is strengthening.
2. The Davos Switzerland annual meet of the World’s top bankers, industrialists, business persons, economists and political leaders of various countries gets under way. India’s Finance Minister ArunJaitley woos foreign investors to invest in infrastructure in India at the summit.
3. IMF retains India’s growth forecast at 7.3% in FY16 and 7.5% in FY17. World growth is forecasted by it as 3.4% in FY16 and 3.6% in FY17. China is slated to grow at 6.3% in FY16 and 6.0% in FY17.
Science and Technology:
1. ISRO has put its fifth satellite of India Regional Navigation Satellite System IRNSS-1E in space. Lift of was on PSLV-C31 rocket from Sriharikota. This system shall work as an alternative to US based GPS after launch of a few more to increase the range. Current range of the satellite is about 1500 km all around from the centre of India.
2. Consumer electronics show at Las Vegas has displayed a Hard Disk recovery mode by experts Deep Spar. The device is known as Rapid Spar. The Rapid Spar is connected to the defective hard disk at one end the other end is connected to a healthy storage device. The recovered/erased data if not recovered at the first attempt the device then collects diagnostic data and refers it to Deep Spar’s Rapid Nebula cloud for a working solution. The device is prized at $2000.
Sports:
1. India loose 3rd ODI at Melbourne to Australia. India scored 295 runs for 6 wickets in 50 overs. Australia replied with 296 for 7 and took the match. Kohli scored 117 runs for India in the match.
The 4th ODI was also lost to Aussies in Canberra. Australia scored 348 for 8 in 50 overs whereas India replied with 323 all out in 50 overs.
India has won 5th ODI to close the series 1-4 in Australia’s favour. Australia scored 330 runs for 7 wickets in 50 overs. India replied with 331 for 4 wickets in 49.4 overs. Indian newcomer M. Pandey scored 104 not out in the match.
The Man of the Series of award went to Rohit Sharma who was the top scorer in the series for 441 runs.
2. World No. 1 Novak Djokovic claims to have been offered $200,000 in 2007 to fix a match at St. Petersburg open in Russia.
Secret files released by BBC and Buzzfeed news allege widespread match fixing in tennis.
