Top Stories on January 4 in a capsule
US suspends security aid to Pakistan: State Department
The US has said that it has suspended all security assistance to Pakistan until Islamabad takes "decisive action" against terror groups, including the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network, which according to Washington is destabilising the region. The suspension would allow the Trump administration, which will freeze the aid payments but not allocate the money elsewhere, to reassess in the coming year, State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert told reporters. She said the US is still working on the dollar figures.
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FIR’s lodged against Mamata Banerjee in Assam
The Assam Police on Thursday registered an FIR against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee following multiple complaints alleging she made an inflammatory speech over the updating of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in the northeastern state. The Assam Police on Thursday registered an FIR against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee following multiple complaints alleging she made an inflammatory speech over the updating of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in the northeastern state. Banerjee had in a meeting at Ahmedpur in West Bengal accused the BJP-led government at the Centre of "hatching a conspiracy" to drive out Bengalis from Assam by "excluding" their names from the first draft of the NRC, which was published on the midnight of December 31.
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Happy you stand vindicated in 2G case: Manmohan Singh to A Raja
In reply to A. Raja’s letter, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh wrote to him that he was happy that Raja stood vindicated in the 2g case. Many thanks for your letter... I am very happy that you stand vindicated in the 2G case. You and your family have suffered greatly in this process but all your friends are greatly relieved that truth has prevailed," he said in a reply, dated January 2, to Raja's December 26 letter. In his letter, Raja, of the DMK, had said that he "understood the compulsions" that prevented the then Prime Minister from "openly supporting him". A special court on December 21 acquitted Raja and Kanimozhi of the DMK as well as businessmen and executives accused of bribery in the 2008 allocation of 2G telecom spectrum, a "scam" that allegedly contributed to the Congress-led UPA's defeat in the 2014 parliamentary elections.
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UIDAI denies Aadhar data breach
UIDAI on Thursday dismissed reports of full Aadhaar details being made available on payment of Rs 500 by anonymous sellers. The aadhar governing body also stated that its system is "secure" and any misuse can be traced and action taken as it maintains a complete log of various functions. The grievance search facility offers only limited access to name and other details and "has no access to biometric details", UIDAI added.
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Pakistan releases video of Kulbhushan Jadhav, MEA hits back
The Pakistan Foreign Office, on Thursday released a video of jailed Indian diplomat Kulbhushan Jadhav, calling out the Indian Foreign Ministry for mistreating his mother and wife. Thanking Pakistan for the meet he had with his kin on December 25, Jadhav said, “the Indian envoy shouted at my mother and wife after the meeting.” Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), called it Pakistan’s ‘propaganda of putting out coerced statements.’
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No permission for Mevani-Khalid event: Mumbai Police
The Mumbai police on Thursday cancelled an event that was to be attended by Gujarat MLA and Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani and JNU student-activist Umar Khalid, and detained several protesting students as a preventive measure. Section 149 has been imposed around Mithibai College, preventing any kind gathering, where Mevani and Khalid were to address the ‘All India National Student Summit.’
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New Android virus targets mobile banking apps
According to online security company QuickHeal, there’s a new threat that disguises itself as Flash Player. Unfortunately, this targets about 232 banking apps, including apps in India. The virus steals your login credentials for your bank as well as hijack the SMS feature on your phone. In addition, it can also upload your contacts and text messages to a rogue server. Major banking apps like SBI, HDFC, Axis and ICICI are some of the apps targeted.
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Supreme Court directs BCCI to allow Bihar play Ranji Trophy
The Supreme Court on Thursday allowed Bihar Cricket Association to participate in Ranji Trophy and similar other national-level cricket championships. Bihar’s Cricket Association was suspended after Bihar was broken up forming a new state in Jharkhand. Bihar last played the Ranji Trophy plate group in 2003-04 season with MS Dhoni as captain.
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BSF retaliates to Pakistan’s attacks, kills six of their Rangers
The BSF on Thursday killed six
Pakistani rangers in Samba district and also destroyed three posts along the International
Border from where mortar shelling had started on Wednesday night. “Pakistan’s
infrastructure, solar panel and weapons were damaged, their posts also suffered
major loss,” said the Inspector General of BSF. An intruder was also shot in Arnia
district in the early hours.
SEBI planning a ‘riskometer’ for stock market investments
Indian Market regulator SEBI will introduce am early-warning system to caution people about the risks of investing in stocks of overvalued companies, those with unsustainable business models and ones that may go bankrupt, media reports said. The proposed system would rate a stock on a numeric scale or a colour coded system which will allow investors to easily identified risks associated with a stock on account of its trading pattern or owing to the condition of the company’s business, said the people, which includes a Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) official. Mutual funds have a similar system called a riskometer.
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CEO Salil Parekh earns less than Vishal Sikka in Infosys
Salil Parekh will earn an annual salary of rupees 6.5 crore with a variable pay of 9.75 crore. ($ 2.55 million) as the CEO of Infosys. Interestingly, it is just a fourth of what Parekh’s high-profile predecessor Vishal Sikka earned at the IT major. Vishal Sikka earned $6.75 million in FY17 much to the disliking of Infosys founder NR Narayana Murthy. Wipro CEO Abidali Neemuchwala is getting a bit over USD 2 million. Vishal Sikka resigned in August last year.
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Tiger Shroff's first look in Baaghi 2 releases
The first look for Tiger Shroff-
Disha Patani starrer Baaghi 2 was released on Thursday, all slated to release
on March 30, 2018. The poster shows Shroff in flaunting a ripped look, in a
sequel to the 2015’s hit that will be produced by Nadiawala Grandsons and Fox
Star Studios and directed by Ahmed Khan.
