INDIA GIVES $500 MN CREDIT LINE TO SRI LANKA

India on Tuesday announced a USD 500 million credit line to help Sri Lanka purchase petroleum products as the island nation struggles with a massive fuel and energy crisis. The Indian High Commission here said External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has agreed to offer critical support and the USD 500 million credit line in a letter to Sri Lankan Foreign Minister G L Peiris.

India is poised to provide another $1 billion in credit facility to Sri Lanka for importing food, essential items and medicines.

India had recently extended foreign exchange support of more than $900 million to Sri Lanka. “These measures are in line with India’s commitment to stand with Sri Lanka, contribute to Sri Lanka’s economic growth and impart greater momentum to bilateral economic and commercial partnership,” said the Indian High Commission in Colombo.

BHAGWANT MANN IS AAP’S CM FACE FOR PUNJAB POLLS

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday named Bhagwant Mann (48) as the party’s chief ministerial face for the upcoming assembly elections in Punjab.

The name of Mann, a two-time parliamentarian from Sangrur who is considered the party’s most popular Punjabi face, was announced at an event in Mohali, where Kejriwal declared the result of the party’s phone-in survey asking people to suggest their preferences as CM. Kejriwal said the party received 2.15 million responses from people.

“Many people included my name. I had already said that I am not in the race so we declared their votes as invalid. Of the remaining responses, 93.3% took Sardar Bhagwant Mann’s name,” said the AAP chief, who was flanked by Mann, leader of opposition Harpal Singh Cheema, AAP’s Punjab affairs in-charge Jarnail Singh and co-incharge Raghav Chadha on the dais.

ARMED WITH SUPREME COURT VERDICT, GOVT TO FIGHT DEVAS ABROAD

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman yesterday said the govt would contest the adverse international arbitration awards totalling over $1.1 billion filed by private firm Devas Multimedia.

“The loss will not be borne by the Modi govt. It is a fraud of Congress, by Congress (and) for Congress. The Congress must explain how the Cabinet was kept in the dark and how it took six years for the fraud deal to be cancelled. The party has no right to speak about crony capitalism,” said the minister while speaking about the complications resulting from the joint venture Devas struck in 2005 with Antrix, an ISRO unit.

A day earlier, the Supreme Court dismissed an appeal filed by Devas and upheld orders by the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) asking the promoters to wind up the company as the deal with Antrix was steeped in fraud.

Sitharaman’s ire was directed at the UPA regime for taking six years to cancel the Devas-Antrix deal as well as the ignominy suffered to India’s image after international courts ordered the seizing of govt property abroad to implement arbitration awards of over $1.1 billion. Devas and its investors had approached the international arbitration panel after the UPA govt had cancelled the Devas-Antrix joint venture over the stink it raised.

NO REPUBLIC DAY CHIEF GUEST FOR SECOND SUCCESSIVE YEAR

Soaring Covid cases in India have put paid to plans to invite the five Presidents of Central Asian states as Chief Guests for Republic Day, said sources though there was no official word from the Ministry of External Affairs.

Truncated Republic Day celebrations this year are yet another casualty of in-person diplomatic interactions due to another wave of the pandemic. Prime Minister Narendra Modi cancelled his visit to the UAE and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to Vietnam for the same reason. The Prime Ministers of Russia and Nepal also called off their visits following the postponement of the Vibrant Gujarat summit.

Instead, the five Central Asian leaders will take part in a virtual summit with PM Modi on Republic Day to celebrate 30 years of establishment of ties.

This is the second year in a row when Covid has led to no overseas Chief Guest at the Republic Day parade.

CENTRE FLAGS DECLINE IN COVID TESTING, ASKS STATES TO ENHANCE IT

Flagging a decline in the number of Covid-19 tests in many states and union territories, the Centre has asked them to enhance testing so that an effective track of the spread of the pandemic can be kept and immediate citizen-centric action can be initiated.

In a letter to states and UTs on Monday, Additional Secretary in the Union Health Ministry Arti Ahuja advised them to pay attention to this aspect immediately and increase the testing in a strategic manner keeping in view the trend of case positivity in specific areas.

She highlighted that Omicron, which has been designated by the WHO as a variant of concern, is currently spreading across the country.

COVID DASHBOARD – INDIA

As of 0800 IST /Jan 19

from mohfw.gov.in ,

New Cases on Tuesday 2,82,970

Active Cases 18,31,000 (+94,372)

Total Deaths (Deaths Yesterday) 4,87,202 (358)

Total Vaccination: 158.88 Crores (+76,35,229)

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

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PAKISTAN MUST BE MODELLED ON PROPHET’S STATE OF MEDINA, WRITES IMRAN KHAN

In an op-ed for Pakistani daily The Express Tribune Monday, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said the most urgent challenge facing his country is the struggle to establish the rule of law.

Over the last 75 years of Pakistan’s history, our country has suffered from elite capture, where powerful and crooked politicians, cartels and mafias have become accustomed to being above the law in order to protect their privileges gained through a corrupt system. While protecting their privileges they have corrupted state institutions,” he wrote.

Khan said Pakistan must embody the five guiding principles of the state of Medina (i.e. the Islamic version of a welfare state) built by the Prophet Muhammad: unity, rule of law, strong moral and ethical foundations, inclusivity, and the quest for knowledge.

He also emphasised that the National Rahmatul-lil-Alamin Authority (NRA) — a body of scholars formed last October and tasked with finding ways to disseminate lessons from the life of the Prophet to the masses — will play a key role with regard to the third principle: strong moral and ethical foundations.

“NRA will endeavour to engage in amr bil maroof by teaching seerat-al-nabi (SAW) to our youth in schools and universities in the hope to raise the level of ethics and morals in our society,” he wrote.

RUSSIA COULD LAUNCH UKRAINE INVASION AT ANY POINT: US

US secretary of state Antony Blinken will meet with foreign minister Sergey Lavrov of Russia on Friday in Geneva, a sign that the two sides are willing to continue discussions on what the Biden administration called “an extremely dangerous situation. ” Blinken is scheduled to depart Tuesday for Kiev, the Ukrainian capital, where he will meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine in a show of US support on the brink of what US officials fear is an imminent Russian invasion. Blinken will follow that visit with stops in Berlin on Thursday before meeting with Lavrov, an official said.

Blinken’s mission is part of a US scramble to head off a potential Russian assault on Ukraine. A senior department of state official warned on Tuesday that Russia — which has assembled as many as 1,00,000 troops along Ukraine’s easter n borders — could launch an attack at any time. Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, said on Tuesday that Blinken would “urge Russia to take immediate steps to de-escalate. ” “We’re now at a stage where Russia could at any point want an attack in Ukraine,” she said, “and what secretary Blinken is going to go do is highlight very clearly there is a diplomatic path forward. ”

THE REST

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3 NAVY PERSONNEL KILLED IN BLAST ON INS RANVIR IN MUMBAI DOCKYARD

Three Navy personnel were killed and 11 injured in an explosion on-board the Indian Naval Ship (INS) Ranvir at the Naval dockyard in Mumbai on Tuesday.

"In an unfortunate incident today at Naval Dockyard Mumbai, three naval personnel succumbed to injuries caused by an explosion in an internal compartment on board INS Ranvir," the statement by the Indian Navy said.

“Three sailors have been killed and 11 injured due to the incident. The names (of the victims) will be made public after informing the families about the incident," an official said.

As per the Navy's statement, no major "material damage" was reported.

A board of inquiry has been ordered to investigate the cause of the incident, the statement said.

4 NAXALS KILLED IN 2 ENCOUNTERS IN CHHATTISGARH,1 JAWAN INJURED

Four naxals including two women were killed in two separate encounters with security forces in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district and along the state's border with Telangana on Tuesday morning, police said in Raipur. A woman rebel who was carrying a reward of Rs 5 lakh on her head was among them.

"A team of the special anti-naxal Greyhounds unit of Telangana Police had launched an operation in the forests of Bijapur (Chhattisgarh) and Mulugu (Telangana) districts," Inspector General of Police (Bastar range) Sundarraj P said.

UAE BLAST VICTIMS IDENTIFIED, EXTERNAL AFFAIRS MINISTER ASSURES SUPPORT

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday said the Indian mission in the UAE was working with the local authorities to provide the full support to families of two Indians who died in a suspected drone attack near Abu Dhabi airport on Monday by Houthi rebels. The identities of the two dead Indian nationals have been established, said the Indian Embassy and it is in touch with the family members of the deceased as also working closely with the UAE authorities and the oil company for the early repatriation of mortal remains.

EC ADDS NEW COLUMN FOR CANDIDATES TO MARK DIGITAL CAMPAIGNING COST

The Election Commission has added a new column in candidates' election expenditure returns to submit information on money spent on digital campaigning in the upcoming polls in five states. The candidates used to mention money spent on digital campaigning in previous elections also, but this is for the first time that a dedicated column has been created to 'capture' details of such expenditure.

In a bid to check the spread of Covid-19, the Election Commission has extended a ban on holding physical rallies roadshows and similar physical campaigning events till January 22. With the ban on outdoor physical events in place, parties are using digital and online platforms to reach out to voters.

MODI’S WEF ADDRESS: RAHUL TAKES ‘TELEPROMPTER’ JIBE AT PM

After Prime Minister Narendra Modi had to restart his Davos Agenda address, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday took a swipe saying “even the teleprompter could not take so much lies”, even as BJP leaders pointed to a “technical glitch” at event organiser World Economic Forum’s end.

There was no official reaction from the govt or the WEF on the incident.

Several Congress leaders and social media users claimed that it was a “teleprompter gaffe” as Prime Minister Modi had to pause and then restart his special address to the World Economic Forum’s online Davos Agenda 2022 summit, but BJP leaders and many others pointed out that it was a technical glitch due to which the WEF people were not able to patch the PM and requested him to start again.

GUJ, T’GANA RECEIVE COVID DEATH CLAIMS 9 & 7 TIMES OF OFFICIAL TOLL

Data filed by states in the Supreme Court shows that the number of Covid compensation claims received by some of them far exceed their official death count. In Gujarat and Telangana, it’s as high as almost nine and seven times, respectively.

The number of claims is generally expected to be higher than the official toll be- cause of the SC’s guidelines, which are seen as broader and more liberal in their definition—mandating that all fatalities, including those by suicide, recorded within 30 days of a person testing positive be treated as Covid deaths. Still, the gap is exceptionally high in a few states.

According to data with the SC, which is monitoring implementation of its order to ensure that compensation is paid to all affected families, the number of claims received so far in Gujarat is 89,633 against the official toll of 10,094. The state has so far approved 68,370 claims and disbursed compensation amount to 58,840 families, while rejecting 4,234 applications.

In Telangana, compared to the official figure of 3,993 deaths, around 29,000 claims have been received, of which 15,270 have been approved. For Maharashtra, claims add up to 2.13 lakh against the official toll of 1.41 lakh.

CONSIDER PREPARING SCHEME FOR COMMUNITY KITCHENS: SUPREME COURT

The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Centre to consider preparing a model scheme for community kitchens across India and provide additional foodgrain to states to deal with malnutrition and hunger deaths. As a Bench led by Chief Justice of India NV Ramana posed several questions over malnutrition and hunger deaths, Attorney General KK Venugopal asserted that the Centre was on the front foot on the issue and was running 131 food-related programmes.

Maintaining that the Centre didn't dispute the existence of malnutrition or the need for community kitchens, Venugopal said, “The problem is the funding. The States have to source the funds for community kitchen programmes by themselves. We can’t divert money from the 131 programmes…We have so many welfare schemes.

Asking the Centre to consider preparing a model scheme for community kitchens across India and to support states to ensure food security for the poor, the Bench said it was not for the judiciary to formulate a uniform community kitchen scheme and that the Centre should do it in consultation with states.

AIRLINES SCRAMBLE TO REJIG US SCHEDULES AMID CONCERNS FOR 5G ROLLOUT

Major international airlines rushed on Tuesday to rejig or cancel flights to the United States on the eve of a 5G wireless rollout that triggered safety concerns, despite two wireless carriers saying they will delay parts of the deployment.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has warned that potential 5G interference could affect height readings that play a key role in bad-weather landings on some jets and airlines say the Boeing 777 is among models initially in the spotlight.

Despite an announcement by AT&T and Verizon that they would delay turning on some 5G towers near airports, several airlines still cancelled flights. Others said more cancellations were likely unless the FAA issued new formal guidance in the wake of the wireless announcements. "While this is a positive development toward preventing widespread disruptions to flight operations, some flight restrictions may remain," Delta Air Lines said.

MICROSOFT MAKES BIGGEST PUSH INTO GAMING, TO ACQUIRE ACTIVISION BLIZZARD FOR $68.7BN

Microsoft has announced a deal to acquire game studio Activision Blizzard for USD 68.7 billion. If it goes through, it would be Microsoft's biggest-ever acquisition -- and by far the biggest deal ever in the video game business.

Activision Blizzard's lineup of games includes 'Call of Duty', 'Candy Crush', 'Warcraft', 'Diablo', 'Overwatch' and 'Hearthstone'.

According to The Verge, the deal is Microsoft's biggest push into gaming, and the company says it will be the "third-largest gaming company by revenue, behind Tencent and Sony" once the deal closes.

Microsoft plans to add many of Activision's games to Xbox Game Pass once the deal closes.

TEAM INDIA’S MELTDOWN ON DRS - BROADCASTER SUPERSPORT RESPONDS

India skipper Virat Kohli’s outburst regarding a contentious DRS decision during the third and final Test at Cape Town has been trending since India lost the series 2-1 to South Africa. Kohli was embroiled in controversy for his stump mic comments questioning the umpiring and technology.

The episode drew a lot of criticism from pundits and fans, and host broadcaster SuperSport has also weighed in on the Indian team’s DRS meltdown.

In a brief statement issued to a media house, the broadcaster said: “SuperSport notes comments made by certain members of the Indian cricket team.” It’s yet to be seen whether match referee Andy Pycroft and the ICC take any disciplinary action against the trio of Kohli, Rahul and Ashwin, whose words were caught by the stump mic.

“Hawk-Eye is an independent service provider, approved by the ICC and their technology has been accepted for many years as an integral part of DRS. SuperSport does not have any control over the Hawk-Eye technology,” the statement further said.

VIRAT HAS ALREADY SET A STANDARD FOR ALL OF US AND TEAM INDIA: RAHUL

Stand-in skipper KL Rahul on Tuesday said India did “some phenomenal things” under Virat Kohli, who has raised the bar for everyone in the team during his seven-year tenure at the helm.

In the absence of Rohit Sharma, Rahul is leading the team in the three-match ODI series against South Africa, starting in Paarl today.

“Look, Virat like I said under him, team India has done some phenomenal things, we won series outside of India, which hadn’t been done before.

AUS OPEN: ANDY MURRAY FAIRYTALE LIVES ON FOR SECOND ROUND

The 34-year-old Andy Murray (20th Seed) took down 21st seed Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-1 3-6 6-4 6-7(5) 6-4, with the Georgian surviving two match points but not a third.

It was “a win for the ages” per the lead commentator and marked Murray’s first match at the Australian Open in three years, with the world No.113 ‘farewelled’ in 2019 after what was seemingly his last appearance at the event.

The three-time grand slam champion has continued with his career, but has faced significant struggles to replicate his previous on-court success.

INDICATORS

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GBP 0.73 /US$, Euro 0.87 /US$, Jap.Yen 114.65 /US$, Aus$ 1.39 /US$, Sing 1.34 /US$, Bang Taka 84.40 /US$, Can$ 1.25 /US$, Mal Ring 4.18 /US$,

Pak Re 175.41 /US$, Phil Peso 51.41 /US$, Russian Rouble 76.48 /US$, NZ$ 1.47 /US$, Thai Baht 33.03 /US$, Ukraine Hryvnia 28.08 /US$

Bitcoin - USD 42,372

Dollar Index 95.73 Brent Crude 88.70 BDI 1,644.00

Gold world Spot Price USD/aoz 1,812 India (Rs. per gm 24k/22k) 4,909 / 4,709, Silver (Rs. Per KG) 65,800

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

The universe doesn’t give you what you ask for with your thoughts; it gives you what you demand with your actions. - Steve Maraboli

OFF TRACK

Relationship is easy when spouses know each other. Here are 2 classic examples:

1)A husband comes home after attending a club meeting.

He tells his wife, "Dear, there was a drinking competition after meeting today."

His wife spontaneously, "Who got the second position?"

2) A wife tells her husband, "Dear, there was a letter for you with `Private and Confidential" written on the envelope.

The husband casually asks, "What was written inside?"