THE HEADLINES:
- President Obama leaves for New Delhi later today on a three-day visit.
- On National Girl Child Day today, Prime Minister calls upon people to end discrimination against the girl child.
- Reserve Bank of India removes ban on carrying 1000 and 500 rupee denomination to and from Nepal and Bhutan.
- Over two hundred children working as labourers rescued in Hyderabad
- Mahesh Bhupati makes a first-round exit in mixed doubles at the Australian Open.
{}<><><>{}
US President Barack Obama will leave for a three-day trip to India later today. The White House said that Obama will be accompanied by the First Lady Michelle Obama, and a delegation that will include several top officials. He is expected to touch down in Delhi at 10 AM tomorrow at the Air Force Station, Palam.
On his arrival, the US President will be accorded a ceremonial welcome at the Rashtrapati Bhawan by President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Thereafter, he will pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi at the Rajghat and participate in a tree planting event there.
Ministry of External Affairs spokesman Syed Akbaruddin said, in the afternoon, Obama will join Modi for a restricted working lunch at the Hyderabad House, after which the two leaders will have a delegation level meeting.
We have scheduled bilateral discussions between Prime Minister and President Obama. After that, they will be followed by a lunch hosted by Prime Minister for President Obama and his delegation, during which there will be delegation level discussions too.
Later in the evening, Obama is scheduled to meet embassy personnel and families. He will then drive down to the Rashtrapati Bhawan to attend the state dinner with Mr Pranab Mukherjee.
On Monday, the US President will participate in the Republic Day celebrations with the First Lady. In the afternoon, Obama and Modi will participate in a CEO forum round table and deliver remarks at a US-India Business Summit.
On Tuesday, Modi and Obama will jointly address the nation from All India Radio in the programme, 'Mann Ki Baat'. The US President will also give an address at the Siri Fort Auditorium.
<><>
US President Barack Obama has reportedly cancelled his visit to Agra and would be leaving for Saudi Arabia from New Delhi on the 27th of this month. According to PTI, a senior UP government official in Lucknow said that Obama has cancelled all his personal programmes as he would be travelling to Saudi Arabia, whose king died on Thursday night. Mr. Obama was scheduled to visit the city of Taj with his wife Michelle Obama on Tuesday next for which elaborate security arrangements had been made. The US President, who will be arriving in India tomorrow for talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and be the chief guest at the Republic Day, will leave India on January 27.
<<>>
However, the UP chief minister has feigned ignorance about the cancellation of US president Barak Obama's visit to Agra on 27th of this month. When asked about the media reports that some senior official of the state government has stated that Obama has cancelled his Agra visit, CM Akhilesh Yadav said that he has no knowledge in this regard. He told this in Lucknow today.
<<>>
The CPI(M) today said the Narendra Modi government has taken various moves ahead of US President Barack Obama's visit to appease US interests. The party said in a statement that the Modi government is negotiating with US authorities to find ways to circumvent the Civil Nuclear Liability Act passed by Parliament.
<<>>
The White House has said that terror groups are operating with impunity in Pakistan. Press Secretary Josh Earnest expressed concern over the continued presence of terror safe havens in Pakistan, even though the Pakistan Army has taken steps against them in recent months. He told reporters at his daily news conference that the US values counter-terrorism cooperation with India and is interested in discussing with New Delhi ways that can strengthen that relationship.
On US President's visit to India, the spokesman said that it is a genuine honour for Mr. Barack Obama to be the chief guest at the Republic Day parade. Earnest said, the US President is looking forward to a series of meetings with political leaders in India, including Prime Minister Modi. He said the two countries share a sort of a common sense of purpose.
<><><>
Today is National Girl Child day. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called upon the people to end discrimination against the girl child and ensure that daughters get equal opportunities to shine. In his message, Mr Modi said, girl child's role in nation-building is paramount. He saluted the unparalleled accomplishment of the girl child.
Mr Modi had launched twin programmes, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao and Sukanya Samridhi Account on Thursday in Panipat to encourage birth and education of girls and tackle the abysmally low child sex ratio of 918 girls for 1000 boys in the country.
<><><>
Reserve Bank of India, RBI, has lifted the ban on carrying Indian bank notes of 1,000 and 500 rupee denominations to and from Nepal.
The RBI issued a circular, easing the restriction on export and import of bank notes of 1,000 and 500 denominations for Nepal and Bhutan that it had imposed since May 2000. The Indian Central bank, however, has put a limit of carrying such notes at 25,000 rupee per person.
Following the request of Indian government to curb smuggling of counterfeit currency, Nepal had imposed a ban on carrying 500 and 1,000 denominated Indian bank notes in Nepal. The restriction on carrying high denomination bank notes to and from India had created inconvenience to a large number of Nepali workers in India to remit their hard-earned money to Nepal.
Nepalese Government officials say lifting of the ban will provide a great relief to Nepali workers, as well as Indian tourists travelling to Nepal. Nepal, however, is yet to formally revoke the legal restriction.
<><><>
Today is the last date for withdrawal of nominations for Assembly elections in Delhi. Nominations of 693 candidates were found valid after scrutiny of papers on Thursday. Election Commission rejected the nominations of 230 candidates. The polling will be held on the 7th of next month and counting of votes will be taken up on the 10th of February. Political atmosphere in the national capital is gradually heating up with leaders of major political parties- BJP, AAP and the Congress intensifying their election campaigns to attract voters. More from our correspondent.
Candidates from various political parties are going door to door in their constituencies to convince voters. Amidst the rallies and road shows , changing political parties is trending.
AAP leader Yogendra Yadav said that Kiran Bedi considered it unethical to form a political party when she was associated with Anna's Movement.
Arvinder Singh Lovely of Congress on Kiran Bedi joining BJP stated that it is not the matter of shock for them .
All parties are making price rise, water, electricity, corruption free administration and provision of basic amenities in un-authorised colonies as their core issues to persuade Delhiites.Snigdhaa Ritesh for AIR News, Delhi.
{}<><><>{}
In Telangana, over two hundred children between 4-12 years of age working in various factories have been rescued in Hyderabad this morning by the local police. All of them have been identified to have come from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. They had been working in bangle and shoe making units at Aman Nagar in the state Capital. Local police has said that the children have been found while conducting regular cordon-search operations ahead of Republic Day. Senior labour officials told our Correspondent that a total 212 children have been rescued and they will be produced to the Child Welfare Committee before shifting to local welfare hostels.
<><><>
The new government of Sri Lanka has recalled 29 ambassadors and high commissioners. The announcement was made by President Maithripala Sirisena on his twitter account this morning. These top diplomats were political appointees of the previous government and do not belong to Sri Lanka’s Foreign Service. The new appointments are expected to be made next week. The manifesto of President Maithripala had promised to clean up the foreign ministry and restore primacy of the professional service in running the foreign relations. According to Foreign Ministry, more diplomats at lower ranks will be recalled by the end of next month.
<><><>
In Nepal, Prime Minister Sushil Koirala has expressed the commitment to conclude the ongoing task of constitution-drafting through democratic process, despite repeated obstructions by Opposition parties in the Constituent Assembly. In a televised address to the nation last evening, Prime Minister Koirala said that his sole mission now is to drive the country towards the path of peace, stability and sustainable development through the promulgation of a democratic constitution. He also blamed the Opposition parties for their unusual stances and for their failure to bring the new statute within the set deadline of January 22.
<><><>
In Bangladesh, violence and arson continues unabated, as the indefinite countrywide transport blockade enforced by the BNP-led opposition enters the 19th day today. In one of the most gruesome attacks on public transport, a petrol-bomb was hurled at a bus in Dhaka last night. Twenty eight people, including women and children have suffered severe burn injuries. In another incident of a petrol-bomb attack on a bus in Rajshahi, a truck driver and helper were injured. A truck driver and an auto-rickshaw driver died in attacks by blockaders in Sylhet. The Opposition has demanded a dialogue with the government.
<><>
In Odisha, suspected Maoists carried out an explosion on the railway track in Rayagada district early this morning. The blast took place just a hundred meters away from a CRPF camp.
According to the police, the blast took place between 3.00 a.m and 5.00 a.m. Railway officials have repaired the track. Railway services remained affected on the route for about five hours, as Bhubaneshwar-bound trains coming from Raipur and Vishakhapatnam had been halted at Rayagada station after the blast. Train services have resumed on the route.
<><><>
In Odisha chit fund scam, CBI has arrested Pravat Kumar Dash a short while ago. CBI sources said Dash was Director of 15 Seashore Group of Companies including Seashore Securities Limited which collected investment.
<<>>
In Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party, PDP today has said that it will contest two of the four Rajya Sabha seats in Jammu and Kashmir, where polls will be held on 7th of next month. According to party chief spokesman Naeem Akhtar, the PDP has decided to field Nazir Ahmad Laway and Fayaz Ahmad Mir for the two seats. Laway and Mir, both unsuccessfully contested the recent Assembly elections in the state from Kulgam and Kupwara Assembly segments respectively and lost by narrow margins. Akhtar has said that the decision was taken by PDP president Mehbooba Mufti after consulting senior leaders of the party.
<><><>
Delhi Government has said that US-based taxi booking firm Uber, cannot operate in the city, as the ban imposed on it last month has not been revoked. The company had announced resumption of its services in Delhi on Thursday. Special Commissioner,Traffic, Muktesh Chander has said that Uber cannot operate without getting the regulatory clearances from the concerned authorities. He said, if the company violates the government order, then it will be prosecuted . The international cab booking firm was banned by Delhi government last month, following public outrage after one of its drivers had allegedly raped a 26-year old executive.
<><><>
The services of Delhi Metro will be curtailed partially on Monday as part of security arrangements for Republic Day. An official statement said, all Metro parking lots will remain closed from 6 AM on January 25th until 2 PM on January 26th. It said, the entry and exit at the Central Secretariat and Udyog Bhawan Metro stations will remain closed from 6 AM to 12 noon on January 26 and the entry and exit at Patel Chowk and Race Course stations will be closed from 8.45 AM to 12 noon.
<><><>
In Rajasthan, four people died on Friday due to H1N1 virus, the highest number of casualty in a single day this year. Nineteen people have died in the state in the last 23 days. Out of 293 samples taken, 73 have been found positive and 217 were negative.
<><><>
Delhiites woke up to yet another foggy morning today. However, the minimum temperature settled at 10.3 degrees celsius, three notches above the season's average. Fog reduced the visibility to 150 meters in the morning, delaying around 30 trains. In Punjab and Haryana, cold conditions coupled with dense fog continued to affect normal life in several parts. Road, rail, and air traffic remained affected due to fog. In Jammu and Kashmir, Kargil, in the frontier Ladakh region, was the coldest recorded place in the state. The minimum temperature plummeted by nearly six degrees to minus 17 degrees Celsius. Leh recorded a low of minus 14.4 degrees celsius, a decrease of nearly three degrees. SUPARNA, AIR NEWS.
For the latest in the world of Sports, its over to our Sports Desk:-
"In Australian Open Tennis, Mahesh Bhupathi and his Australian teammate Jarmila Gajdosova have made an exit from the Mixed Doubles in the first round itself. The pair today lost to Chinese Taipei's Hao-Ching Chan and her British teammate, Jamie Murray, 6-4, 6-7, 8-10. In the Singles, world number one Serena Williams, her sister Venus Williams, Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka, Agnieszka Radwanska and Victoria Azarenka today progressed to the pre-quarterfinals. Onto Badminton, in the Syed Modi International Championships at Lucknow, 5 Indians in the Singles, and 4 pairs in the Doubles are playing today for a place in the finals. Top seeds Saina Nehwal and Srikanth K., PV Sindhu and P. Kashyap are among the Indian shuttlers who are eying a place in the finals of their respective categories. And finally, the BCCI has issued an ultimatum to the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) demanding it to furnish around 42 million US dollars damages caused by the Caribbean team's mid-tour pull-out last year. In a fresh letter to WICB, the BCCI has demanded that the compensation be paid at the earliest. The Indian Board has threatened legal action in case the WICB fails to respond to the letter within a week. SAVVY HASAN KHAN, FOR AIR NEWS."
