Breaking News January 12

• We must not countenance double standards in this battle. Terrorists are terrorists; there are no good and bad ones. Those who propagate this distinction have an agenda and those who cover up for them are just as culpable.
• We must summon up the political will to combat terrorism. There must be no ifs & buts in the fight. Nor should we allow terrorism to be justified & terrorists glorified. All members must fulfill the obligations enshrined in international counter-terrorism instruments.
• Some States lack legal/operational frameworks & technical expertise to detect, investigate & prosecute terrorist financing cases. However, there are other States that are guilty of aiding & supporting terrorism & provide financial assistance, safe havens.
• While we must enhance the capacities of the former, the international community must collectively call out the latter and hold them accountable

Swami Vivekananda insisted that we won't be able to rebuild strong India without education, empowerment of people through knowledge...He told youth they should learn things from West but have faith in own spiritual heritage. He talked about society's unity & lamented that one of the causes of India's degradation was social fragmentation. Caste system has self-centric narrow vision. He said, "Solution to India's caste problem isn't to degrade higher caste but raise lower up to level of the higher: NSA Ajit Doval at virtual Swami Vivekananda memorial lecture at JNU

Bharat Biotech announces that it has signed an agreement with Precisa Medicamentos for the supply of Covaxin to Brazil.

Retail inflation at 4.59% in December 2020 as compared to 6.93% in November 2020: Government of India

With temperatures falling, an orange alert was issued by the India Meteorological Department on Tuesday for the northern plains with a forecast of a cold wave for the next four days.

A 10-member team of WHO experts assigned to probe the origins of COVID-19 will directly fly from Singapore to the central Chinese city of Wuhan, where the virus first emerged in December 2019, amid a resurgence of the deadly disease in several cities close to Beijing, prompting lockdowns.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi would visit Tamil Nadu on January 14, the Pongal day and witness a bull taming event, 'Jallikattu,' the party's state president K S Alagiri said here on Tuesday.

The first consignment of COVID-19 vaccines have arrived in Bengaluru on Tuesday, and the Karnataka government said it was committed to conducting the vaccination drive in a transparent way.

PNB Housing Finance on Tuesday said its independent director Shubhalakshmi Panse has resigned from her position in the company to continue with her role at its competitor Can Fin Homes.

Shubhalakshmi Panse, who had served as managing director at Allahabad Bank from October 2012-January 2014, was appointed as independent director of PNB Housing Finance Ltd (PNBHFL) in July 2017.

Italy has returned to a three-tiered system that places regions into different restriction levels according to the local Covid-19 pandemic situation.

IndiGo said on Tuesday it plans to start new flights connecting Leh, Darbhanga, Agra, Kurnool, Bareilly, Durgapur and Rajkot from February onwards.

"The airline plans to start flights connecting Leh and Darbhanga in February, followed by Kurnool and Agra in March, Bareilly and Durgapur in April and Rajkot in May 2021," IndiGo said in a press release.

The low-cost carrier currently connects 61 domestic cities and addition of these new stations will take the number to 68.

"IndiGo will secure all regulatory approvals and specific flight schedules will be announced as these approvals are received," it said.

We have decided to run 'Know Your Constitution' campaign through the state governments in the entire country: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla during the valedictory function of 2nd National Youth Parliament Festival

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has announced financial assistance of Rs 92.37 crore for the welfare of kendu leaf pluckers and other workers associated with it.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said that he will be seeking a second five-year term as chief of the world organisation.

Samples from Kotdwar and Dehradun have tested positive for Brid Flu. Concerning departments directed to be on high alert: Uttarakhand Animal Husbandry Secretary

Uttar Pradesh has been declared a 'controlled area' in view of outbreak of Bird Flu in Rajasthan, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. Complete ban imposed on the import of live birds into the state: State Government

Sensex down 107 points in opening trade, currently at 49,167; Nifty at 14,454

Mumbai's famous Muchhad Paanwala has been arrested by NCB following questioning in a drug case, an NCB officer says

A 21-year-old woman was allegedly raped in a moving bus going to Pune from Nagpur, in Ranjangaon area in Maharashtra on January 6. A zero FIR has been registered based on the statement of the victim, a senior police officer of Ranjangaon Police Station said yesterday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the valedictory function of the second National Youth Parliament Festival on January 12 via video conferencing.