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Malaysia
declares the disappearance of MH370 flight as an accident
World
> Aviation > Jan 29
The Malaysian government has
officially declared the disappearance of Malaysian Airlines' flight
MH370 as an accident and said there were no survivors of the tragedy.
Despite a massive international search in the southern Indian Ocean,
no trace of the Beijing bound flight that disappeared on 8th March,
2014 was found. Majority of the passengers were Chinese and families
of the victims have expressed their unhappiness over the declaration
and the negligent handling of the incident by Malaysian authorities.
The airline is now free to start the compensation process after the
declaration. Regardless of the announcement, Malaysian authorities
are not ruling out the possibility of a foul play.
Britain
becomes first country to allow three parent IVF
World
> Others > Feb 03
Britain became the first
country in the world to allow three parent in-vitro-fertilisation,
which, doctors claim can prevent some inherited incurable diseases.
The treatment gets the name 'three parent IVF' because it will get
DNA from a mother, a father and a female donor. It is designed to
help families with mitochondrial diseases, incurable conditions
passed down the maternal line that affect around one in 6,500
children worldwide. The decision comes after a majority vote in the
British parliament with 382 votes in favour of the technique and 128
being against it.
Jordan
executes two Al-Qaeda prisoners in response to brutal killing of
pilot by Islamic State
World
> Jordan > Feb 04
The Jordanian government has
executed two terrorists from Al-Qaeda, Sajida al-Rishawi and Ziad
al-Karbouli, after Islamic State released a video that purportedly
showed a captured Jordanian fighter pilot, Lt. Muath Al-Kaseasbeh,
being burned alive in a cage. The pilot was captured by the
extremists in December 2014 when his F-16 crashed while he was flying
a mission as part of the US-led air campaign against the Islamic
State. Over the past week, Jordan had offered to trade al-Rishawi, a
failed suicide bomber, for the pilot, but decided against it after
receiving no proof that the pilot was still alive. Jordanian TV said
the pilot was killed as long ago as 3 January. Islamic State had
earlier demanded the release of Sajida al-Rishawi in exchange for the
captured Japanese journalist Kenji Goto, who was later beheaded by
the militants.
Al-Rishawi had been
sentenced to death after her 2005 role in a triple hotel bombing in
Amman that killed 60 people. The killing of the 26-year-old Jordanian
pilot appeared aimed at pressurizing the government of Jordan, a
close U.S. ally, to leave US-led the coalition that has carried out
months of airstrikes against the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq.
Others
First
canister-based nuclear-capable ballistic missile Agni-5 test-fired
Science
and Technology >
First
canister-based nuclear-capable ballistic missile > Feb 01
India's first ever
inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM), the Agni-V, successfully
test-fired, taking the country’s strategic strikes capability to a
new level. It has a strike range of more than 5,000 km and can
deliver a nuclear warhead of over one-tonne-deep inside China. The
trial took place in the Wheeler Island off Odisha coast, where a
three-stage missile was launched from a canister mounted on a truck.
Congratulating scientists from the Defence Research & Development
Organisation (DRDO) for the success, Prime Minister Narendra Modi
said the missile was an asset for the country's forces. The most
powerful missile of India can travel faster than a bullet despite
weighing nearly 50 tonnes and will increase the operational
flexibility of armed forces.
Japanese
hostage, Kenji Goto, beheaded by Islamic State
World
> ISIS > Feb 01
Islamic State has released a
video that shows the alleged beheading of Japanese hostage Kenji
Goto. The slaying of Goto, a freelance reporter whose work focused on
refugees, children and other victims of war, shocked Japan, which
until now had not become directly involved in the fight against the
militants. Kenji had previously appealed in a video released by the
militants that he and a Jordanian pilot would be killed unless the
governments conformed to the demands of the Islamic State. Jordan and
Japan reportedly conducted indirect negotiations with the militants
through Iraqi tribal leaders, but late on Friday the Japanese envoy
sent to Amman to work on the hostage crisis reported a deadlock in
those efforts. Later, IS released a video of the Jordanian pilot,
locked in a cage and being burnt alive.
The citizens of Japan were
struck by a wave of anxiety concerning their future security and
security has been heightened at many places, including airports and
Japanese facilities overseas. The Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe
said that Japan will continue to stand by its decision and will not
let the terrorists win. It will also keep providing substantial
economic and humanitarian aid to countries in the region caught up in
the struggle with IS.
Sun-Ranbaxy
merger gets conditional nod from US FTC
Corporate
> Sun-Ranbaxy
Deal > Feb 02
The US Federal Trade
Commission (FTC) has finally put an end to the key waiting period
clause under the HSR Act, by clearing the $4 billion merger between
Sun Pharma and Ranbaxy. The HSR Act prevents parties from completing
mergers or acquisitions until they have made a detailed filing with
the FTC and US Department of Justice, which determine whether the
transaction will affect US antitrust laws or not. The termination
came with a condition that Ranbaxy divests its interest in generic
minocycline tablets and capsules to Torrent Pharmaceuticals.
Both the companies have
agreed to conform to the conditions stated by FTC consent agreement
and will complete the transaction within a certain period.
Sun-Ranbaxy is currently also in the process of divesting seven
brands in India as per the order of the Competition Commission of
India (CCI).
World
> Argentina > Feb 02
The case of mysterious death
of Argentina's prosecutor, Alberto Nisman, has taken a new turn
.According to the lead investigator, a 26-page document was found in
the garbage at Mr. Nisman’s apartment, requesting for the arrest of
President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner. The draft also sought the
arrest of Héctor Timerman, Argentina’s foreign minister, accusing
both of them of covering up Iran's involvement in the 1994 bombing of
a Jewish center in Argentina. No Argentine judge has come forward to
take up the trial yet, given the sensitivity attached with the case.
Legal experts said that the draft found in Mr. Nisman’s apartment
was not valid in an Argentine court of law, and needed more than just
the prosecutor’s wishes to move forward in the legal system.
Finance
minister to postpone GAAR by at least a year
India
> GAAR > Feb 02
Finance minister Arun
Jaitley is set to delay the General Anti-Avoidance Rules (GAAR) by at
least a year in order to allow tax officials and the industry to get
better acquainted with the rules. The delay will help in rectifying
the tax policy towards a more stable one. The rules are aimed towards
avoiding the provision of tax benefits to companies which try to find
loopholes to avoid the payment of taxes and to ensure that tax
benefits accrue only to the intended genuine economic activities.
The GAAR were formulated by
the UPA government in 2012 and were set to be implemented in the year
2013-14 but the decision was eventually postponed to be implemented
in the financial year 2014-15.
Volunteer
group claims AAP received funding from dubious companies
India
> AAP > Feb 02
AAP Volunteer Action Manch
(AVAM) has accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of a funding scam. AVAM
claims that the party received donations of Rs. 50 lakh each of the
four companies, which the former claims, are fake and the AAP made
dummy entries in order to evade taxes. The party has issued a
statement saying they are open for all kinds of investigation. The
allegations, if proved true, might prove to be a stumbling block in
AAP’s intention to win the Delhi Assembly elections.
The Bharitya Janta Party
(BJP) has asked the AAP to come clean against the above mentioned
allegations and provide an explanation related to transparency and
accountability of the donations.
Micromax
beats Samsung to lead India's smartphone market
Corporate
> Smartphone > Feb 04
According to the reports
issued by research firm Canalys, Indian budget smartphone maker
Micromax, beats Samsung in establishing its popularity among
smartphone users in India. With 22% share of the total smartphone
market in India, Micromax emerged leader for the first time in the
fourth quarter. Samsung followed close behind with 20% share, ceding
the top position to Micromax. The change in the market scenario can
be attributed to the low prices offered by Micromax smartphones.
However, Samsung disputed the reports saying that Samsung's volume
market share in the October-December 2014 quarter was 34.3% and the
value market share was 35.8%, as per the GfK data. It said that Gfk
data is based on actual retail sales in 50,000-plus population
cities, according to which it continues to lead the Indian market.
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