In a major announcement ahead of the Chhattisgarh Assembly polls due this year-end, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Jan 26  said unemployed youth will be given a monthly allowance in the state from the next financial year.

It was one of the key promises made by the Congress ahead of the 2018 Assembly polls, following which the party returned to power in the state after a gap of 15 years.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has said that if two sisters are studying in a private school, the state government will pay the fees of one.

Provision for this is being made in the next financial year's budget. This will benefit lakhs of girl students studying in primary, upper primary and secondary schools.

Adityanath had said some time ago that if two real sisters study in a school, then the management of that school should be requested to waive the fees of one. If this is not possible from the management level, then the state government will compensate the fees of one of the sisters.

The Basic Education department has sent a proposal to include this in next year's budget.

Authorities said that a man armed with a Kalashnikov-style rifle stormed the Azerbaijan Embassy in Iran's capital  on Jan 27 , killing the head of security at the diplomatic post and wounding two guards.

Tehran's police chief, Gen. Hossein Rahimi, blamed the attack on "personal and family problems". However, the assault comes as tensions have been high for months between neighbouring Azerbaijan and Iran.

Azerbaijan borders Iran's northwest. There have been tensions between the two countries as Azerbaijan and Armenia have fought over the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Iran in October launched a military exercise near the Azerbaijan border, flexing its martial might amid the nationwide protests rocking the Islamic Republic. Azerbaijan also maintains close ties to Israel, which Tehran views as its top regional enemy.

Turkey, which has close ties to Azerbaijan, condemned the attack. Turkey has backed Azerbaijan against Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh.

Indian-American astronaut Raja J Chari has been nominated by President Joe Biden for the appointment to the grade of Air Force brigadier general.

The nomination was announced on Jan 26 and will have to be confirmed by the Senate which approves all senior civilian and military appointments. 

Chari is currently serving as the Crew-3 commander and astronaut, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Johnson Space Center, Texas.

He earned a master's degree in aeronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and graduated from the US Naval Test Pilot School in Patuxent River, Maryland.

Brigadier General (BG) is a one-star General Officer rank of the United States Air Force. It is just above Colonel and below Major General.

Asia's richest man Gautam Adani's group is eyeing petrochemical and mining projects in Azerbaijan as the ports-to-energy conglomerate looks to expand the business beyond Indian shores.

Adani met Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev in Davos last week.

"During the conversation, the parties discussed Azerbaijan's attractiveness for foreign direct investments, the development of the country's economy, and the prospects for cooperation with the Adani Group in petrochemical, mining and metallurgical industries, as well as other areas of mutual interest," it said.

Adani, in recent years, is on a rapid diversification spree, expanding an empire centred on ports and coal mining to include airports, data centres and cement as well as green energy.

Adani group is examining legal options to take “punitive action” against the US-based investment research firm Hindenburg  Research after the latter published a report where it accused Adani of stock market manipulation, called the share prices of its 7 listed companies ‘over valued’, questioned the role of close family members among other serious allegations.

This is the third time in two days that Adani Group has issued a statement to dismiss the Hindenburg report.  Post the statements, Hindenburg hit back at Adani and said the Group did not answer a single question they raised.

Hindenburg said they welcome Adani’s threat as they standby the report and believe any legal taken against them would be meritless.

Truth or dare

Adani Group threatens punitive action against Hindenburg for its damning report about the company

Hindenburg Research says it stands by the report and believes any legal taken against them would be meritless

The research firm says Adani Group has not answered a single question (out of 88) they raised

A report by Hindenburg accuses Adani Group of stock market manipulation among other serious charges

It was a double delight for Pakistan skipper Babar Azam as he was picked for both the 'ODI Cricketer of the Year' and the 'Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for the ICC Men's Cricketer of 2022' on Jan 26 .

A year after he won the 'ODI Cricketer of the Year' in 2021, the charismatic batter continued to dominate world cricket and was the only player to breach the 2000-run mark in 2022 across all formats.

Stokes, Men's Test Cricketer of Year

Talismanic England skipper and allrounder Ben Stokes, who redefined Test cricket in 2022, was adjudged the best in the longer format.

Sciver reigns supreme in women's cricket

England skipper and star allrounder Nat Sciver also made it a double.

She was declared winner of the 'Women's ODI Cricketer of the Year' as well as the 'Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy for ICC Women's Cricketer of the Year'.

Illingworth, best umpire

Englishman Richard Illingworth was adjudged 'ICC Umpire of the Year' for a second time. In 2019 too he was adjudged the 'Best Umpire'.

The awards: Men's Cricketer and ODI Cricketer: Babar Azam (Pakistan); Women's Cricketer and ODI Cricketer: Nat Sciver (England); Men's Test Cricketer: Ben Stokes (England); Umpire: Richard Illingworth (England); Spirit of Cricket: Aasif Sheikh (Nepal).

Q1.  Name the Asia's and India's richest billionaire- whose fortune fell sharply on  Jan 27 and his ranking in the global rich list came down to the seventh spot on Jan 27 ?

1. Mukesh Ambani
2. Radhakishan Damani
3. Cyrus Poonawalla
4. Gautam Adani
5. None of These

Q2. India has signed an agreement with South Africa to translocate 12 cheetahs to the Kuno National Park  in 

1. Madhya Pradesh
2. Chhattisgarh
3. Uttarakhand
4. Uttar Pradesh
5. None of These

   Q3. Name the state whose chief minister has announced the       allowance for unemployed youth from next financial year ?

1.  Madhya Pradesh
2. Chhattisgarh
3. Uttarakhand
4. Assam
5. None of These

Q4.  Name the state whose chief minister has announced that if two sisters are studying in a private school, the state government will pay the fees of one ?

1. Bihar
2. Andhra Pradesh
3. Uttar Pradesh
4. Punjab
5. None of These

Q5. Name the Indian-American astronaut who has been nominated by President Joe Biden for the appointment to the grade of Air Force brigadier general ?

1. Raja J Chari
2. Dr. Ashish Jha
3. Vinay Reddy
4. Chiraag Bains
5. None of These

Answers

1--------------------4   Gautam Adani

2---------------------1  Madhya Pradesh

3-------------------2  Chhattisgarh

4------------------3    Uttar Pradesh

5--------------------1 Raja J Chari