The last time British actor Idris Elba was in Davos during the World Economic Forum, it was to perform as a DJ at a party with R&B superstar Mary J. Blige.

The Elbas, Idris Elba  and Sabrina Dhowre Elba who are goodwill ambassadors for the UN's International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), are in Davos to urge the world's corporate and political elite to do more to help small farmers in Africa.

: "Khalistani supporters" have allegedly vandalised a Hindu temple in Australia with anti-India graffiti, a media report said on Jan 18 , in the second attack on a temple in Victoria state within a week.

The vandalism of the historic Shri Shiva Vishnu Temple in Carrum Downs, Victoria, took place on Jan 16 , The Australia Today website reported.

This act of vandalism was noticed when the devotees came for 'darshan' as the three-day-long 'Thai Pongal' festival is being celebrated by the Tamil Hindu community.

Public sector lender Bank of India on Jan 18 announced 12% increase in net profit to Rs 1,151 crore for the quarter ending December 2022, supported by increase in net interest income. The bank had posted a net profit of Rs 1,027 crore in the same quarter a year ago.

The bank’s net interest income, the difference between interest earned and interest paid, improved by 64% and stood at Rs 5,596 crore for the third quarter of the current financial year against Rs 3,408 crore for third quarter of the previous financial year. Non-interest income came at Rs 1,432 crore for the third quarter against Rs 1,835 crore in the third quarter of the previous financial year.

Punjab, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Goa, Uttarakhand and Puducherry will be fiscally most impacted states once the GST compensation regime gets over. The RBI in its latest report on state finances said the share of GST compensation in tax revenue of these states has exceeded 10% on average.

The central bank says going forward, in the absence of GST compensation, these states need to augment their revenue by increasing compliance, plugging leakages and widening tax bases. During the five-year transition period (July 2017 to June 2022), the top five compensation-receiving states were Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Punjab. GST compensation to states ended on June 30, 2022. Though, the compensation cess is continue to be levied till March 2026 to pay up for money borrowed to fill the compensation gap during 2020-21 and 2021-22.

When GST was implemented, the Centre guaranteed states a 14% annual increment in GST revenue for the first five years. Any shortfall from the target had to be compensated via GST compensation cess. As per RBI, 10 states are expected to fall short of the 14% GST growth target as per their 2022-23 estimates. These states include Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, J&K and Delhi.

The acting president of the French Football Federation Noel Le Graet has been placed under investigation for sexual harassment.

A sports agent has accused the president of the French soccer federation of improper conduct over several years, saying he only was interested in her sexually.

Noël Le Graët has had a tumultuous week in France after saying he “couldn’t care less” about Zinédine Zidane’s future as a coach, and the latest accusation led to calls for his resignation  on Jan 18 from the head of the French Football Federation’s ethics council.

The troubled 81-year-old soccer executive has previously faced claims of sexual harassment and the French federation is the target of an investigation ordered by Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra.

The agent, 37-year-old Sonia Souid, said in an interview with L’Equipe sports daily that Le Graët repeatedly tried to approach her from 2013-17.

She said that while she wanted to develop a business relationship with Le Graët to promote women’s soccer, he was more interested in leaving messages on her voicemail late in the evening to invite her to drink champagne.

Q1.  Name the district of Telangana  in which the chief ministers of four states formally inaugurated the second phase of 'Kanti Velugu', an eye screening programme  on Jan 18 ?

1. Warangal
2. Nizamabad
3. Khammam
4. Warangal
5. None of These

Q2. Name the district of Uttar Pradesh in which the production of AK-203 Kalashnikov assault rifles has been started ?

1. Agra   
2. Aligarh           
3. Prayagraj
4. Amethi
5. None of These

Q3. Name the district of Chhattisgarh in which a rare orange-coloured bat, which is a "near threatened" species, has been spotted ?

1. Jharkhand
2. Chhattisgarh
3. Nagaland
4. Mizoram
5. None of These

Q4. GST compensation to states ended on June 30, 2022, though, the compensation cess is continue to be levied till

1. March 2026
2. March 2025
3. March 2024
4. March 2023
5. None of These

Q5. Name the acting president of the French Football Federation who has been placed under investigation for sexual harassment ?

1. Gianni Infantino
2. Issa Hayatou
3. Noel Le Graet
4. Sepp Blatter
5. None of These

Answers

1----------------3   Khammam

2-----------------4   Amethi

3------------------2  Chhattisgarh

4-------------------1    March 2026

5-------------------3  Noel Le Graet

JP Nadda's term as the national president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been extended till June 2024, informed Union Home Minister Amit Shah at the National Executive Meeting on Jan 17 .

The decision was taken at the National Executive Meeting of the BJP in the national capital.

India on  Jan 17 welcomed the UN Security Council decision to declare Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba leader Abdul Rehman Makki as a global terrorist and said threats from terrorism in the region remain high and sanctions by the UNSC are an effective tool to curb such threats.