A look at the headlines today:
1. 16 envoys from Latin American, African countries to visit Jammu and Kashmir today
16 envoys will be travelling to Jammu and Kashmir today where they will meet civil society members and will be briefed on the security situation in the Union territory. The group will primarily comprise envoys from Latin American and African countries. The European Union countries are understood to have conveyed that they would visit the Union Territory on a different date and are also believed to have stressed on meeting three former chief ministers—Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti—who are in detention. The envoys travelling today will meet civil society members and receive a briefing on the security situation from various agencies. On the same day, the envoys will be taken to Jammu, where they will meet Lt Governor G.C. Murmu and other officials before returning to the national capital the next day. Sources said envoys of a number of countries had requested the government for a visit to Kashmir to get a first-hand account of the situation prevailing in the Valley following the abrogation of provisions of Article 370 there. The move will be part of India's diplomatic outreach to rebut Pakistan's propaganda against it on the Kashmir issue.
2. Tihar to write to UP prisons today, seeking services of two hangmen
Tihar Jail will seek the services of two hangmen from Uttar Pradesh prison to execute the four convicts in the 2012 Nirbhaya gangrape case. According to a court order issued on Tuesday, the four convicts are to be hanged on January 22 at 7am. "We will most likely write to the prison authority of Uttar Pradesh on Thursday and seek services of two hangmen depending on the availability," a senior Tihar Jail official said Elaborating on it, the official said of the two hangmen, one is very aged. The other is Pawan Jallad from Meerut who has already expressed his willingness to hang the four. All the four convicts are likely to hanged simultaneously. On Wednesday, the jail authorities conducted routine medical check-up of the four convicts and this will be a regular drill until the hanging. "The jail authorities is also holding conversations with the convicts on daily basis to ensure that they are in good mental state," the official said.
3. Former BJP leader Yashwant Sinha's Yatra against CAA starts today
Former Union minister Yashwant Sinha on Saturday announced that Rashtra Manch, his political action group, will take out 'Bharat Jodo Yatra 2020' from Mumbai to Delhi to demand withdrawal of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA). Addressing a press conference, the former BJP leader said the 21-day yatra will begin on January 9 and reach Delhi at the Rajghat on January 30, on the death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. Actor-politician and Congress leader Shatrughan Sinha and former Gujarat chief minister Suresh Mehta were also present at the press conference. "I am requesting everyone to protest against the excesses which have been committed by the government of India and the unconstitutional steps taken," Yashwant Sinha said. The yatra will pass through six states—Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Harayana and Delhi—and cover the distance of over 3,000 kms, he said. Political parties, social activists, professionals, organisations and intellectuals will take part in the yatra, he added.
4. Two rockets hit Iraqi capital's Green Zone
Two rockets crashed late Wednesday into the Iraqi capital's Green Zone, the high-security enclave where foreign embassies including the US mission are based, security sources told AFP. The attack came nearly 24 hours after Tehran launched ballistic missiles at Iraqi bases housing American and other coalition forces in retaliation for the US killing top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani. Just before midnight, AFP's correspondents in Baghdad heard two loud blasts followed by the wailing security sirens of the Green Zone.
5. Growth in India is projected to 'decelerate' to five per cent in 2019-2020: World Bank
The World Bank has projected a five per cent growth rate for India in the 2019-2020 fiscal, but said it was likely to recover to 5.8 per cent in the following financial year. The growth rate for Bangladesh has been projected to remain above seven per cent through the forecast horizon and, in Pakistan, it is projected to languish at three per cent or less through 2020 as macroeconomic stabilisation efforts weigh on economic activity, the bank said in its latest edition of the Global Economic Prospects. "In India, where weakness in credit from non-bank financial companies is expected to linger, growth is projected to slow to five per cent in fiscal year 2019/20, which ends March 31, and recover to 5.8 per cent the following fiscal year," the World Bank said on Wednesday. The global economic growth is forecast to edge up to 2.5 per cent in 2020 as investment and trade gradually recover from last year's significant weakness, but downward risks persist, it said.
6. Malaysia Masters: Saina, Sindhu, Prannoy through to 2nd round; Srikanth bows out
H.S. Prannoy stunned world number 10 Kanta Tsuneyama while ace Indian women shuttlers P.V. Sindhu and Saina Nehwal also sailed into the second round of the Malaysia Masters, here on Wednesday. Prannoy, ranked 26th in the world, took 34 minutes to send Tsuneyama packing with a 21-9 21-17 win in the first round match. Prannoy, however, runs into world number one and top seed Japanese Kento Momota, who has been in red-hot form, in the second round. Momota defeated another Indian Parupalli Kashyap 21-17 21-16 in a 43-minute first round match. World Championships bronze-medallist B. Sai Praneeth and the seasoned Kidambi Srikanth, though, bowed out of the men's singles events. Reigning world champion Sindhu, seeded sixth, took just 35 minutes to beat Evgeniya Kosetskaya of Russia 21-15 21-13 in the women's singles first round that lasted 35 minutes. World number six Sindhu will face Aya Ohori of Japan in the second round today.
7. ISL: Bengaluru face Jamshedpur challenge at home
Defending champions Bengaluru FC face an out-of-form Jamshedpur FC in an Indian Super League clash at the Sree Kanteerava stadium today. Bengaluru are coming into this tie on the back of a confidence-boosting 2-1 win over FC Goa and will fancy their chances against a Jamshedpur side who are winless in five matches. Carles Cuadrat side, placed third on the table with 19 points from 11 matches, can consolidate their spot in the top four with a win today. Jamshedpur, meanwhile, cannot afford to lose. Given that they are sixth with 13 points from 10 matches, a loss will see them fall further behind in the race for the top-four spots. Captain Sunil Chhetri, who was instrumental in Bengaluru's win against FC Goa with two brilliant goals, will once again be the key man for the home side. Chhetri has scored seven goals already this season and has been a saving grace for Bengaluru's attack which has scored just 13 goals so far. Cuadrat will be worried with the poor run of form his wingers Udanta Singh and Ashique Kuruniyan are going through but will hope new recruit Deshorn Brown is able to make an immediate impact.
