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- In the first high level contact between the defence departments of India and the U.S. since President Donald Trump took charge, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and his U.S. counterpart Gen. James Mattis have agreed to expand cooperation. The two discussed cooperation under the Defence Technology Trade Initiative (DTTI) and the Major Defence Partner status and agreed to take forward the joint development of defence platforms.
- AIADMK interim general secretary V.K. Sasikala met Governor Ch. Vidyasagar Rao and staked claim to form the next government in Tamil Nadu, contending that she enjoyed the support of a majority of party legislators. Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam, who separately met Mr. Rao at the Raj Bhavan earlier, is learnt to have submitted a memorandum seeking time to prove his majority in the Assembly.
- India has sought the extradition of absconding tycoon Vijay Mallya from the United Kingdom. The government reached out to the U.K. days after the Central Bureau of Investigation advised extradition of the millionaire, who is wanted by a number of banks for defaulting on loans.
- Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has announced the setting up of All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Telangana.
- The controversial Calcutta High Court judge, Justice C.S. Karnan, has written to the Supreme Court’s Registrar-General, contending that the unprecedented suo motu contempt notice issued against him affects his fundamental rights of equality and dignity and has amounted to a violation of the principles of natural justice.
- The C.K. Birla Group has decided to sell the Ambassador brand (including trademark and certain related rights) to Peugeot SA for Rs. 80 crore raising hopes of a return of the iconic car on the roads.
Ambassador - Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu unveiled the first phase of the ambitious Station Redevelopment Programme. It is the world’s largest transit-oriented development programme ever executed.
- The Union Minister for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences Dr. Harsh Vardhan released the Special Edition of “Atlas for Visually Impaired (India)” in English Braille in New Delhi. This Braille Atlas has been prepared by National Atlas and Thematic Mapping Organisation (NATMO) under Department of S&T. It is world’s first braille atlas for the visually impaired.
- The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has indigenously developed a Telemetry & Telecommand Processor (TTCP). The processor development was undertaken by the ISRO as part of ‘Make in India’ campaign to replace the expensive imported equipment necessary for uplinking and downlinking to satellites.
- Kerala’s Nilambur teak known internationally for its superior timber quality and elegant appearance will be added to the list of Kerala produces with the Geographical Indication (GI) tag.
- India and United Kingdom (UK) have signed a MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) to ease restrictions on the number of scheduled flights between the two countries.
- Rafael Nadal’s coach and uncle Toni Nadal has said he will no longer accompany the tennis great on tour, complaining that he is being shut out of decision-making.
- Archaeologists have uncovered a new cave that once housed Dead Sea Scrolls, in a discovery described as one of the “most important” in 60 years. The Dead Sea Scrolls, which include the oldest known manuscripts of the Hebrew Bible, date from the 3rd century BCE to the 1st century CE. The parchment and papyrus scrolls contain Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic writing, and include several of the earliest-known texts from the Bible, including the oldest surviving copy of the Ten Commandments.
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