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- The Union Cabinet has approved the signing of a new Air Services Agreement (ASA) between India and Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR). Under the agreement, the designated airlines of the two countries will have an equal and fair opportunity to operate the agreed air services on specified routes.
- The seventh meeting of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Immigration Authorities was held in Islamabad, Pakistan.
- Rajasthan has become the first state in the country to approve a sewage and waste water policy. The policy was approved by the State Cabinet meeting presided by Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje in Jaipur.
- Translator and artist Anita Gopalan has been awarded the 2016 PEN/Heim Translation Fund Grants for her English translation of Hindi novel Simsim written by Geet Chaturvedi. She will be honoured with the award at the 2017 PEN Literary Awards Ceremony in New York in February 2017.
- The 23rd Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana Award will be given to Shubha Mudgal. She will be honoured for her outstanding contribution towards the promotion of communal harmony, peace and goodwill. She has previously received the Padma Shri in 2000.
- LegalDesk.com, an online legal documentation startup, has announced the launch of its electronic signing feature ‘eSignDesk’. This will allow people to sign documents from remote places. Built on the Aadhaar platform, eSign is an initiative of the Government of India and meant to save money and time for citizens. It was launched by Nandan Nilekani, former Chairman of UIDAI.
- India and Bangladesh will play in a one-off Test between February 8 and 12, 2017, at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad. The match will mark Bangladesh’s first official visit to India since attaining Test status in 2000.
- Adil Kalyanpur, a budding Junior tennis player, will train at the Rafa Nadal Academy. The academy built by Rafael Nadal at Mallorca, will offer a special Professional Tennis Program, tailored to the requirements of the Indian lad, through the expertise of the legend’s uncle Toni Nadal.
- Indian-American Pramila Jayapal has won the open primary for the 7th Congressional District in the State of Washington and could make history as the first woman from the community to enter the U.S. Congress if she wins the November general election.
- Japan’s cabinet has approved an economic stimulus package worth 275 billion dollars in attempt kick-start the economy and boost growth of the world’s third-largest economy. The decision was taken yesterday by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
- The world’s tallest moving observation tower, the i360, will open to the public this week. The tower is a futuristic landmark located in the English tourist resort of Brighton. It is a 162-metre high steel tower ringed by a doughnut-shaped glass observation pod that glides up and down.
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