As part of its austerity measures, the Chinese government has directed its arme

d forces to choose cars manufactured by domestic companies while procuring milit

ary vehicles.
A government appointed committee will start public hearing from next month into

Singapores worst riots in 40 years in which 400 South Asian workers were allegedl
y involved, most of them Indians.
January 15
The European Parliament has revised the carbon dioxide emission norms for comme
rcial vans aiming to slash emissions by 28 percent from 2020. Under the new rule
s maximum amount of CO2 that can be emitted by a light commercial vehicle is 147
grammes per kilometer, down from the 203 grammes per kilometrer set in 2007.
The US handed over to India three stolen antique sculptures, valued at over 1.5
million dollars. The antique pieces were seized by the US federal agents as the
y were being illegally traded within America,
India and South Korea signed nine pacts aimed at strengthening their bilateral
ties that have witnessing progress over the past four years. During a meeting wi
th South Korean President Park Geun-hye, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh si
gned pacts in the areas of defence engagement, industry, taxation, cyber securit
y, science and technology.
*South Korea Capital: Seoul.
* Currency: South Korean Won.
January 16
Sri Lanka and India have agreed to release all fishermen detained for poaching.
The decision was taken after a delegation led by Srilankan Fisheries Minister R
ajitha Senaratne met Indian Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar and External Affai
rs Minister Salman Khurshid to discuss the issue. India has also offered assista
nce to Srilanka in developing its fisheries industry.
With 10 nominations each, American Hustle and Gravity are the front runners for
2014 Oscar, while 12 years a Slave follows with nine.
* Sandra Bullock, Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrenc
e all received nods.
* 12 Years A Slave received nine nominations, including for Lupita Nyong'o, Mich
ael Fassbender and Chiwetel Ejiofor.
January 17
The Australian Government Prime Minister Tony abbotts said that it had apologize
d unreservedly to the Indonesian Government after its navy inadvertently breached
Indonesian waters on several occasions. However, Canberra vowed to pursue Prime
Minister Tony Abbotts hardline policy to prevent asylum-seeker boats from reachin
g the Australian coast.
The White House has released a summary of the implementation deal of the six-mo
nth interim nuclear agreement with Iran. This move is believed to be an attempt
to counter domestic opponents of the pact.
* The summary of technical understanding includes a timetable for inspections of I
ranian nuclear facilities by UN atomic watchdog IAEA officials.
US President Barack Obama has discussed with British Prime Minister David Camer
on a number of issues including the Syrian crisis and the regional situation per
taining to Afghanistan and Pakistan. Obama also briefed the latter on a review o
f NSA intelligence activities.
* The President expressed support for the Prime Minister who has been holding tr
ipartite discussions with of Afghanistan and Pakistan to take concrete steps tow
ard peace and stability.
In a bid to enhance cultural understanding between India and Korea, Prasar Bhar
ati signed an agreement with Korea International Broadcasting Foundation for coo
peration in areas related to exchange of programmes, personnel and technical ass
istance.
* The decision was taken after a South Korean delegation led by President Park G
eun-Hye,Korean had a meeting with Prasar Bharati CEO Jawhar Sircar.
January 18
India and the UAE have signed an MoU to enhance cooperation in renewable energy
, especially solar and wind power. The deal was signed by Indias Minister of New
and Renewable Energy Farooq Abdullah and Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, minister of stat
e and the UAEs special envoy for energy and climate change on behalf of their res
pective countries.
South Korean President Park Geun-Hye has ordered the military to beef up border
security to protect the country against potential provocations by North Korea.
Parks orders came after the Norths surprise offer for an end to all acts of provoki
ng and slandering from Jan 30. Pyongyang had also called for steps to ease tensio
ns around the disputed Yellow Sea border, the scene of naval clashes in the past
and renewed its request to South Korea to scrap joint military drills with the
US.
Mahinda Samarasinghe, Srilankas Plantation Minister and human rights envoy, said
that the country was ready to face another resolution in the UN rights body ove
r alleged war crimes during the decades-long civil war against the rebel Tamil T
igers.
* Two previous resolutions, backed by India, were adopted in the council.
January 19
Aiming to promote greater acceptance of homosexuals who face widespread discrim
ination in Bangladesh, the Muslim-majority nations gay community has launched its
first magazine "Rupabaan".
Ousted Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi and 25 others, including liberal activ
ists and journalists, will be tried for "insulting the judiciary." The Islamist
leader is facing three other cases. Attorney General Hisham Barakat has referred
Morsi and 25 others to a criminal court for insulting the judiciary.
The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and the Abu Dhabi Fund for De
velopment (ADFD) announced approximately 41 million dollar in concessional loans
for renewable energy projects in developing countries.
January 20
The new law makers of Nepals second Constituent Assembly were administered oath
by senior-most member Surya Bahadur Thapa.
* A total 575 lawmakers elected directly under the first past the post system an
d selected as per the proportional representative electoral system took the oath
from Thapa, a former prime minister.
Ban Ki-moon, the Secretary-General of United Nation withdrew the invitation for
Iran to join the peace conference on Syrian crisis. This action was taken follo
wing Tehrans refusal to support the political transition deal, which is the basis
of the conference. US has also suggested to that it could support Irans particip
ation if it explicitly declared support for the action plan.
January 21
The Philippines said it has banned imports of poultry and related products from
China after it confirmed an outbreak of the HN52 strain of bird flu in the nort
hern province of Hebei. The ban is only temporary.
* In 2013, China 46 people had died in china due to avian influenza.
The University of Cumbria's Institute for Leadership and Sustainability (IFLAS)
has become the first public university in the worl