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Qassem Soleimani, top Iranian military commander, killed in U.S. airstrike in Baghdad The U.S. Defense Department confirmed Soleimani was killed Thursday night in an airstrike in Baghdad. The Pentagon said President Trump ordered the “decisive defensive action to protect U.S. personnel,” accusing Soleimani of “actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region.” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo described the threat to American lives as “imminent” on Twitter Friday morning.  The Defense Department blamed Soleimani for the deaths of hundreds of Americans, and said he was behind recent attacks on coalition bases in Iraq, including...

Passive debt funds will be the name of the game for India: Rashesh Shah Bharat Bond ETF offers retail investors the chance to participate in the debt market of India. How do you see retail participation for this product vis-à-vis other debt products?The Edelweiss Bharat Bond ETF is actually an innovation because it not only allows retail investors to have overnight liquidity but also to participate in the bond market. Generally bond markets are very illiquid, but this is a liquid bond product. Along with this, it is a portfolio of bonds. So, the individual investor is not taking any...

ISRO’s K Sivan explains what he learnt from PM Modi’s hug after failed moon mission Looking ahead to the successful launch of Chandrayaan-3 in addition to a maiden solar expedition in 2020, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief K Sivan recalled on Thursday how Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s hug after the space agency lost contact with Chandrayaan 2 lander Vikram in September, had taught him many lessons. Three months ago, visuals of Prime Minister Modi hugging the ISRO chief in an attempt to console and encourage him after the soft landing on the lunar surface failed had gone viral on...

As Brexit looms, PM Boris Johnson sends upbeat New Year message As the Big Ben chimed and heralded 2020 at midnight, Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday set out what he called a ‘fantastic agenda’ in a ‘remarkable decade’ as the United Kingdom prepares to leave the European Union on January 31. Seeking unity among those who supported or opposed Brexit, Johnson, who led the Conservative party to a landslide election win in December, said the bongs of the Big Ben ushering the new year and decade were “the starting gun being fired” for much to follow. The UK is...

Bill Gates wants you to sleep more in 2020 and here’s why Founders and entrepreneurs are no stranger to pulling all-nighters, especially on the eve of a big pitch or investor meet. But Microsoft founder Bill Gates is urging more founders to prioritise sleep and sharing a few practical tips from his own arsenal. A Slight Handicap“Back in my early Microsoft days, I routinely pulled all-nighters when we had to deliver a piece of software. I knew I wasn’t as sharp when I was operating mostly on caffeine and adrenaline, but I was obsessed with my work, and I felt...

Polish PM accuses Putin of lying about outbreak of WWII Poland’s Prime Minister has said that Russian President Vladimir Putin has been lying in remarks blaming Poland for the outbreak of World War II, and argued that Putin is doing it to deflect from recent Russian political failures. Putin has said on several recent occasions that Poland bears responsibility for the outbreak of the war, deepening tensions between the two Slavic nations. On Friday the Russian ambassador to Poland was summoned to the Polish Foreign Ministry in protest. World War II began in 1939 when Poland was invaded first by...

Rajashekar opens up on his injury on Kalki sets Veteran Telugu actor Rajasekhar made his comeback in Tollywood with PSV Garuda Vega, which went on to become a blockbuster. The actor took his sweet time to sign his next film. Currently, he is acting in Kalki, directed by Prashant Varma of Awe fame. Kalki is tipped to be an investigative thriller with a period setup. While shooting an action sequence for the film, Rajasekhar was badly injured. However, he didn’t want to halt the shooting and continued to perform despite his injuries. Rajasekhar seems to be upset with the way this news...

Former NBA commissioner David Stern dies at 77 David Stern, the NBA commissioner during the most successful period in league history, has died, the league announced Wednesday. He was 77. Stern died as a result of the brain hemorrhage he suffered three weeks ago. His wife, Dianne, and their family were with him at his bedside, the NBA said. “For 22 years, I had a courtside seat to watch David in action. He was a mentor and one of my dearest friends,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. “We spent countless hours in the office, at arenas and...

General Manoj Mukund Naravane takes charge as Chief of Army Staff General Manoj Mukund Naravane took charge as the 28th Chief of Army Staff on Tuesday even as General Bipin Rawat retired after serving three years as the Army Chief. After being appointed as the Chief of Army Staff, General Mukund Naravane said: “It is an honour to be given this responsibility.” Source: India Today

Nirmala Sitharaman unveils ₹102 lakh crore national infrastructure plan NEW DELHI : Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today unveiled a ₹102 lakh crore national infrastructure pipeline, in accordance with the Narendra Modi government’s vision to make India a $5 trillion economy by 2024-25. The finance ministry had set up a task force headed by Economic Affairs Secretary to prepare a road map for the “national infrastructure pipeline” from 2019-20 to 2024-25 under the ₹100 lakh crore infra plan. Source: Live Mint