12:13 Azharuddin’s nomination for HCA president rejected:
Former Indian captain Mohammad Azharuddin’s nomination for the post of Hyderabad Cricket Association president has been rejected. It was reported earlier that the former Indian captain had filed for contesting for the post but questions marks remained over his eligibility.
Azharuddin had been given a life ban from cricketing activity following his implication in the 2000 match fixing scandal.
According to former HCA president Arshad Ayub the HCA did not receive clearance from the BCCI , saying that his life ban is lifted.
“I think he needs the BCCI clearance for his nomination to be accepted. Also, a by-law of the HCA constitution says that to contest for the post of president, one has to serve at least one term as an executive council member and another term as an office-bearer. Azhar doesn’t fulfil that as well,” Ayub, who had to step down from the post of the HCA president following the Supreme Court’s January 2 and 3 orders.
11:07 Priyanka Chopra injured on Quantico set: Actress Priyanka Chopra was involved in an accident on the set of her TV drama Quantico and taken to the hospital in New York.
The 34-year-old actress has since been released by the doctor, and is now ‘resting comfortably’ at home, a representative from the production team of ABC confirmed to Entertainment Tonight.
According to TMZ, the actress slipped and fell on her head while performing a stunt during the filming of the show on Thursday. She suffered a concussion.
Priyanka was immediately rushed to hospital. The Baywatch actress was examined and treated at the emergency room before she got discharged a few hours later. She is now resting at home.
The actress is expected to return to work on the hit ABC show after the weekend, her representative told Us magazine.
10:25 Obama’s schedule for last week as US President: Here’s President Barack Obama’s schedule for his last week in office:
Monday: Baseball team Chicago Cubs will visit President Obama. The President will honour them for their 2016 World Series victory. In the afternoon, Obama will participate in a service project for Martin Luther King Jr Day.
Tuesday: The President will attend meetings at the White House.
Wednesday: President Obama will hold his final press conference.
Thursday: The President will attend meetings at the White House.
Friday: In the morning, President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama will welcome President-elect Donald Trump and Melania Trump to the White House for tea. They will then attend the inauguration of President-elect at the United States Capitol. Thereafter, they will proceed to Joint Base Andrews via helicopter where the President will deliver remarks to a group of staff gathered there to bid farewell, before departing JBA on their last flight on board the presidential aircraft.
09:31 Centre to offload entire stake in three PSUs: The Centre is preparing to get out of three state-owned companies — National Project Construction Corp, Project and Development India and Pawan Hans — as it ramps up its privatisation drive through strategic sale.
The government has 100 per cent in NPCC and PDI, and owns a 51 per cent stake in Pawan Hans, with the rest belonging to energy major ONGC Ltd. All the three are unlisted.
The Department of Investment and Public Asset Management of the finance ministry has issued advertisements and requests for proposals to hire legal and financial advisors for the strategic sales.
“Work on valuation of these three PSUs has begun. Once that is done and the advisors are in place, Cabinet approval will be sought,” a senior government official said.
How much the exchequer will earn from the sale of these PSUs depends on the valuation. The advisors will help the Centre to choose prospective buyers.
In Pawan Hans’ case, the government’s stake might be sold to ONGC if the latter showed interest, officials said. Officials declined to say when the sales will be completed.
The current year’s Budgeted Estimate for disinvestment is Rs 56,500 crore, of which Rs 36,000 crore is expected to come from minority stake sales and buybacks, and Rs 20,500 crore from strategic sales in loss-making and profitable PSUs.
So far, divestment of nearly Rs 30,000 crore has been announced, including the second tranche of the CPSE exchange traded fund. The proceeds have hit the highest clocked up in a year. Officials say that since the Centre will exceed its Budgeted tax revenue targets for the year because voluntary disclosure has increased after demonetisation, the DIPAM may not be required to meet the target. Arup Roychoudhury/Business Standard
09:11 Best years for TCS lie ahead, says Chandrasekaran: N Chandrasekaran, the outgoing chief executive officer and managing director of Tata Consultancy Services and the designated chairman of Tata Sons says the best years of Indias largest technology services company lie ahead with the new team, despite its past success.
‘Despite the outstanding successes achieved thus far, I strongly believe that TCS’ best years lie ahead. I have every confidence that the new management team will take TCS to the next levels of our aspirations,’ Chandrasekaran, who as Tata Group chairman also would be the de facto chairman of TCS, wrote in an email to employees.
He introduced to employees his successor Rajesh Gopinathan, who will take over as the CEO and MD of the $16.5-billion (Rs 1.10 lakh crore) software exporter, and N Ganapathy Subramaniam, who will take over as the chief operating officer.
‘As you know, Rajesh is a 16-year veteran of TCS and has been a long-standing member of my management team, worked very closely with me in formulating and executing the company strategy, starting from the e-business practice, moving up to head, business finance and then over the last four years as the chief financial officer of TCS,’ he wrote.
On Subramaniam, who happens to be his elder brother, Chandrasekaran said, he is a 35-year veteran of TCS, who has handled responsibilities across the TCS business. Shivani Shinde Nadhe/Business Standard
09:01 DJ Guetta’s Mumbai concert rescheduled to Jan 15: Grammy award-winning French DJ David Guetta’s concert in Mumbai has been rescheduled to January 15 with the organisers saying that they have received the nod from the authorities.
The Mumbai concert was first supposed to take place at Mahalaxmi Racecourse but the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation denied permission. It was then shifted to Reliance Jio Garden in Bandra Kurla Complex but there too it was rejected.
“We regret the cancellation of the Sunburn Arena with David Guetta this evening. We are happy to add that we have succeeded in rescheduling the event for Sunday, January 15 from 11 am to 4 pm at the same venue — Jio Gardens, BKC,” Harindra Singh, managing director and chairman, Percept Limited said.
“We are complying with all the regulatory requirements as prescribed by the authorities. The current tickets will be valid for the rescheduled show on Sunday,” he said.
About 4,000 people were expected to attend the event.
00:21 Pak made ‘counterproductive’ moves risking nuke war: Biden: United States Vice President Joe Biden has singled out Pakistan along with Russia and North Korea and others for making ‘counterproductive’ moves that only heightened the risk that nuclear weapons could be used in a regional conflict.
“Not just North Korea, but Russia, Pakistan, and others have made counterproductive moves that only increase the risk that nuclear weapons could be used in a regional conflict in Europe, South Asia, or East Asia,” Biden said in his remarks on nuclear security.
Working with the Congress, the next administration will have to navigate these dangers and continue leading the global consensus to reduce the role of nuclear weapons in our world, Biden said a week before the end of eight years of the Obama administration.
“We know that terrorists have both the capacity and the goal of transforming nuclear materials into weapons to sow havoc. And we know that no nation acting alone can defeat this threat,” he said.
Biden said as North Koreas nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities continue to expand, it poses a growing threat to international security and our own national defense.
“Just last year, in response to two illegal nuclear tests by North Korea, the United Nations Security Council — including China and Russia — unanimously adopted two resolutions imposing the most far-reaching and comprehensive sanctions on North Korea to date,” he said and called for enforcing these sanctions to ensure North Korea understands that we will continue to impose costs for their illegal behaviour.
Source: Rediff