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• The US director of national intelligence, Dan Coats, has become the latest high-profile figure to leave the Trump administration.


• President Donald Trump tweeted Mr Coats would step down in mid-August and that he would nominate the Texan congressman John Ratcliffe to replace him.

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• Suspected Boko Haram extremists killed more than 60 people in an attack on villagers leaving a funeral in northeastern Nigeria, a local official said Sunday. It was the deadliest extremist attack against civilians in the region this year.


• Muhammad Bulama, council chairman of the Nganzai local government area, told reporters that 11 other people were wounded during the attack at midday on Saturday.

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• Iran on Sunday slammed as “provocative” a British proposal for a European-led naval mission to escort tankers in the Gulf, amid soaring tensions over the seizure of ships.


• “We heard that they intend to send a European fleet to the Persian Gulf which naturally carries a hostile message, is provocative and will increase tensions,” said government spokesman Ali Rabiei.

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• Interior Ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi said on Monday around 50 other people were wounded in the attack against the Green Trend office in the capital Kabul.


• An Afghan official says at least 20 people were killed during a complex attack Sunday against the office of the president’s running mate.


• Interior Ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi said on Monday around 50 other people were wounded in the attack against the Green Trend office in the capital Kabul.

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• Morocco’s King Mohammed VI, who on Tuesday will mark 20 years on the throne, has cast himself as a modernist open to change while discretely exercising absolute power.


• He has often presented that duality in photo ops, posing for official pictures in traditional garb then switching to snazzy suits for social media snapshots with celebrities during his frequent trips abroad.

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• Born in a Scheduled Caste family at Chipachoor village in Vellore district, D. Raja, the new general secretary of the Communist Party of India, had to battle poverty and hunger.


• He attended college in Gudiyatham, a small town in the grip of political movements — Communist, Dravidian and Ambedkarite.


• His anger against poverty and injustice attracted him to the communist movement. He rose from the ranks, first as a student leader working with the All India Students Federation and later becoming general secretary of the All India Youth Federation and full-time worker of the party in 1975.

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• Former Delhi HC CJ said, “The person holding the highest judicial office in the land sat as a judge in his own cause”


• Former chief justice of Delhi High Court, Justice A.P. Shah, said there is a need to engage in how the Vishaka guidelines, which deal with sexual harassment in the workplace, should be made applicable to the judiciary.

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• Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat to move for leave to introduce the dam safety bill, 2019 in Lok Sabha to provide or surveillance, inspection, operation and maintenance of the specified dam for prevention of dam failure related disasters and to provide for institutional mechanism to ensure their safe functioning.


• Union Minister Harsh Vardhan to move the National Medical Commission Bill, 2019 in Lok Sabha to provide for a medical education system that improves access to quality and affordable medical education, ensures availability of adequate and high quality medical professionals in all parts of the country.

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• “Discussions are already going on it at the Niti Aayog,” said Rajiv Kumar, vice chairman of NITI Aayog, who was present at the meet along with secretary of water and cleanliness, Parmeshwaran Iyer.


• The Himalayan states on Sunday came together at a conclave to demand a separate Union ministry to deal with problems endemic to them and a green bonus in recognition of their contribution to environment conservation.

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• The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has started the registration and counselling for online counselling at its official website, icar.org.in.


• Those who have cleared the All India Entrance Examinations for Admissions (AIEEA) conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) are eligible to apply.

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• Healthy growth in core income and lower slippages are positives, but a still large stressed book, lower NPA recoveries and possible pressure on margins, need a watch.


• For ICICI Bank, that has been under pressure over the past few years owing to its bad loan troubles, the latest June quarter result has been comforting on several counts. A strong growth in the bank’s core net interest income, notable fall in slippages, healthy capital position and sound provision cover — are key positives in the June quarter performance.

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• With a number of entities that were granted approval by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to set up payments banks having either given up their licence or closed operations, surviving players like Fino Payments Bank have asked the RBI to relax the ₹1-lakh cap on deposits.


• “We have had two rounds of discussions with the RBI — in March and then April. The payments bank model is challenging but not impossible,” Rishi Gupta, Managing Director, and CEO, Fino Payments Bank told BusinessLine.

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• A high-level 10-member Committee has been formed under the Chairmanship of Kiren Rijiju, Sports Minister to coordinate and strategize the preparation for the 2020 and 2024 Olympics.


• Objective: The objective of the high-level committee is ensured that the performance of the Indian athletes is to optimize in the Olympics and other multidisciplinary events.

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• Union Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju informed that the third edition of Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG) will be held in Guwahati, Assam from January 18-30, 2020.


• It will be conducted in partnership with Indian Olympic Association (IOA), School Games Federation of India (SGFI) and Assam as host State.

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• The appointment committee of cabinet (ACC), Government of India has re-appointed Badri Narain Sharma (1985-batch IAS officer from Rajasthan) as chairman of the National Anti-profiteering Authority (NAA). He will continue as the NAA chairman for two years.


• Currently, NAA has three members including J C Chauhan (Chairman, Tax tribunal, Himachal Pradesh) and Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officers R Bhagyadevi and Amand Shah.