US CDC issues Zika warning for Rajasthan

  • United States agency, Center for Disease Control, has advised pregnant women from travelling to the state of Rajasthan.
  • Around 150 cases of Zika virus have been reported in the state of Rajasthan in the months of October and November.
  • Zika infection during pregnancy can cause serious birth defects, the warning stated. 

ISRO successfully launches GSAT-7A

  • The military communication satellite, GSAT-7A, was launched from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.
  • This is ISRO’s 39th communication satellite and will be used for military applications.
  • The satellite weighed 2,250 kilograms and was launched using GSLV-F11.

President Trump ordered withdrawal of US troops from Syria

  • Trump administration claimed that the troops are being pulled out after the defeat of ISIS.
  • US had been part of the Syrian war with around 2000 troops in the north-eastern region.
  • Apart from several Syrian ethnic groups, Russian, Turkish, and Iranian troops are also involved in the Syrian conflict.

IDFC Bank merges with Capital First

  • The merged entity will be known as IDFC First Bank.
  • Founder and Chairman of Capital First, V Vaidyanathan, will be the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the IDFC First Bank.
  • Capital First is a non-banking financial institution and the merger between the two financial entities was announced on January 13th, 2018.