Current Affairs in short : 13 January 2020

About 8,000 residents were evacuated after a small active Taal volcano near Manila spewed a massive cloud of ash.

The Australian government is to declare koalas as an endangered species after the bushfire crisis. It destroyed 30% of the habitat of koalas across the country.

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa is to visit New Delhi in February 2020. He will hold a discussion with his counterpart, Narendra Modi. The dates and the delegation are yet to be firmed up for the visit.

Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen secured a landslide victory in presidential elections with voters resoundingly handing its first female leader a second term.

Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar has said, the government is in the process of acquiring around 200 aircraft to cope with the depleting aerial inventories of the Indian Air Force.

Kaziranga recorded 96 species of wetland birds one of the highest for wildlife reserves in India, according to the second wetland bird count conducted on January 9-­10.

Private property is a fundamental right: Supreme court Judgement.

Ishwar Sharma from the UK has been honoured with the Global Child Prodigy Award 2020. The award recognized for the achievements in spiritual discipline yoga.

Tata Power Solar Systems Ltd bagged a megaproject from NTPC for a 250-megawatt solar project under the Central Public Sector Undertakings (CPSU) scheme. The cost of the project is Rs.1,505 crore. It has been estimated to be completed in a period of 20 months.

The Centre after consultation with the Reserve Bank of India has increased the authorised capital of Indian Overseas Bank from Rs 15,000 crore to Rs Rs 25,000 crore.

The Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly adopted a new logo, reflecting the distinct identity and culture of the state. The new logo consists of the national emblem and foxtail orchid (Rhynchostylis Retusa), the state flower.

Rajasthan will shortly get its first biotechnology park and an incubation center, for which a memorandum of understanding will be signed with the Centre’s Department of Biotechnology. The park and incubation center is expected to enable the State government to take up research in the field of biotechnology and provide employment to the youths

Assam's Dibrugarh district won the Plastic Waste Management Award 2020. It was awarded for being the best district of India in the plastic waste management category during Swachhta Hi Sewa 2019.

Youngster Shafali Verma is all set to receive the best international debut for a woman player (2018-19) at the annual BCCI awards. Verma has so far played just T20Is for the Indian side. In the nine matches, the 15-year-old has scored 222 runs with the highest score of 73.

World number one Kento Momota won the Malaysia Masters after easily defeating Denmark's Viktor Axelsen 24-22, 21-11.

Lt Col Yuvraj Malik has been appointed the Director of the National Book Trust (NBT). He has taken over from Sahitya Akademi-awardee writer Rita Chowdhury.

Veteran broadcaster, poet and academician Obaid Siddiqui has passed away due to health related problems. Siddiqui, 63, was quite unwell due to multiple ailments and was undergoing treatment.