Daily News Mail

Attack on Charlie Hebdo

• The horrific terrorist attack in Paris at the office of the French Magazine Charlie Hebdo on 7 January, 2015 is an assault on the freedom of speech, thought and expression.
• Ten staff members, including four of its top cartoonist, were gunned down by masked men in the editorial meeting of the Magazine in what seemed to be a well-planned operation.
• Since 2006, when it first published the cartoons of Prophet Mohammed, Charlie Hebdo had been under threat of violent attacks by Islamist groups.
• The Magazine is not anti-Islam, but anti-religion and supports left-wing intellectuals.
• Not to be intimidated, the publication continued to caricature Islam even after firebombing in 2011, just as it also persistently criticise Christianity and Judaism.
• All those who believes in freedom of expression and democratic way of life must express solidarity with the Magazine, and condemn this unspeakable act of violence against them.

Modi announces merging of PIO and OCI

• Modi announces on 9 January, 2015 of merging of Person of Indian Origin (PIO) and Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI), making way for a one-time visa. Overseas Indians also be exempt from weekly police reporting.
• Visa-on-arrival has been granted to 43 countries.
• This years PBD will honour 16 NRIs with ‘Samman Awards’. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, who is among those awarded this year, will not attending the awards function on Friday.
• He announced the new schemes at 13th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, being held in Gandhinagar January 7- 9 to mark the centenary of India's "sarva shreshta pravasi Bharatiya", Mahatma's Gandhi return to the country from South Africa.