News in Short

• At the 64th Annual Grammy Awards Ricky Kej earned his second coveted gramophone trophy in the best new album category for ‘Divine Tides’.
• This was his collaboration with The Police drummer Stewart Copeland. Kej won his first Grammy in 2015 for the best new age album category for ‘Winds of Samsara’.
• Ricky Kej is a recipient of the United Nations Global Humanitarian Artist award, in addition to more than 100 accolades won over the course of his illustrious career.

• In the biggest merger in Indian corporate history, the boards of HDFC and HDFC Bank cleared a $40 billion amalgamation of the parent housing finance company with its banking arm.
• HDFC chairman Deepak Parekh said shareholders of HDFC will get 42 shares of HDFC Bank for every 25 shares held.
• HDFC Bank will be 100% owned by public shareholders, with existing shareholders of HDFC Ltd owning 41%. It will mark the largest banking sector M&A globally since April 2007.

• Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s ruling coalition lost its majority in parliament after at least 41 lawmakers walked out of the alliance amid growing unrest over an economic crisis.
• The coalition, which commanded 157 votes out of 225 at the last vote held on the government budget, is bound to lose between 50-60 members.
• The shift left Rajapaksa with a minority government, which could make decision making more challenging.

• Pakistani leader Imran Khan nominated former Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed for the office of caretaker Prime Minister.
• The announcement comes after President ArifAlvi sent letters to Mr Khan and Leader of the Opposition Shehbaz Sharif seeking suggestions for the appointment of a caretaker Prime Minister.
• The Constitution has empowered the president to appoint a caretaker prime minister in consultation with the prime minister and the leader of the Opposition in the outgoing National Assembly.

• India’s ambassador to Nepal and an IFS officer of 1988 batch, Vinay Mohan Kwatra will take over as the new foreign secretary upon incumbent Harsh VardhanShringla’s retirement .
• Kwatra has served in Washington, Beijing and also the Indian consulate in Karachi in 1993. He has served as ambassador to a P-5 country, France, and also Nepal.
• Kwatra has also headed the Americas division of MEA, worked as joint secretary in PMO (2015-2017) and also served in the Saarc Secretariat.