2 FEBRUARY 2014

Ø  Union Water Resources Minister Harish Rawat was sworn in as the eighth Chief Minister of Uttarakhand at Raj Bhavan here on Saturday.

Ø  Accusing the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) of spending Rs. 630 crore from the exchequer on publicity ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday urged the Election Commission (EC) to stop the use of public money for advertisements.

Ø  In a two-pronged challenge against the immunity claims of Devyani Khobragade, U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara targeted the defence arguments relating to both the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations and the senior Indian diplomat’s alleged accreditation to the United Nations General Assembly in September.  U.S. Attorney noted four key facts. First, the memorandum Ms. Khobragade “was not exercising any function related to U.N. representation at, or immediately before or after, the time of her arrest …” and was not travelling to or from places where UNGA meetings were occurring.  Second, Section 11 of the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the U.N. applies to “high-level non-resident” diplomats and not a consular officer of the rank of Ms. Khobragade.  Third, Mr. Bharara’s office argued, Ms. Khobragade’s U.N. Accreditation Record “does not say what she claims it says,” and contrary to the defence claim that it establishes her appointment to the U.N. from August 26 2013, “continuing unabated through and including December 31 2013,” it suggests an “arrival date” of August 26 and “departure date” of August 31.  Finally, Mr. Bharara’s memorandum notes, “No dual-accreditation request was sent to the State Department’s Office of Protocol,” and for this reason at all times she only remained identified by the Protocol Office as Deputy Consul General and her name was not in the UNGA delegation members list produced by the U.N.

Ø  A major forest fire that broke out around Nagaland’s second highest peak Mount Japfu in the Southern Angami region of Kohima district on Thursday continues to spread in other parts for the third day on Saturday.

Ø  Seeking to mend a frayed relationship with a major U.S. ally in West Asia, President Barak Obama plans to travel to Saudi Arabia in March for a meeting with King Abdullah, an official with knowledge of the planning said on Friday. Mr. Obama will add the stop in Saudi Arabia to a trip to Europe that will include a nuclear security summit meeting in the Netherlands, a summit meeting of the United States and the European Union in Brussels, and a meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican.

Ø  Iran and the six global powers are set to hold fresh nuclear talks on February 18 that promise to encourage further lifting of sanctions and unlock foreign investment flows to the country.