# Chinese apps

• The government has blocked as many as 232 apps operated by foreign entities, many of them Chinese, for being involved in betting, gambling and unauthorized loan services.
• The decision was taken by the IT ministry on the recommendations of the ministry of home affairs, which had looked into the matter.
• The order to block 138 apps that were involved in betting, gambling and money laundering were issued last evening.
• Separately an order to block 94 apps engaged in unauthorized loan services has also been issued.
• These apps were being operated by offshore entities including Chinese.

# Assam

• Over 100 weddings were either cancelled or postponed in the barak valley districts of southern assam, while 2278 people have been arrested and and 4074 cases registered till Sunday in a massive police crackdown against child marriages across the state.
• The action followed an Assam cabinet decision directing police to arrest and punish men who have married girls below 18.
• Meanwhile, All India Muslim personal law board has opposed the Uniform civil code.

# China-US

• After an American fighter jet shot down the Chinese spy ballot that had floated across the USA, China objected to the act.
• Chinese foreign ministry declared its “strong discontent and protest”.
• China argued that the ballon was a civilian research ship and United States has violated the law by shooting it down.

# Domestic air travel

• Domestic air travel has held up so strongly in January that India is now looking at 10% increase in number of flyers within the country over 2019.
• That pre pandemic calendar year seen the highest ever 14.4 crore domestic air travellers.