From Hamza bin Laden to Bengaluru molestation case: 5 key developments

In other news, Sanofi sues Glenmark, Torrent over sclerosis drug

Business Standard brings to you a list of five key developments across the country.

Laden's son added to US terrorist blacklist

The United States on Thursday designated slain Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden's son Hamza bin Laden as a 'Specially Designated Global Terrorist' (SDGT). Hamza, who is in his twenties, has been designated under section 1(b) of Executive Order (E.O.) 13224, which imposes sanctions on foreign persons determined to have committed, or pose a serious risk of committing, acts of terrorism that threaten the security of US nationals or the national security, foreign policy, or economy of the United States, according to a US State Department statement.

Pranab Mukherjee's speech on demonetisation 

President Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday issued a note of caution that the Narendra Modi government's demonetisation decision could likely lead to a temporary slowdown in the economy and hurt the poor. The President called for policymaking that would reduce the suffering of the poor and seemed to question the focus shift in the government's poverty alleviation programmes and policies from an entitlement-based approach to an entrepreneurial one. Mukherjee said he was "not too sure the poor could wait that long" to endure the gestation involved in the transition.

Sanofi sues Glenmark, Torrent 

French drug maker Sanofi has sued Glenmark and Torrent Pharmaceuticals in a US court over their plans to launch a generic version of its multiple sclerosis drug, Aubagio. Sanofi holds the patent for Aubagio and had global sales of euros 928 million in the first nine months of 2016. A majority of these sales were from the US, according to company filings. The lawsuits against the two Indian companies comes in the wake of their applications to the US Food and Drug Administration to launch the generic version.  

Samajwadi Party family feud

Mulayam Singh Yadav and Akhilesh on Thursday continued attempts to claim ownership of Samajwadi Party even as further efforts were being made for a rapprochement between the warring factions led by the father and the son. Akhilesh, the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh who was on Sunday made 'President' of SP by his faction in place of Mulayam, appointed heads of seven more district party units, demonstrating his strengthening grip on the party.

Bengaluru molestation case

Four people were arrested in the alleged molestation of a young woman on New Year's day here, said a police officer on Thursday. "The four accused, aged between 20-23, were arrested after their interrogation on Wednesday," Banaswadi Circle Inspector D H Munikrishna told IANS here. The accused are said to be residents of the area (Kammanahalli) in the city's north-east suburb where the victim was molested and groped in the wee hours (2.41 am) on Sunday by two of them when she was returning home with her friend after returning from a New Year's party.