LIVE: Nitish Kumar's close confidant RCP Singh becomes new JD(U) president

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2:47 AM

Britain says it will sign free trade deal with Turkey this week

Britain and Turkey are set to sign a free trade deal on Tuesday, the UK trade ministry said on Sunday, the first since Prime Minister Boris Johnson secured a new trade agreement with the European Union.
 

The two nations will sign a deal that replicates the existing trading terms between Ankara and London, but British trade minister Liz Truss said that she was hopeful a bespoke deal between the countries could be struck soon.
 

"The deal we expect to sign this week locks in tariff-free trading arrangements and will help support our trading relationship. It will provide certainty for thousands of jobs across the UK in the manufacturing, automotive and steel industries," Truss said in a statement.
 

"We now look forward to working with Turkey towards an ambitious tailor-made UK-Turkey trade agreement in the near future."
 

The trading relationship was worth 18.6 billion pounds ($25.25 billion) in 2019, and Britain said it was the fifth biggest trade deal the trade ministry had negotiated after agreements with Japan, Canada, Switzerland and Norway.
 

Britain has now signed trade agreements with 62 countries ahead of the end of the Brexit transition period on Jan. 1, when it leaves the EU's trading arrangements.

It clinched its narrow trade deal with the EU, its biggest trading partner, last week.
 

2:47 AM

China pushes Ant Group overhaul in latest crackdown on Ma

China's central bank disclosed on Sunday it had asked the country's payments giant Ant Group Co Ltd to shake up its lending and other consumer finance operations, the latest blow to its billionaire founder and controlling shareholder Jack Ma.
 

The announcement came more than a month after Chinese regulators abruptly suspended Ant's blockbuster $37 billion initial public offering in Shanghai and Hong Kong, and only days after the country's antitrust authorities said they had launched a probe into Ma's e-commerce conglomerate Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.
 

Chinese regulators and Communist Party officials have set about reining in Ma's sprawling financial empire after he publicly criticized the country's regulatory system in October for stifling innovation.
 

Regulators have urged Ant to rectify financial regulatory violations, including in its credit, insurance and wealth management businesses, and overhaul its credit rating business to protect personal information, People's Bank of China (PBOC) Vice Governor Pan Gongsheng said on Sunday.
 

Pan's comments stopped short of calling for a breakup of Ant, yet pointed to a significant operational restructuring. Ant should set up a separate holding company to ensure capital adequacy and regulatory compliance, Pan said.

1:15 AM

Top associate of Russia's Navalny released from detention

A top associate of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was released from detention Sunday and said she was charged with trespassing after entering the apartment building of an alleged security operative who inadvertently revealed details of Navalny's supposed poisoning with a Soviet-era nerve agent.
 

Lyubov Sobol, a key figure in Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation, was detained for 48 hours on Friday after a day of interrogation.
 

The move followed Sobol's attempt on Monday to enter the Moscow apartment of the alleged operative, whom Navalny had previously duped into revealing details of his alleged poisoning.
 

Sobol and her allies denied the accusations and maintained that she violated no law by ringing the doorbell to the apartment. While Sobol was being questioned, the state Investigative Committee issued a statement accusing her of violent trespassing — criminal charges that carry a sentence of up to two years in prison.
 

Shortly after her release from detention Sunday, Sobol told reporters she has been formally charged and insisted the case against her was “revenge” on Navalny.

1:14 AM

Pakistan opposition parties hold massive rallies on Benazir Bhutto's death anniversary

Leaders of Pakistan's Opposition alliance held massive rallies against the Prime Minister Imran Khan-led government in Sindh province on Sunday, marking the 13th death anniversary of former premier Benazir Bhutto.
 

Speaking at a public meeting in Benazir's hometown, Larkana, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairperson Bilawal Bhutto said the opposition parties have united to rescue Pakistan from the inefficient Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government.
 

Bilawal, Benazir's eldest son, said the people of Pakistan must similarly unite to save the country.
 

Addressing a rally virtually, former president and PPP co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari said his wife, Benazir, had always hoped that the PPP would continue to flight for justice.
 

Zardari said Benazir's death anniversary is the day for 'red salute', a fitting tribute to the party members.
 

"I want to ask you not to worry so much; they (the PTI government) have little time left. They will fall due to their own weight," the PPP leader told the supporters.
 

News channels showed large crowds gathered at the rallies. Benazir's mausoleum, where she was buried next to her father, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, was seen teeming with PPP supporters.
 

Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) Vice President Maryam Nawaz addressed a rally in Garhi Khuda Baksh, near Benazir's mausoleum.
 

11:05 PM

Intellectuals protest against treatment meted out to Amartya Sen by Visva-Bharati

Intellectuals of various fields on Sunday took part in a protest to express their support to Nobel laureate Amartya Sen on the row over his family being in "illegal" possession of land at Visva-Bharati, and denounced the "dictatorial and autocratic" conduct of the central university towards him.
 

Poets Joy Goswami and Subodh Sarkar, singer Kabir Suman, painters Jogen Chowdhury and Suvaprasanna, theatre personality-turned-minister Bratya Basu and others assembled at the compound of the Academy of Fine Arts here to raise their voice on the issue.
 

They were holding placards saying "Will not accept BJP's insult to Bengalis", "Insult to Amartya Sen is insult to Bengalis".
 

Visva-Bharati has recently written to the West Bengal government claiming that dozens of land parcels owned by it were wrongfully recorded in the names of private parties including Sen. The economist said that the entire land occupied by him on the campus was registered on a long term lease that was nowhere close to expiry.
 

"I protest the dictatorial and autocratic conduct of Visva-Bharati with a personality like Amartya Sen. We are here to register our protest and opposition to the treatment meted out to Sen and express our solidarity with him, Goswami said.
 

The vice-chancellor of Visva-Bharati was appointed by the BJP-led government at the Centre which is targeting Sen as he had never been afraid to air his views, Suman alleged.
 

9:46 PM

Sourav Ganguly meets Dhankhar amid speculation of him joining politics

BCCI President and former Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly on Sunday held an hour-long meeting with West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar, which sources at Raj Bhavan described as a "courtesy call" and said there is nothing political about it.

 

However, with Assembly elections in the state due in April-May next year, there has been speculation that he may join politics.

 

While Ganguly did not take questions on the reason for his visit, Dhankhar said that they had discussion on "varied issues".

 

The governor also said that he accepted the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president's invitation to visit the Eden Gardens stadium here.

 

Raj Bhavan sources said that Ganguly's meeting with Dhankhar has nothing to do with political developments in the state. Read more

9:44 PM

High-level China delegation in Nepal to 'take stock' of political situation

A high-level Chinese delegation led by a vice minister of the Chinese Communist Party arrived in Kathmandu on Sunday to "take stock" of Nepal's political situation after the dissolution of Parliament and subsequent split in the ruling Nepal Communist Party.

 

Although no specific details about the agenda of the visit are available, the four-member delegation, led by Vice Minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Guo Yezhou, will hold high-level talks during its four-day stay in the country, according to highly placed sources.

 

Guo is expected to meet President Bidya Devi Bhandari, Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli, former prime minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' and Madhav Kumar Nepal, who has replaced Oli as chairman of the Prachanda-led faction of the party, sources said. Read more

8:16 PM

PMC Bank money laundering case: ED summons Sanjay Raut's wife for questioning on Dec 29

The ED has summoned Varsha Raut, wife of Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut, for questioning in the PMC Bank money laundering case on December 29, officials said on Sunday.

Varsha Raut has been asked to appear before the federal agency in Mumbai. This is the third summons issued to her after she skipped the earlier two on health grounds, they said.

The summons for questioning has been issued to her under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The ED wants to question Varsha Raut with regard to "receipt" of some funds that were allegedly siphoned from the bank, official sources claimed.

7:06 PM

Cold wave to hit Delhi NCR, expected to last till Jan 3, says IMD

Cold to severe cold wave is likely to hit Delhi NCR from December 30 and is expected to last till January 3, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Sunday. The minimum temperature may fall to 3-4 degrees Celsius during this period.

Speaking to ANI, senior IMD scientist Dr RK Jenamani said the change in weather is due to an active fresh Western disturbance.

"New Year will be much colder. The condition will last for a few days. This is occurring due to an active fresh Western disturbance. The air quality will continue to remain in moderate to the poor category," Jenamani said.

6:24 PM

NE development PM Modi's dream, many projects sanctioned: Amit Shah

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has kept the northeast in his heart and thus showered the region with a huge amount of central funds, tamed the decades-old terrorism and established peace, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Sunday.

"Development of northeast region is the mantra (vision) of Modi ji, hence he (Prime Minister) and the government led by him excelled all-round development of the region -- connectivity to infrastructure and economic upliftment of all sections of people," Shah said after laying the foundation stone of various development projects.

Addressing a gathering at the Hapta Kangjeibung ground here, he said: "Prime Minister Narendra Modi has visited all the states of the region around 40 times so far. The BJP government led by Modi ji has given a fresh identity to the region.

4:51 PM

Former PM Narasimha Rao did not get due recognition: Vice President Venkaiah Naidu

Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday said that former Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao did not get "due recognition" despite of his major role in accelerating the country's development through bold economic reforms initiated during his tenure when there was a severe "economic crisis" and political "uncertainty".

Naidu said this while releasing a Telugu book titled "Viplava Tapasvi: PV" written by a senior journalist A. Krishna Rao in Hyderabad.

Lauding Krishna Rao for coming out with the book on Narasimha Rao, the Vice President urged the youth to read such books, saying "books and memorial lectures about great men and women were meant to inspire others".

4:05 PM

Nitish Kumar's close confidant RCP Singh becomes new JD(U) president

RCP Singh, a close confidant of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, was on Sunday chosen as the new president of Janata Dal (United).

 

Kumar had proposed the name of Singh for the top post, which was then approved by other members during the party's national executive meeting, a senior leader told PTI.

 

The chief minister, who was re-elected as the JD(U) president in 2019 for three years, relinquished the post in favour of Singh, its leader in Rajya Sabha.

 

3:45 PM

PM Modi to inaugurate India's first-ever driverless train operations tomorrow

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate India's first-ever driverless train operations on the Delhi Metro's Magenta Line (Janakpuri West-Botanical Garden) on Monday.

 

He will also launch the fully operational National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) services on the Airport Express Line via video conferencing tomorrow at 11 am.

 

"These innovations are going to herald a new era of travelling comfort and enhanced mobility for the National Capital Region (NCR)'s residents. With the commencement of driverless trains on the Delhi Metro's Magenta Line, DMRC will enter the elite league of seven per cent of world's Metro networks which can operate without drivers," read an official release.

3:02 PM

Budget 2021-22: CII suggests graded road map towards competitive import tariffs

The Confederation of Indian Industry has suggested a graded road map towards competitive import tariffs over three years, with lowest or nil slab between zero to 2.5 per cent for raw materials, highest of 5 to 7.5 per cent for finished goods and 2.5 to 5 per cent for intermediates, as part of its pre-Budget recommendations to the government.

The industry body has proposed the road map to encourage domestic manufacturing in alignment with global trade trends that would boost India's export competitiveness as per shifting global value chains in the next three to five years.

"This will help Indian industry integrate into the global value chain while becoming competitive with its goods and services in the world markets," the industry body said.

2:34 PM

PM Modi has brought flood of development in North East: Amit Shah

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has the North East in his heart and so brought a flood of development in the region, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Sunday.

The BJP government under Modi has given a new identity to the region which is now experiencing a new thrust in development, Shah said at the inauguration and foundation laying programme of several projects at Hapta Kangjeibung.

Earlier, Manipur was known for insurgency, bandhs, and blockades, but now most militant organisations have joined the mainstream and those left would also do so following efforts of the BJP government, he said.