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Dear Readers,
In a push towards Digital India , Defence Minister Rajnath Singh today launched a portal for the online sale of expensive items, including washing machines, microwave ovens, refrigerators, air-conditioners, television sets and laptops, through CSD canteens.

In a televised address, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei today said that his country is not in a hurry for the United States to rejoin the 2015 nuclear deal, but he insisted that the sanctions must be lifted immediately. The timing of his words is impeccable as the country's elite Revolutionary Guards unveiled an underground missile base at an undisclosed Gulf location, Iranian state media reported, especially when tensions between Tehran and the United States are running high.

In news closer home, Pakistan on Thursday successfully conducted the test-flight of an indigenously developed Guided Multi Launch Rocket System, Fatah-1, capable of delivering conventional warheads, with a maximum range of 140 km.

Also, in what could have major security implications for New Delhi, Tamim Asey, former Afghan deputy minister of defence, argues that the Taliban movement is a heterogenous umbrella organisation for various factions operating under the same name. As the negotiations in Doha gather momentum, the Taliban must be closely scrutinised before the global community gives them any certificate.

"France is not letting China play anti-India games at UNSC"

As ET earlier reported, Emmanuel Bonne, the diplomatic advisor to French President Emmanuel Macron, was here for the annual India-France strategic dialogue with NSA Ajit Doval.

In an extraordinary clear statement, the French diplomat said, “On direct threats to India, we have always been very clear. Whether it be on Kashmir, we have been very supportive of India in the Security Council, we have not let the Chinese play any kind of procedural games. When it comes to the Himalayas, just check our statements, we are perfectly clear. What we say publicly, we say to the Chinese also privately, there is no ambiguity.”

As also reported by ET's Dipanjan Roy Chaudhury, “We need India…we want to develop ties with India in a long-term approach," suggested Emmanuel Bonne as he pitched for a global partnership with India including maritime surveillance through expansion of partnership between the satellite networks.

Mumbai attack mastermind Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi finally sentenced to 15 years of rigorous imprisonment

A Pakistan court on Friday sentenced Zaki ur Rehman Lakhvi, a senior official of militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), to fifteen years in jail for terrorism financing.

Lakhvi and the group are accused by India and the United States of being behind the 2008 Mumbai attacks - though the charges or sentence are unfortunately not related to any specific incident.

India has long called on Pakistan to try Lakhvi for the Mumbai attack, in which over 160 people were killed, but Islamabad has said that Delhi has not given it concrete evidence that it can use in a court to try the LeT leader, which it had initially arrested in 2008 but was later released on bail.

The United States welcomed his arrest but called for him to be tried for the Mumbai attacks, too.

"We will follow his prosecution & sentencing closely and urge that he be held accountable for his involvement in the Mumbai attacks," the U.S. State Department said on Twitter.

According to New Delhi, the lone surviving gunman of the attack, who was executed in 2012 after sentencing by an Indian court, told interrogators that the assailants were in touch with Pakistan-born Lakhvi, who is said to be LeT's chief of operations.

India begins crucial UNSC duties, to chair Taliban and Libya sanctions committees

"I'm happy to announce that India has been asked to chair three important committees of the Security Council, which include the Taliban Sanctions Committee, Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) and the Libyan Sanctions Committee," India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador T S Tirumurti said in a video message on Thursday.

Tirumurti said the Taliban Sanctions Committee, also known as the 1988 Sanctions Committee, has always been a "high priority" for India, keeping in mind the country's strong interest and commitment to peace, security, development and progress of Afghanistan.

The three committees are highly significant subsidiary bodies of the UNSC and India chairing them is a ringing endorsement of the country's leadership to steer the panels.

"We wish to remind the US that whoever plays with fire will burn himself"

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Thursday he is sending U.N. Ambassador Kelly Craft to Taiwan next week to show "what a free China could achieve," an announcement that sparked sharp criticism from Beijing and a warning that "the United States will pay a heavy price for its wrong action."

Democratic and self-ruled Taiwan lives under the constant threat of invasion by authoritarian China, which views the island as its own territory and has vowed to seize it one day, by force if necessary. Beijing opposes any diplomatic recognition of Taiwan and has pushed to keep it isolated on the world stage.

Outgoing US President Donald Trump has sent multiple senior officials to Taipei over the last year as he clashed with China on a host of issues such as trade, security and human rights.

Craft's January 13-15 visit will come just a week before the inauguration of US President-elect Joe Biden and creates a fresh diplomatic headache for the incoming administration.

"The United States will not succeed in its attempt to harm China's core interests through political manipulation on the Taiwan question," an unidentified spokesperson said. "We wish to remind the United States that whoever plays with fire will burn himself."

Synopsis

National

Bengal guv to meet Amit Shah in Delhi on Saturday

Kolkata: Amid the growing political turbulence in poll-bound West Bengal, Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar will be meeting Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi on Saturday.

India has requested China for early crew change for stranded Indians aboard 2 ships: MEA

India on Friday said its Ambassador in Beijing has taken up with the Chinese Vice Foreign Minister the issue of 39 Indian sailors stranded on two cargo ships in Chinese waters and requested early approval for crew change for Indian crew members aboard the two vessels.

50 birds die in Delhi, officials look into avian flu angle

Amid a bird flu scare, around 50 birds, mostly crows, have died in the national capital over the last three to four days, officials said on Friday.

K'taka to receive 13.90 lakh vaccine vials in a couple of days: Health Minister

Karnataka Health Minister K Sudhakar on Friday said the state is expected to receive 13,90,000 vials of vaccine against COVID-19 in a day or two.

Just before talks, govt says hopeful of resolving farmers' issues

New Delhi: Hours before the 8th round of formal talks b/w the Centre and the farmers' groups agitating against three recent farm laws, Union MoS for Agriculture Kailash Choudhury hoped that a resolution will come out of Friday's meeting.

Arunachal reports four new COVID-19 cases, tally at 16,757

Four more people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Arunachal Pradesh, taking the tally in the state to 16,757, a health department official said on Friday.

Cold weather conditions continue in Pb, Haryana

Cold weather conditions continued to sweep Punjab and Haryana with Hisar turning out to be the coldest place on Friday.

Budaun gangrape: Police quiz accused priest

The priest, who is the main accused in the alleged gangrape of an anganwadi worker in this Uttar Pradesh district, was quizzed throughout Friday night after his arrest in a late-night crackdown that ended his five-day run.

Patnaik receives letter claiming threat to life, probe ordered

The Odisha government is likely to bolster the security of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik after he received an anonymous letter, claiming that a conspiracy has been hatched to eliminate him.

COVID-19: India reports 18,139 new cases, 234 more fatalities

New Delhi: India''s daily new COVID-19 cases fell below 19,000 for the fifth time this month, taking the country''s caseload to 1,04,13,417, while the recoveries have surged to 1,00,37,398, according to data updated by the Union health ministry.

COVID-19: India reports 18,139 new cases, 234 more fatalities

India''s daily new COVID-19 cases fell below 19,000 for the fifth time this month, taking the country''s caseload to 1,04,13,417, while the recoveries have surged to 1,00,37,398, according to data updated by the Union health ministry on Friday.

International

UK approves Moderna vaccine as third jab against COVID-19

London: The UK''s medicine regulatory authority approved a third COVID-19 vaccine for use in the country, made by the American biotech company Moderna which has already been rolled out in the US.

Hong Kong grants bail to arrested pro-democracy activists

Authorities in Hong Kong said Friday they have granted bail to most of the 55 pro-democracy activists who were arrested this week in a sweeping crackdown on dissent.

Biden picks Rhode Island Gov. Raimondo as commerce secretary

President-elect Joe Biden has picked Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo to lead the Commerce Department, helping set trade policy and promote US opportunities for growth domestically and overseas.

Swedish prime minister defends Christmas shopping mall trip

Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven on Friday defended his visit to a mall to buy a Christmas present for his wife despite Swedish authorities repeatedly urging people to stay away from shopping centers to avoid spreading the coronavirus.

Joe Biden praises Vanita Gupta, says she is proud daughter' of immigrants from India

Vanita Gupta is one of the most respected civil rights lawyers in America and a "proud daughter of immigrants from India who has fought for greater equity, US President-elect Joe Biden has said as he nominated the Indian-American to be his associate attorney general.

Trump's education and transport secretaries resign over Capitol Hill violence

Two of the US Cabinet members - Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and Transport Secretary Elaine Chao - have resigned over the storming of the Capitol by President Donald Trump''s supporters. DeVos, whose resignation comes into effect on Friday, said the insurrection on Capitol Hill was an "inflection point" for her, while Chao said she was deeply troubled by the violence. Chao''s resignation will come into effect on Monday.

Trump condemns supporters for storming US Capitol; pledges to ensure peaceful transition of power

Washington: President Donald Trump has condemned the violent supporters who stormed the US Capitol, saying they do not represent America, as he vowed to ensure a peaceful and smooth transition of power to President-elect Joe Biden.

Business

Sensex, Nifty soar to fresh highs as bulls make a comeback; log weekly gains

Mumbai: Domestic markets returned to winning ways after two days of declines as strong buying in IT stocks ahead of TCS'' results propelled benchmarks to fresh lifetime highs amid a bullish trend overse

Gold plunges Rs 614, silver tanks Rs 1,609

Gold prices fell Rs 614 to Rs 49,763 per 10 gram in the national capital on Friday, tracking a weak global trend, according to HDFC Securities.

GDP estimates: Industries showing signs of recovery, says Niti VC

Niti Aayog Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar on Friday said industries are showing signs of recovery and fiscal measures announced by the government are projected to offset the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Kumar was commenting on the first advance estimates (AE) of national income released by the National Statistical Office (NSO) on Thursday, which projected 7.7 per cent contraction in GDP for the current fiscal year.

Rupee widens loss by 7 paise against USD in opening trade

The rupee furthered its loss by 7 paise to trade at 73.38 against the US dollar in opening deals on Friday, reeling under pressure from a rebound in American currency against key rivals and rising crude oil prices.

India urges WTO members to find permanent solution for public stock holding for food security

India on Friday urged the members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) to work on finding a permanent solution to the issue of public stock holding for food security purposes.

Piramal Group claims its bid for DHFL highest and compliant with norms

Piramal Enterprises on Friday claimed that its bid for resolution of debt-ridden mortgage lender DHFL is highest and fully compliant with regulatory norms.

M&M hikes prices of personal, commercial vehicles by 1.9 pc

Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) on Friday announced hike in prices of its range of personal and commercial vehicles by around 1.9 per cent with immediate effect.

Sensex rallies over 300 pts in early trade; Nifty tops 14,200

Mumbai: Equity benchmark Sensex surged over 300 points in early trade, helped by gains mainly in index majors Infosys, TCS and HDFC Bank amid positive trend in global equities.

Boeing will pay USD 2.5 billion to settle charge over 737 Max

Boeing will pay USD 2.5 billion to settle a Justice Department investigation and admit that employees misled regulators about the safety of its 737 Max aircraft, which suffered two deadly crashes shortly after entering airline service.

Bitcoin crosses USD 40K mark, doubling in less than a month

First it went through USD 20,000. Then 10 days later, it broke through USD 25,000, and then, with barely taking a breath, it crossed USD 30,000. Now only a few days into 2021, the price of bitcoin has crossed USD 40,000.

Legal

Beant Singh assassination case: SC asks Centre to decide by Jan 26 Rajoana's plea to commute death penalty

New Delhi: The SC asked the Centre to take a decision before January 26 on Balwant S Rajoana''s plea seeking commutation of death penalty in former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh''s assassination case.

Delhi riots: Court dismisses woman's bail plea in case related to murder of head constable

A Delhi court on Friday dismissed the bail plea of a woman accused in connection with a case related to the murder of head constable Rattan Lal during northeast Delhi riots last year.

Flyover scam case: HC grants bail to ex-minister Ebrahim Kunju

The Kerala High Court on Friday granted bail to former state minister and IUML MLA V K Ebrahim Kunju, arrested by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) in the flyover scam case, considering his ill health.

HC seeks BMC reply on PIL alleging rigging of tenders for medicines

The Bombay High Court on Friday directed the Mumbai civic body to respond to a PIL filed by a BJP MLA alleging compromise on standards in the procurement of medicines at hospitals amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Two Ayodhya residents move HC challenging acquittals of Babri mosque demolition accused

Two Ayodhya residents on Friday moved the Allahabad High Court challenging a special CBI court''s ruling that acquitted all 32 accused including BJP veterans L K Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi the 1992 demolition of Babri mosque.

SC says concerned over attacks on forest rangers, may order providing arms to them

The Supreme Court Friday expressed concern over attacks on forest rangers by armed poachers and smugglers, saying it may pass orders providing fire arms, bullet proof vests and helmets to the officials to ensure their safety.

Chennai-Salem project: Plea in SC seeks review of Dec 8 verdict

A plea has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking review of its December 8 judgement which upheld the notification for acquisition of land for the Rs 10,000-crore Chennai-Salem eight-lane green corridor project.

HC asks Odisha govt to accept fee waiver slab for private schools

In the absence of any law in Odisha to determine and fix the tuition fees of private schools, the high court on Thursday asked the state government to accept the reduced fee slab as proposed by a committee formed at the behest of the court.

Entertainment

A R Rahman thanks fans for support during 'difficult times'

Mumbai: Music-maestro A R Rahman thanked fans and well-wishers for their prayers following his mother Kareema Begum''s demise last month.

Ian McKellan is 'happy' Elliot Page came out as transgender

Veteran actor Ian McKellan has praised his "X-Men" series co-star Elliot Page for coming out as a transgender, saying that he is happy for him.

'Mean Girls' won't be returning to Broadway

"Mean Girls" musical will not be back when Broadway reopens, the producers have announced. The musical, based on actor-comedienne-writer Tina Fey''s 2004 film of the same name, opened on Broadway in 2018 and grossed USD 124 million by the time it closed in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sacha Baron Cohen says he won't return as Borat: He's locked away in cupboard

Actor Sacha Baron Cohen has said that he won''t be returning to play his fan-favourite role of Borat in future movies.

George Clooney says Capitol attack put Trump family 'into the dustbin of history'

Hollywood star George Clooney has condemned the attack on the Capitol Hill in the US by thousands of supporters of Donald Trump saying that the president''s name will now forever be associated with "insurrection".

Sports

Being faster on feet, putting concerted pressure on Ashwin worked: Smith

Sydney: Faster footwork along with the tactic of attacking Ravichandran Ashwin straightaway worked wonders for him during his first century on home soil in three years, Australian batsman Steve Smith said.

With no turn on offer, the plan was to vary pace and create angles: Jadeja

The plan was to vary pace of his deliveries and create angles since there was not much turn on offer, said all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja after his four wicket haul reduced Australia to 338 on day two of the third Test here on Friday. Jadeja returned with figures of four for 62 in 18 overs besides getting rid of centurion Steve Smith with a brilliant direct hit.

Under interim coach, BFC look to turn new leaf against SCEB

Their coach sacked after three successive defeats, former champions Bengaluru FC will look to bounce back under the guidance of interim coach, Naushad Moosa, when they take on a buoyant SC East Bengal in an ISL fixture here on Saturday.

Yuki Bhambri trains with top juniors at RK Khanna Tennis Stadium

Out of competitive tennis for more than two years due to an injury, former Indian Davis Cupper Yuki Bhambri on Friday hit the court for the ongoing High Performance Training Camp at RK Khanna Tennis Stadium here.

Thomas, English share lead on idyllic start to new year

Defending champion Justin Thomas began the new year with an 8-under 65, a share of the lead with Harris English and no bogeys on his card, all of which made him happy in the Sentry Tournament of Champions.

3rd Test: India 26/0 at tea after Australia all out for 338

India made 26 for no loss in their first innings at tea after dismissing Australia for 338 on the second day of the third Test here on Friday.

Australia all out for 338 in 1st innings

Sydney: Australia were all out for 338 in their first innings on the second day of the third and penultimate Test against India here.

4th Test Mess: New three-day lockdown in Brisbane City puts Test match under fresh cloud

A new three-day lockdown in Brisbane has put Cricket Australia in a spot of bother as it makes desperate efforts to hold the fourth and final Test against India in the Queensland state capital from January 15.

Jadeja, Bumrah bring India back in the game as Australia reach 249/5 at lunch

Ravindra Jadeja denied Marnus Labuschagne a deserving hundred as Indian bowlers made some inroads by reducing Australia to 249 for five at lunch on the second day of the third Test here on Friday.

GK Snapshots 

1. IAF signs MoU with IDSR for Academic Collaboration
2. CCEA Approved Central Sector Scheme for 17 Years for Industrial Development of J&K
3. PM Inaugurates Rewari-Madar Freight Corridor Section of WDFC; flags off World’s 1st Double Stack Container Train
4. NHAI set to operationalise India’s 1st Government Sponsored InvIT by March, 2021
5.World’s Largest Floating Solar Energy Project at MP set to begin Power Generation by 2022-23
6. CDSCO Gives Approval to Vaccines of M/s SII & M/s Bharat Biotech
7. India provides NR 30.66 Crore for Reconstruction of Earthquake Affected Schools in Nepal
8. PhonePe in Association with ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Launches Term Life Insurance Plans on its Platform
9. RBI’s CoS Fully Operationalized; Dr. Rabi Narayan Mishra Named as its Full-time Director
10. Government Formed committee to protect language, culture & land of Ladakh headed by G Kishan Reddy
11. Sanjay Kapoor Elected as President of All India Chess Federation
12. RBI Manager R Giridharan Authored his Debut Book “Right Under our Nose”
13. Ravi Shastri, Head Coach of Indian Cricket Team Released a Book , ‘India’s 71-Year Test: The Journey to Triumph in Australia’
14. Arup Kumar Goswami Sworn in as Chief Justice of Andhra Pradesh High Court