INDIAN, CHINESE TROOPS CLASH ALONG LAC IN TAWANG; INJURIES ON BOTH SIDES

Indian and Chinese troops clashed along the LAC in the Tawang sector of Arunachal Pradesh on December 9 and the face-off resulted in "minor injuries to a few personnel from both sides", the Indian Army said on Monday.

The clash near Yangtse along the LAC in the sensitive sector took place last Friday amid the over 30-month border standoff between the two sides in eastern Ladakh.

"On December 9, PLA troops contacted the LAC in Tawang Sector which was contested by own (Indian) troops in a firm and resolute manner. This face-off led to minor injuries to few personnel from both sides," the Army said in a statement. "Both sides immediately disengaged from the area. As a follow up of the incident, own (Indian) commander in the area held a flag meeting with his counterpart to discuss the issue in accordance with structured mechanisms to restore peace and tranquillity," it said.

The Army statement did not mention the number of troops involved in the face-off and those injured in the incident.

However, there are reports that there were more than 200 Chinese soldiers involved and they were carrying spiked clubs and sticks, and injuries on the Chinese side could be higher. But there was no official word on the same.

The Army said there are areas of "differing perception" along the LAC in the Tawang sector.

It is the first major clash between the Indian and Chinese armies since August 2020 near Rinchen La in eastern Ladakh.

CONG BLAMES PM MODI FOR CHINA’S AUDACITY

The Congress said it was a worrying development and China's actions on the border are completely unacceptable. The opposition party alleged that the Modi fovt was suppressing the border issue due to which China was acting with increasing audacity.

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge said the fovt should be honest about the Chinese transgressions and take the nation in confidence by discussing the issue in Parliament.

AICC general secretary, communications, Jairam Ramesh said the Congress has been trying to "wake up" the fovt on the Chinese actions on the border but it is silent in order to "protect its political image". "No one is bigger than the country but Modi ji is putting the country in danger to save his image...," he alleged and said the fresh development along the LAC was worrying.

The Congress also tweeted a video of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech made after the Galwan clash in which he had said that "no one occupied our land and no one has entered India and that none of our posts is in occupation of anyone else".

"If this mistake had not been made. Had China been named, it would not have dared to raise its eyes towards India... There's still time... don't be afraid," the Congress said while referring to the prime minister's speech.

SHARAD PAWAR QUESTIONS PM MODI’S WISDOM OF ATTACKING OPPN AT GOVT PROGRAMME

NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Monday questioned the wisdom behind PM Modi’s attack on opposition through the podium of a fovt programme. Pawar said that opposition is an important institution in a democracy and contrary to the previous Prime Ministers, this norm is repeatedly violated at present.

“Yesterday, he (PM Modi) was in Nagpur where he targeted the opposition. One can understand attacks on an opposition during election rallies. But how wise it is to attack the opposition in a fovt programme organised to inaugurate roads, railways and hospital?” asked Pawar.

On Sunday, at the inauguration of first phase of Nagpur-Shirdi Samruddhi Expressway, PM Modi had said: “I also want to caution the people of Maharashtra and the people of the country about a distortion coming in the politics of India. This is the deformity of shortcut politics. This is the deformity of looting the country’s money for political interests. This is the deformity of looting the hard-earned money of taxpayers. These political parties who are adopting shortcuts, these political leaders are the biggest enemies of every taxpayer of the country. Those whose aim is only to come to power, whose aim is only to grab the fovt by making false promises, they can never build the country. Today, at a time when India is working on goals for the next 25 years, some political parties, in their personal interest, want to destroy India’s economy.”

OPPN MEMBERS BEHAVING WITH JEALOUSY: NIRMALA SITHARAMAN

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman yesterday said that India's economy is fastest growing and that it was sad that some people in Parliament continued to raise doubts because they were "jealous of country’s increasing economy”.

In response to a question on currency devaluation and foreign exchange reserve, the FM also said the Indian rupee was strong against all currencies and the country's foreign reserves were growing.

“Look at the data of growing FDIs and FIIs in the country before criticism,” she told the Opposition members raising questions on India's economy and related issues.

“It is sad that some people in Parliament are jealous of country's increasing economy. India has the fastest-growing economy but opposition has a problem with it. Everyone should be proud of India's growth but some people take it as a joke,” she said, accusing Opposition members behaving with jealousy.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

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RESEARCHERS IN US REACH NUCLEAR FUSION ‘BREAKTHROUGH’

In what is potentially the greatest breakthrough in chronicles of scientific progress and a turning point in human history, researchers in America are believed to have cracked a nuclear fusion milestone, producing more energy out of controlled reaction than they put in it.

Often dubbed the Holy Grail of nuclear science, the development, akin to imitating reactions on the sun, could lead to a cornucopia of endless cheap, clean, and carbon-free energy, and change the fundamentals of the world. But it won’t happen overnight - bringing it to commercial use could take years, even decades.

Still, the scientific community exulted over what could be a game-changer that occurred at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) in California and is expected to be announced by the US energy secretary on Tuesday. Nuclear fusion is brought about by fusing two hydrogen atoms to create helium, releasing a large amount of energy in the process, similar to how the sun generates heat and light. As per Financial Times, which first reported the story, scientists at LLNL used 2. 1 megajoules of energy to create the conditions for the reaction, generating 2.5 megajoules.

LAW BANNING ‘SEX OUTSIDE MARRIAGE’ NOT FOR TOURISTS: INDONESIA OFFICIALS

Indonesian officials on Monday played down concerns about a new law criminalising sex outside of marriage, saying foreign holidaymakers will not be charged as fears grow over the impact on vital tourism.

The country’s parliament last week passed legislation approving jail terms of up to a year for anybody in Indonesia caught having sex outside of wedlock. Cohabitation by unmarried couples can also be punished with six months in prison. Businesses have voiced worries that the new code will be detrimental to tourism in Indonesia, which received over 16 million visitors in 2019.

Deputy law and human rights minister Edward Omar Sharif Hiariej on Monday dismissed those concerns, saying foreigners will not be prosecuted. He said extramarital sex and cohabitation offences would only be prosecuted if a spouse, parent or child reported it, while adultery had already been illegal for years under the previous criminal code. In Bali, governor Wayan Koster also tried to allay fears about the law, saying local authorities would not check the marital status of tourists.

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BHUPENDRA PATEL SWORN IN AS GUJARAT CM; PM MODI ATTENDS CEREMONY

Bhupendra Patel, on Monday took oath as the 18th Chief Minister of Gujarat in the presence of BJP top brass led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, days after the BJP recorded a historic majority in the state Assembly.

The 60-year-old Patel yesterday began his second term as the state CM. He was appointed last year, replacing Vijay Rupani, to buck the anti-incumbency sentiment.

The oath-taking took place amid Modi, Modi chants in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP chief JP nadda and top BJP CMs, including UP’s Yogi Adityanath, Assam’s Himanta Sarma, MP’s Shivraj Chauhan.

'3,000 RAIDS ON OPPOSITION LEADERS', SAYS AAP'S SANJAY SINGH IN RAJYA SABHA

AAP's Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh on Monday raised the issue of raids at the promises linked to Opposition leaders by the Enforcement Directorate.

The AAP MP alleged that 3,000 such raids have been conducted. He alleged that the fovt agencies were deliberately harassing the Opposition. The treasury benches raised strong objections, the chair Jagdeep Dhankhar said that the allegations should be authenticated.

Leader of Opposition, Mallikarjun Kharge, said that "the facts were mentioned in various Parliament replies and news reports and the members should not be forced to give proof much like the Prime Minister when he says that two crore jobs have been provided... which is taken as the proof..."

Dhankhar said that any allegations not authenticated will have consequences. He will meet floor leaders on Tuesday on the issue of authentication.

Leader of the House, Piyush Goyal said that the Opposition has a habit of levelling allegations.

IF YOU REDUCE PUBLIC DEBATE TO THIS LEVEL, YOU HAVE TO FACE CONSEQUENCES, SC TO SISODIA

The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia’s petition seeking quashing of defamation proceedings launched against him by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma over allegations of corruption levelled against him by Sisodia.

“If you reduce public debate to this level, you have to face the consequences,” a Bench led by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul told senior counsel AM Singhvi, who represented Sisodia.

Sisodia had challenged the Gauhati High Court’s November 4 order dismissing his plea for quashing a criminal defamation case filed against him by Sarma.

The Bench said instead of realising what the country was going through during the pandemic, the petitioner was making such allegations. As the top court was not inclined to entertain Sisodia’s plea, he chose to withdraw it.

Sarma had filed a criminal defamation complaint against Sisodia for making “baseless” corruption allegations against him in connection with the supply of PPE kits at “higher than market rates” to the National Health Mission (NHM) authorities during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.

"BE READY TO KILL MODI...": HUGE CONTROVERSY OVER CONGRESS LEADER'S REMARK

A senior Congress leader in Madhya Pradesh, Raja Pateria, has triggered a massive controversy with a speech in which he is heard goading his audience to "kill" Prime Minister Narendra Modi if they want to "save" the Constitution. He immediately clarified that by "killing" he means "defeating", but that has hardly helped. The Congress is facing a huge backlash, in the middle of Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra, with several BJP leaders calling for Pateria's arrest.

In his viral remarks, Mr Pateria tells what appears to be a gathering of party workers: "Modi will end elections, Modi will divide on the basis of religion, caste, language; the lives of Dalits, tribals, and minorities are in danger. If the constitution is to be saved, then be ready to kill Modi."

AGNIPATH SCHEME: THOSE HAVING PROBLEM DON’T JOIN SAYS DELHI HIGH COURT

The Delhi High Court on Monday asked the petitioners who have challenged the Centre’s Agnipath scheme as to which of their rights have been violated and said it was voluntary and those having any problem should not join the armed forces under it.

The high court said the Agnipath scheme has been formed by experts in Army, Navy and Air Force and judges were not military experts.

“There is a particular policy that the fovt has framed. It is not compulsory, it is voluntary,” a bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad said.

The bench further said, “You have to show us that a right is taken away…. Don’t join then. There is no compulsion.”

The high court was hearing a batch of pleas challenging the Centre’s Agnipath scheme.

The Agnipath scheme, unveiled on June 14, lays out rules for the recruitment of youths in the armed forces.

‘HOW LONG ASHISH MISHRA CAN BE KEPT IN JAIL?’ ASKS SUPREME COURT

Maintaining that a balance has to be struck between the rights of the victims and those of the accused, the Supreme Court on Monday wondered how long the Lakhimpur Khere violence case main accused and Union Minister Ajay Mishra Teni’s son Ashish Mishra could be kept in jail.

“In cases of bail, we consider the seriousness of the crime, the period which the trial will take and also the period spent by the accused. How long should he be in prison? Can he be kept indefinitely? How to balance? The accused also has rights as the victims”, a Bench led by Justice Kant asked the UP Fovt counsel.

On behalf of victims’ families, senior counsel Dushyant Dave also opposed Mishra’s bail plea, highlighting the grave nature of the crime. His release on bail would expose the witnesses to danger, Dave said even as the Bench pointed out that they had already ordered protection to be extended to them.

INDUSTRIAL OUTPUT HITS 26-MONTH LOW, RETAIL INFLATION SILVER LINING

Industrial output, as measured by the Index of Industrial Production (IIP), slumped to a 26-month low of (-) 4 per cent in October on the back of a contraction in manufacturing and consumer goods, data released by the National Statistical Office (NSO) showed — indicating weak exports and sluggish consumption demand, alongside the continuing weakness of small and medium enterprises.

Data released separately by NSO also showed the retail inflation rate had slipped to an 11-month low of 5.88 per cent in November, falling below the upper level of the 4+/- 2 per cent target of the RBI, for the first time in 11 months due to easing food prices.

THREE STUDENTS DIE BY SUICIDE WITHIN 12 HOURS IN COACHING HUB KOTA

Three students preparing for competitive exams in Rajasthan’s Kota have allegedly committed suicide in two separate incidents, police said on Monday. Two deceased were from Bihar while one teenager was resident of Madhya Pradesh, they said, adding no suicide notes have been found yet.

The deceased were identified as Ankush Anand (18), a NEET aspirant, and resident of Bihar’s Supaul district and Ujjwal Kumar (17), a JEE aspirant from Gaya district.

Both Bihar natives were found hanging from ceiling fans in their respective rooms early Monday morning in the same Paying Guest accommodation in Talwandi area under Jawahar Nagar police station, police said.

Pranav Verma (17), a NEET aspirant from the MP’s Shivpuri district, allegedly consumed some poisonous substance in his hostel room.

NORA FATEHI FILES DEFAMATION SUIT AGAINST JACQUELINE FERNANDEZ

Actor Nora Fatehi on Monday filed a criminal complaint against Jacqueline Fernandez before a Delhi court for allegedly defaming her by “unfairly dragging” her name into a Rs 200 crore money laundering case involving alleged 'conman' Sukesh Chandrashekar, her lawyer said.

Fatehi, a Canadian citizen, also arrayed 15 media organisations as accused in her complaint, which is likely to come up for hearing on December 19, advocate Vikram Chauhan said.

“The complainant has a pristine reputation apart from a rapidly progressing career which has quite obviously threatened her rivals who are unable to compete with her on fair footing,” the complaint said. The defamatory statement was made by Fernandez in “bad faith” and with “mala fide intention” and was circulated by the media houses made accused in the complaint with an intent to defame her, the counsel said.

The complaint claimed the allegations made by Fernandez, also a Bollywood actor, that Fatehi had received gifts from Chandrashekhar were wrong.

“The only time the complainant spoke to Chandrashekhar was when his wife, Leena Maria Paul, made her speak to him over speakerphone at the event in Chennai where the complainant was invited by Leena. At the event, the complainant was gifted an iPhone and a Gucci bag by Leena. No gifts were ever received by the complainant from Chandrashekhar,” Fatehi has said in the complaint.

Fatehi also denied she had received a luxury car from Chandrashekhar and said it was part payment to her brother-in-law Bobby Khan, who Chandrashekhar had approached for directing a movie.

TWITTER BLUE RELAUNCHED

Twitter relaunched its updated Twitter Blue subscription service Monday after the company's new owner Elon Musk pulled and delayed the launch in November.

The service costs $8 a month for web users and $11 a month for iOS users who purchase it through Apple's App Store.

Subscribers with a verified phone number will receive a blue checkmark once their account is reviewed and approved, Twitter said in a tweet Saturday. Blue users will also be able to edit tweets and get early access to new features. The company says Blue subscribers will "soon" see fewer ads, have the option to post longer videos and will appear at the top of replies and mentions.

As part of the relaunch, businesses will receive a gold checkmark and fovts will receive a grey checkmark to help prevent impersonation. If users want to change their username, display name or profile photo, they can do so, but they will lose their blue check until their account is reviewed again, Twitter said.

Musk said more features are on the way.

INDICATORS

Sensex 62,131 (-51), Nifty 18,497 (Nil), Trading Value NSE (Rs.crores) 49,240

Nasdaq 11,144 (+139) Dow 34,005 (+529), S&P 3,991 (+56)

(US$-Rs. 82.54 GBP-Rs. 101.16, Euro-Rs. 86.95, UAE Dhm-Rs. 22.47, Can$-Rs. 60.44, Aus$- Rs. 55.80

GBP 0.81 /US$, Euro 0.94 /US$, Jap.Yen 137.14 /US$, Aus$ 1.47 /US$, Sing 1.35 /US$, Bang Taka 101.51 /US$, Can$ 1.36 /US$, Mal Ring 4.40 /US$,

Pak Re 224.44 /US$, Phil Peso 55.44 /US$, Russian Rouble 62.59 /US$, NZ$ 1.56 /US$, Thai Baht 34.75 /US$, Ukraine Hryvnia 36.56 /US$)

Bitcoin - USD 17,160

Dollar Index 104.56 Brent Crude 78.41 BDI 1,386

Gold world Spot Price USD/aoz 1,784 India (Rs. per gm 24k/22k) 5,433 / 4,980, Silver (Rs. Per KG) 72,800

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Ask advice only of your equals. - a Danish Proverb

OFF TRACK

A man writing at the post office desk was approached by an older fellow with a post card in his hand. The old man said, "Sir, I'm sorry to bother you but could you address this post card for me? My arthritis is acting up today and i can't even hold a pen"

"Certainly sir,' said the younger man, "I'd be glad to."

He wrote out the address and also agreed to write a short message and sign the card for the man. Finally, the younger man asked, "Now, is there anything else I can do for you?"

The old fellow thought about it for a moment and said, "Yes, at the end could you just put, PS Please excuse the sloppy handwriting."