MODI & MBS SPEAK: NEED PEACE, SECURITY IN REGION

As the war in Gaza rages and drone and missile strikes disrupt maritime traffic in the Red Sea, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and the two leaders “agreed to work together for peace, security and stability” in the West Asia region.

Following their phone conversation Tuesday, Modi, in a post on X, said, “Held a good conversation with my Brother HRH Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud on the future of Strategic Partnership between India and Saudi Arabia. We exchanged views on the West Asia situation and shared concerns regarding terrorism, violence and the loss of civilian lives. Agreed to work together for peace, security and stability in the region.”

WILL FIND ATTACKERS OF MERCHANT NAVY SHIPS EVEN FROM DEPTHS OF SEAS: RAJNATH

Speaking after the commissioning of stealth guided missile destroyer INS Imphal, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said India has intensified patrolling of the seas after the recent attacks on merchant navy ships.

"India's growing economic and strategic power has filled some forces with jealousy and hatred. The Indian govt has taken the attacks on MV Chem Pluto and attack on MV Sai Baba in the Red Sea very seriously. We will find those who executed the recent attacks on merchant navy ships even from the depths of the seas and take strict action against them. The perpetrators will soon be brought to justice and strict action will be taken against them," he said.

India plays the role of a net security provider in the entire Indian Ocean Region and will ensure that maritime trade in this region touches greater heights, Singh said.

"For this, together with our friend countries, we will keep the sea lanes secure. We have full confidence in the ability and strength of our Navy," the minister added.

Chief of Naval Staff Admiral R Hari Kumar said the Indian Navy will take robust action including boarding and searching all suspicious vessels. "We don't want these attacks to come any closer. The closest attack that has happened is about 220 miles from our coast (referring to the attack on MV Chem Pluto) which is outside our EEZ, but we want to ensure that nobody dares to come anywhere closer," Kumar said while talking to reporters.

Four destroyers, P-8I aircraft, Dorniers, Sea Guardians, helicopters and Coast Guard ships have been deployed to counter the threats of piracy and drone attacks, he said earlier at during the event.

Since November 19, there have been 30 drone and piracy attacks in the region which mean roughly one attack a day. About 50 percent of the 30 attacks have happened in the Red Sea and no attacks have taken place against Indian-flagged merchant vessels. There have been instances of attacks on vessels with flags of other countries and having some Indian crew, he said.

"The frequency of attacks has definitely gone up. We have decided to take very robust action to protect our merchant shipping. We have decided to take very effective action," Kumar said.

INDIA, RUSSIA SIGN PACTS ON FUTURE UNITS OF KUDANKULAM PLANT

India and Russia Tuesday signed some “very important” agreements related to the construction of the future power-generating units of the Kudankulam nuclear power plant.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar made the announcement after his “comprehensive and productive” meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov on bilateral economic cooperation.

While addressing the Indian diaspora in Moscow, he said, “… we signed some very important agreements pertaining to the future units of the Kudankulam nuclear project.” With PM Narendra Modi skipping Russia for the annual summit for the second year in a row, Jaishankar is in Moscow on a five-day visit to meet the Russian leadership.

The Kudankulam nuclear power plant is being built in Tamil Nadu with the technical assistance of Russia. The construction began in March 2002. Since February 2016, the first power unit of the Kudankulam NPP has been steadily operating at its design capacity of 1,000 MW.

After the meeting with Manturov, Jaishankar tweeted, “A comprehensive and productive meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov of Russia on our bilateral economic cooperation. Noted the significant progress in trade, finance, connectivity, energy, civil aviation and nuclear domains.”

YECHURY TURNS DOWN RAM TEMPLE CONSECRATION INVITE

The CPI(M) on Tuesday officially announced that its General Secretary Sitaram Yechury will not attend the consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22, claiming that the BJP-RSS is converting a religious ceremony into an “instrument of political gain”.

Yechury had received the invite from the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust last week. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former party chief Sonia Gandhi and the party's leader in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury have received invites as well, but the party has not spoken about whether they will go, saying one will know about it on January 22.

Yechury says that religion is a personal choice of every individual and his party respects and safeguards the right of every individual to choose their particular form of faith. “What is happening in this inauguration ceremony is that it has been converted into a state-sponsored event directly involving Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and others holding Constitutional posts,” he said. “This is straightforward politicisation of the religious belief of the people which is not in consonance with the Constitution. Therefore, in these circumstances, I regret not being able to attend the event,” he added.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

======================

UKRAINE ATTACKS RUSSIAN WARSHIP WITH CRUISE MISSILES IN CRIMEA

Ukraine struck a large Russian landing warship in Crimea with cruise missiles in an overnight attack that killed at least one person and could hinder any Russian attempt to seize more Ukrainian territory along the Black Sea coast. The Russian defence ministry said Ukraine had used air-launched missiles to attack the Crimean port of Feodosia and that the Novocherkassk large landing ship had been damaged.

Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu had briefed President Vladimir Putin about the attack, the Kremlin said.

Ukrainian air force spokesperson Yuriy Ihnat said he thought it would be hard for the Novocherkassk — which can carry tanks and armoured vehicles and be used to land troops ashore — to re-enter service. “We can see how powerful the explosion was, what the detonation was like. After that, it’s very hard for a ship to survive, because this was not a rocket, this is the detonation of munitions,” he told Radio Free Europe. Ukraine had used cruise missiles in the attack, without specifying what kind, Ihnat said. Both Britain and France have supplied Kyiv with such missiles.

WAR WITH HAMAS WILL LAST FOR MONTHS, ISRAEL WARNS AMID FRESH UN ALARM

Israel has warned that its war with Hamas will last for months amid an United Nations alarm over Israeli airstrikes killing over 100 Palestinians in two days in the war-torn Gaza strip. There are no shortcuts in dismantling a "terrorist organisation", Israel's military chief Herzi Halevi said in a televised statement, adding that the war "will continue for many more months".

"There are no magic solutions, there are no shortcuts in dismantling a terrorist organization, only determined and persistent fighting. We will reach Hamas leadership too, whether it takes a week or if it takes months," said Halevi.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a Wall Street Journal op-ed on Monday, noted three prerequisites to achieve peace: "Hamas must be destroyed, Gaza must be demilitarised and Palestinian society must be deradicalised."

UN estimates suggest around 1.9 million Gazans have been displaced with many having fled south. The civilians are suffering from shortages of water, food, fuel and medicine.

THE REST

=========

BLAST NEAR ISRAEL EMBASSY ROCKS DELHI, NONE HURT; A LETTER RECOVERED

A blast occurred near the Israel embassy in the Chanakyapuri diplomatic enclave in New Delhi on Tuesday evening. No one was injured in the incident and an "abusive" letter addressed to the Israeli ambassador was found near the site, officials said.

After the police control room received a call about a "loud sound" from Jindal House behind the embassy at 5:53 pm, teams of Crime Branch, bomb disposal squad, dog squad and forensic department were rushed to the spot. An almost three-hour-long search operation was carried out in the area. A National Investigation Agency team also examined the site.

The explosion and the recovery of the letter is a grim reminder of the 2021 blast near the embassy in which some cars were damaged. The NIA had probed the case.

WILL EXPOSE RS 40K-CR SCAM UNDER YEDIYURAPPA GOVT IF ...: BJP MLA

Disgruntled BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal on Tuesday warned that he would expose the alleged irregularities to the tune of Rs 40,000 crore in the BJP govt in Karnataka led by BS Yediyurappa at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic if he was expelled from the party.

Quickly responding to his statement, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said Yatnal's allegations about the irregularities that took place when Yediyurappa was the chief minister were proof of their charges that there was a '40 percent commission govt' in the state during the BJP rule.

As many BJP leaders have been demanding action against him, Yatnal said, "They (the BJP govt in Karnataka) have done everything (huge corruption during Covid). Let them serve me a notice and try to expel me from the party, I will expose them."

Yatnal, who has launched a tirade against Yediyurappa and his family, especially after his second son BY Vijayendra was made the BJP state president, said there was large-scale corruption in coronavirus management during the BJP govt.

OPPN SLAMS ASSAM CM HIMANTA SARMA FOR VARNA POST

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma Tuesday drew criticism from the opposition parties over his social media post, quoting a Bhagavad Gita verse, on the Varna system.

Sarma, who attended the International Gita Mahotsav in Haryana’s Kurushetra last Saturday, posted a verse of the Hindu scripture that deals with the duties of those who possess the qualities of Vaishyas and Shudras, which, along with Brahmins and Kshatriyas, make up the Varna system in Hinduism.

“Lord Shri Krishna himself described the natural duties of the Vaishyas and Shudras,” Sarma posted Tuesday in Assamese on social media X (formerly Twitter), attaching a video clip on verse 44 contained in Chapter 18 of the Gita.

The English translation of the verse is that “farming, cow rearing, and commerce are natural duties of the vaishya and serving the Brahmins, Kshatriyas and Vaishyas is the natural duty of the Shudras.”

The post was deleted Tuesday night.

REMOVE FRAUD LOAN APP ADS IN A WEEK, CENTRE TELLS ONLINE PLATFORMS

The ministry of Electronics and IT on Tuesday directed social media platforms to take “additional measures” to ensure that they don’t host advertisements of fraudulent loan apps, warning that the “consequences” will be the “sole responsibility” of such intermediaries/ platforms.

In its advisory issued to online platforms like Meta’s Facebook and Instagram, and Google on Tuesday, the ministry asked them to ensure compliance within seven days.

The govt is also working on framing amendments to the current Information Technology (IT) Rules to bar social media platforms from hosting such advertisements, a top govt official said. Once that is in place, platforms could risk losing their legal immunity for hosting such advertisements.

A number of victims caught in the crosshairs of these apps pointed towards a common narrative: In the absence of any govt and regulatory norms, online platforms carry out little due diligence, letting fraudsters openly advertise predatory loan apps. The RBI doesn’t have a white list of registered loan apps, or even a negative list which is updated, despite the govt’s assurances.

83 JN.1 CASES IN INDIA SO FAR, MOST IN GUJARAT, SAYS INSACOG

At least 83 cases of the new JN.1 variant have been detected in India so far, with the highest 34 sequences from Gujarat, according to India’s genome sequencing consortium INSACOG. This was followed by 18 from Goa, 8 from Karnataka, 7 from Maharashtra, 5 each from Kerala and Rajasthan, 4 from Tamil Nadu, and 2 from Telangana.

At least 409 new Covid-19 cases were reported in the last 24 hours, with the highest cases in Kerala. Of the 4,170 active cases, 3,096 are in Kerala. Karnataka also reported 122 cases and 3 deaths, according to the Health Ministry data.

An increase in JN.1 sequences has been reported by the consortium during the first three weeks of December, with 29 cases being added during the week ending on December 24. The spike coincides with countries such as the US and Singapore reporting a jump in Covid-19 cases linked to the new variant.

PLI SCHEMES ATTRACTED OVER RS 95,000 CR INVESTMENT TILL SEP 2023: CENTRE

The production-linked incentive (PLI) schemes for 14 sectors have attracted over Rs 95,000 crore in investment till September this year, an official statement said on Tuesday.

According to the Commerce and Industry Ministry, as many as 746 applications have been approved till November 2023 under these schemes. Incentives worth around Rs 2,900 crore have been disbursed in 2022-23.

In the Union Budget 2021-22, the govt announced an outlay of Rs 1.97 trillion for the schemes.

The sectors included electronics, telecommunication, pharma, white goods (AC and LED light components), and textiles. The aim is to enhance India's manufacturing capabilities and exports.

"There has been a value addition of 20 per cent in mobile manufacturing within a period of 3 years," the statement said.

It added that of the USD 101 billion worth of total electronics production in 2022-23, smartphones constituted USD 44 billion, including USD 11.1 billion as exports.

"Import substitution of 60 per cent has been achieved in the telecom sector and India has become almost self-reliant in Antennae, GPON (Gigabit Passive Optical Network) and CPE (Customer Premises Equipment)," the ministry said.

I'M RETURNING MY KHEL RATNA AND ARJUNA AWARD: VINESH PHOGAT

Star wrestler Vinesh Phogat on Tuesday decided to return her Khel Ratna and Arjuna award to the Prime Minister, saying that such honours have become meaningless in the current situation where the grapplers are struggling badly for justice.

Phogat, the two-time World Championship medal winner, announced her decision in her letter penned for Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In the letter posted on X, Phogat said their lives are not like those 'fancy govt advertisements' that talk about women empowerment and upliftment.

"The Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna and Arjuna awards don't have any meaning in my life now. Every woman in this country wants to lead a dignified life. So PM sir I want to return my Dhyan Chand and Arjun award to you so that these awards don't become a burden on us in our endeavour to lead a dignified life," she said in her letter.

Vinesh was conferred with the Khel Ratna, the highest sports honour in India, in 2020 while she received the Arjuna Award in 2016.

Phogat's decision comes days after Olympic medallist Bajrang Punia and Deafylmpics champion Virender Singh Yadav returned their Padma Shri awards despite the govt suspending newly-elected Wrestling Federation of India.

Sanjay Singh was elected as WFI's chief last week. He is an associate of Brij Bhushan Singh Sharan and the wrestlers did not want any one close to the BJP MP entering the national federation.

Vinesh urged the PM to listen to Brij Bhhushan's "crude" statements against the women wrestlers. "The exploiter has declared his dominance and raised slogans in a very crude manner. Just spare 5 minutes of your life and listen to the statements given by that man in the media, you will know what all he has done.

"He has described women wrestlers as Manthra. He admitted to making women wrestlers uncomfortable on TV openly and didn't leave even a single opportunity to humiliate the women players. What is more serious is that it has forced many female wrestlers to step back. This is very scary."

CENTURIAN TEST, DAY 1: KL RAHUL KEEPS INDIA AFLOAT

South African seamer Kagiso Rabada grabbed a five-wicket haul before India's K L Rahul dug in on the opening day of the first Test at Centurion on Tuesday.

Rahul was unbeaten on 70 when poor visibility and showers halted proceedings around 80 minutes before the scheduled close, with India holding a tiring home attack at bay. India ended the day at 208/8.

Earlier, Rabada’s pace proved too hot to handle as he returned figures of 5/44 off 17 overs and debutant Nandre Burger took two wickets with his first 13 balls in Test cricket.

India lost the top3 natcmen cheaply, with Yashsvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma and Shubhman Gill gone with score at 24/3. Kojhli and Shreyas Iyer then steadied the ship and India went to lunch at 91/3.

But soon thereafter, India were pegged back as they lost three wickets for 30 runs early in the second session when Rabada showed his class. He bowled Shreyas Iyer for 31, had Virat Kohli caught behind for 38 as he feathered a stunning delivery and Ravichandran Ashwin (8) snagged at second slip by leaping substitute fielder Wiaan Mulder.

Rahul, however, proved a road block for the home side, who were hoping to dismiss India for under 200 on a track tailor-made for their all-seam attack.

INDICATORS

Sensex 71,337 (+230), Nifty 21,441 (+92)

Nasdaq 15,075 (+82) Dow 37,545 (+159), S&P 4775 (+20)

US$-Rs. 83.16, GBP-Rs. 105.67, Euro-Rs. 91.70, UAE Dhm-Rs. 22.64, Can$-Rs. 62.85, Aus$- Rs. 56.65

GBP 0.78 /US$, Euro 0.90 /US$, Jap.Yen 142.35 /US$, Aus$ 1.46 /US$, Sing 1.32 /US$, Bang Taka 108.75 /US$, Can$ 1.32 /US$, Mal Ring 4.62 /US$, Pak Re 279.47 /US$, Phil Peso 55.33 /US$, Russian Rouble 91.75 /US$, NZ$ 1.58 /US$, Thai Baht 34.57 /US$, Ukraine Hryvnia 37.30 /US$

Bitcoin - USD 42,376, Dollar Index 101.18, Brent Crude 80.71, BDI 2094

Gold world Spot Price USD/aoz 2067 India (Rs. per gm 24k/22k) 6,371 / 5,840, Silver (Rs. Per KG) 81,000

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Good character is more to be praised than outstanding talent. Most talents are, to some extent, a gift. Good character, by contrast, is not given to us. We have to build it, piece by piece -- by thought, choice, courage, and determination. - H. Jackson Brown

OFF TRACK

I was standing at the bar in the Airport when this small Chinese guy comes in, stands next to me, and starts drinking a beer.

I asked him, "Do you know any of those martial arts things, like Kung-Fu, Karate, or Ju-Jitsu?"

He says "No, why would you ask me that? Just because I am Chinese?"

 "No", I said, "It's because you're drinking my beer!!"