19th round of talks held to end Ladakh impasse
India and China today conducted another round of military commander-level talks — the 19th round since June 2020. This round of talks was held at the Chushul-Moldo border meeting point on the Indian side. The meeting ended late in the evening, sources said, adding a formal statement detailing Key Points
The Tribune IndiaYouTube scraps 2020 US election misinformation policy
YouTube will stop removing content that falsely claims the 2020 U.S. presidential election was plagued by “fraud, errors or glitches,” the platform said. Key Points
The HinduRejection rates of DGTR's recommendations by FinMin to impose anti-dumping duties rise: Report
From September 2020 to October 2022, as many as 70 anti-dumping and countervailing duties recommendations of the commerce ministry were rejected out of 120. From 1991 to 2020, only seven recommendations were turned down by the finance ministry out of 1,052 cases recommended by the commerce ministry's investigation arm -- Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR). Key Points
Economic Times70% of antibiotic fixed-dose combination drugs sold in India unapproved or banned, finds study
Govt’s moves to curb irrational fixed-dose combinations may have been insufficient & lack enforcement, say researchers. Study published in Journal of Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice. Key Points
ThePrintSolarWinds executives receive Wells notice from US SEC
SolarWinds said on Friday some of its former and current executives had been issued a Wells notice by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission over a massive 2020 data breach tied to the software firm. Key Points
Reuters
What to leave Netflix US in December 2023: See complete list
In December 2023, Netflix US bids farewell to numerous titles. Notable departures on December 1 include Spider-Man series and Sex and the City movies, as per Whats on Netfilx. The removals, a regular part of Netflix's content rotation, continue throughout the month, concluding on December 31 with Taylor Swift's reputation Stadium Tour and Us (2019). Key Points
Economic TimesPlanet warming nitrous oxide emissions soared 40 per cent in last 4 decades: Report
Excess nitrogen results in soil, water, and air pollution. Use of chemical fertilisers and animal waste on croplands soared deadly emissions of nitrous... Key Points
The Tribune India‘Fake TRP’ case against Republic, Arnab Goswami allowed to be withdrawn
The Maharashtra government decided to withdraw prosecution in the alleged TRP scam 2020. A magistrate court in Mumbai accepted the application. | Latest News India Key Points
Hindustan TimesThe US has become too unstable a beacon of democracy
America’s post-Trump political crisis does not augur well for democracies elsewhere. Orderly transfers of power in the US are of utmost importance for a liberal world order. Key Points
mintOne woman dies every 2 mins in pregnancy, childbirth: UN
The overall maternal mortality rate dropped by 34.3 per cent over a 20-year period -- from 339 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births in 2000 to 223 maternal deaths in 2020, according to a report by the World Health Organization and other UN agencies. Key Points
India Today
COVID-19 lockdown in 2020 led to more greenery in India, says new study
According to a new scientific study, air quality in India improved considerably during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown, leading to an increase in greenness in the country. The Hindu explains what the findings of the study ‘Improved air quality leads to enhanced vegetation growth during the COVID–19 lockdown in India’ were, what parameters were considered during the course of the study, and what the result was. Key Points
The HinduArvind Panagariya’s new paper: ‘After pandemic, poverty kept falling every quarter from July-Sept 2020’
According to the paper, it is only during the strict lockdown period of April-June 2020 that rural poverty saw a “modest rise”. But it fell for the full year 2019-20, even if at a significantly lower rate. It witnessed a sharp decline in 2020-21 as in the pre-Covid year of 2018-19. Key Points
The Indian ExpressDepsang 'resolved', patrolling to 'agreed perceived LAC'. What India & China have agreed on
Immediate withdrawal of troops deployed along LAC unlikely, it is learnt. Thaw in ties could also set stage for Modi-Xi meet on sidelines of BRICS summit in Russia later this week. Key Points
ThePrintYour LPG cylinder is set to cost you less. Check city-wise prices here
At present, a 14.2-kg LPG cylinder in the national capital costs ₹1,103 - more than double the rate it came for in May 2020. | Latest News India Key Points
Hindustan TimesModi-Xi meeting in Johannesburg? No official word yet
PM Modi's bilateral meetings during the BRICS summit in Johannesburg are being finalised, but Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra did not confirm whether Modi would meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping. If they meet, it will be the first since their border standoff began in May 2020. India and China are still resolving pending issues at the standoff areas of Eastern Ladakh's Depsang and Demchok, with talks among local commanders regarding confidence-building measures. Key Points
Economic Times
Meta’s Election Research Opens More Questions Than It Answers
Researchers were given unprecedented access to Meta’s data during the 2020 elections. Meta says their results show its platforms don’t cause political polarization. That’s not entirely true. Key Points
WIREDSanjana Sanghi's EXCLUSIVE interview on IIFA and her favourite IIFA moments
Sanjana Sanghi made her debut with Dil Bechara in 2020 as a leading lady. She was also seen in Rockstar (2011) and Fukrey Returns (2017) and last year with Aditya Roy Kapur in Rashtriya Kavach Om. She’s all geared up for IIFA 2023 and talks exclusively to Firstpost about the same Key Points
FirstpostAhead of SCO Defence Ministers meet, India-China hold 18th Corps Commander talks
Ahead of Shangai Cooperation Organisation Defence Ministers meet, India-China holds 18th Corps Commander talks. Read the full story on The Hindu. Key Points
The HinduVance refuses to say Trump lost 2020 poll, Walz talks abortions
Republican vice-presidential candidate JD Vance has refused to acknowledge that Donald Trump lost the 2020 elections, as he evaded a direct reply on whether the former president would seek to challenge this year’s election results even if these were certified in every state. Senator Vance of Ohio came face to face with his Democratic rival Minnesota Governor Tim Walz on Tuesday in the only vice-presidential debate of this election cycle. Key Points
The TribuneIT sector’s profit pie drops to 5-year low
The share has declined nearly 3 percentage points in the past year and is sharply down from 34% share in profits in the March 2020 quarter..The topline growth of the sector slowed to 12% from a year earlier from 26.5% in the March 2022 quarter Key Points
mint
'Overwhelming response', says Disney Star; IPL TV viewership returns to pre-pandemic levels as viewer fati
As viewers returned to their TV screens for the sixth time in three years, they found other distractions when India returned to a more normal way of life after a nearly 21-month lockdown, leading to a decline in TV viewership. The TVR for the opening fixture saw a decline from 2020 (10.36) to 2021 (8.25) and further to 2022 (5.6). Key Points
Economic TimesDecoding the surge: Analysing the meteoric rise of Nifty PSU Bank index since 2022
The arrival of COVID-19 further exacerbated the situation, causing global equities to plummet. PSU stocks, which already appeared devalued, experienced an even more precipitous decline. The selling climax reached its pinnacle in 2020, with the index plummeting towards the 1000 mark. Key Points
Economic TimesD-St punishes Vi amid skepticism over fundraising
The telco has made several efforts to raise capital in the past. Its board had in September 2020 given approval to raise ₹25,000 crore including in equity, and the company had held talks with banks for debt funding. But these efforts have not been successful so far. Key Points
Economic TimesIran says at least 103 people killed, 211 wounded in blasts at ceremony honoring slain general
Two explosions occurred near an Iranian cemetery during a ceremony commemorating Qassem Soleimani's 2020 killing by a U.S. drone. Iranian state media reported injuries from gas canister blasts. Ambulances rushed to the scene in Kerman as attendees gathered to honor Soleimani's anniversary. Details on casualties and the situation are under monitoring by authorities. Key Points
Economic TimesTerror incidents in J&K down to all-time low: Home Ministry
According to a reply submitted before the Rajya Sabha, terrorist-initiated incidents were 41 (till Nov 15) as compared to 125 in 2022, 129 in 2021, 126 in 2020 and 153 in 2019, the year when Article 370 was abrogated. The number of encounters by security forces, including J&K Police, Army and CRPF, stood at 44 in 2023, 117 in 2022, 100 in 2021, 118 in 2020 and 102 in 2019. Key Points
Economic Times
Washington, D.C. sees 38% surge in homicides, highest in 17 years
D.C. witnessed a 38% increase in homicides, surpassing annual figures from 2004 to 2020. | World News Key Points
Hindustan TimesGovt becomes selective in levying dumping duty; rejection rate increase to 43%
India's Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) has become highly selective in levying dumping duty, with rejection rates rising from 0.7% to 43% since August 2020. The country's Atmanirbhar Bharat campaign after the pandemic appears to have increased the DGTR's rejection rates. Key Points
Economic TimesHome Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla gets one-year extension till August 22, 2024
Ajay Kumar Bhalla, a 1984-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre, was appointed home secretary in August 2019. He was to retire in November 2020 after attaining 60 years of age. His tenure was first extended on October 17, 2020 till August 22, 2021. Bhalla's term was extended for one-year each in 2021 and in 2022. Key Points
Economic TimesIndia moves closer towards $300 million weapons deal with US for its Navy
India and the US had signed over-Rs 16,000 crore deal to buy 24 MH-60 Romeo helicopters from Lockheed Martin in 2020 under fast-track procedures on a government-to-government deal to hasten the process. The 24 MH-60 Romeos would be equipped with multi-mode radars and night-vision devices as well as armed with missiles, torpedoes and other precision-guided weaponry. Key Points
Economic TimesBritney Spears shares photo of burned home gym: ‘I burned it down'
Britney Spears recently shared a photo of her burnt home gym in her LA mansion adding that she was responsible for the damage. Read more below. | Hollywood Key Points
Hindustan Times
Don't punish Vasundhara Raje because of me: Ashok Gehlot to BJP
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Thursday took a swipe at the BJP, saying it should not "punish" his predecessor Vasundhara Raje because of him. He recalled his remarks highlighting her positive role of not supporting the bid to topple his government in 2020. Key Points
India Today