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Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping in Russia in October «signified a new beginning» of India-China relations, a senior minister of the ruling CPC has said. Liu Jianchao, Minister of the International Department of the Chinese Communist Party of China (CPC) was referring to the Modi-Jinping meeting at Kazan in Russia on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Russia while speaking with the Indian envoy to China, Pradeep Kumar Rawat, on Tuesday, official media said on Wednesday. The restarting of China-India relations meets the fundamental interests of the 2.8 billion people of the two countries, corresponds to the common expectations of the Global South and is also in line with the correct direction of history, he said.

Indian cinema, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said while suggesting that his family should take the legacy of showman forward by making a documentary on his international «soft power». Modi met Raj Kapoor's grandchildren and other members of the family, including daughter Reema Jain and daughter-in-law Neetu Kapoor, on Tuesday evening ahead of the filmmaker's 100th birth anniversary on December 14. «Raj Kapoor's 100th birthday is an important milestone of India cinema's golden journey. It began with 1947's 'Neel Kamal' and we are on course to 2047. It is such a contribution to the country when we look back at this journey of 100 years,» PM Modi said. «In the diplomatic world, we talk a lot about soft power. And at a time when this phrase didn't even exist, Raj Kapoor sahab established India's soft power all over the world. It was his big service to India,» he added.

Bitcoin has been on a tear, surging more than 33% since Donald Trump won the US presidential election on 5 November. On Tuesday, the world’s largest digital token briefly topped $90,000 (€85,000), after breaking through the $80,000 mark over the weekend.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Amid the recent maelstrom of political news was an important development for the future of technology-enabled public money.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. DAMASCUS, Syria—Rebel fighters and civilians strolled through the grounds of Bashar al-Assad’s presidential palace on Tuesday, stepping on shredded posters of the former dictator who had fled to Russia days earlier. In Assad’s abandoned office, his desk and floor were littered with books and papers: a history of the Russian military, a map of northeastern Syria, a biography of himself.

Britain will provide intelligence to a newly formed unit in Cyprus tasked with preventing Russia evade international sanctions

Rajnath Singh met Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin on Tuesday, during which both leaders expressed that India-Russia partnership holds immense potential and combined efforts will pave way for remarkable outcomes. The meeting was held on the sidelines of the 21st session of the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military and Military Technical Cooperation (IRIGC-M&MTC). «Rajnath Singh discussed various issues of bilateral defence cooperation. Both leaders expressed that partnership between both countries holds immense potential and combined efforts will pave way for remarkable outcomes,» the Ministry of Defence stated.

China’s exports slowed in November and its imports declined, falling below forecasts and underscoring potential weakness in trade at a time when its leaders are striving to boost domestic business activity

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. TAIPEI—China massed dozens of navy and coast guard vessels in what appears to be the largest maritime exercises targeting Taiwan and the broader Western Pacific region since 1996, a potent warning to the incoming Trump administration of its intention to eventually take control of the island. China’s military didn’t announce the start of any drills.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. The fall of Assad regime in Syria has thrust India into a delicate balancing act. While the streets of Damascus are filled with jubilation, the corridors of power in New Delhi are marked by caution and concern.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. State-run oil marketing companies (OMCs) are set for a better December quarter (Q3FY25) after seeing earnings drop sharply year-on-year in the first half of the fiscal year. Amid healthier demand for crude oil and refined products in November, largely stable crude prices improved refining and marketing margins.

Oil prices eased only slightly on Tuesday, holding on to most of their gains from the prior session as mounting geopolitical risk after the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and China's vow to ramp up policy stimulus kept a floor under prices. Brent crude futures were down 13 cents, or about 0.2%, at $72.01 per barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures were down 14 cents, also 0.2% lower, at $68.23 at 0151 GMT. Both climbed more than 1% on Monday.

«The Council, I think, was more or less united on the need to preserve the territorial integrity and unity of Syria, to ensure the protection of civilians, to ensure that humanitarian aid is coming,» Russian UN ambassador Vassili Nebenzia told reporters after the emergency meeting requested by Moscow. Russia was a key ally of Assad, who was toppled by Islamist-led rebels over the weekend after a short and stunning offensive.

Bashar al-Assad had fled to Moscow, adding that it was «surprised» by the rebel takeover. «As for Mr Assad's whereabouts, I've got nothing to tell you,» Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists. A Kremlin source told Russian news agencies on Sunday that Assad and his family were in Moscow, hours after he fled the country as Islamist-led rebels entered Damascus. Assad's son has been studying in the Russian capital.

Iran has opened a direct line of communication with rebels in Syria's new leadership since its ally Bashar al-Assad was ousted, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Monday, in an attempt to «prevent a hostile trajectory» between the countries. The lightning advance of a militia alliance spearheaded by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a former al-Qaeda affiliate, marked one of the biggest turning points for the Middle East in generations. Assad's fall as president removed a bastion from which Iran and Russia exercised influence across the Arab world. Hours after Assad's fall, Iran said it expected relations with Damascus to continue based on the two countries' «far-sighted and wise approach» and called for the establishment of an inclusive government representing all segments of Syrian society.

Proximate causes for the slowdown are on the demand side. For several quarters now, growth in private consumption, the biggest component of GDP, has been sluggish. Private investment, the most important driver of GDP, hasn't taken off. Exports have done reasonably well, but are unlikely to be a major engine given the global context of slowdown and trade aversion in the advanced economies. Essentially, the economy was being driven by public investment, which has been pared back a little in the interest of fiscal consolidation. Was that a mistake? No. The public investment-led strategy has been in place for a few years now. It became the prime driver of growth when the banking and corporate sectors were under stress after a period of excess in the late 2000s-early 2010s. Banks needed time to reduce NPAs. Corporate balance sheets had to be deleveraged. That process is complete. The 'shock' effects of Covid and outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war have also abated.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. POLTAVA, Ukraine—A team of soldiers sat inside a nondescript red bus with their eyes glued to a bank of screens blinking with yellow dots. The shapes represented Russian drones, missiles and planes cutting into Ukrainian skies.

Rajnath Singh attended the Commissioning Ceremony of INS Tushil at Russia's Kaliningrad on Monday. In a post on X, Defence Minister's Office stated, «Raksha Mantri Shri @rajnathsingh attending the Commissioning Ceremony of #INSTushil at Kaliningrad, Russia.»

Indian Navy's Russian-manufactured guided missile frigate INS Tushil was commissioned into the force at Russia's coastal city of Kaliningrad on Monday. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi and several other senior Indian officials were present at the commissioning ceremony. INS Tushil is expected to significantly bolster the Indian Navy's operational capability in the Indian Ocean, a region that has witnessed increasing forays by China's PLA Navy in the last few years. The warship has been constructed in Russia as part of an over USD 2.5-billion deal that New Delhi had inked with Moscow in 2016 for four stealth frigates for the Indian Navy.

Donald Trump’s election back into the office has begun with his loud announcements on heightened tariffs which has sparked concerns around the world. He recently targeted Mexico, Canada, and China, stating that if they fail to address the issue of illegal migration and drug smuggling into the US, he will impose a 25% tariff on all goods from Canada and Mexico; and “an additional 10% tariff, above any additional tariffs” on goods from China. While Trump has left India out of his initial tariff plans, he has made an announcement that if the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) countries create their own currency or back an existing currency to replace the United States dollar, the US will impose a 100% import tariff on these countries. As the world navigates through a realm of likely scenarios, when it comes to how the US exercises tariffs, there is China and then the rest of the world!