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Besides a so-called «step change» in tackling illegal working with new technology for frontline border officers, the Home Office will also introduce an Immigration White Paper next year to set out further details of its plan to reduce legal migration. ALSO READ: Indians have highest concentration of professionals in UK: Report

Kia revealed its new compact SUV, Syros, in the Indian market on Thursday. The car is the second sub-compact SUV after Sonet by Kia in India. The model will go on sale in 2025. The price for the new vehicle will be announced in January at the Bharat Mobility Show. The company will start accepting bookings from January 3, 2025, and the deliveries will begin from February 2025.

RG Kar hospital moved the Calcutta High Court on Thursday, seeking a fresh investigation into the crime. Expressing a lack of confidence in the ongoing probe into the incident that led to huge protests, they prayed for a direction for a fresh investigation into the rape and murder of their daughter. Justice Tirthankar Ghosh asked their lawyer to add the CBI, which is probing the case, as a party in the petition and mention the matter again before the court on Monday. The on-duty postgraduate trainee doctor's body was found in the seminar room of the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9.

SandboxAQ said on Wednesday it has raised more than $300 million in funding, valuing the startup spun off from Alphabet at $5.6 billion, as it aims to fast-track the development of advanced artificial intelligence systems for computation. The new funding, from investors including New York-based investment firm Fred Alger Management, T. Rowe Price, and Breyer Capital, will be used to accelerate the development of its large quantitative models (LQMs) and other AI applications in industries from healthcare to finance. This follows a $500 million fundraising last year to build its quantum computing platform to serve business customers.

Nestle India on Thursday said the suspension of the MFN (most favoured nation) clause granted to India by Switzerland will have 'no impact' on the company. The suspension of MFN status under the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) is a policy issue between the government of India and Switzerland and is not 'Nestle-specific', the FMCG firm said in a statement. Nestle India, which owns popular brands such as Maggi, Nescafe and KitKat, said the company was already «deducting 10 per cent withholding tax» on cross-country payments. Earlier on December 11, the Swiss government had announced the suspension of the MFN status granted to India following a ruling by the Supreme Court of India, which in a judgement last year had said MFN status under the DTAA cannot be enforced unless notified under Section 90 of the Income Tax Act.

Infosys, country's second largest IT services giant, on Wednesday announced investment of Rs 426 crore for its new 320,000 square feet development centre in Kolkata. “This state-of-the-art facility with an investment of over Rs 426 crore is designed to accommodate over 4,000 employees in a hybrid working model,” the Bengaluru based company said in a statement. The centre will generate employment opportunities in next-gen technologies such as cloud and artificial intelligence (AI). «The centre will provide employees greater flexibility and enable them to work on new-age technologies such as cloud, AI, and digital, across a diverse range of industries, including manufacturing, logistics, financial services, energy & utilities,» the statement added.

Mayor of Kingstown will return for a fourth season. Paramount+ announced the renewal after Season 3’s explosive finale earlier this year.

Metal ornaments which are crafted from materials such as brass and galvanized steel offer both durability and a very stylish aesthetic. These ornaments are extremely rust-resistant and can be treated with UV-protectant spray anytime to maintain their shine throughout the season while their reflective surfaces adds an absolute beautiful sparkle to the outdoor display of anyone. If an individual is looking for a more rustic touch, the wooden ornaments which are made from plywood, birch or cedar eventually provide a natural look that blends seamlessly with outdoor settings. These woods are naturally rot-resistant while it makes them absolutely suitable for outdoor use and thus rare and unique wooden decorations can often be found at craft fairs or specialty stores while adding a personal touch to the holiday decor.

ICICI Bank and Times Internet on Wednesday launched a super-premium credit card targeted at ultra high-net-worth individuals. The card, the inaugural edition of which has been crafted from a metal alloy derived from the historic printing plates of The Times of India, is powered by Visa. Cardholders will receive exclusive benefits, including doorstep visa services, exclusive invite-only events by The Times of India Group, access to elite clubs, unlimited lounge access at more than 1,300 global airports, attractive reward points, and helicopter rides, among others. The 'Times Black ICICI Bank Credit Card' provides curated privileges designed to cater to the refined tastes of these individuals with significant spending power. Annual fee for the card is ₹20,000, but the fees will be waived on yearly expenditures of ₹25 lakh through these cards.

Vijay Mallya on Wednesday said that banks have recovered Rs 14,131.60 crore from him «against the judgement debt of Rs 6203 crore» but he continues to be «an economic offender». He said in a post on X that unless the Enforcement Directorate and banks can legally justify how they have taken more than two times the debt, he is entitled to relief. «The Debt Recovery Tribunal adjudged the KFA (Kingfisher Airlines) debt at Rs 6203 crores including Rs 1200 crores of interest. The FM announced in Parliament that through the ED, Banks have recovered Rs 14,131.60 crores from me against the judgement debt of Rs 6203 crores and I am still an economic offender. Unless the ED and Banks can legally justify how they have taken more than two times the debt, I am entitled to relief which I will pursue,» Mallya said.

Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Wednesday announced that the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) will come into force from January 2025. The state has done its homework for the implementation of the UCC, he said. Uttarakhand is set to become the country's first state to implement the UCC after Independence. While chairing the meeting of the Uttarakhand Investment and Infrastructural on Wednesday, Dhami told the officials that Uttarakhand is now fully prepared to implement the UCC from January. He instructed the officials to ensure proper training of the personnel, besides arranging all kinds of basic facilities to implement the provisions of the code. He also asked the officials to keep the maximum services online to avoid the chances of inconvenience for the public.

Chandrababu Naidu government continues to debate the fate of the controversial solar power deal, the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has defended the «transfer» of the 2,333 mw power project from Azure to Adani Group before the apex power regulator, citing Andhra Pradesh's power requirement and unchanged terms and conditions of the contract, ET has learnt. In a December 7, 2024 submission to the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC), SECI stated that «Andhra Pradesh had sought for such supply and SECI could finalise the generation and supply of such quantum by Adani Group on the same terms and conditions». It underlined that the transfer to Adani Group did not affect «the essential terms» on which the regulatory approval was given for the overall Andhra power project by the CERC on April 2, 2022.

Surat Diamond Bourse (SDB), billed as the world's largest office building, remains largely unoccupied a year after its grand opening by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 17, 2023. Although the massive 4,200-office complex has been entirely sold out, only 150 offices have become operational so far, ToI reported. The sluggish response is being attributed to the global slowdown in the diamond business, which has tempered the enthusiasm of traders and manufacturers to shift operations from Mumbai's established diamond hubs and Surat's traditional markets to the state-of-the-art bourse. To spark activity, the SDB has hosted multiple events throughout the year to encourage businesses to move in. In the meantime, significant infrastructure and services have been established to support diamond-related operations.

US Embassy in India will implement new rules for scheduling and rescheduling nonimmigrant visa appointments. «To make sure everyone has a fair chance at getting a visa interview appointment and to reduce wait times, we’re making some changes,» the US Embassy in India said in a statement. Applicants will be allowed to reschedule their appointments once without additional charges. However, missing the rescheduled appointment or requiring a second reschedule will necessitate booking a new appointment and repaying the application fee.

Kalaignarin Kanavu Illam,' Rs 400 crore further allocation has been released, and it will be credited directly to the bank accounts of beneficiaries, Chief Minister M K Stalin announced on Wednesday. Including the additional fund release, a total of Rs 1,451 crore is the sum being disbursed to beneficiaries, according to the present stage of construction, he said. Houses under the scheme has a 360 sq ft built-up area, including a kitchen and construction materials such as cement and steel bars were being provided to beneficiaries at subsidised prices through the state-run TN Cements Corporation.

Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM) has dubbed the proposal to introduce 35 per cent GST on «sin goods» like aerated beverages and tobacco products as a «bad idea» as it would lead to smuggling and loss of revenue for the country. Besides, other bodies like All India Consumer Products Distributors Federation (AICPDF) and Indian Sellers Collective — an umbrella body of trade associations and sellers across the country — have raised concerns on the recommendations of the GoM on GST rate rationalisation. Earlier this month, the Group of Ministers (GoM) recommended a special rate of 35 per cent on sin goods like aerated beverages, cigarettes, tobacco and related products. The GoM headed by Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary also suggested rationalisation of tax rates on apparel. «Another slab in GST, in the name of luxury and sin goods is primarily a bad idea, which will defeat the very efficiency principle of taxation. Already, a need is being felt among economists that the present number of slabs should be reduced, and the highest 28 per cent slab be abolished,» SJM national co-convenor Ashwani Mahajan said.

Decentralised Finance (DeFi) is the most significant innovation on the blockchain since the advent of the blockchain itself. What Bitcoin is to gold, DeFi is to banks and finance houses: a way to access finance in the open market on a peer-to-peer basis without the gatekeepers of banks. However, in order to access DeFi, one needs a Master’s in Finance and a PhD in Computing. The new crypto exchange Lunex Network changes all that. Lunex Network is a new hybrid CEX/DEX exchange, and on the face of it, it solves many trading problems. Over 50,000 liquidity pairs, AI trading bots, and non-custodial wallets are just some of the features Lunex Network offers. However, it’s in DeFi where Lunex Network shines. <div data-placement=«Mid Article Thumbnails

MathCo is looking to hire 400-odd people by the end of this fiscal, taking its workforce to 2,500 globally. It has already hired 400 people so far this fiscal. The startup is recruiting AI/ML engineers, data engineers, data scientists and consumption specialists. As its technical workforce grows, the company will also expand its enablement functions to support this growth. While a major focus will be on fresh talent right out of campus, the firm will also continue to hire laterally across profiles. With GenAI being a relatively new and rapidly evolving field, the company is prioritising both internal upskilling and onboarding new talent with relevant backgrounds to strengthen its capabilities in this area.

Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned till 2 pm on Wednesday after opposition MPs protested against Union Home Minister Amit Shah's alleged insult of B R Ambedkar. Soon after the listed papers and reports were tabled and the House went ahead with the scheduled Zero Hour, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh rose and alleged Shah insulted Ambedkar. Soon, several other Congress members were on their feet and started raising slogans like "'Amebedkar ka apaman nai sahega Hindustan' (India will not tolerate Amebedkar's insult)". Countering them, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju said it was the Congress that insulted Ambedkar and did not honour him with a Bharat Ratna.

They raised slogans such as 'Jai Bhim', 'Sangh ka Vidhan nahi chalega' and 'Amit Shah maafi maango'. MPs of the Congress, DMK, RJD, the Left, AAP, among others, participated in the protest.

Bajaj Holdings & Investment Ltd. traded 0.24 per cent down at Rs 11230.7 on Wednesday at around 11:56AM (IST), while the benchmark BSE Sensex declined 390.87 points to 80293.58. As many as 590 shares changed hands on the counter with a total value of Rs 0.67 crore. The stock quoted a 52-week high price of Rs 11515.1 and a 52-week low of Rs 7631.1.