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Rahul Narwekar on Sunday filed his nomination for the Speaker's post in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly. He filed his nomination in the presence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadanvis, both Deputy Chief Ministers — Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, BJP state chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule, party leader Chandrakant Patil and others. The election for the post of Speaker of the Maharashtra Assembly is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon, December 9.

Syria, which lasted for more than half a century, has come to a dramatic end after a decade-long bloody civil war. Rebel forces breached the regime’s seat of power in Damascus, prompting President Bashar al-Assad, an ophthalmologist, to flee. This marks the collapse of the Assad family's long-standing rule over the country.

Bashar Assad attempted to distance themselves after its rapid fall. Syria's al-Watan newspaper, historically pro-government, wrote: «We are facing a new page for Syria. We thank God for not shedding more blood. We believe and trust that Syria will be for all Syrians.» It added that media workers should not be blamed for publishing government statements in the past.

Israeli military said Sunday it also sent troops to «other places necessary for its defence,» and that the force deployment was meant to provide security for residents of the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights. It added it was «not interfering with the internal events in Syria.» Israel captured that territory from Syria in the 1967 Mideast war and later annexed it, a move not recognized by much of the international community, which views the territory as occupied. A later ceasefire agreement created a demilitarised buffer zone between the two countries' territories, prohibiting military presence or activity from either side in the area. United Nations peacekeepers have patrolled the area since 1974.

The initiative is expected to create jobs, boost revenue and serve as a learning hub for technical expertise, he said. Sogarwal said that the model has been presented by him in Vishakhapatnam and Delhi and it will be showcased by the Ministry of Environment at the National Chief Secretaries' Conference in Delhi from December 13 to 15.

Allu Arjun's «Pushpa 2: The Rule» crossed Rs 500 crore mark at the global box office, continuing its phenomenal blockbuster run in cinemas. Production banner Mythri Movie Makers, which has bankrolled the project, shared the movie's latest box office figures on social media, claiming that "Pushpa 2" has now become the fastest Indian film to hit the milestone. «The biggest Indian film is a wildfire at the box office and is shattering records #Pushpa2TheRule is now the fastest Indian film to collect a gross of 500 crores worldwide,» the studio posted on X on Saturday night. The Sukumar-directed movie is a sequel to 2021's Telugu blockbuster "Pushpa: The Rise".

Foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows into India have crossed the USD one trillion milestone in the April 2000-September 2024 period, firmly establishing the country's reputation as a safe and key investment destination globally. According to data from the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), the cumulative amount of FDI, including equity, reinvested earnings and other capital, stood at USD 1,033.40 billion during the said period. About 25 per cent of the FDI came through the Mauritius route. It was followed by Singapore (24 per cent), the US (10 per cent), the Netherlands (7 per cent), Japan (6 per cent), the UK (5 per cent), UAE (3 per cent) and Cayman Islands, Germany and Cyprus accounted for 2 per cent each. India received USD 177.18 billion from Mauritius, USD 167.47 billion from Singapore and USD 67.8 billion from the US during the period under review, as per the data.

In a reversal, President Bashar al-Assad has fled the country as his forces abandon territory with little resistance, marking a pivotal shift in the 13-year civil war. For the first time since 2018, opposition groups have breached the defenses of Damascus, signaling the growing strength of rebel factions determined to overthrow the Assad regime. The question now looms: Who are these fighters, and what comes next if they succeed in toppling Assad’s government?

solar power contract, which is at the centre of bribery allegations, has tariffs that are lower than competition and can find new buyers in case the pact is cancelled, according to analysts. US authorities have charged Adani Group Founder-Chairman Gautam Adani and others for being part of a scheme to offer USD 265 million bribe to Indian officials to gain a contract to supply 8 gigawatt of electricity generated from solar energy by Adani Green Energy Ltd (AGEL). The group has denied all charges. «If Adani promoters are found guilty, we believe the size of potential penalty is manageable given it is up to three times the value of the bribe,» Nomura said in a report. The brokerage said there are about 1.8 GW solar projects commissioned in Gujarat from February-March 2024, with tariff of Rs 2.42 per unit under the 25-year power purchase agreements (PPAs).

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported on Sunday that Assad may have fled Syria, citing sources that claim he departed via Damascus International Airport after a series of rapid and surprising territorial losses to advancing rebel forces. This information, however, has not been independently verified by international agencies, deepening the mystery surrounding Assad’s current location and the stability of his regime.

balloons near Taiwan between Saturday and Sunday, according to Taiwan's Defence Ministry, as Beijing ramps up pressure on the island it claims as its own. China's military activities come amid speculation Beijing might organise military drills around the island in response to Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te's recent visit to Pacific allies, including US stops in Hawaii and Guam. China claims Taiwan, a self-ruled democracy of 23 million people, as its own territory, and bristles at other countries' formal exchanges with Taiwan. The United States, like most countries, doesn't recognize Taiwan as a country but is its main unofficial backer and sells it arms.

Donald Trump takes office. Trump's November election victory has cast doubt on the future of American aid for Ukraine, providing a limited window for billions of dollars in already authorized assistance to be disbursed before he is sworn in next month. The package features drones, ammunition for precision HIMARS rocket launchers, and equipment and spare parts for artillery systems, tanks and armored vehicles, the Pentagon said in a statement.

Kim Yong-hyun over his alleged role in President Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration of martial law on Tuesday, Yonhap News Agency said. Yoon survived an impeachment vote in parliament on Saturday, prompted by his short-lived attempt to impose martial law, but the leader of his own party said he will be effectively excluded from his duties before eventually stepping down. Ruling Party leader Han Dong-hoon plans to meet with Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Sunday morning.

Donald Trump said on Saturday that the US military should stay out of the escalating conflict in Syria as a shock opposition offensive closes in on the capital, declaring in a social media post, «THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT.» With world leaders watching the rapid rebel advance against Syria's Russian-and Iranian-backed president, Bashar Assad, President Joe Biden's national security adviser separately stressed that the Biden administration had no intention of intervening. «The United States is not going to… militarily dive into the middle of a Syrian civil war,» Jake Sullivan told an audience in California. He said the US would keep acting as necessary to keep the Islamic State — a violently anti-Western extremist group not known to be involved in the offensive but with sleeper cells in Syria's deserts — from exploiting openings presented by the fighting.

Jennifer Lopez and Jennifer Garner. There are reports emerging that Lopez is planning on celebrating the holiday season with her and Affleck's children, leading to more question as to who the Batman star will ultimately spend Christmas with.

TikTok users spent heavily to buy merchandise from a range of vendors on the ecommerce platform TikTok Shop so far this holiday shopping season, according to TikTok estimates and a Reuters analysis of spending patterns measured by data from Facteus. The patterns show that TikTok Shop, which launched in the US in September 2023, has likely gained market share in ecommerce at a critical moment. TikTok Shop serves as an ecommerce channel for major brands such as e.l.f. Cosmetics, Ninja Kitchen, among other products. TikTok Shop said in a press release in late November that its sales had reached $100 million on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, when bargain-hunting American consumers spent heavily online. Previously, it said the number of people purchasing goods on TikTok Shop each month had nearly tripled. Reuters could not independently verify its claims.

Baba Vanga is one of those mystic leaders, also known as the 'Nostradamus of the Balkans', who will be remembered for decades for some of her reportedly chilling predictions, including the 9/11 attacks. Baba Vanga is attributed with predicting a number of calamities on the planet, and now, her predictions for 2025 have been revealed, that has included some details about which zodiac signs can end up quite richer than the other this year.

Wearing new designer vestments and carrying a staff cut from one of the roof beams that survived the inferno, Laurent Ulrich joined hundreds of VIPs inside the Gothic masterpiece for a two-hour ceremony. Ulrich commanded the cathedral to «open your doors» and he entered the magnificently-restored edifice.

electric car market is shifting into high gear, particularly in the affordable segment, with 86% of sales concentrated in the sub-Rs 20 lakh segment. With consumers increasingly choosing battery-powered SUVs over traditional hatchbacks, the electric PV sales are expected to exceed the 100,000 mark this year. While early market leader Tata Motors is facing headwinds, upcoming launches of Suzuki e-Vitara, Mahindra BE.6e and CEV9e early next year are expected to recharge the market and boost competition. Experts said more choices in the electric PV space will only make the market grow. They also said stricter emission penalties and the growing environmental benefits of EVs are driving automakers towards electrification.

Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) chairman Ravi Mital on Saturday said a creditor-led resolution framework under the bankruptcy law is in the offing. The move aims to lower the workload of the adjudicating authority by enabling the committee of creditors (CoC) to take on greater responsibility and expedite the rescue of stressed firms, he said. «We would be happy if less work goes before the NCLT (National Company Law Tribunal),» Mital said, conceding that the adjudicating authority is now over-burdened. He also rooted for a formal group insolvency framework. Mital was speaking at an international conclave, organised by IBBI and INSOL India.

As per an ET study of over a dozen top brands including Samsung, Maruti Suzuki, LG, Sony, Xiaomi, Whirlpool, and Mahindra & Mahindra, with data sourced from regulatory filings, the Indian chief executives drew at least 15% higher gross remuneration in 2023-24 than the expat chief executives, including commission and perquisites. And in most cases even more, with the pay gap getting wider last fiscal. Industry executives said this reflects the fact that several global brands have started relying on local talent, and there is no more hardship allowance for an India posting in the CEO package, unlike earlier.