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Union Home Minister Amit Shah in response to a query about Kumar, who heads the JD(U). In an interview with a private news channel, Shah, who is a former BJP president, had evaded a direct reply when he was asked whether the NDA would adopt in Bihar a strategy similar to that in Maharashtra where it went to polls without declaring a chief ministerial candidate and got a landslide victory. Shah, who is widely regarded as the second-most powerful person in the BJP after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had replied after a pause, «We will sit together and decide on the issue. Once we take a decision, we will let you know.»

Uttar Pradesh Assembly on Wednesday, with its UP unit chief Ajay Rai claiming that he died due to «police brutality». Police said 28-year-old Prabhat Pandey, a native of Gorakhpur, was brought dead to the hospital from Congress office. «Prabhat Pandey was brought to the Civil Hospital in Hazratganj in an unconscious condition from the Congress office. The doctors declared him brought dead,» DCP (Central Lucknow) Raveena Tyagi said. «Prima facie, according to doctors, there was no visible injury mark on his body. Apart from this, a post-mortem would be done by a panel and the process would be videographed. Accordingly further legal proceedings would be carried out,» Tyagi added.

Its addition to the Wealth Shortlist, which took place on Tuesday (17 December), came on the back of the strategy's «higher quality approach and focus on valuation», according to Joseph Hill, senior investment analyst at HL. Hargreaves drops Ninety One UK Sustainable Equity fund from Wealth Shortlist as it seeks merger The addition reflects HL's conviction that it does not expect the fund to fall «as much as some other funds during down markets, providing some shelter from the worst of market falls». «However, this does mean we think the fund could lag its growth focused UK smaller...

Identity verification startup Bureau has secured $30 million in a fresh equity funding round led by US venture firm Sorenson Capital and PayPal Ventures. Existing investors Commerce Ventures, GMO Venture Partners, Village Global, Quona Capital and XYZ Ventures also participated in the round. While this is primarily a fresh infusion into the company, there is a small secondary component where some of Bureau’s early investors and employees have sold their shares. This round takes the overall funding raised by the company to around $50 million.

Shares of Mankind Pharma Ltd.(up 5.42 per cent), Aurobindo Pharma Ltd.(up 2.79 per cent), Lupin Ltd.(up 2.54 per cent), Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Ltd.(up 2.23 per cent) and Alkem Laboratories Ltd.(up 1.89 per cent) ended the day as top gainers in the pack.

Zerodha's Nithin Kamath said that it should be okay for savvy traders using APIs for individual trading with some reasonable order limits. However, the APIs have to be accessed through only static IPs.

Nirmala Sitharaman as she prepares to present the Union Budget 2025. The trade deficit, driven by high import bills and fluctuating export growth, demands targeted interventions to ensure sustainable economic growth. India’s trade deficit in November widened to an all-time high of $37.84 billion from $27.1 billion in, which has put some pressure on the local currency. This year, the Indian Rupee often traded at around record lows against the US dollar.

Reliance Nippon Life Insurance, a subsidiary of debt-ridden Reliance Capital (RCAP), has initiated talks with IndusInd Bank for bancassurance partnership as the IIHL and RCAP deal has reached the final lap. Mauritius-based IndusInd International Holdings Ltd (IIHL), the parent entity of IndusInd Bank, won the bid to acquire RCAP and entities under it. «IIHL and Japan-based Nippon Life have struck a good understanding and they are absolutely clear about promoting the insurance business. This augurs very well for the business and policyholders as IIHL has a very strong capital base and a solid global aspiration in BFSI space,» Reliance Nippon Life Insurance CEO Ashish Vohra told PTI. Hinduja Group company IIHL is expecting to complete the acquisition of RCAP by next month nearly a year after the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) approved its rescue plan.

premium Scotch whisky brand, The Glenwalk, is set to make a major push in Maharashtra with the launch of a new 200ml Nip bottle. Priced at Rs 500, this more accessible format is part of the brand's strategy to quadruple its sales in the region, which already accounts for 68 per cent of its overall sales, the company said in a press release on Wednesday. Fresh off a Gold Medal win at the 2024 IWS Awards, The Glenwalk has garnered recognition for its quality, having also secured top honours at the ProWine 2023 and the 2024 London Spirits Competition. With the 200ml bottle, the brand aims to expand its customer base and further solidify its position in the competitive Indian whisky market. “We are thrilled to introduce the 200 ml Nip bottle to the discerning consumers of Maharashtra,” said Mokksh Sani, Founder of Living Liquidz, Mansionz, and Co-founder of Cartel Bros. “This launch, backed by the expertise of Cartel Bros, is a testament to our commitment to innovation and our dedication to providing premium spirits experiences. We are confident that this new format will resonate with our existing customers and attract new ones.”

Pushkar Singh Dhami announced that the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) will be implemented in Uttarakhand from January 2025. According to a press statement issued on Wednesday, all preparations have been completed, and Uttarakhand will become the first state to implement the UCC after independence. During a meeting of the Uttarakhand Investment and Infrastructure Development Board (UIIDB) held at the Secretariat on Wednesday, Chief Minister Dhami stated that the state government has undertaken all necessary preparations to implement the UCC, fulfilling its earlier resolution. The Chief Minister recalled that in the first cabinet meeting of the newly-formed government in March 2022, a decision was made to constitute an expert committee to study and implement the UCC in the state. Following this, a five-member expert committee was formed under the chairmanship of retired judge Ranjana Prakash Desai. Based on the committee's recommendations, the Uniform Civil Code Bill 2024 was passed by the State Legislative Assembly on February 7, 2024.

Guardian newspaper confirmed Wednesday that it has sold the Observer, the world's oldest Sunday newspaper, to Tortoise Media for an undisclosed fee. The Scott Trust, which owns the Guardian Media Group, said in a statement that Tortoise Media is purchasing the Observer through a combination of cash and shares. The Observer, which was founded in 1791 and became part of the Guardian Media Group in 1993, is a bastion of liberal values in Britain's media landscape.

Gems and jewellery exports saw a decline of 12.94 per cent to USD 1,986.21 million (Rs 16,763.13 crore) in November on prolonged geopolitical tension, Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) said on Wednesday. Gems and jewellery exports in November 2023 stood at USD 2,281.4 million, the GJEPC data added. Cut and polished diamonds export in November declined 39.81 per cent to USD 666.01 million compared to USD 1,106.53 million for the same period last year.

demand from importers and likely outflows from local equities, while intervention by the Reserve Bank of India curbed losses, traders said. The rupee fell to 84.9550 against the U.S. dollar before closing at 84.9525, down 0.07%.

India Budget: As India prepares for Budget 2025, retailers are calling for measures that could transform the sector, including low-interest financing, tax relief, and a faster rollout of the National Retail Policy. The Retailers Association of India (RAI), in its pre-budget memorandum, urged the government to use the Union Budget for FY25-26 as a platform to address structural gaps, boost consumption, and improve ease of doing business. These changes, the RAI stated, would bolster consumer sentiment and support growth in the retail sector. A key demand from retailers is affordable financing. RAI highlighted the need for the government to announce lower interest rates specifically for retail businesses in the budget. “There is a need to provide lower interest rates to the retailers through the special announcement in the budget to assure easier financing for the retail businesses,” RAI stated. The association proposed the creation of a special fund, facilitated by the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), to help independent retailers across the nation. This scheme could provide low-cost loans and relaxed regulatory guidelines to millions of small businesses, addressing a critical gap in financing options.

Rohit Sharma is the first to admit that his recent batting form has been below par but he continues to «feel good» about his game, providing him hope for the remaining two Tests of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Rohit, who did not play the series opener in Perth due to the birth of his second child, has managed scores of 3, 6 and 10 on the tour. His return to the middle-order after six years to accommodate KL Rahul at the top has made the task even more challenging for him. Following the drawn Test at the Gabba, Rohit made an honest assessment of his batting Down Under. «I have not batted well. There's no harm in accepting that. But I know what's in my mind, how I'm preparing myself. All those boxes are very much ticked. It's just about spending as much time as possible, which I'm pretty sure I'm just there,» Rohit said in the post match press conference.

G20 Talent Visa. Targeted at scholars, researchers, and professionals from G20 nations, this initiative aims to bolster India's scientific and educational ecosystem. The announcement aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s proposal at the G20 Summit in September, where he emphasized the need to create opportunities for top talent in science and technology. Speaking at the summit, the Prime Minister Modi said, “Similar to how all countries issue different categories of visas, we can establish a ‘G20 Talent Visa’ as a special category. This type of visa could be highly beneficial for our top science and technology talent to explore global opportunities. Their talent and efforts can contribute significantly to our economies.”

Rohit Sharma before his surprise international retirement, refusing to let anyone else write his script after 14 years of service to the game. It is understood that retirement was on his mind after the home series against New Zealand, which India shockingly lost 0-3. He had made it clear to the team management that if he was not guaranteed a place in the playing eleven during the Australia series, he would not even travel Down Under. India played Washington Sundar ahead of Ashwin in Perth before the veteran returned for the pink ball Test, at Rohit's insistence. Ravindra Jadeja played in the Brisbane Test and as Rohit stated after the drawn third Test in Gabba, nobody knew how the squad would shape up for the remaining two games in Melbourne and Sydney.

Shares of Wipro Ltd.(up 1.22 per cent), Coforge Ltd.(up 0.73 per cent), HCL Technologies Ltd.(up 0.5 per cent), Tech Mahindra Ltd.(up 0.47 per cent) and Tata Consultancy Services Ltd.(up 0.45 per cent) ended the day as top gainers in the pack.

Nifty closed 137 points lower on Wednesday ahead of its Thursday weekly expiry and as caution prevailed ahead of the U.S. Federal Reserve interest rate decision due at midnight. Selling in heavyweight lenders HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank weighed on the benchmarks. The benchmark BSE Sensex lost 502.25 points or 0.62% to settle at 80,182.20, while the broader Nifty 50 index closed at 24,198.85, lower by 137.15 points or 0.56%.

It formed a bearish candle on the daily frame and has been making lower lows from the last two sessions.