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  The Indian Express December 11, 2020 Shubhajit Roy The Indian Express has learnt that the monthly payment to Lakhvi will cover expenses relating to food (Rs 50,000), medicines (Rs 45,000), public utility charges (Rs 20,000), lawyer fee (Rs 20,000) and transportation (Rs 15,000). In what will cause disquiet in New Delhi, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) 1267 sanctions committee has allowed payment of Pakistani Rs 1.5 lakh a month to 26/11 Mumbai attack planner Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, the operations head of terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba. The Indian Express   has learnt that the monthly payment to Lakhvi will cover expenses relating to food (Rs 50,000), medicines (Rs 45,000), public utility charges (Rs 20,000), lawyer fee (Rs 20,000) and transportation (Rs 15,000). Sources said this was granted following a request from the  Imran Khan  government to the UNSC 1267 sanctions committee. Listed as a terrorist under the 1267 committee after the Mumbai terror attack...

  The Telegraph December 11, 2020 Regulators accuse tech giant of buying up rivals to cement its social media dominance The Federal Trade Commission and more than 40 states accused Facebook on Wednesday of buying up its rivals to illegally squash competition, and they called for the deals to be unwound, escalating regulators’ battle against the biggest tech companies in a way that could remake the social media industry. Federal and state regulators of both parties, who have investigated the company for over 18 months, said in separate lawsuits that Facebook’s purchases, especially Instagram for $1 billion in 2012 and WhatsApp for $19 billion two years later, eliminated competition that could have one day challenged the company’s dominance. Since those deals, Instagram and WhatsApp have skyrocketed in popularity, giving Facebook control over three of the world’s most popular social media and messaging apps.  The applications have helped catapult Facebook from a company started ...

  The Telegraph December 11, 2020 Breach of online advertising cookies France’s data privacy watchdog has handed out its biggest ever fine of 100 million euros ($121 million) to Alphabet’s Google for breaching the country’s rules on online advertising trackers (cookies). The CNIL said on Thursday it had also fined e-commerce giant Amazon 35 million euros for breaking the same rules. The regulator found the companies’ French websites didn’t seek the prior consent of visitors before advertising cookies — small pieces of data stored while navigating on the Web — were saved on computers, it said in a statement. Google and Amazon also failed to provide clear information to Internet users about how the firms intended to make use of such online trackers and how visitors to their French websites could refuse any use of the cookies, the watchdog said. The CNIL rejected the companies' arguments that it had no right to impose the sanctions because their respective European headquarters are in...

 The Indian Express December 10, 2020 The BJP governs many states where it can demonstrate the power of liberating markets, writes Bharat Ramaswami. The resolute, determined, dignified, and peaceful protests by farmers at the borders of Delhi have captured headlines around the world. “The uncomfortable truth, however, is that while the new laws are not perfect, they represent a necessary direction for agricultural policy,” writes  Bharat Ramaswami , professor of economics at Ashoka University. “Without developing new markets for the more dynamic lines of activity, agriculture, farmers and the economy will be stuck with a slow-moving cereal economy. This requires enabling policies and investments,” he states in his  opinion piece in  The Indian Express . To be sure, government policy has moved that way since the early 2000s aided by a remarkable consensus shared across political parties, state governments and the Centre. Different central governments drafted model Act...

  The Indian Express Harikishan Sharma December 11, 2020 “We are against the three laws. We will block railway tracks if the Prime Minister doesn’t listen to us,” said Boota Singh, chairperson, BKU (Dakaunda), which is part of the stir. A day after farmers’ representatives rejected the  Government’s offer to amend its new agriculture laws  in a bid to resolve the two-week-long faceoff with protesters camped at Delhi’s borders, the Centre Thursday issued a fresh call for farmers to end their agitation and join the next round of talks. Addressing a press conference, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said: “I would still urge the unions to find a way through discussions by withdrawing their next phase of agitation.” The appeal from Tomar came after the Centre offered several concessions, including a written assurance on continuation of minimum support price (MSP)-based procurement and parity in transactions inside and outside Agricultural Produce Market Committ...

Money Control  December 11, 2020 According to the plan, on the digital format of the EPIC there will be two different QR codes consisting of information about the voter. One QR code will have the voter's name and other specific details while the second code will have the voter's other information. Your voter identity card is set to go digital. Just like Aadhaar. Once the final decision comes from the Election Commission of India (ECI), voters will be able to download their Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC) or voter ID card and vote using the digital version. Sources from ECI told  News18  that the poll panel plan is ready and once the commission gives the go-ahead, they will provide the facility to voters, soon. According to sources, newly enrolled voters will get the facility automatically and existing voters will have to complete some formalities through the Voter Helpline app to avail it. GHMC election results: BJP leaders claim victory as the party gains early leads...

  Mint December 10, 2020 Shayan Ghosh The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Wednesday proposed certain conditions for allowing non-banking financial companies ( NBFCs ) to pay dividend to shareholders. https://www.livemint.com/industry/banking/rbi-proposes-criteria-for-nbfcs-dividend-payouts-11607569913125.html

 Mint Ishita Gupta December 10, 2020 The department of telecommunications (DoT) will soon announce spectrum bands crucial for rolling out  5G services , said a government official on Thursday. DoT is in consultation with defence and broadcasting ministries, and the department of space that already use some of the airwaves most efficient for 5G technology. https://www.livemint.com/industry/telecom/dot-to-soon-announce-spectrum-bands-for-5g-auction-11607590345543.html

 Mint December 10, 2020 Ashwin Ramarathinam Shares of  cement companies   were under pressure in trade on Thursday after fair trade regulator Competition Commission of India (CCI) initiated a probe into possible cartelisation by the firms. Shares of Ramco Cements, Dalmia Bharat, Deccan Cements, UltraTech Cement, India Cements, JK Cement, Ambuja Cement, Shree Cement, ACC, JK Lakshmi Cement, and Heidelbergcement India fell 1.3-4.2%. "The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has initiated an investigation against cement companies in India including ACC regarding alleged anti-competitive behaviour," ACC Ltd said in an exchange filing on Thursday. ACC said it is of the firm view that it has acted and continues to act in compliance with competition laws and are cooperating with the investigation and providing all necessary information to the authorities. "ACC has a long-standing commitment to fair competition as reflected in its Code of Business Conduct," the company add...

 Reuters Abhiru Roy, Euan Rocha, Krishna N. Das December 10, 2020  India, the world’s biggest vaccine maker, is getting set for the massive global blitz to contain the coronavirus pandemic with its pharmaceutical industry and partners freeing up capacity and accelerating investments even without firm purchase orders. India manufactures more than 60% of all vaccines sold across the globe, and while its $40 billion pharmaceutical sector is not yet involved in the production of the expensive Pfizer Inc and Moderna shots, the nation will play a pivotal role in immunizing much of the world. Indian companies are set to produce eight, more affordable vaccines designed to fight COVID-19, including AstraZeneca's Covishield, called the "vaccine for the world   here " by its developers. “There are many vaccines being produced in countries around the world but there’s only one nation that has the manufacturing capacity to produce sufficient quantities to satisfy the demands of citize...