Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman countered Rahul Gandhi's criticism of public sector banks, asserting a "remarkable turnaround" under PM Modi. She refuted allegations of favoritism towards corporations, citing improved recruitment and denied a "toxic work environment." Sitharaman accused the previous UPA government of cronyism and "phone banking" coercion.
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A road accident near Gangasagaram village in Chittoor district resulted in the death of four persons and injuries to 15 others. A private bus traveling from Tirupati to Tamil Nadu's Madurai and Trichy overturned after the driver lost control while avoiding a stationary truck. Injured passengers were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment. An inquiry has been ordered to ensure accountability.
West Indies achieved their first Test victory in Pakistan in nearly 35 years, defeating the hosts by 120 runs in the second Test in Multan. Spinner Jomel Warrican led the visitors with five wickets, totaling nine in the match and 19 in the series. Pakistan, chasing 254, fell short despite contributions from Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan.
Ross Gerber said in an interview recently that Elon Musk “doesn’t care” about the electric car manufacturer. He also defended his criticism after a backlash from retail investors.
Kannada cinema lost a beloved figure as veteran comedy actor Bank Janardhan passed away at 79 due to prolonged illness and multi-organ complications. Known for his impeccable comic timing and character roles in over 500 films, including Shhh! and Tarle Nan Maga, he also charmed audiences through television serials like Papa Pandu.
A police sub-inspector, Kishore, his parents, and brother-in-law have been booked for threatening Kishore's wife with a service revolver over dowry demands. Kishore allegedly beat her regularly and demanded Rs 10 lakh for better posting and monthly payments of Rs 50,000 from her parents.
India's Pranav Venkatesh clinched the World Junior Chess Championship (Under-20) held in Montenegro, remaining undefeated with seven victories and four draws. This marks a significant achievement for Indian chess, with Viswanathan Anand congratulating him for his remarkable performance. The victory brings the open title back to India after nearly 17 years.
BJP MP Pratap Chandra Sarangi accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of behaving like a bouncer during a Parliament scuffle, leading to Sarangi's injury. Sarangi was hurt while protesting with other BJP MPs, alleging Gandhi's actions caused another MP to fall on him, resulting in a head injury.
S Jaishankar, India's External Affairs Minister, met with UN Special Envoy Julie Bishop in Delhi to discuss border stability, the refugee situation, transnational crime, and economic support for Myanmar. Their discussions also covered the political situation in Myanmar, underscoring the importance of cooperation in various sectors to enhance bilateral trade and stability in the region.
Elon Musk's xAI company has acquired New York-based HotShot, a startup specializing in AI-powered video generation tools. This move is set to enhance xAI’s generative AI capabilities and integrate HotShot's technology into xAI's Grok chatbot platform, with potential developments like the 'Grok Video' model on the horizon.
Stock market today: BSE Sensex and Nifty50, the Indian equity benchmark indices, opened in red on Tuesday, the last trading day of 2024. While BSE Sensex was below 77,900, Nifty50 was just above 23,550.