Qatar takes delivery Rafale jet

Qatar on Wednesday took delivery of the first of 36 Rafale multi-purpose jet fighters it has ordered from French manufacturer Dassault. The handover ceremony in Merignac, southwestern France, where the planes are built, was attended by Qatar Defense Minister Khalid bin Mohammad al-Attiyah and Dassault Aviation chief Eric Trappier, AFP reports.

Qatar ordered 24 of the fighters in 2015, adding 12 more last year. It also has an option to buy 36 more. The twin-engine fighter has been in service with the French Air Force since 2004. After failing to sell the Rafale abroad for several years, France finally won a contract from Egypt in 2015 for 24 jets, followed by the sale to Qatar. In September 2016, India also agreed to buy 36 of the fighters.

RBI slashes repo rate to 6.25%:

RBI’s Monetary Policy Committee, led by Governor Shaktikanta Das, cut its repo rate by 25 basis points to 6.25 per cent and changed its stance to ‘neutral’ from ‘calibrated tightening’. MPC voted 4-2 in favour of the rate cut. They were unanimous in switch in stance. MPC members Chetan Ghate and Viral Acharya were for status-quo in rates; decision on changing stance to neutral was unanimous.

On the basis of an assessment of the current and evolving macroeconomic situation at its meeting today, the Monetary Policy Committee decided to:

Reduce the policy repo rate under the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF) by 25 basis points from 6.5 per cent to 6.25 per cent with immediate effect.

Consequently, the reverse repo rate under the LAF stands adjusted to 6.0 per cent, and the marginal standing facility (MSF) rate and the Bank Rate to 6.5 per cent.

RBI expects GDP growth to go up to 7.4 pc in FY20, from the FY19 government estimate of 7.2 pc.

Union budget proposals will boost demand by raising disposable incomes, it said, but may take time to play out.

RBI revises downwards retail inflation forecast to 2.8 pc for March quarter 2019.

Macedonia signs key NATO membership text

The 29 members of #NATO have signed a historic accession agreement with #Macedonia, a key move that will enable the country to become the military alliance’s 30th member.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and Macedonian Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov signed accession papers in Brussels on Wednesday. The move is seen as a big step for the small Balkan country toward becoming the 30th member of NATO and it also marks the end of a long dispute with Greece over Macedonia’s name.

The country is expected to join the alliance under the name of North Macedonia, possibly later this year or in early 2020, AP said. US President Donald Trump and his NATO counterparts are due to hold a summit in London in December. The meeting, to mark NATO’s 70th anniversary, could formally welcome North Macedonia should the ratification process be completed.

Karti, Vadra reach ED office

Karti Chidambaram arrives at the Enforcement Directorate office to appear in connection with INX Media case.

And right at this very moment, Robert Vadra has also arrived at the ED office for the second day of questioning.

Karti Chidambaram, who is the son of former Finance Minister P Chidambaram, has been questioned on several occasions in the case being probed by the ED as well as the Central Bureau of Investigation.

Both the agencies are probing how Karti Chidambaram managed to get clearance from the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) in 2007 when his father was the Finance Minister.

On February 28, 2018, Karti was arrested by the CBI for allegedly accepting money to facilitate the FIPB clearance to INX Media. He was later granted bail.

Vadra, who was questioned on Wednesday for more than five hours by the Enforcement Directorate, has denied owning properties in London or knowing any of the people the agency says were involved in the deals, sources said.

Karti, Vadra reach ED office

Karti Chidambaram arrives at the Enforcement Directorate office to appear in connection with INX Media case.

And right at this very moment, Robert Vadra has also arrived at the ED office for the second day of questioning.

Karti Chidambaram, who is the son of former Finance Minister P Chidambaram, has been questioned on several occasions in the case being probed by the ED as well as the Central Bureau of Investigation.

Both the agencies are probing how Karti Chidambaram managed to get clearance from the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) in 2007 when his father was the Finance Minister.

On February 28, 2018, Karti was arrested by the CBI for allegedly accepting money to facilitate the FIPB clearance to INX Media. He was later granted bail.

Vadra, who was questioned on Wednesday for more than five hours by the Enforcement Directorate, has denied owning properties in London or knowing any of the people the agency says were involved in the deals, sources said.

Karti Chidambaram arrives at the Enforcement Directorate office to appear in connection with INX Media case. 

And right at this very moment, Robert Vadra has also arrived at the ED office for the second day of questioning. 

Karti Chidambaram, who is the son of former Finance Minister P Chidambaram, has been questioned on several occasions in the case being probed by the ED as well as the Central Bureau of Investigation.

Both the agencies are probing how Karti Chidambaram managed to get clearance from the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) in 2007 when his father was the Finance Minister.

On February 28, 2018, Karti was arrested by the CBI for allegedly accepting money to facilitate the FIPB clearance to INX Media. He was later granted bail.

Vadra, who was questioned on Wednesday for more than five hours by the Enforcement Directorate, has denied owning properties in London or knowing any of the people the agency says were involved in the deals, sources said. 

Film festival Berlinale, kicks off

Berlin film festival will open its doors to film fans. This year, the wonderful French actress Juliette Binoche will be jury president.

The festival line-up is as eclectic as ever, with titles from France, China and Canada all featuring, as well as a strong showing of local German films.

The Berlinale has a heritage of supporting returning directors, and 2019 is no exception; Francois Ozon, Denis Coté and Agnès Varda are just three of the filmmakers back at the festival this yea

Europe´s first major film festival of the year, the Berlinale, kicks off Thursday making a statement against entertainment industry sexism by welcoming an unprecedented line-up of female directors.

The 11-day event prides itself on being the most politically engaged of the A-list cinema showcases, presenting 400 movies from around the world, most on hard-hitting topical themes including rising extremism and economic exploitation.

But its red carpet promises a steady stream of glamour too with Christian Bale, Diane Kruger, Tilda Swinton, Catherine Deneuve, Jonah Hill, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Casey Affleck and Juliette Binoche, this year´s jury president, all awaited in the frosty German capital.

Scherfig, 59, said she was proud her film would be opening the last Berlinale under Kosslick, who is passing on the baton after 18 years.

“It´s a milestone edition so I´m really looking forward to presenting the film there,” Scherfig told film industry bible Variety.

Polish veteran Agnieszka Holland will unveil the Stalin-era thriller “Mr Jones” starring James Norton (“Happy Valley”) while France´s Agnes Varda will premiere a new autobiographical documentary out of competition.

Acclaimed French director Francois Ozon will present his controversial new drama “By the Grace of God” based on real-life cases of sex abuse allegedly committed by a French priest.

A cardinal, Philippe Barbarin, is currently on trial in Lyon on charges he covered up the assaults, allegations he denies.

Binoche, 54, will lead a six-member panel choosing the winner of the prestigious Golden and Silver Bear prizes, to be awarded at a gala ceremony on February 16.

Last year, with the #MeToo movement roiling the industry, the innovative docudrama “Touch Me Not” about sexual intimacy by Romania´s Adina Pintilie clinched top honours.

For the first time this year, seven out of the 17 contenders will be women — a more than 40-percent share that eclipses rivals such as Cannes and Venice, which have come under fire as chummy men´s clubs.

The top festivals have long faced pressure to boost their female representation as they serve as gatekeepers to international distribution, awards and box office cash.

After winning the Golden Lion top prize at the Venice film festival in September with “Roma”, Netflix will enter the Berlin race for the first time with gay marriage drama “Elisa and Marcela” by Spain´s Isabel Coixet, based on a true story.

In June, Kosslick will be succeeded by Carlo Chatrian, the current head of the Locarno film festival, and Mariette Rissenbeek, the Dutch director of German Film, which promotes homegrown movies abroad.

For his last edition Kosslick has opted to make a parting political statement, offering to buy tickets for leaders of the far-right Alternative for Germany party to a screening of “Who Will Write Our History?”, a documentary about the Warsaw Ghetto.

Tusk rebuffs May

European Union will make no new offer on Brexit and those who promoted Britain’s exit without any understanding of how to deliver it deserve a “special place in hell”, EU Council President Donald Tusk said on Wednesday.

The United Kingdom is on course to leave the European Union on March 29 without a deal unless Prime Minister Theresa May can convince the bloc to reopen the divorce deal she agreed in November and then sell it to sceptical British lawmakers.

As companies and governments across Europe step up preparations for the turmoil of a no-deal exit, diplomats and officials said the United Kingdom now faces three main options: a no-deal exit, a last-minute deal or a delay to Brexit.

Rebuffing May’s bid to renegotiate just a day before she is due in Brussels, Tusk said he had abandoned hope that Brexit might be stopped and said his priority was now to avert a “fiasco” when the UK leaves.

“I’ve been wondering what that special place in hell looks like, for those who promoted Brexit, without even a sketch of a plan how to carry it out safely,” Tusk said at a joint news conference with Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar.

The remark angered Brexit supporters in Britain.

Veteran Brexiteer Nigel Farage retorted: “After Brexit we will be free of unelected, arrogant bullies like you – sounds like heaven to me.”

Pro-Brexit Conservative lawmaker Peter Bone said Tusk’s comments were an outrageous insult to the British people.

While Tusk was clear the EU would not reopen the divorce deal, he also said he still believed that a common Brexit solution was possible.

Varadkar said the divorce deal, which was rejected by the UK parliament, was “the best possible”. He said Britain’s political instability further proved the need for a “backstop” insurance policy – the main obstacle to a deal – to keep the border between Ireland and UK-ruled Northern Ireland open after Brexit.

United Kingdom of a disorderly Brexit, Irish nationalists warned May to her face on Wednesday that if she allowed a no-deal Brexit then there would have to be a referendum on Irish unity.

“In the event of a crash… she must as a democrat return to the Good Friday Agreement and she must begin preparation for a referendum on Irish unity,” Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald said, referring to the peace accord signed in 1998 that ended three decades of sectarian violence in Northern Ireland.

“Ireland will not be the collateral damage of the Tory Brexit,” she added. Tory is another name for May’s Conservative Party.

The United Kingdom’s decision to leave the EU has strained ties between its constituent parts: England and Wales voted to leave the EU in the 2016 referendum while Scotland and Northern Ireland voted to stay.

At her meetings in Belfast, May tried to tackle the ‘backstop’, the main hurdle to a Brexit deal.

European Union will make no new offer on Brexit and those who promoted Britain’s exit without any understanding of how to deliver it deserve a “special place in hell”, EU Council President Donald Tusk said on Wednesday.

The United Kingdom is on course to leave the European Union on March 29 without a deal unless Prime Minister Theresa May can convince the bloc to reopen the divorce deal she agreed in November and then sell it to sceptical British lawmakers.

As companies and governments across Europe step up preparations for the turmoil of a no-deal exit, diplomats and officials said the United Kingdom now faces three main options: a no-deal exit, a last-minute deal or a delay to Brexit.

Rebuffing May’s bid to renegotiate just a day before she is due in Brussels, Tusk said he had abandoned hope that Brexit might be stopped and said his priority was now to avert a “fiasco” when the UK leaves.

“I’ve been wondering what that special place in hell looks like, for those who promoted Brexit, without even a sketch of a plan how to carry it out safely,” Tusk said at a joint news conference with Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar.

The remark angered Brexit supporters in Britain.

Veteran Brexiteer Nigel Farage retorted: “After Brexit we will be free of unelected, arrogant bullies like you - sounds like heaven to me.”

Pro-Brexit Conservative lawmaker Peter Bone said Tusk’s comments were an outrageous insult to the British people.

While Tusk was clear the EU would not reopen the divorce deal, he also said he still believed that a common Brexit solution was possible.

Varadkar said the divorce deal, which was rejected by the UK parliament, was “the best possible”. He said Britain’s political instability further proved the need for a “backstop” insurance policy - the main obstacle to a deal - to keep the border between Ireland and UK-ruled Northern Ireland open after Brexit.

Moscow talks with Afghan politicians ‘very successful’

 

Taliban on Wednesday hailed unprecedented talks with Afghan politicians as "very successful", despite disagreements over women's rights and the group's demand for an Islamic constitution in the war-torn country.

The extraordinary two-day gathering in Moscow saw Taliban leaders stand shoulder-to-shoulder with former president Hamid Karzai, who called the insurgents his "brothers" as both sides agreed to seek lasting peace.

No government official was invited to the roundtable, which saw heavyweight Afghan politicians and other sworn enemies of the Taliban praying and dining with the militants.

It was the second time President Ashraf Ghani was frozen out of such talks in recent weeks after the US held entirely separate discussions with the insurgents in Doha without Kabul.

Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, who headed the Taliban delegation, made a rare appearance in front of international media besides a smiling Karzai.

"This meeting was very successful," the black-turbaned Taliban official told reporters, flanked by the former president who was appointed after US-led forces routed the Taliban in 2001.

"We agreed on many points and I am hopeful that in future, we can succeed more further, and finally we can reach a solution. We can find complete peace in Afghanistan."

All parties agreed to support the Doha peace talks with American negotiators that President Donald Trump described on Tuesday as "constructive".

The nine-point statement issued on behalf of all parties also agreed on the complete withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan.

A timetable for that exit was "not fixed so far... but we are negotiating this", Stanikzai said.

Earlier Wednesday, a senior Taliban official told reporters the US had agreed to withdraw half its ground troops by the end of April — a claim refuted by NATO and the US State Department.

National Conference on Recent Challenges in Taxation & the Way Forward

Thursday, 7 February, 2019 at 10 am

Venue: Hotel Le-Meridien, New Delhi

Chief Guest: Shri Sushil Chandra, Chairman, Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), Ministry of Finance, GoI

Guest of Honour: Shri Binod Kumar, Chief Commissioner of Income Tax (International Tax & Transfer Pricing), Delhi

Other Speakers will include: Shri Rahul Garg, Chairman, Shri S.P. Singh, Co-Chairman, National Council on Direct Taxes and Shri Rakesh Nangia, Co-Chairman, National Council on International Taxes, ASSOCHAM.

We will be grateful if you could attend and cover the event. We look forward to your cooperation. Please find attached the detailed programme for your reference.

[End]

About ASSOCHAM:

ASSOCHAM initiated its endeavour of value creation for Indian industry in 1920. It was established by promoter Chambers, representing all regions of India. Having in its fold more than 400 Chambers and Trade Associations, and serving over 4.5 lakh members from all over India. ASSOCHAM has emerged as the fountainhead of Knowledge for Indian industry, which is all set to redefine the dynamics of growth and development in the Knowledge Based Economy. More information available onwww.assocham.net