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December 23, 2025 8:15 AM

Morning News

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THE HEADLINES

 

  • India gains zero-duty access on 100 percent goods exports to New Zealand, after conclusion of Free Trade Agreement; Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal says agreement is expected to bring substantial investments in innovation, manufacturing and exports.

 

  • India’s eight core sectors output grow by 1.8 per cent in November 2025.

  

  • Area sown under Rabi crop crosses 580 lakh hectares in the county, says the Agriculture Ministry.

  

  • UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expresses concern over rising violence in Bangladesh; Stresses, all minorities must feel safe.

    

  • In Women’s Cricket, second T20 between India and Sri Lanka to be played in Visakhapatnam today.

 

 

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India will gain zero-duty access of 100 percent goods exports to New Zealand, after the successful conclusion of Landmark Free Trade Agreement Negotiations (FTA) between two countries. The FTA enhances market access and tariff preferences for Indian exports to New Zealand, while serving as a gateway to the wider Oceania and Pacific Island markets. The Free Trade Agreement will significantly strengthen the investment partnership between the two countries. As part of the Agreement, New Zealand has committed to facilitate investments of 20 billion US dollar into India over the next fifteen years.

Briefing media in New Delhi,Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goel said that the FTA will build various opportunities for the farmers, entrepreneurs, students, Women and the innovators by building trade.   

Later in a programme, Mr Goyal said that the agreement is expected to bring substantial investments in innovation, manufacturing and exports, with India emerging as a manufacturing base not only for New Zealand but also for other global markets. The Minister also highlighted that the India-New Zealand FTA was negotiated by a team that was almost entirely women officers, making it the first such agreement finalised by women,underscoring the leadership role played by women in India’s growth journey. He said that it was the seventh FTA concluded under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

 

 

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The combined Index of Eight Core Industries increased by 1.8 per cent in November this year as compared to same month last year. The Commerce and Industry Ministry said, the production of Cement, Steel, Fertilizer and Coal recorded positive growth in last month. The Coal production increased by 2.1 per cent, Fertilizer production by 5.6 per cent, Cement production by 14.5 per cent and Steel production increased by 6.1 per cent in November this year as compared to same month last year. The Index of Eight Core Industries measures the combined and individual performance of production of eight core industries – Coal, Crude Oil, Natural Gas, Refinery Products, Fertilizers, Steel, Cement and Electricity. These core industries comprise over 40 percent of the weight of items included in the Index of Industrial Production.

 

 

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Rabi crops have been sown in over five hundred 80 lakh hectares this year till date which is more than around eight lakh hectares during the corresponding period last year. The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has released the progress of area coverage under Rabi crops as of the 19th of this month. The Ministry said that more than 301 lakh hectares area coverage has been reported under Wheat as compared to 300 lakh hectares during the corresponding period last year. It added that pulses coverage stands at over 126 lakh hectares, while rice recording a significant rise of more than 13 lakh hectare.

 

 

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Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel said that the country has witnessed a profound transformation in its healthcare landscape under the Narendra Modi government in the past eleven years. She said, the government has made its best efforts to strengthen the entire healthcare system from primary to tertiary healthcare. Addressing the 7th Convocation Ceremony of Vardhman Mahavir Medical College and Safdarjung Hospital in New Delhi yesterday, Mrs Patel said, the aim of the the government is to make healthcare accessible and affordable with quality.

The Union Minister said that the number of medical colleges has increased from 387 in 2014 to over 800 while the number of MBBS seats has  gone up from 51 thousand to one lakh 28 thousand seats and Post Graduate seats from 31 thousand to around 82,000 seats at present. 

 

 

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Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary and Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh were also present at the meeting yesterday. The Chief Minister also met Union Home Minister Amit Shah. In a social media post, Mr Shah said that the NDA government is committed to taking public welfare and good governance in Bihar to greater heights.

 

 

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Draft voters list in connection with the ongoing Special Intensive Revision, SIR in Kerala will be published today. Those who are included in the enumeration forms received till December 18th will be in the draft list. Filing of claims and objection on the draft list will be received from today and notices and hearing on the same will also be started from today.

 

 

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The Ministry of Panchayati Raj has begun the two-day PESA Mahotsav in Visakhapatnam today to mark the anniversary of the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996. The PESA Act seeks to empower tribal communities by extending Panchayati Raj institutions to Scheduled Areas and strengthening the role of Gram Sabhas in local self-governance. The Mahotsav is being organised to create awareness about the Act and to improve the capacity of Gram Panchayats in these areas.

Addressing the media yesterday, Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj Joint Secretary Mukta Shekhar said the event reflects the Government of India’s commitment to community-led governance and tribal empowerment. She said the Mahotsav provides a platform to highlight tribal culture and the role of Gram Sabhas in local development.

 

 

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UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed deep concern over rising violence in Bangladesh, stressing that all minorities must feel safe. The UN said it was alarmed by recent attacks, including the lynching of Hindus, and emphasized that people who do not belong to the majority must be protected. Mr Guterres showed his confidence in the government led by Muhammad Yunus would work keep every single Bangladeshi safe.

Violence has intensified following political unrest after the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August last year, an the recent outbreak of violence has roused concern. The killing of youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi who had been the spokesperson for the Inquilab Mancha fueled tensions further earlier this month.

UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk last week called for calm, warning that retaliation and revenge would deepen divisions, especially with elections scheduled for February.

 

 

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The Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi has temporarily suspended all consular services, including the issuance of visas, citing unavoidable circumstances. According to officials at Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the suspension will remain in effect until further notice.

 

 

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US president Donald Trump has announced a plan for the US Navy to build a new, very large warship as part of his vision for a Golden Fleet. At his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, Mr Trump said that it will be the fastest, the biggest, and by far 100 times more powerful than any battleship ever built.

Historically, the battleship was at the height of prominence during World War II, and the largest of the US battleships, the Iowa-class, weighed nearly 60,000 tons.

President Trump said the US Navy will lead the design of these ships along with him as he is a very aesthetic person.

 

 

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US President Donald Trump said the United States needs Greenland for national security, not minerals, and announced that his special envoy would lead the charge. He named Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry as special envoy to Greenland, reviving criticism from Denmark and Greenland, which rejected any idea of US control. Trump said Greenland’s location is vital due to the presence of Russian and Chinese ships in the region.

Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said Greenland belongs to its people and cannot be taken over. Nielsen added that Greenland alone will decide its future.

 

 

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The United States’ AST SpaceMobile BlueBird Block-2 communication satellite will be launched by ISRO tomorrow at 8:54 am local time aboard the LVM3-M6 rocket. This sixth operational flight of LVM3 is a dedicated commercial mission that will place the satellite into Low Earth Orbit. BlueBird Block-2 will be the largest commercial communication satellite in LEO and the heaviest payload launched by LVM3 from India.

 

 

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India Meteorological Department has forecast cold day conditions at isolated places over Bihar today. It predicted Dense to Very Dense Fog very likely at isolated places over Punjab. The Weather agency further predicted dense fog at isolated places over Haryana, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Muzaffarabad, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Bihar, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

Meanwhile, the air quality in Delhi-NCR is in the severe category. According to the Central Pollution Control Board, the average Air Quality Index of the National Capital was recorded at 414 as of 7 this morning.

 

 

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The snowfall in the valleys of Kashmir is now having a direct impact on the plains of Madhya Pradesh. The heavy snowfall in Gulmarg and Sonamarg has intensified the chill in Madhya Pradesh.

 

“Northern parts of Madhya Pradesh experienced near-zero visibility conditions this morning. the  fog was so dense In districts like Gwalior, Datia, and Bhind,  that it was difficult to see even 50 meters ahead. Vehicles were seen crawling on the highways. As for the temperature, Pachmarhi was the coldest area. In major cities like Bhopal and Indore, the minimum temperature was recorded at 8.8 degrees Celsius. The Meteorological Department has issued a ‘cold day’ alert for the Gwalior, Chambal, and Rewa divisions for the next 48 hours. With Vipin Mishra, Deepa Singh, AKASHVANI News, Bhopal.”

 

 

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Puducherry Lieutenant Governor K. Kailashnathan has recommended investigation into the alleged manufacture of fake medicines and tablets be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation and the National Investigation Agency. The recommendation was made based on information obtained during the CBCID investigation, which indicated the involvement of persons from several States, warranting a national-level probe.

 

 

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In Women’s Cricket, second T20 game of the five-match series between India and Sri Lanka will be played Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Stadium in Visakhapatnam today. The match is scheduled to begin at 7 pm local time. The hosts have taken 1-0 lead in the series. Indian team led by captain Harmanpreet Kaur had defeated Sri Lanka by eight wickets in the opening T20 match in Visakhapatnam last Sunday.

 

 

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TODAY’S NEWSPAPERS HEADLINE,

 

  • the deepening of trade ties between India and New Zealand is covered prominently by most of the dailies. “India-New Zealand deal to boost exports, services sector” leads Hindustan Times. “New Zealand to invest 20 billion dollars in India under FTA” writes The Pioneer.
  • “India, France sign pact to produce direct firing sight, navigation system” states The Indian Express.
  • And finally, “Huge pay hike for domestic women cricketers”. Well, The Economic Times writes, “The BCCI has more than doubled the match fees of women cricketers in domestic cricket”.

 

 

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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN,

 

  • India gains zero-duty access on 100 percent goods exports to New Zealand, after conclusion of Free Trade Agreement; Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal says agreement is expected to bring substantial investments in innovation, manufacturing and exports.

 

  • India’s eight core sectors output grow by 1.8 per cent in November 2025.

 

  • Area sown under Rabi crop crosses 580 lakh hectares in the county, says the Agriculture Ministry.

 

  • UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expresses concern over rising violence in Bangladesh; Stresses, all minorities must feel safe.

  

  • In Women’s Cricket, second T20 between India and Sri Lanka to be played in Visakhapatnam today.

 

 

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