Number of Japanese firms in India rises to 1,441: Japan’s envoy

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December 24, 2018

The number of Japanese companies operating in India has gone up to 1,441 till October this year, on account of improving business environment in the country, said Ambassador of Japan to India Kenji Hiramatsu.

In a communication to Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu, the Ambassador said there was a significant increase in the number of companies in metal manufacturing and services.

“We have completed the annual survey of Japanese business establishments in India…the number of Japanese companies in India has reached 1,441 as of October 2018, which is an increase of 72 companies or 5 per cent as compared to the previous year,” Hiramatsu said.

He added that manufacturing sector accounts for half of the total Japanese companies.

The Ambassador said that he would like the Indian leadership to resolve issues related to tax, customs, financial and capital regulations and infrastructure as it would help in achieving “our mutual goal of doubling the number of Japanese companies in India and foreign direct investment to India in five years”.

India has received $28.16 billion during April 2000 and June 2018.

Preparing incentive package for exporters to address their woes : Suresh Prabhu

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December 24, 2018

The Commerce Ministry is preparing an incentive package for labour intensive sectors like leather with a view to promote shipments and address issues of exporters, Union Minister Suresh Prabhu said.

He said that there have been challenges for export sector over a period of time, such as issues related to credit availability.

“We are preparing a package which will ensure that exporters’ woes are addressed properly. There have been challenges for the export sector over a period of time and one big challenge is credit,” Prabhu told agencies.

He said the package would focus on labour intensive sectors such as leather, textile and marine products as they would help in creating jobs.

The minister said there has been a sharp decline in credit to the export sector and the department of commerce has taken up the matter with the finance ministry and with the RBI.

“I am supposed to meet new RBI Governor (Shaktikanta Das) and will explain him, what are the new things we need to do at export front. We are also saying that RBI should classify credit to export as priority sector lending,” he added.

The other challenge, he said, which the export sector is facing is related to refund of Goods and Services tax (GST).

Talking about the steps to reduce transaction cost for exporters, Prabhu said the ministry is in the process of presenting a bill on multi-modal transport in Parliament.

This will help enhance efficiency in logistics sector, he said adding each logistics company will be rated by a regulatory organisation, which will be created by the industry.

Why Priyanka feels ‘honoured’ to be kissing hubby Nick

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December 24, 2018

Priyanka Chopra can’t stop gushing over husband Nick Jonas, who has been voted as this year’s most stylish man.

The 26-year-old singer was recently named by GQ magazine as 2018’s Most Stylish Man and wife Priyanka found a special way of cheering for him.

The ‘Baywatch’ star took to social media to share an adorable picture in which she can be seen planting a kiss on Nick’s cheek.

“Honoured to be kissing the most stylish man on the planet.. may the style Gods always shine down upon u my love,” the 36-year-old wrote alongside.

The ‘Right Now’ singer, who surpassed Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson as GQ’s Most Stylish Man of 2018, also shared his excitement upon winning the title, on his Instagram account.

“May the style gods be ever in your favour next year,” Nick wrote as he paid tribute to those stars whom he beat.

According to GQ, Nick won this year’s title after beating out 64 other stylish men in a vote from fans.

Deepika Padukone, Vikrant Massey to star in ‘Chhapaak’

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December 24, 2018

Deepika Padukone is all set to star in upcoming Bollywood film titled ‘Chhapaak’ opposite Vikrant Massey.

The ‘Piku’ actor took to her Twitter handle to announce her new film.

“A story of trauma and triumph. And the unquashable human spirit. Elated to collaborate with Fox Star Studios on #Chhapaak @meghnagulzar @masseysahib @foxstarhindi,” Deepika tweeted.”

A few days back, Indian film critic and trade analyst Taran Adarsh also confirmed the news in a tweet.

“IT’S OFFICIAL. Deepika Padukone and Meghna Gulzar join hands. Their first film together is titled #Chhapaak. Based on the life of acid attack survivor Laxmi Agarwal. Vikrant Massey has been signed to enact the lead opposite Deepika,” he wrote.

The Meghna Gulzar directorial is based on the life of an acid attack survivor named Laxmi Agarwal.

The 32-year-old actor will essay the role of Agarwal, who was attacked at the tender age of 15. Agarwal had to undergo several surgeries. Later, she took up the job of helping acid attack survivors and promoted campaigns to stop such attacks. Her attacker, a 32-year old man, was an acquaintance of her family. Agarwal is a well-known advocate of stricter punishments in acid attack cases.

Co-produced by Deepika, ‘Chhapaak’ will go on floors in March 2019.

Deepika was last seen on the big screen in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ‘Padmaavat’. While Vikrant last appeared in AltBalaji’s web series titled ‘Broken but Beautiful’, where he played the role of a heartbroken husband who lost the love of his life in a car accident.

DGGI busts Rs 220 cr fake GST tax-invoices scam

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December 24, 2018

The Directorate General of GST Intelligence (DGGI) has busted a racket of fraudulent companies engaged in raising fake tax invoices worth Rs 220 crore to avail input-tax credit.

According to the DGGI, searches were conducted at several official as well as residential premises last Thursday in Chennai and Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu and busted the racket and arrested two persons.

“Several incriminating documents, including copies of fake invoices, issued on the letterheads of several firms that existed merely on paper, were seized”, an official release issued on Sunday by Additional Director General K Balaji Majumdar said.

The modus operandi was that several bogus companies and bank accounts were created using PAN and Aadhaar number of family members and employees, and complex transactions were made without the supply of goods, the release said.

According to the documents seized, fake invoices covering goods worth more than Rs 220 crore were issued without supply of goods, it said.

The officials seized chequebooks with pre-signed cheque leaves pertaining to 45 bank accounts, rubber stamps in the name of 30 companies and computer hard disks, the release said.

Two persons have been arrested on Saturday and the DGGI provisionally attached bank accounts that were operated by the imposters, it said, adding that the arrested had been remanded to judicial custody.

Cardi B says she’s not back with Offset, reveals what she misses about him

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December 24, 2018

American singer Cardi B has cleared the air over her strained relationship with Offset. On Monday, the 26-year-old singer clarified that she has not patched up with her spouse yet.

Earlier in the first week of December, the ‘Money’ singer confirmed her split but later was spotted enjoying a romantic date with him in Puerto Rico on Friday.

During an Instagram Live video, her fans were constantly questioning her if she is back with Offset. Responding to them, Cardi B stated that she’s not back with ‘Migos’ rapper but wanted to connect with him, reported an online portal.

“I just had to get fu**ed, that’s all,” said the ‘I like it’ singer. “Bitch feels baptized, I came back to f- life, bitch,” the 26-year-old added.

After their split, there is only one thing Cardi misses the most, “I miss the D,” she said in a live video captured by a fan. “I miss it, a lot,” she added.

Just after their break up, the ‘Boujee’ singer made many public pleas for forgiveness and also took to his Instagram account and revealed his “one birthday wish” in a lengthy video. His hope, he expressed, is to win Cardi B back and move on from the cheating scandal that caused them to split earlier this month.

Addressing Cardi directly, Offset said, “We’re going through a lot of things right now, a lot of things in the media. I want to apologise to you, Cardi. I embarrassed you. I made you go crazy.

Meghan Trainor marries Daryl Sabara

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December 24, 2018

Singer Meghan Trainor has married “Spy Kids” actor Daryl Sabara.

The “All About That Bass” hitmaker and the actor exchanged wedding vows on her 25th birthday.

The couple got married in front of 100 close friends and family members in an intimate backyard ceremony at their LA home.

“It’s the beginning of an awesome, whole new life. I got way more than I ever wished for,” Trainor said.

The bride wore a Berta gown for the wedding ceremony and then changed into a lace suit by Rita Vinieris for the reception.

The pair was introduced while on a double date with Chloe Grace Moretz and Brooklyn Beckham over two years ago. They got engaged last year.

Men are more sensitive and fragile: Jennifer Lopez

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December 24, 2018

Pop diva Jennifer Lopez believes men are ”much more fragile and sensitive” than women.

The singer said strong and assertive females have to ”tiptoe” around their male counterparts.

“I think as women, we have to do that all the time. We’re said to be the more fragile, sensitive gender, but I think the truth is that men are much more fragile and sensitive. And we have to be stronger and more conscious of not hurting fragile egos at times.

“So it’s a line you do have to tiptoe on all the time – especially as a strong, assertive woman, which can be off-putting to men who are not confident and secure on their own,” Lopez told a leading magazine.

Meanwhile, the singer previously admitted it took her a ”long time” to believe in herself.

Keira Knightley considered quitting acting

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December 24, 2018

Hollywood star Keira Knightley has revealed that she thought of quitting acting following the overnight success of “Pirates of the Caribbean”.

The actor said she nearly turned her back on Hollywood after suffering from Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

In an interview with The Sunday Times’ Style magazine, Knightley was asked if she ever thought about quitting acting, she said, ”I did think about it. Particularly at the point when I had a breakdown. I had PTSD and panic attacks. I literally couldn’t work for a year and I didn’t know whether there would be an end to that.”

“I have a super-solid background and thank f**k for that. My family and my small but very close group of friends just wrapped me up. And I think, without that, it would have been a very different story. I knew I always had somebody there to cuddle me who didn’t want anything from me. Ultimately, I didn’t want them (the media and paparazzi) to win. The only thing I want to do is make films,” she added.

The actor said she found stardom “very intense and lonely”.

”It was very intense and lonely. If there’s a camera at a party, I don’t think that’s a party, so I was never interested in being in that scene. I always wanted to be top of the class, and I always wanted to be perfect, and I always thought that I could just do fame right.

“I tried being 5lb heavier, but then people say you have cellulite, and then 5lb lighter, and then you’re anorexic and causing people to die. It was just so much. But in a funny way I think I was quite lucky in that it was so insane that I sort of recognised it,” she said.

Power like oxygen for some people, they can’t live without it: Modi

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December 24, 2018

Power is like oxygen for “some people” with restlessness setting in if they are out of it for even “two or five years”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday while taking a jibe at the opposition but without naming anybody or any party.

Releasing a Rs 100 commemorative coin in the memory of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on the eve of his 94th birth anniversary, Modi said that the late premier spent most of his political life in the opposition benches but always thought of the country and its people.

“Today’s political landscape is such that if someone has to stay out of power even for two or five years, they become restless,” he told the gathering.

Vajpayee, he added, committed every second of his life for the welfare of the people.

“For some people, power is oxygen…they can’t live without it. A long part of Atal-ji’s career was spent in the opposition benches but he spoke about national interest and never compromised on the ideology of the party,” the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) added on Twitter while quoting the Prime Minister’s speech.

Vajpayee’s long-time associate and BJP veteran L K Advani, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and BJP president Amit Shah were also present at the event.

Discussing Vajpayee’s political journey, Modi said he always kept the nation and democracy before himself and the party.

“Atal-ji wanted democracy to be supreme. He built the Jana Sangh. But when the time came to rescue our democracy, he and others went to the Janata Party. Likewise, when the choice was between remaining in power or comprising on ideology, he left Janata Party and formed the BJP,” Modi said.

The party which “Atal-ji built brick by brick” is now among the largest political parties in the world, the Prime Minister said, adding that Vajpayee had sown the seeds of the lotus (the BJP symbol) in the country.

Vajpayee’s prowess as a speaker was unparalleled, Modi said, describing him as among the best orators India had produced.

“When he spoke, the nation spoke… when he spoke, the nation listened. Atal-ji’s voice was not only voice of the BJP, it was an expression of the common man’s aspirations,” he said.

The mind, Modi asserted, is not ready to believe that Vajpayee is no longer alive.

“Though he was away from public glare for nearly a decade due to ill health, the way people gave him a farewell on his demise showed the mark he had created in people’s minds,” Modi said.

The former prime minister died in August this year at the age of 93 following prolonged illness.

Modi said he would go to Vajpayee’s memorial on Tuesday to reiterate his commitment to the ideology and path shown by the statesman.