Mercosur hurdle: French objections and farm protests freeze EU trade deal; Brussels faces credibility test

[ad_1] France’s last-minute opposition and mounting farmer protests are threatening to derail the European Union’s long-delayed free-trade agreement with South America’s Mercosur bloc, raising fresh doubts over whether the pact can be signed this year, AP reported.Angry European farmers, fearing cheaper agricultural imports and tougher competition, have taken to the streets in Brussels just as…

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Skill push: Centre to incentivise states, districts to partner industry for local skill planning; AI to map jobs and workers

[ad_1] The government plans to incentivise states and districts to work closely with industry to identify and address local skill gaps, adopting a hyper-local approach to build a future-ready workforce, a senior official told PTI on Monday.Addressing the CII Smart Manufacturing Summit 2025, Secretary in the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Debashree Mukherjee said…

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India-New Zealand trade talks: Commerce Secretary says FTA negotiations nearing closure; deal expected soon

[ad_1] Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal with New Zealand’s Trade Minister Todd McClay (File photo-ANI) Negotiations between India and New Zealand on a proposed free trade agreement are likely to be wrapped up soon, Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said on Monday, signalling progress after multiple rounds of discussions at both official and ministerial levels,…

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Rupee sinks further: Rupee hits new all-time low of 90.74 vs dollar; trade deal uncertainty, FII outflows weigh

[ad_1] The rupee on Monday weakened further to close at a fresh all-time low of 90.74 against the US dollar, after slipping as much as 90.80 during intra-day trade, amid lingering uncertainty over an India–US trade deal and continued foreign fund outflows, according to market participants.At the interbank foreign exchange market, the local currency opened…

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Advance tax deadline today: December 15 instalment due; who must pay, penalties and how interest adds up- Explained

[ad_1] If you earn income beyond a fixed salary or have multiple income streams, December 15, 2025, is a tax deadline you cannot afford to overlook. Missing or underpaying advance tax does not trigger a one-time fine, but monthly interest penalties that continue to accumulate quietly until assessment.Under India’s “pay as you earn” framework, advance…

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