Tata Steel's Port Talbot site confronts discord as Unite union opposes a plan to cut 3,000 jobs, sparking tensions with Community and GMB unions. Unite, representing 4,000 steelworkers, rejects a joint decarbonization plan, urging the UK to double steel production by 2035. Unite's Sharon Graham emphasizes winning the green steel market and demands investment for job protection. The proposed £12 billion national investment aims to boost industry revenue. The report calls for British steel use in public contracts, projecting a £7 billion boost to the economy. Tata, engaged in talks, remains committed to greener steelmaking, but formal plans are pending.

Indian billionaire Gautam Adani's conglomerate has purchased a 50.5% share in news agency IANS India Pvt Ltd, marking the group's latest expansion into media. Adani Enterprises made the acquisition through its subsidiary AMG Media Networks Ltd, which operates the group's media properties including broadcaster NDTV. The deal's financial details remain undisclosed. IANS reported revenues of Rs 11.86 crore last fiscal year. AMNL will now appoint IANS's board and directors, taking operational and managerial control. The purchase grows Adani's growing media portfolio after last year's forays into digital outlet Quintillion and acquiring most NDTV shares.

The BSE Sensex achieved a historic milestone, crossing the 71,000 mark for the first time, with major gains from companies like Infosys, Tech Mahindra, and more. Market capitalization reached ₹357 lakh crore. The Sensex, launched in 1986, reflects India's financial health and has surged around 12,400 points in eight months. Asian markets also traded positively, while the US markets closed higher. This comes after the Sensex surpassed 70,000 earlier in the week, marking a continuous upward trend since March when it stood at 57,527. Nifty 50 also hit 20,000 in late November.            

The family of Nikhil Gupta, charged in the plot against Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, seeks Supreme Court assistance. They claim Gupta's illegal detention in the Czech Republic and request intervention from the Ministry of External Affairs and Home Ministry. Gupta, held since June, alleges a political vendetta between the US and Indian governments. Procedural failures in the extradition proceedings are cited, including the absence of an arrest warrant and denial of basic rights. The Czech Ministry of Justice confirms Gupta's arrest at the US's request, accusing him of involvement in a 'murder for hire' plot targeting Pannun in the US.            

80 year old liquor tycoon Dr Lalit Khaitan has become India's newest billionaire, with his 40% stake in publicly traded alcohol group Radico Khaitan now valued at $1 billion after a 50% share price surge this year. Known for iconic brands like Magic Moments vodka and 8 PM whiskey, the Harvard-educated engineer from a traditional Marwari family never drank alcohol until inheriting his father's Rampur distillery business in 1972. Currently Radico Khaitan's Chairman boasting $380 million revenue, Dr Khaitan has spearheaded the company's rapid growth in tandem with India's booming liquor market. The lifelong teetotaler has received industry honors like the 2017 UPDA Lifetime Achievement Award for his pivotal role shaping the alcoholic beverage landscape.

Indian stock markets surged to new heights after the US Federal Reserve's commitment to unchanged interest rates and indications of an end to the rate tightening cycle by 2024. The BSE Sensex soared 935.95 points (1.35%) to an unprecedented 70,520.55, while the NSE Nifty 50 climbed 256.35 points (1.23%), hitting a record level of 21,182.7. Nifty IT led the gains, rising over 2.5%, with Nifty Bank and Nifty Financial Services up 1.7% each. Analysts project continued market expansion in 2024, fueled by positive global and domestic economic factors.

Foreign exchange firm RationalFX, founded by ex-London deputy mayor and current Labour parliamentary candidate for Leicester East Rajesh Agrawal, has entered special administration, prompting a warning from regulators that customer funds are uninsured. Administrators will assess holdings to determine protected client assets versus company capital. RationalFX blocked customer access last week before the appointments of Ed Boyle and Kristina Kicks to handle proceedings. They will manage claims and seek to return funds where possible. Agrawal, who exited RationalFX in 2016 and its board in 2022, expressed regret that market conditions forced lost trading. 

India's retail inflation rose to 5.55% in November from 4.87% in October, official data showed. While lower than economist estimates of 5.8%, inflation has now spent 50 straight months above the RBI's 4% medium-term target. A low base from November 2021, when prices had fallen 0.1% month-on-month, coupled with higher food prices drove the uptick. The sequential rise in Consumer Food Price Index at 1.1% outpaced the broader Consumer Price Index's 0.5% rise, underscoring the pressure from food items. Despite staying within the 2-6% tolerance band for three months, persistent above-target inflation remains a policy concern.

Serum Institute of India CEO Adar Poonawalla has reportedly bought a massive $138 million mansion in London's posh Mayfair area near Hyde Park. The 25,000 sq ft Aberconway House, built in the 1920s, is set to become the UK's most expensive home sale this year. The property will be acquired by Serum Life Sciences, the Poonawalla family's UK subsidiary. While the family has no plans to permanently move to UK, the mansion will serve as a base during their visits. The record deal highlights the resilience of London's luxury real estate market despite economic headwinds. It caps a meteoric rise for Adar Poonawalla who gained immense global prominence for Serum Institute's role in supplying Covid vaccines during the pandemic.

Indian stock indices continued their record-setting run on Monday, with the Sensex breaching the 70,000-mark for the first time ever and the Nifty topping 21,000 in early trade. The Sensex hit an all-time high of 70,048.90 points before trimming gains slightly, while the Nifty also climbed to an intraday peak of 21,019.80. The uptrend comes on the back of strong cues after the RBI raised India's growth forecast last week while keeping rates steady. Experts say positive FII inflows, robust DII investments and enthusiastic retail participation should sustain the rally despite stretched valuations. Among indices, Japan's Nikkei rose while Hong Kong's Hang Seng plunged over 2%. Global stocks had closed higher on Friday.