Train 18, the fastest train from railways’ stable, will be flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 29 likely from his constituency Varanasi, sources said Wednesday. The country’s first engineless train will replace Shatabdi trains and will run between Delhi and Varanasi, the source said.

Train 18, manufactured by ICF Chennai at a cost of Rs 100 crore, recently became India’s fastest train by hitting speeds of over 180 kmph during trial-run on a section of the Delhi-Rajdhani route.

The gleaming blue-nosed train comes fitted with amenities at par with the best in the world — from on-board WiFi to a GPS-based passenger information system, touch-free bio-vacuum toilets, LED lighting, mobile charging points and a climate control system that adjusts the temperature according to occupancy and weather.

The train will have two executive compartments which will have 52 seats each and trailer coaches will have 78 seats each. The executive class will have rotating seats to match the direction of the train.

NITI Aayog on Wednesday unveiled its comprehensive national Strategy for New India, which defines clear objectives for 2022-23. 

Releasing the Document, Mr Jaitley said, reforms and entrepreneurship have to be accompanied by social consciousness. 

The Finance Minister said, the various verticals of NITI Aayog's Strategy Document gives form to the Indian model which emphasises on faster growth and better resource utilisation to improve the quality of life for all.

Our correspondent reports the Strategy Document advocates empowering and encouraging women to participate across all sectors of the economy, to build a strong and inclusive New India. 

It vouches for the transformation of the rural economy, creating a policy environment that enables income security for farmers and modernising agricultural technology for doubling farmers income. 

Later talking to media, NITI Ayog Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar said, modernisation of the agriculture sector and creation of entrepreneurs are important to address the problems in the agricultural sector. 

He said, NITI Ayog is of the view that farm loan waiver is not a solution to agriculture sector problems but a palliative. 

He added that if state governments find that there is acute distress in farming community, they are entitled to waive off the farm loans as per their fiscal situation.

India made no improvement in the overall gender gap ranking by the World Economic Forum (WEF) in 2018, compared to 2017. It stood at a low 108 out of the 149 countries in 2018, the same as in 2017.

“India maintains a stable ranking this year, but its gap is directionally larger this year, with a 33 per cent gap yet to be bridged,” says the report, titled Measuring the Global Gender Gap.

India ranked lower on all segments - economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, health and survival ranking, and political empowerment. “It (India) needs to make improvements across the board, from women’s participation to getting more women into senior and professional roles,” the WEF said.

Lionel Messi said he never expected to have such a successful career after receiving his fifth Golden Shoe on Tuesday, for being the top goalscorer in Europe last season. The Barcelona forward scored 34 times in La Liga last season to claim his fifth Golden Shoe award, which is one more than Juventus’s Cristiano Ronaldo has won.

Messi pipped Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah to the prize after the Egyptian netted 32 times in the Premier League. “When I started playing I did not expect all this. My dream was, obviously, to be a professional, but I didn’t imagine so much,” Messi said at a gala in Barcelona on Tuesday.

“This is thanks to hard work and effort and, above all, my team mates. I have the best players in the world in their positions playing beside me and that makes everything easier and lets me win these prizes.” Messi, who also earned the Golden Shoe in 2009-10, 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2016-17, led Barcelona to a league and cup domestic double last season.

The forward leads La Liga’s top scorers chart with 14 goals in this campaign, more than any other player in the top five European leagues.

India will deposit payments for crude oil imported from Iran into escrow accounts of five of their banks held with state-run UCO Bank Ltd. after the two nations agreed on a payment mechanism to overcome US sanctions, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

Iran will use part of the deposits for purchasing essential goods from India and to meet expenditure incurred by its diplomatic missions in the South Asian nation, the people said, asking not to be identified because the information isn’t public. All spending will be in Indian rupees.

Continued supplies is crucial for India, a country that imports nearly 80% of its annual crude requirement, as Tehran offers better credit terms than other West Asian oil producers and, in the past, has accepted payments in Indian rupees, rather than US dollars. The south Asian nation purchased crude worth about $9 billion from Iran in the financial year ended March 31.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will launch on Wednesday GSAT-7A, a geostationary communication satellite, from  Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh’s Sriharikota.

The 26-hour countdown for its launch began yesterday as the Geosynchronous Launch Vehicle GSLV-F11 is scheduled to lift-off at 4.10 pm from the second launch pad at the spaceport of Sriharikota.

The newest satellite will provide communication capability to users in Ku-band over the Indian region, ISRO said adding that the mission life of the GSAT-7A is eight years.

The GSLV-F11 will inject GSAT-7A into a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) and it will be placed in its final Geostationary Orbit using the onboard propulsion systems. GSLV-F11 is ISRO’s fourth generation launch vehicle with three stages.

Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel has offered his resignation just days after one of his main coalition partners quit in a row over migration.

Mr Michel lost the backing of the nationalist New Flemish Alliance (N-VA) over his support for a UN migration deal signed in Marrakesh last week.

He announced his intention to resign after opposition parties refused to support his minority government.

Mr Michel told King Philippe of his decision late on Tuesday.

The king has yet to announce whether he will accept the resignation.

Belgians were due to go to the polls in May and the king will meet party leaders on Wednesday to decide whether there is any support for early elections.

Interim CBI director M Nageswar Rao, who took over the charge of the agency after its No 1 and No 2 were sent on leave by the government in October, was on Tuesday promoted to the rank of an additional director by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet.

Interestingly, Rao, a 1986 batch officer of the Odisha cadre, was not considered for the rank of the additional director in November 2016 when a review of this batch took place in April 2018. Rao had joined the CBI as a joint director in 2016.

Earlier, while hearing CBI Director Alok Verma’s petition challenging the October 23 government order sending him on leave and divesting him of all responsibilities, the Supreme Court had clipped Rao’s wings and told him not to take any policy decisions until further orders. Despite a restraining order, reports emerged last month that Rao passed an order on November 11 to close a case against chartered accountant Sanjay Bhandari and Income Tax officials.

Before being appointed interim chief, Rao was No. 3 in the pecking order and was handling the Chandigarh branch along with certain branches in South India. After his appointment, the Congress had questioned the reason behind him superceding other officials for the position.

Former Prime Minister of Nepal Tulsi Giri passed away at his residence in Kathmandu on Tuesday. He was 93. 

Dr. Giri was suffering from liver cancer for a long time and he was recently discharged from the hospital. 

Dr. Giri had a long political career. He twice served as the prime minister of Nepal first from 1962 to 1964 and again from 1975 to 1977. 

Nepal's Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli, former Prime Minister and Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba and other senior leaders from various political parties have expressed condolences on Dr. Giri's demise. 

Actor Sonam Kapoor, a vegan, has been named People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India’s Person of the Year for 2018.

Sonam has been feted as she sings the praise of eating vegan diets and because she keeps animal skins out of her handbag line for her fashion brand Rheson, apart from taking other action for the welfare of animals.

“Whether she’s enjoying vibrant vegan meals or rallying her fans to do their part to stop animal suffering, Sonam Kapoor never hesitates to help animals any way she can,” PETA India Associate Director Sachin Bangera said in a statement.

“We encourage everyone to take a page out of her book and live with compassion and respect for all beings,” he added.

In 2016, Sonam was named PETA India’s Hottest Vegetarian Celebrity, and she earned a Compassionate Business Award from the group a year later for her cruelty-free handbag line.