1.   

Khurshid to visit Germany, Belgium; push India-EU trade accord

External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid will undertake visit to two important European Union countries –Germany and Belgium– from tomorrow where he will have discussions on enhancing common approaches to address new and emerging challenges apart from ways to push long-pending India-EU trade accord. Khurshid will be holding discussions with German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle and would call on the Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel during his two-day visit on 28-29 January.

2.   

Pak-India trade to resume today

Bilateral trade and bus service between India and Pakistan would resume today (Monday) following escalation of military tensions after a deadly flare-up along the Line of Control (LoC), a de facto border in Kashmir, Geo News reported. The trade and bus service were suspended 17 days ago after both sides accused each other of violating a border ceasefire agreement in Kashmir. Director General of military operations on both sides had talked on telephone and discussed the issue, agreeing to de-escalate border tensions between both the nuclear armed nations.

3.   

North-East set to be India's next food bowl

A string of previously laggard states are poised to overtake Punjab and Haryana, India's traditional grain bowl, as the new powerhouses of food production, driven largely by - surprise - state support. While privatisation is often thought desirable for key sectors of the economy, second-generation "green revolutions" across several states demonstrate that government initiatives can still turn things around.

4.   

Onion exports up over 17% in Apr-Dec: NHRDF

Onion exports have risen by over 17 per cent to 12.95 lakh tonnes in the April-December period of the current fiscal, but shipments in the coming months are expected to slow down as local prices have begun to rise, government body NHRDF has said. The country had exported 11 lakh tonne of onions in the same period last year, the Nasik-based National Horticultural Research and Development Foundation (NHRDF) said.