Thu Dec 19 12:00:00 UTC 2024: ## India Today News Summary: December 18, 2024
**Politics:**
* **Congress to protest in Uttar Pradesh:** The Congress party will hold a protest in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly today, focusing on issues related to food, electricity, water, and paddy procurement.
* **One Nation One Election faces hurdles:** The government’s “One Nation One Election” bill is facing challenges, highlighting the need for opposition support. The SKM has opposed the bill, calling it a “corporate agenda.” Former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda has called for consideration of reservation based on economic criteria. Amit Shah has criticized the opposition for questioning EVMs.
* **Sanjay Singh faces legal trouble:** Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sanjay Singh is facing a ₹100 crore defamation suit filed by the wife of Goa’s Chief Minister.
* **India-China relations:** NSA Ajit Doval is in Beijing for crucial talks, signaling a new chapter in India-China relations.
**International News:**
* **Israel-Palestine conflict:** Israel continues airstrikes in Gaza, while Palestinians have filed a lawsuit against the United States.
* **Boat capsizes in Congo:** At least 25 people died and several are missing after a passenger boat capsized in Congo’s Fimi River.
**Sports:**
* **Bumrah’s historic feat:** Jasprit Bumrah achieved a historic feat in Australia, a record no other Indian bowler has accomplished. He and Akash Deep’s batting performance surpassed that of Kiran More and Javagal Srinath. Smriti Mandhana broke a world record in T20I cricket.
* **Ben Curran’s debut:** Ben Curran, brother of England cricketers Sam and Tom Curran, made his international debut for Zimbabwe, scoring only 15 runs before the match was abandoned due to rain. West Indies won the second T20 against India.
**Other News:**
* **Cold wave intensifies:** A cold wave grips Delhi-NCR, with reports of frozen waterfalls in Kashmir and frost in Rajasthan’s Sikar and Churu.
* **Market fluctuations:** The market opened in the red ahead of the US Fed’s decision on interest rates. Gold prices fell. Donald Trump threatened tariffs against India. Speculation of a Nissan-Honda merger emerged.
**Note:** This summary excludes the large number of horoscope, health tips, entertainment news, and other short news items included in the original text, focusing instead on the major political and international events. The original text contained significant repetition of some news items.
First Piper 