New Delhi, Dec 31 (PTI) Amid the controversy over how much capital the Reserve Bank should keep as its reserves, a BJP MP Monday said by holding on to the excess money, it is resorting to raiding the economy.

Participating in the debate on the Supplementary Demands for Grants in the Lok Sabha, Anurag Thakur also cited infrastructure projects being stuck due to lack of liquidity.

He sought to blunt opposition charges that the government was encroaching on the autonomy of the Reserve Bank of India.

KANPUR:  A big robbery in a distributor’s office at Collectorganj here was committed on Sunday night. This office was located on the third floor of Plaza building just at a stone’s throw from the Nayaganj Police Post. The police could not sense the theft. The traders said if the police personnel were on night patrolling this burglary would perhaps not have happened.

Similar to every year, Sydney sky was lit with wonderful fireworks on new year's eve. New year's fireworks in Sydney is considered to be one of the best in the world.

New Delhi, Dec 31 (PTI) The closure of mining activities in Goa has amounted to a loss of large number of jobs, Parliament was informed Monday.

"Government of Goa has intimated that the closure of mining activities has resulted in loss of large number of jobs," Mines Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has ordered a slowdown to the withdrawal of U.S. forces in Syria, Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham said Sunday.

“I think we’re in a pause situation,” the South Carolina Republican said outside the White House after lunch with the president.

Trump announced earlier this month that he was ordering the withdrawal of all the roughly 2,000 troops from war-torn Syria, with aides expecting it to take place swiftly. The president had declared victory over the Islamic State group in Syria, though pockets of fighting remain.

MOSCOW, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) -- Russia will take retaliatory measures in case of the deployment of U.S. missiles banned by the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF), Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Sunday.

"Russia is under constant pressure from those who see it as some kind of a competitor for some dominant position in world politics. We see this in the example of U.S. actions," Lavrov said in an interview with Russia's Rossiya-1 TV channel.

TEHRAN, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) -- "The United States is only fueling insecurity in the Gulf through its presence in the strategic region," said Chairman of the Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Mohammad Baqeri on Sunday.

"The Americans have always sowed insecurity wherever they had a presence," Baqeri told reporters in the southern Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas, according to Press TV.

He emphasized that the Gulf countries are capable of ensuring security on their own and the U.S. presence in the region has only created insecurity.

MOSCOW, December 31. /TASS/. Russia’s Federal Security Service has detained US citizen Paul Whelan in Moscow on suspicion of espionage, the public relations center said on Monday.

"On December 28, 2018 staff members of the Russian Federal Security Service detained US citizen Paul Whelan in Moscow while on a spy mission," the center said.

A criminal investigation into espionage has been launched against the US citizen.

If found guilty, he faces between 10 and 20 years in jail.

KHARTOUM, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) -- Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on Sunday said the government will not tolerate sabotage or damage to personal or property security.

He made the remarks when addressing leaders of the Sudanese police in capital Khartoum.

"We will not neglect the security of the homeland, of the citizens, or of the public and private properties as this is our duty (to protect them)," he said.

Bashir further said the police forces are doing great at their duty.

BELGRADE, December 30. /TASS/. Serbia does not plan to give up Russian gas for more expensive liquefied gas to please the West, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic told Studio B TV channel on Saturday.

"I will not pay double for liquefied gas to please someone in the West. I will buy cheap gas so that people can live and industry can develop. Those are not my money, those are people's money, state money," Vucic said.

Washington, Dec 30; AFP: The paralysis triggered by the US government shutdown could have unexpected consequences, such as muddying economic statistics just as the markets are extremely reactive to any whiff of uncertainty.

More than a week into the game of chicken between President Donald Trump and Democrats in Congress, the publication and recording of statistical indicators are being delayed.

TUNIS, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) -- A total of 45 irregular migrants of African nationalities were rescued from a sinking boat off the island of Kerkennah in the province of Sfax in southeast Tunisia, Tunisian Interior Ministry said on Sunday evening.

The illegal boat came from the Libyan town of Zouara with 45 irregular migrants on board, including six women, two of whom were pregnant.

This is the second attempt of irregular migration intercepted by Tunisian maritime security forces during the last 24 hours.