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BQuick On Dec. 24: Top 10 Stories In Under 5 Minutes   

BQuick | Top news, must-read stories and columns – all served up in less than 5 minutes.

Performers dressed as Santa Claus and an elf wear protective masks while waving. (Photographer: Bing Guan/Bloomberg)
Performers dressed as Santa Claus and an elf wear protective masks while waving. (Photographer: Bing Guan/Bloomberg)

Here’s a roundup of the day’s top stories in brief.

1. Post-Brexit Trade Deal Sealed

The U.K. clinched a historic trade deal with the European Union, averting the threat of an acrimonious breakup. Pound strengthened, while global stocks rose.

2. FASTag To Be Mandatory For All Vehicles From Jan. 1

A valid FASTag would be made compulsory for getting new third party insurance from April 1, 2021, according to Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari.

3. Tata Motors Stays Firm On JLR Guidance

Tata Motors Ltd. has maintained the growth and profitability guidance for its British luxury car unit Jaguar Land Rover despite renewed concerns of Covid-19 in the U.K.

4. India Challenges Vodafone Arbitration Ruling

India has challenged in a Singapore court the verdict of an international arbitration tribunal that overturned its demand for Rs 22,100 crore in back taxes from Vodafone Group Plc., PTI reported citing unnamed sources.

5. Sensex Recoups Monday’s Losses

Sensex ended 1% higher to close the truncated trading week on a positive note. The benchmark index has clocked its longest stretch of weekly gains since January 2018.

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6. Pidilite Sees Return Of ‘Real’ Normalcy Only In Second Half Of 2021

The market leader in adhesives and industrial chemicals has said that while a recovery trend has been seen in the July-September quarter—mainly due to rural areas and small towns—a full-blown recovery will only come later next year.

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7. How Covid-19 Changed The Way Indians Buy Grocery

Seeing, sampling, and smelling rice, wheat or sugar before buying was common in India’s hinterland. The Covid-19 pandemic is altering this purchasing behaviour.

8. Small Businesses Are Going Online To Beat Pandemic Blues

The Covid-19 pandemic has pushed small and medium enterprises towards digitisation which in turn has helped them boost sales, according to a report by Crisil.

9. China Targets Jack Ma’s Empire

The eccentric billionaire and the twin pillars of his internet empire—Alibaba and Ant Financial—are facing investigations by the Chinese government over alleged monopolistic practices. This marks the formal crackdown on Ma's sprawling dominion.

10. An Unforgettable Year For The Media Business

Streaming boomed, web traffic soared and news media organisations either vanished or reduced in scale. For better or worse, 2020 changed the media industry. And next year will be very different in the way content is produced and consumed, writes Parry Ravindranathan.