December 27, 2025 07:00 AM IST First published on: Dec 27, 2025 at 07:00 AM ISTWhile conceding several demands of non-resident Indians regarding investment in India, Finance Minister V P Singh said in New Delhi that the issue of a 5 per cent ceiling on investment in Indian companies would have to be discussed further before any decision could be taken. At the first open house session with about 250 non-resident Indians, Singh, flanked by top officials of the finance ministry, listened to first-hand accounts of these investors’ problems with Indian regulations and red tape. Singh announced that the government would introduce a special nonresident exchange (NRE) cheque system to speed up the allotment and purchase of shares by NRIs in Indian companies.Tensions mount in PunjabSuspected terrorist activity continued in Punjab, claiming one life during the past 24 hours, and there was no relaxation in the curfew imposed at Gurdaspur after a clash between members of two communities two days ago. Reports said there was tension in some urban areas following a state-wide bandh call given jointly by the Shiv Sena and the Punjab Brahmin Sabha in protest against the Gurdaspur incident, in which one person was killed.AdvertisementCongress centenaryAmidst much confusion and lots of excitement, Bombay is all set to witness the historic centenary celebrations of the birth of the Indian National Congress, an event for which the metropolis had waited a whole year. The entire city wore a festive look while activities at the main venues of the great show reached a fierce pace.Lebanese civil warLebanon’s three most powerful militants have reached agreement over a Syrian-sponsored pact to end the nation’s 10-year-old civil war and will sign the accord before year’s end, state-run Beirut Radio reported. It said negotiators of the Druze, Shia Muslim and Christian militias resolved the last point of contention in the agreement during a round of talks held at Syrian Vice-President Abdul Halim Khaddam’s office in Damascus.