Political

Business

Defense: India-France to begin talks from May 30 for a fresh Rs.50k-cr Rafal-M deal

May 28, 2024 virendra pandit

Virendra Pandit New Delhi: Negotiations between India and France for a fresh deal worth Rs. 50,000 crore for the supply of 26 Rafale-M aircraft to the Indian Navy will begin on March 30, the media reported on Tuesday. France had submitted its response to India’s tender for buying 26 Rafale Marine jets for the Indian […]

Read more

Business

Full circle: Now Russia invites the Taliban to St. Petersberg economic forum

May 27, 2024 virendra pandit

Virendra Pandit New Delhi: In the 1980s-90s, the US-aided Islamist fundamentalist groups had created the Taliban militia to evict the Soviet occupation forces from Afghanistan. Four decades on, Russia has invited the same Taliban to join an economic meeting in St. Petersberg next month. Since the Taliban seized power again in Kabul in August 2021 […]

Read more

Business

Roving Periscope: “Plot to carve out a Christian state,” says Sheikh Hasina

May 27, 2024 virendra pandit

Virendra Pandit New Delhi: Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed has dropped a geopolitical bombshell by stating that the West is “plotting to carve out a Christian state” out of Muslim-majority Bangladesh and Buddhist-dominant Myanmar, and referred to an offer from a “White man” in this regard, the media reported on Monday. Accusing the West—without […]

Read more

Business

Roving Periscope: China flexes muscles against Taiwan, again—and returns!

May 25, 2024 virendra pandit

Virendra Pandit New Delhi: It was yet another and usual war rhetoric to put psychological pressure. Routine military exercises, threats, and then returning to bunkers. Somewhat like the Iran-Israel ‘war games.’ Taiwan, which said it detected 62 Chinese military aircraft and 27 navy ships in its latest ‘threats’ to the island nation in the last […]

Read more

Business

Space: NASA will train Indian astronauts for a joint mission to the ISS; the QUAD satellite mooted

May 25, 2024 virendra pandit

Virendra Pandit New Delhi: A day after his meeting with Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) Chairman Dr. S. Somanath, US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti said on Friday that the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) will soon provide advanced training to Indian astronauts to send a joint mission to the International Space Station (ISS) […]

Read more

Business

Employment: AI will make all jobs “optional,” says Elon Musk

May 24, 2024 virendra pandit

Virendra Pandit New Delhi: Artificial Intelligence (AI) will eliminate all kinds of jobs and potentially turn them into mere hobbies, Elon Musk said on Thursday. Addressing a startup and technology event in Paris, he said with the maturing of AI, none of us will have a job. Musk, the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, emphasized […]

Read more

Business

Roving Periscope: The subtle “M” word enters Trump’s campaign lexicon

May 24, 2024 virendra pandit

Virendra Pandit New Delhi: Controversial former US President Donald Trump has done what none of his predecessors could. He stirred up the hornet’s nest by raising the influx of ‘Muslims’ into America, hinting at them without naming them, and promised he would deport them wholesale if he returned to the White House after the November […]

Read more

Business

Mid-term elections: PM Sunak keeps FinMin and Tories in the dark on July 4 polls

May 23, 2024 virendra pandit

Virendra Pandit New Delhi: Indian-origin British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak surprised even his Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt on Wednesday when he announced snap elections to the 650-member House of Commons on July 4, staking his Conservative Party’s future amid a series of setbacks at home and abroad. His decision to hold mid-term polls […]

Read more

Business

Roving Periscope: Russia and China fight high-level “corruption” within

May 23, 2024 virendra pandit

Virendra Pandit New Delhi: War is not only a big business for political and corporate chiefs but also for the military bosses. In a series of bribery arrests of high-ranking military officials, Russia, which is engaged in an ongoing war against Ukraine, announced the arrest of a deputy chief of the Russian military general staff […]

Read more

Business

Surplus: As FinMin prepares the FY25 budget, RBI transfers Rs. 2.1 trillion to the Centre

May 22, 2024 virendra pandit

Virendra Pandit New Delhi: The Board of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), on Wednesday, approved the transfer of Rs 2.1 trillion (Rs 2,10,874 crore) as surplus to the Centre for the accounting year 2023-24. This significant transfer is expected to reduce the government’s borrowing requirements and positively impact G-Sec yields. During its 608th meeting […]

Read more