Political

Business

Roving Periscope: “Seize, block terror financing channels,” Dr. Jaishankar says at the SCO meet

May 5, 2023 virendra pandit

Virendra Pandit   New Delhi: Asserting that combating terrorism is one of the original mandates of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Friday called upon the member countries to seize and block channels of finances for terrorism without any distinction. He urged the SCO’s members to focus on firmly combating […]

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Business

India: “The dynamism…vibrancy is unbelievable,” says Apple’s Tim Cook

May 5, 2023 virendra pandit

Virendra Pandit   New Delhi: The worldwide belief that India, at 6.5 percent, is currently the planet’s fastest-growing economy amid a recessionary trend elsewhere got a fillip in Apple Inc.’s CEO Tim Cook’s observation that the South Asian nation is at a “tipping point.” Cook, who opened two of India’s first two Apple exclusive stores […]

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Business

Technology: To cut costs and face reverses, Cognizant to fire 3,500 employees

May 4, 2023 virendra pandit

Virendra Pandit   New Delhi: American Information Technology major Cognizant, once a bellwether in the sector with revenues of nearly USD 20 billion in 2022, became the latest IT company to join the layoff bandwagon as it announced to fire some 3,500 employees and close or curtail office spaces to save cost. The New Jersey-based […]

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Business

War: Ukraine denies hand in Kremlin drone attack; Russia accuses the US of involvement

May 4, 2023 virendra pandit

Virendra Pandit   New Delhi: Russia on Thursday accused the US of involvement in what it said was a drone attack on the Kremlin on Wednesday, aiming to kill Vladimir Putin, as a former President sought to ‘physically eliminate’ Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenski who denied his country used the drone to kill the Russian President. […]

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Business

Roving Periscope: Amid soaring Indian exports worldwide, talks for Indo-Russian trade settlement in INR suspended

May 4, 2023 virendra pandit

Virendra Pandit   New Delhi: After months of negotiations failed to convince Russia, New Delhi, and Moscow have ‘suspended’ negotiations to settle their bilateral trade in Indian Rupees (INR), even as India’s exports worldwide in FY24 are expected to soar to over USD 900 billion. The two countries are also looking for alternatives to bilateral […]

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Business

Investments: Now, Indian corporates depend less on ECBs for growth

May 3, 2023 virendra pandit

Virendra Pandit   New Delhi: Rising global interest rates, ease of getting bank credits at home, and bond issuance in the domestic market have reduced overseas fundraising by the corporate sector in India, the experts said. In 2022-23, overseas fundraising fell to a five-year low owing to strong growth in bank credit, higher interest rates […]

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Business

Roving Periscope: The US recycles “biased, motivated” faith freedom report on India

May 3, 2023 virendra pandit

Virendra Pandit    New Delhi: The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has done it again. In its routine annual report, it has merely recycled old notions that question religious freedom in India. In turn, New Delhi also routinely rejected it as “biased, motivated.” In its India section of the latest report, the […]

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Business

Roving Periscope: Ahead of Sydney Summit, the US says no plans for the QUAD’s expansion

May 2, 2023 virendra pandit

Virendra Pandit   New Delhi: Amid reports that some Asian countries evinced interest in joining the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD), widely viewed as an Asian version of NATO to counterbalance China’s designs, the USA has clarified that currently, the four-nation group has no plans to add new members. QUAD comprises four democracies—the US, India, Australia, […]

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Business

Roving Periscope: Why did China ‘teach’ a lesson to India in 2020?

May 1, 2023 virendra pandit

Virendra Pandit   New Delhi: A Chinese Communist Party strategist has sought to ‘explain’ why did China invade India in June 2020: New Delhi’s multiple ‘violations’ of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and related agreements. But he failed to notice that this very Chinese act brought India closer than ever before to the West. […]

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Business

Banking: US regulator seizes FRB’s $229 bn assets; to sell to JP Morgan

May 1, 2023 virendra pandit

Virendra Pandit   New Delhi: United States regulator, the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI), said on Monday it has shut down  First Republic Bank and agreed to a deal to sell all of its deposits and assets, worth USD 229.1 billion, to JP Morgan Chase & Co and National Association. In the […]

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