Seth Godin News

In absolute terms, the jump to 1.78 million from 1.16 million active companies is the highest for any five-year period, with officials and analysts attributing the surge to the country’s robust economic growth prospects over the medium-to-long term and greater ease of doing business. The decriminalisation of dozens of minor offences under the Companies Act since 2019 also helped, they added.

Air Quality Index (AQI) in the national capital remained in the 'very poor' category on Sunday, with a thin layer of fog covering parts of the city and limiting visibility. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the AQI was 388 at 7 am on Sunday in the national capital. On Saturday, the AQI in Delhi was recorded at 398, as per the CPCB. The Air Quality Index in several areas of the national capital was recorded as 'very poor.' The AQI was recorded 384 at ITO, 372 at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, DTU 354, IGI Airport (T3) 372, DU North Campus 381, at 7 am on Sunday.

Narendra Modi praised India and Kuwait's strong commercial connections dating back to the nineteenth century, as well as IMEEC as an idea that provided the globe with new direction. Addressing the Indian diaspora in Kuwait City, Modi reflected on the two nations' common ambitions, Viksit Bharat and New Kuwait, and emphasised that there were several potential for India and Kuwait to collaborate. India's skill sets and creativity might lead to new collaborations between the two nations. He said that Ayurveda was assisting the globe with wellbeing while underlining India's contributions to the world in terms of science and innovation.

Delhi Police Crime Branch will likely record the statements of two hospitalised MPs, who are admitted to RML hospital, on December 23, sources said on Saturday. Pratap Chandra Sarangi and Mukesh Rajput got injured on Thursday following a scuffle between the opposition and ruling BJP MPs on the premises of the Parliament. On Thursday, an FIR was registered against Rahul Gandhi at Parliament Street Police Station following a BJP's complaint. Gandhi was accused of physical assault and incitement.

Around 2.30 pm on Wednesday, when Neel Kamal set off to sail from Gateway to Elephanta island, a popular tourist destination, it was business as usual for the boat operators. Without paying much heed to rules and regulations, they overbooked ferrying 110 passengers instead of 80 that is allowed by the Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB). At 3.55 pm as the boat was nearing Karanja, a Navy craft undertaking sea trials lost control, on a collision course, it rammed into the ferry, capsizing it. Just like the roads where the traffic is monitored and regulated, the sea too has its rules. Post the 26/11 attacks where terror visited Mumbai through seas, the coordination between the multiple maritime stakeholders has gotten better and no sea attack in the last 16 years bears testimony to the same.

However, for those who need last-minute items or essential services, understanding what’s open and closed can be crucial. Here’s an overview of Christmas Day 2024, covering everything from federal holidays to store hours and garbage pickups.

Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the Amir of the State of Kuwait. This will be the first visit of the Prime Minister any Indian Prime Minister to Kuwait after 43 years. PM Modi will attend the opening ceremony of the 26th Arabian Gulf Cup as a special guest of the Emir of Kuwait. He will also interact with the Indian diaspora at the 'Hala Modi' community event at Sheikh Saad Al Abdullah Sports Complex.

ICC reached a breakthrough in the Champions Trophy impasse with India playing all its matches of the mega event at a neutral venue instead of host country under a reciprocal arrangement. In return, Pakistan will also play all its games in ICC events hosted by India at a neutral venue until the ongoing cycle ends in 2027. The deadlock over the hosting of next year's Champions Trophy finally ended on Thursday. «I think the PCB took the sensible approach and instead of doing something rash and facing isolation in the ICC and among other cricket nations, it opted for a solution where I think the PCB has gained more than the BCCI,» said the legendary Javed Miandad.

Shiv Sena UBT leader Sanjay Raut on Friday claimed attacks on Marathi-speaking people have increased after the BJP won the Maharashtra assembly polls and alleged that an environment was being created to drive them out of Mumbai and neighbouring areas. Talking to reporters, Raut highlighted an incident at Kalyan in Thane district, where non-Marathi-speaking people allegedly attacked a Marathi-speaking family. He further dubbed the Maharashtra government as «inauspicious» over the death of 14 people in the collision between a navy craft and a passenger ferry. He alleged that dacoity and murders were taking place in villages and districts.

Om Prakash Chautala, popularly known as O.P. Chautala, was one of Haryana’s most prominent political figures, who carried a deep-rooted legacy in Indian politics. Born on January 1, 1935, Chautala passed away on December 20, 2024, aged 89. Serving as the Chief Minister of Haryana a record four times, Chautala was a stalwart of the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), a party founded by his father, Chaudhary Devi Lal, the sixth Deputy Prime Minister of India.

Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has been told to secure government clearance before confirming participation in the FIH Junior World Cup scheduled in India at the end of next year. PHF Secretary-General Rana Mujahid said the team would require a No Objection Certificate from the federal government for the national squad to travel for the FIH event to be held in December of 2025. «Normally we have always been permitted by our government to play in major events in India in recent years despite the strained relations between the two countries. But now we have been informed to first get clearance before finalising the team and confirming participation,» he told the media here. The Pakistan junior team was unable to take part in the junior World Cup held in Lucknow in December 2016 after the players were not issued visas because of late submission of applications.

As per Jaishankar, India's foreign policy today is based on three principles. «Active engagement with countries, nation's interests first under any circumstance and humanitarian approach with ethics».

And yet many of the routine functions of government — things like national defense, benefit checks and mail delivery — continue as usual. ALSO READ: H-1B visa overhaul gets White House nod, providing big relief for international students, entrepreneurs

Partly cloudy skies will dominate the day, with early morning hours seeing haze or mist in some areas, potentially affecting visibility, as per the forecast by the Met department. This weather is being influenced by a well-marked low-pressure area over the Southwest Bay of Bengal, which is likely to move northwestwards towards the North Tamil Nadu and South Andhra Pradesh coasts over the next 12 hours.

US Department of Commerce has recently asked Nvidia to look into how the company's products ended up in China over the past year, The Information reported on Thursday, citing a person close to the department. The chip giant has asked big distributors such as Super Micro Computer and Dell Technologies to conduct spot checks of their customers in Southeast Asia, the report said. Nvidia's artificial intelligence chips are embedded in server products made by Super Micro and Dell. The Information reported that five different people involved in smuggling Nvidia chips said they have managed so far to evade detection during recent inspections by Super Micro.

WHY IT'S IMPORTANT Persistent deflationary pressure and tepid credit demand call for more stimulus to aid the broad economy, but narrowing interest margin on the back of fast falling yields and a weakening yuan limit the scope for immediate monetary easing.

BJP on Thursday launched a fresh attack on the Congress over its treatment of B R Ambedkar as the ruling party's president J P Nadda asked the opposition party to «stop lying». Nadda reiterated his party's accusations against the Congress for insulting and ignoring Ambedkar and his legacy, and cited the work undertaken by the Modi government to honour his legacy. His posts on X came amid the opposition's relentless attack on Home Minister Amit Shah for allegedly insulting Ambedkar during his Rajya Sabha speech. He told the Congress and its «rotten ecosystem» that they lost Lok Sabha polls for a third consecutive time in June and performed badly in a number of assembly polls.

Ravichandran Ashwin retired from international cricket on Wednesday, leaving big boots to fill in the Indian Test team. If Ashwin's father, Ravichandran, is to be believed, the cricketer's retirement had more to do than him having finished with cricket. In interview with CNN News18, Ravichandran has alleged that his son was constantly being humiliated which may have contributed to him announcing his retirement midway through India’s ongoing tour of Australia. Even Ashwin's father was caught by surprise with the spinner's decision.

Private equity major KKR has acquired a stake in Mumbai-based Rebel Foods, the parent company of Faasos, Behrouz Biryani, and other cloud kitchen brands, according to a company statement. The investment was made through a secondary share purchase transaction and follows Singapore’s sovereign fund Temasek-led $210 million (approximately Rs 1,782 crore) funding round announced on December 12. KKR has not disclosed the size of its investment. A significant portion of the latest financing round comprises secondary share sales, conducted at a lower valuation of around $750-800 million. In contrast, the primary funding infusion was executed at a flat valuation of $1.4 billion. While secondaries are typically done at a discount to the last primary valuation, this transaction reflects a steep discount of approximately 50%.

The hip-hop mogul is currently detained at Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn which is often described as 'hell on earth'. According to reports, Combs altered appearance during a court appearance on Wednesday for a pretrial hearing left attendees stunned. The once-glamorous hip-hop icon said to look visibly thinner, with dramatically grayer hair, prompting speculation that months behind bars have taken their toll.