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wealthtech startups. And venture firms are pouring in millions of dollars to support these nascent businesses. Data from market intelligence platform Tracxn shows that investors have collectively put around $228 million into Indian wealthtech startups over the past two years. Till date in 2024, the sector has already attracted investments of around $70 million. The opportunity is huge, industry insiders said, citing the rapidly increasing number of high net-worth individuals (HNIs) in the country.

mpox and that she might be another case in a growing global health emergency. She also has no idea where to go to get medical help. This year's alarming rise in cases, including a new form of the virus identified by scientists in eastern Congo, led the World Health Organization to declare it a global health emergency on Wednesday. It said the new variant could spread beyond the five African countries where it had already been detected — a timely warning that came a day before Sweden reported its first case of the new strain. In the vast central African nation of Congo, which has had more than 96% of the world's roughly 17,000 recorded cases of mpox this year — and some 500 deaths from the disease — many of the most vulnerable seem unaware of its existence or the threat that it poses. «We know nothing about this,» Bagheni's husband, Habumuremyiza Hire, said on Thursday about mpox.

NIRF rankers IIT Delhi and Anna University, receiving GST show cause notices worth several crores over the last few days on their past research funding, the Union Education ministry is learnt to have stepped into the picture. ET has learnt that the ministry is closely examining the issue and may soon escalate the matter to the Finance Ministry and GST Council for reconsideration. IIT Delhi and Anna University apart, several state and deemed universities are among institutes that have received show cause notices earlier this week from the Directorate General of Goods and Services Tax (GST) Intelligence. Most institutes have been asked to respond to the notice within a month, failing which action would be taken against them.

West Bengal and across the country on Saturday started a 24-hour nationwide strike to protest the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at the government-run RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata last week. The protest was called by the Indian Medical Association (IMA), the largest organisation of medical staff in the country, which has placed five demands including justice for the victim, a central law to protect healthcare workers from violence at workplaces, and a thorough overhaul of the working and living conditions of resident doctors. The West Bengal government, meanwhile, issued detailed guidelines and measures to be taken at hospitals, medical colleges and all workplaces for women across the state with the aim to provide safe working conditions, and launched a flagship programme, 'Rattirer Shaathi' (Helpers of night).

religious hatred towards minorities, particularly Hindus, in Bangladesh following the fall of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government. Attacks against minority groups, including the approximately 12 million Hindus, have resulted in many casualties. A number of groups in Bangladesh have held protest marches, including those representing Hinduism, Buddhism, and Christianity. While the situation is returning to an uneasy normal, what is surprising is almost no world leader spoke out against it. Would the international community's response have been different if the victims had been Muslims, Christians, or Jews instead of Hindus? With increasing polarisation around the world on a range of issues, the most visible and widening split is now based on religion, notably between Abrahamic and non-Abrahamic faiths.

secular civil code", the All India Muslim Personal Law Board on Saturday underlined the Law Commission's 2018 assertion that a uniform civil code is neither necessary nor desirable and asserted that any attempt to bring it would be «unacceptable». The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) said it considers the prime minister's call for a secular civil code and terming religious personal laws as communal ones «highly objectionable». The AIMPLB said in no uncertain terms makes it clear that it is «unacceptable» to the Muslims as they will never compromise with the Muslim Personal Law.

siblings, steeped in centuries of tradition. Rakhi is marked by the simple yet profound act of tying a rakhi, a sacred thread, around a brother's wrist. This act is a sister's way of praying for her brother's health, and the brother promises to protect her throughout his life. Though modern times have brought new ways to celebrate, Raksha Bandhan's core rituals are still the same.

interim government, gave this assurance while addressing the third Voice of Global South Summit which was hosted by India in a virtual format. «You all are aware that Bangladesh witnessed a 'Second Revolution' on 5th August 2024, through a mass uprising spearheaded by our valiant students and joined by the masses,» the 84-year-old Nobel laureate said, referring to the political turmoil in his country, the resignation of prime minister Sheikh Hasina and her fleeing to India on August 5. Noting that the current interim government led by him was sworn in on August 8, Yunus said, «Our government is committed to ensuring a transition to inclusive and pluralistic democracy and creating an environment in which free, fair and participatory elections can be held.»

Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday said that inadequate access to developmental finance is hindering developing economies from achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and underscored the urgent need to address this USD 4 trillion annual financing gap. Addressing the third Voice of Global South Summit virtually, Sitharaman said that recent reports reveal that the implementation of many SDGs in developing economies is stagnating, with some indicators even regressing. The SDG financing gap is estimated to be USD 4 trillion annually for developing countries, she said. Observing that the global South is affected by global uncertainties, she said one in four developing countries will be poorer by the end of this year than they were before the pandemic as per a recent World Bank report.

Dhaka University in Bangladesh held a protest in solidarity with ongoing demonstrations over the rape and murder of a woman trainee doctor at R G Kar Medical College in Kolkata in the neighbouring country. The protest, organised under the banner «Awaaz Tolo Nari» (Raise Your Voice, Women), on Friday, took place at the Raju Sculpture in Dhaka University, Dhaka Tribune newspaper reported. «We are aware of the non-cooperative attitude of the medical college administration regarding the rape case in Upper Bengal. As women, we demand that the administration provide maximum legal assistance, strictly enforce the law, and announce the verdict promptly,» Dhaka Tribune quoted Rahnuma Ahmed Niret, a student from the Department of Physics, as saying at the event. Anya Fahmin, a student of the Department of Anthropology, added: «Women worldwide face rape, and we fully support the ongoing movement for fair accountability in the RG Kar Hospital case in Kolkata. Additionally, we call for a public trial of the rape and murder case of Sohagi Jahan Tonu in Comilla. The general public has a right to know, especially when the army is involved. The government must ensure a safe country for women through the mass uprising of student communities.»

cash transactions in business sectors like hotels, luxury brand sales, hospitals and IVF clinics need to be checked in a «non-intrusive» manner, the CBDT has asked the I-T department. The apex body for direct taxes administration in the country — the Central Board of Direct Taxes — has also asked the tax department to undertake «concerted efforts» to recover arrear demands which have been witnessing a «steep rise» since the last financial year. The CBDT recently issued an annual action plan dossier called the central action plan (CAP) 2024-25. Senior officials told PTI that transactions over Rs 2 lakh in cash were required to be reported through a statement of financial transaction (SFT) by financial institutions but that was not happening.

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar on Saturday said here that some people in the country have put their political interest above the national interest and wished that wisdom would prevail on them. The Vice President expressed hope that such people would take counsel from the supreme sacrifices made for achieving freedom for our country.

Africa but now reported outside the continent. While Mpox spreads more slowly than the novel coronavirus, it can still be lethal, depending on the strain. Cases detected in Sweden, Pakistan Sweden said a person who had got back from Africa has tested positive for mpox. The case was identified a day after World Health Organization (WHO) declared the latest outbreak of the disease as a public health emergency of international concern and warned that Europe could see more imported cases. On Friday, Pakistan became the second country outside Africa to report a positive case. The patient had returned from a Gulf country. Pakistani health authorities said tests were underway to determine the variant involved.

tariffs slowed the influx of Chinese-made electric vehicles in July, as the bloc moved to protect its automakers from low-cost competition. The number of new EVs that Chinese automakers like BYD Co. and SAIC Motor Corp.’s MG registered in the EU last month fell 45% from June, according to research from Dataforce, which compiled results across the 16 member countries that have reported July figures to date. The drop may have been exaggerated by carmakers rushing to get EVs to dealers before the added levies took effect July 5.

(This story originally appeared in on Aug 16, 2024)

(This story originally appeared in on Aug 17, 2024)

Prince Harry urged caution over artificial intelligence and talked of social media as divisive during a panel in Colombia's capital Bogota alongside his wife Meghan and the Andean country's Vice President Francia Marquez. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who stepped away from official royal duties in January 2020 and now live in California, arrived in Colombia on Thursday at the invitation of Marquez and will tour the country. During a panel discussion at Bogota's EAN university on Thursday evening, Harry raised his concerns over the future of AI.

India to Ukraine, Ravi Shankar presented his letter of credence to Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Presidential Palace in Kyiv. The other envoys who also presented their credentials to Zelenskyy were Ambassadors of Mexico, Italy, Slovakia, the Netherlands, and Belgium, who along with Shankar, will begin their diplomatic missions in Ukraine. Sharing a post on X Friday, Zelenskyy wrote, «Today, the newly appointed Ambassadors of Mexico, Italy, Slovakia, the Netherlands, India, and Belgium begin their diplomatic missions in Ukraine.»

Through the broken glass Of a library window The burning books Can’t be read. So new ones Will have to be written. —Ian McMillan (@IMcMillan) Over a decade ago, I walked into a small two-storeyed white house in Dhaka. It felt familiar. I’d grown up around houses like that in Kolkata with red oxide floors, black-and-white photographs on the wall, the rooms cool even on a warm afternoon.

equity instruments of a local company in exchange for those of a foreign firm in a significant rejig of foreign investment norms. Investments by an overseas citizen of India (OCI) on a non-repatriation basis would not be counted as indirect foreign investment, as per the changes, which were announced late on Friday. The amendments in the Foreign Exchange Management (Non-debt Instruments) Rules follow the budget pledge by finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman to simplify overseas investment rules. The latest changes have aligned the provisions governing downstream investments by overseas citizens of India with those for non-residents. This, experts said, would encourage greater participation of NRIs in the country's economy. Easier share swap rules will «facilitate global expansion of Indian companies through mergers, acquisitions, and other strategic initiatives», the finance ministry said. The government also clarified that transfer of all shares in companies having foreign direct investment (FDI) from countries sharing land borders with India would require prior nod irrespective of the sector.

super luxury cars are set to surpass previous peaks for the third straight year in India, even as mainstream auto makers are struggling to clear their piled-up inventory by offering massive discounts. A Lamborghini booked now will be delivered only in 2026 or later, as the supercar maker has sold all units its Italian headquarters allocated for India. The company retails the Huracan, Urus and Revuelto in India, with the on-road price ranging from ₹5 crore to ₹10 crore. Ferrari, McLaren and Aston Martin are also seeing strong demand in India for their supercars. Mercedes-Benz and Audi have waiting periods stretching up to a year for their top end models such as the AMG G 63 and RS Q8, priced ₹2.5-4.55 crore on road.